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Project Management: A Critical Skill for Princeton

Project Management: A Critical Skill for Princeton. Presented by Hetty Baiz Princeton Project Office OIT, Princeton University. Background. Multiple Projects Cross-functional Mutually Interdependent Success and failure is no longer within the total control of that project.

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Project Management: A Critical Skill for Princeton

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  1. Project Management:A Critical Skill for Princeton Presented by Hetty Baiz Princeton Project Office OIT, Princeton University

  2. Background • Multiple Projects • Cross-functional • Mutually Interdependent Success and failure is no longer within the total control of that project.

  3. What’s A Project?

  4. What’s A Project? A “project” • Will deliver • Business and/or technical objectives • Is made up of • Defined processes & tasks • Will run for • Set period of time • Has a budget • Resources and $’s

  5. What is Project Success?

  6. I A delighted client (expectations met) Delivered the agreed objectives I Objectives Met an agreed budget - $, resources etc. I Within an agreed time frame I ProjectSuccess Done it all professionally & without killing the team I Cost Time What is Project Success? Project success occurs when we have: The 'Golden Triangle' of and

  7. Why Do Projects Fail? • Changing scope • Insufficient planning • No risk or issues management • Poor communication • Lack of commitment and responsibility by stakeholders

  8. Steering Committee Senior Mgmt Clients & Users Academic & Business Units Interdependent Projects Project Information Technology Outside Groups (Vendors) Team Members Who Are Stakeholders?

  9. Project Management A Maturity Model best practice best practice competent Success rate better than 75% aware aware aware e Success rate of 45 to 75% seat seat of the of pants pants Success rate of 30 to 45% Success rate less than 30%

  10. Seat of Pants Seat of pants Success rate less than 30% • Projects happen without correct initiation • Planning is insufficient • Benefits are unknown • There is often inadequate buy-in • Communication is poor • Interdependencies are not managed • Standards, if any, are poorly defined or unenforced.

  11. Aware aware Success rate of 30 To 40% • Projects are formally initiated & plans endorsed but with varying standards and few disciplines • Methodology has been introduced • Stakeholders support projects overall • The number of projects is rationalized • Projects are explicitly associated with business planning

  12. Competent Success rate of 45 To 75% competent • Methodology and standards are well established and supported • Stakeholders understand and accept roles • Discrete measures support good management • Projects are set up and managed end-to-end • Risks are clearly defined and controlled

  13. Best Practice best practice Success rate better than 75% • Improvement programs are formal • Good measurement enables optimization • Level of confidence sees organization taking on high risk projects successfully • Respect and support of projects and project managers

  14. Why Should We Care? • To Increase the likelihood that projects will : • be done on time and within budget • meet people’s expectations • be done well

  15. Project Office Mission To enable the successful implementation of OIT initiatives in a way that establishes a project management culture so that we deliver projects on time, within budget and with expected results.

  16. How? • Define a Princeton Project Management Methodology (PPMM) • Support and Mentor • Offer Training • Facilitation, Audit, Review

  17. P2K Project Office Methodology Continuous Improvement Consulting/Mentoring Education/Training

  18. Tracking & Control Complete Initiation Planning & Reporting Assess Review Project Management Process Initiation Plan Detailed Plan Status Report Post Project Review Report

  19. Management Techniques To increase the likelihood of project success you must manage: • Stakeholders • Risks • Issues • Change

  20. How to Manage Stakeholders A stakeholder is any person or group who, if their support were to be withdrawn, could cause the project to fail. - Get them involved - Keep them informed - Gain their endorsement

  21. How to Manage Stakeholders • Identify stakeholders • Involve in planning • Establish expectations / accountabilities • Formal communication • Gain sign-off • Change and issues resolution • Project reviews • Define project completion

  22. Risk Management What is “risk”? • Any factor capable of causing the project to go off track. • Develop and monitor a Risk Plan

  23. Issues Management • Unresolved issues will drive a project towards failure and consume a significant part of a project manager’s time. • Stakeholders play key role in issues management and resolution - Establish Issues log, review, escalation process

