Project Management Flashcards
What is a Project?
A project is a unique transient endeavour undertaken to bring about change and to achieve planned objectives.
What is Project management?
Project management is the application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve specific objectives for change.
What is business as usual?
An organisations normal day to day operations. Also referred to as steady state.
What are the differences between Projects and BaU?
Projects
-Unique
-Temporary
-Revolutionary (major or fundamental change)
-Transient resources
-Risk & Uncertainty
Bau
-Repetitive
-Ongoing
-Evolutionary
-Permanent Resources
-Risk averse
What are the benefits of project management?
-Risk is reduced and opportunities maximised.
-Only projects with viable business cases are initiated.
-Non-viable projects are terminated.
-Increased likelihood of the desired result.
-Efficient and best value use of resources.
-Satisfy the differing needs of the project’s stakeholders.
-Scope creep is avoided.
What is a Programme?
A programme is a unique, transient strategic endeavour undertaken to achieve beneficial change and incorporating a group of related projects and business as usual activities.
What is a portfolio?
A collection of projects and/or programmes used to structure and manage investments at an organisational or functional level to optimise strategic benefits or operational efficiency.
What are the reasons for a programme?
-Effective use of resources
-Better management of interdependencies between project.
-Ability to manage risks, issues and changes across the programme.
-Bring BaU and projects in one structure to focus on benefits.
-Ensures projects are aligned with strategic aims of business.
-Common processes, reporting and procedures improve efficiency.
What are the reasons for a portfolio?
-Better strategic alignment.
-Assurance of the alignment.
-Align changes to capacity and capability.
-Financial control.
What are the APM Phases of a linear project lifecycle?
-Concept.
-Definition.
-Deployment.
-Transition.
What are the DSDM phases of an iterative project lifecycle?
-Pre-Project.
-Feasibility.
-Foundation.
-Evolutionary development.
-Deployment.
-Post-Project.
What happens in the concept phase? (Linear)
-Initial idea developed.
-Outline Business Case created and a high-level schedule.
-Sponsor is appointed, PM may be appointed.
At the end of this phase the following questions should be answered:
-Is the project likely to be viable?
-Is it definitely worth investing in the ‘definition’ phase?
What happens in the definition phase? (Linear)
-Preferred solution is identified and ways of achieving it are refined.
-Project Management Plan (PMP) is developed.
-PMP and business case must be approved by the sponsor before the next phase can start.
During this phase the idea is scrutinised further as more time, money and people are devoted to the task.
the PMP is the significant output, answering the fundamental questions of the project: why? what? who? when? how? how much?
What happens in the deployment phase? (Linear)
-PMP is followed.
-Outputs of the project are delivered.
-Typically, this phase is split in to several further stages (where stage reviews take place at the end).
-Includes the bulk of the testing.
What happens in the transition phase? (Linear)
-Project outputs are handed over and accepted by the sponsor on behalf of the users.
-Post project review performed here.
Typical activities include:
-Completion of testing.
-Handover to customer and obtain acceptance.
-Handover to operational support and obtain acceptance.
-Dispose of facilities.
-Release resources.
-Finalise contracts and accounts.
-Archive project documentation.
-Undertake post-project review, distribute lessons learned.
-Prepare for benefits realisation.
