AISPRE 1 - Finals PDF

LESSON 1 – WORK BREADOWN STRUCTURE 6.1 Structural Inspection A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a key 6.2 Safety Inspections project management tool that helps break 6.3 Final Testing down the scope of a project into manageable sections,...

LESSON 1 – WORK BREADOWN STRUCTURE 6.1 Structural Inspection A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a key 6.2 Safety Inspections project management tool that helps break 6.3 Final Testing down the scope of a project into manageable sections, facilitating better organization, 7. Project Closeout scheduling, and resource allocation. 7.1 Handover Sample Plan: 7.2 Closeout Report 1. Project Management KEY FEATURES OF THE WBS: 1.1 Planning and Scheduling Hierarchical Structure: The WBS uses a top- 1.2 Resource Management down approach where the main deliverables are broken down into smaller, manageable 1.3 Budgeting and Cost Control tasks. 1.4 Risk Management Level of Detail: Each task or subtask is 2. Site Preparation described clearly to ensure that team members understand the scope and 2.1 Site Survey responsibilities. 2.2 Site Clearing Numbering System: Each element is 2.3 Excavation numbered hierarchically for easy reference (e.g., 1.1 for "Planning and Scheduling"). 3. Foundation Construction This sample WBS helps break down the 3.1 Concrete Work entire project into actionable components, 3.2 Footings and Pillars ensuring that project managers and teams stay organized and that progress can be 4. Building Structure tracked effectively. 4.1 Framing The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a 4.2 Exterior Work critical tool in project management, offering 5. Interior Work several benefits that help ensure the successful planning, execution, and delivery 5.1 Electrical System of a project. 5.2 Plumbing Key Benefits: 5.3 HVAC System 1. Clear Project Scope Definition 6. Final Inspections and Testing Benefit: A WBS helps in clearly defining the Impact: Improved tracking of progress and scope of the project by breaking it down into timely identification of delays or bottlenecks, smaller, manageable tasks. This ensures that leading to better control of the project everyone involved understands what is timeline. included in the project and what is not, 5. Effective Budgeting and Cost Control reducing the risk of scope creep (unplanned work or changes). Benefit: The WBS helps in identifying the costs associated with each work package. By Impact: All stakeholders are aligned on the associating costs with each task, project project scope, minimizing managers can develop a detailed and misunderstandings and conflicts. accurate budget. 2. Improved Project Organization Impact: It allows for better financial control Benefit: By dividing the project into smaller and helps in preventing cost overruns by work packages, a WBS helps organize tracking expenditures against the planned complex projects into more manageable and budget. logical components. It establishes a 6. Risk Management structured framework for tracking work. Benefit: The WBS provides a Impact: Project teams can focus on comprehensive breakdown of all tasks, individual tasks, and project managers can making it easier to identify potential risks assign responsibilities more easily. associated with each component. 3. Better Resource Allocation Impact: By anticipating potential issues in Benefit: WBS allows project managers to advance, project managers can create identify the resources (time, money, and mitigation plans for each task, improving human) needed for each task and subtask. overall risk management. Impact: Resources are allocated more 7. Facilitates Communication effectively, ensuring that there is no Benefit: Since the WBS organizes the project overallocation or underutilization, and the into clear and identifiable components, it project proceeds smoothly. facilitates better communication among 4. Enhanced Scheduling and Time project team members and stakeholders. Management Impact: Everyone understands the project’s Benefit: Each work package in the WBS structure, progress, and who is responsible represents a specific deliverable or task, for each task, improving collaboration and which can be assigned deadlines, reducing misunderstandings. milestones, and dependencies. This allows for more accurate project scheduling. 8. Improved Project Monitoring and Control ensuring that procurement processes are aligned with project needs. Benefit: A well-structured WBS enables easy tracking of the progress of each work 12. Improves Project Closure package, making it easier to identify delays Benefit: At the project’s conclusion, the WBS or issues. helps ensure that all tasks are completed by Impact: Project managers can intervene providing a checklist of deliverables. early to correct course and keep the project Impact: Ensures a smooth and thorough on track, ensuring that deadlines and goals project closure, with all work packages are met. completed and stakeholders satisfied with 9. Supports Quality Management the results. Benefit: The WBS helps define quality criteria In summary: for each deliverable or work package. