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Project management basics
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What is a project?
A project is definedby following characteristics:
- special organizational preparations
- clear definition of objectives, responsibility and necessary
tasks
- different interconnected or dependent jobs and waypoints
- limited amount of resources
- special and unique tasks with unpredictable difficulties
- fixed schedule defining start and end point
What is project management?
Project management is the key method by which you solve a defined problem
within a set time schedule.
Organization of task management
Who has which role within this set Project?
Who expects results?
Who is overall responsible for the main project and
parts of it?
Who is in which team and which teams are here partly
or fully involved?
Who controls the project management and key objectives?
Is there a flat or complex organization structure
in place?
Who expects results? The project client!
If a project is being run for an outside client then you must keep in mind
that you have to give plenty of insight into developments for this
customer. He of course will expect get positive results and be warned of
possible dangers long in advance. He will be most unwilling to refill
the project account with vast sums as you told him in advance that
it would cost by far less than stated. Well, remember even they have to
earn the money before they can pass it on to your greedy account. Limit
the risk of over expenditure as much us possible and set realistic
costs in your project concept. If you are not sure about certain elements
then go out and find some one who knows how much it might cost.
As colleagues or get consultants for a few thousand euros as later
you will see that it will have been well spent money. Necessary
or possible tasks of a client representative:
- Agreeing on a definition of key project elements
- Distributing personnel resources and getting
missing components
- Definition of project way points and expected
results
- Request of widening time schedules
- Setting priorities within main and side projects
- Unwinding aggressions resulting from project
problems or personal influences
- Controlling the developments in order to reach
low cost productivity
Who is overall responsible for the main project
and parts of it?
As a project leader you want to keep cost as
low as possible and necessary mid modifications as few as absolutely
needed. Depending on the hierarchy you can act as project lead
and manager at the same time. Necessary or possible tasks of a
project leader:
- Project definition in agreement with the requirements
of the customer and experts
- Taking responsibility for target orientated
realization and parts of the objectives
- Project planning (structure, way points, dates,
resources, organization)
- Involvement in choosing the teams and team
members for this specific project
- Responsibility for the budget
- Accessing all necessary information related
to this project
- Visionary reaching of overall solutions
- Project leadership and viewing developments
- Documentation
- Coming to a decision upon presented facts and
solutions out of cal de sacs
- Arranging a functioning workflow between key
subprojects and teams
- Main representative of the overall project
Who is in which team and which teams are here
partly or fully involved?
Projects live by the visions of managers and enthusiasm of team members
implementing or finding solutions. Therefore you need teams and team
members to be successful. Necessary or possible tasks of a team
member representative:
- Responsibility for the given task and harmony
of overall results
- Participation at planning and definition of
a project
- Reaching personal way points
- In and outbound information transfer on present
situation
- Collecting necessary information to deliver
required project work
- Exchange of knowledge with team colleagues and
other teams
Who controls the project management and key
objectives?
Projects need to be controlled as success is influenced by time and usage
or resources. This responsible task can also be done by a project controller
instead of the highly overloaded project leader. Necessary or possible
tasks of a project controller:
- Responsibility for informing clients and project
lead of reached objectives and irregularities
- Analysing data and composing a danger analysis
- Supplying and development of project control
instruments
- Assisting at project planning, controlling
and giving part guidance
- Organizational work, such as arranging teams
and defining responsibilities
- Arranging and managing of project meetings
- Project administration and documentation
Is there a flat or complex organization structure
in place?
Projects need to be controlled by organization and decision
makers. Teams and team members need to be guided as the worst
possible scenario can be chaos resulting from rotten command structures.
Members need to get guidance by team leaders and the team leaders by sub
project managers. The project leader is at the overall position above
command structure and will delegate leadership for part projects to the
project manager; and it is he who will decide who will lead which sub
projects and teams. The sub project managers will exchange information
on a regular basis with the head project manager and their own team leaders.
Team leaders must inform their members and if unwilling to fulfil
this job they will be relieved. Necessary or possible tasks of a leader:
- Responsibility for strategy development
- Developing a concept based on strategies and
visions
- Technology management and system engineering/development
- Innovative solutions with lowest possible investment
into redeveloping
- Delivering resources for projects
- Using predefined models and structures for
allowing synergies
- Active participation in solving conflicts
- Knowledge management and gathering
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