Project Management Prep For Exam

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Project management

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the ability to get things done, must support the higher vision of the organization the project management activities are occurring in.

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Projects must be in alignment with the organization’s

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vision, strategy, tactics, and goals

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At the launch of a project, the project manager must

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have inherited the vision of the project

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A project phase

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allows a project manager to see the project as a whole and yet still focus on completing the project one phase at a time.

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Projects are

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temporary endeavors to create a unique product or service

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All projects must

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have an end date

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The sum of the project phases comprises

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the project life cycle.

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A project life cycle is

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the duration of a project

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The project manager will be accountable for several things at the end of a project phase

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The performance of the project to date

The performance of the project team to date

Proof of deliverables in the project phase

Verification of deliverables in alignment with the project scope

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Money already spent on a project is called

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sunk costs

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the cost of the work to complete is

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one of the elements that should be taken into consideration when considering to kill a project.

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Project phases are also known

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stage gates

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Stage gates are used often in

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manufacturing and product development

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A stage gate allows a project to

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continue after performance and deliverable review against a set of predefined metrics

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If the deliverables of the phase, or stage, met the predefined metrics

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the project is allowed to continue

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Should the deliverable not meet the metrics

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the project may not be allowed to pass through the gate to move forward

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As a project manager, you should identify the requirements

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as close to the project launch as possible

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The completion of a phase may also be known as

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a phase exit

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Exit criteria are typically

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inspection-specific and are scheduled events in the project schedule

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Exit criteria can include many different activities, such as:

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Sign-offs from the customer

Regulatory inspections and audits

Quality metrics

Performance metrics

Security audits

The end of a project phase

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Requirements

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What type of house are you building? What are the characteristics of the house? What are the expectations from the people that will be living in the home?

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Design

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The architects and the designers would work with the requirements to create the specifications for the house in alignment with the requirements of the customer

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Build

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Within this phase, there’d be logical activities and mini-phases necessary to reach the project completion, such as the foundation, the framing, the roofing, and so on

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Inspect

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Before the home owners moved into their new home, they’d want to inspect the house for the quality of the building and confirm its functionality

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Operational transfer

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Ah, yes, the home is complete and the homeowners have moved in, approving the project and thereby heralding its end.

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Each phase within the preceding project has logical activities that dictate the point of the

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phase, the goal of each, and what the deliverables of each phase likely will be.

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At the end of each of the listed phases

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there’d likely be an inspection and confirmation that the project is moving towards its completion. The completion of a phase allows a project to move into the next phase

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Projects are like snowflakes

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no two are alike. Sure, sure, some may be similar, but when you get down to it—each project has its own unique attributes, activities, and requirements from stakeholders

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Within each project, one attribute that typically varies from project to project is

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the project life cycle

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the project life cycle determines

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not only the start of the project, but also when the project should be completed. All that stuff packed in between starting and ending? Those are the different phases of the project.

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The PMP exam will test your knowledge on the outcome of project phases

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rather than the idealistic outputs of a project phase.

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Know that each phase

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creates a deliverable of some sort and allows the project to move forward if the deliverables meet preset metrics.

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In other words, the launch, series of phases, and project completion

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comprise the project life cycle

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project will have similar project management activities,

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but the characteristics of the project life cycle will vary from project to project

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The project’s feasibility is part of

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The project’s feasibility is part of

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Once the need has been identified

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a feasibility study is called for to determine if the need can realistically be met.

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In most organizations, however, projects may begin

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with a feasibility study

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The outcome of the feasibility study may tell management several things

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Whether the concept should be mapped into a project or not

If the project concept is worth moving forward with

The expected cost and time needed to complete the concept

The benefits and costs to implement the project concept

A report on the needs of the organization and how the project concept can satisfy these needs

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Project life cycles

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comprised of phases, move the project along

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What work will be completed in each phase of the project?

What resources, people, equipment, and facilities will be needed withineach phase?

What are the expected deliverables of each phase?

What is the expected cost to complete a project phase?

Which phases contain the highest amount of risk?

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Project life cycles allow a project manager to determine several things about the project, such as:

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Armed with the appropriate information for each project phase, the project manager can plan for

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, schedules, resource availability, risk management, and other project management activities to ensure that the project progresses successfully

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While projects differ, there are also other common traits from project to project. The following lists a few examples

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Cost and resource requirements are lower at the beginning of a project, but grow as the project progresses. Once the project moves into the final closing process, costs and resource requirements taper off dramatically.

Projects fail at the beginning, not at the end. Projects are more likely to fail near their beginning—and more likely to succeed near the end of their life cycle. In other words, the odds of completing are low at launch and high at completion.

The further the project is from completing, the higher the risk and uncertainty. Risk and doubt decrease as the project moves closer to fulfilling the project vision.

Changes are easier and more likely at the early phases of the project life cycle than at the completion. Stakeholders can have a greater influence on the outcome of the project deliverables in the early phases, but in the final phases of the project life cycle, their influence on change diminishes. Thankfully. Changes at the beginning of the project generally cost less and have lower risk than changes at the end of a project.

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Proof-of-concept

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In this phase, you’ll work with business analysts, electrical engineers, customers, and manufacturing experts to confirm that such a camera is feasible to make

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First build

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Management loves the positive information you’ve discovered in the proof-of-concept phase—they’ve set a budget for your project to continue into development. Now you’ll lead your project team through the process of designing and building a video camera according to the specifications from the stakeholders and management. Once the camera is built, your team will test, document, and adjust your camera for usability and feature-support.

