Unit 4: Project Initiation and Planning
Project initiation is the most critical phase in the project life cycle, as it is the first phase of the overall initiative. During this phase, the scope is defined and the team and other resources are positioned. The organization defines the objectives, purpose, and mission of the project as well as determines the deliverables and expected outcomes. The project manager is responsible for creating the baseline project plan. In this unit, you will learn about the project charter and the various frameworks and tools that can be utilized in this phase to create the proper foundation for project success.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 10 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- explain the importance of establishing the project charter and overall mission and goals;
- define project plan;
- define project baseline;
- define project charter;
- define project work breakdown structure (WBS);
- describe the connection between project management planning and project success;
- define Quality Management;
- identify, describe, and apply the use of project planning tools; and
- define the types of project schedules.
4.1: Project Selection
This chapter gives a more detailed introduction to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). You will also learn about the work of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the organization that authors and maintains the PMBOK. Pay attention to the final section on project management offices (PMO).
This video discusses the first of the five process groups defined by the PMBOK Guide, which is initiating the project. The other four process groups are planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing. You will see other videos about the remaining four process groups later in this course. Note that this video is titled incorrectly on YouTube; it actually refers to project initiation rather than implementing a PMO.
The majority of this chapter will be a review for you. Feel free to skim the information you already know, but pay attention to the section on project charters and examine the example project charters and template at the bottom of the page.
The project charter is a statement of the scope, objectives, and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project objectives, identifies the main stakeholders, and defines the project manager's authority. It serves as a reference of authority for the future of the project. You can download this document to see an example of a project charter.
4.2: Project Scope and Baseline
Read this section and attempt the exercises at the end. At what point should the scope of a project be defined?
Read this section for a work breakdown structure and graphic representations of component activities and responsibility in a project. Attempt the exercises at the end of the section.
Read these chapters, and pay particular attention to the material presented on the work breakdown structure (WBS). WBS is a common tool that project managers use to decompose big, daunting tasks that entire teams or organizations are responsible for into manageable, approachable tasks that individual team members may be expected to complete.
- As you read this article, think about which process group is best associated with setting the scope of a project. What do you think it is?
Watch this video to learn how to set up and use a project baseline document. You may need to employ this type of documentation in your own career.
Read this resource, which focuses on optimizing using project resources and time required to complete a project.
4.3: Project Planning Tools
Watch this video. Although it is called "Project Initiation", it is about project planning.
The critical path is a crucial concept in project management. This video shows how to use activity networks to calculate the earliest and latest completion times for various project activities and how to determine which activities lie on the critical path.
Watch this video, which presents various technology tools that aid in effective project management. As you watch, think about a problem a virtual team might face and propose a technological solution to that issue.
Read these sections and attempt the exercises at the end. This chapter discusses the scheduling aspect of project management and introduces technology and tools that help project managers stay on track. While this text uses information technology projects as examples, the principles are the same for managing any type of complex project.
Unit 4 Discussion and Assessment
Using the same project that you used for the activity in Unit 2, create a sample project charter using the template in this article.
- Make forum posts: 1
Consider responding to the following questions in this discussion forum. You may also respond to other students' posts.
- What is a project charter? Based on the project charter, what are your responsibilities as a project manager?
- What is WBS? Why is the WBS necessary for project planning?
- What key lessons did you learn from this unit?
- What techniques can you use to identify the critical path and a float in a project?
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.