Project Management Lecture Developing the Project Plan

Introduction Project planning –Gantt chart and WBS Project planning –Network analysis I Project planning –Network analysis II Introduction Project planning –Gantt chart and WBS Plan Project planning –Resource analysis Risk management Quality Budgets and cost control Project teams

Project Planning “The larger, more complex or uncertain an endeavour is, the more important planning becomes” Lockyer & Gordon What measures would you use to determine the complexity of a project?

Measures of Project Complexity

Why Plan? IS development is complex and time consuming There are usually a number of people involved with a project Communication –Informs Project Manager/Team of the state of the project –Customer confidence

Why Plan? Projects are unique and therefore there will always be uncertainties –Need to plan for these (Plan B) So… –For anything more than the smallest project, planning must be a formal process

Project Planning for IS Requires knowledge drawn from: –Development techniques –Application domain –Project planning techniques –Skills abilities and motivation of developers –Business and organisational environment

Project Proposals Project planning starts with the project proposal - Result of Conception Phase Maybe a response to a project brief –prepared by an external or internal customer

Project Initiation Project initiation document –Internal or external Project manager needs a good appreciation of requirements –This may require extra work Customer needs report on unknowns –protects both the project team and the customer

The Project Plan – Simple Form The project plan is an attempt to timetable all the activities that make up a project –How will the project be divided –Who does what –When are tasks carried out

The Project Plan More detail can be added to the plan to indicate: –Level of performance and quality –Costs Further detail indicates: –availability of the resources required to carry out each task

The Project Plan Summary plan –Shows key tasks, events and milestones in the systems project –Primarily used for reporting progress Detailed plan –Task plan –Time control plans –Resource plan –Cost plans –Primarily used as a working tool

Planning and Control Cycle

Iterative Process The plan will evolve as the project evolves The plan is reviewed and updated as more information becomes available and uncertainties become less uncertain

The Project Plan – Simple Form How will the project be divided? –Work breakdown structure –Product breakdown structure When will the work be carried out? –Gantt Chart Who does what?

Work Breakdown Structure Work broken down in a hierarchical manner until: –Each task is “atomic” –Duration can be estimated with reasonable accuracy –Can be carried out by one person Each task : –Has a well defined beginning and end –Will consume resources –May be dependant on other tasks

WBS Example

Product breakdown structure Concentrates on what is to be done, rather than how it is to be done More difficult to forget a product/element Easier to assign quality measures/procedures Process is more likely to fit if developed after product example

PBS Example

The Project Plan – Simple Form How will the project be divided? –Work breakdown structure When will the work be carried out? –Gantt Chart Who does what? How will the project be divided? –Work breakdown structure When will the work be carried out? –Gantt Chart Who does what?

Example Gantt chart

Gantt chart components An Activity/Task is represented as follows: The length of the bar is proportional to the duration time of the activity Start Finish

Gantt chart components Progress on an Activity/Task can be shown as follows: The length of the bar is proportional to the amount of work completed. This example is approx 50% complete Start Finish

Example Gantt chart

Exercise ActivityStart (Week No)Duration (Weeks)% Complete A15100 B23 C1875 D34100 E5560 F2425 G1060 H66100 I7250 J86

Exercise ActivityStart (Week No)Duration (Weeks)% Complete A15100 B23 C1875 D34100 E5560 F2425 G1060 H66100 I7250 J86

Gantt chart advantages It is good at showing timing It shows project progress clearly It is therefore an ideal tool for the summary plan

Gantt chart disadvantages Not ideal for showing inter-relationships –MS Project does do this Locating an activity requires three simultaneous decisions: –Method –Time –Resources

How will the project be divided? –Work breakdown structure When will the work be carried out? –Gantt Chart Who does what? The Project Plan – Simple Form How will the project be divided? –Work breakdown structure When will the work be carried out? –Gantt Chart Who does what?

The Cost of Planning Labour and associated expenses Planner's tools Cost of preparing the written plan Opportunity costs - what could those involved be doing if they weren't planning?

Benefits of Planning Avoids the cost of the chaos that would ensue if the project was unplanned Filters out projects that would provide a negative return Being able to resolve problems in advance Being able to allocate resources in advance

Two Views to a Plan The Plan is a straight-jacket –Very Precise –Focus on data The Plan is a working tool –Very Accurate –Focus on information

Who Does Planning Developing the project plan is an iterative process that involves: –Project manager –Project team –Project sponsor –Customer –Other stakeholders

Iterative Process The plan will evolve as the project evolves The plan is reviewed and updated as more information becomes available and uncertainties become less uncertain

Introduction Project planning –Gantt chart and WBS Project planning –Network analysis I Project planning –Network analysis II Introduction Project planning –Gantt chart and WBS Plan Project planning –Resource analysis Risk management Quality Budgets and cost control Project teams