Presented by Levent YıldızgörenTTC Language Services Ltd & Learnproject

IntroductionIntroductionAssociate member of ITIMember of PMI (Project Management

Institute)Qualified PRINCE2 Practitioner

TTC is a member of:

LearnProject is a member of:

And accredited to run training courses

ContentsContentsWhat is a project?Distinguishing projects from operationsWhat is project management?Project manager key skillsWhy projects fail?10 things you should knowConclusionQ&A, discussion

ObjectivesObjectivesAt the end of the workshop we should be able

to find out:

What is the main reason for project failure?

Who is responsible for project success?

What are project success metrics?

Definition of projectDefinition of projectA temporary organisation that is needed to

produce a unique outcome or result at a prespecified time using predetermined resources.

Temporary – each project has a definite beginning and a definite end.

Unique Product – the outcome of a project must be unique product, service or result

Distinguishing projects from Distinguishing projects from operationsoperationsAn operation is a function that performs ongoing tasks: It does not produce a unique product or it does not have a beginning and an end.

Project and operations share some characteristics:

Both require resources, including human resources (people)Both are managed – that is planned, executed and controlled

What is project management?What is project management?

Project management is the usage of knowledge, skills and tools to manage a project from start to finish with the goal of meeting the project requirements. It involves using the appropriate processes.

Project manager key skillsProject manager key skillsCommunicationNegotiationProblem solvingInfluencingLeadershipCultural awareness

(absolutely essential for translation industry)

ProjectProject stakeholdersstakeholdersKey stakeholders• Client• Project manager• Customer/users• Project team members• Influencers

(Consultants/Contractors/Suppliers )

Why projects fail?Why projects fail?The goal of the project is not defined

properly

Lack of change management (changes to project are not controlled)The ‘moving goalposts’ syndrome.

Why projects fail? Cont…Why projects fail? Cont…Poor or non-existent planning

A solid plan is one of the key steps of the effective project management.

The project is not resourced as planned (resources were not available at the time, or were not booked in advance)

Why projects fail? Cont…Why projects fail? Cont…

Lack of coordination of activities

The project is not led properly

The project reporting is inadequate

or does not exist

Why projects fail? Cont…Why projects fail? Cont…

Quality criteria is not defined or

measured

Lack of ownership - It is not clear who is

responsible for the project outcome

The progress is not monitored and

controlled properly.

10 things you should know10 things you should know1 - You need to define the project clearly

2 - You need to plan the project (not to be mixed with project schedule) A good plan should include scheduling as well as many other points

3 - You need to provide a way of including contingency plan

4 - You need a communication plan

10 things you should know10 things you should know5 - You need a quality plan

Getting a clear and reliable definition of what constitutes fit-for-purpose on your project is crucial for its success.

6 – You need to make it clear project managers are responsible for projects

7 - You need the manage the project plan

10 things you should know10 things you should know

8 - You need to manage risks and issuesA good project manager revisits risks and issue management throughout the project lifecycle

9 - You need to monitor quality

10 - You need to be prepared that no matter how well a project is planned something may go wrong at some point

Question 1- The project is going according to the plan and it is nearly completed. Client calls and says their marketing department had to make ‘a very small change’ in the source file.

- It is a corporate brochure translated and typeset into 10 languages.

- And you are new to the company.

Answers 1a) Say yes in order to keep the client happyb) Work out the extra cost & time and try to

meet the deadline. And inform the client accordingly

c) Refuse to undertake the change as this is not your fault and your team is scheduled to start another project right after this one

d) Check your contingency plan to see if you can absorb the request

Question 2You are a project manager assigned to run a

localisation project. You have never run a localisation project before. The engineers tell you that there is no way that they can estimate how long it will take them.

Do you:a)Accept thisb)Enrol a night course in localisationc)Insist that the project need to be estimated,

making assumptions where necessaryd)Ask to be assigned to another project

Question 3You are a running a project for a corporate client. Jobs that need to be done by the client’s people are always late or not done as previously agreed. Whose responsibility is this?

a)Yours personallyb)Your company’sc)The client’s peopled)The client’s management

AnswersA 1 – b or d is the right answer

A 2 – ‘c’ is the right answer. ‘d’ could be an option as well.

A 3 - ‘a’ or ‘b’ is the right answer

ConclusionConclusionProjects mainly fail due to management

problems Project manager is responsible for the

outcome of the projectSuccess metrics: On time, on budget and as

defined

BUT the project manager must also focus on the expected results and benefits

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions:

Levent Yildizgorenlevent@ttcltd.com01245 216 931www.ttcltd.comwww.learnproject.co.uk

BibliographyPRINCE2 ManualFergus O’Connell - Successful Projects in

Web TimeBrian K. Willard – Project Success: Looking

Beyond Traditional MetricsStephen Barker & Rob Cole – Brilliant Project

Management