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Prototype manufacturing

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Things are going remarkably well with your video camera project. The project stakeholders loved the first-build and have made some refinements to the design. Your project team builds a working model, thereby moving into prototyping the video camera’s manufacture, testing its cost effectiveness and ease of mass production. The vision of the project is becoming a reality.

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Final build

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The prototype of the camera went fairly well. The project team has documented any flaws, and adjustments are being made. The project team is also working with the manufacturer to complete the requirements for materials and packaging. The project is nearing completion.

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Operational transfer

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The project is complete. Your team has successfully designed, built, and moved into production, a wonderful, affordable video camera. Each phase of the project allowed the camera to move towards completion. As the project came closer and closer to moving into operations, risk and project fluctuation waned

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Stakeholders are those fine folks and organizations

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who are actively involved in the project, or will be affected by its outcome—in other words, people, groups, businesses, customers, and communities that have a vested interest in the project

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On the Job

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In high-profile projects, where stakeholders will be in conflict over the project purpose, deliverables, cost, and schedule, the project manager may want to use the Delphi Technique to gain anonymous consensus among stakeholders. The Delphi Technique allows stakeholders to offer opinions and input without fear of retribution from management.

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Stakeholders, especially those not in favor of the project deliverable, may try to influence the project itself. This can be attempted in many ways, such as through:

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Political capital leveraged to change the project deliverable

Change requests to alter the project deliverable

Scope addendums to add to the project deliverable

Sabotage, through physical acts or rumors, gossip, and negative influence

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The deliverables

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typically allow the project to move forward to the next phase—or allow the project to be terminated based on the quality, outcome, or condition of the phase deliverable

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Recall that stage gates

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allow a project to continue (after performance and deliverable review) against a set of predefined metrics.

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Kill points

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like phase gates, are preset times placed in the project when it may, based on conditions and discovery within the phase, be “killed.”

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like phase gates, are preset times placed in the project when it may, based on conditions and discovery within the phase, be “killed.”

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like phase gates, are preset times placed in the project when it may, based on conditions and discovery within the phase, be “killed.”

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The project life cycle

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comprised of the logical phases within the project itself

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Project stakeholders have a

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vested interest in the outcome of the project.

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Stakeholders include

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the project manager, project team, management, customers, communities, and anyone affected by the project outcome

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Project managers should scan the project outcome in order

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to identify all of the stakeholders and collect and record their expectations, concerns, and input regarding the project processes

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project manager in a functional organization

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will have relatively low authority

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A project manager in a matrix environment

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can have low, balanced, or high authority over the project. A project manager in a projectized organization will have a high level of authority on the project

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Your role as the project manager is to

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identify, align, and ascertain stakeholders and their expectations of the project. Stakeholder identification is not always as clear-cut as in the preceding example. Because stakeholders are identified as people that are affected by the outcome of your project, external customers may be stakeholders in your project, too

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Stakeholders can go by many different names

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internal and external customers, project owners, financiers, contractors, family members, government regulatory agencies, communities, cities, citizens and more. The classification of stakeholders into categories is not as important as realizing and understanding stakeholders’ concerns and expectations. The identification and classification of stakeholders does allow, however, the project manager to deliver effective and timely communications to the appropriate stakeholders.

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Project managers must scan the project for

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hidden stakeholders

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The project manager should investigate all parties affected by the project to

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identify all of the stakeholders—not just the obvious ones. Hidden stakeholders can influence the outcome of the project. They can also add cost, schedule requirements, or risk to a project.

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Project manager

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The project manager is the person—ahem, you—that is accountable for managing the project. They guide the team through the project phases to completion

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Project customer

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The customer is the person or group that will use the project deliverable. In some instances, a project may have many different customers. Consider a book publisher for children. The bookstores distribute the children’s book. The adults pay for the book. The children read the book. There is also some consideration given to the user versus the customer. The user uses the product; the customer pays for it. A stakeholder can be both a user and a customer.

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Performing organization

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On your project, you’ll have a project team. Who do the team members work for? The performing organization is the entity that employs the people responsible for completing the prject work. In some instances, the performing organization can be a vendor whose project team is completing the project work for another entity, the customer.

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Project team

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The project team is the collection of individuals that will, hopefully, work together to ensure the success of the project. The project manager works with the project team to guide, schedule, and oversee the project work. The project team completes the project work.

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Project sponsor

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The sponsor authorizes the project. This person or group ensures that the project manager has the necessary resources, including monies, to get the work done. The project sponsor is someone within the performing organization that has the power to authorize and sanction the project work, and is ultimately responsible for the project’s success

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Key Project Stakeholders

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Project manager
Project customer
Performing organization
Project team
Project team

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When it comes to stakeholder expectations

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nothing beats documentation

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Project managers must recognize the role of the project as

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as a component within an organization

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The Executive Layer

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sets the vision and strategy of the organization. The business layer asks, “Why is the project important to our organization? Our vision? Our strategy?”

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The Functional Management Layer

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of the pyramid must support the Executive Layer’s objectives. Specifically, the Functional Management Layer is concerned with tactics to accomplish the vision and strategy as set by upper management. The Functional Management Layer asks, “What is the project purpose? What business processes are affected?”

