Project Management Trends and Teamwork

Project Management - Overview

• Presented by Dries Vandevyvere (Proj3ctS BV) at KU Leuven
• Year 2024

Introduction - Speaker's Background

• Engineer / IT / Project & program Management / Business Mentor
• Consulting experience in Product, Project, Program, and IT management
• Companies worked for: Accenture, Itineris, Ablynx, Ambits, Proj3ctS, Galapagos, ECS
• Specialized in Chemicals, Utilities, Natural resources, Bio-Pharma, Supply Chain
• Passionate about traveling and outdoor activities with wife and 2 daughters

Course Content - Learning Objectives

• Understand what a project is and its importance for engineers
• Gain insight into fundamental project management principles and methodologies
• Learn about agile and hybrid project management
• Develop practical analysis and problem-solving skills in project contexts
• Enhance teamwork and collaboration in project settings
• Utilize various methodologies employed in project management

Course Content - Course Materials

• Includes lectures and related materials
• Background resources such as articles, blog posts, and references
• Practical exercises and quizzes
• Lexicon (Glossary of terms)

Course Content - Course Scope

• Part 1: Introduction, stakeholders, change, and scope management
• What is a project, how project management works, its importance
• Stakeholder management, change management, communication, & team motivation
• Scope of the project: defining and managing it
• Part 2: Estimating, Scheduling & Resources
• Reliable project estimates
• Project scheduling done right, and optimizing resource scheduling
• Part 3: Project Risks, Progress & Agile
• Project risk management, tracking project progress, earned-value management
• Project management in the agile world, and hybrid project management

Introduction - Exam

• Closed book
• 2 types of questions
• Open-ended and multiple-choice questions
• Focus on core concepts' understanding, real-life applications, and connections between PM areas
• Questions and Answers in Dutch
• Lexicon for reference

Introduction - Agenda

• Introduction
• What is a project?
• How does project management work?
• Why does project management matter?
• Stakeholder management
• Change management and communication
• Team motivation
• Scope management: scope definition and management
• Wrap-up and Q&A

What is a Project?

• A temporary endeavor aiming to produce a unique product, service, or result
• Has a defined start and end (usually time-constrained)
• Often constrained by funding, staffing, and specific goals
• Aims at achieving beneficial change or added value

History of Project Management

• Ancient civilizations (Pyramids, Great Wall) demonstrated early project management principles
• Evolution from "Cold Control" (Waterfall) to "VUCA" (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity)
• Various stages reflecting evolving management frameworks (Agile, Scrum, etc.) and methods

Project Management Methods

• Various project management methods available (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid) each with distinct approaches, tools, and characteristics

Project Management Process

• Project Preparation, Execution, and Closure
• Business Idea -> Requirements documented in Project Charter
• Final deliverable during Preparation Phase = Project Plan
• Project Plan includes: project objectives, scope statement, deliverables, stakeholder analysis, budget, timeline, resources, and risks • Deliverables are delivered based on milestones
• Knowledge transfer and lessons learned occur during Project Closure

The Triple Constraint (Iron Triangle)

• Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality
• Trade-offs required in project management

What is Project Management?

• The application of processes, methods, tools, skills, knowledge, and experience to reach project objectives effectively

What Project Managers Do

• Organizing chaos, setting goals, controlling, communicating, utilizing tools, and planning
• Managing cost & resources
• Managing risk
• Leading & motivating teams effectively
• Conducting lesson learned meetings

Project Manager Soft Skills

• Leadership, Motivation, Teamwork, Integrity, Attention to Detail, Problem Solving, Delegation, Change Management, and Organization.

The Project Management Process - Three Phases

• Project Preparation: Define project charter; business requirements
• Project Execution: Execute project plan; deliver according to milestones
• Project Closure: Deliver project deliverables; document lessons learned

Budget Management During the Project

• Project Charter: High-level cost estimates
• Project Plan: Detailed work package level estimations
• Cost & Time Control: tracking planned vs actual costs & time
• Lessons Learned: analysis of cost/time performance
• Change Mgmt.: handling changes & adjustments

Standish Group - CHAOS Report

• Study on software project success and factors affecting it
• Commonalities in successful and unsuccessful projects
• Key factors affecting project success/failure.

