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Learner Guide

Fundamental Project Management

July/August 2013

A training programme delivered by

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Contents

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 6

Welcome Note ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................................................. 7

Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................................... 9

Case Study: Upgrading of IT System ............................................................................................... 11

Learning Unit 1: Introduction to Project Management ......................................................................... 13

Learning Map .................................................................................................................................... 14

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 15

1.1. Characteristics of a Project ............................................................................................... 15

1.2. Project Goals ..................................................................................................................... 17

1.3. Project Management versus Operational Management ................................................... 19

1.4. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) ........................................................ 21

1.5. Project Stakeholders and Role-players ............................................................................ 23

1.6. Project Resources ............................................................................................................. 27

1.7. Project Success Factors ................................................................................................... 29

1.8. Project Management Best Practices ................................................................................. 30

1.9. Project Life Cycle .............................................................................................................. 31

1.10. The Project Manager’s Role ........................................................................................... 34

1.11. The Dreaded Scope Creep ............................................................................................. 37

1.12. Project Failure ................................................................................................................. 38

Self-Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 39

Learning Unit 2: Project Initiation ......................................................................................................... 41

Learning Map .................................................................................................................................... 42

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 43

2.1. Initiating a Project.............................................................................................................. 43

2.2. Project Scoping ................................................................................................................. 44

2.3. Project Deliverables .......................................................................................................... 45

2.4. The Most Suitable Project Team ....................................................................................... 47

2.5. Risk and Constraints Identification .................................................................................... 50

2.6. The Project Charter/ Statement of Work ........................................................................... 56

Self-Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 62

Documents for Use in the Initiation Phase ........................................................................................ 64

Project Charter .................................................................................................................................. 64

Project Team Charter ........................................................................................................................ 67

Team Member Responsibilities ......................................................................................................... 68

Stakeholder Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 69

Learning Unit 3: Project Scheduling ..................................................................................................... 70

Learning map .................................................................................................................................... 71

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 72

3.1. Work Packages ................................................................................................................. 72

3.2. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ................................................................................... 73

3.3. Project Milestones and Milestone Charts.......................................................................... 75

3.4. Project Timelines ............................................................................................................... 76

3.5. The Network Diagram ....................................................................................................... 77

3.7. The Critical Path of a Project ............................................................................................ 80

Self-Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 81

Documents for Use in the Scheduling Phase ................................................................................... 82

Work Breakdown Structure in a Spreadsheet ................................................................................... 82

Risk Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 83

Learning Unit 4: Project Planning ........................................................................................................ 84

Learning Map .................................................................................................................................... 85

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 86

4.1. The Gantt Chart ................................................................................................................ 86

4.2. Project Costing and the Budget ........................................................................................ 88

4.3. The Communication Plan .................................................................................................. 91

Self-Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 93

Documents for Use in the Planning Phase ....................................................................................... 94

Budgeting Worksheet ........................................................................................................................ 94

Gantt Chart ........................................................................................................................................ 95

Communication Plan ......................................................................................................................... 96

Learning Unit 5: Project Execution and Monitoring .............................................................................. 97

Learning Map .................................................................................................................................... 98

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 99

5.1. Implementing and Monitoring a Project According to Best Practices ............................. 101

5.2. Change Control ............................................................................................................... 103

5.3. Budget Control ................................................................................................................ 104

5.4. Progress Meetings .......................................................................................................... 106

5.5. Project Reports ............................................................................................................... 107

5.6. Delegating During a Project ............................................................................................ 108

5.7. Monitoring Team Performance ....................................................................................... 112

Self-Evaluation ................................................................................................................................ 113

Documents for Use in the Execution Phase ................................................................................... 114

Progress Report .............................................................................................................................. 114

Milestone Report ............................................................................................................................. 116

Change Control Request ................................................................................................................. 117

Change Control Log ........................................................................................................................ 118

Scope Control ................................................................................................................................. 119

Progress Meeting Agenda............................................................................................................... 120

Learning Unit 6: Project Closure ........................................................................................................ 122

Learning Map .................................................................................................................................. 123

Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 124

6.1. The Close Out Report ..................................................................................................... 125

6.2. Project Handover ............................................................................................................ 127

6.3. Project Review ................................................................................................................ 129

Self-Evaluation ................................................................................................................................ 132

Documents for Use in the Close Out Phase ................................................................................... 133

Project Close Out Checklist ............................................................................................................ 133

Project Management Check Sheet ................................................................................................. 135

Conclusion....................................................................................................................................... 138

References ...................................................................................................................................... 139

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Introduction

Welcome Note

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.

The activities included in this workbook have been designed to assist you in applying newly learnt

skills and knowledge and can be used to track your learning progress.

Activities included range from questionnaires to multiple-choice questions and case studies, with

some self-evaluation questions at the end of each learning unit.

You will be required to complete all activities in full by the end of the learning programme. The

facilitator will assist you to complete the workbook by giving you clear instructions and answering all

questions related to your learning experience.

At the end of each learning unit, you will also find useful templates of the relevant project

management documents. These can be used and modified as needed. In addition there is a short

reference list at the end of the learner guide for your use.

Please note that this learning programme is non-credit bearing. The activities contained in this

workbook will not be assessed for purposes of awarding you credits towards a qualification.

However, we hope that you will acquire a number of skills and a broad body of knowledge about

project management that will assist you in making decisions when next you have to manage a project

in the workplace.

Please identify either a project that you are currently busy with or one that is going to take

place in the next six months. Please note that the project that you decide on will be the project

that you will use for the remainder of your workbook exercises.

Should you not have a specific workplace-based project, please make use of the case study

contained named ‘Upgrading of IT System’ contained at the end of this section.

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Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of each learning unit, the learner will be able to accomplish the following:

Learning Unit 1:

Introduction to Project

Management

1. Identify and describe the characteristics of a project,

2. Set project goals and objectives,

3. Distinguish between project management and operational

management,

4. Explain the concept of PMBOK within project management,

5. Identify the project stakeholders and role-players and their

particular roles,

6. Identify and select the resources required for a project,

7. List the project success factors and best practices,

8. Describe the project life cycle,

9. Describe the project manager’s role in a project,

10. Explain the term scope creep as it relates to a project,

11. Identify the reasons why projects can fail.

Learning Unit 2:

Project Initiation

1. Initiate a project in the correct manner,

2. Scope the project according to project stakeholder needs,

3. Identify the project deliverables,

4. Select the most suitable project team,

5. Determine the project risks and constraints and plan to mitigate

these,

6. Prepare a Project Charter/Statement of Work for approval by

the project sponsor.

Learning Unit 3:

Project Scheduling

1. Identify the work packages for the project,

2. Compile a Work Breakdown Structure for a project,

3. Identify the milestones of the project,

4. Estimate the timelines for the project,

5. Compile the project’s Network Diagram and identify its Critical

Path.

Learning Unit 4:

Project Planning

1. Compile the Gantt for a project,

2. Identify the type of budget to be used for a project,

3. Compile the projected budget for the project,

4. Compile the communication plan for a project.

Continued on next page…

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Learning Unit 5:

Project Execution and

Monitoring

1. Implement the project plan within best practices,

2. Monitor the project according to best practices,

3. Initiate change control actions when required,

4. Control project expenditure,

5. Determine the need for progress meetings,

6. Compile the necessary project reports,

7. Delegate tasks during the project execution,

8. Monitor team performance during project execution.

Learning Unit 6:

Project Closure

1. Compile the close out report for a project,

2. Conduct the project handover,

3. Review the project as a whole and the team’s performance.

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Glossary of Terms

Work through the glossary of terms to familiarise yourself with the basic terminology of

project management:

Activity Task, job or process that is the smallest self-contained unit of work in a project.

Activity Network Diagram of all the project activities.

Bar Chart Chart on which activities and their durations are represented by lines drawn to a

common time scale (Gantt chart is the most common).

Baseline Reference levels against which the project is monitored and controlled.

Breakdown structure A hierarchical structure by which project elements are broken down.

Business case Information necessary to assess benefits of a project against costs and resources

to assess whether the proposal should go ahead.

Change Changes to the deliverables, scope or objectives of a project.

Change control Process that ensures that potential changes are recorded evaluated authorised

and monitored.

Close out A process of finalising all activities across the project.

Closure Formal end point of a project either because it has been finished or terminated

early.

Constraints Restrictions that will affect the scope of the project or the project activities.

Critical path

The path through a series of activities, taking into account interdependencies, in

which the late completion of activities will have an impact on the project end date

or delay a key milestone (there may be more than one critical path).

Deliverable End products of a project or the measurable results of intermediate activities.

Dependency The relationship between different products and tasks, so that one activity or

product may not be able to begin until a dependent task is complete.

Float The maximum amount of time that an activity can slip past its earliest completion

date without delaying the rest of the project.

Gantt chart A time phased bar chart showing planned activity against time.

Key performance

indicators

Measurable indicators that will be used to report progress that is chosen to reflect

the critical success factors of the project.

Life cycle A sequence of defined stages over the full duration of a project.

Microsoft Project Microsoft Project software application.

Milestone A key event in the project.

Objective The predetermined results towards which project is directing its efforts.

Phase That part of the project during which a series of interlinked activities are carried out.

Plan The project plan is owned by the project manager; it is the basis of the project

controls and includes the ‘what’, the ‘how’, the ‘when’ and the ‘who’.


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Product Project deliverable.

Product breakdown

structure

A hierarchy of deliverable products which are required to be produced on the

projects.

Project brief Statement that describes the purpose, cost, time performance requirements and

constraints of a project.

Project charter

The document which sets out in detail what the project will entail. It is the

document which is signed off by the project owner prior to its launch. (see also

Statement of Work).

Project management Project management is the application of knowledge, skills tools and techniques to

project activities to meet project requirements.

Project manager Person with the responsibility and authority to run the project.

Project team People responsible to the project manager for carrying out project tasks.

Quality Assurance The process of evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to ensure

that it will satisfy relevant quality standards.

Quality A characteristic used to measure the degree of excellence of a product or service

Requirements A negotiated set of measureables that the customer wants and needs.

Resource allocation Scheduling of activities and the resources required by those activities so that

predetermined constraints of resource availability are not exceeded.

Risk Defined threat or opportunity for the project.

Schedule A timetable for the project It shows how project tasks and milestones are planned

out over a period of time.

Scheduling The process of analysing activities, durations and resource requirements to create

the project schedule.

Scope The products, services and results to be provided as part of the project.

Sponsor Individual or body for whom the project is undertaken.

Stakeholder A person or group who have a vested interest in the outcome and deliverables of a

project.

Statement of Work

Also called a Project Charter. This is the document which is submitted to the

project owner or project sponsor for approval prior to the project being initiated.