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The Operational Layer

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of the pyramid supports the Executive and the Functional Management layers. This layer is concerned with the specifics of getting the work done. The Operational Layer asks, “How can the work be accomplished? How can we reach the desired future state with these requirements

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Completing projects for others

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These entities swoop into other organizations and complete the project work based on specifications, details, and specification documents. Classical examples of these types of organizations include consultants, architectural firms, technology integration companies, and advertising agencies

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Completing projects internally through a system

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These entities have adopted management by projects (discussed in Chapter 1). Recall that organizations using management by projects have accounting, time, and management systems in place to account for the time, cost, and worth of each project.

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Completing projects as needed

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These non-project-centric entities can complete projects successfully, but may not have the project systems in place to efficiently support projects. The lack of a project support system can cause the project to succumb to additional risks, lack of organization, and reporting difficulties. Some organizations may have special internal business units to support the projects in motion that are separate from the accounting, time, and management systems used by the rest of the organization.

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When it comes to project management, organizations fall into one of three models

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Completing projects for others
Completing projects internally through a system
Completing projects as needed

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Organizational culture includes

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Purpose

Values

Organization policies and procedures

Type of business

Maturity of business

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The organizational structures we’ll discuss include

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Functional

Weak matrix

Balanced matrix

Strong matrix

Projectized

Composite

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On the Job

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Being able to recognize your organizational structure in regard to project management will allow you to leverage and position your role as a project manager effectively

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Functional organizations are entities

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that have a clear division regarding business units and their associated responsibility

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Project managers in functional organizations have the following attributes:

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Little power

Little autonomy

Report directly to a functional manager

The project manager may be known as a Project Coordinator or Team Leader

The project manager’s role is part-time

The project team is part-time

The project manager may have little or no administrative staff to expedite the project management activities

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Matrix structures are

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organizations that have a blend of departmental duties and employees together on a common project. Matrix structures allow for project team members to be from multiple departments working toward the project completion. In these instances, the project team members have more than one boss. Depending on the number of projects a team member is participating in, they may have to report to multiple project managers as well as their functional manager.

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Weak matrix

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The project team may come from different departments, but the project manager reports directly to a specific functional manager

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In weak matrix organizations, the project manager has the following attributes:

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Limited authority

Management of a part-time project team

Project role is part-time

May be known as a project coordinator or team leader

May have part-time administrative staff to help expedite the project

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A balanced matrix structure has many of the same attributes as a weak matrix

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but the project manager has more time and power regarding the project.

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Attributes of a project manager in a balanced matrix are

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Reasonable authority

Management of a part-time project team

Full-time role as a project manager

May have part-time administrative staff to help expedite the project

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Attributes of a project manager in a strong matrix include

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A reasonable to high level of power

Management of a part-time to nearly full-time project team

Full-time role as a project manager

Has a full-time administrative staff to help expedite the project

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Project managers in a projectized structure enjoy a high level of autonomy over their projects, but also have a higher level of responsibility regarding the project’s success

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Projectized Structure

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Project managers in a projectized structure have the following attributes

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High to complete authority over the project team

Works full-time on the project with his team (though there may be some slight variation)

Has a full-time administrative staff to help expedite the project

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Projectized

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The project manager has autonomy of the project decisions. Improves communication as teams focus on current project work.

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Strong matrix

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Project team may be assigned to a project from 50 to 90 percent of its duration. The project manager has a high level of authority. This model also provides good communication.

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Balanced matrix

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The project manager has balanced project authority with management. This model allows efficient use of functional resources.

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Weak matrix

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The project manager has little project authority and acts as a project coordinator.

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Functional

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Ideal for organizations with recurring projects, such as manufacturing. Everyone on the project knows who is in charge: the functional manager.

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So what can a project manager expect from the project office? How about:

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Project management software

Training and mentoring

HR and project manager support

Guidance

Templates

Administrative help

Project oversight

Access to knowledge repository

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Project Communication can be summed up

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as “who needs what information and when

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Project managers spend the bulk of their time

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communicating information—not doing other activities

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Communication is

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a two-way street; it requires a sender and a receiver

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A key part of communication

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is active listening

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There are several communication avenues

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Listening and speaking

Written and oral

Internal to the project, such as project team member to team member

External to the project, such as the project manager to an external customer

Formal communications, such as reports and presentations

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Sender-receiver models

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Communication requires a sender and receiver. Within this model, there may be multiple avenues to complete the flow of communication, but there may also be barriers to effective communication. Other variables within this model include recipient feedbacks, surveys, checklists, and confirmation of the sent message

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Media selection

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There are multiple choices when it comes to sending a message. Which one is appropriate? Based on the audience and the message being sent, the media should be in alignment. In other words, an ad-hoc hallway meeting is probably not the best communication avenue to explain a large variance in the project schedule

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Style

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The tone, structure, and formality of the message being sent should be in alignment with the audience and the content of the message.

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Presentation

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When it comes to formal presentations, the presenter’s oral and body language, visual aids, and handouts all influence the message being delivered.

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Meeting management

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Meetings are forms of communication. How the meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered. Agendas, minutes, and order are mandatory for effective communications within a meeting.

