Project Management For Dummies - UK

Nick Graham is an experienced project practitioner, trainer and author, with his clear explanations helped by also being a qualified teacher. His training work has taken him worldwide, and he has worked with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Nick is also the author of Project Management Checklists For Dummies.

• Introduction 1About This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Understanding Projects and What You Want to Achieve 5Chapter 1: Success in Project Management 7Taking on a Project 7Avoiding the Pitfalls 8Deciding Whether the Job is a Project 10Understanding the four control areas 10Recognising the diversity of projects 12Understanding the four stages of a project 13Defining the Project Manager’s Role 15Looking at the Project Manager’s tasks 16Opposing opposition 17Avoiding ‘shortcuts’ 18Deciding On Your Approach 19Chapter 2: Thinking Through the Life of Your Project 21Using a Set Approach 21Breaking the Project Down into Stages 22Appreciating the advantages of stages 23Deciding on the number of delivery stages 24Understanding the Four Main Stages 25Starting the project 25The planning stage – organising and preparing 28The delivery stages – carrying out the work 32The closure stage 36Chapter 3: Defining the Scope and Producing a Business Case 37Defining the Scope 38Managing expectations and avoiding disappointment 39Challenging the scope 39Understanding the dimensions of scope 40Being clear 40Considering the requirements 41Producing a Business Case 41Getting to grips with the basic contents 42Keeping the Business Case up to date 42Figuring out why you’re doing the project 43Understanding project justification 44Understanding benefits 45Writing the Business Case 49Complying with organisational standards 50Going Back to the Scope 50Challenging the existing scope 51Going the second mile 51Getting to Grips with Techniques 52Calculating return on investment 52Understanding cost–benefit analysis 52Chapter 4: Knowing Your Project’s Stakeholders 55Managing Stakeholders 56Identifying stakeholders – the ‘who’ 57Analysing the stakeholders – the ‘where’ 60Understanding positions – the ‘why’ 62Deciding action – the ‘what’ 63Working with stakeholders – the ‘how’ 65Planning the work – the ‘when’ 66Handling Opposition 67Solving the problems 67Focusing on the common areas 67Understanding that you’re a threat 67Spotting facts and emotions 69Overriding the opposition 70Handling Multiple-Stakeholder Projects 71Getting multiple approvals 71Developing management strategies 71Part 2: Planning Time: Determining What, When and How Much 73Chapter 5: Planning with Deliverables First 75Seeing the Logic of Product Planning 76Thinking ‘product’ before thinking ‘task’ 76Understanding the problems of an activity focus 78Knowing What a Product Is – and Isn’t 79Finding Good Product Names 80Using a Business Project Example 81Identifying the products 81Developing a sequence 82Defining the products 87Using a Structured Product List 88Unleashing the Power of the Work Flow Diagram 91Using the Work Flow Diagram for risk 92Using the Work Flow Diagram for control 92Using the Work Flow Diagram to show stages 93Using the Work Flow for progress reporting 93Getting a picture of the project 95Chapter 6: Planning the Activities 97Moving From Products to Activities 98Having multiple tasks to build a product 98Listing the activities or tasks 99Drawing Up a First Activity Network 101Seeing how you build up an Activity Network 101Using the Work Flow Diagram 103Putting in the time durations 105Calculating the length of the project 107Understanding Float and Its Impact 109Identifying the Critical Path 111Watching the critical path 112Finding a split critical path 113Being More Precise with Dependencies 114Understanding dependency types 114Staying in touch with reality 117Thinking a bit more about sequences 118Working with the Activity Network 120Working back to meet end dates 121Avoiding backing into your schedule 122Going for Gantt 123Estimating Activity Durations 125Getting the best information 126Using estimating techniques 127Putting a health warning on estimates 128Chapter 7: Looking At Staff Resources 131Seeing Why You Need to Plan Staff Use 132Dealing with resource conflicts 132Making sure that people are available 133Monitoring use of staff on the project 135Matching People to Tasks 135Working out the skill sets and knowledge that you need on the teams 135Growing your people 136Identifying skills sets 137Honing Your Task Duration Estimates 138Documenting your estimates 138Factors in activity timing and estimates 139Estimating required work effort 140Factoring in productivity 141Taking care with historical data 144Accounting for availability 145Smoothing the Resource 146Checking for resource conflict 146Resolving resource conflicts – the steps 147Co-ordinating assignments across multiple projects 149Chapter 8: Planning for Other