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Impact: Ensures that the necessary improves communication, enhances standards are met at each stage of the monitoring, and ensures that the project project, reducing defects and rework, and stays on track, making it easier to manage improving the overall quality of the project even the most complex projects effectively. output. Estimation risks - refer to the uncertainties 10. Facilitates Performance Evaluation and potential errors associated with estimating the time, cost, resources, or Benefit: Since the WBS breaks down the scope of a project. These risks can project into distinct deliverables and tasks, it significantly impact the accuracy of project makes performance tracking simpler. planning and, ultimately, the project's Impact: Project managers can assess team success. performance, track progress against Key types of estimation risks and their deliverables, and evaluate project potential impacts: performance in terms of cost, time, and scope. 1. Inaccurate Time Estimates 11. Provides a Basis for Procurement Risk: Time estimates for completing tasks or deliverables can be inaccurate due to various Benefit: The WBS can also be used to identify factors, such as underestimating the which tasks will require external complexity of tasks, unforeseen delays, or procurement of goods or services. over-optimism. Impact: Helps in planning contracts and Impact: Delays in project timelines, missed managing suppliers or subcontractors, deadlines, and a need for additional resources to catch up on work. This can also Risk: Incomplete, vague, or poorly defined lead to dissatisfaction among stakeholders. project requirements can make it difficult to estimate effort, time, and cost accurately. 2. Underestimated Costs Impact: As requirements become clearer Risk: Failing to properly account for all costs over time, changes may be required to align (direct and indirect) involved in a project, or the project with the actual needs of underestimating the impact of inflation, stakeholders, leading to delays and rework. vendor pricing changes, or unforeseen expenses. 6. Technological Uncertainty Impact: Budget overruns, need for additional Risk: Using new, untested technology or funding, or scope reductions to keep costs in methodologies in the project that may line. This can affect the financial health of the involve unknown challenges, performance project and its stakeholders. issues, or integration problems. 3. Resource Misallocation Impact: This can result in delays, increased costs for troubleshooting or adapting to new Risk: Inaccurately estimating the resources solutions, and potentially compromised required (e.g., labor, equipment, materials) project quality. for tasks can lead to either an overallocation or under allocation of resources. 7. Lack of Historical Data Impact: This can cause inefficiencies, Risk: Estimating without sufficient historical burnout, or idle resources, all of which can data or experience from similar projects may negatively impact productivity and project lead to errors in predicting how long tasks progress. will take or how much they will cost. 4. Scope Creep Impact: Inaccurate estimates that affect the project's timeline and budget, leading to Risk: Failing to properly define or control the potential overages and project failure. scope of a project, leading to continuous, uncontrolled changes and additions to 8. Over-Optimism (Planning Fallacy) project requirements. Risk: The tendency to be overly optimistic Impact: This results in additional time and about how quickly and efficiently tasks can cost, project delays, and team frustration, as be completed, often due to personal biases new tasks or requirements can strain existing or pressure to meet deadlines. resources and schedules. Impact: Underestimating the time or cost 5. Uncertainty in Requirements required to complete tasks, resulting in missed deadlines, budget overruns, and a lack of contingency planning. 9. Unforeseen Risks and External Factors miscommunication between team members, or misunderstanding of Risk: External factors such as market requirements. changes, natural disasters, regulatory changes, or unexpected political or Impact: This leads to incorrect planning and economic events that affect project progress estimations, creating problems in or costs. scheduling, budgeting, or resourcing. Impact: These external risks can cause Strategies to Mitigate Estimation Risks: significant delays, additional costs, and To reduce the impact of estimation risks, changes in project scope, and may require project managers can take several proactive the project team to reassess and adjust measures: estimates. 1. Use Historical Data: Refer to similar past 10. Lack of Stakeholder Involvement projects for more accurate time and cost Risk: Not involving stakeholders early estimates. enough in the estimation process, leading to 2. Involve Key Stakeholders Early: Ensure inaccurate or incomplete estimates based on stakeholders are engaged in the planning incorrect assumptions or missing phase to clarify requirements and avoid requirements. scope creep. Impact: A disconnect between the project 3. Break Down Tasks: Use techniques like team and stakeholders can result in unmet Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to break expectations, changes in scope, and rework tasks into smaller, more manageable due to misaligned assumptions. components for more accurate estimates. 