Stage 1: Project Conceptualization and Definition

1. Stage 1: Project Conceptualization and Definition James R. Burns

2. Recitation • Name the core knowledge areas • Name the facilitating knowledge areas • Name the four stages of the lifecycle • How does PMBOK handle processes? • Name some processes associated with cost management • Name some processes associated with quality management

3. Recitation • What is the most important stage of PM? • Which project team member is busiest during the 1st Stage? • What is the most important concern of the PM in this stage? • Name some deliverables of the 1st stage?

4. Outline • The First Stage • Using a SOW • Defining Project Boundaries/Scope • Why getting this right is so important • The use of surveys and interviews • Definition of Deliverables and Due Dates • Managing stakeholder expectations

5. More outline • What the deliverables of this stage are • Why this has to be done expeditiously • Why iterations between this and the next stage may be necessary • How this stage gets done • Using Goldratt’s Thinking Process • Defining team roles and determining the organization • Assess Feasibility

6. Conceptualization and Definition Definition and Conceptualization Construct Statementof Work Define Requirements Determine Organization Assess Feasibility Ensure fit with business strategy and priorities Assess technologyconsistency Define scope, size and resource requirements Identify dependencies with other projects Assess overall risk Test alignment with strategies Test resource availability Make GO/NO GO Decision Planning and Budgeting Planning and Budgeting

7. Processes--Scope management Initiation—defining a project charter Scope planning—scope statement Scope definition—defining a work breakdown structure Scope verification—formalizing acceptance Scope change control

8. The First Stage • Analogous to a missile or rocket • If the launch is “bad,” the project may have to be killed • Just as a rocket that misfires must be detonated

9. Deliverables of this stage • Project stakeholders • Consensus vision • Requirements document • Project charter • What the Project deliverables are • Project team members??

10. Project stakeholders • This group must be molded into one in which there is a lot of cohesion • If you can’t get cohesion, then you may have to settle for a plaurality or majority rule • It is most important that everyone knows up front what this project is about • Stakeholders who won’t get what they want from the project need to know this up front

11. Cohesion, Consensus and Commitment • You’ve got to get these prior to execution or you’ll never get them later on

12. Requirements document • What the problem is • What functionality is needed • What inputs • What outputs • Write this section first • What performance • What reliability

13. What kind of meeting is appropriate to begin discussions? • A Joint Requirements Definition Session (JRDS) • To create a strongly held shared vision of what the project is all about

14. Managing Different Views • The problem of ends vs. means values • This is relative to getting consensus • Stakeholder analysis

15. JIM JACK JOE JOHN ORGANIZATION Customer Project team member Hardware vendor Project sponsor Personal traits Not very computer literate, doesn’t know what he wants Terrific developer; lots of experience on similar projects Good sense of humor; a little lax on delivery due dates Very diluted; not convinced project is needed; doesn’t like Jill Relation to project Works for the marketing dept. Will do the database definitions of the product Provides both client and server hardware components Provides funds for project; can kill the project if he deems necessary Level of interest Moderate; is the end user of the deliverable High Moderate Moderate Level of influence None Moderate None High; can kill the project Suggestions for managing the relationship Involve her heavily in the user interface and database development Don’t’ distract him; keep him happy Stay after him, make certain he knows you absolutely have to have it on 3/3/3 Keep him informed; do as he says, now

16. Project Charter • Advantage here is that the rules are made explicit from the outset • Helps remind the PM and team what the goals/objectives are • ANNOUNCES THE PROJECT • ANNOUNCES THE PROJECT MANAGER

17. What else does the Project Charter announce? • Project • Project manager • Project stakeholders • Project scope • Project deliverables • Project assumptions • Project rules/processes • Project governance

18. NAME: • OBJECTIVES: • STAKEHOLDERS: • PROJECT MANAGER: • SCOPE: • DELIVERABLES: • ASSUMPTIONS: • RULES/PROCESSES: • GOVERNANCE: • COMMENTS: • SIGNATURES/SIGN OFFS:

19. Methodology for Facilitation of JRDS • Goldratt Thinking Process

20. Goldratt Thinking Process • What to Change • What to Change to • How to Cause the Change

21. What to Change • Let’s talk about the problems with mainframe/glass house architecture • Data were isolated/non integrated • Centralized MIS shop had long lead times • MIPS on mainframes were expensive and very much in demand • MIPS in PC were dirt cheap and idle most of the time • No WINDOWS/GUI Internet Interface

22. What to Change to • Modern distributing computing architectures

23. Feasibility Assessment Process • Identify Dependencies with other projects • Assess overall risk • Test alignment with/impact on strategies and plans • Test resource availability • Submit deliverables for a quality gate inspection • MAKE GO/NO GO Decision

24. More process steps • Obtain funding • Review alternative approaches • Obtain necessary signatures • Move to next stage

25. A Caveat • Avoid making quick and dirty estimates of duration and cost in this stage • {You may be forced to abide by your first rough estimates which are usually way off}

26. Summary • This is the most important stage • There is a lot of PM involvement • PM must • communicate • Lead • Negotiate • Decide • A most important focus: • Build Consensus