BUS605: Strategic Project Management

2a. Differentiate the work completed during each phase of a project

• Define the work completed during each phase of the project lifecycle.
• What are the goals of the project team?

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines five process groups and ten knowledge areas that can be used to manage the work of a project. These five process groups are Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Process groups, while not technically project phases, mimic the flow of a project from start to finish. In fact, project workflow, or the project lifecycle, overlaps process groups. For example, project planning is often on-going after project execution begins.

Initiating: during project initiation, the project sponsor begins discussions with a project manager to define the needs and characteristics of the project. The project manager works with the sponsor and other key stakeholders to develop the project charter, the document that, once approved, authorizes the project work to begin. The project manager is gathering data such that it will build the charter.

Planning: during the planning phase, the project manager is working primarily on the scope, schedule, and budget of the project. The project manager is working to build a project team and find individuals that will be able to perform project work. The project team then assists the project manager in refining data from the project charter to create project management plans that will be used throughout the project to guide the team. Several make-buy decisions may be made during this time. A preliminary look at project risks and quality standards is also occurring.

Executing: during the execution phase, the work of the project begins. The project team works through the project tasks toward the completion of the project objectives. It is not uncommon for project execution to begin before the completion of all of the project plans.

Monitoring and Controlling: during the monitoring and controlling phase, the project manager is concerned with analyzing the status of the project execution and reporting that status to the project stakeholders and taking corrective action as needed to keep the project on track.

Closing: during the closing phase, the work of the project has been completed and the project team focuses on obtaining final approval of the work completed, closing out vendor contracts, capturing lessons learned, and returning project workers back to their original assignments.

For a solid explanation of project phases, read The Project Life Cycle (Phases) and section 3.1 of Project Initiation, Scope, and Structure.

 

2b. Apply appropriate project management techniques to each project phase

• Can you identify several project management techniques used during each phase of the project?
• How or when can project phases overlap?
• What is the significant work effort in each project phase?
• Relate the triple constraint to each phase of the project.

It's important to know what work is accomplished during each phase of the project. There are several techniques used during each phase to ensure that the phase is successful. For example, during the monitoring and controlling phase, several project status reports are produced. To produce these reports, careful review and analysis of project data are needed to make accurate assessments of the project's health. Additionally, making recommendations for corrective actions when needed requires an understanding of the data.

Some of the key deliverables and techniques used during each phase are as follows:

Initiating: during the initiation phase, the project charter and business case are the primary documents produced. The project manager needs to understand the appropriate use of several financial tools such as net present value, return on investment, or payback period to help justify the project. A weighted decision matrix is another tool that can help compare alternatives and select the best option.

Planning: during the planning phase, the project team will use several tools as they develop various project plans. The project team will decompose deliverables to develop the work breakdown structure. Activity lists can help with this. The team will identify stakeholders and develop a responsibility matrix and RACI chart to identify key stakeholders and their roles within the organization. A Gantt chart and other network diagrams may be produced to examine the workflow of the project and define critical tasks.

Executing: during this phase, the work of the project occurs. The project manager is working to keep the project on track and tasks moving forward. A change control board is one tool the project manager can use to help avoid unnecessary and unauthorized changes to the project scope that can impact the budget and schedule.

Monitoring and Controlling: during this phase, the project manager is actively monitoring the progress of the project by checking in with the project team and updating project software with task completion or other changes as needed. Project status reports are produced and status meetings occur when needed.

Closing: during this phase, procurements are closed and project documentation is archived. Project audits are important to ensure that procurements met contracted expectations and that the project met all requirements. Stakeholder approvals are obtained.

To review, see Project Initiation, Scope, and Structure, Project Schedule Planning, Project Implementation Overview, Project Monitoring and Control, and Project Closing.

 

2c. Demonstrate the proper use of project management documents throughout the project management lifecycle

• What are the document outputs for each phase of the project?
• How do these documents help guide the team through project execution?

During each phase of the project, documents are prepared. These documents help guide the project team throughout the proper execution of the project to successful completion. Some of the most well-known project documents include the project charter, project plan, and work breakdown structure. However, there are several additional documents developed throughout the project lifecycle. For example, these documents help the project team know how to handle problems that may arise during a project (risks), vendor conflict resolution (procurement), and the quality measurements needed to evaluate the final project (quality).

Some documents that are helpful to the project manager include:

Initiating: during this phase, the project charter is the main document that is used to obtain approval to proceed. In addition to the project charter, the business case may be a separate document or included as part of the project charter. Finally, a well-defined scope statement should be the basis for the approval of the project and the development of the project management plans in the planning phase.

Planning: several project plans result from the planning phase. However, it's important to point out that the planning phase of a project often overlaps with the executing phase, as project execution frequently begins before all planning is complete. In this phase, the scope of work is finalized, the cost management plan is defined, and the schedule is created. Both the schedule and cost plans involve understanding the work needed to complete the deliverables of the project. Understanding the work means that the project team must understand the requirements of the project. A work breakdown structure is a document that contains all of the tasks to be completed, who will perform the tasks, the resources needed for the tasks, and the costs of all resources.

Make-buy decisions are made during the planning phase, which leads to decisions regarding procurements. Procurements involve obtaining goods and services from vendors or contractors outside of the organization. The procurement plan identifies needed goods and services and defines the bidding process that will be used for each as well as the preferred contract type.

Both potential project risks and quality standards are defined in the planning phase. Risks are evaluated as to their likelihood and impact on the project and assigned to specific individuals for monitoring. Quality standards represent the functional and technical requirement performance of the deliverables.

Finally, defining the stakeholders and their expectations is important as the project teams work to meet their goals. A communications plan is important in ensuring that all stakeholders are informed as needed as the project progresses. It defines the information that will be shared, who will receive it, when they receive it, and how they receive it.

Executing: during the execution phase, the project manager is referring to the various project plans as needed to guide the work performed. In order to keep project scope changes in check, the project team may refer to the change control procedures defined in the scope management plan.

Monitoring and Controlling: project status reports are an important part of this phase of the project. The communications plan helps guide the project team in the monitoring and gathering of data to produce these reports. Additionally, if problems occur, plans such as risk, quality, and procurement can help guide the team in resolving issues.

Closing: project closing involves obtaining approvals for the work completed, closing procurement contracts, paying vendors, releasing staff back to their work assignments, and celebrating success.

To review, see Project Initiation, Scope, and Structure, Project Schedule Planning, Project Implementation Overview, Project Monitoring and Control, and Project Closing.

 

Unit 2 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms you will need to know to successfully complete the final exam.

• business case
• project charter
• project initiation
• RACI chart
• responsibility assignment matrix
• scope creep
• scope of work
• work breakdown structure