Research Methods: Project Management

1. Research Methods:Project Management James Gain jgain@cs.uct.ac.za

2. Research Methods Outline • Introduction [3] • Project Management [2] • Experimental Computer Science [3] • Role of Mathematics [1] • Designing User Experiments [2] • Qualitative Research [2] • Writing [3]

3. 11 5 2 7 7 11 0 2 5 2 D B A E C G J F H I 12 11 6 14 13 10 11 5 7 2 7 6 3 0 5 11 7 2 12 9 2 11 14 14 7 14 12 12 6 9 0 1 0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 Outline • Network Analysis • Gantt Charts • Risk Management • Project Control 7 3 6 2 4 3 2 5 4 3

4. What is Network Analysis? • Project tasks (activities): • Are often interdependent • But need to be done in parallel for teamwork to be effective • Task networks are graphical depictions of task dependence • Network analysis is a project planning method that: • Determines the critical path • Establishes “most likely” time estimates • Calculates boundaries to stop project slippage

5. History of Network Analysis • 1958 PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) used in U.S. Navy Polaris Missile Program • 1959 CPM (Critical Path Method) devised • 1960’s Massive U.S. Government Projects • Vietnam, Nuclear Power Plants, NASA Apollo • Required extensive Computer Aided planning and control

6. Terminology • Earliest Start/Finish • Earliest a task can begin/end if all preceeding tasks are completed in the shortest time • Latest Start/Finish • Latest a task can begin/end without delaying the minimum project completion time • Critical Path • Chain that determines overall project duration • Slack (Float) • The amount of surplus time or leeway allowed while still retaining earliest project completion

7. Example: Task Network

8. Activity Description Network Analysis • Tasks are shown as boxes • Sequence constraints are lines connecting the boxes Earliest Start Earliest Finish Latest Finish Latest Start Total Float Free Float

9. A D C I J G F H E B Analysis: Step #1 • Draw network • Labelling tasks in order (left to right, top to bottom)

10. 5 0 5 2 7 2 2 7 11 11 B A D C I H G E F J 2 11 5 12 10 13 11 6 14 7 Analysis: Step #2 • Write the estimated time for each activity • Carry out a “forward pass” • Fill in Earliest Start, Earliest Finish 7 3 6 2 4 3 2 3 5 4

11. 7 7 2 11 2 5 2 11 5 0 J A I D H E C G F B 11 13 11 2 7 6 10 5 14 12 12 2 6 5 11 7 7 3 9 0 6 2 7 9 14 11 12 14 12 14 Analysis: Step #3 • Carry out a “backward pass” • Fill in Latest Start, Latest Finish 7 3 6 2 4 3 2 5 3 4

12. 7 2 11 2 11 2 5 5 0 7 G I H J E C B F D A 7 2 11 5 6 10 13 14 11 12 11 12 5 3 6 7 2 0 9 7 14 12 14 11 14 9 7 2 12 6 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 2 2 1 Analysis: Step #4 • Fill in Total Float • Time by which an activity may be delayed without affecting the final completion date 7 3 6 2 4 3 2 5 4 3

13. 11 2 7 11 7 0 2 5 G A H J B F I C 5 13 11 6 12 10 14 2 0 3 9 11 7 12 7 5 12 11 14 14 2 6 14 9 0 3 0 1 2 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 Analysis: Step #5 • Fill in Free Float • Amount of time an activity can expand without affecting the start or finish of any other activity • FF = ES (next) – EF (current) 7 5 E 11 6 12 1 0 3 6 2 4 3 2 2 D 7 2 7 0 0 4 5 3

14. 2 2 11 7 11 5 2 7 0 5 H E D F G A I B J C 6 12 7 11 2 13 11 5 14 10 7 7 5 0 11 2 9 6 12 3 11 2 14 9 7 12 14 12 14 6 0 2 0 1 0 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 Analysis: Step #6 • Critical Path • This path is the manager’s primary concern 7 3 6 2 4 3 2 5 4 3

15. Exercise: Network Analysis • Do network analysis for a joint research project

16. P L R1 I1 X R2 I2 I3 Solution: Network Analysis Graph and Label 8 14 8 5 6 12 10 10

17. Earliest Start/Finish 6 0 14 6 18 6 33 28 I1 R1 X L R2 I3 P I2 14 6 28 33 16 26 43 18 8 14 8 5 6 12 10 10 Solution: Network Analysis

