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Fundamental
Project Management
Fasset: July/August 2013
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Fasset Welcome Note
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• Welcome to this learning programme in which you
will be introduced to the fundamentals of managing
a project in the workplace.
• You will be taken through the basic terminology
and then introduced to the project life cycle and
details about each phase of the cycle.
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Project Selection for Exercises
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• Please identify either a project that you are
currently busy with or one that is going to take
place in the next six months.
• Should you not have a specific workplace-based
project, please make use of the case study
contained in the workbook.
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Glossary of Terms
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Work through the glossary
of terms to familiarise
yourself with the basic
terminology of project
management.
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Learning Unit 1: Introduction
to Project Management
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Learning Map
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Introduction
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The most common definition of a project is:
• A sequence of activities,
• Connected over a period of time,
• With a unique and defined outcome.
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1.1. Characteristics of a Project
• Differs from the normal, run-of-the-mill activities of
the workplace,
• Has a clear scope,
• Has the purpose of bringing about a change,
• Has clearly defined goals which have to be
achieved within the set timeframe.
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Which of the following characteristics of a project as
identified in 1.1, could also be aligned to routine tasks
completed in the workplace?
Activity 1:
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1.2. Project Goals
Goals need to be :
• Specific,
• Measurable,
• Achievable,
• Realistic,
• Time-bound.
Goals need to be :
• Put in writing,
• Personal,
• Positive.
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What are the goals for your project?
Activity 2:
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1.3. Project V’s Operational Management
Due to the nature of a project, there is a distinct
difference between managing a project and managing
operations in a workplace.
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Given the three elements described, list the
characteristics of project management for a project in
your environment:
Project management is…
Activity 3:
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1.4. PMBOK
Project Management Body of Knowledge:
• As from 2013, PMI has identified general areas of
knowledge, which are briefly described in your
workbook.
• Further information can be obtained from PMI’s
website.
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Overview of Knowledge Areas and Processes
Source: www.pmi.org.za
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1.5. Project Stakeholders and Role-players
The sponsor’s responsibilities can include:
• Representing the interests of the organisation,
• Ensuring goals, objectives, and the project itself
has benefit,
• Providing resources,
• Making the project team aware of constraints,
• Helping to inspire and motivate the team.
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The Sponsor
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Stakeholders can be mapped and classified in terms
of the level of Interest and Power they may have on
a project – and therefore the potential Impact.
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Project Stakeholders
LEVEL OF INTEREST
LOW HIGH
LE
VE
L
OF
PO
WE
R LOW Minimal Effort
A
Keep Informed
B
HIGH Keep Satisfied
C
Key Players
D
These people are the people who do the actual work
during the execution of the project.
Members focuses on a few tasks (or perhaps only one
task), as assigned by the project manager.
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Project Team Members
Those people who have expertise in a particular area
and are used only for their expertise are termed key
team members.
They typically assist the project manager directly,
acting in a consultative capacity when their expertise
is required.
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Key team members
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These are the people who provide the resources for a
project and are crucial to the success of the project.
Their sole responsibility is to work with the project
manager to deliver the promised items or services on
time and at the agreed cost.
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Suppliers
This is the team leader who is responsible for making
sure the project is completed and the goals and
objectives are achieved.
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The Project Manager
Using the table provided, identify the stakeholders
and role-players in your project and provide the
details of their responsibility.
Activity 4:
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Project management requires resources. These
may be physical, financial or human resources,
depending on the project.
Physical resources are generally of two types:
• Direct resources
• Indirect resources
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1.6. Project Resources
Physical resources which will be needed by the
project team members themselves for use during the
project, e.g. laptops, telephones.
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Direct resources
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Indirect resources
Physical resources which suppliers or specialists
might require to complete their tasks as part of the
project execution and which they will access
themselves, e.g. equipment
needed to complete a
work package in the project.
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Using the table provided, identify both the direct and
indirect resources your project will require and where
these will be sourced from.
