Defining the Project / Making the Rules
Chapter four
Introduction:
Responsibilities of a project manager are several, however the most important one is to make sure that the stakeholders as well as the team members understand exactly what the project is all about, what the final product will look like and what will the success of that specific project mean. As different as each project is from the next one, so are the stakeholders, the team members, the expectations, and the final product. Even though the same people might be involved in a number of projects, yet the work plan and the final product will be different. This understanding by the project manager guarantees success to the project.
Project rules are the foundation: The foundation of any project is the five rules for the success of any project. Understanding these rules can make the difference between success and failure of any project. These rules are: agreement on goals, a clear work plan, dependable communications, scope control, and upper management support. Every step the team takes, regardless of size, depends on these rules. As a matter of fact the success of any project is measured by whether the expectations of the stakeholders were met or not.
Statement of work (SOW):
Statement of work (SOW) is basically an instrument that documents the responsibilities, actions, and expectations of a relationship. Whether it is called statement of work or charter or something else that the organization prefers to use, is not as important as its content. It is the content of it that will establish mutual understanding and clear expectations among the stakeholders.
Responsibility matrix:
Responsibility matrix is a document that explains the responsibility of each team member in any given project clearly and in details. It is similar to the statement of work (SOW) mentioned earlier. Its significance comes from being the matrix that holds otherwise different groups of professionals together for the purpose of completing a mutually beneficial project to all organizations involved.
End point:
The successful project manager should start the project with a strong foundation. A foundation built upon the five rules for the success mentioned earlier. It also is an excellent opportunity for him to establish authority as the director of the project team.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Defining the Project / Project Stakeholders
Defining the Project
2B Project Stakeholders
Chapter three
Many concerns should be taken into consideration when planning a project. First of all the right questions should be asked. Questions like who is in charge of the whole? Are the responsibilities defined and assigned? What is the best way of communication among the project team members? On answering these questions the team will be on its way to generate the rules of the working plan. These rules will define the project and set the foundation for the planning and control stages of the project. When viewing any project from far, it will seem to us that the technology is doing all the work, however, the real shakers and movers are the team members behind the initial planning. These are called the stakeholders. The Dictionary.com website defines a stakeholder as a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry. The first step a project manager should do is to identify these people.
Stakeholder roles: Project team
Every single team member in the project has an assigned responsibility to perform specific to their role in the work plan. In my project for example, there are the team member that will shoot the pictures, the team member that will design a PowerPoint presentation for the project, and the member who will be doing the research. Every task is broken down to the basic skills. Every member is clear on his or her role and what to be expected from them.
Stakeholder roles: Management
The working relation between the project team members and the management should be on to of the priority list of the project manager. The management being the functional management that has a say in the outcome of the project, such as the executive and the first level managers. In my case, it will be the DLI administration.
Stakeholder roles: Sponsor
The sponsor’s position is significant to the communication between the project manger and the decision makers that are interested in the outcome of the project. The sponsor might provide advice, or influence the priorities of the project or delivery. A good sponsor realizes that he or she is sponsoring a project manager and his team and not the project. His job is to help the project manager to be successful. In addition, the sponsor may review and approve the statement of work (SOW), assist in developing a responsibility matrix, issuing a project charter, and approve the project plan among other things.
Stakeholder roles: customer
The reason for any project to exist is the existence of a beneficiary that is willing to pay for it and use it. The final say in the work plan for any project is the customer’s. Identifying the customer for certain project is no always that easy. For instant in my project, it is hard to clearly define the customer. The end user that will be using my program is not the party that will dictate the rules for the program. Although the program is designed to benefit the Arabic language learner, yet the party that set the standards is DLI. That’s why it is hard sometimes to differentiate between the authority on the project and the beneficiary.