(See Project Charter)

Termination Completion of the project on formal acceptance of the deliverables by the

customer.

Work package

A group of related tasks that are defined at the same level within a work

breakdown structure. Usually each work package is distinguishable, has a

scheduled start and finish date, assigned budgets and agreed milestones.

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Case Study: Upgrading of IT System

The management of your business unit has taken the decision to upgrade the 64 computers in the

small organisation to Windows 8. They view this as a formal project that will be initiated at the

beginning of August 2013 and needs to be completed within 3 months and the Procurement Division

has set aside a budget of R500, 000 for the project.

You have been appointed as project manager and have been instructed to identify three other

persons to assist you. You will all still have to continue with your normal duties.

You identify the following people:

Lara Reynolds, an administration clerk who is 23 years old, single parent with a daughter of

18 months.

Sipho Mangane, an IT expert. He takes Friday morning off for religious purposes.

Barry Le Roux, a colleague and someone whose organisational skills you trust and is 52

years old.

You have to produce the Project Proposal within the first week of the project and the WBS within one

week of the Proposal being approved.

Of the 64 computers, only 26 have been identified as desktop computers. Some of the laptops are

used by employees who move from site to site and are not permanently in the office.

When the scope document is presented to management, they decide that the project can only take

place over 10 weeks and the budget must be increased to R550, 000 so that WiFi can be accessed

on the desk top computers in the office.

When the project actually gets underway, you have progress meetings on the third Friday of every

month.

You send 2 status reports to management: one at the end of April and one at the end of May.

On 23 August the service provider informs you of a strike that may delay the installation of the

operating systems on the laptops by 2 weeks.

On 13 September Sipho Mangane is offered a new post and leaves the organisation immediately.

The WiFi installation cost increases by 15%.


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Before the project started rolling out, you made sure that there was a direct line to a private consultant

for any queries that might arise.

Barry can still attend to his management duties in the Procurement Division on three days of the

week, but the other two days he needs to be working on the project.

You hold an orientation meeting with the team and ensure that they understand that you follow an

open door policy and they can contact you at any time regarding the project.

Lara has actually turns out to be a lazy worker, which infuriates Barry, who is very task orientated and

wants things done “yesterday”. Several arguments take place between the two of them during the

project execution. One argument arose because Lara failed to let the project team know about the

increase in the price of the WiFi installation.

You ultimately spend R482, 395.00 on the project.

The project is finalized 7 days after the amended deadline, but within the original deadline.

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Learning Unit 1: Introduction to Project

Management

When you have completed this learning unit, you will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the characteristics of a

project,

2. Set project goals and objectives,

3. Distinguish between project management

and operational management,

4. Explain the concept of PMBOK within project

management,

5. Identify the project stakeholders and role

players and their particular roles,

6. Identify and select the resources required for

a project,

7. List the project success factors and best

practices,

8. Describe the project life cycle,

9. Describe the project manager’s role in a

project,

10. Explain the term scope creep as it relates to

a project,

11. Identify the reasons why projects can fail.

Image source: http://www.biteslide.com

http://www.biteslide.com/

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Learning Map

You are here

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Introduction

The most common definition of a project is a sequence of activities which are connected over a

period of time, with a unique and defined outcome. Almost any major activity can be classified as a

project of a sort. However, when we talk of projects we are talking more especially about the defined

timeframe in which the activities have to take place and its unique goals and the fact that it is

therefore of a temporary nature.

1.1. Characteristics of a Project

Based on what has been stated in the previous paragraph, we can now say that a project differs from

the usual workplace interventions and has the following characteristics which make it distinctive:

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,

Has clear start and end dates in terms of time,

Requires human resources with certain skills and expertise,

Requires the correct physical resources,

Involves specific and therefore a specific budget,

The needs of the client determine the nature and context of the project.

All projects are work but not all work is a project.

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Activity 1

Which of the following characteristics of a project as identified in 1.1,

could also be aligned to routine tasks completed in the workplace?

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1.2. Project Goals

Goals are important to project success because they are linked to the initial purpose of a project. The

goals also allow for understanding of the project’s process flow and why the deliverables are

important for the success of the project.

An easy way to remember the elements of a good goal is the SMART acronym.

Specific,

Measurable,

Achievable,

Realistic,

Time-bound.

You also need to remember the three P’s of goal setting:

Goals need to be put in writing,

Goals need to be personal; that is, every team member must have buy-in,

Goals must positive.

Goals are not only part of the project plan – they are the benchmarks when the project starts.

Project goals need to be reviewed regularly to ensure the progress of the project,

All participants in the project need to be kept up to date on progress towards achieving the

goals,

Accomplished goals should be announced and celebrated!

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Activity 2

What are the goals for your project?

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Goal 4:

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1.3. Project Management versus Operational Management

Due to the nature of a project, there is a distinct difference between managing a project and

managing operations in a workplace.

Here are two definitions of project management:

Wikpedia.org suggests that project management is the discipline of planning, organising,

motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals.

The Project Management Institute sees it as the application of knowledge, skills and

techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently.

If we look closer we can determine further that project management involves:

A set of specialist skills, knowledge and experience, needed to diminish the level of risk

within a project and improve its success rate.

A set of various tools and instruments used to ensure the smooth running of the project.

These instruments would include document templates, checklists report formats and review

forms.

A series of processes required to monitor and control time, cost, quality and scope on the

project, all of which have to be formalised prior to the project being executed.

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Activity 3

Given the three elements described above, list the characteristics of

project management for a project in your environment:

Project management is…

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1.4. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has attempted to determine a minimum body of knowledge

that a project manager needs in order to be effective. As from 2013, PMI has identified these general

areas of knowledge, which are briefly described. Further information can be obtained from PMI’s

website.

1. Project integration management ensures that the project is properly planned, executed,

and controlled.

2. Project scope management includes approving the project; developing a scope statement

that defines the parameters of the project; structuring the work into manageable components

with defined deliverables; verifying that scope planned has been achieved; and implementing

scope change control procedures.

3. Project time management, specifically developing a plan that can be attained and then

controlling the work packages to ensure that it is.

4. Project cost management which involves estimating the cost of all resources, including

people, equipment, materials, and items such as travel and other support details and then

compiling and controlling the budget.

5. Project quality management which includes both quality assurance (planning to meet

quality requirements) and quality control (steps taken to monitor results to see whether they

match the requirements).

6. Project human resource management which involves identifying the people required to

complete the job; defining their roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships; sourcing the

most suitable people; and then managing them as the project is executed.

7. Project communications management which involves planning, executing, and controlling

the dissemination of all information relevant to the project at any given time. This information

includes project status, achievements, changes etc.

8. Project risk management including the identification and addressing potential and apparent

project risks and constraints.


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9. Project procurement management, involving decisions about purchases, selection of

vendors, contract administration, and ending contracts during the project closure phase.

10. Stakeholder Management – Stakeholders are crucial to the success of the project and the

impact of identifying the relevant stakeholders and their roles in the success of the project is

therefore an important aspect of project management.

The diagram below shows how these areas of knowledge correlate with each other.

Source: www.pmi.org.za

Overview of Project Management Knowledge Areas and Project Management Processes

http://www.pmi.org.za/

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1.5. Project Stakeholders and Role-players

Every project is different in its structure. However there are commonly certain key stakeholders and

role-players who fit into the project organisational structure. The following organogram indicates a

common structure. The solid lines indicate lines of authority and generally the lines of direct

communication, while the broken lines show communication structures when necessary.

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1.5.1. The Sponsor

This is the person or party who initiates the project and provide the authority for the project to take

place. Generally the sponsor has identified a need and wants the project to be undertaken but does

not wish to do it.

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.

1.5.2. The Project Manager

This is the team leader who is responsible for making sure the project is completed and the goals and

objectives are achieved.

1.5.3. Stakeholders

Stakeholders are parties who may either be affected by the outcome of the project or they may simply

have a vested interest in the project. Often a stakeholder may be involved only at certain stages of the

project. Their main responsibilities include providing feedback and guidance.

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: This table indicates how to categorise the

stakeholder(s) of a project. It helps to ensure communication takes place with the stakeholder as

required.

LEVEL OF INTEREST

LOW HIGH

LE

VE

L

OF

P

OW

ER

LOW Minimal Effort

A

Keep Informed

B

HIGH Keep Satisfied

C

Key Players

D


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1.5.4. Project Team Members

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.

1.5.5. Key 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.

1.5.6. Suppliers

These are the people who provide the resources for a project and are crucial to the success of the

project. Resources could include services, materials, or products. 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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Activity 4

Using the table below, identify the stakeholders and role-players in your

project and provide the details of their responsibility.

Stakeholder/Role-player Details Details of Responsibility

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1.6. Project Resources

Project management requires resources. These may be physical, financial or human resources,

depending on the project. We have already discussed some of the human resources and we will be

focusing on the budget as a tool for managing the financial resources in due course.

The physical resources must be identified early in the project cycle in order for arrangements to be

made for these to be available. What the physical resources will be can only be determined once the

project has been scoped.

Every project will have different physical resources. However, the project documentation to be used

during the project is a crucial resource and should be available from the outset, whether hard copy

templates or electronic.

Physical resources are generally of two types: direct resources and indirect resources.

Direct resources include those physical resources which will be needed by the project team

members themselves for use during the project, e.g. laptops, telephones.

Indirect resources include those 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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Activity 5

Using the table below, identify both the direct and indirect resources

your project will require and where these will be sourced from.

Required physical Resource Where will they be sourced from?

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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. Changes in any one of the three elements will affect the other two

elements.

For example, if the scope is increased, this will adversely affect the cost and will imply time

constraints. If the time constraints are not correctly managed, then the cost required for the project will

increase.

A project manager needs to manage all three elements to ensure a successful project, completed

within the allocated time frame and budget.

These three elements, when properly managed, should ensure the quality (which is defined by the

customer or sponsor) of the deliverables and the processes followed during execution.

Cost Time

Scope

Quality

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1.8. Project Management Best Practices

According to the experts in project management at high levels, the following key points can serve as a

guideline of what every successful project contains:

1. Clear, concise project definition, which includes project scope, purpose, objectives and

deliverables,

2. Clear project plan that outlines the project phases and stages and the related time lines of

each stage and phase,

3. Clear outline of role players, their responsibilities, required resources and logistics,

4. A clear risk management strategy, with risks, contingency plans and alternative actions

identified,

5. Clear outline of time schedule, break down of activities, and allocation of roles to project

resources,

6. Financial resources clearly outlined and realistically allocated, a payment plan and budget

control mechanisms indicated,

7. A strategy for scope creep and change management is in place,

8. Clear reporting mechanisms indicated and adhered to,

9. Clear evaluation and close out strategy is indicated.

It would be to the advantage of any project manager, to keep these in mind when working on a

project, be it large or small.

