Chapter 1: Introduction to Project Management
This is the first chapter. In this chapter I know so many definitions. At the beginning, I learn about the meaning of the project that is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. I also know the project attributes and also example of IT projects. I also learn about the triple constraint of project management which are scope, time and cost. Through this chapter, I know that there are 9 knowledge areas in project management framework which are scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resource management, communication management, risk management, procurement management and project integration management. I know that there are 8 stakeholders in a project. Without them maybe the project cannot be run. In this chapter also include the project management tools and techniques which is project charter use for scope, gantt charts use for time and cost estimation use for cost. There also have so many points about what helps projects succeed. This chapter also include the meaning of program, program manager, best practise, and so on. This chapter also explain about project manager. It is include suggested skills for project managers, the role of project manager and ten most important skills and competencies for project managers. At the end of the chapter is about The Project Management Institute, certification available at there and so on. There also include the ethics in Project Management and project management software.
Chapter 2: The Project Management and Information Technology Context
From chapter 2, I can learn about the system view of project management and know how the system applies to information technology project. For examples, project management need to use system thinking to support current business needs. System approach use to describe a more analytical approach to management and problem solving. The systems are divided by three systems. There are systems philosophy, systems analysis and systems management. Then, I also more understand organization, including the four frames, organizational structures, and organizational culture. In point to understanding organizations, there are divided by four frames. There are structural frame focuses on roles and responsibilities, coordination and control, human resources frame focuses on providing harmony, political frame focuses about conflict and power and symbolic frame focuses on symbols and meanings related to events. There are three organization structures which are functional, project and matrix. This chapter has explained about stakeholder management and top management commitments are critical for a project’s success. Stakeholder management must have a good relationship with all their project stakeholders. And senior executives or top management are very important stakeholders. A deliverable is a product or service produced or provided as part of a project. The part of a project have three phases, there are early phases, middle phases and final phases. For each phases have a focus itself. Now I know, products also have life cycles. The systems development life cycle is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems. Predictive life cycle and adaptive software development life cycle can be followed by systems development projects. Predictive life cycle have five models which are waterfall model, spiral model, incremental build model, prototyping model and rapid application development model. And last topic is about the unique attributes and diverse nature of information technology projects. Management reviews, also called phase exits or kill points, should occur after each phase to evaluate the project’s progress, likely success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals.
Chapter 3: The Project Management Process Groups: A Case Study
From chapter 3, I have learned about the five project management (PM) process groups, the typical level of activity for each, and the interactions among them which are initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes and closing processes. I also learned about how the PM process groups relate to the PM knowledge areas. In this mapping the process groups to the knowledge areas I become closer with the nine knowledge areas using the PMBOK® Guide 2004. In the class, my lecturer have explained how organizations develop information technology PM methodologies to meet their needs. So, I know that some organizations develop their own information technology project management methodologies. I have showed and given a case study of an organization applying and more familiar with the PM process groups to manage an information technology project, and understand the contribution that effective project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closing make to project success by my lecturer.
Chapter 4: Project Integration Management
In Chapter 4, I can learn the all overall framework for project integration management as it relates to the other PM knowledge areas and the project life cycle. Project managers must coordinate all of the other knowledge areas throughout a project’s life cycle. Develop the project charter, develop the preliminary project scope statement, develop the project management plan, direct and manage project execution, monitor and control the project work, perform integrated change control and close the project are project integration management processes. Strategic planning involves determining long term objectives, predicting future trends, and projecting the need for new products and services. I also had learn method for selecting projects include focusing on broad organizational needs, categorizing information technology projects, performing net present value or other financial analyses, using a weighted scoring model and implementing a balanced scorecard. The important of creating a project charter to formally initiate projects also have explained in this topic. Key project stakeholders should sign a project charter to acknowledge agreement on the need and intend of the project. I also learn the process of creating a preliminary project scope statement. A scope statement is a document used to develop and confirm a common understanding of the project scope for prevents scope creep. I also learn about project management plan development, including content, using guidelines and templates for developing plans, and performing a stakeholder analysis to help manage relationships. A project management plan is a document used to coordinate all project planning documents and help guide a project’s execution and control. About project execution, its relationship to project planning, the factors related to successful results, and tools and techniques to assist in project execution. Two of project execution tools and techniques are project management methodology and project management information systems. Then I have known about the process of monitoring and controlling project work. In this point, I have to take note about two important outputs of monitoring and controlling project work includes recommended corrective and preventive actions. Three main objectives are influencing the factors that create changes to ensure that changes are beneficial, determining that a change has occurred and managing actual changes as they occur. The final topic for chapter 4 is, I can know how software can assist in project integration management.
