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ITPM L1,L2 & L3 (L1: Introduction and the challenges of IT PM /The…

- - - - Routine, Repetitive Work
        
        Taking class notes
        
        Daily entering sales receipts into the accounting ledger
        
        Responding to a supply-chain request
        
        Practicing scales on the piano
        
        Processing the number of sales of clothes from each high street store at then end of each day
    - - Projects
        
        Writing a course assignment
        
        Setting up a sales kiosk for a professional accounting meeting
        
        Developing a supply-chain information system
        
        Writing a new piano piece
        
        Designing a website to enable an additional channel for selling clothes
        
        A Project is…..
        
        A complex, nonroutine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resources, and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs.
        
        Major Characteristics of a Project
        -Has an established objective.
        -Has a defined scope
        -Has a defined life span with a beginning and an end.
        -Requires across-the-organizational participation.
        -Involves doing something never been done before.
        -Has specific time, cost, and performance requirements
        
        f. A Word about Project Objectives….
        
        Goal – made up of individual objectives
        
        Whose objectives are they?
        
        Those of the stakeholders!
        But who are the stakeholders in a project?
  - - - Programme v project example:
        
        Project: completion of a required course in project management.
        
        Programme: completion of all courses required for your degree/masters
  - - - i. The Evolution of Technology
    - - Globalisation
        
        Security and privacy
        
        Outsourcing
        
        Shared Services
        
        Mobile Technology
        
        Social Media
    - - Technology skills, knowledge and experience
        
        Project management:
        The discipline of project management has become professionalised. Many of whom have qualifications such as APM and PRINCE2
        
        Change management v project management
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSgn_7BSqmo
    - - Why Projects Fail?
        - People – The stakeholders of a project with varied roles and interests in the project’s success or failure.
        - Processes – This includes having a set of project management and product management processes.
        - Technology – Only three percent of IT project failures can be attributed to technical challenges but this percentage can be increased if obsolete, unproven, or incompatible technologies are used.
        - Organization – Organizational issues can lead to project failure. A lack of clear direction, improper strategy, rapidly changing business environment and/or customer needs can create a moving target for the product’s product or service.
        
        Why Many Projects Fail: Project failure can be grouped into four categories
        
        Why projects fail video:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huEpQj5FcGI
      - Improving the Likelihood of Success
        
        - A Value-Driven Approach:
        Plain & Simple: IT Projects must provide value to the organization
        - Socio-technical Approach:
        It’s not just about the technology or building a better mouse trap
        - Project Management Approach:
        -processes and infrastructure (Methodology)
        -resources
        -expectations
        -competition
        -efficiency and effectiveness
        - Knowledge Management Approach:
        lessons learned, best practices & shared knowledge
- - - - Professional Bodies in Project Management
        
        APM Association for Project Management
        
        Bsi British Standards Institute
        
        ISO International Standards Organisation
        
        PRINCE2 (an acronym for Projects In Controlled Environments, version 2)
    - - What is a methodology? noun, plural methodologies.
        
        A set or system of methods, principles, and rules for regulating a given discipline, as in the arts or sciences.
        
        Philosophy. the underlying principles and rules of organisation of a philosophical system or inquiry procedure.
        
        the study of the principles underlying the organization of the various sciences and the conduct of scientific inquiry.
        
        Education. a branch of pedagogics dealing with analysis and evaluation of subjects to be taught and of the methods of teaching them.
      - Discussion: Why have phases in a Project?
        
        Potential benefits?
        
        Any downside?
        
        Who needs phases?
        
        What can we use them for?
        
        a. Defining a Phase
        
        any of the major appearances or aspects in which a thing of varying modes or conditions manifests itself to the eye or mind.
        
        a stage in a process of change or development: Each phase of life brings its own joys.
        
        a side, aspect, or point of view: This is only one phase of the question.
        
        a state of synchronous operation: to put two mechanisms in phase.
        
        b. Purpose of Phase/Stage Gates
        
        When?
        
        Where?
        
        Who is involved?
        
        Benefits?
        
        Why?
        
        These have a number of names … Phase Exits, Stage Gates, Kill Points, Decision points
        Typically these:
        
        are formal decision making/review opportunities
        
        often have one of three outcomes, kill, continue, review
        
        may be the phase-end review of key deliverables
        
        allow the organisation to determine the viability of the project (it’s likelihood of success)
        
        provide opportunity to agree alternate action, e.g., risk response, problem solving
        
        UK government – OGC Gateway Reviews for major projects
    - - a. What is a process?
        
        a systematic series of actions directed to some end:
        
        a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner: the process of decay.
        