Top Factors Found in Failed Projects

• Incomplete requirements
• Lack of user involvement
• Lack of resources
• Unrealistic expectations
• Lack of executive support
• Changing requirements & specs
• Lack of planning
• Product is no longer needed
• Lack of IT management
• Technical illiteracy

Top Factors in Successful Projects

• User involvement
• Executive management support
• Clear statement of requirements
• Proper planning
• Realistic expectations

Project Life Cycle

• Overview of stages of a project, from start to organize, carry out work, to close
• Graph showing how project costs and complexity/changes might decrease over time

Classic Project Management - Definitions /Planning

• Work breakdown structure (WBS): a hierarchical decomposition of project deliverables for clearer organization & management

Classic Project Management - Control

• Focus on scope, quality, people, risks, cost, and time

Project Management Processes (PMBOK)

• Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing

Knowledge Areas & Performance Domains (PMBOK)

• List of areas within PMBOK for specific details

PM Process Groups & Knowledge Areas (PMBOK 6)

• Table outlining different components within project management processes

12 Project Management Principles (PMBOK 7)

• Stewardship
• Team
• Stakeholders
• Value
• Holistic Thinking
• Leadership
• Tailoring
• Quality
• Complexity
• Risk
• Adaptability & Resilience
• Change Management

Agile Methodology - Origins

• Manifesto for Agile Software Development (2001) outlined fundamental agile values

Agile: 4 Values & 12 Principles

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan
• Summary of 12 principles related to agile projects

Agile vs Waterfall (PM Triangle)

• Classic vs Agile comparisons
• Illustrative comparison of the different approaches, tools, and characteristics

The PM Triangle: Classic vs. Agile

• Comparison between Classical and Agile methods illustrated with a triangle of Cost, Schedule, Scope

Agile: Methodologies: WSJF

• Weighted Shortest Job First
• Method to prioritize tasks for better allocation of resources

Project Scope Management

• The process of defining, documenting, and controlling the scope of a project, including detailed deliverables

Business Need

• The underlying need/motivation for embarking on a project; the "why" of the project

Requirements Documentation

• How the requirements for a project are developed, documented, and analyzed during the project

Requirements Traceability Matrix

• Tool used to link requirements to project deliverables

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• A hierarchical decomposition of the project's work into smaller tasks and subtasks

WBS Dictionary

• Detailed information associated with each item in the WBS

WBS: Examples (Software development/engineering)

• Illustrations of how a WBS can be used in different types of projects

Project Schedule with Work Packages

• Illustration of how a project schedule is organized using a WBS.

Project Scope Management Overview

• Collection of Data, Define Scope, Validating Scope, and Controlling Scope phases

Validating Scope

• Process of formally accepting the scope, ensuring alignment and consistency.
• Method to discuss and consolidate scope, utilizing group decision-making techniques

Scope Management

• Overall process of defining project scope.

Control The Scope: Scope Change Management

• Process of responding to changes during the project.

Control the Scope - Gold-plating & Scope Creep

• Internal belief a project could be enhanced with extra features without adjusting for additional time or budget

Control the Scope: Hints & Tips

• Emphasizing a disciplined approach for change requests

Control the Scope: Completion of Deliverables

• Different ways the completion of deliverables are defined, depending on the management approach (e.g., detailed criteria or checklists).

Control the Scope: Acceptance Criteria

• Criteria to accept project final output or deliverables

Earned Value Management (EVM)

• A management tool to track progress of a project based on Scope, Schedule, and Cost

EVM: Variation Analysis

• Calculation to determine progress against the baseline using metrics like Cost Variance (CV) and Cost Performance Index (CPI)

EVM: Additional Indicators

• Tools/techniques to further evaluate project progress using the cost/schedule baseline

Project Risk Management - Overview

• Identifying, analyzing, planning for risk mitigation
• Includes assessing likelihood and impact

Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

• Hierarchical framework for organizing and categorizing risks

Risk & Human Behavior Considerations

• Risk-seeking vs. Risk-averse behaviors in project management culture and decision making
• Individual and group behavior affect project risk management outcomes

Risk Management Processes

• Identify, analyze, plan to mitigate, and monitor risks

Analyze Risks: Tools & Techniques

• Tools and techniques involved in risk analysis (e.g., probability & impact matrix, risk breakdown structure, Pareto diagrams)

Probability & Impact Matrix:

• Tools including charts and tables

Risk Severity (Score)

• Using impact and probability to assess risk.

