project management report

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER

A200SAM Add+Vantage Module

Anmoal Thethi

GROUND RULES

 Mobile phones on silent  Regular attendance  Be on time to all classes  Participate in the classroom  Respect others and their opinions  Ask if you don’t understand something  Follow up seminars with self-directed study

CONTACTING ME

 Module leader: Anmoal Thethi

 [email protected]

 For questions about the module (seminar topics, the assignment, etc) please use the Q&A forum on Moodle

OVERVIEW : ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER

AIMS AND SUMMARY

 Introduction to skills for managing projects effectively

 People in projects  Tools and techniques  Time/cost/quality relationship  Hard and soft skills

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Explore the key variables required to meet project objectives

2. Understand the different planning tools required to manage a project

3. Apply project management theory to a practical scenario

4. Critically reflect on the soft skills required to manage a project effectively

MODULE RESOURCES

 Gardiner, P.D. (2005) Project Management: A Strategic Planning Approach. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan

 Other project management textbooks (inc works by: Pinto, Lock, Maylor, Cleland, Turner)  See Moodle Resource List

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

 www.apm.org.uk Association of Project Management

 www.pmi.org.uk Project Management Institute

LECTURE/SEMINAR STRUCTURE  Lectures/seminars - 10 x 2 hour

 1hr core content  30 mins group activities  15/20 mins assessment preparation

 Supported by 45 hours of self-directed study  Equates to 4½ hours per week over the 10 weeks  Combination of seminar preparation, assessment planning

and self-directed reading

 Week 10 is an optional drop-in Assessment Workshop

SEMINAR THEMES

ASSESSMENT  A 1500 word report assessing the way in which a

real-life project (provided as a case study) has been managed. (80% of the module mark)

 A 500 word reflective statement on the skills required to be an effective project manager, identifying the skill areas you need to develop. (20% of the module mark)

SESSION PLAN - WEEK 1

Part 1  Overview of module  Introductions Part 2  To understand what projects are and how they

differ from ‘normal business’  To understand what project management covers  Project management skills activity

INTRODUCTIONS

 Your name and degree programme  Where you come from  What you are hoping to get from this

Add+Vantage module  Any previous knowledge of, or background in,

project management

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ACTIVITY – 10 MINUTES

 What do you think are the key characteristics of a project?

WHAT IS A PROJECT?

Definitions (p1):

 “A unique, transient endeavour undertaken to achieve planned objectives.”

www.APM.org.uk, accessed 20/9/2016

 “It’s a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result.”

www.PMI.org, accessed 15/1/2016

WHAT IS A PROJECT? Definitions (p2):

 “A project is a temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business case.”

From Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 (2009) London, TSO

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROJECT  Gardiner, 2005

 A temporary endeavour  Unique in some way  Takes shape through a process of “progressive elaboration”

 Pinto, 2013  Complex, one-time processes  Limited by budget, schedule and resources  Resolve a clear goal or set of goals: deliverables  Customer-focussed

 Köster, 2010  Limited, unique and risky

 PRINCE2, 2009 Change, temporary, cross-functional, unique and uncertain

PROJECTS VS DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS Process

1. Repeat process or product

2. Several objectives

3. Ongoing

4. Uniform

5. Systems in place to integrate efforts

6. Performance, cost, & time known

7. Part of the line organization

8. Bastions of established practice

9. Supports status quo

Project

1. New process or product

2. One objective

3. One shot – limited life

4. Cross functional

5. Systems must be created to integrate efforts

6. Performance, cost & time less certain

7. Outside of line organization

8. Violates established practice

9. Upsets status quo

From Pinto (2013) p27

WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

 Project management focuses on controlling the introduction of the desired change. This involves:

 Understanding the needs of stakeholders  Planning what needs to be done, when, by whom, and

to what standards  Building and motivating the team  Coordinating the work of different people  Monitoring work being done  Managing any changes to the plan  Delivering successful results

www.apm.org.uk, accessed 20/9/2016

THE PURPOSE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

 “To foresee or predict as many of the dangers and problems as possible, and to plan, organise and control activities so that the project is completed as successfully as possible in spite of all the risks”

Lock, D. (2007) The Essentials of Project Management, 9th ed. London: Gower

WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

Useful link:

Association of Project Management – UK www.apm.org.uk/WhatIsPM

PROJECT SKILLS ACTIVITY

I’d like you to make me a cup of tea. What are the main steps involved in

this project?

A CUP OF TEA: DEBRIEF

 Specification  Activity breakdown  Revising order of steps  People  sponsor  project manager  project team

 Resource list  Outsourcing

WHY DO PROJECTS FAIL?

 Lack of co-ordination  lack of communication  poor estimates  unclear goals & outcomes  changes to specification  inadequate planning  poor progress monitoring  poor quality control

PREPARATION FOR WEEK 2

READING

 Lock, D (2007) Project Management 9th edition Aldershot: Gower

Chapters 1 and 2

 Gardiner, P.D. (2005) Project Management: A Strategic Planning Approach. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan

Chapter 1

RESEARCH ACTIVITY  Professional associations  Internet research on the following professional

associations:  APM – UK  PMI – US  IPMA – International PM Association

 In your small groups, decide:  what you want to discover  how you will carry out and record the research  who does which parts  how will you feedback your results next week

TO PREPARE FOR NEXT WEEK

1. Check module access on Moodle 2. Research professional associations 3. Recommended reading

WEEK 2: SESSION PLAN  Review of week 1  Professional associations – student presentations

 PM topics:  Project lifecycle  Scope/cost/time  Quality

 Assessment preparation: Harvard referencing