Harin Dave's blog

Please read!

Harin Dave — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:34:54 +0000

Hi All,

I have bought my own domain and also setup my blog as well there. So please visit following URLs,

http://harindave.com

http://harindave.com/blog – Please visit this for latest & future posts

Cheers!

Harin Dave

PMP – Important Notes

Harin Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:19:34 +0000

Area

Item

Definition

Professional / Social Responsibilities

Ethnocentrism

Respect other cultures – unfavorably comparing other cultures with your culture

Monochronic

Doing one task at a time

Polychronic

Doing more than one task at a time

Egalitarian

Favoring social equality – a classless society / distributing the power

PMBOK Definitions section

Analogous Estimating

An estimation technique that uses values of parameters, such as scope, cost, budget and duration or measures of scale such as size, weight and complexity from previous similar activity as the basis for estimation the same parameter or measure for a future activity.
> Used when there is a limited amout of detailed information about the project – early project phase.
> Form of Expert Judgement.
> Most reliable when the previous activities are similar in fact and not just in appearance.

Technique

Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM)

> Schedule network diagramming technique
> Schedule activities are represented by arrows
> Supports only Finish to Start relationship
> Schedule activities connected at points called nodes (small circles)
Note: If in example, duration is given for last node and end node then draw ADM and show duration on arrow as schedule activity

Technique

Assumption Analysis

> Explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project from inaccuracy, inconsistency or incompleteness of assumptions.

Technique

Bottom-up Estimating

> Method of estimating a component of work
> Work is decomposed into more details
> Estimate is prepared for lower, more detailed pieces of work
> Finally estimated are aggregated into a total quality for the component of work
> Gives more ACCURATE estimate

Technique

Brainstorming

> General data gathering and creativity tecnique
> Used to identify risks, ideas or solutions to issues by using group of team members or subject matter experts
> Brainstorming session is structured so that each participant’s ideas are recorded for later analysis

Tool

Chart of Accounts

> Numbering system used to monitor project costs by category – labors, supplies, materials and equipment
> Project Chart of Accounts in usually based upon the corporate chart of accounts of primary performaing organization

Tool

Code of Accounts

> Numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure

Technique

Co-location

> An organizational placement strategy where project team members are physically located close to one another in order to improve communication, working relationships and productivity

Technique

Control

> Comparing actual performance with planned performance
> Analizing variance, Assesing trends to effect process improvements
> Evaluating possible alternatives and recommending appropriate corrective actions as needed

Tool

Control Accounts (CA)

> A mgt control point where scope, budget, actual cost and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement.
> Control accounts are placed at selected mgt points of the work breakdown structure.
> It may include one or more work packages but each work package can have only one control account.
> Each control account is associated with a specific single organizational component in the organizational breakdown structure (OBS).

Tool

Control Chart

> A graphic display of process data over time and against established control limits.
> It has centerline that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward either control limit.

Technique

Cost of Quality (COQ)

> Determining cost incurred to ensure quality.
> Prevention & appraisal cost – cost of conformance – cost of quality planning, quality control, quality assurance
> Failure cost – cost of non-conformance – costs to rework product, component or process that are non-compliant, cost of warranty work and waste and loss of reputation

Technique

Crashing

> Type of Project Schedule Compression Technique
> To decrease the total project duration
> To determine how to get the max schedule duration compression for the least additional cost
> Add resources and reduce schedule activity durations

Technique

Critical Chain Method

> A schedule network analysis technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources.
> Mixes deterministics and probabilistics approaches to schedule network anaysis

Technique

Critical Path Method

> A schedule network analysis technique used to determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on various logical network paths in the project schedule network, to determine min total project duration.
> Forward pass – calculate early start & finish dates using specified start date
> Backward pass – calculate late start & finish dates using specified completion date

Technique

Decision Tree Analysis

> A diagram that describes a decision under consideration and implication choosing one or other available alternative.
> Used when some future scenarios or outcomes are uncertain.
> Incorporates probabilities and the costs or rewards of each logical path of events and future decisions.
> Uses Expected Monetary Value analysis to help organization identify the relative values of alternate actions.