Plan & Mitigate Risks: Responses or Strategies

• How to respond to possible project risks: for threats and opportunities

Plan & Mitigate Risks: Response Examples

• Specific examples of strategies that can be employed to manage/mitigate different kinds of risks.

Plan & Mitigate Risks: Responses

• Plan of attack for managing risk by defining actions related to identifying, avoiding, transferring, mitigating risk

Project Management Information Systems (PMIS)

• How PMIS software (software solutions) help in resource allocation and monitoring.

Where to allocate resources? (WSJF)

• Prioritizing tasks/jobs/features to best utilize resources based on their value, time, risk or other criteria.

Resource Allocation Best Practices & Pitfalls

• Overview discussing the practicalities and potential difficulties of resource allocation in the project.

The bigger picture: you are not alone

• Issues related to enterprise wide resource allocation: visibility, integration, communication, and control.
• Common causes for resource allocation challenges (e.g., lack of formal process, inadequate communication).
• Tips/advice on leadership resolve in resource allocation

Long-Term vs Short-Term

• Understanding the importance of long-term planning in resource allocation as opposed to reactive short-term solutions

Problem Solving

• Method to address problems.

Hard Deadlines: Time Constraint vs Resources

• Issues of timing constraints, impacting resource allocation.

Resource Attributes

• Attributes of resources for planning(e.g., capability, quality, working hours)
• Soft skills.

Over-assigning Human Resources

• Potential pitfalls, including over-allocation of resources.

Brooks's Law

• Adding more resources to a late project = less time and increased expenses
• Understanding the limit of divisibility of resources

Resources are scarce - Use them well!

• Techniques of planning and using resources with consideration for their scarce nature

Scheduling - Introduction/Definitions

• Basic definitions for scheduling (e.g., project, activities, milestones, deadlines).

Scheduling - Define Approach/Strategies for Scheduling

• Methods for defining approach to the scheduling plan
• Include aspects of resource considerations and communication

Scheduling - Gathering Data

• Process for understanding activities, resources, dependencies, and constraints required to schedule a project.

Scheduling - Constraints

• Factors that can limit the scheduling process(e.g., deadlines, priorities, timing restrictions).

Scheduling - Sequencing Activities

• Identifying and documenting the inter-relationship between activities

Scheduling - Check and Fine-tune

• A process to verify the schedule against constraints, identify issues, and adjust the schedule as needed, including use of tools for analysis such as the critical path method (CPM)

Scheduling - Communicate

• Process of sharing the schedule and its updates with relevant stakeholders.

Hints & Tips: Project Schedule vs Work Schedule

• Distinction between how a project is planned in a project schedule vs how actual work is scheduled.

Hints & tips: Work Schedule

• Tips to avoid complexity in the work schedule and adapt to schedule changes.

Hints & tips: Scheduling

• Guidelines and helpful tips for developing, managing, and communicating a project schedule.

Estimating Techniques - Introduction/Overview

• Different varieties of estimating techniques suited to particular scenarios.

Create Estimate: Diving into the numbers

• Specific points raised for effective estimation.

Diving into the numbers

• Different estimation techniques for better understanding and utilization for project estimations (e.g., analogous, parametric, PERT, Delphi)

Analogous Estimating

• Uses historical data to estimate a similar project parameter.

