Project Management Basics Flashcards
What is the definition of a project?
• A temporary organisation created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case
What are the characteristics of a project?
• CHANGE (impr product, improve methods of work, avoid consequence like new leg)
• TEMPORARY
• CROSS-FUNCTIONAL (Different people with different skills & levels)
• UNIQUE (eg. New client, new product or processes)
• UNCERTAINTY/RISK
What are the differences between a Project and Business as Usual (BAU)
Project: Temporary, a new team is created, an element of difficulty & uncertainty. Prince2 & Prince2 Agile is is for projects only
BAU: Ongoing, Stable team, Routine & a degree of certainty
What are the 5 Bruce Tuckman team roles?
• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Adjourning
What is the definition of Project Management?
“The process of planning and executing a piece of work from inception to completion to achieve safe achievement of objectives on time, within cost limitations and to the specified standards of quality”
Outline the reasons why projects fail?
• Lack of co-ordination of resources & activities
• “ of communication (especially with customer)
• Poor time & cost estimations
• Insufficient measurables (eg. progress checks)
• Inadequate planning of resources
• Lack of control over progress
• “ quality control
• Loss of momentum (eg. communication delays)
List the six project Tolerances?
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• Scope
• Benefits
• Risk
What are the two levels of project management?
• Project Level ( Project Board)
• Stage Level (Project Manager)
Describe the responsibilities of the Project Board and Project Manager.
Project Board: Managing some/all of the Project level tolerances (time, cost, quality, scope, benefits and risk) and is accountable for the Project
Project Manager: Managing the project at stage level, one stage at a time and reporting to the board at the end of each stage.
How is the required work within a stage created?
• Via work packages managed by team leader/s
• Before stage, a discussion between Team manager and Project Manager to formulate a stage plan beforehand.
Summarise how a project is controlled within Project Management.
• Project Board - Ensures Project is within Project level tolerances
• Project Manager - Submits stage plan to board & ensures compliance to objects
• Team Manager - Make sure each work package is completed with work package tolerance
Outline the different people/groups within a project
- Delivery Team SMEs (Do the work)
- Project Manager (Manage the work)
- Project Support ( Help the PM)
- Project Board (Governance/oversight)
- Project Assurance (Check expectations are being met for PB)
What makes up the Project Board?
- Senior Executive
- Senior Supplier
- Senior User
(Project Assurance checks expectations are being met by audits)
Summarise the Project Methodology/life cycle of projects
- Places activities in order so that the right thing is done at the right time
- Prince2 projects must have a start, middle & an end
What is the Project Product Description?
• AKA PPD
• Description of the product to be handed over at the end
Outline the needs of a project
• To know what the project should deliver (Project Product Description)
• Project Approach (how product will be obtained)
• Plans (required resources and when)
• Justification (Business Case & Benefit Management approach)
• Change control framework (change request)
• Risk Management System (handle uncertainty)
• Quality Management Framework (make sure fit for purpose)
• Plans
List 3 delivery approaches
- Prince 2
- Waterfall/ Big Design Upfront
- Agile
What does Prince2 stand for?
Project in a controlled environment
What is a big con with the Waterfall Approach?
The actual starting of the build phase of the project happens so late in the project. The end product may now not be suitable.
What alternative approaches were created to Waterfall?
- Prince2
- Agile
Provide an overview of Agile
• Addresses new demands on software delivery
• Interpreted in a variety of ways
• Several frameworks are referred to as ‘agile ways of working’
• Characterised by familiar behaviours, concepts & techniques
• The manifesto created to provide a more flexible alternative to waterfall
What can agile be used for?
- Business ad usual
- Running a project
List the agile methodology characteristics
• Incremental
• Iterative (Fail Fast Learn Quickly)
• Heavy Customer Involvement
• Requirements change as customers gain a clearer picture of the needed solution
State the Agile Manifesto
- Individuals/interactions over processes/tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
How can agile improve the Prince2 process?
- By itself P2 does not describe how the delivery team works in any detail
- The agile ways of working fits well into the Prince 2 delivery stages
What is overall structure of Prince2?
- 7 Principles
- 7 Processes
- 7 Themes
