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Project Management Fundamentals

Contingency Planning

29 April 2010

Contingency planning is planning for a course of events that is other than what we want or expect.

This is based on three beliefs: • Something is always waiting to go wrong • What will go wrong will be what you least expect • It will hit harder than you thought possible

Contingency planning is a skill that has saved careers. The elaborateness of the contingency plan will depend on how likely the possibility will be, and how risky it will be not to have a back-up plan.

To review the complete Project Management Fundamentals workshop Outline containing Project Management Fundamentals for 2007:Click here.

To find out about our other Project Management Workshops contact Bute Ltd or review the outlines in our online catalogue :Click here.

Risks

28 April 2010

There are three types of risks: • The known risks are those that you or your stakeholders (such as your manager) can identify from experience. • Then there are the predictable risks, those that might occur. This is your instinct rather than something concrete that tells you to be on the lookout. • Finally, there are the things that we just didn’t count on—the stuff that happens. You simply can’t predict everything.

The most common risks to be considered include: • Funding: It may get cut or dry up. • Time: Other projects may land on your desk at the same time. • Staff: The people you were relying on get sick, quit, or get assigned to another project. • Customer relations: You may have customers from other departments, or external customers, whose needs conflict with this project. • Project size or complexity: The project gets more complex than originally intended. • External factors (such as weather).

Risk has two characteristics: • Uncertainty: May or may not happen • Loss: An event has unwanted consequences

To review the complete Project Management Fundamentals workshop Outline containing Project Management Fundamentals for 2007:Click here.

To find out about our other Project Management Workshops contact Bute Ltd or review the outlines in our online catalogue :Click here.

The SOW

27 April 2010

The terms Project Charter and Project Statement of Work (SOW) are often used interchangeably. Many companies use the word Charter to refer to the document that is actually the SOW.

The Project Management Institute uses the term Charter to refer to the announcement that recognizes the authority of the project manager. The SOW, on the other hand, is the formal project definition document. This is an important distinction between the two.

The Statement of Work is a formal project management document that establishes expectations and agreements about the project. It is not a contract; it is a tool for clarifying responsibilities and working relationships among project stakeholders.

As you work on the Statement of Work, this becomes an opportunity for individual members of the group to see if they truly understand their project. A SOW can be anything from a one or two page document to a 100-page document.

To review the complete Project Management Fundamentals workshop Outline containing Project Management Fundamentals for 2007: Click here.

To find out about our other Project Management Workshops contact Bute Ltd or review the outlines in our online catalogue : Click here.

Project Management Fundamentals

26 April 2010

Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes. These processes can be placed into five process groups: Initiating Planning Executing Closing Controlling

All of these processes except Controlling correspond to the project life cycle, which we will discuss later on today. (Controlling is done during all phases.)

Processes can also be placed into nine knowledge areas: Integration Management Scope Management Time Management Cost Management Quality Management Human Resource Management Communications Management Risk Management Procurement Management

Project management can be applied to any project regardless of size, budget, or timeline.

To review the complete Project Management Fundamentals workshop Outline containing Project Management Fundamentals for 2007: Click here.

To find out about our other Project Management Workshops contact Bute Ltd or review the outlines in our online catalogue : Click here.