Technique

Decomposition

> A planning technique that subdevides the project scope and project deliverables into more smaller and manageable components until the project work associated is defined in sufficient detail to support executing, monitoring & controlling the work.

Technique

Delphi Technique

> An information gathering used as a way to reach consensus of experts on a subject
> Experts on the subject participate anonymously
> Facilitator uses questionnaire to solicit ideas about imp project points related to the subject
> Helps reduce bias in the data and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome

Technique

Design Review

> A management technique used for evaluating a proposed design to ensure that the design of the system or product meets customer requirements
> To assure that the design will perform successfully, can be produced and can be maintained

Method

Earned Value Management (EVM)

> A management methodology for integrating scope, schedule and resources and for objectively measuing project performance and progress.
> Performance is measured by determining the budgeted cost of work performed (Earned Value) and comparing it to actual cost of work performed (Actual Cost).
> Progress measured by comparing the earned value and planned value.

Technique

Earned Value Technique

> A specific technique for measuring the performance of the work and used to establish the performance measurement baseline (PMB).
> Referred as the earning rules and crediting method.

Definition

Exception Report

> Report that includes only MAJOR variations from the plan

Technique

Expected Monetory Value (EMV) Analysis

> A Statistical technique that calculates the average outcome when the future includes the scenarios that may or may not happen.
> Common use is within Decision Tree Analysis.
> Modeling and Simulation are recommened for cost and schedule risk analysis because its more powerful and less subject to misapplication EMV analysis.

Technique

Expert Judgement

> Judgement provided based upon expertise in an application area, knowledge area, discipline, industry etc. as appropriate for the activity being performed.
> Such expertise can be provided by any group or person with specialized education, knowledge, skill, experience or training.
> Personal could be from performing org, consultants, stakeholders, customers, professional and technical associations, industry groups

Technique

Failure Mode and Effective Analysis

> Analytical procedure – each potential failure mode in every component of a product is analyzed to determine its effect on the reliability of the component, system, required function of component.
> For each potential failure, an estimate is made of its effect on the total system and of its impact.
> In addition, review is undertaken of the action planned to minimize the probability of failure and to minimize the effects.

Technique

Fast Tracking

> Specific Project Schedule Compression technique.
> Changes network logic to overlap phases that would normally be done in sequence.
> Perform Design Phase and Development Phase or Schedule activities in parallel.

Technique

Flowcharting

> Depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions and outputs of one or more processes within a system.

Definition

Forecast

> Estimated or predictions of conditions and events in the project’s future based on information and knowledge available at the time of forecast.
> Updated and reissues based on Work Performance Information provided as project executed

Tool

Ground Rules

> A list of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors adopted by a project team to improve working relatioships, effectiveness & communication.

Definition

Historical Information

> Documents and data on prior projects including project files, records, correspondence, closed contracts, closed projects.

Technique

Inspection

> Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity, component, product, result or service conforms to specified requirements.

Definition

Invitation for Bid (IFB)

> This term is equivalent to Request for Proposal – RFP.
> In some specific area, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.

Technique

Lag

> Modification of a logical relationship that directs a delay in the successor activity. FS activity with 10 days lag. Successor can not start until 10 days once predecessor activity is finished.

Technique

Lead

> Modification of a logical relationship that allows an acceleration of the successor activity. FS relationship with 10 days Lead. The successor activity can be started before 10 days even predecessor activity is not completed.

Technique

Monte Carlo Analysis – PERT / OPM Method

> A technique that computes or iterates the project cost or project schedule many times using input values selected at random from probability distributions of possible costs or durations, to calculate a distribution of possible total project cost or completion dates.

Technique

Networking

> Developing relationships with persons who may be able to assist in the achievement of objectives and responsibilities

Tool

Organization Breakdown Structure (OBS)

> A hierarchically organized depiction of the project organization arranged so as to relate the work packages to performing organizational units.