Resources and Developing the Budget 151Determining Physical Resource Needs 152Identifying resource needs 152Understanding physical resources 154Thinking a bit more about timing 155Preparing a Budget 156Looking at different types of project costs 157Developing a project budget at three levels 159Creating a detailed budget estimate 160Refining your budget through the stages 162Avoiding drowning people in detail 164Chapter 9: Planning at Different Times and Levels 165Putting the Main Structure in Place 166Deciding on the stages 166Holding a Stage Gate 168Working with Planning Levels 169Drawing up new plans 170Keeping higher level plans up to date 172Planning at more than one level at once 172Chapter 10: Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty 175Understanding Risks and Risk Management 176Seeing why you need risk management 177Managing, not necessarily avoiding, risk 177Keeping people informed 178Keeping risk in focus throughout the project 180Working Through the Risk Cycle 180Identifying a risk and its trigger event(s) 182(Re)analyse the risk and check existing actions 183Deciding risk management action(s) 189Add/modify risk management in the plans 193Take planned action(s) and monitor the risk 194Documenting Risk 195Risk Plan 195Risk Log 196Getting Some Help from Techniques 197Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram 197Work Flow Diagram 198Risk Checklist 198Decision tree 198Chapter 11: Controlling Quality 201Understanding the Effects of Getting Quality Wrong 203Understanding the impact of poor quality 203Avoiding the cost of unnecessarily high quality 204Defining Quality 205Striking the Quality Balance 205Balancing quality against project effort (and more) 205Thinking through what quality level you need 206Identifying when quality levels are mandatory 208Spotting Quality Game-Playing and Working to Prevent It 208The quality level game and a guilty conscience 209When formality and auditing means nothing 210Typical game players 211Achieving a Culture of Quality 211Communicating quality requirements and procedures 212Explaining the attitude to error 212Celebrating when errors are found 213Getting On Top of Quality in Your Project 214Drawing up an effective Quality Plan 214Building the foundation with good product definition 216Using powerful yet simple logs 217Auditing quality effectively 218Delivering At the Right Level 218Specifying the right sort of testing 219Using the right people 219Reviewing Products 220Using informal review (peer level checking) 220Using formal review 221Part 3: Putting Your Management Team Together 225Chapter 12: Organising the Project 227Designing the Project Organisation 227Understanding it’s about roles, not jobs 229Getting to grips with project roles 230Looking at the roles 230Influencing the selection of PSG roles 239Defining Organisational Structures 239The projectised structure 239The matrix structure 240Taking note of the structure 241Chapter 13: Working With Teams and Specialists 243Looking At the Team in Context 245Working with Team Leaders 246Accepting That People Are Different 248Using the Controller–Analyst Matrix 248Building in or avoiding team conflict 249Using the model on the fly 250Thinking About Suitable Team Members 251Considering Performance 252Identifying the performance progression 252Monitoring performance 253Maximising performance 253Working with Senior Staff 254Being secure in your role 255Calling in the heavy guns 255Working with Technical Specialists 256Finding a translator 256Admitting your ignorance 257Being on-side 257Working with Supplier Teams 258Supporting supplier staff 258Choosing suppliers carefully 259Thinking ‘time’, not just ‘initial cost’ 259Dealing With Discipline 259Maintaining some distance 260Owning the problem 260Avoiding jumping to conclusions 261Resolving problems – or trying to 261Treading the disciplinary trail 262Changing Staff 262Chapter 14: Being an Effective Leader 263Practising Management and Leadership 264Understanding what makes a good leader 264Developing personal authority 266Knowing What Motivates and What Demotivates 268Taking a lesson from Fred Herzberg 268Understanding points of demotivation 270Ensuring that others are on board 271Developing Your Teams 272Defining your project procedures 272Helping your teams to function well 273Stoking the Boilers 275Letting people know how they’re doing 276Motivating people when they leave 276Keeping your finger on the pulse 277Part 4: Steering the Project to Success 279Chapter 15: Tracking Progress and Staying in Control 281Understanding What Underpins Effective Progress Control 282Having a reliable plan 282Having clear and frequent milestones 283Having an effective reporting mechanism 284Harnessing Product Power for Progress Control 284Compiling a Work Checklist 285Getting visual with the Work Flow Diagram 286Monitoring at project, stage and Work Package levels 286Taking Action When Things Go Off Track 286Finding