Project Management, Planning and

Control (ENX314)
WEEK 1
INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
PowerPoint Slides
by Dr. Chow Li Sze

Last Updated:May 16, 2015

LMS SEGi education group

Dr. Chow Li Sze

PhD Electronic and Electrical Engineering

University of Sheffield, UK.

MSc Data Communications

University of Sheffield, UK.

BEng Telecommunication
University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Why are we learning Project Management,

Planning and Control?
Control

Project Management, Planning and

Control (ENX314)

4 hours per week

Lectures, exercises, tutorials, case studies.

100% final examination

Answer 4 questions out of 6 questions, in 2 hours.

Reference Book:
Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques
(Burke 1999)
- Recommended by the University of Sunderland.
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Introduction
Aims:
Develop ability to understand and apply the principles of Project
Management (PM). This include:

Understand and list the distinguishing characteristics of projects.

Define the term Project Management (PM).

Understand and state the important factors of a projects context.

Recognise the relevance of the Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK).

Understand and apply the concept of the PM life cycle.

5

Project Management

The field of project management is getting increasingly

important for project managers.

Their success will be helped by their ability to develop a

fully integrated information & control system to plan,
instruct, monitor and control large amount of data,
quickly and accurately to facilitate the problem solving
and decision making process.

Intersecting Needs
Project manager has the
responsibility to set up a
management structure which
meets the needs of the:
project
organization
stakeholders
individuals working on the project
OBS = Organization breakdown structure.

What is a Project?
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines a project:

.a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or

service (outcome or result). Temporary means that every project has
a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different
in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services.

Questions
1. List 5 projects that you have been involved.
2. Check if the following statements are true or false for the project:
- The projects have a defined start and finish.
- They are unique, one-off, non-repetitive activities.
- They each have a specific aim.
- They each result in something being delivered.
- They involve cost, resources and time.
- They each use a wide variety of resources and skills.
- They have their own budget.
- They vary in the degree of complexity involved.

Answer
Examples of projects:

Organising a function

Laying out a garden

Setting up a website

Launching a new product

A fundraising campaign

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Nature of Project
The distinguishing characteristics and definition of a project is:

a unique set of co-ordinated activities,

with definite starting and finishing points,

undertaken by an individual or organization to meet specific

objectives,

within defined schedule, cost and performance parameters.

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Distinctive features of a project

Life-cycle (a beginning and an end, with a number of distinct phases

in between)

Budget with an associated cash-flow.

Unique and non-repetitive.

Use of resources from different departments and need coordinating.

Single point of responsibility (i.e. the project manager)

Fast tracking getting your product to market before your

competitors.

Team roles and relationships that are subject to change and need
to be developed, defined and established (team building).
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Functional vs Project
Functional:

Activities and operations that are carried out under a normal line
management framework are often concerned with a substantially
stable situation.

Its repetitive, ongoing, predictable.

Project:

PM is often concerned with deliverables that are intended to bring

about some change.

are likely to cross conventional functional boundaries.

13

Questions
Categorize the following tasks as either project or functional work:
1.
Launch a new product.
2.
Manage a research unit.
3.
Conduct an appraisal.
4.
Raise $50,000 in sponsorship.
5.
Sell company services.
6.
Review existing procedures.
7.
Administrate Theatre company.
8.
Supervise the office.
9.
Build a house.
10.
Write a book.
11.
Editing a magazine.
12.
Launch a new product.

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Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Launch a new product.

Manage a research unit.
Conduct an appraisal.
Raise $50,000 in sponsorship.
Sell company services.
Review existing procedures.
Administrate Theatre company.
Supervise the office.
Build a house.
Write a book.
Editing a magazine.
Launch a new product.

Project
Functional
Functional
Project
Functional
Project
Functional
Functional
Project
Project
Functional
Project
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What is Project Management (PM)?

PMBOK defines PM as: the application of knowledge, skills, tools and

techniques to project activities in order to meet stakeholders needs and
expectations from a project.

Peter Morris describes PM as: the process of integrating everything that

needs to be done as the project evolves through its life cycle in order to
meet the projects objectives.

The project manager must do whatever is required to make the

project happen.

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Body of Knowledge (BOK)

BOK has built up around PM tools, skills and techniques, by the
following associations:

APMs BOK by the Association of Project Managers (UK)

PMIs PMBOK by the Project Management Institute (USA)

IPMAs BOK by the International Association of Project Managers

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9 Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK) areas:
1.

Project Integration Management

2.

Project Scope Management

3.

Project Time Management

4.

Project Cost Management

5.

Project Quality Management

6.

Project Human Resource Management

7.

Project Communications Management

8.

Project Risk Management

9.

Project Procurement Management

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9 Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK) areas:
1. Project Integration Management
- to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated.
2. Project Scope Management
- to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work
required, to complete the project successfully.
3. Project Time Management
- to ensure timely completion of the project.
4. Project Cost Management
- to ensure that the project is completed within the approved budget.
5. Project Quality Management
- to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs.

