Planning a Project

Project Planning Process

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Clearly define project objective (scope) Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Estimate time needed for each task Determine resources needed for each task Estimate cost needed for each task Develop project schedule and budget (adjust as needed)

Project Scope
A clear project scope definition provides the guidelines that are used to develop your project plan. Project Scope Checklist: Project objectives (purpose, due date, budget) Deliverables (at each major phase of project) Milestones (significant events in the project) Technical requirements Limits and exclusions (who, what, how) Review with customer (agreement on expectations)

Identifying Necessary Activities

Start by identifying major-level activities or tasks Then each major task can be broken down into subtasks Project team members can be responsible for breaking down different major activities Then each subtask is broken down to lowerlevel tasks, and so on until you have basic workunit levels (work packages) that will be assigned Result: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
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Mind Maps
Mind maps are a tool to help identify all the necessary activities in a project Its a type of brainstorming tool The mind mapping process can bring out more ideas than simply making a list It engages the team and generates enthusiasm It brings out quieter team members Mind mapping can be fast, compared to an outlining or listing approach
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Mind Map for Project Planning

Registration

Transportation Promotion

Route

10K run to Raise 50K for homeless shelter Prizes/recognition

Clean-up Refreshments Safety Facilities

Mind Map for WBS

Investigate past events Produce ads

Interview running club members

Research

TV and radio ads

Purchase air time Monitor airings

Promotion
Flyers

Print

Design

Mailings Distribute
Prepare mailing To schools To sports retailers Acquire address lists

Mail promo

Work Breakdown Structure

Either shown graphically in a tree structure, or as index numbers listed beside activities Entire project is Level 0; the major-level activities are Level 1; and so on Index numbers identify level of the task in the tree structure

WBS Tree Structure

Level 0
1 Volunteers Carnival

2 Promotion

3 Games Rides

5 Entertain.

6 Food

2.1

Posters

2.2 Newspaper

2.3 Tickets

5.1 Grandstand

5.2 Performers

5.1.1 Stage

5.1.2 Sound

5.1.3 Seating

WBS Activity List

WBS 1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 3 4 5 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 5.2 6 Activity Carnival Volunteers Promotion Posters Newspaper Tickets Games Rides Entertainment Grandstand Stage Sound Seating Performers Food

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WBS for Promotion Example

Level 1 Task 1. Promotion Level 2 Tasks 1.1 Research 1.2 TV and radio ads Level 3 Tasks 1.1.1 Investigate past events 1.1.2 Interview running club members 1.2.1 Produce ads 1.2.2 Purchase air time 1.2.3 Monitor airings 1.3.1 Acquire mailing lists 1.3.2 Prepare mailings 1.3.3 Mail promotional materials 1.4.1 1.4.2 1.4.3 1.4.4 Design flyers Print Distribute to schools Distribute to sports retailers
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1.3 Mailings

1.4 Flyers

Responsibility Chart
Often called Linear Responsibility Chart or Responsibility Matrix Shows who has primary responsibility for each task Can also show who provides support, who must be notified upon completion, who must give final approval, who is the backup person, etc. It lets everyone see their roles throughout the project
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Responsibility Chart
WBS Activity Carnival 1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 3 4 5 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 5.2 6 Volunteers Promotion Posters Newspaper Tickets Games Rides Entertainment Grandstand Stage Sound Seating Performers Food S P 13 P S
P = Primary responsibility; S = Support responsibility

A P

B S P

C S S S P

E S

F S

G S

S S

S S P P S S P S P S P S P S S P S P S

Estimating Activity Durations

Two Approaches 1. Bottom-up estimate: Ask the person responsible for each low-level task how long they think it will take. This assumes a given amount of resources. 2. Top-down estimate: Based on the project due date, tell the person responsible for each lowlevel task how much time they are allotted to do the task. They must then determine how much resources are needed to meet the deadline.
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Estimating Activity Durations

For a given amount of resources, how can you estimate a task duration? use the experts best guess (person doing task) use past data, if task has been done before use engineering standards or work standards dissect task into different elements and estimate time needed for each element The task time estimate should reflect the most likely time needed to do the task.
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Identifying Necessary Resources

To complete a task within a given amount of time, what resources will be required? How many and what types of employees What facilities What equipment What materials and supplies What services What information and technologies
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Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Budgets

Top-Down Budgeting: Senior management decides how much they think the project should cost, and that becomes the total project budget. The budget is then divided among the activities. Bottom-Up Budgeting: Cost estimates for each task are solicited from those responsible for the tasks. These estimates are rolled up for all activities to get the total project budget.
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Estimating Activity Costs

Estimates for both time and cost of activities should be done with same approach, either topdown or bottom-up (or somewhere in between) Two initial budget estimates may be developed for some projects, a top-down and a bottom-up. Which will most likely be higher? Why? The project manager must then negotiate with senior management to finalize the budget Tradeoffs may be necessary between the cost, due date, and the extent and quality of outputs
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Baseline Plan
The finalized budget, time estimates, and resulting project schedule are the basis for the baseline plan. The baseline plan lays out the target levels of progress and performance at the outset of the project execution phase. It is the basis for assessing project performance throughout the project Project tracking utilizes the baseline plan to provide the project manager with a control tool
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Project Action Plan

For each activity, action plan should at least show Activity name Time duration estimate Start date Immediate predecessor activity Resources needed Optionally, it might also show finish date, WBS index, cost, slack time, latest finish date, etc.
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Action Plan
ID Task Name 1 Proj. approval 2 Script writing 3 Sched. shoots 4 Script approval 5 Revise script 6 Shooting 7 Editing 8 Final approval 9 Deliver to client Duration 0 days 14 days 17 days 8 days 5 days 10 days 7 days 2 days 0 days 1 1 2 4 3,5 6 7 8 Start Finish Predec. Resourc

C=client, E=editor, ER=editing room, P=producer, S=secretary, SW=scriptwriter 21

Project Charter
(or Project Master Plan)
Agreed-upon, legally binding project plan (the final plan) 1. Overview 2. Objectives 3. General approach 4. Contractual aspects 5. Schedules 6. Resources and budgets 7. Personnel 8. Evaluation methods 9. Potential problems
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Project Charter
1. Overview Intended for senior management Brief description of project & deliverables List of major milestones Likely profitability & competitive impacts Objectives Purpose of project More detailed description of deliverables Could be in the form of a project mission statement
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2.

Project Charter
3. General Approach Technical and managerial approaches Relationship with other projects Contractual Aspects Description of all agreements (client, others) Reporting requirements, technical specs, delivery dates, penalties, process for changes

4.

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Project Charter
5. Schedules Outline of all schedules and milestones Project action plan, WBS Resource Requirements All capital and operating expenses Cost monitoring and control procedures

6.

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Project Charter
7. Personnel What types of personnel are needed and when Skill requirements, necessary training, security clearances, nondisclosure agreements Evaluation Methods Descriptions of all procedures and standards for evaluating projecthow information will be collected, stored, monitored

8.

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Project Charter
9. Potential Problems List of potential risks to project progress Contingency planning may prevent or soften the impacts of some problems

Small or routine projects may not need all 9 of these elements in the project charter, but larger projects should have them.

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