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1.9. Project Life Cycle

There is a very specific cycle which effective, successful projects follow. The cycle can be

categorised into the following phases, sometimes given different names:

Phase 1: Initiation

What the phase entails Tasks to be undertaken

Sometimes called the Concept phase this is

when the project is determined as viable or not.

If viable, it takes shape.

It often begins after the project has been

selected. The purpose of this phase is to provide

direction to the team, to decide what is to be

accomplished, and to identify constraints and

risks.

Establishing the need for the project,

Determining its feasibility,

Considering alternatives,

Preparing proposals,

Developing basic budgets and timeframes,

Identifying the project team.

Output of this phase:

Project charter

1 2 3 4

5

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Phase 2: Scheduling and Planning


This is where the project team identifies the steps

and develops the plan for how and when the

project will be accomplished.

This is the most critical and most often neglected

phase of the project. Poor planning or lack of

planning here can have consequences all down

the line

Setting goals,

Developing the Work Breakdown Structure

and relevant work packages,

Listing tasks to be done,

Developing sequenced schedules,

Compiling the budget,

Obtaining approval from stakeholders,

Putting the required systems in place.


Approved project plan.

Phase 3: Execution


In this phase the plan is put into action. This is

the time when the tasks are undertaken and

deliverables are the result.

To make sure the work is on track; the team (or

the project manager) must monitor progress, and

if required, recommend changes.

Implementation of the work packages,

status meetings being held,

Progress reports being compiled,

Communicating with the stakeholders,

Meeting objectives.


Progress reports Minutes of meetings Updated project

plan

Updated Budget

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Phase 4: Closure


At this phase the project has been completed and

the client/sponsor has indicated satisfaction with

the results.

Deliverables have been finalised and handover of

the project product takes place.

Project completion checklist,

Finalising the project close out report and

submitting to the client,

Project handover to client,

Holding a project review meeting to consider

the successes and challenges of the project,

Making recommendations for future projects,

Reassigning project personnel.


Final Project Report Signed off handover

document

Project Review Report

Phase 5: Control

Although strictly not a phase in itself, it is an important element of a project’s implementation.


Project control implies continually monitoring the

progress of the project and the achievement of

the deliverables by all concerned.

It also includes following a change control

process when changes need to take place and

ensuring that everyone knows about the

changes.

Status meetings being held,

Analysis of the budget,

Analysis of progress reports,

Corrective actions being implemented when

necessary,

Change control taking place appropriately.


A successful project without scope creep or major budget

discrepancies

Change Log

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1.10. The Project Manager’s Role

The project manager’s role can never be underestimated. Without an effective project manager, the

project is not guaranteed to be successful. Although much of the project execution is undertaken by

other team members, the project manager has several overarching responsibilities to fulfil.

These include:

Producing documents such as the project charter and project plan,

Keeping an eye on the big picture to ensure the progress is on track,

Motivating the project team and assisting them when necessary,

Communicating with sponsors, stakeholders, and others to make sure activities are clearly

understood,

Acting as representative for the customers of the project.

The project manager holds accountability for the success of a project.

Some of the traits of an effective project manager include:

Leadership skills,

Self-control,

Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making ability,

Negotiation skills and conflict management,

Client relations, operational flexibility and change management ability,

Ability to get things done – plan and follow a schedule,

Organised and systematic,

Ability to get things going,

Results orientated, but having concern for others,

Effective time management skills.

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Activity 6

Read this short case study and then answer the questions

which follow.

John Latham is a project manager in charge of a project to investigate and implement an MBO

(Management by Objectives) programme in the organisation. Including himself, the project team

consists of five team members. Since two of the members are more experienced than the others two,

John has appointed them to the position of team leaders. The team was allocated a large office that

accommodated the whole team.

One day, one of the junior members approached John with a question. He listened patiently and then

called for the entire team’s attention. “Lindi has a problem,” he said, “Let’s all listen to it.” He

suggested that everybody bring a chair and sit around the table. Once Lindi had explained the

problem, John asked if anyone had a solution to the problem. An hour was spent discussing the issue

at the end of which it was left to Logan, one of the team leaders, to decide what he considered the

best solution would be.

A week later, John called the team together. “We have a real challenge facing us,” he said,

“Management has just brought our deadline forward by 6 weeks. We cannot tolerate people going off

on a tangent again. Please concern yourselves with my direct instructions and nothing else.”

1. If you were a member of this team, what would your reaction be?

2. How consistent is John? Be sure to give reasons for your answer.


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3. What role should this project manager be playing?

4. What skills do you think John still needs to acquire:

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1.11. The Dreaded Scope Creep

Scope creep refers to the change in a project's scope after the project work has started. Generally,

the scope increases when new elements or activities are added after the project scope, plan and

budget have been approved. As a result, the project drifts away from its original purpose, timeline,

and budget.

This change in scope often comes about from small, seemingly insignificant change requests that the

project team accepts to keep the project sponsor happy and often without thinking of the

consequences. Eventually, the change requests start negatively influencing the project or one of the

requests turns out to require much more work than expected and timeframes and costings are

severely affected.

Scope creep can come about from:

Inadequate project monitoring,

Poor change control,

Weak project manager,

Demanding sponsor.

Due to the risk of possible project scope creep, it is essential to

document, as part of the charter, what is EXCLUDED from the project

scope!

It is the project manager’s responsibility to guard carefully against scope creep and to ensure that all

changes to project scope are documented, discussed and approved with the necessary additional

changes to timeframes and budget.

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1.12. Project Failure

The reasons for project failure are numerous and varied. Here is a brief list comparing why some

projects succeed and why others fail.

Fail Succeed

Poor planning, Thorough planning,

No communication, Good time management,

Lack of resources, Clear goals,

Lack of commitment/team, Available resources,

Poor choice of leader, Commitment by all project role-players,

Setting unrealistic goals, Good project leader,

Lack of experience, Setting realistic goals,

Unclear objectives. Subject matter expertise

This learning unit has addressed the generic issues of projects and project management. It has given

broad guidelines for better understanding the processes involved in project management. We will

now be considering the individual phases of the project cycle and what needs to be done at each

phase.

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Self-Evaluation

1. What is a “Project”? Define in your own words:

2. What does “Project Management” refer to?

3. What is the purpose of any project?

4. List the phases of a project.

5. Which elements do you think are critical for consideration when scoping a project?


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6. How can scope creep be avoided?

7. Consider the elements of PMBOK. Which is the most significant when working with a

project team and why?

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Learning Unit 2: Project Initiation


1. Initiate a project in the correct manner,

2. Scope the project according to project

stakeholder needs,

3. Identify the project deliverables,

4. Select the most suitable project team,

5. Determine the project risks and constraints

and plan to mitigate these,

6. Prepare a Project Charter/Statement of Work

for approval by the project sponsor.



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Learning Map

You are here

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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. At these times it is easy to think it will be a walk in the park, but very often things go

wrong – no matter how enthusiastically tasks were addressed - and the project fails because we didn’t

plan properly and then use the plan to run the project effectively.

2.1. Initiating a Project

The initiation phase of the project is very important. This is the phase when the feasibility of the

project is considered. Very often a project is started without any thought given to its viability and

simply because it sounds like the right thing to do. Then, halfway down the line, the project team

and/or sponsor realise that the outcome of the project is not worth the effort, time and money spent.

Proper planning could have obviated this.

It is also the phase where goals and objectives are identified.

Broadly, 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)?

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?

How much time you expect it to take?

Whether you have identified any costs?

What planning and tracking tools you will use?

The answers to these questions form part of the scoping process.

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2.2. Project Scoping

Project scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and documenting a list of

specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines.

The project's scope explains the parameters of the project; establishes responsibilities for each team

member; and sets up procedures for how completed work will be undertaken and approved. The

scope statement also provides the project team with guidelines for making decisions about change

requests during the project. It is natural for parts of a large project to change along the way, so the

better the project has been scoped initially, the better the project team will be able to manage change.

When documenting a project's scope, stakeholders should therefore be as specific as possible.

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. As part of project

scope management, the team leader has the responsibility to ensure approvals and sign-offs from the

project sponsor.

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2.3. Project Deliverables

Deliverables for a project need to be specified right at the outset, as these determine the project work

packages and activities, as well as providing a benchmark for progress. A deliverable is the end

product of the objective, and must reflect the quantifiable, measurable state of the objective.

The difference between an objective and a deliverable can be seen in the examples below:

Objective Deliverable

Outline a QMS Model for the organization QMS Scope document

Train 200 learners on a life skills programme Attendance register showing evidence of 200

learners’ attendance.

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Activity 7

Identify the objectives and deliverables for your project,

by populating the table below:

Objective Deliverable

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2.4. The Most Suitable Project Team

When you are assigned a project, your first task is to choose the members of your project team. Think

carefully about who you choose!

To start, think about the areas that the project will involve and consider people who will meet the

needs of the project. You will also want people with skills in a variety of areas, including planning,

communicating, scheduling, and budgeting. You definitely want people who have the potential to be

high performers and good team workers.

Once you have identified the skills that you want, take a look at the people in the organisation.

Determine who matches your project’s needs. You may even want to list your desired team members

by role. (If you do this, make sure you include a second choice for the major roles.)

If your project is in a particularly specialised area (especially if this area is new for your company), you

may want to consider adding consultants or subject matter experts to your list.

Ask yourself:

Can general experience be sufficient? Does the individual need specific experience?

What interpersonal skills are required?

How many of each of these skilled people will be needed?

What level of supervision will be required for this role?

Not everyone is a team player. Is this important?

One of the obstacles to getting the right people on the project team may be that a certain person

works in a different department. It would then require some negotiation and following the correct

procedures to ensure that person is available for the period of the project.

There are additional issues to consider once the project team members have been identified and

welcomed to the project.

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Assigning Work

Once the work packages have been identified, the work needs to be assigned. Knowing how to give

effective work assignments can be a powerful motivational tool which encourages employee creativity

and commitment. Likewise, poorly assigned work can cause a project to come unglued.

Consider the training, experience and skill requirements and compare staff members against these

needs. At the same time, include opportunities for employee development and growth. Make sure the

expected results of a team member’s tasks are clear in your mind. Communicate the tasks clearly and

help the person to understand the bigger picture.

Make sure you have allowed for adequate time to explain the assignment fully and why it is being

done. Communicate objectives and standards of performance expected. The communication should

be a two-way process. Allow time for questions and clarification, and get feedback from the employee

as to how they see the tasks being completed. It is imperative to obtain commitment from the person

that he/she will do the task.

There are four issues that are critical to the success of the project team.

Accountability: Project team members must realize that they will be accountable for all work

undertaken and delegated to them.