        Law. the summons, mandate, or writ by which a defendant or thing is brought before court for litigation; the whole course of the proceedings in an action at law.
        
        The action of going forward or on.
        
        The condition of being carried on.
        
        verb (used with object) to treat or prepare by some particular series of actions, as in manufacturing.
        
        to handle (papers, records, etc.) by systematically organizing them, recording or making notations on them, following up with appropriate action, or the like: to process mail.
        
        to require (someone) to answer questionnaires, perform various tasks, and sometimes to undergo physical and aptitude classification examinations before the beginning or termination of a period of service: The army processes all personnel entering or leaving the service.
        
        Computers. to carry out operations on (data or programs).
      - b. Process Example (PMI)
      - c. Discussion: Just checking …
        Are all of these processes?
        
        A project
        
        Project management
        
        Software development
        
        Decision point
    - - a. Defining a Project Life Cycle (PLC)
        
        A life cycle defines the inter-related phases of a project, programme or portfolio and provides a structure for governing the progression of the work. (® APM)
        
        By definition, a project has a beginning and an end and passes through several phases of development known as life cycle phases. These phases are varied depending upon the industry involved but all follow the same basic steps. (® 2020projectmanagement.com)
        
        There are an infinite number of project life cycle definitions.
        Some will describe them as cradle to grave, others from a simple start to finish.
      - b. Sample Project Life Cycles (PLC)
        One of the challenges of phases and processes is that vocabulary is used interchangeably.
        For example you can have both a design process and a design phase.
        
        Define Project
        
        The project goal/objectives should be focused on providing business value to the organization
        
        Provides a clear focus and drives the entire project
        
        Define completion criteria
        
        Plan Project
        
        Project deliverables
        
        Time
        
        Resources
        
        Controls
        
        Execute Project Plan
        
        Build deliverables, assemble services
        
        Manage the project scope, schedule, budget, and resources
        
        Progress must be documented and compared to the baseline plan
        
        Active risk, change and quality management
        
        Project performance must be communicated to all of the stakeholders
        
        Close and Evaluate Project
        
        Ensures that all of the work is completed
        
        Finalise project documentation
        
        Conduct a post project review
        
        Lessons learned and best practices documented, shared and applied.
    - - (integration, scope), (time, cost), (quality, human resources), (risk, communication), (stakeholder, procurement)
    - - a. PRINCE2 The Seven (7) Processes, Themes and Principles
    - - a. Systems Development Life cycle (SDLC) Life-cycle Phases
        :
        A busy slide but really useful to gain a summary of an SDLC.
    - - a. Implementing a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
        
        Waterfall (traditional, planned)
        
        Spiral (iterative, planned, loops)
        
        Agile (interactive, adaptive)
        
        XP (Extreme programming, story led)
        
        Scrum (iterative, sprints, responsive)
        
        Lean (value over waste)
        
        Critical Chain (time/interdependency driven)
        
        Rational Unified Process (RUP)
        
        PRisM (repeatable, sustainable, PM rewarded)
        
        Many of today’s projects need methods that support the need for speed, uncertainty, changing requirements, and high risks.
        Agile projects typically have four themes:
        
        Customer
        
        Product
        
        Project Team
        
        Performance
        
        XP
        User requirements first documented as user stories
        Document user stories in an object oriented model called a class diagram
        Transfers the system in a series of versions called releases
        
        Scrum
        Three important roles:
        Scrum master – similar to project manager
        Product owner – represents the business side, ensures the most important features are included
        Development team – responsible for delivering a quality product or system
        Product backlog – team prioritizes features that need to be developed/delivered
        Sprint – iterations lasting a few weeks (usually) and delivers a complete product
        Daily scrum – short stand-up meeting
        
        Projects integrating Sustainable Methods (PRiSM) was developed by GPM Global as a means of creating a methodology that took environmental factors into account while being a repeatable, efficient process that could easily be incorporated into various large-scale projects. PRiSM is unique in that it is one of the few project management methodologies that requires and rewards project managers with accreditation. PRiSM is used primarily for large-scale real estate development or construction/infrastructure projects that may result in adverse environmental effects. (http://explore.easyprojects.net/blog/2012/08/23/project-management-methodologies/)
- - - - a. Discussion: Business Strategy
        
        What is a strategy?
        
