MITM743 - Lecture 1 Dr. Hidayah Sulaiman

 Information Systems Project Management  Lecturer: Dr. Hidayah Sulaiman   Location: BW-2-C42/BA-2-65  Phone: ext 3242

 ATTEND CLASS  Perform reading assignments before coming to class  Do most work in teams  Academic honesty enforced

 About What? ◦ UNITEN Research Management Center’s Website Redesigning project  You are a project manager for this project  Follow steps given in the handout  Produce a report and prototype of a working website

 Performed individually  Will require a project completion presentation in the final week.  Submit report and prototype

 A specific objective must be completed within certain specifications  Has a definite starting date and end date  Has funding limitations  Consumes resources (money, people, equipment)  Made up of activities (tasks)  Accomplished in teams – Teamwork makes the Dream Works

 A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to accomplish a unique purpose ◦ As defined by the Project Management Institute  Attributes of projects ◦ Unique purpose ◦ Temporary ◦ Require resources, often from various areas ◦ Should have a primary sponsor and/or customer ◦ Involves risk and uncertainty ◦ Has stakeholders

STAGE 1: Conceptuali zing-and- Defining STAGE 2: Planning- and- Budgeting STAGE 3: Executing STAGE 5: Terminating -and- Closing STAGE 4: Monitoring-and-Controlling

 Ordinary projects might be projects in construction, aerospace, defense, space, government, etc.  Each IT Project is unique and thus involves more risk  The technology is continually changing  There is less visibility

 There is a tendency to spend too much time on concept definition and analysis in IT projects  There tends to be less organizational maturity in IT projects  Maturity is a big issue here ◦ Who is Watts Humphrey?

 They have all the common basic attributes of projects—starting point, stopping point, duration, finite, temporary, creating a deliverable or product, utilizing resources, accomplished in teams, consisting of steps (tasks), accruing cost, etc.  All projects involve risk, accrue expenditures, involve procurement, human resources, etc.

 Conceiving and Defining ◦ Definition of work requirements--WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE--WBS  Planning and Budgeting ◦ Determination of quantity and quality of work ◦ Determination of what resources are needed when  Executing and Controlling ◦ Actual execution of the project tasks take place here ◦ Tracking progress ◦ Comparing actual to predicted outcomes ◦ Analyzing impact/Making adjustments  Closing and Terminating ◦ What went right? ◦ What went wrong? ◦ What can be learned??

 on time  within budget  with the desired performance/technology level  with good customer satisfaction/relations  while using the assigned resources effectively  What is the probability of pulling this off for IT projects????

 with acceptance by the customer/user  without disturbing the main work flow of the organization  without changing the corporate culture ◦ {unless that is the objective of the project}

 Poorly defined requirements ◦ Poorly conceived project deliverable ◦ No shared vision of what the project is to accomplish  Poor planning ◦ No schedule ◦ No budget ◦ No concern for quality/risk/procurement  Resources don’t materialize when they are needed  Subcontractors don’t deliver on time  Requirements change  Technology changes

 when jobs are complex  when there are dynamic environmental considerations  when constraints on time and budget are tight  when there are several activities to be integrated  when there are functional boundaries to be crossed

 Operations management  Operations research  Psychology  Sociology  Organization theory  Organizational behavior  Systems thinking and management

 IT Projects have a poor track record  “Project manager” is the #1 position IT managers say they need most for contract help ◦ Often, this leads to distributed PM  Projects create ¼ of the US and world GDP

 Every project is constrained in different ways by its ◦ Scope goals ◦ Time goals ◦ Cost goals  It is the project manager’s duty to balance these three often competing goals

Project management is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end.” (PMI*, Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 2008, pg. 5) *The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international professional society. Their web site is

 Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project activities  Stakeholders include ◦ the project sponsor and project team  The project sponsor is the person who funds the project ◦ support staff ◦ customers ◦ users ◦ upper management ◦ line management ◦ suppliers ◦ opponents to the project

 Knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop ◦ Four core knowledge areas lead to specific project objectives (scope, time, cost, and quality) ◦ Four facilitating knowledge areas are the means through which the project objectives are achieved (human resources, communication, risk, and procurement management ◦ One knowledge area (project integration management) affects and is affected by all of the other knowledge areas

 Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and their teams in various aspects of project management  Some specific ones include ◦ Project Charter and WBS (scope) ◦ Gantt charts, PERT charts, critical path analysis (time) ◦ Cost estimates and Earned Value Analysis (cost)

 Bosses, customers, and other stakeholders do not like surprises  Good project management (PM) provides assurance and reduces risk  PM provides the tools and environment to plan, monitor, track, and manage schedules, resources, costs, and quality  PM provides a history or metrics base for future planning as well as good documentation  Project members learn and grow by working in a cross-functional team environment Source: Knutson, Joan, PM Network, December 1997, p. 13

 Much of the knowledge needed to manage projects is unique to PM  However, project managers must also have knowledge and experience in ◦ general management ◦ the application area of the project  Project managers must focus on meeting specific project objectives

 Modern project management began with the Manhattan Project, which the U.S. military led to develop the atomic bomb  In 1917 Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart as a tool for scheduling work in job shops  In 1958, the Navy developed PERT charts  In the 1970s, the military began using project management software, as did the construction industry  By the 1990s, virtually every industry was using some form of project management

 PMI provides certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP)  A PMP has documented sufficient project experience, agreed to follow a code of ethics, and passed the PMP exam  The number of people earning PMP certification is increasing quickly

 PMI developed a project management code of ethics that all PMPs must agree to abide by  Conducting work in an ethical manner helps the profession earn confidence  Ethics are on the web at  CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) ◦ Requires passing an exam prepared by PMI only.

 Give three examples of activities that are projects and three examples of activities that are not projects  How is project management different from general management?  Why do you think so many information technology projects are unsuccessful?

 Projects must operate in a broad organizational environment  Project managers need to take a holistic or systems view of a project and understand how it is situated within the larger organization IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 239

 A systems approach emerged in the 1950s to describe a more analytical approach to management and problem solving  Three parts include: ◦ Systems philosophy: View things as systems, interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose ◦ Systems analysis: problem-solving approach ◦ Systems management: Address business, technological, and organizational issues before making changes to systems IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 240

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 241

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 242 Structural frame: Focuses on roles and responsibilities, coordination and control. Organizational charts help define this frame. Human resources frame: Focuses on providing harmony between needs of the organization and needs of people. Political frame: Assumes organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. Conflict and power are key issues. Symbolic frame: Focuses on symbols and meanings related to events. Culture is important.

 Most people understand what organizational charts are  Many new managers try to change organizational structure when other changes are needed  3 basic organizational structures ◦ functional ◦ project ◦ matrix IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 243

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 244

 Recall that project stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project activities  Project managers must take time to identify, understand, and manage relationships with all project stakeholders  Using the four frames of organizations can help meet stakeholder needs and expectations  Senior executives are very important stakeholders IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 245

According to the Standish Group’s report “CHAOS 2001: A Recipe for Success,” the following items help IT projects succeed, in order of importance: ◦ Executive support ◦ User involvement ◦ Experienced project manager ◦ Clear business objectives ◦ Minimized scope ◦ Standard software infrastructure ◦ Firm basic requirements ◦ Formal methodology ◦ Reliable estimates IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 246

 Several studies cite top management commitment as one of the key factors associated with project success  Top management can help project managers secure adequate resources, get approval for unique project needs in a timely manner, receive cooperation from people throughout the organization, and learn how to be better leaders IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 247

 If the organization has a negative attitude toward IS/IT, it will be difficult for an IS/IT project to succeed  Having a Chief Information Officer (CIO) at a high level in the organization helps IS/IT projects  Assigning non-IT people to IS/IT projects also encourages more commitment IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 248