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9 Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK) areas:
6. Project Human Resource Management
- to make the most effective use of the people.
7. Project Communications Management
- to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination,
storage, and ultimate disposition of project information.
8. Project Risk Management
- maximizing the probability and consequences of positive events and
minimizing the probability and consequences of adverse events to project
objectives.
9. Project Procurement Management
- to acquire goods and services to attain project scope from outside the
performing organization.

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Project Management Body of Knowledge

(PMBOK)

The PMBOK will lead to good PM practices, and to accomplish the following:
To direct scarce resources to what are judged to be the most desirable
objectives.
To focus appropriate management skills onto specific tasks.
To secure commitments to deliver results from those wishing to proceed with
the project.
To direct major elements of the business without being submerged in detail.
To keep control of a wide variety of projects running concurrently.
To ensure that issues such as quality and safety are engineered into projects
at the design stage.
To extend the experience of staff working on projects and help equip them
for wider responsibilities.

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Benefit of Project Management

Client: prefer to deal with one person project manager

Single Point of Responsibility: by project manager; avoid scope overlap

and underlap.

Estimating: forms the basis of the project plan.

CPM: Critical path method calculates all the activities start dates, finish
dates, and floats.

Fast Track: bring a new product to the market quickly before competitors.

Schedule Barchart: communicates the what, where, when, who.

Project Integration: co-ordinates and integrates the contribution of all the

project participants.

Reporting Interfaces: for project and corporate reporting.

22

Benefit of Project Management

Response Time: timely response on project performance is essential for

effective project control.

Trends: monitoring the progress trends of time, cost and performance.

Data Capture: project progress reporting.

Procedures: tailored to the specific needs of the project.

Project Office: centre for project management excellence.

Closeout Report: performance of the current project will form the

estimating database for future projects. It provides an effective mechanism
to learn by mistakes, and strive for continuous improvement.

Marketing: vendors can distinguish themselves by marketing their PM

systems.

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Role of Project Manager:

Select & develop an operational team from a standing start

Leadership & management ability

Anticipate problems, solve problems and make decisions.

Operational flexibility

Plan, expedite and get things done.

Negotiate & persuade

Understand the environment within which the project is being managed

Review monitor and apply control

Administrate the contract, the scope of work and scope changes.

Manage within an environment of constant change

Keep the client happy

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Questions
Read Chapter 1 (Burkes book), and answer the following:
1.

In what way does Burke suggest that the 9 areas of Project

Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) might be subdivided?

2.

How does the PMBOK define Project Management?

Read
Chapter 2 History of Project Management
Chapter 3 Project Life-Cycle

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Answers
1.

Burke suggests that the PMBOK areas can be sub divided into 2 groups:
1. The first group includes knowledge areas that are concerned with
deliverables, i.e. Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality.
2. The second group includes those knowledge areas that relate to the
means of achieving the deliverables, i.e. Integration, Human Resources,
Communications, Risk, Procurement and contract.

2.

PMBOK defines PM as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and

techniques to project activities in order to meet stakeholders needs and
expectations from a project.

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Project Environment Context

The successful accomplishment of a project generally requires a

significant sensitivity to, and appreciation of, the context in which it
is based.

Projects and their management both affect and are affected by their
environment, often significantly.

The project environment can be of various kinds political,

ecological, economic, technological, regulatory, organizational, etc.

Projects and project management operate in an environment

broader than that of the project itself.

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Project Environment Context

PMBOK identifies the following as the main

environmental/contextual issues:
Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle
Project Stakeholders
Organizational Influences
Key General Management Skills
Social - Economic - Environmental Influences

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Project Environment Context

Burke lists the following as the main environmental

factors to consider:
Stakeholders (all interested parties)
Client/sponsors requirements
Your companys organization structure
Market requirements
Competitors
New Technology
Rules and regulations
Economic cycle
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Project Life Cycle

PMBOK states: .because projects are unique and involve a

certain degree of risk, companies performing projects will
generally subdivide their projects into several project phases
to provide better management control. Collectively these
project phases are called the project life-cycle

30

Project Life Cycle

The Association for Project Management defines Project Life Cycle as:
A sequence of defined stages over the full duration of a project.

PMBOK suggests that project life cycles generally defines:

What technical work should be done during each phase of the life
cycle.

Who should be involved in each phase of the life cycle.

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Project Life Cycle

PMBOK suggests that most project life cycle descriptions share the
following characteristics:

Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, higher toward the end,
and drop rapidly as the project draws to a conclusion.

The probability of successfully completing the project is lowest, and

hence risk and uncertainty are highest, at the start of the project.

The ability of the stakeholders to influence the final characteristics of

the projects product and its final cost is highest at the start and gets
progressively lower as the project continues.