  24. Change Management • Uncontrolled changes to a project will probably account for up to 30% of a project’s total effort. • If these changes are not managed, the project will be viewed to be over time and over budget. - Establish a Change management process

  25. PPMM Summary Overview • The Process • Initiation • Planning - Track/Control - Report - Review • Completion and Assessment • Management Techniques • Stakeholder Management • Risk Management • Issues Management • Change Management

  26. PPMM Deliverables • Project Plans • Status Reports • Audit & Review Report

  27. PPMM Tools • Office 2000 • Word • Excel • Access • MS Project 2000

  28. For more information…... • Call the Princeton Project Office at 8-6335 • Send e-mail to hetty@princeton.edu • Visit our web site at… www.princeton.edu/ppo

  29. Recommended Best Practices Project Planning and Management • Follow proven methodologies • Active Executive/Project Sponsor • Identify / revisit “critical success” factors • Document assumptions • Business process change vs. customization

  30. Recommended Best Practices Project Planning and Management • Have technical staff in place at start-up • Plan for backfill • Involve Steering Committee early • Plan production support in central offices • Plan for applying fixes • Plan for “end of project” • Plan for vacation/sick time

  31. Recommended Best Practices Scheduling, Tracking and Control • Break large projects into phases (no > 18 - 24 months total) • Control phase “bleed over” • Post phase assessments • “Go/No Go” decision points • Sponsor sign-off • Review Scope periodically

  32. Recommended Best Practices Scheduling, Tracking and Control • Building learning curve into plans • Weekly team meetings • Detail planning in 1-2 month segments • Define and manage to “critical path” • What’s important • Prioritize • Who, what, when

  33. Recommended Best Practices Reporting • Establish monthly status reporting • Hold monthly status reviews with key stakeholders • Oral status reports are effective • Keep users of system (middle managers) informed

  34. Recommended Best Practices Resourcing • Resource Plan • Cross functional teams work • Co-locate teams • Projects are full time job • Complete training before prototyping • Have full team train together • Leverage investment • Build team spirit

  35. Recommended Best Practices Managing Expectations • Communication Plan • Make major policy decisions up front • Don’t make promises to users up front • Monthly status report and review • Monthly / bi-monthly presentations • Articles, web pages, newsletters • Special communications from sponsor • Focus groups, demos, town meetings

  36. Recommended Best Practices Promoting the System • Focus Groups during gap analysis • Demos for every user after first release • Active Executive Committee showed support • Town meetings to endorse system • Major presentation to users • “Pretzel stick” advertisement

  37. Recommended Best Practices Methodology • Follow proven methodologies • Consolidate methodology ( pre-kick off ) • Functional reps go to all prototyping • Use standard report formats • Co-locate developer with tester (short term)

  38. Recommended Best Practices Managing the Consulting Partner • Selection criteria should include • Ability to transfer knowledge • Help organize team • Follow proven methodology • Provide good implementation tools • Ability to form good working partnership • Higher Education experience • Work locally (near by or on-site)

  39. Recommended Best Practices Managing the Consulting Partner • Take time to define contract • Terms and conditions / Statement of work (metrics) • Review by Legal, tech., bus., purchasing • Veto power to select / reject resources • Fixed price gives University more control • Tie payments to acceptance of deliverables • Review quality plans • State that the University has methodology

  40. Recommended Best Practices Managing the Consulting Partner • Form partnership - make part of team • Have single point of contact • Build one project plan • Consultant defines phase objectives • Build in reviews with decision points • Meet expectations / Go-no go decision • Plan for early transition of knowledge • Implementation done by Princeton

  41. Recommended Best Practices Managing the Vendor • Have single point of contact • Include RFP responses / bind vendor to meet • Cap maintenance fees (post impl. Phase) • Don’t presume product works from day 1 • Fixes required? • Review Quality Plans

  42. Recommended Best Practices Managing the Vendor • Know package after prototyping (not sales) • Include vendor milestones in project plan • Build “decision points” into plan where tight vendor dependencies • Have contingency plans in place

  43. For more information…... Visit our Web site at… www.princeton.edu/ppo

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