Initiating Projects

1
Initiating Projects
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Project Management Process Groups

• Initiating Processes
• Activities required to initiate and close
  projects and phases
• Planning Processes
• Activities used to manage organizational and
  constraint requirements
• Executing Processes
• Coordination of resources and communications
  required to ensure that deliverables are met
• Monitoring and Controlling Processes
• Measurement of process effectiveness toward
  project objectives and deliverables
• Closing Processes
• Administrative processes to accept formal closure
  and orderly end to the project

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Process Focus Distribution
Why the difference in distribution?
4
Project Methodology

• Certified standard methodologies
• PMBOK
• PRINCE2
• Rational Unified Process
• Six Sigma
• Independent Internal Methodologies
• Tell you what to include, in what order, but not
  HOW to develop each item.

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Top Management Commitment

• The role of a Champion
• Adequate Resources
• Timely requirement approval
• Cross-functional support/negotiation
• Mentorship Coaching
• Standardization
• Project Management Office

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Pre-Initiation

• Activity completed prior to assignment of PM
• Drives PM expectations and sets the stage for
  initiation activity
• Determines project guidelines, methodology, and
  priorities
• Communicates project selection and purpose across
  organization
• Level sets management expectations

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Initiating Tasks

• Identifying and understanding project
  stakeholders
• Preparing a business case for the project
• Creating the project charter
• Holding a kick-off meeting
• Developing a preliminary scope statement

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Identifying and Understanding Project Stakeholders

• Internal vs External
• Stakeholder Analysis
• Continues to be reviewed and changed throughout
  the project as new information about stakeholders
  is developed
• Drives communication patterns

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Business Case

• Detailed analysis of financial viability, ROI,
  risk, and estimated resource/schedule
  requirements for the project
• Varies to meet individual project needs
• Budget estimates
• Not a baseline, no specifics, high level,
  historical based
• SWOT analysis

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Project Charter

• Formal agreement and documentation
• Summary of Organization and structure of project
  and team
• Projects objectives
• Project Management accountability/responsibility
• Signed agreement from sponsors/PM
• Provides a high level starting point for clarity
  in large, ambiguous projects

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Kick-off Meeting

• Stakeholder meet/greet
• Gain agreement on objectives and charter
• Clarify stakeholder expectations
• Clarify Roles Responsibilities
• Formalize initial activities
• Document activities to be accomplished before
  next formal team, sponsor, and stakeholder meeting

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Scope Statement

• Documents a common understanding of project scope
• Used to manage scope creep
• Includes things that are both IN and OUT of scope
• Expands on information in the business case and
  project charter

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Homework

• Discussion Questions
• 2 3
• Team Projects (to be done individually)
• 2

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Case Study

• AD High Tech (A)
• Case study analysis and write up, project plan,
  etc.
• Using Project Software, develop timelines and any
  supporting evidence to answer the following
  questions
• What is the projected completion date? (Assume
  there are no holidays and ignore the sunk cost of
  the planning teams effort.)
• What is the total cost? How much of the total
  costs are labor costs? Capital costs?
• What is the critical path(s) in the project? How
  would you assess the level of risk in the
  project?
• What is your opinion on the potential for the
  project to be completed on time?
• Read ahead, chapter 4.
• Turn in a written report as well as e-mail your
  project file (if not in MS Project, send as a PDF
  of gantt chart and any other resource/cost
  analysis you need to support your write up)