Special Topics

1
Special Topics
2
Many good projects, as well as project management
structures, have failed because of the inability
of the system to evaluate properly the functional
employees performance.
Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
3
Performance Appraisal

• Assess the employees work performance,
  preferably against pre-established objectives
• Provide a justification for salary actions
• Establish new goals and objectives for the next
  review period
• Identify and deal with work-related problems
• Serve as a basis for career discussions

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
4
6 Ways to Evaluate Functional Members

• PM prepares written, confidential evaluation
• PM prepares written, non-confidential evaluation
• PM provides oral evaluation
• Resource manager makes entire evaluation without
  input from PM
• PM makes entire evaluation for resource manager
• All project and resource managers jointly
  evaluate all project functional employees at the
  same time

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
5
Which Format Is Best?

• In teams, list the strengths and shortcomings of
  the appraisal formats shown in Figures 8-2, 3, 4
  5.
• Which one(s) would you most likely use?
• Justify your decision.

6
General Tips for Conducting Reviews

• Regardless of the method(s) used, the PM needs to
  meet with each team member and discuss his or her
  performance.
• Always begin with persons self-evaluation
• May yield valuable information
• May provide an early warning for potential
  disparity in assessments
• Reduces the judgmental nature of the discussion.

Source Clifford Gray and Eric Larson Project
Management The Management Process
7
General Tips for Conducting Reviews

• Avoid drawing comparisons with other team members
• Assess the individual in terms of established
  standards and expectations.
• Focus criticism on specific examples of behavior,
  not on the individual personally
• Be consistent and fair in your treatment of all
  team members

Source Clifford Gray and Eric Larson Project
Management The Management Process
8
General Tips for Conducting Reviews

• Treat review as only one point in an ongoing
  process
• Use review to reach agreement as to how the
  individual can improve his or her performance.

Source Clifford Gray and Eric Larson Project
Management The Management Process
9
Performance Measurement of PM

• Business results as measured by profits,
  contribution margin, return on investment, new
  business, and income also, on-time delivery,
  meeting contractual requirements, and
  within-budget performance.
• Managerial performance as measured by overall
  project management effectiveness, organization,
  direction and leadership, and team performance.

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
10
Performance Measurement of Resource Managers or
Project Personnel

• Technical implementation as measured against
  requirements, quality, schedules, and cost
  targets
• Team performance as measured by
• Ability to staff
• build an effective task group,
• interface with other groups
• integrate among various functions

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
11
Projects in Small Companies

• Total duration is usually three to twelve months.
• Total dollar value is 5000 to 1.5 million
  (upper limit is usually a capital equipment
  project).
• There is continuous communication between team
  members, and no more than three or four cost
  centers are involved.
• Manual rather than computerized cost control may
  be acceptable.

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
12
Projects in Small Companies (Continued)

• Project managers work closely with functional
  personnel and managers on a daily basis, so
  time-consuming detail reporting is not necessary.
• The work breakdown structure does not go below
  level three.

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
13
Small Companys Issues

• PM wears multiple hats may act as PM and
  resource manager at same time.
• PM handles multiple projects, possibly with
  different priorities
• PM must have a better understanding of
  interpersonal skills than in a large company

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
14
Small Companys Issues (Continued)

• PM generally has shorter lines of communications
• No Office of Project Management
• May be much greater risk to total company with
  the failure of one project
• Tighter monetary controls, yet less sophisticated
  control techniques

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
15
Small Companys Issues (Continued)

• Usually more upper-level management interference
• Evaluation procedures for individuals are usually
  easier
• Project estimating is usually more precise and
  based on either history or standards

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
16
Mega Projects

• Vast amounts of people may be required, often for
  short or intense periods of time.
• Continuous organizational restructuring may be
  necessary as each project goes through a
  different life-cycle phase.
• The matrix and project organizational form may be
  used interchangeably.

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
17
Mega Projects (Continued)

• The following elements are critical for success.
• Training in project management
• Rules and procedures clearly defined
• Communications at all levels
• Quality front-end planning

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
18
Mega Project Difficulties Resource Constraints

• Lack of available on-site workers (or local labor
  forces)
• Lack of skilled workers
• Lack of properly trained on-site supervision
• Lack of raw materials

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
19
What About

• Morality?
• Ethics?
• Corporate Culture?

20
Matrix Out of Control

• Consider the four items listed on page 123 that
  describe what happens when a matrix goes out of
  control
• Which of these end up creating the greatest
  difficulty for
• The company?
• The project managers?
• The resource managers?
• Executives?

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
21
Partnerships
22
External Partnering

• Types of Relations
• Approved Suppliers
• Preferred Suppliers
• Partners

Source Harold Kerzner Project Management
23
Partnership Strength
Strong
Increasing Cooperation
PartnershipStrength
Weak
Technical Capability
Working Relationship
Matrix Strength
Source Harold Kerzner Project Management