Project Management — Six Steps and Program vs Project
Project Management Defined
PM Definition
Although there are many definitions of project management, project management is defined as the process of:
- Leading
- Coordinating
- Planning
- Controlling
…a diverse and complex set of processes and people in the pursuit of achieving an established objective.
Project vs Program
Project vs Program
A project is NOT a program.
- Programs are ongoing
- A project is temporary, based on an established objective that has a generalized time frame attached to it
Six Project Management Steps
6 PM Steps.
- Define the Project Objective
- Develop Solution Options
- Plan the Project
- Execute the Plan
- Monitor and Control Progress
- Close the Project
Define the Project Objective
Define Objective
Identify the objective or improvement to be achieved by the project.
Define Questions
Define Questions.
- What is being satisfied by the project?
- What is the expected outcome?
Develop Solution Options
Develop Options
How many ways might you go about solving the problem?
Best Solution Question
Of the available alternatives, which do you think will best solve the problem?
Plan the Project
Plan Project
Planning is nothing more than answering questions:
- What must be done?
- By whom?
- How?
- For how much?
- When?
- And so on
Execute the Plan
Execute Plan
People sometimes go to great lengths and effort to put together a plan, but then fail to follow it.
Follow Plan
Follow your plan.
Monitor and Control Progress
Monitor + Control
The project manager must monitor and control by:
- Being present
- Making appropriate decisions
Adjustment Questions
Adjustment Questions
This is where to determine whether or not the plan was sound and make adjustments:
- Are we on target?
- If not, what must be done?
- Should the plan be changed/modified?
- What else have we learned?
Close the Project
Close Project
Once the objective has been achieved, there is still a final step that should be taken.
Document Lessons
Document Lessons
Document and discuss lessons learned:
- What went well?
- What didn't?
- What should be addressed?