Leadership: A project team needs a leader with more than technical expertise. Team leaders need

to understand brainstorming, group dynamics, and the ability to get information from others. Team

leaders also need to meet the same expectations as their team.

Resources: Teams should not be formed and then have to search for resources or technical

expertise. The manager accountable should see that these resources are provided.

Responsibility: Teams formed to address strategic issues should not be formed at too low a level.

Hands-on workers can deal with operational concerns, but they frequently do not have enough

information to address strategic considerations.

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Activity 8

Identify possible team members for your project, and populate the table below:

Name of project team member

Brief description of the role of the

team member in relation to the

project

Briefly outline the relevant

experience the team member

brings to the project

Internal employee or

consultant/contractor Name of project team member

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2.5. Risk and Constraints Identification

MURPHY’S LAW

Anything that can possibly go wrong – will.

Project managers must plan for risk. They must:

Identify potential problems and confront them before they occur,

Focus on the project’s goals and look for things that may affect quality throughout the

lifecycle,

Identify potential problems early in the planning cycle,

Involve personnel at all levels of the project.

Within the project environment, there are three types of risks:

The known risks are those that you or your stakeholders can identify from experience.

The predictable risks which are those that might occur.

The risks that catch the team unawares and are not predicted.

The most common risks to be considered include:

Funding: It may get cut or dry up,

Time: Other projects may land on your desk at the same time,

Staff: The person or persons you were relying on get sick, quit, or get assigned to another

project,

Customer Relations: You have customers from other departments, or external customers,

whose needs conflict with this project,

Project size or complexity: The project gets more complex than originally intended,

External factors (such as weather).

In general, risk has two characteristics:

Uncertainty: it may or may not happen,

Loss: the event has unwanted consequences.

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In order to plan for the possible risks in a project and to utilise the above mentioned

characteristics, the project manager needs to follow certain steps:

1. Identify the risks

There are a few ways to identify risks facing your project.

Talk to stakeholders about risk,

Brainstorm with the project team,

Learn from past projects,

Get information from others who have done similar projects and gather differing perspectives.

As you receive information about possible risks record it in a table. For example:

Risk Description Probability Impact Priority Response Action Plan

Admin staff go on

strike

2. Determine the probability of it happening

Consider how likely it is that the risk will occur, on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being very unlikely and 5

being almost certain). Enter this information in your chart.


Admin staff go on

strike

2


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3. Identify the impact of the risk if it did happen.

Think about the consequences of the risk occurring. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being very little

impact and 5 being disastrous) rate each risk and enter this information in your chart.


Admin staff go on

strike

2 4

4. Determine the priority of the risk

This is done by multiplying the probability score with the impact score. The higher the score the more of

a priority risk it should be.


Admin staff go on

strike

2 4 8

5. Determine the response

The Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide identifies four ways that you can choose to

address the risk.

Avoid it.

One option is to change your project in such a way that completely avoids the risk. It is crucial that

the project can still be completed even if you change tasks to avoid the risk.

Transfer it.

Shift the risk to someone besides yourself. This is commonly done with a warranty, guarantee or

insurance.


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Mitigate it.

This is one of the most common ways of managing risk. Using this strategy means that you look

for ways to reduce the probability and impact factors. For example, if you know that the bank may

not approve you for as much money as you need, you may want to look for other sources of

funding.

Accept it.

With this strategy, you may look at the risk and decide it’s not worth acting upon. You are

accepting the fact that the risk may happen. This is often done with risks that have low impact and

probability ratings.


Admin staff go on

strike

2 4 8 Mitigate:

Employ casuals

for the duration of

the strike

6. Decide on the action plan

Once you have completed your risk chart, it’s time to finish off the process with an action plan. For

each risk, you will want to make sure that someone is assigned to it, just like a task.


Admin staff go on

strike

2 4 8 Mitigate:

Employ casuals

for the duration of

the strike

Each

departmental

manager to

compile a list of

casuals and

contact details

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When initiating, considering and scoping the project, one significant issue to reflect on is that

of project constraints.

In other words, identifying and discussing those aspects which could possibly derail the project during

execution or even prevent the project from starting. Such possible constraints are as follows:

Resource Constraints

Key staff resources will be available only on a part-time basis,

Computer resources will be available on a limited basis,

Key customer resources will be available on a restricted basis,

A significant percentage of the project staff will not be experienced in the project’s required

skills.

Delivery Constraints

Deliverables submitted for approval will require working days for review,

There is no limit to review and approval cycles,

Equipment order lead times cannot be specified with accuracy.

Environmental Constraints

A significant percentage of the project staff will not be familiar with the operating environment,

Key decision-makers are difficult to contact when issues arise,

The project does not have a sponsor or steering committee,

The project environment is new and the components have not yet been successfully

integrated,

The project depends upon the successful and timely completion of associated projects.

Budgetary Constraints

Statistics used in preparing the estimates are unreliable,

Outside consulting requirements cannot be accurately estimated.

Source: http://ccis.ksu.edu.sa/

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Activity 9

Using the risk categories listed in the table below, identify and rate

potential risks to your project:

Risk category RATING

Probability Impact Priority

1. Funding

2. Time

3. Staff

4. Customer relations

5. Project Size and complexity

6. External Factors

7. Other

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2.6. The Project Charter/ Statement of Work

The terms Project Charter and Project Statement of Work (SOW) are often used interchangeably. The

Project Charter is the documented outline of the project, and includes:

Purpose (why and how the project has been scoped)

Scope (Areas of work included and excluded from project)

Objectives (project objectives and deliverables)

The Project Charter or Statement of Work includes the following sections:

1. The Purpose Statement: The purpose of the project should be clearly spelled out in this

section.

2. The Scope Statement: The scope statement clearly defines what the project will and will not

do.

3. The goals and objectives: This section defines the criteria for success. It lists the measureable

goals and objectives to be achieved throughout the project.

4. The project deliverables: The tangible results or end products of one or more work packages

are the deliverables. These need to be closely aligned to the stipulated objectives of the project.

Even regular status reports, change requests, and other reports can be specified as part of the

deliverables.

5. Project benefits: This section will outline the benefits of the project when it has been

successfully completed. Remember that a project’s ultimate purpose is to bring about change.

6. Cost and time estimates: This section provides rough but well researched estimates of both

the costs and the schedule for the project. It should also explain how the figures for the budget

were derived and how the deadline was determined.


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7. List of stakeholders: This is where you identify all the key stakeholders such as managers,

sponsors, etc. and provide the names and roles of the project manager, key project team

members, and other team members as well as their contact details.

8. The chain of authority: The section defines who reports to whom on this project. A project

organogram usually suffices. Another useful tool is a responsibility matrix (a table that defines the

important roles and responsibilities on the project). Such a matrix is important because projects

often cross departmental and even organizational boundaries. If this isn’t spelled out, conflicts

about decision-making and who does what can derail a project.

9. Assumptions and Agreements: This section will contain a list of all agreements that would

form the basis for proposed interactions during the project should be detailed here.

10. The Communication Plan: The communication plan will indicate the communication channels;

who will communicate with whom; the reports that will need to be produced and how often; and

what meetings will be held throughout the project. It is also very important to show the

communication planned with the project sponsors.

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Activity 10

Complete the following Project charter for your identified project.

Project title:

Project duration:

Background to the

project’s identification:

Purpose Statement:

Scope Statement:


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Project goals and

objectives:

Project deliverables:

Project benefits:


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Project tasks: Approximate cost: Timeframe:


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Stakeholders:

Chain of authority:

Assumptions and

agreements:

Communication plan:

Approval: Signed: Date:

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Self-Evaluation

1. Distinguish between an objective and a deliverable in a project:

2. Identify the two characteristics of risk and explain how they impact on the viability of a

project:

3. Explain the purpose of the Project Charter:

4. Why should the benefits of a project be stipulated in the Project Charter:


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5. When choosing a project team, what would be the most significant aspect to consider?

Explain your reasoning:

6. Many project managers spend a great deal of time identifying the risks and constraints

of a project. Why would they consider this task so vital?

7. Broadly based, what should be covered in the project scope?

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Documents for Use in the Initiation Phase

Your company letterhead

Project Charter

Project title:

Prepared by:

Date:

Version: Keep track of all changes through version control

Executive summary: Give an overview of the project

Business objectives: List the specific objectives

Project description:

Provide sufficient detail for each of these sections. The success

of the project scope lies in the detail:

Project scope inclusions – deliverables.

Project scope does not include – be specific.

Project completion criteria.

External dependencies – for example the weather or delivery

of imported material.

Assumptions – it is very important that you clarify and record

these. If not the project sponsor can hold you responsible for

deliverables you did not agree to.

Project constraints – once again this has to be completed in

detail. Look at all the constraints including resources, time,

budget, performance criteria.

Project milestones: This deals with the estimated schedule and target dates.


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Project approach:

Primary plans: Give an indication of the primary plans.

Describe what you plan to do and what approach will be

followed. This will be described and updated in more detail

in the project plan.

Scheduled status meetings: How often will status meetings

be held, where will it be and who will attend. It is a good

idea to schedule the meetings in advance to ensure people

are available for them.

Scheduled status reports: How often will you give formal

feedback? What will the format be? Who will the reports be

addressed and delivered to? As with the meetings, it is a

good idea to schedule these dates up front.

Issue management: How will issues be tracked and dealt with?

How will they be reported and to whom?

Change management:

It is impossible for everything to run as initially planned due

to the fact that we live and work in a changing environment.

It is therefore important to identify the control procedures

and how changes should be logged and requested.

Also indicate how these changes will be recorded and

reflected on the project plan and possibly even the project

scope.

Communication management:

Communication is probably the most important aspect of

any project. Identify and spell the communication policies

out and how communication strategies will be used.

Procurement management: Who will be responsible for procurement?

Who has the signing powers on purchases?

What procurement contracts are or should be in place?

Who are allowed to sign contract with providers?

What are the consequences and how will the situation be

dealt with should providers not deliver on time?


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Resource management The team will provide a resource management plan.

The resource plan will reflect on

o The goods and services required,

o Who is assigned to the project, and

o Where will resources be obtained from

Authorisations Signing power and levels of authority are very important in any

project and it is critical that these are determined at the

beginning stages and brought into the project scope document

It is important to list who will be able to sign for what, for

example:

o The scope statement and changes,

o The work breakdown schedule,

o Risk management plan budget,

o Performance changes,

o The approval of project deliverables.

Project scope approval /

signatures

At the end of the scope document you need the stakeholders

to sign the document. These will include:

o The project sponsor or owner,

o The project manager representing the project team.