Technique

Parametric Estimating

> An estimation technique that uses statistical relationship between historical data and other variables to calculate estimate for activity parameters such as scope, cost, budget and duration.
> Produces higher level of accuracy depending upon sophistication and the underlying data built into the model.

Definition

Path Covergence

> Merging or joining of parallel schedule network paths into the same node in a project schedule network diagram.
> Schedule activity with more then one predecessor activities.

Definition

Path Divergence

> Extending or generating parallel schedule network paths from the same node in a project schedule network diagram.
> Schedule activity with more then one successor activities.

Definition

Performance Measurement Baseline

> An approved integrated scope-schedule-cost plan for the project work against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance.
> Technical and Quality parameters may also be included.

Definition

Portfolio

> A collection of Projects or Programs and other work that are grouped togeher to facilitate effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives.
> Projects or Programs of the portfolio may not be interdependent or directly related.

Technique

Portfolio Management

> Centralized mgt of one or more Portfolios, which includes identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing, and controlling projects, programs and other related work to achieve specific strategic business objectives.

Technique

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

> A schedule network diagamming method
> Schedule activities are represented by box or node. They are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show sequence in which activities are to be performed.

Tool

Probability and Impact Matrix

> A common way to determine whether risk is considered low, medium or high by combining the two dimensions of a risk.
> Its probability of occurance and its impact on objectives if it occurs.

Definition

Program

> A group of related projects managed in a cordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. It may include other related work outside of the scope of the discrete projects in program.

Technique

Progressive Elaboration

> Continously improving and detailing a plan as more detailed and specific information and more accurate estimates become availabe as the project progresses and thereby producing more accurate and complete plans that result from successive iterations of the planning process.

Definition

Project

> Temporary endeavor undertaken to create unique product, result or service

Tool

PMIS

> An information system consists of tools and techniques used to gather, integrate and disseminate the outputs of project management processes.
> Used to support all aspects of of project from initiating through closing.
> Includes both manual and automated systems.

Definition

Project Phase

> Collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of major deliverable.
> Project phases are mainly completed sequentially, but can overlap in some project situations.
> Phases can be subdivided into sub-phases / components.
> This hierarchy of deviding projects into sub-phases is called Work Breakdown Structure.
> A project phase is a component of a project life cycle. It is not a project management process group.

Tool

Project Summary Work Breakdown Structure (PSWBS)

> A work breakdown structure for the project that is only developed down to the subproject level of detail within some legs of the WBS, and where the details of those subprojects are provided by the use of contract work breakdown structure.

Definition

Request for Information

> Type of Procurement Document
> Buyer requests a potential seller to provide various pieces of information related a product/service/seller capability

Definition

Request for Proposal

> Type of Procurement Document
> Used to request proposals from prospective sellers of product/service

Definition

Request for Quatation

> Type of Procurement Document
> Used to request price quatation from prospective sellers of common or standard product/service

Definition

Reserve/Contingency/Buffer

> A provision in the project mgt plan to to mitigate cost/schedule risk.

Technique

Reserve Analysis

> An analytical technique to determine the essential features and relationship of components in the project mgt plan to establish a reserve for the schedule duration, budget, estimated cost, funds for the project.

Definition

Residual Risk

> Risk that remains after risk responses have been implemented.

Technique

Resource Leveling

> Any form of schedule network analysis in which scheduling decisions are driven by resource constraints.

Definition

Resource-Limited Schedule

> Project schedule whose schedule activity, sch start/end dates reflect expected resource availability.
> Total Float is determined by calculating difference between CPM Late Finish Date and resource-limited scheduled finish date.
> Sometimes called resource constrained schedule.

Tool

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

> A structure that relates the project organizational breakdown structure to the work breakdown structure to help ensure that each component of Project’s scope of work is assigned to responsible person/team.

Definition

Retainage

> A portion of contract payment that is withheld/withdrawn/suspended until contract completion to ensure full performance of the contract items.

Technique

Risk Acceptance

> A Risk Response Planning technique that indicates the project team has decided not to change the project mgt plan to deal with the risk, or is unable to identify any other suitable response strategy.