        What is the purpose of a business strategy?
        
        How does an organisation apply a business strategy?
        
        How often will a strategy change?
        
        What causes the change?
      - b. Why is business strategy important?
        
        A business strategy, in simple terms, is a documented plan on how an organisation is setting out to achieve their goals. A business strategy contains a number of key principles that outlines how a company will go about attaining these goals. For example it will explain, how to deal with your competitors, look at the needs and expectations of customers, and will examine the long term growth and sustainability of their organisation.
        
        The reason why having a strategy is so important is because it gives business time to get a sense of how they are preforming, what their capabilities are, and if these capabilities are able to help them grow.
        
        Strategic Management
        Requires every project to be clearly linked to strategy.
        Provides theme and focus of firm’s future direction.
        
        Responding to changes in the external environment—environmental scanning
        
        Allocating scarce resources of the firm to improve its competitive position—internal responses to new programs
        
        Requires strong links among mission, goals, objectives, strategy, and implementation.
      - c. Benefits of Business Strategy
        
        Common vision
        
        Focus on market trends
        
        Competitive awareness
        
        Planning and positioning
        
        Resourcing
        Potential of people
        Skills required
        Training needed
        
        Shareholder value
        
        Additional reading: http://albu-strategymanagement.com/5-reasons-strategy-important/
        Strategic Management
        Requires every project to be clearly linked to strategy.
        Provides theme and focus of firm’s future direction.
        
        Responding to changes in the external environment—environmental scanning
        
        Allocating scarce resources of the firm to improve its competitive position—internal responses to new programs
        
        Requires strong links among mission, goals, objectives, strategy, and implementation.
      - d.How Strategy Affects IT Projects
        We have to plan our projects in accordance with both
        
        Business Strategy, and
        
        IT Strategy
        
        Strategies are the basis for
        
        Decision making
        
        Funding
        
        Resourcing
        
        Perceived success
      - e. Ensuring project alignment
        
        Capture corporate strategies as part of initial documentation
        
        Incorporate strategy into project objectives
        
        Communicate strategies to the team
        
        Encourage all stakeholder interaction to reflect and align with known strategy
        
        Ensure that there are regular reviews of strategic alignment, especially when changes occur.
      - f. Lack of strategic awareness = Danger!
        
        Projects may relate only to low strategic priority
        
        Focus incorrectly upon an immediate customer
        
        Absence of market awareness
        
        Enthusiasm for exotic technology solutions
        
        Inability to present a value proposition to management
        
        Without strategic alignment, commitment to funding, resources and project support are extremely unlikely.
        
        Other considerations:
        
        Trying to solve customer issues with a product or service rather than focusing on the 20% with 80% of the value (Pareto’s Law).
        
        Engaging in a never-ending search for perfection only the project team really cares about.
        
        Losing credibility as a project manager, been seen as ill-informed
        
        Future career progression …
      - g. Translating Strategy into Objectives
        http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-strategic-operational-objectives-24572.html
        
        Strategic Objectives
        Strategic objectives are long-term organisational goals that help to convert a mission statement from a broad vision into more specific plans and projects. They set the major benchmarks for success and are designed to be measurable, specific and realistic translations of the mission statement that can be used by management to guide decision-making. Strategic objectives are usually developed as a part of a two- to four-year plan that identifies key strengths and weaknesses and sets out the specific expectations that will allow the company or organisation to achieve its more broad-based mission or vision statement.
        
        Operational Objectives
        Operational objectives are daily, weekly or monthly project benchmarks that implement larger strategic objectives. Operational objectives, also called tactical objectives, are set out with strategic objectives in mind and provide a means for management and staff to break down a larger strategic goal into workable tasks. For example, achieving the strategic goal of a 25 percent increase in sales revenue requires the completion of the operational objective to develop and execute an effective advertising strategy along with other operational objectives. As with strategic objectives, operational objectives also should be measurable and specific, though their focus is narrower.
        
        Important Differences
        The most important difference between a strategic and an operational objective is its time frame; operational objectives are short-term goals, while strategic objectives are longer-term goals. Strategic and operational objectives also function differently in practice as strategic objectives are still usually too broad to make sense as a specific set of daily tasks or weekly projects. Operational objectives, on the other hand, are specific and short term enough to be considered usable in everyday time and asset allocation.
        