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Project Team Charter

Project title:

Project purpose:

PROJECT TEAM

Name Title Company/Department Contact Information

TEAM MEETING SCHEDULE

Date Time Location Call-in

Approval: Signed: Date:

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Team Member Responsibilities

PERSONNEL

TASKS/ACTIVITIES

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Stakeholder Analysis

The purpose of stakeholder analysis is to inform the project manager and sponsor who should contribute to the project, where barriers might be, and the

actions that need to be taken prior to detailed project planning.

Stakeholder Their interest or

requirement from the project

What the project needs from them Perceived attitudes and/or risks Actions to take

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Learning Unit 3: Project Scheduling


1. Identify the work packages for the project,

2. Compile a Work Breakdown Structure for a

project,

3. Identify the milestones of the project,

4. Estimate the timelines for the project,

5. Compile the project’s Network Diagram and

identify its Critical Path.



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Learning map

You are here

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Introduction

Once the Project Charter has been approved by the sponsors, it is time to do the preparation for the

project. Essentially, the preparation can be categorised into two stages: the scheduling stage

(when the sequencing of the different work packages is determined) and the actual, detailed

planning stage. This learning unit deals with the former stage of the process.

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. If this is not planned carefully, though, the project could result in bottlenecks occurring

and confusion and misunderstanding occur. Avoiding these issues while still executing the project in

the minimum amount of time can be done by means of several project planning techniques.

We will now consider these techniques and how to use them to full effect.

3.1. Work Packages

A work package is a quantitative and qualitative description of an activity to be carried out in the

project - for example, the work to be done and the result to be achieved for a clearly defined task

within the project. Therefore, a work package can be broken down even further into several tasks and

sub tasks.

A work package can be generated by using a task or an activity in the project that needs to be done.

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.

Work packages assist the project team in compiling the Work Breakdown Structure, but in practice,

the two techniques are used side by side.

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3.2. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

The Work Breakdown Structure 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.

The Work Breakdown Structure (sometimes called Product Breakdown Structure) includes a detailed

set work packages to be undertaken on the project. At this stage it is not viable to schedule the

activities, i.e. to decide the hierarchy of which comes first, second and so on – the idea is to simply

outline what must be done and how these work packages are linked

The WBS diagram will show clearly all the activities that must take place for the project to be

successful.

This is an example of a WBS:

Each organisation uses its own terminology for classifying WBS components according to their level

in the hierarchy. For example, some organisations refer to different levels as tasks, sub-tasks, and

work packages, as shown in the above outline. Others use the terms phases, entries, and activities.

Once the WBS has been outlined, it is much easier to see the overall picture of the project’s process

and where and how in the process simultaneous activities would be viable. It also assists with

resource identification and timeline determination.

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Activity 11

Compile a basic WBS for you project, using the

space provided below:

Project title:

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3.3. Project Milestones and Milestone Charts

Milestones are the major elements or steps of a project. A milestone is that point in the project which

is reached when a particular project objective has been reached and a deliverable has been

produced. It is not necessarily at the end of each work package, as we will see.

A milestone chart is exactly that: a chart, showing all the milestones to be reached during the project,

which can be displayed for all project team members to refer to and view the progress of the project.

The manner in which a milestone chart is produced is limited only by the creativity of the compiler(s).

Consider this format below as an example. MS Project utilises something similar to indicate

milestones.

If the milestone has been completed in full, it can be filled with a colour.

If the milestone is still being finalised, the diamond can be left as is.

A milestone chart can be even more useful if you use it to chart project progress. This is usually done

by crossing off each milestone in a different colour when the milestone has been reached or simply

using the colour as explained previously.

Remember, it is not necessary to use MS Project. A project manager can be creative in the way

projects are planned, charted and monitored.

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3.4. Project Timelines

Once the WBS has been finalised and agreed upon, the timelines for the project can be identified.

This can be based on a work package in general or each individual task, according to the needs of

the project.

Timelines of shorter projects are usually indicated by task, while longer projects are more suited to

timeline identification for the individual work packages.

Generally, it's a good idea to work backwards, since you know when your project is due. Make

adjustments depending on your time estimates to complete each milestone. 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!

Activity 12

Write in the timelines for your project, using the WBS

you completed in the previous activity.

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3.5. The Network Diagram

Source: www.cnx.org

Once the WBS has been completed the Network Diagram is compiled. This is a tried and proven way

to organise and sequence the steps in a project and that is where it differs from the WBS. 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. Detailed task lists and a Work

Breakdown Structure are a good start, but they don’t draw the complete picture. They aren’t very

effective when it comes to coordinating tasks and resources. Network diagrams reveal the workflow,

not just the work.

If you are the only person working on your project, you will probably complete your tasks in sequence,

one after the other, until the project is completed. However, if your project involves more than one

person, people will be working on different tasks at the same time, and some tasks may depend on

others to be completed before they can be started and completed.

These interdependencies can be hard to figure out in your head. That’s when you really need a

network diagram — to help you picture how the pieces fit together.

http://www.cnx.org/

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The network diagram shows the path of the projects, lists starting and completion dates, names the

responsible party for each task, and most importantly, shows where tasks can take place

simultaneously. You could display the network diagram on a wall where the whole project team can

see it. Then use a bright colour to mark off what has been done.

This is a powerful way to communicate a project’s progress and can often be used in collaboration

with the other forms of project progress control such as the Gantt Chart, the income and expenditure

statement, the milestone chart and progress reports.

3.5.1. A Checklist of Steps to follow in order to Create a Network Diagram

The Project Management Institute lists these steps to creating an effective network diagram:

Step Description

1 List the tasks using your task list or your WBS (Work Breakdown Structure).

2 Establish the interrelationships between tasks.

a) What precedes this task? (What other tasks must be completed

before this one can start?)

b) What tasks follow this task? (What tasks can’t be started until this

task is done?)

c) What tasks can take place concurrently with this one? (What tasks

can be worked on while this is being completed?)

3 Identify milestones.

4 Lay out the tasks and milestones as a network.

5 Review the logic of the network.

6 Check whether the tasks are properly sequenced

I. Are all preceding tasks identified

II. Are all the tasks necessary?

III. Are any tasks missing?

IV. Do these tasks represent all that needs to be done in order to

meet the project goals specified?

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Activity 13

Using your WBS, compile a network diagram for at least two work packages

in your project. You may use the space provided below for this activity.

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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.

This is an example of a critical path chart for a project:

The shaded nodes in the diagram above represent the critical path.

Source: www.cnx.org

The critical path can determine the following:

The maximum time needed for a project to be completed.

Which are the crucial activities to be completed along the critical path.

Activity 14

Mark off the critical path on the network diagram you compiled in the

previous activity.

http://www.cnx.org/

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Self-Evaluation

1. Explain the link between the project objectives, work packages and milestones:

2. How does a project team identify the critical path on a network diagram?

3. Describe how you would involve your project team in scheduling a project:

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Documents for Use in the Scheduling Phase


Work Breakdown Structure in a Spreadsheet

WBS Task Predecessor Responsibility

1 Reporting

1.1 Status Report

1.1.1 Weekly Status Report to xxx

1.2 Team Meeting

1.2.1 Regular Team Meeting

1.3 Compliance Progress Reporting

1.3.1 Create Compliance Progress Report template

1.3.2 Create Compliance Progress Report baseline 1.3.1

1.3.3 Receive data updates 4.2.2, 4.3.2, 4.4.5, 4.5.3

1.3.4 Update Compliance Progress Report 1.3.3

1.3.5 Distribute Compliance Progress Report 1.3.4

2 Planning

3 Analysis

4 Execution

Recipient Legend

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Risk Analysis

Risk Description Probability Impact Priority Response Action Plan Responsible Person

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Learning Unit 4: Project Planning


1. Compile the Gantt for a project,

2. Identify the type of budget to be used for a

project,

3. Compile the projected budget for the project,

4. Compile the communication plan for a

project.



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Learning Map

You are here

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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.

4.1. The Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are bar charts that show activities as blocks of time and are extremely useful, both as a

time planning tool as well as a method of controlling the timeframes. When a project is under way,

Gantt Charts help you to monitor whether the project is on schedule. If it is not, it allows you to

pinpoint the remedial action necessary to put it back on schedule.

A 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 which elements must be completed

before others can start (task dependency) or which tasks occur simultaneously because they are

independent of each other.

Generally, the use of different colours (see legend and bars) has significance in the project monitoring

phase. Different colours can be used to indicate that a project is:

On track or overdue,

Completed tasks or tasks still in progress.

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Activity 15

Compile the Gantt Chart for two of your work packages identified in the previous activity.

You may use the grid provided below for this purpose.

Project Title:

Id Task Start Finish Duration

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4.2. Project Costing and the Budget

Most projects run on a tight budget. Often, everything costs more and takes longer than you expected

it to. A common cause for this is that the budget was compiled in a hurry and the costing of key tasks

got left out of the process. Developing, analysing or evaluating a project budget is all about ensuring

that there is enough money to do what needs to be done.

There are two main methods of estimating costs:

Bottom-up budget: The project team compiles the budget by identifying costs, item by item.

Top-down budget: Senior managers estimate the costs and allocate that amount to you to

the team for execution.

Any Project Budget should be made up out of the following costs:

Cost Type Description Examples

Direct Costs related to the use of

resources that are required for

completing the project activities.

Direct cost of labour to manage

project / project workforce.

Salaries of team members,

Materials, supplies & equipment,

Associated labour costs, contribution

to overhead, overtime.

Indirect Overheads, expenditure to support

operations expenditures that are

incurred to support project activities.

“Time x cost trade off” – elements

that increase over time – if project

life is extended or shortened, it

directly impacts on these costs Time

related costs which increase over a

period of time.

Institution proportionate

management fee,

Stationery, cleaning material,

security,

Admin, depreciation, rent, taxes,

PC’s, printers, faxes, photocopiers,

Rent, water, electricity,

Contract labour, temp staff.

Contingency

Costs

Costs used to ensure project quality,

direction and success.

Monitoring & Evaluation, Audit fees,

Marketing, advertising &

communication,

Additional travel and

accommodation,

Project Risks.

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It is best to compile the project budget in an orderly fashion,

task by task, step by step.

Identify the costs (time, people, supplies, equipment, external consultants, etc.) associated with each

task/activity in your project.

You will also want to add in funds for rewarding project staff and for emergencies.

Remember:

Costs are tied to project goals,

Costs are tied to time frames and schedules.

Establishing a reliable budget is possibly the most difficult task a project manager faces. For instance,

management will rarely accept your budget as reasonable: they will attempt to decrease amounts,

even if it means putting the project at risk. You will therefore need to document and negotiate what

you really need.

The template the project manager uses for the budget will be determined by the organisational

processes. Very often there will be one in place that can be utilised. If one is not available there are

many reputable project management websites where one could access such a template.