Parametric Estimating

• Method for estimating where historical data and relationships are used for estimating

Program Evaluation & Review Technique (PERT)

• Method utilizing optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely time estimates to create an estimate

Three-Point Estimation

• Involves optimistic, pessimistic and most likely estimates for each activity

Group Decision Techniques: Delphi

• Collaborative method to gain diverse expertise in determining estimates for project elements

Expert Judgment

• Using expert knowledge and experience from within and external to the project team for estimating

Other Techniques (Quick Overview)

• Overview of tools and techniques for estimation, calculation and risk management

Getting the numbers: Choosing the technique

• Identifying the most efficient technique for the situation given

Exercise: Fill in the Questions sheet

• Instructions to apply estimating techniques to a case study

Jump back to the process: Manage

• How to manage project estimates.
• How to identify issues or changes to the project

Jump back to the process: See part 3- Tracking Progress

• Using methods like earned value management for tracking

Don't forget the loop: Improve

• How to incorporate lessons learned into future project estimates

The Little Secrets

• Key things to remember (contingency/reserve, assumptions, accuracy) for effective estimates

Reserve and Contingency

• Importance of contingency

Contingency and Accuracy

• How contingency/reserve is determined

Avoid Making Numbers Fit the Budget

• Avoiding adjustments/estimations that don't reflect reality for the sake of fitting established parameters

Bottom-up/ Top-down Estimation

• Different approaches for estimation

Common Sense

• Practical insights for improving estimations

Why Humans Love "Lying" about Numbers

• Identifying cognitive bias and its effect on estimation

Measure Probabilistically Over Guessing Badly

• Importance of recognizing and accepting uncertainty

Don't forget the Risks

• Critical reminder to factor in risk management in estimations

Estimating is a Team Sport

• The importance of team expertise and knowledge for success

Resource Allocation - Inputs

• Overview of the factors that should be considered when determining input resources

Resource Allocation - Process

• What happens during resource allocation

Introduction - Allocation / Resources

• The components of resources that form a part of the project

Introduction - Optimize

• Optimizing resources and allocating them in a way to get optimal results for a project

Basics - PMBOK Knowledge Areas

• Overview of Knowledge areas and process groups

Activity Duration & Resource Allocation

• Important aspects related to calculating activity duration and resource allocation

Durations & Resources - Factors to Consider

• Different parameters that need consideration for calculation of work duration and resource allocation (e.g., diminishing returns, resource availability, technology advances).

Cost & Resources

• Two types of costs related to projects: direct and indirect costs

Resource Leveling - Preparation / Process

• Overview of resource leveling techniques, including how to plan ahead

Resource Leveling & Smoothing: Example/Exercise

• Examples and exercises on resource leveling and smoothing calculations

Resource Allocation - Baseline

• How to establish a baseline of resources that can be used for project evaluation

Schedule Compression (Crashing & Fast Tracking)

• Methods that allow for increasing project speed or reducing project duration at an additional cost.

Crashing & cost - Exercise

• Examples of how to apply elements of crashing calculations

Project Management Information System (PMIS)

• Project management tools that can help assess resource utilization

Where to allocate resources? (WSJF)

• Using the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) method, to optimize resource allocation in prioritization, depending on the criteria.

WSJF: Which job first?

• Exercises to apply the WSJF principles.

WSJF - How to do it?

• Application guidance on how to execute calculations (step-by-step instructions)

Exercise: WSJF

• The questions to apply the WSJF techniques in a simulated scenario.

Resource Allocation Best Practices & Pitfalls

• Practical suggestions and pitfalls related to effective resource allocation

The bigger picture: you are not alone

• Discussing wider issues in resource allocation (e.g., organizational processes or lack of formal frameworks)

Long-term vs Short-term Resource Allocation

• Understanding the need for both short-term and long-term perspectives

Problem Solving

• Simple techniques to address problem-solving (e.g., identify problems, define problems, analyze and investigate)

Hard Deadlines & Time Constraint

• Determining how hard deadlines impact resource allocation

Resource Attributes

• Understanding attributes such as quality, grade, and availability of resources

The Soft Side of Resource Allocation

• Importance of team environment, personnel experience and skills, when allocating resources

Over-assigning Human Resources

• Pitfalls of over-allocation in resource management (e.g., time pressure/scarcity of resources)

Recap/Wrap-up

• Summary and overview of topics covered

This quiz covers critical aspects of project management, including the importance of identifying business needs, stakeholder engagement, and teamwork dynamics. It addresses contemporary trends and challenges in managing projects, particularly in a global context. Test your understanding of these concepts and their application in real-world scenarios.