Project management in SE

1. Project management in SE • Closing a project • Peeter Normak • 29.10.2015

2. Plan • Project management software (Martin Sillaots). • Discussion: Home assignment. • Project execution (some additional aspects) • Closing a project: • Activities of project completion • Aspects causing project drift • Project final completion • Analysis document • Activities after the project completion

3. Home assignment • Questions concerning elaboration of the project plan. • Formulate the basic principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and analyze how could you reflect these in your examination work. • Study the Project Management Professional Code of Professional Conduct. What of the basic requirements of the code of conduct would be most important to follow in your project?

4. Home assignment • Choose one perspective of PRINCE2 Maturity Model P2MM (Management Control, Benefits Management, Financial Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Risk Management, Organizational Governance, Resource Management; https://www.axelos.com/Corporate/media/Files/P3M3%20Model/PRINCE2_Maturity_Model_P2MM.pdf) and assess for each level what you will consider as the most important specific and generic attribute of this perspective. • List advantages and disadvantages of matrix project management (every person reports to more than one manager). • Bring an example of an unsuccessful project that could have been rescued with some training or consultation.

5. Project execution (continuation)

6. Project execution – some additional aspects • Using virtual teams (using telework). E: MicroLink + Elion. • Acting against the “myths”. Myth: a property that is attributed to an object or a phenomenon and that is considered as true (taking for granted), but which nevertheless my not be so. • Managing cultural, educational or personal diversity. • Cooperation with the stakeholders (including the top management).

7. Discussion 1 • What problems can arise when using virtual teams?

8. Closing a project

9. Project completion – general • Activities related to project completion form a separate process group in PMBOK Guide. • The aim: acceptance of the project outcome and administrative completion of the project. • NB! The activities of project completion should be planned long before the actual starting of the completion processes. • Remark. The deadline for submitting the final report is usually 1-3 months after official completion of a project.

10. Activities of project completion • Preparation and execution activities for formal completion of the project (for example acceptance tests or presentation of the outcomes of the project). • Completion of the contracts concluded during the project (for example passing the assets to the entitled subject). • Preparation and signing the project completion documents (for example acceptance report, final report etc). • Composition of analysis document (including lessons-learned suggestions to subsequent activities/projects). • Composition of the history document of the project.

11. Discussion 2 • What can go wrong in the closing phase of a project?

12. Problems with the completion • The ideal case: all three sides of the project management triangle (time, cost, scope) are completed in a proper manner. • Usually one of the following happens (cf. the PM triangle): • Lack of time • Lack of resources • Incomplete outcome • Other most common problems: • Project drift (the project can not be completed properly on time) • Transition to other projects/activities. • There are no universal solutions. Solution in each case may depend on different factors.

13. Project drift • Project drift is a relatively common problem. • Some possible reasons: • The priorities of the project staff members will focus outside the project (for example looking for new job). • Presentation additional (sometimes justified) requirements by the customer. • Examples: 1) the web site of the university, 2) Koolielu portal. • The procedure for completion of the project or acceptance of the project’s deliverables is not agreed.

14. Transition to other projects/activities • Uneligible costs that should be covered from other sources. Example: EV report + vacation • Redistribute the tasks (and salaries) in other projects in order to involve colleagues from completed projects. Example: constantly • It is difficult (or sometimes even not possible) to ensure sufficient work load for some staff members immediately after the end of a project. Example: the research project „Distributed learning environments, their interoperability and models of application”

15. Analysis document • The aim: documenting experience obtained during the preparation and execution of a project. • The structure of the analysis document corresponds normally to the project structure and covers (among others) the following questions: • Limitations of the project • Applied procedures and methods • Successful solutions • Problems, their solutions and evaluations • Suggestions to the subsequent projects • Overall assessment • The whole project staff should be involved in composition of the analysis document.

16. The final report

17. Final report - the purpose • The purpose of the final report is to summarize the different stages of the project in a way that would allow to: • get adequate understanding about the major activities of the project, • decide on the coherence of the completed project with the initial Project Plan. • The addressee – the contracting/sponsoring institution.

18. Final report – the structure (Example) • Title page (institution, title of the document, year). • Executive summary (project background, objectives, accomplishments, start/end dates, team members, documents/software produced, contact; 1 page). • Project design (description of the planning of the project, 1 page). • Implementation of the project (activities/milestones, administration, meetings, work division between the team members, involvement of stakeholders etc, 2 pages). • Results (1 page) • Discussion (assessment of the outcome, comparison with other similar projects, possible applications and further developments, what could be made differently, recommendations etc; 3-5 pages). • References

19. Final Report – quality indicators • Adequate: all the important aspects are explained clearly. • Correct: both in the content (figures, tables, citations, URLs etc) and language used (terminology, wording etc). • Readable: easily understandable for those not involved in the project (using also visuals if necessary). • Well structured: sections reasonably titled and numbered, allowing easy citations. • Optimized length: no unnecessary repetitions and unimportant details.