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Negotiating Project Terms and Conditions

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Project managers must negotiate for the good of the project. In any project, the project manager, the project sponsor, and the project team will have to negotiate with stakeholders, vendors, and customers to reach a level of agreement acceptable to all parties involved in the negotiation process. In some instances, typically in less than pleasant circumstances, negotiations may have to proceed with assistance. Specifically, mediation and arbitration are examples of assisted negotiations. Negotiation proceedings typically center on:

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Negotiation proceedings typically center on

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Priorities

Technical approach

Project scope

Schedule

Cost

Changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget

Vendor terms and conditions

Project team member assignments and schedules

Resource constraints, such as facilities, travel issues, and team members with highly specialized skills

Exam Watch

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The purpose of negotiations is

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to reach a fair agreement among both parties

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to reach a fair agreement among both parties

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the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem.

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Root cause analysis looks beyond

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the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms—which then affords opportunities for solutions.

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A balance between the implied and the explicit

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A balance between the implied and the explicit

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A balance between the implied and the explicit

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A balance between the implied and the explicit

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Standards are

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accepted practices that are not necessarily mandatory

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regulations are

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rules that must be followed—otherwise, fines, penalties, or even criminal charges may result

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On the Job

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Every industry has some standards and regulations. Knowing which ones affect your project before you begin your work will not only help the project to unfold smoothly, but will also allow for effective risk analysis. In some instances, the requirements of regulations can afford the project manager additional time and monies to complete a project.

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project lifecycle corresponds to the project management framework and provides several benefits

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Each phase results in some type of deliverable.

Phase completion shows accomplishment and progression.

Phase completion allows time for review to determine if the project should move forward.

Phases allow the project to be progressively elaborated

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Before projects can move into the implementation

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Before projects can move into the implementation

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Project plans, like project deliverables

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pass through progressive elaboration

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The project manager and the stakeholders work together

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The project manager and the stakeholders work together

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Organizational structures

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control how the project manager can obtain resources, the level of authority the project manager can expect, and the participation of the project team

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There are five organizational structures

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There are five organizational structures

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The project management framework is like the skeleton of any project

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It makes up the bones that support the project and provides strength and rigidity.

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The project management framework holds up the project

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and allows it to operate in the environment within which it was created.

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The project life cycle is

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is comprised of phases

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The completion of a project phase may also be known

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a kill point

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External customers are not key stakeholders in this instance as they are not actively involved in

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an internal project

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Communication is the key general management skill

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a project manager will use the most

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Managing has to do with consistently producing key results

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that are expected by stakeholders

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Arbitration is a form of negotiation

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Technically, it is a form of assisted negotiation

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To influence an organization (in order to get things done),

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a project manager must understand the explicit and implied organizational structures within an organization.

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Rumors and gossip can sabotage a project

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This is an example of cultural achievability

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The detail design document is an output of the requirements

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gathering phase

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The project office supports

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the project manager

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Recall that projects are

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Recall that projects are

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Kill points are typically at the end of a project phase

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A kill point does not mean the project is killed, just that the potential for termination exists.

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Exit criterion are

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activities or evidence that allow a project to move forward. Stakeholder expectations are universal to the entire project, not just to one project phase.

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The project life cycle is comprised

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of all of the project phases within a project

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of all of the project phases within a project

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determine if it is feasible for a project to exist

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determine if it is feasible for a project to exist

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determine if it is feasible for a project to exist

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Projects typically have low costs and low demand for resources early in

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their life cycle

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As the project moves closer to completion, the likelihood of

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risk diminishes

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Tracey will most likely have a low amount of authority in a

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functional organization structure

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Projectized structures often

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have project team members assigned to the project on a full-time basis

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Projects with much risk and reward are most likely to be accepted within an

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entrepreneurial organization

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The project office is the best choice since its role is to support

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the project manager

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All of the different elements in project management are integrated

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The cost, time, scope, cultural achievability, technical achievability, and more are all related and interdependent

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A small change, delay, decision (or lack thereof)

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can amplify into serious problems further down the project timeline.

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There are two types of processes:

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Product-orientated processes
Product-orientated processes

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Product-orientated processes

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These processes are the activities that complete a project’s phase and life cycle. Recall that the project’s life cycle is comprised of the completion of the phases. In other words, the product-orientated processes within a project complete phases, which in turn complete the project. The processes within a project are unique to each project. The concept of project life cycles was discussed thoroughly in Chapter 2.

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Project management processes

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These processes are the activities that are universal to all projects. These activities comprise the bulk of the project management body of knowledge and will be discussed in detail in Chapters 4 through 12. These processes are common to all projects from construction to technology.

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Project management processes are

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the processes you’ll want to study

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Product-orientated processes

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on the other hand, are unique to the organization creating the product.

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The following are the five project management process groups and what occurs under each

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Initiating The project is authorized.

Planning Project objectives are determined, as well as how to reach those objectives with the given constraints.

Executing The project is executed utilizing acquired resources.

Controlling Project performance is monitored and measured to ensure the project plan is being implemented to design specifications and requirements.

Closing The project and its various phases are brought to a formal end.

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Initiating

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The project is authorized

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Planning

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Project objectives are determined, as well as how to reach those objectives with the given constraints

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Executing

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The project is executed utilizing acquired resources

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Controlling

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Project performance is monitored and measured to ensure the project plan is being implemented to design specifications and requirements

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Closing

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The project and its various phases are brought to a formal end

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The five process groups can be remembered

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IPECC.