Technique

Risk Avoidance

> A Risk Response Planning technique for a threat that creates changes to project mgt plan that are meant to either eliminate the risk or to protect the project objectives from its impact.
> Generally, risk avoidance involves relaxing the time, cost, scope or quality objectives.

Technique

Risk Mitigation

> A Risk Response Planning technique associated with threats that seeks to reduce the probability of occurance or impact of risk to below an acceptable threshold.

Technique

Risk Transference/Deflection

> A Risk Response Planning technique that shifts the impact of threat to a third party, together with ownership of the response.

Technique

Rolling Wave Planning

> Providing the prelimanary details of the later phases in the current phase document is call Rolling Wave Planning or Next Steps.
> A form of Progressive Elaboration planning where work to be accomplished in near term is planned in detail at a low level of the work breakdown structure, while the work far in the future is planned at relatively high level of the work breakdown structure, but the detailed planning of the work to be performed within another one or two periods in the near future is done as work is being completed during the current period.

Technique

Root Cause Analysis

> An analytical technique used to determine the basic underlying reason that causes a variance or defect or risk. A Root Cause may underlie more than one variance or defect or risk.

Technique

Schedule Compression

> Shortening the project schedule duration without reducing project scope. Sub types – Crashing and Fast Tracking.

Technique

Schedule Network Analysis

> The technique of identifying early and late start dates as well as early and late finish dates for uncompleted portion of the project schedule activities. CPM, Critical Chain Method, What-if Analysis, Resource Leveling.

Definition

Scope Creep

> Adding features and functionalities above Project Scope without addressing the effects on time, cost and resources without customer approval.

Definition

S-Curve

> Graphic display of cumulative costs, labor hours, percentage of work or other quantities, plotted against time.
> Used to depict planned value, earned value and actual cost of project work.
> S-like shape of the curve produced on a project that starts slowly, accelerates and then tails off.

Definition

Secondary Risks

> Risk that arises as a direct result of implementing a risk response.

Definition

Simulation

> A simulation uses a project model that translates the uncertainities specified at detailed level into their potential impact on objectives that are expressed at a level the total project.
> Project simulations use computer models and estimates of risk, usually expressed as a probability distribution of possible costs or durations at a detailed work level and are typically performed using Monte Carlo Analysis.

Definition

Special Cause/Assignable Cause

> A source of variation that is not inherent in the system, is not predictable and in intermittent. It can be assigned to a defect in the system.
> On a Control Chart, points beyond the control limits or non-random patterns within the control limits, indicate it.

Definition

SWOT Analysis

> Strength, Weakness, opportunity, Threats – This information gathering technique examines the project from perspective of each project’s Strength, Weakness, opportunity and Threats to increase the breadth of the risks considered by the risk management.

Definition

Summary Activity

> A group of related scheduled activities aggregated at some summary level and displayed as a single activity at that summary level.

Definition

System

> Systems for project management are composed of project management processes, techniques, methodologies, and tools operated by project management team.

Technique

Technical Performance Measurement

> A performance measurement technique that compares technical accomplishments during project execution to the project management plan’s schedule of planned technical achievements.
> Use key technical parameters of the product produced by the project as a quality metric.
> The achieved metric values are part of the work performance information.

Technique

Three-Point Estimate

> An analytical technique that uses three cost or duration estimated to represent the optimistic, most likely and pessimistic scenarios. This technique is applied to improve the accuracy of estimates of cost or duration when the underlying activity or cost component is uncertain.

Technique

Total Quality Management (TQM)

> A common approach to implement a quality improvement program with an organization.

Technique

Trend Analysis

> An analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes based on historical results.
> Method for defining variance from a baseline of a budget, cost, schedule or scope parameter by using prior progress reporting periods data and projecting how much that parameter’s variance from baseline might be at some future point in the project if no changes are made in project execution.

Definition

Triggers

> Indications that a risk has occurred or about to occur.
> May be discovered in Risk Identification process and watched in Risk M&C process.
> Sometimes call risk symptoms or warning signs.

Definition

Tripple Constraints

> Scope, Cost, Schedule – a framework for evaluating competing demands.