Activity 5:
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1.7. Project Success Factors
In his book, Project Management: A Systems
Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling,
Harold Kerzner writes about the Project Triangle.
He explains that a project is like a triangle that
balances time, cost and scope.
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Cost Time
Scope
Quality
Changes in any one of the three elements will affect the
other two elements.
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Project Triangle
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1.8. Best Practices
• Clear, concise project definition and project plan.
• Clear outline of role players.
• A clear risk management strategy.
• Financial resources clearly outlined.
• A strategy for scope creep and change.
• Clear reporting mechanisms.
• Clear evaluation and close out strategy.
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1.9. Project Life Cycle
The cycle can be categorised into the following
phases, sometimes given different names:
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1.10. The Project Manager’s Role
• Producing project management documents.
• Keeping an eye on the big picture.
• Motivating the project team and assisting them.
• Communicating with all role players.
• Acting as representative for the customers of the
project.
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Read the short case study provided and then answer
the questions which follow.
Activity 6:
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1.11. The Dreaded Scope Creep
Scope creep can come about from:
• Inadequate project monitoring,
• Poor change control,
• Weak project manager,
• Demanding sponsor.
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1.12. Project Failure
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Fail Succeed
Poor planning Thorough planning
No communication Good time management
Lack of resources Clear goals
Lack of commitment/Team
Etc…
Available resources
Etc…
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SELF-EVALUATION
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Learning Unit 2:
Project Initiation
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Learning Map
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Introduction
In today’s world, many of us are accidental project
managers: people who never intended to lead
projects until suddenly we find ourselves heading up
one at the request of a line manager or top
management.
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2.1. Initiating a Project
These are some of the key questions to answer when
initially considering the feasibility of a project:
• Background information about your company or
organisation?
• Name of your project?
• Why you are doing it (the purpose)?
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• Who will be involved?
• Whether this is a project you have asked to do or if
it has been assigned to you?
• How it will benefit you, your department, a specific
group of individuals, or your organisation as a
whole?
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Initiating a Project
• How much time you expect it to take?
• Whether you have identified any costs?
• What planning and tracking tools you will use?
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Initiating a Project
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2.2. Project Scoping
Effective scope management requires good
communication to ensure that everyone understands
the scope of the project and agrees upon exactly how
the project's goals will be met.
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2.3. Project Deliverables
A deliverable is the end product of the objective, and
must reflect the quantifiable, measurable state of the
objective.
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Objective Deliverable
Outline a QMS Model for
the organization
QMS Scope document
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Identify the objectives and deliverables for your
project, by populating the table provided.
Activity 7:
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2.4. The Most Suitable Project Team
Ask yourself:
• Can general experience be sufficient?
• Does the individual need specific experience?
• What interpersonal skills are required?
• How many skilled people will be needed?
• What level of supervision will be required?
• Not everyone is a team player. Is this important?
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Issues critical to the success of a project team:
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• Accountability
• Leadership
• Resources
• Responsibility
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Identify possible team members for your project, and
populate the table provided.
Activity 8:
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2.5. Risk and Constraints
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MURPHY’S LAW
Anything that can possibly go wrong – will.
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Risks categories to be considered include:
• Funding
• Time
• Staff
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• Customer Relations
• Project size or complexity
• External factors
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Risk Categories
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Risk has two characteristics:
• Uncertainty: it may or may not happen.
• Loss: the event has unwanted consequences.
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Risk Characteristics
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• Identify the risks,
• Determine the probability,
• Identify the impact,
• Determine the priority,
• Determine the Response,
• Decide on the action plan.
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Planning for Possible Risks
Using the risk categories listed in the table provided,
identify and rate potential risks to your project.
Activity 9:
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2.6.The Project Charter/ SOW
The Project Charter is the documented outline of the
project, and includes –
• Purpose
• Scope
• Objectives
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Complete a Project charter for your identified project.
