Project Communication Plan

This plan comprises of: •What information needs to be collected and when? •Who will receive the information? •What methods will be used to gather and store information? •What are the limits, if any, on who has access to certain kinds of information? •When will the information be communicated? •How will it be communicated? Information Needs are: •Project status reports •Deliverable issues •Changes in scope •Team status meetings •Gating...

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Responsibility Matrices

•Responsibility Matrix (RM) –Also called a linear responsibility chart. –Summarizes the tasks to be accomplished and who is responsible for what on the project. •Lists project activities and participants. •Clarifies critical interfaces between units and individuals that need coordination. •Provide an means for all participants to view their responsibilities and agree on their assignments. •Clarifies the extent or type of authority that can be exercised by each participant. asdfa...

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Costs

Types of Costs •Direct Costs –Costs that are clearly chargeable to a specific work package. •Labor, materials, equipment, and other •Direct (Project) Overhead Costs –Costs incurred that are directly tied to an identifiable project deliverable or work package. •Salary, rents, supplies, specialized machinery •General and Administrative Overhead Costs –Organization costs indirectly linked to a specific package that are apportioned to the project •Reasons for Adjusting Estimates –Interaction costs are hidden in estimates. –Normal conditions...

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Apportion Method of Allocating Project Costs Using the Work Breakdown Structure

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Top-Down and Bottom-Up Estimates

•Level of detail is different for different levels of management. •Level of detail in the WBS varies with the complexity of the project. •Excessive detail is costly. –Fosters a focus on departmental outcomes –Creates unproductive paperwork •Insufficient detail is costly. –Lack of focus on goals –Wasted effort on nonessential activities...

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Bottom-Up Approaches for Estimating Project Times and Costs

•Template methods •Parametric procedures applied to specific tasks •Range estimates for the WBS work packages •Phase estimating: A hybri...

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Top-Down Approaches for Estimating Project Times and Costs

•Consensus methods •Ratio methods •Apportion method •Function point methods for software and system projects •Learning curve...

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Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Estimating

•Top-Down Estimates –Are usually are derived from someone who uses experience and/or information to determine the project duration and total cost. –Are made by top managers who have little knowledge of the processes used to complete the project. •Bottom-Up Approach –Can serve as a check on cost elements in the WBS by rolling up the work packages and associated cost accounts to major deliverables at the work package level. Estimating Projects: Preferred Approach •Make rough top-down estimates. •Develop the WBS/OBS. •Make bottom-up...

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PERT—Program Evaluation Review Technique

•Assumes each activity duration has a range that statistically follows a beta distribution. •Uses three time estimates for each activity: optimistic, pessimistic, and a weighted average to represent activity durations. –Knowing the weighted average and variances for each activity allows the project planner to compute the probability of meeting different project durations. ...

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Benefits of a Change Control System

1.Inconsequential changes are discouraged by the formal process. 2.Costs of changes are maintained in a log. 3.Integrity of the WBS and performance measures is maintained. 4.Allocation and use of budget and management reserve funds are tracked. 5.Responsibility for implementation is clarified. 6.Effect of changes is visible to all parties involved. 7.Implementation of change is monitored. 8.Scope changes will be quickly reflected in baseline and performance measures. ...

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Risk - Change Control System Process

1.Identify proposed changes. 2.List expected effects of proposed changes on schedule and budget. 3.Review, evaluate, and approve or disapprove of changes formally. 4.Negotiate and resolve conflicts of change, condition, and cost. 5.Communicate changes to parties affected. 6.Assign responsibility for implementing change. 7.Adjust master schedule and budget. 8.Track all changes that are to be implemented ...

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Risk Management Benefits

•A proactive rather than reactive approach. •Reduces surprises and negative consequences. •Prepares the project manager to take advantage of appropriate risks. •Provides better control over the future. •Improves chances of reaching project performance objectives within budget and on time. •Step 1: Risk Identification –Generate a list of possible risks through brainstorming, problem identification and risk profiling. •Macro risks first,...

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Estimating Projects

Estimating Projects  •Estimating –The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables. –The task of balancing expectations of stakeholders and need for control while the project is implemented. •Types of Estimates –Top-down (macro) estimates: analogy, group consensus, or mathematical relationships –Bottom-up (micro) estimates: estimates of elements of the work breakdown structure Importance...

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WBS

* This breakdown groups work packages by type of work within a deliverable and allows assignment of responsibility to an organizational unit. This extra step facilitates a system for monitoring project progress  •WBS –Facilitates evaluation of cost, time, and technical performance of the organization on a project. –Provides management with information appropriate to each organizational level. –Helps in the development of the organization...

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Managing Risk

Terms to be familiar with - •Risk–Uncertain or chance events that planning can not overcome or control. •Risk Management–A proactive attempt to recognize and manage internal events and external threats that affect the likelihood of a project’s success. •What can go wrong (risk event). •How to minimize the risk event’s impact (consequences). •What can be done before an event occurs (anticipation). •What to do when an event occurs (contingency...

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Defining The Project

Step 1:  Defining the Project Scope •Project Scope –A definition of the end result or mission of the project—a product or service for the client/customer—in specific, tangible, and measurable terms. •Purpose of the Scope Statement –To clearly define the deliverable(s) for the end user. –To focus the project on successful completion of its goals. –To be used by the project owner and participants as a planning tool and for measuring...

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Creating a project plan - notes

What is the Project Net Work?Project network is a network of activities to complete the project.  It is a flowchart of activity that graphically depicts the sequence, inter dependencies and start and finish date of the projects   It also includes the leads, lags, duration of the projects etc. •Provides the basis for scheduling labor and equipment. •Enhances communication among project participants. •Provides an...

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