11. Optimistic Resource Estimates 4. Incorporate Contingencies: Add Risk: Assuming that resources (like team contingency buffers for time and cost to members or equipment) will be fully account for unforeseen risks. available when needed or that team 5. Perform Risk Assessments: Regularly members can work at full capacity without assess potential risks and their likelihood of breaks. affecting estimates, and adjust the plan as Impact: This can lead to burnout, delays due needed. to resource shortages, and a failure to meet 6. Conduct Regular Reviews: Continuously deadlines if resources are stretched too thin. monitor project progress against estimates 12. Human Error or Miscommunication and make adjustments based on actual performance. Risk: Estimation errors can occur due to human mistakes in calculations, 7. Use Expert Judgment: Leverage the - Identify which tasks depend on others to be knowledge and experience of subject matter completed before they can begin. experts to provide more reliable estimates. - Tip: Use a dependency chart (like a Gantt By identifying and addressing these chart) to visualize relationships between estimation risks upfront, project managers tasks. can improve the accuracy of their project 4. Estimate Task Durations plans, reduce surprises, and increase the likelihood of successful project delivery. - Estimate how long each task will take. - Tip: Be realistic about task durations and factor in potential delays or resource LECTURE 2: DEVELOPING A WORKABLE constraints. TIMETABLE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 5. Assign Resources Developing a workable timetable in project management is crucial for ensuring tasks are - Assign resources (people, equipment, etc.) completed on time, resources are allocated to each task, considering their availability efficiently, and stakeholders stay informed. and skill set. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you - Tip: Ensure that no individual or resource is create an effective project timetable: overburdened. 1. Define Project Scope and Objectives 6. Create a Timeline - Before developing a timetable, understand - Plot the tasks, their durations, and the project's scope, goals, and deliverables. dependencies on a timeline (e.g., Gantt - Tip: Break down the project into high-level chart, project management software). phases (initiation, planning, execution, - Tip: Set milestones to track progress at key closure). points in the project. 2. List All Project Tasks 7. Identify Critical Path - Use the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Determine the critical path, which is the to decompose the project into smaller, longest sequence of dependent tasks that manageable tasks. Each task should be dictates the project duration. specific, actionable, and measurable. - Tip: Focus extra attention on critical tasks to - Tip: Consult with your team to ensure all prevent delays. tasks are captured accurately. 8. Build in Buffers - Include time buffers or contingency plans to 3. Determine Task Dependencies account for unforeseen risks or delays. - Tip: The buffer time can be applied to non- critical tasks or placed at the end of phases. 9. Monitor and Adjust the Timetable - Once the timetable is developed, continuously monitor progress. If tasks are delayed or completed ahead of schedule, adjust the timeline accordingly. - Tip: Use project management software for real-time updates and communication with stakeholders. 10. Communicate with Stakeholders - Regularly update all stakeholders on the progress of the project and any changes to the timeline. - Tip: Clear communication helps to manage expectations and address concerns early on. Tools You Can Use: - Gantt Charts: For visualizing the project schedule and dependencies. - Project Management Software: Tools like Microsoft Project, Trello, Asana, or Monday.com help automate scheduling and resource management. - Critical Path Method (CPM): For calculating the critical path and managing dependencies. LECTURE 2: SIMPLE SCHEDULING CALCULATIONS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT  1. List all project tasks: 2. Determine task dependencies: 3. Estimate the duration for each task. 4. Draw the project network diagram: 5. Calculate the Earliest Start (ES) and Earliest Finish (EF) times for each task. 6. Calculate the Latest Start (LS) and Latest Finish (LF) times for each task. 7. Identify the Critical Path: Key Terminology: Earliest Start (ES): The earliest time a task can start, considering all its dependencies. Earliest Finish (EF): The earliest time a task can be finished (EF = ES + Duration). Latest Start (LS): The latest time a task can start without delaying the project. Latest Finish (LF): The latest time a task can finish without delaying the project. 1. Critical Path Method (CPM) Slack (Float): The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting - focuses on identifying the longest path of the overall project schedule (Slack = dependent activities in the project, known as LS - ES or LF - EF). the Critical Path, which determines the shortest possible project duration. If any task Critical Path Calculation: on the critical path is delayed, the entire The Critical Path is the longest path project will be delayed. through the network, calculated by Steps in CPM:  adding up the durations of the tasks on the path. Project Duration is determined by the total duration of the Critical Path. 2. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) - used to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a project, with an emphasis on the uncertainty and variability in task durations. PERT is often used in projects where the time estimates are uncertain. Steps in PERT: 1. Identify the tasks and their dependencies. 