Chapter 5: Project Scope Management
From chapter 5, I can understand the elements that make good project scope management important. Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them. Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or not included in a project. The explaining about scope planning process and describe the contents of the scope management plan very detail. There are have five processes of project scope management which are scope planning, scope definition, creating the WBS, scope verification and scope control. Key inputs include the project charter, preliminary scope statement, and project management plan. I also have learnt about the process for developing a project scope statement using the project charter and preliminary scope statement. As time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific. I also can know closer the definition of scope and the work involved in constructing a work breakdown structure using the analog for review WBSs of similar projects and tailor, top-down for start with the largest items of the project and break them down, bottom-up for start with the specific tasks and roll them up, and mind-mapping approaches is a techniques that uses branches radiating out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas. A WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project. Decomposition is subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces. A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS. I also know the importance of scope verification and how it relates to scope definition and control. Scope verification involves formal acceptance of the completed project scope by the stakeholders. Scope control involves controlling changes to the project scope. Variance is the difference between planned and actual performance. Now I understand the important of scope control and approaches for preventing scope related problem on information technology projects. The last topic for this chapter is I can know using software to assist in project scope management.
Chapter 6: Project Time Management
In this chapter, I can understand about the importance of project schedules and good project time management. There are 6 main processes for Project Time Management which is activity definition, activity sequencing, activity resource estimating, activity duration estimating, schedule development and schedule control. I also know how project managers use network diagrams and dependencies to assist in activity sequencing. There are three types of dependencies which are mandatory dependencies where it inherent in the nature of the work being performed on a project, sometimes referred to as hard logic. The second one is discretionary dependencies which is defined by the project team, sometimes referred to as soft logic and should be used with care since they may limit later scheduling options. The last one is external dependencies, it involve relationships between project and non-project activities. I also know that network diagram actually is a schematic display of the logical relationships among, or sequencing of, project activities. Two main formats are the arrow and precedence diagramming methods. It also includes process for creating AOA diagram. I also know that there are three-point estimates are needed for PERT and Monte Carlo simulations. Gantt charts provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format. Milestone should be specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-framed. In a short form we call it as SMART. At the end of the chapter I know that there is a lot of software that we can use in Time Management.
Chapter 7: Project Cost Management
From this chapter, I know the importance of project cost management. It has three processes which are cost estimating means developing an approximation or estimate of the costs of the resources needed to complete a project. Second is cost budgeting means allocating the overall cost estimate to individual work items to establish a baseline for measuring performance. Third is cost control means controlling changes to the project budget. I also know that Project managers must take cost estimates seriously if they want to complete projects within budget constraints. If not they will have a problem in cost of the project. The other things that I know is about cost management plan. Cost management plan is a document that describes how the organization will manage cost variance on the project. There are three cost estimation tools and techniques which is analogous or top-down estimates, bottom-up estimates and parametric modeling. At the end of the chapter I also know that we can use suitable software to assist in cost management.
Chapter 8: Project Quality Management
I learn about the importance of project quality management in this chapter. In order to achieve the goals of the project, we have to maintain the quality. We have to know how to maintain the quality of the project. So we have to follow all the process which is quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. In planning, we have to prevent the defect by selecting proper materials, training and indoctrinating people in quality and planning a process that ensures the appropriate outcome. I also know that Project managers are ultimately responsible for quality management on their projects. So if anything happen, Project Managers have to take the responsibilities. We have to use quality control chart in order to record the quality control. We also can use run chart, scatter diagram, histogram, Pareto charts or flow charts. At the end of the chapter I learn about maturity models. Actually maturity models are frameworks for helping organizations improve their processes and systems. So with all of this we can maintain the quality of our project.