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Question

What 4 phases does Burke identify as making

up the Project Life Cycle?

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Answer
4 phases of Project Life Cycle are:

Concept and Initiation

Design and Development

Implementation or Construction

Commissioning and Handover

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Project Life Cycle

1. Concept and Initiation
The 1st phase starts the project by establishing a need or
opportunity for the product, facility or service. The feasibility of
proceeding with the project is investigated and on acceptance of the
proposal moves to the next phase.
2. Design and Development
The 2nd phase uses the guideline set by the feasibility study to
design the product, outline the build method and develop detailed
schedules and plans for making or implementing the product

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Project Life Cycle

3. Implementation or Construction
The 3rd phase implements the project as per the baseline plan
developed in the previous phase.
4. Commissioning and Handover
The 4th phase confirms the project has been implemented or built to
the design & terminates the project.

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Phase transition

The sequence of the project phases generally involve some form of

technology transfer or handover from one phase to the next phase:
- project brief to design and development
- detailed design to manufacture
- construction to commissioning
- commissioning to operation

In practice, there is a very real danger that the transition from one phase to
the next might be carried out without the proper level of discussions and
explanations. This is called over-the-wall transfer.

The end of every phase of the project should be marked by a review of both
the deliverables and performance in order to determine if the project should
continue into the next phase.

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Level of Effort and Expenditure

Fig.3.1 (from Burkes book)

Fig.3.4 (from Burkes book)

The rate of effort and expenditure on the project tends to be at its

highest during the implementation phase.

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Project Life Cycle Components

Each phase of the project

life cycle is likely to involve
inputs, processes, key
activities, hold points,
outputs and approvals.

Fig.3.2 (from Burkes book)

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Project Life Cycle

Each phase take place in
sequence and involve a
range of activities.

1st and 2nd phases are

related to planning.
3rd and 4th phases are
related to
accomplishment.
Fig.3.3 (from Burkes book)

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Overlap Between Phases (fast tracking)

In practice, there may be
some overlap between
phases.

Fig.3.4 (from Burkes book)

Fast tracking: work

begins on the following
phases before the
previous phases are
totally completed.

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Level of Influence vs Cost of Changes

The potential to
influence and add value
to the project tends to
be highest during the
concept and design
phases. It is vital that all
stakeholders are
properly involved in
these early stages.

Fig.3.5 (from Burkes book)

The cost of making

changes tends to rise
steeply as the project
progresses.
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Level of Detail

Each phase can

be subdivided into
a further 4 phases
and run as mini
projects, in order
to increase the
level of detail and
control.

43

Question
Burke suggests the Product Life Cycle has 8
phases. List these phases.

44

Answer
8 phases of Product Life-Cycle: Pre-project, Concept,
Design, Implementation, Handover, Maintenance, Upgrade
and Disposal.

45

Summary

Project Management body of knowledge (PMBOK) defines project

management under 9 knowledge areas.

Successful project management requires project managers to

understand and take account of the context in which the project
takes place.

Most projects can be sub-divided into 4 generic phases, i.e.

Concept, Design, Implement, and Commission.

The Product Life Cycle is a useful concept that looks at the bigger
picture from the cradle to the grave.

The level of influence curve and cost of change curve clearly show
the importance of getting the design right before implementation.

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Question

Figure Q1

The lifecycle of a project may be

broken down into 4 stages, namely
concept, design, implementation
and commission. Figure Q1 shows
how the level of effort typically
changes through the lifecycle.

(a) Explain why the level of effort is likely to vary between lifecycle phases
as shown in Figure Q1.
(5 marks)
(b) What typical tasks are likely to feature in each of the generic lifecycle
phases listed above?
(12 marks)
(c) Explain how the ability of the project manager to influence the project
(i.e.add value) varies through each of the lifecycle phases. How does
the cost to change the project vary through these phases? (8 marks)

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Answer
Answer (a):

(5 marks)

The graph above depicts both (i) the instantaneous input to the project and
(ii) the accumulated input to the project over the 4 lifecycle phases. During
the concept/initiation phase, the level of effort is relatively low and may
involve very few people. Once the go ahead is given to the
design/development stage the level of input required is likely to be higher as
more detailed planning is put together. When moving to the full blown
implementation/execution phase the whole project team will be involved and
the level of input will rise to a maximum. Finally, once the execution is
complete, only commissioning and handover remains and the level of input
will fall again.

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Answer
Answer (b):
marks)

(12

The main tasks associated with

each of the generic project phases
(concept, design, implementation and
commission) are likely to include those
in the diagram below.
(Explain the answer with diagram, list
or essay format.)

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Answer
Answer (c):

(8 marks)

In essence the level of ability to

influence the project decreases
with time through each
successive project phase.
Similarly, the cost to make
changes to the project increases
with time through each
successive project phase.
(Explain with the graph)

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