Project Schedule Management Overview

Project Schedule Management

• Project schedules are crucial for successful projects, ensuring deadlines are met, budgets are adhered to, and stakeholder expectations are managed.
• Common challenges include resource conflicts, differing cultures, and poor planning (e.g., missed deadlines, unplanned absences).
• Schedule Management Processes:
  • Plan Schedule Management: Defines the schedule management approach, including accuracy expectations, change thresholds, and reporting formats.
  • Define Activities: Identifies tasks (deliverables) using Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and lists.
  • Sequence Activities: Determines task order and dependencies (e.g., code writing precedes testing).
  • Estimate Activity Durations: Predicts task times using methods like analogous estimating, parametric estimating, and three-point estimates.
  • Develop Schedule: Creates the project timeline, combining activities, sequences, and durations. Tools include Gantt charts, critical path analysis, and scheduling software.
  • Control Schedule: Monitors progress and adjusts accordingly if needed (e.g., re-allocating resources for delays).

Project Schedule Management Tools and Techniques

• Gantt Charts: Visualize tasks and timelines using horizontal bars. Easy to understand, but may not show dependencies well.
• Critical Path Method (CPM): Identifies the longest task sequence (critical path) to determine the project's shortest completion time. Tasks on the critical path have no slack (no delay possible without project delay).
• Critical Chain Scheduling: Accounts for resource availability and uncertainties by including buffers.
• Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT): Used when task durations are uncertain, calculates a weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates.

Project Schedule Management: Agile vs. Predictive

• Agile: Flexible schedules, tasks adjusted per iteration.
• Predictive (Traditional): Rigid schedules, all tasks planned upfront.

Project Cost Management

• Cost Management Processes:

  • Plan Cost Management: Establishes the cost management plan.
  • Estimate Costs: Forecasts costs using expert judgment, parametric estimating, and bottom-up estimating.
  • Determine Budget: Aggregates costs to set a baseline.
  • Control Costs: Monitors spending and performance using variance analysis.

• Earned Value Management (EVM): Combines scope, schedule, and cost data to measure project performance.

  • Planned Value (PV): Budgeted cost of planned work.
  • Earned Value (EV): Budgeted cost of completed work.
  • Actual Cost (AC): Actual expenditure.
  • Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI): Measure efficiency.

Project Resource Management

• Resource Management Processes:

  • Plan Resource Management: Defines roles, responsibilities, and reporting structures.
  • Estimate Activity Resources: Determines resource needs (people, equipment, materials).
  • Acquire Resources: Secures team members and resources.
  • Develop Team: Builds skills, fosters teamwork, and improves performance (e.g., training).
  • Manage Team: Addresses conflicts and evaluates performance.
  • Control Resources: Ensures efficient resource usage.

• Tools: RACI Matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).

• Techniques: Team performance assessments, conflict resolution (collaboration, compromise, smoothing).

Project Communications Management

• Communications Management Processes:

  • Plan Communications Management: Determines types, formats, and frequency for updates.
  • Manage Communications: Distributes information as planned.
  • Monitor Communications: Assesses effectiveness and makes adjustments.

• Tools: Communication Requirements Matrix, Communication Channels Formula (n(n-1)/2).

Project Risk Management

• Risk Management Processes:

  • Plan Risk Management: Establishes a risk framework.
  • Identify Risks: Documents potential risks (brainstorming, checklists).
  • Qualitative Risk Analysis: Ranks risks by likelihood and impact.
  • Quantitative Risk Analysis: Uses numerical data and models (Monte Carlo).
  • Plan Risk Responses: Develops strategies (avoidance, mitigation, acceptance, transfer).
  • Monitor Risks: Tracks identified risks and new ones.

• Risk Response Strategies: Exploit, enhance, share (positive risks); avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept (negative risks).

Project Stakeholder Management

• Stakeholder Management Processes:

  • Identify Stakeholders: Determines roles, influence, and interests (stakeholder analysis).
  • Plan Stakeholder Engagement: Develops a stakeholder engagement strategy.
  • Manage Stakeholder Engagement: Fosters collaboration and addresses concerns.
  • Monitor Stakeholder Engagement: Evaluates effectiveness and adapts.

• Stakeholder Analysis: Uses power-interest grids to classify stakeholders.

• Engagement Strategies: Tailored to each stakeholder (e.g., frequent updates for high-influence stakeholders).

Practice Tasks

• Cost Management: Budget and track actual vs. planned costs for a small project.
• Resource Management: Create a RACI matrix for a team activity.
• Communications Management: Develop a communication plan, outlining who needs what and when.
• Risk Management: List potential project risks, analyze them, and propose responses.
• Stakeholder Management: Map stakeholders using a power-interest grid.