Chapter 3

The Project Management Process Group: A Case Study

Project management is an integrative endeavor; decisions and action taken in one knowledge area at certain time usually affect other knowledge areas.

As we know a process is a series of actions directed toward a particular result. In project management there are also numbers of related processes, the project management process groups include:
— Initiating processes
— Planning processes
— Executing processes
— Monitoring and controlling processes
— Closing processes

1) Project initiation

It is developed by recognizing and starting a new project or project phase. The main goal is to formally select and start off projects. The key outputs include:
— Assigning the project manager
— Identifying key stakeholders
— Completing a business case
— Completing a project charter and getting signatures on it

2) Project planning

As for its main purpose of project planning is to guide execution process. The key outputs included in the JWD project include:
— A team contract
— A project scope statement
— A work breakdown structure (WBS)
— A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all dependencies and resources entered
— A list of prioritized risks (part of a risk register)

3) Project execution

Project managers must use their leadership skills to handle the many challenges that occur because it is usually takes the most time and resources to perform project it. A milestone report can help focus on completing major milestones

4) Project Monitoring & Controlling

Involves measuring progress toward project objectives, monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking correction actions. Outputs include performance reports, requested changes, and updates to various plans.

5) Closing
Involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance of the final products and services .Even if projects are not completed, they should be closed out to learn from the past. Outputs include project archives and lessons learned, part of organizational process assets

Chapter 2

The project Management and Information Technology Context

As we know project can not be run in isolation thus it must operate in a broad organizational environment and project manager within the greater organizational context. System thinking is taking a holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization. Systems approach emerged in the 1950s to describe a more analytical approach to management and problem solving. Systems philosophy is an overall model for thinking about things as systems. Systems analysis is the problem-solving approach. Systems management is addressing business, technological, and organizational issues before making changes to systems.

As for the Three-sphere model for the System Management:
1) Business
2) Organization
3) Technology

As for the four frames of organizations:
1) Structural frame
2) Human resources frame
3) Political frame
4) Symbolic frame

As for the organizational Structures, there are three general classifications:
1) A functional organizational structure
2) A project organizational structure
3) A matrix organizational structure

As we know, organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization. There are ten characteristics of organizational culture:
1) Member Identity
2) Group emphasis
3) People focus
4) Unit Integration
5) Control
6) Risk tolerance
7) Reward criteria
8) Conflict tolerance
9) Means-ends orientation
10) Open systems focus

Thus, a project needs to be supported by the Top management. Their commitment is crucial to project managers for the following reason:
1) PM needs adequate resources.
2) PM often require approval for unique project needs in a timely manner.
3) PM must have cooperation from people in other part of the organization.
4) PM often need someone to mentor and coach them on leadership issue.

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems. Systems development projects can follow:
Predictive life cycle: the scope of the project can be clearly articulated and the schedule and cost can be predicted
Adaptive Software Development (ASD) life cycle: requirements cannot be clearly expressed, projects are mission driven and component based, using time-based cycles to meet target dates

Project Phases and Management Reviews are important because a project should successfully pass through each of the project phases in order to continue on to the next. 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.
The people involved in information technology project must come from very diverse backgrounds possess different skill set.

Chapter 1

Introduction to Project management

Dear my brother and sister, a project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result”, and Operations is work done to sustain the business. Some of project attribute are:

— Has a unique purpose
— Is temporary
— Is developed using progressive elaboration
— Requires resources, often from various areas
— Should have a primary customer or sponsor
— The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project
— Involves uncertainty

Do you know how to create a successful project? The answer is you must meet the "Triple constraint" requirement; Scope, Time and Cost. Meeting this all requirement will make our project become successful.

Some examples of it project are installing PC in Malaysia Cluster School, upgrading wireless network at International Islamic University of Malaysia and eth…

Project management “the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements”

There are 9 knowledge areas and can be divided into 2 functions:
1) Core functions (Scope management, time management, cost management and Quality management)
2) Facilitating functions (Human resources management, communication management, risk management and procurement management)

These two activities will be integrated with the Project integration management. All of task will be using their own tools and technique to achieve project success.

Project is “a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually”. A program manager provides leadership and direction for the project managers heading the projects within the program.

A project success can be defined as a project that met scope, time, and cost goals, it must satisfied the customer/sponsor and met its main objective, such as making or saving a certain amount of money, providing a good return on investment, or simply making the sponsors happy.
As for the project manager, there top ten most important skills and competencies for project managers:

1. People skills
2. Leadership
3. Listening
4. Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent
5. Strong at building trust
6. Verbal communication
7. Strong at building teams
8. Conflict resolution, conflict management
9. Critical thinking, problem solving
10. Understands, balances priorities

To be part of project management professions, PMI provides certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP). A PMP has documented sufficient project experience, has agreed to follow a code of ethics, and has passed the PMP exam thus; the number of people earning PMP certification is increasing quickly.