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Project initiation, while simple on the surface

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admits that there is some problem that a solution should solve

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The needs of the current state are then answered by the deliverables of the proposed project. These needs might have to do with:

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Reducing costs

Increasing revenues

Eliminating waste

Increasing productivity and efficiency

Solving a business or functional problem

Taking advantage of market opportunities

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On the Job

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Business reasons for why a project is created depend on your business objectives. If you’re pitching a project to management, address the most prevalent business needs first. So first, from a business perspective, answer the following question: “Why is this important to my organization?”

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A feasibility study is conducted

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to prove a problem actually exists, document the opportunities at hand, and then determine if a project can be created to resolve the problem or take advantage of the opportunity cited. A feasibility study may also look at the cost of the solution in relation to the possible rewards gained by its implementation.

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Typically, the product description describes

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the solution or realized opportunity that the project will accomplish.

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The project charter authorizes

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the project, officially naming the project manager and authorizing the project work. Such documents come from Senior Management and allow the project manager to begin the project work with the support, permission, and trust of management.

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Project charters authorize. When you think of the project charter

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think authority for the project manager

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The project manager is officially named

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in the project charter, but the involvement of the project manager in the project will likely come early on in this process group.

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project manager will need to know the expectations of his role

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in the type of organizational structure he is participating in (functional, matrix, projectized, or composite)

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Within large or highly technical projects, planning can also be known as

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as rolling wave planning

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Rolling wave planning focuses

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detailed planning on the immediate activities of the project, rather than on remote, future activities that may be affected by the outcome of the direct project results.

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Rolling wave planning is an

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acceptable planning solution for long projects whose late activities in the project schedule are unknown or will be determined based on the results of early project phases

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acceptable planning solution for long projects whose late activities in the project schedule are unknown or will be determined based on the results of early project phases

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describes the work, and only the required work, necessary to meet the project objectives. The scope statement establishes a common vision among the project stakeholders to establish the point and purpose of the project work. It is used as a baseline against which all future project decisions are made to determine if proposed changes or work results are aligned with expectations.

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The project team completes the project work. The project manager relies on the project team to do several tasks, including

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Complete the project work

Provide information on the work needed to complete the project scope

Provide accuracy in project estimating

Report on project progress

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The work breakdown structure (WBS) is an

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organized collection of the project-deliverable components to be created by project work. The project manager cannot complete this activity alone

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initial risk assessment allows the project manager

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the project team to determine what high-level risks may influence the feasibility, resources, and requirements to complete the project

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Project Network Diagram (PND

Back 179

illustrates the flow of activities to complete the project and/or the project phase. It identifies the sequencing of activities identified within the WBS and determines which activities may be scheduled sequentially versus in tandem.

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Cost estimates can be calculated a number of different ways

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such as through top-down estimates, bottom-up estimates, or the dreaded informal “hallway estimates.” All estimates should identify a range of variance reflective of the degree of confidence of the estimate, the assumption the estimate is based on, and how long the estimate is valid

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The project schedule is dependent on

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the creation of the WBS, the PND, and the availability of the resources

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The project budget is

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the cost of the project, cash flow projections, and how the monies will be spent. The project budget should cover the cost of the team’s time, facilities, and all foreseeable expenses

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are needed to alert management as to when monies must be available for the project to continue.

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Cash flow projections

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Risk assessment is an

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in-depth analysis of the project risks through qualitative and quantitative analysis

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Qualitative risk analysis

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calls for a probability and impact matrix

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Risks are typically categorized

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as high, medium, and low

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Quantitative risk analysis

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is a more in-depth study of the identified risks.

Front 188

Quantitative analysis

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also uses simulations and decision tree models

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Risks may be

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accepted, avoided, mitigated, countered, or planned for through contingency

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Risks are also assigned to

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risk owners who will monitor thresholds and triggers.

Front 191

The quality management plan

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details how the project will map to the organizational quality policy; for example, ISO 9000 or Six Sigma specifics

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On the Job

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Stakeholder analysis allows the project manager and the project team to determine the expectations of the customer. If the customer doesn’t know what their expectations are, the project manager cannot decide for them. The project manager and the customer must be in agreement with what the project should create before the creation begins.

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project manager and the project team should create a change control plan

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that will specify how the project scope may be changed, what the procedure to change the scope is, and what the requirements are to make a change

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On large or high-profile projects, the project manager may be working with a Change Control Board (CCB

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to determine if changes should be approved and factored into a project scope

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The communications plan determines

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who needs what information, how they need it, and when it will be delivered

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who needs what information, how they need it, and when it will be delivered

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team meetings, reports, expectations for reports, and expectations of communication among team members. The communications plan must account for all needed communications within the project.

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It has been said that 90 percent of a project manager’s time is

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is spent communicating

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Communicating equates to

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project management.

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A work authorization system is a method that

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allows work to begin according to schedule and circumstance

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Processes are activities

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are completed by people, not things.

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Larger projects require more

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detail than smaller projects

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Projects fail at the beginning

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not the end

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Planning is

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iterative.

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Planning, executing, and controlling are

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tightly integrated

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Vendor solicitation includes

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obtaining quotations, bids, and proposals for the services or the goods to be purchased for the project completion.