2. Estimate the duration for each task: Optimistic time (O): The shortest time to complete a task. Pessimistic time (P): The longest time to complete a task. Most likely time (M): The best estimate for the time to complete the task, assuming typical conditions. LESSON 3: PROJECT CONTROL AND EVALUATION Project Control and Evaluation - refer to the 4. Draw the PERT chart: processes and activities that ensure a project 5. Calculate the Critical Path: is progressing according to plan and achieving its intended outcomes. These activities help project managers assess performance, identify issues early, and take corrective actions to ensure that the project meets its objectives. 1. Project Control - involves monitoring and time, cost, quality, and stakeholder managing the various aspects of a project, satisfaction. including its schedule, budget, scope, - Impact Evaluation: Assessing the long-term quality, and risks. It ensures that the project outcomes or impacts of the project, remains on track and aligns with the defined especially in relation to its original goals. objectives. Key elements of project control include: - Lessons Learned: Identifying what worked - Monitoring and Tracking: Regularly well and what didn’t, so that this knowledge measuring project performance against the can be applied to future projects. baseline (planned scope, cost, and - Post-Project Review: A formal review schedule). conducted after project completion to - Earned Value Management (EVM): A analyze what went according to plan and technique that integrates scope, schedule, what didn’t. and cost to assess project performance and Importance of Control and Evaluation forecast future outcomes. 1. Ensures Project Success: By monitoring - Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and controlling various project elements, and mitigating risks that could affect the project control ensures the project remains project's success. aligned with its goals. - Change Management: Managing any 2. Identifies Risks Early: Project control helps changes to the project scope, schedule, or in detecting issues or deviations early, cost, and ensuring they are approved and allowing the team to make adjustments implemented correctly. before problems escalate. - Corrective Actions: When deviations from 3. Improves Decision Making: Timely and the plan occur, corrective actions are taken accurate evaluations help inform decision- to bring the project back on track. making for adjustments and future planning. 2. Project Evaluation - a systematic process 4. Supports Continuous Improvement: of assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, and Evaluation helps in capturing valuable impact of a project. This is done to ensure insights, leading to process improvements that the project objectives have been and better performance in subsequent achieved, and to identify areas for projects. improvement in future projects. Key steps in project evaluation include: - Performance Assessment: Reviewing the success of the project in terms of scope, USING CORRECTIVE MEASURES 5 Whys Technique: Asking "why" repeatedly until the underlying cause is - a critical part of the project control process. uncovered. Corrective actions are necessary when the project deviates from its planned objectives, 3. Develop Corrective Action Plan such as schedule delays, cost overruns, or The corrective action plan should be quality issues. They are used to realign the targeted, feasible, and aligned with project project with its goals and ensure its objectives. It should outline the steps successful completion. Here's how to needed to address the root cause and effectively apply corrective measures in restore the project to its planned trajectory. project management: - Components of a corrective action plan: 1. Identify the Issue or Deviation Specific actions to address the Before corrective actions can be taken, the identified issue. problem must be clearly identified. This Responsible parties who will execute typically happens through continuous the corrective actions. monitoring of project performance (via Timeline for implementation. status reports, KPIs, or performance metrics like Earned Value Management). Resources needed to make the correction. - Common issues include: Performance metrics to track the Schedule delays effectiveness of the corrective actions. Budget overruns 4. Implement Corrective Actions Scope creep (unapproved changes to Once the plan is developed, the corrective the project) actions must be executed. This often Resource constraints involves: Quality problems Reallocating resources (e.g., adding 2. Analyze the Root Cause more team members or adjusting Once the deviation is identified, it's workloads). important to understand the root cause. Revising the schedule by extending deadlines or adjusting milestones. - Methods to identify root causes: Adjusting the budget, either by re- Root Cause Analysis (RCA): A prioritizing tasks or reducing scope to structured method to determine the remain within financial constraints. fundamental cause of the problem. Improving quality control processes Fish bone Diagrams (Ishikawa): A tool to prevent defects or rework. for categorizing potential causes. 5. Monitor and Evaluate the Results 1. Schedule Adjustments: After corrective actions are implemented, it 2. Budget Reallocation: is essential to monitor the results to ensure 3. Scope Adjustment: the issues are effectively resolved and the project is back on track. 