18. Latest Start/Finish 6 14 18 28 6 6 33 0 I3 R2 X L P I2 R1 I1 6 16 18 33 28 14 43 26 8 14 8 28 20 23 14 0 6 33 33 28 20 43 14 28 33 6 8 5 6 12 10 10 Solution: Network Analysis

19. Total Float 6 28 0 33 6 14 18 6 X L I3 R1 R2 I1 P I2 26 6 14 16 28 43 33 18 8 14 14 6 20 0 8 23 28 33 14 28 43 33 6 33 28 20 0 2 0 0 17 2 0 0 8 5 6 12 10 10 Solution: Network Analysis

20. Free Float 28 33 6 0 6 18 6 14 L R1 R2 P I3 X I2 I1 16 28 43 14 6 26 33 18 8 14 8 0 23 28 20 6 14 33 33 28 14 6 28 20 33 43 0 0 0 0 0 2 17 2 0 0 0 2 17 0 0 0 8 5 6 12 10 10 Solution: Network Analysis

21. Critical Path 28 33 6 0 6 18 6 14 L R1 R2 P I3 X I2 I1 16 28 43 14 6 26 33 18 8 14 8 0 23 28 20 6 14 33 33 28 14 6 28 20 33 43 0 0 0 0 0 2 17 2 0 0 0 2 17 0 0 0 8 5 6 12 10 10 Solution: Network Analysis

22. Outline • Network Analysis • Gantt Charts • Risk Management • Project Control

23. History of Gantt Charts • Developed by Henry L. Gantt in 1917 • Widely used for WW1 ship building • Below: an early precursor (1910) showing productivity of workers in a sewing factory • Red = idle, black = productive

24. Gantt Charts • Horizontal Bar Charts: • Horizontal axis represents project time span • Vertical axis represent project tasks • Capture: • Task completion • Simple dependencies • Milestones and Deliverables • Don’t handle complex task dependencies • Extensively supported by automated scheduling tools • E.g., Microsoft Project

25. Milestones and Deliverables • Milestone: • Recognisable end-product of a task • Requires a formal, measurable output • “Coding 80% complete” is not adequate • Deliverable: • A project result that is delivered to the customer (supervisor) • Milestones are not always deliverables. Can be internal

26. Before Project The timeline provides a chronological reference Activity bars represent activity duration - the longer the bar, the longer the duration Major project deliverables listed in bold and capped with a diamond Arrows represent dependencies

27. During Project Current date represented by a dotted vertical line Colour-coding assigns tasks to team members Bars filled to show progress

28. Outline • Network Analysis • Gantt Charts • Risk Management • Project Control

29. Managing Research Risks • Why? • Research projects have a high level of uncertainty • Better to anticipate problems in advance • How? • Identify specific risks to the project • Analyze the risks • Rank them in a particular order • Plan for monitoring, mitigation, management • Revisit during project

30. Some Typical Research Risks • Solving the wrong problem • Trying to hit a moving target • Difficulties with data collection • Overlooking previous work • Being blindsided by the competition • Misinterpreting results • Contravening research conventions • Outside interruptions (e.g., ill-health)

31. Risk Matrix • Sort risk by a combination of: • Probability (high, medium, low) • Impact - catastrophic (project failure), critical (massive delay), marginal, negligible

32. 3M’s • Mitigation: • How can we avoid or reduce the risk? • Monitoring: • What factors can we track that will enable us to determine if the risk is becoming more or less likely? • Management: • What contingency plans do we have if the risk becomes a reality

33. Risk Examples • Turnover in research programmers • Postgraduate students fail to meet research objectives

34. Execute Iteration Develop Plan Proposal Identify Risks Develop Evaluate Iteration Iteration Develop Plan Project Plan Staff Project Project Manager Revisit Risk List Outline • Network Analysis • Gantt Charts • Risk Management • Project Control

35. Planning vs. Management • Planning • Pre- and post- • Network analysis, resourcing, risks, schedule • Management • During • Controlling resources and timescales MANAGEMENT PLANNING

36. Some Tips on Project Control • Remember to update planning documents • Show progress in Gantt Chart • Reassess risks • Use an iterative life-cycle • Research is often exploratory - well suited to prototypes • Research can require complex algorithms - avoid the monolith • Research often builds on previous work and may itself be extended