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Procurement involves administering

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the contracts between the buyer and the seller

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Failure to adhere to the quality assurance program may result in

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rework, penalties, and project delays

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Processes are activities

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Processes are activities

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Beginning Vendor Solicitation

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In most projects, vendors are involved at some point. Part of the executing process is to solicit vendors should they need to be involved with the project. Adequate timing is required for the procurement process to allow the vendors to provide adequate, appropriate information for the project—and to allow the project manager to make an educated decision on which should be selected. Vendor solicitation includes obtaining quotations, bids, and proposals for the services or the goods to be purchased for the project completion.

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Determining Vendor Source

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In most projects, vendors are involved at some point. Part of the executing process is to solicit vendors should they need to be involved with the project. Adequate timing is required for the procurement process to allow the vendors to provide adequate, appropriate information for the project—and to allow the project manager to make an educated decision on which should be selected. Vendor solicitation includes obtaining quotations, bids, and proposals for the services or the goods to be

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Administering Contracts

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Procurement involves administering the contracts between the buyer and the seller. The contract must be fair and legal. The contract typically is a document that represents the offer and acceptance of both parties. Some organizations may utilize centralized contracting or a contracting office to manage all project contracts

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Mapping to Quality Assurance

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As the project work continues, the project team and the project manager will need to verify that the project work results are mapping to the organization’s quality assurance program as described in the quality management plan. Failure to adhere to the quality assurance program may result in rework, penalties, and project delays, as shown in the following illustration

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Dispersing Project Information

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Information must be disseminated according to the communications plan. Stakeholders will need to be kept abreast of the project status. Management may want milestone reports, variance reports, and status reports. Customers will have specific communications requirements. All of these demands, from any stakeholder, should be documented within the communications plan—and then followed through in the execution process.

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Ensuring Team Development

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The project manager must work with the project team members to ensure that their level of proficiency is in agreement with their obligations on the project. This may involve classroom learning, shadowing between project team members, or on-the-job training. The success of the project work is dependent on the project team’s ability. Should the team or team members be lagging in required knowledge to complete the project work, additional education and development is necessitated

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Controlling Processes

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Controlling processes are the activities that ensure the project goes according to plan and the actions to implement when evidence proves the project is not going according to plan. Specifically, the controlling processes verify project work and the response to that work. In addition, the project manager must work to control the predicted cost and schedule of the project. Variances to the cost and schedule will affect the project’s success

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Ensuring Quality Control

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Quality control (QC) measures work results to determine if they are in alignment with quality standards. If the work results are not of quality, QC uses methods to determine why the results are inadequate and how to eliminate the causes of the quality deficiencies.

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Providing Scope Verification

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Scope verification is the process of verifying that the work results are within the expectations of the scope. It is typically done at project phase completion with the customer to formally accept the product of the project work. Should scope verification fail, the project scope must be compared against the work results. If the scope has not been met, the project may be halted, reworked, or delayed during a decision making process by the customer.

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Implementing Scope Change Control

Back 218

Implementing Scope Change Control

Front 219

Implementing Scope Change Control

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The project manager must follow the change management plan to ensure unneeded changes to the project scope do not occur. This includes scope creep that the project team may be completing on its own accord. For example, the project team members may be making additional adjustments to the equipment they are installing in a project, even through the project scope does not call for the additional adjustments. Scope change control ensures that the documented procedures to permit changes to scope are followed

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Leading Configuration Management

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This process ensures the description of the project’s product is precise, complete, and that it meets the demands of the stakeholder requirements. In addition, configuration management serves as a control agent for changes to the project deliverables. It monitors, guards, and documents changes to the scope. In some projects, configuration management may be the change control system. In other projects, it is part of the change control system.

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Overseeing Change Control

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The project manager must protect the project scope from unneeded change. Needed changes must be proven, documented, and analyzed for impacts on cost, schedule, and risks. The project manager must work within the confines of the change control plan and follow its guidelines regarding change requests, change approval or denials, and documentation. Overseeing change control may involve a Change Control Board that reviews, approves, or rejects the proposed changes for the project

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Managing Cost Control

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Controlling the project’s cost requires accurate estimates and then a check and balance against those estimates. Procurement management, cash flow, and fundamental accounting practices are required. Though cost control is dependent on project expenses, it also hinges on hidden and fluctuating expenses such as shipping, exchange rates for international projects, travel, and incidentals. Thus, accurate and thorough record keeping is imperative.

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Enforcing Schedule Control

Back 223

Schedule control requires constant monitoring of the project’s progress, approval of phase deliverables, and task completion. Slippage must be analyzed early in the project to determine the root cause of the problem. Activities that slip may indicate inaccurate estimates, hidden work, or a poor WBS. Quality issues can also throw the project schedule when the time to redo project activities is taken into consideration, as shown in the following illustration. Finally, the project manager must also consider outside influences and their affect on the project—for example, weather, market conditions, cultural issues, and so on.

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Monitoring Risk Response

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Risk management requires risk ownership and monitoring by the project team members. As activities in the PND are completed, the project manager and the risk owners must pay special attention to the possible risks and the mitigation plans that may come into play. Risk responses, should they be acted on, may cause secondary risks, cost increases, and schedule delays. Risk response must be rapid and thorough—and their outcomes well-documented for historical reference for downstream activities and other projects.

On the Job Risk response may also include risk impact statements that detail project risk, its possible impact on the project, and its probability. The project manager and management sign the risk impact statement for each identified risk beyond a predetermined score.