End point:
To guarantee the success of any project, it is important to all the stakeholders have to reach an understanding and agree on the working plan and the goals of the project even before the work in the project starts. Then comes the crucial role of the project manager to coordinate all the team members and see the project from the beginning to the end.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2B Project Stakeholders
Chapter three
Many concerns should be taken into consideration when planning a project. First of all the right questions should be asked. Questions like who is in charge of the whole? Are the responsibilities defined and assigned? What is the best way of communication among the project team members? On answering these questions the team will be on its way to generate the rules of the working plan. These rules will define the project and set the foundation for the planning and control stages of the project. When viewing any project from far, it will seem to us that the technology is doing all the work, however, the real shakers and movers are the team members behind the initial planning. These are called the stakeholders. The Dictionary.com website defines a stakeholder as a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry. The first step a project manager should do is to identify these people.
Stakeholder roles: Project team
Every single team member in the project has an assigned responsibility to perform specific to their role in the work plan. In my project for example, there are the team member that will shoot the pictures, the team member that will design a PowerPoint presentation for the project, and the member who will be doing the research. Every task is broken down to the basic skills. Every member is clear on his or her role and what to be expected from them.
Stakeholder roles: Management
The working relation between the project team members and the management should be on to of the priority list of the project manager. The management being the functional management that has a say in the outcome of the project, such as the executive and the first level managers. In my case, it will be the DLI administration.
Stakeholder roles: Sponsor
The sponsor’s position is significant to the communication between the project manger and the decision makers that are interested in the outcome of the project. The sponsor might provide advice, or influence the priorities of the project or delivery. A good sponsor realizes that he or she is sponsoring a project manager and his team and not the project. His job is to help the project manager to be successful. In addition, the sponsor may review and approve the statement of work (SOW), assist in developing a responsibility matrix, issuing a project charter, and approve the project plan among other things.
Stakeholder roles: customer
The reason for any project to exist is the existence of a beneficiary that is willing to pay for it and use it. The final say in the work plan for any project is the customer’s. Identifying the customer for certain project is no always that easy. For instant in my project, it is hard to clearly define the customer. The end user that will be using my program is not the party that will dictate the rules for the program. Although the program is designed to benefit the Arabic language learner, yet the party that set the standards is DLI. That’s why it is hard sometimes to differentiate between the authority on the project and the beneficiary.
End point:
To guarantee the success of any project, it is important to all the stakeholders have to reach an understanding and agree on the working plan and the goals of the project even before the work in the project starts. Then comes the crucial role of the project manager to coordinate all the team members and see the project from the beginning to the end.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Project Environment
The Project Environment
Chapter Two
In chapter one we learned about the rapid change that our world in going through. This change is lead by the new products and services introduced to consumers. What facilitate this change are the numerous projects that are lead by competent project managers. However, every project is but a one time process that ends with the achievement of objectives set forth by consumers. Once the mission is accomplished and the product is completed and the service is taking shape, there is another process that needs to take place to put the newly produced item into the hands of the user to meet the need that it was created for. This process is an ongoing series of steps that is called ongoing operations. By examining these two individual processes, we realize that although they are so related and both eventually produce the same item, yet they are completely different and require different managerial skills and posses different challenges.
Some of guidelines that caught my eye and do apply to my MIST project could be summarized in the followings:
Definition of Ongoing Operations:
Ongoing operations have some characteristics that are different from projects like it is a repeated process and has no end. A good example will be In-N-Out restaurants. Once the hamburgers are designed and the prototype produced the project is over, but the daily service of millions of hamburger lovers to provide them with their favored meals is a repeated and never ending process.
The ongoing operation will apply to my project directly. Once my project/module is designed and the material provided, it will be a repeated process of offering Arabic language learners the same information and evaluating their comprehension at the end of the class. The project/module by design is flexible enough to accommodate upgrades from time to time.
The definition of success:
For every production there has to be some factors that will bring success to the project. These factors could be the components that the final recipe is in need for to achieve its objectives and allow the process to end exactly where the client had it envisioned first. Some of these factors are in the followings:
Timely completion:
It is usual to have some projects finishing later than anticipated or delivery dates changed from time to time, but that luxury could not be afforded in some projects. There are those projects that if not delivered on certain date, it would be useless. A good example for that would be building shelters for natural disasters victims. Or rescue operation projects that are designed to be implemented over certain period of time while the victims are still alive.
