Project management and project cycle management

1. Project management and project cycle management

2. Content of the lecture • What is a project? • How does project management benefit you? • Project cycle management (PCM) • PCM tools • Project managers

3. Learning objectives • After this lecture participants will understand the basics of project management, know the role of project manager andprinciples of project cycle management

4. A project • What is a project • Defined start and end, specific scope, cost and duration • A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result • A series of activities aimed at bringing about clearly specified objectives within a defined time period and with a defined budget (EU Aid delivery methods)

5. Benefits of project management • Project management was developed to save time by properly planning a project and considering all relevant factors which may affect its outcome • The benefits have been proven - it saves time and money - and generates a more successful outcome …. if guidelines are followed

6. How does project management benefit you? • You will have goal clarity and measurement • Your resources will be coordinated • Your risks will be identified and managed • You will increase the possibilities of time savings • You will increase the possibilities of cost savings • You will increase the possibilities of achieving the agreed outcome • You will increase the possibilities to deliver projects successfully

7. Improved quality • Decision-making routes and processes are clearly defined • Deadlines, costs and resources are controlled systematically • All processes in the project management activity chain are coordinated to ensure they remain in harmony with one another • The result will help you to get: • more speed • greater flexibility • improved quality

8. What project management helps you to achieve • Plan tasks in project • Avoid dependencies problems • Reduce risks • Track progress accurately • Organize project process and timeline • Improve stakeholder - staff communication • Improve management of stakeholders’ expectations • Complete within budget and on time

9. Project success factors • Stakeholder involvement • Executive management support • Clear statement of requirements • Proper planning • Realistic expectations • Smaller project milestones • Competent staff • Ownership • Clear vision and objectives • Hard working and focused staff

10. Stakeholder Relations The triple constraint Time Cost Quality

11. Project Cycle Management (PCM) • PCM • Is a methodology for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of projects based on the principles of the logical framework approach • It describes management activities and decision-making procedures used during the life cycle of a project (key tasks, roles and responsibilities, key documents and decision options)

12. Project cycle management (PCM) • Is useful in designing, implementing and monitoring a plan or a project • A clear concise visual presentation of all the key components of a plan and a basis for monitoring • It clarifies: • How the project will work • What it is going to achieve • What factors relate to its success • How progress will be measured

13. The project cycle Programming Evaluation Identification Financing decision Implementation Formulation Financing decision

14. The three PCM principles • Decision making criteria defined at each phase • The phases in the cycle are progressive • Project identification part of structured feedback

15. PCM is result based • PCM requires the active participation of key stakeholders and aims to promote local ownership • PCM incorporates key assessment criteria into each stage of the project cycle • PCM requires the production of good quality key documents in each phase to support decision making

16. PCM helps to ensure that • Projects are part of the country policy objectives • Projects are relevant to the real problems of target groups / beneficiaries • Clearly identified stakeholders (primary target groups and final beneficiaries) • Projects are feasible (objectives are realistic) • Clearly defined coordination, management, financing arrangements, monitoring and evaluation • Benefits generated by projects are likely to be sustainable

17. PCM tools • The logical framework approach • Quality assessment criteria • Institutional capacity assessment • Economic and financial analysis • Promoting participatory approaches

18. Time management • Defining project activities • Activity scheduling • Create and controlling the project activities • An inch of time cannot be bought for an inch of gold." - Chinese proverb

19. Time management grid There's an old joke when it comes to project management time: 'The first 90 percent of a project schedule takes 90 percent of the time. The last 10 percent takes the other 90 percent of the time'

20. Managing the scope of the project • Project scope management constitutes 'the processes to ensure that the project includes all of the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.‘ • Project scope has several purposes: • It defines what work is needed to complete the project objectives • It determines what is included in the project • It serves as a guide to determine what work is not needed to complete the project objectives • It serves as a point of reference for what is not included in the project

21. Role of a project manager • The role of a project manager is affected by the one-shot nature of the project • The role of a project manager is difficult when team members are still linked to their permanent work areas • Members may be assigned to several projects simultaneously • Managers must rely on their communication skills and powers of persuasion

22. Leader & manager Facilitator, coordinator Communicator Credibility: Technical/Administrative Work under pressure Goal-oriented Innovator Versatilist Knowledgeable about the organization Political sensitivity Conflict: sense, confront, resolve Can deal with stress, chaos, ambiguity Planning and follow-through Ethical dilemmas Project manager attributes

23. Versatilist Specialist Generalist Project manager attributes X

24. Project manager duties • Reports to senior management • Communicates with users • Plans and schedules • Obtains and allocates resources • Controls risks • Manages people • Coordinates • Implements quality assurance • Controls the budget • Delivers results

25. Project teams • Diversity of knowledge needed • Cross-functional • Self-directed • Often ad-hoc or temporary • Often distributed (geographically) • Start and end dates

26. Project personnel skills • Technical • Political • Problem-oriented • (vs. discipline-oriented) • Goal-oriented • Flexibility, adaptability • High self-esteem • can handle failure, risk, uncertainty, unexpected • can share blame and credit

27. Governmental projects • Legal constraints on government projects • Laws, statutes, ordinances, directives, regulations, budgets, and policies • Accountability to the public • Accountable to legislative & judicial bodies, interest groups, the press and the public • Utilization of public resources • Objective is not higher ROI, but public good

28. Project governance • Risk planning • Balancing risk avoidance and risk acceptance • Life cycle management • From concept to replacement • Strategic change • Balancing the solution and the ability to utilize • Value management • Adopting consistent processes, building in quality and adding value

29. Project management methodology scope • What is a methodology • The way we do things around here ! • Communication, consistency, understanding, accountability • Project management vs. other activities • This way project management uses the same approach for all situations

30. References • British Standard 60971, 2000:2 • European Commission (2004). Project Cycle Management Guidelines. Downloaded 1st March from:http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/qsm/documents/pcm_manual_2004_en.pdf