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• The topic of this lesson is IT Project Management
• This corresponds to Week 3 in the course
• Covers project life cycles and initiating projects

Learning Objectives

• Discuss establishing a development approach, cadence, and project life cycle to optimize project outcomes
• Describe the five project management process groups, and map them to knowledge areas for predictive project management
• Understand importance of top management commitment, organizational stanards, and Project Management Offices
• Summarize the initiating process of a predictive project management approach
• Prepare a business case and stakeholder analysis
• Create a project charter and assumption log
• Describe the importance of holding a good project kick-off meeting
• Understand the difference between initiating a predictive project and an agile or hybrid project
• Describe the Scrum framework
• Create a product vision statement, product roadmap, initial product backlog, and release plan

Development approach and Project Life Cycle

• A development approach is a method used to create and evolve the product, service, or result during the project life cycle
• Examples of development approaches include predictive, iterative, incremental, adaptive, or hybrid methods
• Cadence is a rhythm of activities conducted throughout the project
• Projects can have a single delivery or multiple deliveries
• Multiple deliveries can be periodic, at set time periods such as weekly or monthly, or continuous
• Continuous delivery is common popular cloud-based software, like Facebook or Instagram
• The frequency of feature releases makes it continuous development
• Development approaches fall on a continuum from predictive to agile

Predictive Approach

• Requirements are defined up-front before development begins
• Plans for the eventual deliverable are delivered without iterative changes
• Only a single final product is delivered at the end of the project timeline
• Change is constrained as much as possible
• Stakeholders are involved at specific milestones
• Risk and cost are controlled by detailed planning of mostly knowable considerations

Iterative Approach

• Requirements can be elaborated at periodic intervals during delivery
• Change is incorporated at periodic intervals
• Key stakeholders are regularly involved
• Risk and cost are controlled by progressively elaborating the plans with new information

Incremental Approach

• Delivery can be divided into subsets of the overall product
• Customer provides feedback after every iteration
• Each increment builds on top of the previous one

Agile Approach

• Requirements are elaborated frequently during delivery
• Delivery occurs frequently with customer-valued subsets of the overall product
• Change is incorporated in real-time during delivery
• Key stakeholders are continuously involved
• Risk and cost are controlled as requirements and constraints emerge

Project Life Cycles

• Project life cycle is a series of phases that a project passes through from its start its completion
• A project phase is a collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables
• The sample predictive life cycle includes feasibility, design, build, test, deploy, and close phases
• Phases of the sample incremental life cycle are concept, plan, design, build, and close
• In the incremental life cycle, the plan, design, and build are repeated for each increment
• The sample agile life cycle includes a phase to design the project and product vision
• The agile approach then includes three iterations, with feedback and backlog prioritization after each iteration, also known as sprints

Product life cycles

• Products often involve many programs and projects
• Projects can be initiated at any point in the product life cycle to create or enhance the product

Project Management Process Groups

• A process is a series of actions directed toward a particular result
• Process groups include initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing
• Initiating processes define and authorize new projects and project phases
• Planning processes devise and maintain a workable scheme
• Executing processes coordinate people and resources to carry out project plans
• Deliverables are produced within the execution phase, which is any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service
• Monitoring and controlling processes measure progress
• Monitor variance from plans, and take corrective action
• Closing processes formalize acceptance of the project or phase

Time Spent on Each Process Group

• Most time is spent in execution, with up to 82% of resources utilized by alpha project managers
• Planning can take up to 21% of a project's resources

Top Management Commitment

• Crucial for project success, without a senior champion, projects often fail, independent of approach
• Top management provides resources and timely approval for project needs
• Cooperation from all parts of an organization must be insured by top management
• Project managers often need mentorship from above

Organizational Standards

• Lack of organizational standards are a deficiency in many organizations
• Standards and gudelines provide templates for common project documents
• Guidance on holding kick-off meetings or providing status reports is an important activity
• Top management must support development of, and even enforce, project standards

Project Management Office (PMO)

• PMO is an organizational entity created to assist project managers
• Some organizations develop career paths for project managers
• Some organizations require all project managers have PMP certification and training
• Value Delivery supported by PMOs
• Delivery and outcome-oriented capabilities are fostered
• The "big picture" is kept in focus
• Continuous improvement, knowledge transfer, and change management are supported

Chapter Summary

• Before initiating projects, the development approach and project/product life cycle must considered
• Consider how well requirements are defined, how often products are delivered (cadence), how change is incorporated, how much key stakeholders are involved, and how risk and cost are controlled;
• Top management commitment, organizational standards, and Project Management Offices are important
• Five project management process groups are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing
• Predictive approach initiation activities: Identify stakeholders, create the project charter, create an assumptions log, hold a kick-off meeting
• Agile approach initiation: Create charter, stakeholder register/analysis, hold kick-off meeting, create initial product backlog, estimate effort by sizing product backlog items, create a high-level release plan