Technique

Validation

> The technique of evaluating a component or product during or at the end of a phase or project to ensure it complies with the specified requirements.

Definition

Value Engineering (VE)

> A creative approach used to optimize project life cycle costs, save time, increase profits, improve quality, expand market share, solve problems and/or use resources more effectively.

Technique

Variance Analysis

> A method for resolving the total variance in the set of scope, cost and schedule variables into soecific component variances that are associated wih defined factors affecting the scope, cost and schedule variables.

Technique

Verification

> The technique of evaluating a component or product during or at the end of a phase or project to assure or confirm it satisfies the condition imposed.

Technique

Work Authorization

> A permission and direction, typically written, to begin work on the specific schedule activity or work package or control account.
> Method of sanctioning project work to ensure that the work is done by identified organization, at the right time and in proper sequence.

Tool

Work Authorization System (WAS)

> A subsystem of all project management system.
> It is collection of formal documented procedures that define how project work will be authorized to ensure that the work is done by the identified organization, at the right time, in the proper sequence.
> It includes steps, documents, tracking system, defined approval levels needed to issue work authorizations.

Definition

Work Breakdown Structure Disctionary

> A document that describes each component in the work breakdown structure. For each WBS component, the WBC dictionary includes brief definition of the scope or statement of work, defined deliverables, a list of associated activities, a list of milestones.
> Also includes, responsible organization, start and end dates, resources required, an estimate of cost, charge no, contract information, quality requirement, technical references etc.

Definition

Work Performance Information

> Collected as part of the Direct and Manage Project Execution process.
> Information includes – status of deliverables, implementation status for change requests, corrective actions, preventive actions and defect repairs, forecasted estimated to complete, reported perdentage of work physically completed, achieved value of technical performance measures, start and end dates of schedule activities.

Technique

Workaround

> A response to a negative risk that has occurred. Distinguished from Contingency plan in that a workaround is not planned in advance of the occurrence of the risk event.

Tool & Technique

Schedule Development

> Program evaluation and review technique.(PERT)/3 Point Estimate is a mathematical model used in Schedule Development. It uses both Activity Duration Estimates and Network Logic to estimate Duration Estimates. The Critical Path Method considers only single Duration Estimates. GERT and PDM are not Schedule Development tools.

Professional Responsibility

> Being a project manager, you are responsible for maintaining and ensuring integrity of project, product, and personal. You are not responsible for stakeholders integrity.

Project Life Cycle

> The Phase End Reviews are called Phase Exits, Stage Gates, and Kill Points because they provide a point to pause and determine whether the project should go forward or be stopped.

Professional Responsibility

> Procurement is not considered part of general management, although organizing is part of general management.

Develop Project Team

> Development Team is not an event it is a process. In the project life cycle, team development efforts have greater benefit when conducted early, but should take place throughout the project life cycle.

Ishikawa/Fishbone/Cause-and-effect Diagram

> Ishikawa, fishbone, or cause-and-effect diagrams are used in all the quality processes as well as risk identification.

Planning Process Group

> Planning is the iterative process evident throughout the project.

Risk Register

> The risk register documents all the outcomes of the other risk management process.

Quality Mgt Plan, Quality Policy

> The Quality Management plan should describe how the project management team will implement its quality policy. Quality Policy is “the overall intentions and direction of an organization with regard to quality, as formally expressed by top management”

Organization Breakdown Structure

> Organizational breakdown structure (OBS) is a specific type of organization chart that shows which organizational units are responsible for which work packages.

What is the difference between Project Scope & Product Scope?