Activity 10:
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Documents for Use in the Initiation Phase:
• Project Charter
• Project Team Charter
• Team Member Responsibilities
• Stakeholder Analysis
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SELF-EVALUATION
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Learning Unit 3:
Project Scheduling
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Learning Map
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Introduction
• New project managers often attempt to schedule
activities in sequence, one after the other.
• However, much time and money can be saved by
creating a plan that has several activities
happening simultaneously.
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3.1. Work Packages
Work packages can be on any level in the work
breakdown structure and are characterised by:
• Clear timeframes,
• Clear description of the work to be performed,
• Costing,
• Responsible parties.
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3.2. Work Breakdown Structure
The Work Breakdown Structure or WBS is the
baseline tool which will help to ensure that the rest of
the project monitoring tools are effective.
The more precise the WBS is, the better you will be
able to monitor other areas of the project in relation to
the WBS.
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Work Breakdown Structure
Compile a basic WBS for you project, using the space
provided.
Activity 11:
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3.3. Milestones & Milestone Charts
Milestones are the major elements or steps of a
project and milestone chart is a chart, showing all the
milestones to be reached during the project.
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3.4. Project Timelines
• In setting timelines, don't forget to consider how
much time you'll need to gather resources and do
the work.
• It is also a wise practice to allow extra time for the
unexpected.
• The timeframes need to be included in the WBS
document – after careful consideration!
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Write in the timelines for your project, using the WBS
you completed in the previous activity.
Activity 12:
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3.5. The Network Diagram
A network diagram is a sequence of steps (activities),
commonly represented by blocks, that are linked
together in the logical sequence they need to be
carried out.
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The Network Diagram
Source: www.cnx.org
Using your WBS, compile a network diagram for at
least two work packages in your project.
You may use the space provided for this activity.
Activity 13:
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3.7. The Critical Path of a Project
The critical path shows the longest necessary path
and therefore the longest time needed to complete a
project.
Any delay of an activity on the critical path directly
impacts on the planned project completion date and
indicates scope creep.
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The Critical Path
Source: www.cnx.org
Mark off the critical path on the network diagram you
compiled in the previous activity.
Activity 14:
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SELF-EVALUATION
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Documents for Use in the Scheduling Phase:
• Work Breakdown Structure in a Spreadsheet
• Risk Analysis
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Learning Unit 4:
Project Planning
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Learning Map
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Introduction
Once the scheduling and the WBS have been
finalised, it is an easy task to finalise the actual,
detailed planning.
The most common method of doing this is to use a
Gantt Chart.
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4.1. The Gantt Chart
Gantt chart consists of a horizontal scale divided into
time units (days, weeks, months) and a vertical scale
showing the work packages and sub activities.
The work packages, tasks and sub tasks are then
listed in sequence of time, taking into account task
dependency or which tasks occur simultaneously.
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The Gantt Chart
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Compile the Gantt Chart for two of your work
packages identified in the previous activity. You may
use the grid provided for this purpose.
Activity 15:
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4.2. Project Costing and the Budget
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Any Project Budget should be made up out of the
following costs:
• Direct
• Indirect
• Contingency Costs
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Compile a basic budget/costing for your project. You
may use the template provided for this purpose.
Activity 16:
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4.3. The Communication Plan
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Prior to the execution phase, it is necessary to identify
how each of the stakeholders will be kept informed of
the progress of the project.
For this purpose one uses a communication plan.
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SELF-EVALUATION
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Documents for Use in the Planning Phase:
• Budgeting Worksheet
• Gantt Chart
• Communication Plan
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Learning Unit 5:
Project Execution and
Monitoring
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Learning Map
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Introduction
The execution phase is normally the longest phase of
the project It is the phase within which the activities
and tasks are undertaken and the deliverables are
achieved.
It is also the phase where the project manager does
the most quality assurance.
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List the five most important tasks that you see for
yourself as manager of your project.
Activity 17:
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5.1. Implementing and Monitoring a Project
Of course, no project ever proceeds entirely as it was
estimated and planned.