Chapter 9: Project Human Resource Management
This chapter explain the importance of good human resource management on projects, including the current state and future implications of the global IT workforce. Human resource management also has its own process which is human resource planning, acquiring the project team, developing the project team and managing the project team. In planning process, we will get the outputs which are project organizational charts, staffing management plan, responsibility assignment matrixes and resource histogram. When we achieve all this output, that’s mean we already complete the planning process. In acquiring the project team, we have to acquiring only qualifies people for teams. If not, later we will have a problem in our project. In developing the project team, the main goal is to help people work together more effectively in order to improve project performance. There are Tuckman models of team development which is forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. In order to manage the project team, Projects managers must lead their teams in performing various project activities. After assessing team performance and related information, the project manager must decide what is good for their team. In that way, they can produce a good result for the project.
Chapter 10: Project Communications Management
For this chapter, I can understand the importance of good communications in projects. If the people that involve in the project do not have communication skills, it will destroy the project. This is because they cannot communicate very well between each other. So we have to follow all the process which is communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting and managing stakeholders. In planning, every project should include documents that guide project communication. The document should include Stakeholder communications requirements, information to be communicated, including format, content, and level of detail, the people who will receive the information and who will produce it, suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information and so on. So that we can follow all of it in order to make the communication successful. For information distribution, we have to make sure that all people who involve in the project getting the right information to the right people at the right time and in a useful format. If not, the project will work in wrong way. Face-to-face communication is important because we easily to understand people by body language and also the intonation of the speaker. So communication is importance for a project because if it is fail the projects also have a risk to fail.
Chapter 11: Project Risk Management
Base on this chapter, I understand what risk is and the importance of good project risk management. Project risk management is the art and science of identifying, analyzing, and responding to risk throughout the life of a project and in the best interests of meeting project objectives. Risk can be positive and negative. Negative risk means the risk that can give problem to the project while positive risk is the risk that can give benefits to the project. There are six processes in project risk management which is planning, rick identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning, and risk monitoring and controlling. Risk management plan is a plan that documents the procedures for managing risk throughout a project. Risk identification is the process of understanding what potential events might hurt or enhance a particular project. The tools and techniques for it are brainstorming, the Delphi technique, interviewing and SWOT analysis. Top Ten Risk Item Tracking is a qualitative risk analysis tool that helps to identify risks and maintain an awareness of risks throughout the life of a project. In risk response planning, we have to give the response after we identify all the risk. After that we have to monitor and control all the risk, so we can prevent the negative risk and take the positive risk.
Chapter 12: Project Procurement Management
Actually this is the last chapter of this project. In order to complete all the criteria for
Project management, I have to understand the importance of project procurement
management and the increasing use of outsourcing for information technology
projects. Procurement means acquiring goods and/or services from an outside
source. There are six processes in this management which is planning purchases and
acquisitions, planning contracting, requesting seller responses, selecting sellers,
administering the contract and closing the contract. In planning purchases and
acquisitions we have to identifying which project needs can best be met by using products or services outside the organization. If we do not need any support from outside company, that’s mean we do not need procurement management processes. This chapter also describes how the procurement processes will be managed, from developing documentation for making outside purchases or acquisitions to contract closure. I also know about contract statement of work (SOW). A statement of work is a description of the work required for the procurement. A SOW is a type of scope statement. A good SOW gives bidders a better understanding of the buyer’s expectations. Planning contracting Involves preparing several documents that need for a potential sellers to prepare their responses and determine the evaluation criteria for the contract award. In closing the contract, we should completing and settling contracts and resolving any open items. The project team should, determine all work that already complete, update record and achieve information for future use. The contract itself should include requirements for formal acceptance and closure.
Hope this information will give you better understanding of this subject.
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