Harin Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:15:04 +0000

Project Scope

Work that must be done in order to deliver product/service/result
Completion of the project scope is measured against – Project Management Plan, WBS and WBS Dictionary

Product Scope

Features and Functions that characterise a product/service/result
Completion of product scope is measured against – Product Requirement

Project Deliverable & WBS

Harin Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:09:07 +0000

Project deliverable can be factored as below,

Deliverables > Control Accounts > Planning Package > Work Packages > Schedule Activities

WBS – Work Breakdown Structure. WBS is quite useful and can be depicted as below,

Team Development Tool
Forces in conducting detailed planning and documentation
Useful in estimation
Each item of WBS will be assigned a unique identifier – code of accounts
Lowest level > Work Package. Planning Packages are located between Work Packages and Control Accounts (meant for finance control identity)
Forms scope baseline – WBS, WBS Dictionary & Scope Statement
Helps to clarify responsibilities
NOT time based
Rule of thumb (Heuristic) 8/80 hours (assignment duration)
Provides better communication between Project Team and stakeholders

Project Costs

Harin Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:42:45 +0000

Here are the different types of project costs,

Direct > Cost that can be directly attributed to a specific project
Indirect > Cost that can not be directly attributed to a specific project
Fixed > Cost that will not change based on business volume
Variable > Cost that will change based on business volume
T&M > Cost that will be based on actual efforts spent
Stranded/Sunk > Cost that has been incurred and cannot be reversed irrespectively of future events

Here are some important definitions on cost analysis,

Value Analysis > Cheaper, Better, Faster. Doing the same scope of work for less cost and possibly improving quality and performance
Law of Diminishing Returns > When additional units of variable input are added to fixed inputs after certain point, the marginal product of the variable input declines
Marginal Analysis > Spend money on an improvement if the cost of the improvement increases the productivity or revenue

Organization Structures

Harin Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:20:18 +0000

Typically an organization could have following types,

1. Functional Organization

- Functional Manager has all the authority.
- Functional Manager is also called Line Manager.
- Hierarchical Organization where each employee has one clear supervisor, staff are grouped by areas of specialization, managed by a person with expertise in that area

2. Projectized Organization > Project Manager has all the authority

3. Matrix Organization

- Weak > Functional Manager gets authority
- Balanced > Functional Manager & Project Manager – both are equal
- Strong > Project Manager gets authority

Key factors for Successful Offshore Management

Harin Dave — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:39:01 +0000

Offshoring has been the main business for many companies. Some companies have their own Offshore team where as some companies do contract with other companies for the same. In both the cases, Offshore Management is the key to succeed. Here are key factors for successful Offshore Management,

Expectation Setting

As you are remotely located, expectation setting is very important area to deal with. Depending upon the infrastructure you have, you need to decide communication modes like email/call/video conference etc, timing of communication, information to be shared (define templates for the information that you are looking for) etc.

Time Management

It becomes really important for offshore manager to understand time zone difference and plan the activities accordingly. It’s important to communicate timely & precisely to decrease the back and forth. It’s also important to have couple of hrs overlap between onshore & offshore team’s key members. The overlap is not mandatory but it’s helpful when you are looking for response from other side to continue your work for next day. I have been working for US and European clients & management and personally I prefer to get online / check emails at around 10 PM IST for few mins and do required communications to ensure I get what I am looking for. And this should be required on daily basis so as a PM you need to decide the need of the same.

Synchronization Process

It’s very important to set process for managing the version control software especially for check-in etc especially when you have two teams located at different places and going to work on the same solution. This is mainly to sync the source files added/updated from both the sides. The team can use any standard central repository that is comfortable with both the sides.

Status Calls & Reports

Being at remote place, it’s important to keep onshore team/client on the same page for project status. offshore Manager should set weekly status call with onshore team/client on project and also send weekly status reports to onshore team/client to update them about project progress. If project is of small size, you can also send status report on daily basis. It’s also possible to share your project management tool with onshore team/client and give them adequate views so that they know project progress with their issues status. It’s important to log hrs (billable/research) at client tool on daily basis if client needs hrs details for the offshore team by resource.

Turn Around Time (TAT)

Most of the time, Offshore team would set 24 hrs as TAT for any query/issue. But there are ways to cut-down it in some cases. However, if project demands, offshore manager can put additional efforts and do requirement communication after overlap/office hrs to ensure he has adequate information to work on to get project development further. Also it’s important to decide whether to continue writing emails to resolve the queries or to have a quick call & resolve the queries. Offshore manager needs to take decision to keep TAT as low as possible depending upon the different on-going projects & their priority.

