Project Management Overview

Project Management Definition

• Project management is a process for planning and implementing temporary, complex, unique tasks
• Projects often implement organizational changes, improve processes, and develop new products
• Projects require cross-functional collaboration
• Project scope and necessary outcomes need defining
• Project plans include start and end dates, resources (people and funds), and actions for completion

Project Charter

• Project managers should meet with sponsors/champions to agree on a charter
• Charter should outline business needs, goals, outcomes, and confidentiality requirements
• The project should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, Time-bound)
• Sponsors should define project budget and boundaries, provide people, equipment, and supplies
• Project outcomes should be measurable

Project Management Roles

• Project leaders oversee deliverables, resources, deadlines, communication, and project conclusion
• Leaders are not responsible for completing project tasks

Project Membership and Responsibilities

• Project membership should be defined with input from managers
• Teams should include members with necessary knowledge and training
• Capabilities and potential weaknesses of team members should be assessed

Initiating the Project Team

• Project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure are core project processes
• Kickoff meetings define project charter, team members, ground rules, performance responsibilities, and meeting frequency
• Team members should have a strong sense of purpose and non-competitive environment
• Sponsors should attend initial kickoff meetings
• Functional managers need to understand time commitments so they don't interfere with deliverables

Developing the Project Plan

• Plan should detail actions for each team member, including timelines, resources, and deliverables
• Team members should work together to establish dependencies, milestones, and durations
• Team members should share technical knowledge, constructively discuss tasks, and make suggestions
• Project managers use fixed milestones and durations to complete each task efficiently
• Utilizing project management tools to track tasks, budgets, and resources is crucial

Project Plan Execution and Monitoring

• Realistic and accurate estimates are needed to set project deadlines
• Team and project managers should regularly communicate
• Team members need to be reminded of tasks and project milestones
• Regular team meetings should be scheduled to update project progress, assign tasks, and provide feedback
• If necessary, projects or the plan need adjusting and revisions
• Open communication between the project manager and sponsors/champions is important to address issues and ensure plan adaptation

Project Conclusion

• Closing meeting should assess achievements, identify outstanding issues, and document lessons learned
• Outcomes, deliverables, timelines, and budget should be evaluated
• Project conclusions should be consolidated and communicated to sponsors/champions for recognition