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Activity 16

Compile a basic budget/costing for your project. You may use the template provided below for this purpose.

Budgeting Worksheet

Project title: Date completed: Completed by:

Phase Task Start date End date

Estimated costs

Equipment Materials Labour Communication Overheads Total

1.

1

2

3

2.

4

5

6

Total

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4.3. The Communication Plan

Good two-way communication among all stakeholders is key for the success of a project. Good

communication prevents surprises, duplication of effort, and can help to reveal discrepancies and

scope creep early enough to allow for proactive action.

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. The

communication plan identifies the types of information to be distributed, the methods of distributing

information to stakeholders, the frequency of distribution and responsibilities of each person in the

project team for distributing information regularly to stakeholders.

A good communication plan generally includes the following elements:

Communication objectives,

Target audiences,

Key content for the communications,

Communication method and frequency.

In addition, you may want to develop templates for status reports, newsletters, or other

communications that you plan to issue. This will help your communications stay consistent and

professional.

When you are assigned the project, you should schedule separate meetings with the sponsor and

those meetings with the team members.

Once you have formed your communication plan, let your sponsor and others know what to expect

from you: weekly voice mails, monthly newsletters, or status reports at a particular interval. Also let

them know that if they do have questions to contact you directly. Make sure you provide your office

and cell phone numbers, and an alternate contact that you trust.

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The table below lists the steps for developing a project communication plan:

Focus on the following Questions to ask

1. Communication

objectives:

What are you hoping to achieve with your project

communications?

2. Target audiences

(internal and external)

and the makeup of each

audience:

Who do you want to communicate with?

Refer to the roles established for the project. Consider a broad

range of stakeholders.

3. Purpose of the

communication for each

audience:

Why are you communicating with them?

What would they like to know?

4. Key communication

messages and the

content of the message:

What do you want to say?

The content should address the reason the audience will be

interested in the project.

5. Information sources:

Where will you find the information you need to collect for your

communications?

Some information may be from official sources, and other

information will be created as part of the project and stored in

documents or on the computer.

6. Frequency of the

communication:

How often do you want the communication to take place?

Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, at the end of a stage, etc.

7. Format and delivery

mechanism for the

communication:

How does the target audience prefer to receive this information?

Report, phone, website, meeting, formal presentation, etc.

8. The messenger:

Who is the responsible communicator?

Who prepares and distributes or presents the communication?

Usually the project manager and project sponsor are the main

communicators, but the size of the project may require a person

who acts as the project communicator.

9. Communication

milestones and

measurements of

success:

How will you know if your plan is working?

Establish some simple performance indicators and evaluation

measures to determine if the communication plan is effective.

(Example – use of a Meeting Evaluation form after a meeting.)

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Self-Evaluation

1. Why is time important when you are creating budgets?

2. How can you communicate progress and motivate others to continue giving their best?

How can you motivate others to be as interested in the project as you are?

3. An effective and comprehensive Gantt Chart has many advantages. What are they?

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Documents for Use in the Planning Phase


Budgeting Worksheet

Project title: Date completed: Completed by:

Phase Task Start date End date

Estimated costs

Equipment Materials Labour Communication Overheads Total

1.

1

2

3

2.

4

5

6

3.

7

8

9

Total

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Gantt Chart

Project Title:

Id Task Start Finish Duration

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Communication Plan

Project Title:

Deliverable Description Delivery Method Frequency Owner Audience

Reports <Deliverable> <Description> <Delivery Method> <Frequency> <Owner> <Audience>

<Deliverable> <Description> <Delivery Method> <Frequency> <Owner> <Audience>

Presentations <Deliverable> <Description> <Delivery Method> <Frequency> <Owner> <Audience>


Project

Announcements



Reviews and

Meetings



Team Morale



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Learning Unit 5: Project Execution and

Monitoring


1. Implement the project plan within best

practices,

2. Monitor the project according to best

practices,

3. Initiate change control actions when required,

4. Control project expenditure ,

5. Determine the need for progress meetings,

6. Compile the necessary project reports,

7. Delegate tasks during the project execution,

8. Monitor team performance during project

execution.



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Learning Map

You are here

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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.

The tasks that would need to be performed by the project manager can include:

Performing the tasks of the project: The project manager’s priority is to perform the tasks that

were allocated specifically to him/her.

Maintaining resources: Those identified and required resources should be available when

needed and be utilised properly.

Providing training: Some project members may require training to perform their tasks effectively

and the project manager must ensure that this takes place. This is not always at the beginning if

a project, though.

Managing human resources: The project manager must be available to the project team to help

them execute their tasks. He/she will also need to provide informal feedback and provide a formal

evaluation of the team’s and each individual’s performance at the end of the project.

Monitoring the achievement of objectives and deliverables: During the execution of the

project, the project manager needs to make sure that the team is making progress towards

meeting the objectives of the project and putting the deliverables on the table.

Monitoring risks: It is also required to monitor the risks, both previously identified and new ones,

and respond as necessary. Continual communication with the project team is important in this

respect.

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Activity 17

List the five most important tasks that you see for yourself as

manager of your project:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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5.1. Implementing and Monitoring a Project According to Best Practices

Planning a project takes time and energy and careful thought. Why

waste that by being negligent about the execution of the plan?

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.

No project should be implemented without being monitored. The objectives of project monitoring are

to identify the current status of the project; the potential for project failure; and the need to change the

way the project is being managed or planned.

The following methods could be used to monitor and evaluate on-going projects:

Method Description

Project Review meetings Standard agenda with monthly/quarterly feedback discussions against

targeted items from the base line plan.

Interviews Talking to Project Owner and other stakeholders.

On-site Validations Site visit based review of actual practices.

Desk-top Review Information review through evaluation of submitted information

regarding the project progress, deliverables, financial status etc.

The following are what the experts believe are some of the best ways in which to implement a

project effectively:

Review the project plan on a regular basis to determine how you are progressing in terms of

schedule and budget. If your project is small, this may need to be weekly. For larger projects,

the frequency might be every two weeks.


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Identify activities that have been completed and update the project plan to show that they

done and dusted. This helps with motivation to proceed, especially when things get tough.

Determine whether there are tasks that should be have been completed but are still in

progress – or at a standstill. Address this scope creep immediately by looking for ways to

accelerate these activities to get the project back on track.

Most project managers know to raise scope change management procedures if they are

asked to add a major new function or a major new deliverable to their project. However,

sometimes the project manager doesn’t recognise the small scope changes that get added

over time.

With scope creep, a series of small changes — none of which appear to affect the project

individually — can accumulate and have a significant overall impact on the project. Many

projects fail because of scope creep and the project manager needs to be diligent in guarding

against it.

Look for signs that the project may be in trouble. These could include the following:

o A small variance in schedule or the budget starts increasing, especially early in the

project. There is a tendency to think you can make it up, but this is a warning. If the

tendencies are not corrected quickly, the impact will be unrecoverable.

o You need to rely on unscheduled overtime to hit the deadlines, especially early in the

project.

o Team morale starts to decline.

o Deliverable quality or service quality starts to deteriorate.

o Quality-control steps and project management time starts to be cut back from the

original schedule.

o If these situations occur, raise visibility through risk management, and put together a

plan to proactively ensure that the project stays on track. If you cannot successfully

manage through the problems, raise an issue.

“Issues” are significant problems in a project and need to be resolved as quickly as possible.

The project manager should manage open issues thoroughly to ensure that they are actually

being resolved and not merely being addressed. If there is no urgency to resolve the issue or

if the issue has been active for some time, it may not really be an issue. It may only be a

potential problem (risk), or it may be an action item that needs to be resolved at some later

point. Real issues, by their nature, must be resolved with a sense of urgency.

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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. Uncontrolled changes will create confusion,

and confusion will erode commitment to the project. Decrease in product quality, overall morale and a

general loss of interest on the part of the project team will most likely take place when a project

manager does not control the project properly.

That is why a solid change management process needs to be implemented. Putting this kind of

process in place enables you to achieve the objectives, within the timeline required, and within the

projected budget. Without change control, the project scope becomes a moving target and you are at

risk of missing one or more of your project success factors. Project change is inevitable and you must

be prepared to deal with it when — not if — it happens.

The change control process is therefore fundamental to the successful delivery of the project. It

ensures that each change introduced to the project environment is appropriately defined, evaluated

and approved prior to implementation.

Change control follows six key, formal processes after the need for change has been

identified:

1. Submission and receipt of change a request, regardless of how large or small these are. This is

accomplished by completing the necessary change request form.

2. Review and logging of change requests in the Change Log. This is an administrative action

involving using a database within which all requests for changes are registered and tracked.

3. Determination of the feasibility of change requests. This takes place either through meetings,

document review or research.

4. Approval of change requests, which is documented correctly.

5. Dissemination of information regarding the change.

6. Implementation and closure of change.

It is essential that project members understand the importance of addressing all project changes by

means of this process. Remember than one unauthorised change can cause the whole project to fail.

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5.3. Budget Control

Apart from ensuring tasks are completed on time, budget control is the most crucial aspect of a

project. Spending more money than the project was allocated can ruin the project. 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.

The purpose behind monitoring the project budget is to see if there are any discrepancies between

the project budget (what is available to spend on specific items) and the expenses already incurred

for those items. This comparison of planned expenditure and actual expenditure is important to

determine the position of the project budget and to prevent considerable over expenditure. However,

it is expedient to consider income variances as well, if these are part of the budget.

In comparing the actual expenditure with the planned budget, it is possible to determine the cost

variance (difference between planned and actual). For instance, work achieved thus far has cost

less, or more, than what was budgeted for or work completed so far is less than scheduled, but has

cost more to complete. Negative variances need to be addressed through some corrective action.

In order to control the project budget and specifically the expenditure during the project

implementation, the following should take place:

Manage the scope of a project carefully. Scope creep has a nasty way of eating at the

budget without the project manager realising it. For instance, unplanned tasks impact

negatively on the man-hours of the project and, with that, the “salary” of the people involved in

these tasks. Changes to the project must follow the change control process in order to be

costed so that the impact on the budget is identified.

Use a formalised budgeting document where all information is displayed. A template which

can be populated with the projected and actual income and expenditure, such as an income

statement, assists greatly in this regard.

Regular review of the budget and changes made to the projected budget within reason is

necessary. A small correction on a budget immediately is much easier to deal with than

major changes at a later stage.


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Sometimes, appointing a trustworthy team member or team leader to implement budget

control, frees the project manager for other tasks. This person then has responsibility for

keeping the budget up to date, reporting regularly on its status and generally ensuring

overspending does not take place without valid reason. A person with a financial background

is suitable but, if such a person is not available, the team member with strong organisational

and analytical skills is the best.

