Module Four: Planning a successful project Flashcards
What is a deployment baseline
A deployment baseline is the plan for the execution of the project.
It supports the project management plan and typically sets out the baselines plans for the project.
These normally include scope, timeline and budget
It will be approved at the decision gate.
Explain how you would use the deployment baseline in a PMP
DB sets out the baselines plans
for schedule, cost, and scope for the project
It is a fixed reference point to measure and compare your project’s progress against.
This allows you to assess the performance of your project over time
Use to agree how project interfaces with other projects and BAU.
When fully integrated, it may be referred to as a performance measurement baseline (PMB)
Identify the differences between this in a linear and iterative lifecycle
Linear Life Cycle
Fixed scope, timeline and budget (mostly).
Control changes and risk to stay within the baseline.
Scope fully developed before the start.
Good for projects with known requirements and known delivery method
Iterative
Budget and timeline fixed at the start (mostly)
The scope varies with each iteration dependent on feedback
Can be difficult to predict when the project will finish (if ever)
Good for projects with known delivery methods but poorly defined scope.
Explain the importance of producing a project management plan - 4 reasons
Core to any project
PMP sets and clarifies the expectations of all stakeholders who are involved in the project delivery as well as communicates the plan to them.
Can be referred to as contract between PM and Sponsor
When approved all processes to execute the plan can be audited and results given to stakeholders
Key part of project governance reflecting how closely the team is delivering the project in relation to approved plans.
Describe the typical contents of a project management plan
Why - This is business case, showing justification for the project. Evaluates cost benefits and risk of alternative options and provides rationale for the preferred solution
What - Description of scope of the project, which becomes more defined as project develops_
When- The timeline, supporting documentation to be used in this would be a schedule and project lifecycle approach
Who - create an Organisational breakdown structure (OBS) and Roles and responsibilities
Where- Logistics on project, site location, outline any major restrictions, delivery requirements, security and safety
How - the most comprehensive section, outlines the management structure, including process, templates, Roles and responsibilities, communication requirements. Specific plans should also be written for project controls such as: risk, quality, procurement, safety, scope and cost
How much- budget as Cost breakdown structure/ shows how budget is allocated
Explain the role of contingency planning in projects/Explain what contingency planning is
A contingency plan is a defined, actionable plan that is to be enacted if an identified risk becomes a reality.
Resource set aside for responding to risks. It is needed to match the gap between un-risked plans and the desired level of confidence.
Expressed as Monetary value - an allowance for dealing with impacts on costs or financial benefit
or time - allowance for dealing with impacts on schedule
Form part of risk management strategy
Explain what scope is to the project
Scope is management of projects refer to the totality of the outputs, outcomes, benefits and work required to produce them.
Explain each element of defining your scope which is outputs, outcomes, benefits and activities
Outputs are tangible and intangible projects delivered by project.
Outcomes are the changed circumstances, behaviours that result from use of outputs and leads to realisation of benefits
Activities are actions taken or work performed through which inputs, such as funds, technical assistance and other types of resources are mobilized to produce specific outputs.
Benefits are the Positive and negative, primary and secondary long-term effects produced by a development intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended. Benefits are often dependent on other factors outside the control of the project, but they provide the ultimate justification for the time and effort invested in the project
Identify where you would use each of the following breakdown structures to illustrate either the outputs, outcomes, benefits or activities - PBS, CBS, WBS
Scope can be illustrated using a Product breakdown structure (PBS). This is a hierarchical structure where the gain outputs of the projects are placed at the top level, then next level down shows components that make up higher levels.
Each project will have defined acceptance criteria and quality control methods.
when PBS is completed, used to gain stakeholder agreement that the products identified are as expected.
Once PMS created PM create a more detailed scope definition which results in creation of Work breakdown structure- detail activities to be schedules and resources to meet requirements and benefits.
Each work package will have a code reference in order to be tracked within the business management system.
Any estimated costs of those work breakdowns i.e people or equipment can be recorded using same code and linked to Cost Breakdown Structure
CBS provides financial view of project and splits the scope into individual cost components.
WBS and OBS can be combined to produce a communication decisions - Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) using a RACI coding.
Explain four ways that you would use a Gantt chart to maintain a schedule
- part of this process, you’ll work out who will be responsible for each task, how long each task will take, and what problems your team may encounter.
- This detailed thinking helps you ensure that the schedule is workable, that the right people are assigned to each task and risks mitigated.
- Work out practical aspects of a project, such as the minimum time it will take to deliver, and which tasks need to be completed before others can start.
Can use them to identify the critical path – the sequence of tasks that must individually be completed on time if the whole project is to deliver on time. - Use them to keep your team and your sponsors informed of progress. Simply update the chart to show schedule changes and their implications, or use it to communicate that key tasks have been completed.
Explain four reasons why it is important to maintain a schedule for the success of your project
Financially, to keep costs on track - project scheduling impacts the overall finances of the project. Need to resources (People and materials) effectively, delays cost the project.
Quality - Need to assure project meets quality throughout the lifecycle, as this helps address any problems as they arise and avoid any major issues appearing upon completion.
Scheduled quality control checks manage risks and exploit opportunities to speed up the schedule overall.
Management - Status report meetings held by Project manager with management can prevent costly misunderstandings. these regularly meetings ensure that work flows from one process to the next and everyone knows what is needed to contribute to the projects success.
Manage documentation - Clearly reported and recorded progress keeps the project on track, through use of WBS and Gantt charts. Can then add human resource to the work and evaluate their allocation to ensure everyone is utilised.
Explain four ways that you would use a critical path to maintain a schedule
Have a list of all tasks required and in the correct order allows to maintain the schedule
Reviewing the dependencies between each activity and establishing the logic between activities enables a precedence to be set and duration estimations can be made. The sum of all of those is the overall duration time
Identify four elements of critical path
form of time based planning with emphasis on activities in a project
A list of all tasks required to complete the project
The dependencies between the tasks
The estimate of time (duration) that each activity will take to complete, understanding shortest time to compete all activities in a logical order
Assigning resource as required
Identify four elements of critical chain
form of time based planning with emphasis on resources (labour and non labour)
View that need to get task done as quickly as possible
Any time left over is added as contingency time to the overall project as a buffer
Puts the emphasis on the end goal rather than each individual assignment and ensures that resources are always available for each critical task.
From the above, identify four differences between critical path and critical chain
Critical path focus on activities within the project whereas Critical chain focuses on resources
Critical path works best in linear whereas chain is best in iterative/agile as more flexible
Critical path is more descriptive whereas chain has flexibility
Critical chain collects unused time and adds this into overall buffer whereas critical path adds float to task but if not used it it lost.