 Standards and guidelines help project managers be more effective  Senior management can encourage ◦ the use of standard forms and software for project management ◦ the development and use of guidelines for writing project plans or providing status information ◦ the creation of a project management office or center of excellence IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 249

 IT projects can be very diverse in terms of size, complexity, products produced, application area, and resource requirements  IT project team members often have diverse backgrounds and skill sets  IT projects use diverse technologies that change rapidly. Even within one technology area, people must be highly specialized IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 250

 Define scope of project  Identify stakeholders, decision-makers, and escalation procedures  Develop detailed task list (work breakdown structures)  Estimate time requirements  Develop initial project management flow chart  Identify required resources and budget  Evaluate project requirements  Identify and evaluate risks  Prepare contingency plan  Identify interdependencies  Identify and track critical milestones  Participate in project phase review  Secure needed resources  Manage the change control process  Report project status IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 251 *Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies, "Building a Foundation for Tomorrow: Skills Standards for Information Technology,"Belleview, WA, 1999

 Project managers need a wide variety of skills  They should be comfortable with change, understand the organizations they work in and with, and be able to lead teams to accomplish project goals  Project managers need both “hard” and “soft” skills. Hard skills include product knowledge and knowing how to use various project management tools and techniques, and soft skills include being able to work with various types of people IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 252

 Communication skills: listening, persuading  Organizational skills: planning, goal-setting, analyzing  Team Building skills: empathy, motivation, esprit de corps  Leadership skills: set examples, be energetic, have vision (big picture), delegate, be positive  Coping skills: flexibility, creativity, patience, persistence  Technological skills: experience, project knowledge IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 253

 Lead by example  Are visionaries  Are technically competent  Are decisive  Are good communicators  Are good motivators  Stand up to upper management when necessary  Support team members  Encourage new ideas  Set bad examples  Are not self-assured  Lack technical expertise  Are poor communicators  Are poor motivators IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 254 Effective Project Managers Ineffective Project Managers

 What practitioners consider to be the skills and behaviors of an effective people project manager  What went wrong? Unsuccessful information technology projects

 Project management can be viewed as a number of interlinked processes  The project management process groups include ◦ initiating processes ◦ planning processes ◦ executing processes ◦ controlling processes ◦ closing processes IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 357

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 358

 Just as projects are unique, so are approaches to project management  Many organizations develop their own project management methodologies, especially for IT projects  Many organizations use the PMBOK as a guide in developing their IT project management methodology IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 359

 Initiating a project includes recognizing and starting a new project or project phase  Some organizations use a pre-initiation phase, while others include items like developing a business case as part of initiation  The main goal is to formally select and start off projects  Key outputs include: ◦ Assigning the project manager ◦ Identifying key stakeholders ◦ Completing a business case ◦ Completing a project charter and getting signatures on it IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 360

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 361

IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 362

 The main purpose of project planning is to guide execution  Every knowledge area includes planning information  Key outputs include: ◦ A team contract ◦ A scope statement ◦ A work breakdown structure (WBS) ◦ A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all dependencies and resources entered ◦ A list of prioritized risks IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 363

 It usually takes the most time and resources to perform project execution since the products of the project are produced here  The most important output of execution is work results  Project managers must use their leadership skills to handle the many challenges that occur during project execution IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 364

 Controlling involves measuring progress toward project objectives, monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking corrective actions  Controlling affects all other process groups and occurs during all phases of the project life cycle  Status and progress reports are important outputs of controlling IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 365

 The closing process involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance of the final product and bringing the project, or project phase, to an orderly end  Even if projects are not completed, they should be closed out to learn from the past  Project archives and lessons learned are important outputs. Most projects include a final report and presentations IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 366

 Many organizations have realized that it’s important to review the results of projects a year or so after they have been completed  Many projects project potential savings, so it’s important to review the financial estimates and help learn from the past in preparing new estimates IT Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 367