Budget and quality:
Finally, completing a project within proposed budget with high quality product are significant factors that contribute to the success of any project. Although my project has no budget to take into consideration, nevertheless, the high quality end product is essential to the success of the program. Where the main objective is to raise the proficiency level for Arabic language learners, one level higher on the ILR standards.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter Two
In chapter one we learned about the rapid change that our world in going through. This change is lead by the new products and services introduced to consumers. What facilitate this change are the numerous projects that are lead by competent project managers. However, every project is but a one time process that ends with the achievement of objectives set forth by consumers. Once the mission is accomplished and the product is completed and the service is taking shape, there is another process that needs to take place to put the newly produced item into the hands of the user to meet the need that it was created for. This process is an ongoing series of steps that is called ongoing operations. By examining these two individual processes, we realize that although they are so related and both eventually produce the same item, yet they are completely different and require different managerial skills and posses different challenges.
Some of guidelines that caught my eye and do apply to my MIST project could be summarized in the followings:
Definition of Ongoing Operations:
Ongoing operations have some characteristics that are different from projects like it is a repeated process and has no end. A good example will be In-N-Out restaurants. Once the hamburgers are designed and the prototype produced the project is over, but the daily service of millions of hamburger lovers to provide them with their favored meals is a repeated and never ending process.
The ongoing operation will apply to my project directly. Once my project/module is designed and the material provided, it will be a repeated process of offering Arabic language learners the same information and evaluating their comprehension at the end of the class. The project/module by design is flexible enough to accommodate upgrades from time to time.
The definition of success:
For every production there has to be some factors that will bring success to the project. These factors could be the components that the final recipe is in need for to achieve its objectives and allow the process to end exactly where the client had it envisioned first. Some of these factors are in the followings:
Timely completion:
It is usual to have some projects finishing later than anticipated or delivery dates changed from time to time, but that luxury could not be afforded in some projects. There are those projects that if not delivered on certain date, it would be useless. A good example for that would be building shelters for natural disasters victims. Or rescue operation projects that are designed to be implemented over certain period of time while the victims are still alive.
Budget and quality:
Finally, completing a project within proposed budget with high quality product are significant factors that contribute to the success of any project. Although my project has no budget to take into consideration, nevertheless, the high quality end product is essential to the success of the program. Where the main objective is to raise the proficiency level for Arabic language learners, one level higher on the ILR standards.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Project Management in a Changing World
Project management in a changing world
Chapter one
It is intriguing that we are living in an ever-changing world today. Yet it is the increasing pace of this change that cannot be denied is changing everything we do and the way we do it. Starting from the smallest tasks to the largest projects.
Project managers are creating the new global change in everything around us today although project management is not a new concept to our world. When Michael Angelo took on the challenge of completing his Pieta, he went through all the difficulties that a project manager experiences today whether it is miscommunication among the members of the project team or between the suppliers and the builders or even in the availability of funds. Nonetheless, he was contracted by some of the most influential men of that era. Still, it was not until the last century that project management emerged as a discipline. According to the Project Managers Association, its membership rose from about 8,000 in 1990 to over 100,000 members in 2004. It was in the late 1990s when project management as a discipline broke into the corporate world after branching out of government and defense industries. It is now another valuable skill that knows no boundaries nationally and globally.
- New critical career skill
Project managers are everywhere. Everyone who is performing a task of designing and producing an item or an idea is a project manager. It is like when Crispy Cream designed its famous glazed donut. That was a project that the CC team took upon themselves to see to the end and meet the already set objectives although the production line that became a familiar sight in their stores is defined as ongoing operations.
- Understanding project management
Every team member who is involved in a project is important and plays a vital role in achieving the established goals. Their role becomes more significant when they understand the basics of project management and realize the importance of the part they perform in the team.
- Magnifying other strengths
Project management is essential to the success of any project. However, it becomes more valuable when combined with efficiency improving discipline.
- Success factors
Certain elements should be present in any planning to make it successful. Factors such as; mutual understanding between team members, clear path, defined responsibilities, and, most important of them all is having an open line of communication.