        Relationship Between Strategy and Operations
        Even though strategic and operational objectives are substantially different, it is important to recognize that they are closely related. An organisation is unlikely to achieve a strategic objective if it fails to effectively translate it into workable operational objectives. At the same time, operational objectives will lack cohesion with each other and with the overall organisational mission if they are not designed to affect the achievement of strategic objectives. Put simply, strategic objectives only become useful when translated into operational objectives and operational objectives are only effective when designed to serve a strategic objective.
    - - a. Grouping Projects by type for Portfolio Management
        The above diagram enables a high level grouping of types of projects.
        In this example the grouping is assigned based on three types:
        
        Compliance – legal requirement
        
        Strategic projects – to fulfil market position; ranking against a key competitor; shareholder perception
        
        Operational projects – cost, performance, sustainability, reusability
        
        Creation of a project portfolio:
        
        Classification of a project by overall type
        
        Selection criteria depending upon classification
        
        Receiving proposals
        
        Evaluating proposals
        
        Managing the portfolio of projects
      - b. Portfolio Management Responsibilities:
        
        Senior Management
        
        Provide guidance in selecting criteria that are aligned with organisational goals
        
        Decide how to balance available resources among current projects
        
        Priority Team
        
        Ensure the project selection process is
        -open
        -free from power politics.
        
        Review the organisational goals and priorities
        
        Evaluate/Assess the progress of current projects
        
        Publish the priority of every project
    - - a. Benefits of Project Portfolio Management
        
        Builds discipline into the project selection process.
        
        Links project selection to strategic metrics.
        
        Prioritise project proposals using a common set of criteria, rather than politics or emotion.
        
        Allocates resources to projects that align with strategic direction.
        
        Balances risk across all projects.
        
        Eliminates projects that do not support strategy, early.
        
        Improves communication and supports agreement on project goals.
        
        Common issues in portfolio management include:
        
        The Implementation Gap - The lack of understanding and consensus on strategy among top management and middle-level (functional) managers who independently implement the strategy.
        
        Organisational Politics - Project selection is based on the persuasiveness and power of people advocating the projects.
        
        Resource Conflicts and Multitasking – Multi-project environment creates interdependency relationships of shared resources which results in the starting, stopping, and restarting projects.
      - b. Costs and Benefits
        
        Can be
        -Tangible
        -Intangible
        -Both
        
        Will be perceived differently by different stakeholders
        
        May change over time
        
        Costs include money, resources (people, equipment, material, space), time, motivation and morale.
        Costs are typically incurred before, during and immediately after the project.
        Benefits are often described as ‘A quantifiable improvement of value to stakeholders resulting from the project deliverables’.
        Often benefits are achieved after the project has been completed.
        May include reputational, financial & timing
    - - a. Project Selection
        
        Why do we need to select projects?
        
        Why not just do them all?
        
        How do we decide?
        
        A useful article; http://seanwhitaker.com/choosing-the-right-projects/
    - - a. Project Screening Process
      - b. Project Selection
        Financial
        
        Payback period
        
        Benefit Cost Ratio (B/C R)
        
        Net Present Value (NPV)
        
        Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
        
        Non-financial
        
        Strategic importance
        
        Comparison
        
        Pet projects
        
        Multi-Weighted Scoring Models or Scorecards
        
        Selection criteria
        
        Weighting and Comparison
        
        eg.
        The Payback Model
        
        Measures the time the project will take to recover the project investment.
        
        Uses more desirable shorter paybacks.
        
        Emphasizes cash flows, a key factor in business.
        
        Limitations of Payback:
        
        Ignores the time value of money.
        
        Assumes cash inflows for the investment period (and not beyond).
        
        Does not consider profitability.
      - c. Project Proposals
        
        Sources and Solicitation of Project Proposals
        
        Ranking Proposals and Selection of Projects
        -Requires discipline, accountability, responsibility, constraints, reduced flexibility, and loss of power.
        
        Managing the Portfolio
        -Senior management input
        -The priority team (project office) responsibilities
      - d. Discussion: Time Value of Money
        
        What does this mean?
        
        Why should we care?
        
        What else do we need to consider?
        
