Given the deliverables and phases you identified in previous post, what actions must you take to get the project done effectively? This section provides a review of essential project management processes as identified in project management institute’s PMBOK. In addition, we provide a list of essential PM actions derived from those processes, from which you may select those most applicable to your project.
Project Management Processes
Three Important Whats Related to the Project:
- What are the deliverables to be created?
- What are the Phases we will use to organize the project?
- What is our overall project life cycle?
Some of the Hows related to the project:
- How will we move from phase to phase within the project?
- How should the project manager determine specific assignments and “To-dos” for the project team?
- In short, how will we take action to complete the project?
There are five processes that should be applied to each phases of a project in order to bring about the completion of the phase.
These Processes are listed below:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Controlling
- Closing
Initiating
Initiating means getting the project authorized. It involves obtaining the organization’s commitment to the project as a whole. Alternatively, initiating can involve getting the organization’s commitment that a particular project phase should be started.
Typically, the sponsor, customer or person providing the funds gives the authorization to begin a project or phase. So, in effect, initiating means getting the “Green Light” from the client to begin work.
Planning
Planning is of major importance because by defining the project involves creating something unique. In other words,you may be heading into uncharted waters, so you should have plan to help you get through them safely. There are two types of planning:
- Essential Planning
- Discretionary Planning
Essential Planning
Essential planning consist of these four sub processes:
- Defining the scope (All the products and service to be provided by the project)
- Identify or defining the required activities, resources, ad schedule
- Creating detailed cost estimates and budgets
- Integrating all of the above into comprehensive project plan
These sub processes call “Essential” because no one should undertake a project or project phase without first completing all four of them.
Discretionary Planning
Discretionary Planning processes are desirable, but they are not necessarily required to complete a project. These processes are performed as need and might include the creation of formal plans such as these:
- Quality Plan
- Communication Plan
- Staffing plan
- Procurement plan
- Risk assessment /response Plan
- Other formal plans dictated by organizational values and policies
Some expert project managers will no doubt argue that adopting one or more of these plans is not discretionary, but essential. But for small project , we may avoid these plan. Depending on your organization and your industry, you may agree. You should at least quickly skim through the action Tool associated with each of these planning processes and decide whether it might apply to your project; if it clearly does not apply, then reject it.
In this way, you will be sure that you have done your job as project manager by challenging all assumptions about the work process, selecting the best possible approaches, and taking nothing for granted.
Executing
Executing is the process by which project plans are carried out. Executing involves several sub processes:
Project Plan Execution
Carrying out the project plan as written. Specifically, project plan execution involves developing the new software, or carrying out whatever activities the plan calls for.
Team Development
Developing individual and group skills to enhance project performance .This can include formal and informal training, coaching, and so on.
Information Distribution
Making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner.
Solicitation
Obtaining quotations, bids, offers, or proposals from contractors, vendors, or other providers of essential goods or services.
Source Selection
Choosing from among contractor,vendor or providers
Contract Administration
Managing the relationship with the contractor, vendor, or other provider. this includes such activities as handling paperwork and ensuring payment.
Controlling
Controlling involves comparing actual performance with planned performance. In other words, are you doing exactly what you plan to do? If you discover deviations from the plan ( often called “variances”), you must analyze these variances and figure out alternative actions that will get the project back on track. You can then decide which alternative is best and task appropriate corrective action.
Controlling involves several sub processes:
Progress Reporting
Collecting and disseminating progress information to all project stack holders.
Overall Change Control
Coordinating changes across the entire project.
Scope Change Control
Controlling nay changes to the project scope. This often means limiting the project’s deliverables to only those that have been planned.
Cost Control
Controlling changes to the project budget.
Quality Control
Monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards, and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory performance.
Risk Control
Attempting to minimize the effect that “unknowns” or potentially negative events will have on the project.
Closing
Because projects are temporary endeavors, projects and project phases must eventually co to an end. But who is to say when a project or phase has ended? More importantly, how do you know when to stop expending effort and money on a project or project phase?
This includes several Sub processes:
Scope Verification
Ensuring that all identified project deliverables have been completely satisfied.
Administrative closure
Generating, gathering, and disseminating information to formalize project completion. you will probably have to “Sign off” or gain written approval of the deliverables or phases.
Contract Close-Out
Completion and settlement of the contract, including resolution of any outstanding items.
NOTE:
Clear cut and effective closing is based on the formal project plan. The project plan should spell out exactly what the deliverables will look like, how and by whom the deliverables will be approved, and so on. By formally Agreeing to the plan, the stockholders have, in advance, agreed to specific deliverables to be created by specific methods. In this way, the finished results can be compared to the planned results, thus minimizing disputes over whether the deliverables are suitable.
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