out why the project is off track 287Thinking about what you can do to get back on track 289Deciding what you’ll do 290Taking action 290Monitoring the effectiveness of the action 290Monitoring Work Effort and Costs 291Keeping an eye on work effort 291Follow the money: Monitoring expenditure 295Dealing with Change and Avoiding Scope Creep 299Understanding different types of change 300Looking at impacts – the four dogs 302Responding to change requests 304Eliminating scope creep – well, almost 305Handling Bad News 306Chapter 16: Keeping Everyone Informed 307Looking At Communications Failure 308Communications breakdown – the big project killer 308Identifying causes of communications problems 309Communicating Effectively 311Distinguishing between one-way and two-way communication 312Can you hear me? Listening actively 312Choosing the Appropriate Medium 314Writing reports 315Meeting up 318Setting up a project website 321Making a business presentation 321Preparing a Communications Plan 323Identifying the communications 324Writing a Communications Plan 326Chapter 17: Closing Your Project 329Staying the Course to Completion 330Thinking ahead about project closure 330Dealing with a crash stop 331Planning Closure 332Outlining closure activities 333Motivating teams to the finish line 334Providing a Good Transition for Team Members 334Reviewing the Project 336Beginning with the end in mind 336Recording project information 338Learning lessons and passing them on 338Measuring benefits 338Planning for Things After the Project 340Part 5: Taking Your Project Management to the Next Level 343Chapter 18: Outlining the Cyclical (Agile) Approach 345Understanding the Difference Between Linear and Cyclical Approaches 346Seeing Beyond the Hype 347Unravelling misnomers 347Separating fact from over-enthusiastic fiction 348Implementing a Cyclical Approach 349Understanding roles and functions 350Running development cycles 350Choosing The Right Approach for Your Project 352Basing your decision on the project’s characteristics 352Seeing the gaps in cyclical approaches 352Getting it right, cyclical or not 353Chapter 19: Managing Multiple Projects 357Talking the Talk 358Defining a programme 358Defining a portfolio 360Deciding on a Programme 360Understanding programme roles 361Fitting in with Programme Plans 362Mapping interdependencies by product 362Controlling a programme 364Managing a Portfolio 365Understanding the project implications 366Maintaining the portfolio 366Chapter 20: Using Technology to Up Your Game 369Using Computer Software Effectively 370Seeing what software you need 371Understanding where to use software 371Having Your Head in the Cloud 377Getting Really Good Stuff for Free 379Supporting Virtual Teams with Communication Technology 380Saving Time with Software 381Being Artificially Intelligent 381Chapter 21: Monitoring Project Performance with Earned Value Management 383Understanding EVM Terms and Formulas 384Looking at a project example (1) 384Looking at a project example (2) 385Looking at a project example (3) 385Getting the three key figures 386Working with Ratios and Formulas 388Investigating Variances 389Deciding What to Measure for EVM 390Chapter 22: Project Governance and Why It’s Really Important 393Seeing Why It’s a No-brainer 394Looking At Other Guidance 395Understanding What’s Involved 395Understanding the Organisational Level 396Standards and approaches 397Reviewing governance and standards 397Checking an Individual Project 398Checking the project’s Outline Charter 399Checking the Charter and PMP 399Checking the project while it’s running 400Evaluating the project at the end 401Maintaining the ‘Big Divide’ 402Coordinating Your Project Training 403Part 6: The Part of Tens 405Chapter 23: Ten Questions to Ask Yourself as You Plan Your Project 407What Are the Objectives of Your Project? 407Who Do You Need to Involve? 408What Will You Produce? 408What Constraints Must You Satisfy? 409What Assumptions Are You Making? 409What Work Has to Be Done? 410When Does Each Activity Start and End? 410Who Will Perform the Project Work? 410What Other Resources Do You Need? 411What Can Go Wrong? 411Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Writing a Convincing Business Case 413Starting with a Bang 413Spelling out the Benefits Clearly 414Pointing Out the Non-quantifiables 414Being Prudent 415Considering Three-point Estimating 415Making Sure Benefits Aren’t Features 415Avoiding Benefits Contamination 416Making Sure You Can Deliver Benefits 416Supplying Evidence or Referencing It 416Using Appendices 417Chapter 25: Ten Tips for Being a Better Project Manager 419Being a ‘Why’ Person 420Being a ‘Can Do’ Person 420Thinking about the Big Picture 420Thinking in Detail 420Assuming Cautiously 421Viewing People as Allies Not Adversaries 421Saying What You Mean, and Meaning What You Say 421Respecting Other People 422Acknowledging Good Performance 422Being a Manager and a Leader 422Index 423