All this combined is renewing our world everyday and making our lives easier and easier with every new piece of technology added to our arsenal of inventions. Now, technology age is measured in days and months and not in years anymore.
Implementing what I’ve learned from reviewing all the information included in the above reflection is most certainly going to shape up my objectives even better. I will be using the time frame for my project more efficiently. Communicating with my development and evaluation teams will take a different trend now that I have learned the significance of open communication channels. Also, the importance of a clear and well defined schedule of responsibilities, and the role of every team member.
Chapter one
It is intriguing that we are living in an ever-changing world today. Yet it is the increasing pace of this change that cannot be denied is changing everything we do and the way we do it. Starting from the smallest tasks to the largest projects.
Project managers are creating the new global change in everything around us today although project management is not a new concept to our world. When Michael Angelo took on the challenge of completing his Pieta, he went through all the difficulties that a project manager experiences today whether it is miscommunication among the members of the project team or between the suppliers and the builders or even in the availability of funds. Nonetheless, he was contracted by some of the most influential men of that era. Still, it was not until the last century that project management emerged as a discipline. According to the Project Managers Association, its membership rose from about 8,000 in 1990 to over 100,000 members in 2004. It was in the late 1990s when project management as a discipline broke into the corporate world after branching out of government and defense industries. It is now another valuable skill that knows no boundaries nationally and globally.
- New critical career skill
Project managers are everywhere. Everyone who is performing a task of designing and producing an item or an idea is a project manager. It is like when Crispy Cream designed its famous glazed donut. That was a project that the CC team took upon themselves to see to the end and meet the already set objectives although the production line that became a familiar sight in their stores is defined as ongoing operations.
- Understanding project management
Every team member who is involved in a project is important and plays a vital role in achieving the established goals. Their role becomes more significant when they understand the basics of project management and realize the importance of the part they perform in the team.
- Magnifying other strengths
Project management is essential to the success of any project. However, it becomes more valuable when combined with efficiency improving discipline.
- Success factors
Certain elements should be present in any planning to make it successful. Factors such as; mutual understanding between team members, clear path, defined responsibilities, and, most important of them all is having an open line of communication.
All this combined is renewing our world everyday and making our lives easier and easier with every new piece of technology added to our arsenal of inventions. Now, technology age is measured in days and months and not in years anymore.
Implementing what I’ve learned from reviewing all the information included in the above reflection is most certainly going to shape up my objectives even better. I will be using the time frame for my project more efficiently. Communicating with my development and evaluation teams will take a different trend now that I have learned the significance of open communication channels. Also, the importance of a clear and well defined schedule of responsibilities, and the role of every team member.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Why I chose Introduction to Project Management
As I was reading through the “15 Immutable Laws of Project Management Laws” article, I couldn’t help but wondering about the reason to why it is almost true that no project is ever completed on time, within budget and to do what is suppose to do?
I've been doing several managerial tasks through my last 12 years as a teacher, yet I never had formal training in the subject. Now it is my opportunity to explore the subject and learn from the experts. I’m looking forward to working with Dr Tao whom I got familiar with his teaching philosophy during the last three semesters of MIST program.
I've been doing several managerial tasks through my last 12 years as a teacher, yet I never had formal training in the subject. Now it is my opportunity to explore the subject and learn from the experts. I’m looking forward to working with Dr Tao whom I got familiar with his teaching philosophy during the last three semesters of MIST program.
This is me ...
I'm a teacher with over 12 years of public schools teaching experience in several subjects with my three California State Teaching Credentials. The two permanent credentials and one life time credentials gave me a unique opportunity to teach almost all levels from K-12 all the way to college in addition to several occupational schools and institutes. It was quite an experience to be able to work with students in all learning levels and intellect. This certainly enriched my teaching experience.
I’m also working on my masters in Science Technology through the MIST program from California State University at Monterey Bay. I will be graduating in July yet my commencement is tomorrow.
I’m also working on my masters in Science Technology through the MIST program from California State University at Monterey Bay. I will be graduating in July yet my commencement is tomorrow.
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