Front 225

Ensuring Performance Reporting

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The project manager and the project team must work together to report and record accurate completions of work. Performance reporting stems from accurate measurement by the project team, proof of work completion, and factual estimates. The project manager then churns the reported projects through earned value management, schedule baselines, cost baselines, and milestone targets. The status reports to management are reflective of where the project has been, where it stands now, and where it’s heading

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Identifying Closing Processes

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Closing a project is a wonderful feeling. Project closure has many requirements for it to be successful, however. Project closure requires a final, complete effort by the project manager, the project team, the project stakeholders, and management to officially close the project and move onto other opportunities. The activities in this process are typically associated with the end of a project, but most may also be completed within project phases, as shown in Figure 3-4.

Front 227

Auditing Procurement Documents

Back 227

The project manager has spent the money, but on what? The procurement audit process requires accountability for the monies that have been invested in the project. In some instances, the financial audit is more formal, and an accountant or a finance professional reviews the project’s accounting. In other instances, the process is considered a debriefing and is completed with the project manager and management. In practically all instances, the intensity of the procurement audit is relevant to the autonomy of the project manager: the more power and responsibility the project manager has in an organization, the more accountable he is for the project budget.

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Completing Scope Verification

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Scope verification is a control process. However, at the end of the project the scope must be verified for final acceptance. This process is completed with the project manager and the key stakeholders. Scope verification is the process of inspecting, touring, and “taking a walk-through” of the project deliverables to confirm that the requirements of the project have been met. Scope verification may happen at different intervals throughout the project, such as at key milestones or phase completions. Scope verification at the end of a project may require a formal sign-off from the customer that the project is complete and to their satisfaction

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the scope has been completed

Back 229

the scope has been completed

Front 230

Beware of exam questions that tell you the scope is completed but that the customer is not satisfied.

Back 230

Know first that if the scope is complete, the project is complete

Front 231

Closing Vendor Contracts

Back 231

At the completion of a project or project phase the vendor contracts must be closed out. Confirmation that vendor invoices and purchase orders have been fulfilled, met, and paid is needed to complete the vendor closeout process. Closing out vendor contracts may also require proof or delivery of the goods or services purchased. The vendor contracts may be audited to confirm the vendor responsibilities have been met

Front 232

Closing Administrative Duties

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When the project is completed, the project manager must finalize all reports, document the project experience, and provide evidence of customer acceptance. The project manager will create a final report reflecting the project success, or failure. The project manager will also provide information reflective of the project product and how it met the project requirements, and then will complete the lessons learned documentation

Front 233

Submitting Final Reports

Back 233

Once the project documentation has been completed, the project manager will submit the final reports to the appropriate parties as outlined in the communications management plan. The final reports will include variance reports, status reports, cost and schedule accountability, and team member performance reviews, as required by the performing organization

Front 234

The project records should be archived so that other

Back 234

project managers can use the information on their projects

Front 235

archives should serve as a wealth of historical information

Back 235

for later reference, future project managers, and reference for versioning, updates, or potential changes to the current project deliverables

Front 236

Reassigning project team members is of utmost importance in

Back 236

projectized organization where project team members are with a project full-time through completion.

Front 237

In a functional matrix environment

Back 237

the project team may fluctuate at phases or milestones as they complete their assignments and then move onto other activities within the organization

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five processes

Back 238

initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure, are not a series of events, but rather an integrated process, the activities within one process may coincide with an activity within another. For example, a project manager may be working through the execution process to administer the contracts of a vendor while simultaneously working with the vendor through scope verification.

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Within each process, there are three common components:

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Inputs Documented conditions, values, and expectations that start the given process

Tools and techniques The actions to evaluate and act upon the inputs to create the outputs

Outputs The documented results of a process that may serve as an input to another process

Front 240

Scope planning

Back 240

To create a document that will guide project decisions.

Front 241

Scope definition

Back 241

To breakdown the project deliverables into manageable elements. The sum of the smaller elements equate to the project scope.

Front 242

Activity definition

Back 242

To define the required activities, and only the required activities, to complete the project scope

Front 243

To ascertain the required resources to achieve the defined activities to complete the project work. Resources include people, equipment, and materials

Back 243

Resource planning

Front 244

Activity sequencing

Back 244

To determine the best sequence of planned activities within the project work.

Front 245

Activity duration estimating

Back 245

To determine the estimated required work units to successfully complete the defined activities.

Front 246

Cost estimating

Back 246

To determine an estimated amount of monies to complete the project work using the defined facilities, services, and goods

Front 247

Risk management planning

Back 247

To determine the risks within the project and how to react to the identified risks

Front 248

Schedule development

Back 248

To determine the project schedule based on the sequence of activities, the required resources, and the required monies. The schedule development process reveals an estimated reflection of when all of the required work can be completed with the given resources.

Front 249

Cost budgeting

Back 249

To determine the estimated cost of the activities to complete the project work

Front 250

Project plan development

Back 250

Creating a coherent compilation of the other planning processes to guide the project execution.

Front 251

Quality planning

Back 251

To determine the quality assurance standards used by the organization. The quality assurance standards that are relevant to the project must be planned into the project.

Front 252

Communications planning

Back 252

To determine who needs what, when they need it, and in what modality (paper, electronic, and so on) it may be needed

Front 253

Organizational planning

Back 253

To determine the project roles and responsibility. This also determines the reporting structure between the project manager, the project team, and management.

