Friday, January 30, 2015

Rita's Process Management Processes

Rita's Process Group Flash Cards - click here
Another Cram Flashcard - click here

I got stuck with chapter 3 of Rita's PMP book.  I am not a fan of memorization,  yet, the process chart seems like alot, and not sure if I end up having to memorize.
Has anyone figured out a way to understand why rather than plain memorization?

few things I came across the web as I was searching.
  1. Plan the plan - nothing should come before this.
  2. Finalize requirements - If you don't know what you're building you'll fail.
  3. Create Scope Statement - Transform requirements into scope.
  4. Determine what to purchase - what will you build, what will you buy?
  5. Determine team - what kind of people do you need?
  6. WBS & Dictionary - Break down the scope into capabilities, deliverables and tasks. This must be early.
  7. Activity List - tightly bound to the previous;
  8. Network Diagram - very tightly bound to the previous 2
  9. Estimate resource requirements - Just convince yourself that it is tightly bound to WBS. Memorize this one.
  10. Estimate Time & Cost - tightly bound
  11. Determine Critical path -tightly bound
  12. Develop Schedule - Tightly bound
  13. Develop Budget - tightly bound
  14. Quality/Standards/Process/Metrics - Memorize this, but remember that now that you have a fairly clear picture of What is to be done, and WHo is to do it, it is time to decide how it will be judged.
  15. Process Improvement Plan - I percevie this as tightly bound to #14.
  16. Roles & Responsibilities - Memorize this
  17. Plan Communication - Tightly bound to 16
  18. Perform Risk Identification, Risk Analysis & Risk Planning - Memorize this. Logically before #19
  19. Go back - iteration - Memorize this first
  20. Prepare Procurement Documents
  21. Create Change Management Plan
  22. Finalize "how to execute & control"
  23. Develop the final PM plan & Performance Measurements
  24. Formal approval
  25. Kick off meeting
0

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Lessons Learned

As a project manager, you need to collect and review lessons learned from similar projects before staring work on a new project.  once the project is underway, you are required to add lessons learned to the company database.  Documenting lessons learned is a required project management practice.  lessons learned are both an input to and output of projects.  as an input, they help improve the current project.  as a output, they help make the organization better.  lessons learned are realized throughout the project and should be shared with the project team to improve the current project and with the organization as part of the Manage communications process.  They are finalized during closing.
0

Lessons learned documents include what type of information?

The lessons learned document includes what was done right, what was done wrong? what else should we have done differently.  It also includes causes of the issues, reasons for change requests, etc.  you would also include, preventative-methods  re estimating methods, issues the project faced and reasoning behind it.  

It should include, three sections.

Technical aspects of the project: what was done right, wrong and how the work was completed.
Project management: how did we do with WBS creation, risk planning etc.
Management: How did I do with communications, and leadership as a project manager. 
0