20. Activities after the project completion

21. Activities after the project completion • The aim: extract added value from the project outcomes, pave way to possible subsequent projects. • Examples: • Dissemination of the project’s results: • Press releases to the news agencies • Articles in public press or issuing a collection of articles • Presentations on conferences • Using social software • .... • Application/implementation/exploitation of the project’s results. • Preparation and execution of follow-up processes (“Competence gives strength, experience gives speed”).

22. Dissemination and exploitation of the results • Dissemination: the aim is to inform the wider public about the results. • Exploitation: the aim is to apply/deploy the results of the project. • Application can be hierarchical: an outcome can be applied in some other project, which outcome in turn applied in a third project etc. • Example1: • Research in development of intellectual abilities of children • Development of teaching methods for enhancing intellectual abilities of children • Development of teaching materials used in applying teaching methods • Conducting a pilot training (and an action research). • Example 2: training athletes (video, math/progr, anatomist, trainer). • NB! Dissemination and exploitation activities are often considered as not being included into project life cycle.

23. Discussion 3 • What additional possibilities can be used for dissemination of a projects’ results?

24. Home assignment No 4-1 • Individually: • Read chapter 5 in the General Project Management. Lecture Notes (pages 84-86; two pages only!) and Chapter one of “Aspects of ICT Project Management” and prepare two questions (one for each chapter) to be discussed more thoroughly on the class. • Bring examples about application of the resultsof completed projects. • Assess the quality of the draft final report of the project “IIeP: Immigrant Inclusion by e-Participation” (the document “Final_Report-Example.doc”).

25. Home assignment No 4-2 • Individually: • Read Appendix 4 of General Project Management. Lecture Notes : (Assessment of the conference “Learning …”) and complete the following tasks: • List three positive experiences (they are marked with the symbol +) you think should definitely be considered. Explain your choice. • List three negative experiences (they are marked with the symbol -) you think should definitely be considered. Explain your choice. • List three problems that the assessment does not address but that are important for ensuring successful planning and execution of a conference.

26. Home assignment No 4-3 • In the project teams: • Execute the project according to the Project Plan.

27. Next lecture: • Thursday, November 12 • Topics: • Related questions • Basic principles of software projects

28. The aspects of TQM • TQM: improvement in all aspects and in all levels of an organization. • Leadership (incl. senior management commitment, recognition of success). • Strategic planning (error prevention & visibility). • Customer orientation. • Measurement (incl. cost of quality, benchmarking, measurement of customer satisfaction). • Workforce – empowerment (in quality improvement, process ownership). • Operations (problem solving approach, process management). • Results.

29. Application of PMP Code of Professional Conduct • To provide accurate and trustful information about your activities. • Report possible violations of regulations. • Cooperate concerning ethic violations. • Disclose to stakeholders possible conflict of interest. • Provide truthful information about qualifications and services. • Comply with regulations and ethical standards when providing services. • Respect intellectual property rights. • Disseminate the principles Code of Professional Conduct. • Provide accurate estimates concerning costs and expected results. • Satisfy the scope and objectives of professional services. • Respect the confidentiality of sensitive information. • Ensure that a conflict of interest does not harm the customers. • Refrain from offering or accepting inappropriate payments or gifts.

30. Problems of virtual teams • Lack of accountability. • Missed meetings (especially ad hoc meetings)/deadlines. • Lack of communication. • Lack of competence remains hidden/adequate assignment of tasks. • Building trust. • Disturbing factors (for example, family issues) inhibits focusing on a project. • Uneven participation. • Weak/ineffective cooperation with the customers.

31. P2MM – Stakeholder Engagement – Level 3 (Spec.attr.) • 1. Centrally defined and consistent approach, and supporting procedure, for identifying and analyzing stakeholders. • 2. Projects consider stakeholder needs and stakeholders are actively involved in decision-making. • 3. Corporate communications (or equivalent) are involved in development of stakeholder engagement procedures. • 4. Stakeholders have authority and clearly defined roles within project • 5. Audit trails of communications maintained for all projects. • 6. Structured, centrally managed communications plan balances communications from all projects. • 7. Communications channels vary and are used to target and deliver messages effectively. • 8. Communications budget exists • 9. Much of this approach is provided by the Organization Portfolio Office.

32. Matrix management Advantages: • Increases cooperation inside the organization. • Flexible work division (streamlines workload). • Composition of project teams according to the needs of the project. • Knowledge/experience sharing. Disadvantages: • Confusing management/responsibilities structure. • Weak dedication (diffusion of priorities). • Conflicts of loyalty between the project managers/heads of departments. • Good people are overloaded.

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