Front 254

Staff acquisition

Back 254

To acquire the needed people to complete the determined project work

Front 255

Risk identification

Back 255

To identify the risks, rewards, and penalties associated with the project

Front 256

Qualitative risk analysis

Back 256

To prioritize the impact of the risks on the project (typically in a high, medium, and low ranking).

Front 257

Quantitative risk analysis

Back 257

To measure and consider the probability and associated impact of the risks on the project.

Front 258

Risk response planning

Back 258

To avoid, eliminate, reduce, or create a planned reaction to the identified risks within the project

Front 259

Procurement planning

Back 259

To determine what goods and services must be procured and when the goods and services will need to be procured in the project life cycle.

Front 260

Solicitation planning

Back 260

To determine the possible vendors to provide the goods and services for the project.

Front 261

Project plan execution

Back 261

To complete the project according to plan. The project plan may also be adjusted based on the outcome of the facilitating processes.

Front 262

Solicitation

Back 262

To accept quotes, bids, proposals, and offers to complete the solicited work as defined through solicitation planning

Front 263

Source selection

Back 263

To determine which source (vendor) will fulfill the procured good or service

Front 264

Contract administration

Back 264

To manage a fair and balanced relationship between the buyer and the seller.

Front 265

Quality assurance

Back 265

To meet the organization’s quality standards. QA is an ongoing process that measures the quality of the work results against the demands of the quality standards of the performing organization

Front 266

Team development

Back 266

To develop the competencies of the project team as a whole and the individual members on the project team.

Front 267

Information distribution

Back 267

To follow the details of the communications management plan; specifically to disperse the required information to the correct parties according to their identified needs and modalities.

Front 268

Performance reporting

Back 268

To determine variances, project performance, and forecasting of project outcome.

Front 269

Integrated change control

Back 269

To manage change across all facets of the project

Front 270

Scope verification

Back 270

To verify that phase and project deliverables are in alignment with customer expectations. Scope verification formalizes the acceptance.

Front 271

Scope change control

Back 271

To protect the project scope from change.

Front 272

Cost control

Back 272

To prevent unnecessary changes to the project budget.

Front 273

Quality control

Back 273

To conform to the required organizational quality standards and to remove or improve faulty, below quality, performance.

Front 274

Risk monitoring and control

Back 274

To monitor and maintain risks, responses to risk, introduction of new and secondary risks. In addition, allows for control of currently identified risks and the planned responses to the identified risks.

Front 275

Contract closeout

Back 275

To complete and finalize any procurement issues such as payment, inspection of procured services and goods, and any open project items.

Front 276

Administrative closure

Back 276

To gather, evaluate, and disseminate the required information on the project or phase, its performance, quality, and completeness. Administrative closure also includes completing the lessons learned document and filing for future reference

Front 277

Here are some general guidelines to know about customizing project processes:

Back 277

Facilitating processes may be shifted in sequence to meet the demands of the project (such as the timing of the procurement processes).

All processes may not be needed on all projects, but the absence of a project doesn’t mean it wasn’t needed. The project manager and the project team should identify all of the processes required to make the project a successful one.

Projects that are resource dependent may define roles and responsibilities prior to scope creation. This is because the scope of the project may be limited by the availability of the resources to complete the scope.

The processes may be governed by a project constraint. Consider a predetermined deadline, budget, or project scope. The project constraint, such as a deadline, will determine the activity sequencing, the need for resources, risk management, and other processes.

Larger projects require more detail. Remember that projects fail at the beginning, not the end.

Subprojects and smaller projects have more flexibility with the processes based on the process usefulness. For example, a project with a relatively small team may not benefit from an in-depth communications plan the same as a large project with 35 project team members would.

Front 278

Product-orientated processes are

Back 278

unique to the product the project is creating

Front 279

Communications is an activity that will consume

Back 279

much of the project manager’s time, but it is not one of the five process groups.

Front 280

Initiating, planning, controlling, executing, and closing

Back 280

is the correct order of the processes presented

Front 281

Rolling wave planning is

Back 281

description of the planning process in most large projects. It requires the project manager and the project team to revisit the planning process to address the next phase, implementation, or piece of the project

Front 282

Involving the stakeholders in the planning processes

Back 282

Involving the stakeholders in the planning processes

Front 283

By involving the stakeholders at different aspects of the project, their requirements are more likely to be met

Back 283

By involving the stakeholders at different aspects of the project, their requirements are more likely to be met

Front 284

The outputs of the planning phase are a direct input to

Back 284

the executing processes

Front 285

The initiating processes serve as a direct input

Back 285

to the planning processes

Front 286

Planning is the iterative process evident

Back 286

throughout the project

Front 287

The correct order is

Back 287

scope planning, scope definition, activity definition, activity sequencing (Table 3-1 shows the order of these core planning processes).

Front 288

Quality Planning is the

Back 288

only facilitating process listed.

Front 289

Organizational planning is the facilitating planning process

Back 289

which defines roles and responsibilities—and the reporting structure within the project.

Front 290

Mitigation is a response

Back 290

to risk

Front 291

The cost budgeting process creates

Back 291

the cost baseline.

Front 292

The risk management plan is the output of the

Back 292

risk management planning process

Front 293

The cost baseline is an output of the cost budgeting process

Back 293

it is not an input to schedule development

Front 294

Projects fail at the beginning

Back 294

not the end. A poor requirements document, inadequate needs assessments, unfulfilled planning, and more early processes can contribute to project failure