Providing information to the project team members and possibly, the sponsor regarding the

budget and specifically discrepancies is required. This ensures that everyone can commit to

ensuring that the budget stays on track and possibly discuss ways in which this can be done.

Continually identifying the most cost effective way of performing tasks and checking that it

stays in the budget. This includes looking at using the resources properly and actually

comparing quotations to get the best deal from a supplier. Keep in mind that the lowest

quotation is not necessarily the best.

Keeping regular track of the resource usage and implementing cost saving mechanisms.

Talking to the team members about saving on costs and encouraging them to do this helps a

great deal. Very often a team member puts forward a way to save costs that the project

manager has not even considered.

Documenting and filing all paperwork assist with budget control, as everything is there for

reference purposes, both immediately and in future.

However, discrepancies which indicate that less has been spent than projected are also to be

reviewed and the question asked as to why this has happened. This may seem innocuous, but if a

project manager consistently spends less than projected, his/her judgement on expenditure can be

questioned and the next time a budget is requested the chances are that it might be cut because

he/she “always asks for money than needed”.

By using the budget appropriately and keeping track of variances, however minor, the project

manager and the team will be well on the way to a successful project which will impress the project

sponsor and satisfy the stakeholders.

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5.4. Progress Meetings

Status or progress meetings are common and are probably the most appropriate means of monitoring

a project with the team

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.

Status meetings allow the project manager to keep track of the progress of the project tasks, and they

provide much-needed support for project team members because issues can be discussed, ideas can

be put forward by all team members and decisions can be made for the way forward. This should

ensure buy in from the team as well.

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5.5. Project Reports

A project report is essentially a summary of information related to the activities of the project. 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.

Examples of these are:

Progress or status reports,

Special reports,

Financial reports,

Management reports,

Final project report.

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,

Based on facts,

Clearly structured,

Well prepared documents.

A tidy, systematic and consistently formatted document makes for easier reading and implies a

careful and professional attitude towards its preparation. Remember that quantity does not

automatically guarantee quality. Conciseness, clarity and elegance are invaluable qualities in report

writing.

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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.

The successful delegation of tasks and responsibilities not only by the Project Manager but also the

Team Leaders within the project team will ensure that tasks can be carried properly and timeously.

Tasks were allocated during scheduling and planning and now the responsible parties must step up

and deliver.

As a project manager, in order to determine when delegation is most appropriate, there are five key

questions you need to ask yourself:

1. Is there someone else who has (or can be given) the necessary information or expertise to

complete the task? Essentially is this a task that someone else can do, or is it critical that you

do it yourself?

2. Does the task provide an opportunity to grow and develop another person’s skills?

3. Is this a task that will recur, in a similar form, in the future?

4. Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively? Time must be available for

adequate training, for questions and answers, for opportunities to check progress, and for

rework if that is necessary.

5. Is this a task that you should delegate? Tasks critical for long-term success (for example,

recruiting the right people for your team) genuinely do need your attention.

To whom should you delegate tasks?

Although tasks were allocated prior to the execution of the project, it very often happens that the

project manager finds himself/herself in the position of having to delegate even further during

execution. The factors to consider in this case (and during the initial allocation) include the following:

The experience, knowledge and skills of the individual as they apply to the delegated task.

o Will the person need training and is there time for this?


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The individual’s preferred work style.

o How independent is the person?

o What are his/her long-term goals and interest, and how do these align with the work

proposed?

The current workload of this person.

o Does the person have time to take on more work?

o Will you delegating this task require reshuffling of other responsibilities and workloads?

Matching the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority. Should the person:

Wait to be told what to do?

Ask what to do?

Recommend what should be done, and then act?

Act and then report results immediately?

Initiate action and then report regularly?

Tips for delegating

Understand that you can delegate some responsibility; however you can’t delegate away ultimate

accountability.

Delegate to the lowest possible organisational level. The people who are closest to the work are

best suited for the task, because they have the most intimate knowledge of the detail of everyday

work. This also increases workplace efficiency, and helps to develop people.

Provide adequate support, and be available to answer questions.

Focus on results. Concern yourself with what is accomplished, rather than detailing how the work

should be done: Your way is not necessarily the only or even the best way! Allow the person to

control his or her own methods and processes. This facilitates success and trust.

Avoid “upward delegation”. If there is a problem, don’t allow the person to shift responsibility for

the task back to you: ask for recommended solutions; and don’t simply provide an answer.


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Build motivation and commitment. Discuss how success will impact on financial rewards, future

opportunities, informal recognition, and other desirable consequences.

Provide recognition where deserved.

Establish and maintain control.

o Discuss timelines and deadlines,

o Agree on a schedule of checkpoints at which you’ll review project progress,

o Make adjustments as necessary,

o Take time to review all submitted work.

You can do anything, but not everything.

-David Allen

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Activity 18

List those tasks in your project that could possibly be delegated by

you at any given point in the project.

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5.7. Monitoring Team Performance

The monitoring of team performance is not only essential in project management, but also to

management in general. 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.

This monitoring and review practice will provide the project manager with a clear picture indicating

whether the team members are performing to the identified standards, and/or whether there are areas

that require retraining or on the job coaching. There are certain actions which assist in monitoring

project team performance more effectively. These include the following:

Set standards for team performance. Make sure that team members have been involved in the

development of these standards to ensure commitment and adherence. Make sure there is a

common understanding of the deliverables to be produced, the quality requirements for each

deliverable, the standards and procedures to be followed, and the cost estimates and schedule

that each person is being asked to commit to.

Meet with the team. Conduct regular meetings with team leaders to review issues, share

experiences, and resolve problems and concerns. Insist that team leaders hold similar meetings

with their team members, and that identified issues are recorded, communicated, and followed

through to closure.

Communicate project information. This will ensure that everyone is thoroughly informed and

there is no excuse for discrepancies. On a small project, effective communication may require

nothing more than routine, informal, interaction among the team. On a project with multiple sub-

projects and/or a distributed project team, a more formal communications programme will be

required to address the needs of all stakeholders in the project.

Acknowledge achievements. Positive reinforcement is a key element of effective team building

and monitoring. This can be as simple as a few words of praise or public recognition, or

nomination for a more formal rewards and recognition.

Conduct team performance reviews. Reviews should take place at the end of each major

project phase, whenever the team member is about to leave the project, at the end of the project,

or on a minimum six-monthly basis.

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Self-Evaluation

1. What are the essential elements that one should aim to control during a project?

2. What have you learnt about ensuring that the project team progress is monitored and

recorded against the project plan?

3. What is the relationship (if any) between project planning and project control when

implementing a project?

4. Describe the purpose and usage of the ‘project change control log’.

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Documents for Use in the Execution Phase


Progress Report

Project Title:

Reporting Period: Project Manager: Project Sponsor:

Prepared by: Date Prepared: Project Status: Eg: On schedule Project Phase: 0

Project Description: Project End Date: dd/mm/yyyy

Key Deliverables Completed this period Key Deliverables Outstanding this period Delivery Date Key Deliverables for next reporting period Delivery Date

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Risk Management Issue Management Change Management

Log No Risk Action/Status Log No Issue Action/Status Item No Details Approved

Financial Statement

Capital Revenue External

Source Budget Actual Remaining Forecast Source Budget Actual Remaining Forecast Source Budget Actual Remaining Forecast

Signed:

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Milestone Report

Project Title: Date of Milestone meeting/discussion:

Deliverables due Due date Action to take to bring deliverable or task back on schedule

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Change Control Request

Project Title:

Project Number:

Project

Manager:

CHANGE REQUEST

Originator: Phone: Date of request Change request no.

allocated by Change

Controller

Items to be changed Reference(s)

Description of change (reasons for change, benefits, date required)

Estimated cost and time to implement (quotation attached? Yes No )

Priority/Constraints (impact on other deliverables, implications of not proceeding, risks)

CHANGE EVALUATION

What is affected

Work required (resources, costs, dates)

Related change requests

Name of evaluator Date evaluated Signature

CHANGE APPROVAL

Accepted Rejected Deferred Name Signed Date

Comments

CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION

Asset Implementer Date completed Signature

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Change Control Log

Project Title:

Project Number: Project Manager:

Change number Description of change Date received Date evaluated Date approved Date completed

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Scope Control

Project Title:

Project Number: Project Manager:

Activity Planned Time Actual Time Variance Planned Cost Actual Cost Variance

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Progress Meeting Agenda

Date: Time:

Venue:

Project Title:

Meeting Objectives

State in one or two sentences the overall purpose and objective of the meeting.

Action Item: Review Name of Topic: Chair 15 minutes

The first thing to cover in a project meeting is the action items from the previous meeting. Action

items and who they were assigned to were sent out in the meeting minutes from the previous

meeting. This section lists the assignees and their action items. The Chair for this topic will call on

each of the assignees for them to state the status of their action items. Before the meeting be sure to

let the assignees know that they will be presenting the status of their action items during the meeting,

if they are unable to attend the meeting then they should have their representative attend the meeting

and present for them.

Name

1. First Action Item from last meeting

2. Second Action Item from last meeting

Name

1. First Action Item from last meeting

2. Second Action Item from last meeting


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Schedule Review 45 minutes

The Project schedule is reviewed during this meeting topic. The review covers the status of all work

completed since the last meeting, work performed since the last meeting and work which will be

performed prior to the next meeting.

Work Completed

Planned Work for next two weeks

Risk Management 10 minutes

Risks are typically identified in the project plan and the project schedule. This topic discusses risks

which are being actively monitored, risks which have been closed out since the last meeting and risks

which need to be actively monitored and managed in the coming few weeks. Responses to any risks

which were realized since the last meeting are also discussed along with the response taken.

Risk 1

Risk 2

Risk 3

New Action Items 5 minutes

Before the meeting adjourns all new action items assigned during this meeting are reviewed. The

review is to ensure that all action items are clearly defined, assigned to someone, and agreed upon

by the meeting attendees. Be sure to include due dates for action items as some are expected to be

completed prior to the next meeting; whereas, others may have a shorter or longer due date.

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Learning Unit 6: Project Closure


1. Compile the close out report for a project,

2. Conduct the project handover,

3. Review the project as a whole and the

team’s performance.



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Learning Map

You are here

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Introduction

The project is closed only when all activities identified in the Project

Closure Report have been completed.

Project Closure is the last phase in the project and must be conducted formally so that the business

benefits delivered by the project are fully realised by the customer. 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.

Project Closure always includes at least 5 areas, regardless of the type of project or

intervention:

Number Area of project closure Description

1 Contract management Service providers and temporary staff contracts end.

2 Stakeholder management Communication to all relevant stakeholders.

3 Project Administration Administration and document archiving,

Finance,

Asset distribution.