4. Resource Management: 6. Document Lessons Learned 5. Quality Control Measures: After the corrective measures have been THE KISS RULE implemented and the project gets back on The KISS rule in project management stands track, it's crucial to document what went for "Keep It Simple, Stupid" and emphasizes wrong, how it was fixed, and what can be simplicity in processes, solutions, and done differently in the future. This can help communication. avoid similar issues in future projects. Implementing the KISS rule in project - Lessons learned can be documented in: management can lead to more effective and Project closure reports. efficient projects. Here’s how to apply the Post-mortem or retrospective KISS principle in various aspects of project meetings. management: Knowledge databases for 1. Simplifying Project Scope organizational learning. - Clearly Define Scope: Ensure the project 7. Prevention of Future Issues scope is well-defined and focused. Sometimes corrective actions might uncover - Breakdown Deliverables: Break down systemic issues or trends that could lead to large, complex deliverables into smaller, future problems. manageable tasks that are straightforward - Preventative measures might include: and easy to understand. Improved planning and risk 2. Streamlining Communication management for better forecasting. - Clear and Concise Communication: Avoid Better communication and stakeholder jargon and long-winded explanations. management to minimize scope creep. Strengthened quality assurance - Regular Updates: Keep stakeholders processes. informed through simple, periodic updates. Avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary Common Types of Corrective Actions in details. Project Management 3. Simplifying Processes and Procedures - Use Simple Tools and Methods: Avoid 7. Keeping Team Collaboration Simple overcomplicating the tools and methods you - Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Avoid use for project management. confusion by clearly defining each team - Eliminate Redundancies: Review existing member's role and responsibility. A simple processes to eliminate any steps that don’t RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, directly add value to the project. Streamline Consulted, Informed) can help clarify approval processes or decision-making expectations without overcomplicating procedures to reduce delays and matters. unnecessary steps. - Efficient Meetings: Keep meetings short 4. Focusing on Core Objectives and to the point, with a clear agenda - Stay Focused on the Goal: Keep the team 8. Managing Changes Simply aligned around the project's primary - Simple Change Control Process: Implement objectives. a straightforward process for managing - Prioritize Tasks: Use the “Pareto Principle project changes. (80/20 Rule)”, focusing on the tasks that will Benefits of Implementing the KISS Rule: provide the most value and avoid spending time on low-priority activities. Faster Decision-Making Reduced Risk of Errors 5. Avoiding Over-Complicating Solutions Better Focus - Simplified Problem Solving: Encourage Increased Agility simple, practical solutions to problems Improved Communication rather than creating overly complex or elaborate ones. A Procedure Evaluation Report in project management is a formal document that - Test Small and Iterate: Rather than building assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, and the entire product or system at once, alignment of project procedures with the implement simple versions and test them, project’s goals, objectives, and overall gathering feedback and making incremental performance. The purpose of the report is to improvements. identify areas for improvement, ensure that 6. Minimizing Risk and Uncertainty the project is on track, and evaluate how well the project procedures have supported - Simplified Risk Management: While risk project execution and outcomes. management is essential, avoid creating overly complicated risk management plans Key Components of a Procedure Evaluation that can become unmanageable. Report 1. Executive Summary - Strengths: Identify areas where procedures were particularly effective. - A brief overview of the evaluation, including the objectives, key findings, and - Weaknesses: Highlight where procedures recommendations. failed to deliver the desired results or encountered inefficiencies. - This section provides a high-level summary for stakeholders who may not have time to - Impact: Describe the impact of the review the full report. procedures on project performance, such as delays, cost overruns, resource 2. Objective of the Evaluation mismanagement, or poor quality. - Clearly state why the procedure evaluation 6. Analysis was conducted. - Analyze the reasons behind the strengths 3. Scope of the Evaluation and weaknesses identified. For instance: - Define the procedures and processes being Did the procedures lack sufficient evaluated. detail or clarity? 4. Methodology Were they adhered to consistently by - Explain the approach used to assess the the team? procedures. This may include: Were they realistic and achievable given the project's resources and Interviews with team members and constraints? stakeholders. 7. Recommendations Surveys or Questionnaires to gather feedback from project participants. - Provide actionable suggestions for Document Reviews (e.g., project improving the procedures. plans, progress reports, meeting Process Improvements minutes). Training Needs Observation of processes in action. Resource Allocation Data Analysis (e.g., comparing performance metrics to project 8. Conclusion baselines). - Summarize the key findings and the 5. Findings overall assessment of the procedures. - This is the core of the report, where the 9. Appendices (if applicable) evaluator presents the results of the - Include any supporting documents, such as evaluation process. surveys, interview summaries.