Comfort Feeler

One team – though teams might be working at different locations, the goal should be to achieve excellence in product quality, service and by keeping this in mind offshore manager needs to mentor the offshore team and communicate with onsite team/management. Try to avoid getting this mentality of Client-Contractor relationship.

Cultural Understanding

Offshore manager should be well aware about the Cultural value of that geographical area. Every country has its own cultural values so it’s good to know it.

Project Charter – What? Who? Why?

Harin Dave — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:29:31 +0000

The PMBOK® Guide 3rd edition (The “old” one)

A project initiator or sponsor external to the project organization at a level that is appropriate to funding the project, issues the project charter. Projects are usually chartered and authorized external to the project organization by an enterprise, a government agency, a company, a program organization or a portfolio organization [...]

The PMBOK® Guide 4th edition (The “new” one)

Projects are authorized by someone external to the project such as a sponsor, PMO or portfolio steering committee. The project initiator or sponsor should be at a level that is appropriate to funding the project. They will either create the project charter or delegate that duty to the project manager. The initiator’s signature on the charter authorizes the project.

The reasons in support of PMBOK® Guide 4th edition definition are the following:

The Project Manager is the subject matter expert when it comes to initiating and starting a project. Hence, the PM is usually more qualified to create the project charter. He/She has more experience in doing this and knows what kind of detail to add to the charter. We PMs usually know from past projects what is important in the charter and therefore we can create a “better” charter than the initiator.
The initiator / sponsor on the other hand is the person who has to pay for the project. Therefore the project manager may under no circumstances sign the charter to authorize the project. Or what would you think, if a PM came to you and said “I have created this charter for our project, I have signed it, the project has started and you must now pay for it.”. The PM may of course co-sign the charter, but the primary signature that is needed on the charter is that of the initiator / sponsor.

In project management, a project charter or project definition 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 authority of the project manager. It serves as a reference of authority for the future of the project.

The project charter establishes the authority assigned to the project manager, especially in a matrix management environment. It is considered industry best practice.

The purpose of the project charter is to document:

Reasons for undertaking the project
Objectives and constraints of the project
Directions concerning the solution
Identities of the main stakeholders

The three main uses of the project charter:

To authorize the project – using a comparable format, projects can be ranked and authorized by Return on Investment.
Serves as the primary sales document for the project – ranking stakeholders have a 1-2 page summary to distribute, present, and keep handy for fending off other project or operations runs at project resources.
As a focus point throughout the project – for example: project as people walk in to team meetings and use in change control meetings to ensure tight scope management.

Relationship between Project Management, Program Management and Portfolio Management and role of PMO

Harin Dave — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:09:55 +0000

Project Managmenet exists in a broader context that includes program management and portfolio management. Here is brief explanation about each of them with examples, their relationship and PMO’s (Project Management Office) role.

Portfolio Management

A portfolio refers to a collection of projects or programs and other work that is grouped together to facilitate effective management. The projects or programs of portfolio may not necessarily be interdependent or directly related. For example, as infrastructure firm that has the strategic objective of “maximizing the return on its investments” may put together a portfolio that includes a mix of projects in oil and gas, power, water, roads, rail and aisports. From the mix, the firm may choose to manage related projects as one program. All of the power projects may be grouped together as a power program. Similarly, all of the water projects may be grouped together as a water program.

Portfolio management refers to the centralized management of one or more portfolios and includes identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing and controlling projects, programs and other related work. Portfolio management focuses on ensuring that projects and programs are reviewed to prioritize resource allocation and that the management of the portfolio is consistent with and aligned to organizational strategies.

Program Management

A program refers to a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. Programs may include elements of related work outside the scope of the discrete projects in the program. For example, a new car model program that involves projects of the design and upgrades of each major component (e.g. the transmission, engine, interior and exterior) while ongoing manufactoring occurs on an assembly line.

Program Management can be viewed as the centralized, coordinated management of a group of projects to achieve the program’s objectives and benefits. Programs can involve several repetitive or cyclical undertakings. For example, utility companies may combine a series of projects into an annual “construction program”.

