Project management

"The fallacy of the perfect solution"

or

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of what is good" Voltaire

Dr Andrew Hirst Room 9339 1

Who is the client/customer/stakeholder?

• Girls face

• What does this say about projects?

What is project management?

A temporary endeavour to achieve a desired goal, product or service

Are projects all the same?

4 Types of projects (Obeng, 1994)

• Open projects "Walking in the Fog"– Unsure of what or how to do it e.g. New product development

Dissertation– Key to success - Step by step

• Semi-open projects "Making a Movie" – Unsure of what, but know how e.g. website development

• Key to success - scoping

• Semi closed projects "Going on a quest"– Know what, unsure of how to do it e.g. quality systems

• Key to success - use volunteers to develop solutions

• Closed projects "Painting by numbers"– Know what and know how e.g. drug trials

• Key to success - methods procedures and systems

The iron triangle (Trade-off)

• Looking for optimal arrangement of all three

Time

Cost Performance

Scope

e.g. Manhattan Project

e.g. Toyota Prius,New Aircraft carrier

e.g. Patient record

Was the London Olympics a Success

• Stakeholders

• Athletes• Sponsors• UK Government• Olympic committee• Audience and Fans

London Olympics

Sports minister Hugh Robertson said: "London 2012 was a tremendous success and it is a significant achievement to deliver this large and complex programme on time and under budget."

Trade offs–Time

• Yes

–Performance• "We are delighted the venues and infrastructure that we were

responsible for delivering, proved to be such a big hit and provided an incredible stage and backdrop for the world's greatest sporting event"

London Olympics• Cost

– Headline: London 2012: Olympics and Paralympics £377m under budget!

• Was it?– Budget

• 2002 Pre winning bid estimate £1.8bn • 2004 PWC estimate £3.2bn• 2005 Post winning bid estimate £2.4bn • 2007 Revised estimate £9.2bn• 2012 final cost £8.9bn = £377m

• Actually over spend around £7bn

• What does this say about the trade off and the stake holders?

How do we manage TCP

• Time?– Gantt Charts, Critical Path– Simple stuff often better, weekly, daily reviews

(scrum)

• Costs?– Cash Flow e.g. cost per day

• Performance?– Scoping and proposal writing

Stages of project management

• Initiation - establishing the context of the project• Project planning - establishing the needs of the

projects• Execution - managing the needs and evolving

project details• Closing and evaluating

Clients will expect more that can be done!

Project Reality

StakeholderExpectations

Scoping a project

Identify your stakeholders

Tool - Stakeholder power and interest

High Keep Informed

Significant impact if they choose to use it

Maximum Attention

Direct interest in the success

Minimum Attention

Directly affected but have no influence

Address their concerns

Keep them in the loop but don't worry too much. "A watching brief"

Low Low High

Pow

er

Interest

High Keep Informed

Meet their needs, encourage and develop greater involvement

Maximum Attention

Involved in the decision making process consult regularly

Use methodology e.g. RACI

Minimum Attention

General comms, website, mailshots

Address their concerns

Potential supporter consult on low risk issues

Low Low High

What do you do now?

Interest

Maximum attention

– RACI or CAIRO– Builds on the action plan concept

• Tasks, responsible, accountable, due dates etc.

• RACI– Responsible - who is doing the actual task– Accountable - who is managing the task– Consulted - people contributing indirectly– Informed - low interest but like to know– (Out of the Loop) - doesn't need to be involved

Example of RACI

TASKS AH VM Client Team member Team membera I O C A Rb O O C A Rc I O R R/A A

Print Flyers R O I A RCollect mailing list R O O R A

f C O O A R

–Responsible - who is doing the actual task

–Accountable - who is managing the task

–Consulted - people contributing indirectly

–Informed - low interest but like to know

–(Out of the Loop) - doesn't need to be involved

People/departments

Managing the projects

making things happen

Tool - Creating a proposal• Key Issues to consider

– Do you understand the job?• The big picture

– Typical questions » Do you understand their business and customers?» Have you identified any problems or issues? » Actions of competitors?

– Can you demonstrate the right skills?• Credibility - What's your track record, Skills and interests

– Can you describe the project?• What is success - company, customers, stakeholders• Budget, timing, activities

– How will you work with the client?• Communication• Co-ordination

NOTE: Doesn't need to perfect its a basis for negotiation!

Managing scope creep• Natural for projects to develop as we learn, so every

project is susceptible to scope creep• Two reasons

– Murphy's law - what can go wrong will go wrong – Parkinson's Law - Work expands to fill the time available– Failure to accurately interpret requirements

• i.e Problems, needs and opportunities– Leads to extra work and rework etc.

– Any change = A Change in TCP outcomes

• The reason for an accurate project proposal– Clear goals and ability to measure success

Principled Negotiation (Fisher and Ury, 1991)

• People– Separate the people from the problem

• see past the emotions and empathise

• Interests– Focus on interests not positions

• positions obscure the real issues

• Options – Generate possibilities, be creative

• seek mutual gains "win-win"

• Criteria– Insist on an objective standard– Find a solution that's fair by involving others

BATNA

• Don't accept an unsatisfactory offer

Have a bottom line

• BATNA – Best alternative to a negotiated agreement (walk away alternative) – list of actions you might take– improving old ideas to make practical – consider your opponents BATNA

Process

1. See the problem from other points of view, express concern

2. identify key issues and concerns

3. Determine what results would constitute a fair solution

4. Identify possible options to achieve end result

Process

• Tool - Control system – Only 3 things can change

• Time cost and performance– Formal description of process– Analysis of the impact of change– Approval of the change– Updating of plan / project scope and deliverables

Closing and Evaluating

How do we know if the project was any good?

Measuring success• Sometimes it is just "What have we leant doing this?"• Project level

– Time, cost and performance• Company Measures

– Increased sales/profit or reduced cost– New markets– New Knowledge– Improved processes, morale or productivity

• Market Measures– Customer satisfaction– Market Share – Brand Awareness– Differentiation

Session summary

• All projects are different• Managing projects is managing people • 3 core issues

– time, cost and performance

A key feature of project management is SCOPING

Take time to scope a project and seek agreement from the stakeholders.

Heraclitus - "you never step into the same river twice"

• All projects are different • So…• We need to consider how we manage each one

• Project management tools and techniques for your VM project

So...

"The fallacy of the perfect solution"

or

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of what is good" (Voltaire)

Reading• Why good projects fail anyway. Matta and Ashkenas (2003) HBR• All Change! The project leaders secret handbook. Obeng (1996)• Getting Things Done. Allen (2001)• Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Meredith and Mantel (2010)• Project Management for Information Systems. Cadle and Yates (2008)