A summary of part 1 of Chapter 7 CEP 812 Kay Paff March 24, 1999 A Planning Primer A summary of part 1 of Chapter 7 CEP 812 Kay Paff March 24, 1999

Understanding the Project Planning Process Planning determines a course of action and the allocation of resources for reaching a goal. Planning is the thinking and organizing that precedes the actual work.

Objectives of Project Planning Define all the work that has to be done use a documented project plan must be approved by management and project staff Helps both project manager and staff understand project better

Understanding the Project Planning Process Written plan also is a basis for aligning the expectations of the customer Don’t rely on memory Planning can save time, effort and money

Successful Projects get done within The planned time The planned cost The defined measurable results The resource constraints

Project Planning helps by Clarifying the project end result Reducing uncertainty about what needs to be done Improving the efficiency of project execution

Project Planning helps by Identifying problem areas with alternative plans Providing a baseline plan for tracking the project execution Communicating what needs to be done to others

Planning is Realizing Your Goals Where am I now? What do I want to change? Where do I start? Make the result measurable! What are my options for getting there? Who will I need help from? Write an action plan and follow it How’s it going? Should I adjust? Measure it. How did I do?

Project Management Software Can show in calendar sequence what needs to be done by whom the priority of each task so you can focus on the critical tasks when needed Microsoft Project 4.0 does a great job

Communication Communication Gets Results! Upper Management Customer Project Manager Group Managers Communication Gets Results! Project Team

How Much Available Project Time Do You Have? Operational work time involved in all other job related work other than project Determine by researching your weekly activities and calculating Project activities Be sure to include Project planning activities attending project team meetings completing project tasks resolving project problems

Time Management is Critical!!

Project Management Challenge Identify and organize the elements of a project Put them together into a logical flow Monitor everything to a successful completion

A Good Balance The elements you need to manage are: Money Time Materials Resources people equipment facilities

Breaking Your Project into Manageable Pieces Two Major Project Phases Planning Implementation

Planning Phase Define the goal and objectives Determine the quantity and quality of work Organize the work to be done Allocate the resources necessary to do the work Schedule the tasks and resources

Implementation Phase Track progress to the baseline plan Report planned vs. actual progress Analyze the impact of change Make adjustments to the plan as needed Transfer care to an operational group Schedule final project review

Implementation Phase Be sure to problem-solve report to management check resources and their allocation

Setting and Achieving Goals Accomplishing goals requires being specific about the final result and how to get there To achieve a goal, you must write an objective for it that can be measured

Setting and Achieving Goals The project must: Have commitment for completion Be able to be described or observed Be specific and measurable Be broken down into a series of measured steps Have input from key people

Close the Loop!