4 Project Evaluation Impact evaluation.

5 Close Out Report Final project report must reflect on matters such as:

Project Evaluation Results,

Contract management,

Stakeholder management,

Project Administration.

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6.1. The Close Out Report

The project close out report is usually produced in a standard format with the broad

categories as suggested below:

1. Project Purpose & Deliverables.

2. Project Outputs (targets, budgets, time-frames).

3. Financials.

4. Evaluation: objectives met impact of intervention.

5. Risks and Challenges.

6. Lessons learnt.

7. Recommendations for future interventions.

The close out report is generally not a short report: it is comprehensive and fairly detailed. It takes

some time to compile and it is always beneficial for its compilation to be the concerted effort of all

project team members. A close out report meeting (not to be confused with the review meeting)

should be held. At this meeting the focus is on factual, objective information that needs to be included

in the report.

In longer projects (and shorter complex projects), it is difficult to remember everything of significance

by the time the project reaches its end. To this purpose, it is recommended that everyone, and

particularly the project manager, keeps notes during the execution of the project. These notes later

become the reference material for compiling the close out report. Minutes of progress meetings and

all reports filed during project execution also serve as reminders of what took place.

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Activity 19

List those heading and sub headings you would include in

your project’s close out report:

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6.2. Project Handover

The handover stage of a project comes along and you could be forgiven for thinking that all of the

hard work has been done. After all, by this point in the project you have identified and implemented

the necessary tasks and the work is just about completed. However, this is a stage you shouldn’t take

too lightly, as it professionally reflects - to the client, sponsor and everyone else - all the effort and

energy expended during the project.

Here are a few guidelines for effective project handover, specifically for the project manager:

Don’t rush it

If you have been working on the same project for a long time then there could be a real

temptation to rush through the handover process. Unfortunately, this could result in something

significant being omitted out or something going wrong. After you have spent so much time and

energy on the project you should be keen to get the handover exactly right and avoid any

negative issues. Take extra time to ensure that it has been done properly and then feel quite

certain that the handover took place properly rather than worrying about whether you did

everything professionally at the end of the hard work.

Get the right signoff

Every project needs to be signed off by the appropriate parties. You should have identified these

people at the very beginning of the project. These are usually the project sponsors who initially

gave approval for the project and should therefore know exactly what the project entailed. As the

project manager it is your responsibility to obtain the correct sign off without relying on anyone

else.

Document everything

Don’t forget that a lot of the knowledge you built up during the project is known only to you. Very

often questions arise regarding the project long after the project has been finalised. These notes

mean that there will be no problem when these questions are asked in the future and you have

forgotten about the subject. If you write everything down then it is all clear and available for

anyone to use even when you are working on something else and this project is little more than a

distant memory.

Continued on the next page…

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Whatever happens after project handover, let it go...

It sometimes happens that project owners change what you and your project team put in place

during the project. Although this may seem to be an insult and questioning what you and the

team did, there isn’t very much you can do about it. If you have followed the correct handover

process and the sign off took place as required, the project is no longer yours and they can now

make whatever changes they feel are needed. It can be a rather bitter end to a project when this

happens but you need to remember that you have done your job well and it is now up to others to

take the process forward.

Project handover generally includes the following activities:

Finalisation of any contracted services - including any unresolved items.

Collection and handover of documents.

Demonstration of the benefits of the project to the key stakeholders, if necessary.

Formal sign off of the project by the sponsor.

Celebration with the project team and key stakeholders – a very important aspect in order for the

team members to have closure for themselves.

Archiving of all project documentation.

Reallocation of team members, either back to routine operations or on to new projects.

The project closure phase signifies the end of the project. If properly managed, it results in a feeling

of satisfaction and the opportunity to reflect on another successful intervention.

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6.3. 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. What one project team learns from a

project can influence the way the next team tackles a similar project.

The project review should:-

Identify things that went wrong in the project,

Identify why things went wrong,

recommend corrective actions, so that the same things don't go wrong on future projects,

Identify areas that can be improved on future projects,

Develop methods, processes and procedures to ensure the improvements are implemented

on future projects,

Identify areas where staff performance can be improved,

Suggest methods of improving staff performance, for example training.

The outcome of the project review is a concise report that covers the above.

Ideally the project review should be carried in out in a blame free, supportive atmosphere, but

realistically the project review can be a sensitive exercise and it is not uncommon for some members

of the project review meeting to be either aggressive, defensive or offended by observations made at

the review meeting. It therefore necessitates careful and sensitive handling by the project manager.

Taking good notes for the duration of a project can be of enormous benefit. Documentation on

research and initial planning is important. However, the execution phase generates information on

what could (and did) go wrong and the solutions you developed. This information is critical to help the

next team create a better plan.

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Activity 20

List those tasks in your project that would need to be reviewed:

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The project review meeting:

The meeting must not be recriminatory and it is not an opportunity for

people to criticize other project team members.

Preferably the meeting should be held after the project has been finalised but before people have had

time to forget the problems encountered on the project. The experts suggest that the project review

meeting be held about 2 weeks after project sign off. Of course, if problems are involved obtaining

sign off, the project review should be held when required, probably with a view to resolving the sign

off problem.

The aim of the project review meeting is to analyse why mistakes and problems arose during the

implementation of the project and, most importantly, to make recommendations that will ensure that

these or similar problems do not arise during future projects. Apart from this very important objective,

the meeting participants should also look at ways to improve performance on future projects.

If the meeting agenda is made available to those attending a reasonable time before the meeting and

they are requested to bring constructive ideas to the meeting with a view to suggesting improvements,

it is likely the meeting will be successful and produce effective results.

The meeting must not be seen as an opportunity to discipline staff. This should have already taken

place during project execution. However, performance appraisals would probably also take place

after completion of the project and these are an individual concern between the team member

concerned and the project manager or possibly another line manager.

A full set of progress meeting agendas and minutes, together with agreed actions should be produced

for the meeting as a reference for the discussions to take place. Remember to acknowledge the good

work that took place during the project and “celebrate” particular individual’s achievements.

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Self-Evaluation

1. Describe the value of an effective project review meeting:

2. What process would you follow if the project sponsor refuses to sign off the project and

maintains that the aim of the project has not been met?

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Documents for Use in the Close Out Phase


Project Close Out Checklist

Project Close Out Checklist (would need to be extended for effective use)

1. How close to the scheduled completion date was the project actually completed?

2. What did we learn about scheduling that will help us on our next project?

3. How close to budget was the final project cost?

4. What did we learn about budgeting that will help us on our next project?

5. Upon completion, did the project output meet customer specifications without

additional work?

6. If additional work was required, please describe.

7. What did we learn about writing objectives that will help us on our next project?

8. What did we learn about staffing that will help us on our next project?

9. What did we learn about monitoring performance that will help us on our next project?

10. What did we learn about constraints that will help us on our next project?

11. What techniques were developed that will be useful on our next project?

12. What recommendations do we have for future research prior to a project?

13. What lessons did we learn from our dealings with outside contractors?

14. If we had the opportunity to do the project over, what would we do differently?

15. What would we do the same?

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DETAILS

16. Original project purpose, scope and deliverables reflected in the final Project Closure

Report?

17. All change requests reflected in the final Project Closure Report?

18. Final Project Closure Report consistent with findings of project Progress Reports?

19. Financial management and status (recon’s and audits) satisfactory?

20. Implementation and management of the project satisfactory?

21. Closure strategy sufficient, given the scope and impact of the project?

22. Project purpose and deliverables met?

23. Time lines met?

24. Project activities within the project plan, or evidence of “scope creep”?

25. Project finances within the project plan, or evidence of wasteful/unsound expenditure?

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Project Management Check Sheet

DETAILS Y N COMMENTS

A:SET UP - INITIATION

1 Developed the business case?

2 Is a full options appraisal necessary?

3 Is the project in line with the strategic plan?

4 Has the project received sign off by sponsor or

project board?

B: SET UP - DEFINITION

1 Has a PID or project definition form been

completed?

2 Are roles explicit and documented?

3 Are levels of authority clear?

4 Have you carried out a stakeholder analysis and

planned accordingly?

5 Have you assessed risks and put a plan into

action to monitor them?

6 Are you clear what is driving the project Quality,

Cost or Time (1 only)

7 Have clear project review procedures been

established?

8 Has planning started for a start-up workshop (or

series of workshops)?

9 Team selection - have you got the correct mix of

skills and professional experience?


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C:DELIVERY PLANNING

1 Have you broken the project down into its

component parts – work breakdown

2 How accurate are your estimates? If a low

percentage then recalculate.

3 Have you developed a milestone chart or

produced a Gantt chart?

Have you developed an overall project budget?

Have you sought advice from financial experts

4 Have you identified the critical path for the

project?

5 Have you developed a communications plan

and included its component parts into the

Gantt charts?

6 Are you continuing to carry out risk analysis

throughout the project?

7 Are quality standards high? How do you

know?

D:DELIVERY

1 Have you identified the appropriate type of

control – loose versus tight?

2 Project reporting – are you clear who reports

what and to whom and how?

3 Do you have a clear procedure for managing

change?

4 Have you developed a planned versus actual

schedule? How up to date is it?

5 Tolerance – have you an agreed tolerance

figure?

6 Variations – are these quickly flagged?

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E: CLOSEDOWN AND REVIEW

1 Post project review has been planned?

2 Learning identified?

3 Is the project still delivering the benefits

intended?

4 Is there a case for abandoning the project – off

schedule or delivered a significant part of it?

5 End of project review reports are produced

and circulated?

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Conclusion

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.

A project manager and his/her team should keep this in mind so that they can ultimately reflect on a

project well managed and walk away knowing that the objectives of the project have been met to the

best of the team’s ability.

Initially, it was stated that projects are work. This is, indeed, true – but projects can be fun too and the

most rewarding aspect of a project is seeing progress and watching the deliverables put on the table,

one by one.

All the best with your projects. May they be rewarding to all concerned and may you go from strength

to strength as a project manager.

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References

Baca, C. M. Project Management for Mere Mortals. Pearson Education, 2007.

Baker, K and Baker, S. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management. Alpha Publishing, 2003.

Brookson, S. Essential Managers: Managing Budgets. DK Publishing, 2000.

Bruce, A and Langdon, K. Essential Managers: Project Management. DK Adult, 2000.

Mintzer, R. The Everything Project Management Book. Adams Media Corporation, 2002.

Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition.

Project Management Institute, 2004

www.projectmanagement.org.za

www.projectmanagement.co.za

www.projectoffice.co.za

www.projectmanagementdocs.com

www.microsoft.com/en-za/templates/project-management

http://www.projectmanagement.org.za/

http://www.projectmanagement.co.za/

http://www.projectoffice.co.za/

http://www.projectmanagementdocs.com/

http://www.microsoft.com/en-za/templates/project-management