The team’s challenge is having the determination and
discipline needed to apply the general project
management skills correctly and proactively.
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The objectives of project monitoring are to:
• Identify the current status of the project;
• Identify the potential for project failure; and
• Identify the need to change the way the project is
being managed or planned.
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Project Monitoring Objectives
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5.2. Change Control
Uncontrolled change is one of the biggest headaches
of a project manager.
Even a minor change made to the design of one of
the project components could affect whether or not
the project comes in on time, on schedule, or whether
it meets its objectives.
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1. Submission and receipt of change a request,
2. Review and logging of change requests,
3. Determination of the feasibility of change requests.
4. Approval of change requests,
5. Dissemination of information regarding the change.
6. Implementation and closure of change.
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Change Control Process
5.3. Budget Control
Even if the project objectives are met and the
deliverables are of an excellent quality, the fact that
more money was spent than originally anticipated
causes questions to be asked, explanations to given
and, very often, conflict.
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5.4. Progress Meetings
Before you begin executing the project, you should
schedule status meetings.
These meetings are typically held once a week,
although they can be less frequent, depending on the
project.
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5.5. Project Reports
There are a number of different reports that need to
be compiled at various intervals and the project
manager will have to identify the type of the report
needed and the frequencies of each report.
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Progress reports must be generated on a regular
basis, and in order for them to be effective, they need
to be:
• Easily understood,
• Easy to read,
• Concise,
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Progress Reports
• Based on facts,
• Clearly structured,
• Well prepared documents.
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5.6. Delegating During a Project
It is essential that the Project Manager understands
the process of delegation in the execution phase.
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You can do anything, but not everything.
-David Allen
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List those tasks in your project that could possibly be
delegated by you at any given point in the project.
Activity 18:
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5.7. Monitoring Team Performance
Through the monitoring and review of employee
performance the manager is able to establish if the
human resource of the project is in fact on track and
in line with the proposed project plan and scope.
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Actions which assist in monitoring project team
performance include:
• Set standards for team performance,
• Meet with the team,
• Communicate project information,
• Acknowledge achievements,
• Conduct team performance reviews.
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Effective Performance Monitoring
SELF-EVALUATION
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Documents for Use in the Execution Phase:
• Progress Report
• Milestone Report
• Change Control Request
• Change Control Log
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• Scope Control
• Progress Meeting
Agenda
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Learning Unit 6:
Project Closure
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Learning Map
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Introduction
Following the completion of all project deliverables
and acceptance by the customer, a successful project
will have met its objectives and be ready for formal
closure.
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Number Area of project closure
1 Contract management
2 Stakeholder management
3 Project Administration
4 Project Evaluation
5 Close Out Report
Project Closure always includes at least 5 areas,
regardless of the type of project or intervention:
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Project Closure Areas
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6.1. The Close Out Report
Broad categories of a close out report include:
1. Project Purpose & Deliverables
2. Project Outputs (targets, budgets, time-frames)
3. Financials
4. Evaluation5. Risks and Challenges
6. Lessons Learnt
7. Recommendations for future interventions
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List those heading and sub headings you would
include in your project’s close out report.
Activity 19:
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6.2. Project Handover
Here are a few guidelines on effective project
handover, specifically for the project manager:
• Don’t rush it
• Get the right signoff
• Document everything
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6.2. Project Review
Reviewing the project as a whole is an important
aspect of the project processes.
Although it reflects on the history of the project, its
benefit is future focussed.
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List those tasks in your project that would need to be
reviewed.
Activity 20:
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SELF-EVALUATION
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Documents for Use in the Close Out Phase:
• Project Close Out Checklist
• Project Management Check Sheet
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Projects are not always easy – but then they’re not
always difficult either!.
Like every major event in life, what transpires (and
how it takes place) in a project depends very much on
how the planning and preparation is undertaken.
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CONCLUSION
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Thank You
For more information
please contact the
Fasset Call Centre
on 086 101 0001
or visit www.fasset.org.za
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