Projects and Strategic Planning

Projects are a means of organizaing activities that cannot be addressed within the organization’s normal operational limits. Projects are often utilized as a means of achieving an organization’s strategic plan.

Projects are typically authorized as a result of one or more of the following strategic considerations. Some examples of these include, but are not limited to:

Market demands
Organizational needs
Customer requests
Technological advances
Legal requirements

Projects, within programs or portfolios, are a means of achieving organizational goals and objectives, often in the context of a strategic plan. Although a group of projects within a program can have discrete benefits, they often also contribute to consolidated benefits as defines by the program.

Organizations manage their portfolios based on their strategic plan, which may dictate a hierarchy in the portfolio, program or projects. One goal of portfolio management is to maximize the value of the portfolio by careful examination of the candidate projects. Those projects not expected to meet the portfolio’s strategic objectives may be excluded. The organization’s strategic plan and available resources guide these investments in projects.

As figure 1-1 illustrates, organizational strategies and priorities are linked and have relationships between portfolios and programs, between programs and individual projects. Organizational planning impacts the component projects by means of project prioritization. Organization planning can direct the funding and support for the component projects on the basis of risk/reward categories, specific lines of business or general types of projects such as infrastructure and internal process improvement.

At the same time, projects provide feedback to programs and portfolios by means of status reports and change requests that may impact other projects, programs and portfolios. The needs of the projects, including the resource needs, are rolled up and communicated back to the portfolio level, which in turm sets the direction for organizational planning.

Project Management Office (PMO)

A PMO is an organizational body or entity that can be responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of the projects, programs and portfolios under its domain. The projects supported or administrated by the PMO may not be related other than by being managed together. The specific form, function & structure of PMO are dependent upon the needs of the organization that it supports.

A PMO may be delegated authority to act as an integral stakeholder and a key decision-maker during the initiation phase of each project, to make recommendations or to terminate projects to keep business objectives consistent. In addition, the PMO may be involved in the selection, management and redeployment of shared or dedicated project resources.

Some of the key features of a PMO may include, but are not limited to:

Managing shared resources across all projects administrated by the PMO
Identifying and developing project management methodology, best practices and standards
Developing and managing project policies, procedures, templates and other shared documents
Coordinating communication across projects

Project managers and PMOs pursue different objectives, are driven by different requirements. All of these efforts, however, are aligned with the strategic needs of the organization. Differences between the role of project managers and a PMO may include following:

The project manager focuses on the specified project objectives, while the PMO manages major program scope changes and can view them as potential opportunities to better achieve business objectives.
The project manager controls the assigned project resources to best meet project objectives, while the PMO optimizes the use of shared organizational resources across all projects.
The project manager manages the scope, schedule, cost and quality of the products of the work packages, while the PMO manages the overall risk, overall opportunity and interdependencies among projects at the enterprise level.

This should give you an idea about the need of strategic goals of an organization and how they get segregated into programs and projects. You can clearly identify the projects that are aligned with organization’s strategic goals to take them forward and remove projects that are not aligned or adding value to organization’s strategic goals. You should also get an idea about role & importance of project manager & PMO in case of multiple projects.

Reference: PMI PMBOK

Step by step… PMP

Harin Dave — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:39:40 +0000

Any one working for any domain can apply for PMP certification @ PMI. The main requirement is, he/she should have worked as Project Team member in different knowledge areas of Project Management for specific hours. You can find more information @ www.pmi.org

Here are the steps that need to perform to become PMP:

Submit project management experience data to PMI.
Consult PMP trainer (REP) to assist you to submit required data to PMI. You can also take help of any of your friends who has already achieved PMP certification.
Take PMP training course (PMBOK – 4th edition) of 35/40 hrs. I took it form ProXalt education provider. Refer www.proxalt.com
Book PMP Exam date with Prometric testing center. It always helps to book exam first so you are more focused.

I hope, this helps! In case of any query, post your comment, i will respond to it as soon as possible.