        How does this influence project selection?
      - e. Net Present Value (NPV) : The value today, of future money
        
        Is a prediction; cash flow forecasting tool
        
        Uses the Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
        
        IRR is provided by Finance
        -Varies by company
        -Subject to change based upon economic factors
        
        Enables a comparison of financial risk across projects of all sizes
        
        Advantages
        
        is predictive
        
        consistent comparison
        
        considers cash flow in/out over time
        
        Disadvantages
        
        is predictive (same as above)
        
        assumes future constants
        
        vulnerable to IRR assumptions
      - f. Non-Financial Strategic Selection
        Reasons:
        
        Capture market share
        
        Prevent/limit competitors
        
        Reduce dependency on unreliable suppliers
        
        Reduce/prevent government intervention and regulation
        
        Establish an enabler product, which by its introduction will increase sales in more profitable products
        
        Develop core technology that will be used in next-generation products
        
        Emotional bias
      - g. Multi-Criteria Selection Models
        
        Checklist Model
        -Uses a list of questions to review potential projects and to determine their acceptance or rejection.
        -Fails to answer the relative importance or value of a potential project and doesn't’t to allow for comparison with other potential projects.
        
        Multi-Weighted Scoring Model
        -Uses several weighted qualitative and/or quantitative selection criteria to evaluate project proposals.
        -Allows for comparison of projects with other potential projects
        
        Notes:
        Project Classification - Deciding how well a strategic or operations project fits the organisation’s strategy.
        Selecting a Model, applying a weighted scoring model to bring projects to closer with the organisation’s strategic goals.
        
        Reduces the number of wasteful projects
        
        Helps identify proper goals for projects
        
        Helps everyone involved understand how and why a project is selected
        
        Balanced Score Card (potential content)
        
        Typically has key areas to cover
        
        May set specific ‘hurdles’
        -IRR of not less than 67%
        -B/C Ratio of at least 1.89
        -Minimum of 400 customers
        -Utilising existing processes
        
        IT areas may include
        -Fit with existing architecture
        -Supportability
        -Longevity
        -Global presence
        
        $APPEALS
        $ cost
        A availability
        P packaging
        P performance
        E ease of use
        A assurances
        L life cycle costs
        S social influences
    - - a. Business Case Basics
        
        ‘A justification for a proposed project or undertaking on the basis of its expected commercial benefit.’
        The business case provides justification for undertaking a project or programme. It evaluates the cost, benefits and risk of alternative options and rationale for the preferred solution.
        Its purpose is to obtain management commitment and approval for investment in the project. The business case is owned by the sponsor.
        
        Project viability and contribution to organisation objectives
        
        Owned by the sponsor, may be signed off by the Project board, interpreted by the PM
        
        Agree requirements and success criteria from outset, ensures easier buy-in, authorisation and handover
        
        Once approved the projects proceeds to the definition phase and preparation of the project management plan
      - b. The Business Case
        
        Basis for evaluation and project selection
        
        Project context
        
        The who, what, when, where, why, how
        
        Project Constraints
        
        Project objectives
        
        High level risks
        
        Key deliverables
        
        Key resources
        
        High level milestones
        
        Options and recommendations
        
        Completion and Success Criteria
        
        Project financials
        -Forecasted revenues, Cost of implementation and maintenance
        
        Notes:
        Criteria by which the success of the project will be judged
        Time, cost and performance criteria will inevitably form at least some of the criteria
        Often considered project objectives
        Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help to show the project’s progress towards these criteria.
      - c. The Business Case – IT critical
        
        Inter-related Projects
        
        Existing infrastructure
        
        IT Strategic Fit
        
        Global vs local
        
        Buy vs make/evolve
        
        The Business Case requires approval to proceed!
      - d. Project Success
        
        CSF – Critical Success Factors
        
        Success Criteria
        
        KPI – Key Performance Indicators
        
        ROI – Return on Investment
        
        B/CR – Benefit/Cost Ratio
        
        Usability
        
        Reliability
        
        Flexibility/adaptability
        
        Longevity
        
        Environmental/Social aspects
        
        Elements of the project context or management process that should be controlled or influenced and will increase the likelihood of the project’s success. Eg.:
        
        Clear goals and objectives
        
        Top management support
        
        Realistic plans
        
        Good consultation and communication
        
        Motivated and competent project team
        
        Critical success factors - if absent the project may fail. e.g. planning permission