Project Management
Main Phases of Project Development
Project Management
• Goals are not met if project is not managed
• Simple but difficult
– Tasks must be assigned
– Time limits must be made, reviewed, and adjusted
– Issues have to be confronted
– Resources have to be allocated and monitored
– Alternatives must be planned
• Every member is responsible for project
management
Good Managers Continually Ask…
Project Management Tools
• Team contract
•
•
•
•
•

Mission/vision/goal statements 
Action register/Task list
Meetings
Project status reports
Timelines/Schedule
Task Vs. Action Item
• Example tasks for client
meeting
– Research feasibility.
– Prepare tentative road
map.
– Have a list of questions.
– Keep client in the loop.
Each task has a single owner
• Example Action Items
– Each team member will
spend 3 hours or more
researching the project
– The team will prepare a
tentative roadmap.
– X will compile the
questions.
– Y will work with client to
set next meeting date.
Action Items may have multiple owners
Setting the target date
• Events/Milestones
– Client meeting (Date?)
– Due dates (Wikipage, log
book, Citizenship etc..)
– Snapshots (Dates?)
– Design Review (Date?)
– Pitch Competition (?)
• Set the date
– Work back on dates.
– Anticipate delays.
– Keep some margin for
error.
– Keep everyone’s
calendar handy.
– Take account of holidays,
rush hours, etc.
Action Register
• All members must agree
and understand actions
• Must include Owner(s),
Target Date, Completion
Date
• Keep actions SMART
–
–
–
–
–
• Allocate action items
equitably
• Update comment each time
item is reviewed
– Progress/problems
– Next steps
– Alternatives
Simple
Measureable
Action oriented
Relevant
Time based
Action Register
# Task Owner
Action
Item
• Review action items and
adjust
Owner(s)
Target
date
Completion
date
Comment
Meetings
•
•
•
•
All team members must attend
Set a day and time and stick to it
Agenda is required prior to every meeting
Every meeting starts with a review of action
items and project schedule
• Every meeting concludes with assignment of
next action items and review of project status
• Keep meeting minutes/notes on discussions
Project Status Report
• A tool to quickly and
effectively
communicate project status
• Items to report
–
–
–
–
–
Schedule
Budget
Quality
Team Dynamics
Client Reactions
• Additional items
– Next milestones: from
timeline
– Issues: current problems
– Risks: foreseeable problems
Status Items to Report
R
Schedule
X
Y
G
Budget
X
Quality
X
Team Dynamics
X
Client Reactions
X
Next milestones: Complete prototype
Issues: 8 week lead time on electrical
parts.
Risks: tolerance stack up might interfere
with fit.
STATUS REPORT RUBRIC
TRACKED ITEM
RED
YELLOW
GREEN
Schedule
Behind, missed deadline, no
plan to make up time,
schedule/timeline grossly
inaccurate, no action items.
Slipping, schedule/timeline
does not exist or inaccurate,
tasks are not being
completed.
On time, Schedule /timeline is
accurate and project is
tracking, tasks are being
completed.
Budget
Over budget or budget does
not exist, client has not
been notified, major
changes have driven cost
up.
Breakeven, Foreseeable
expenses might be over
budget, no practical
alternatives.
Under budget, All expenses and
foreseeable expenses are
accurate, alternatives are
affordable.
Quality
Members disagree on
approach and all solutions,
client does not have
confidence in team or
disagrees with solution.
Some members disagree on
solution approach, client is
unaware, some issues are
missing and some have ill
conceived solutions.
All members and client support
design and approach, all issues
are identified with appropriate
solutions.
Team Dynamics
No communication amongst
members, client is in the
dark, meetings are ignored,
members are blaming and
judging other members.
Members are present but not
engaged, client is not up-todate, members are taking on
tasks individually without
communicating to team
Members are engaged,
everyone knows what the
mission and goals are, client
knows what is going on,
members are open with
progress and tasks are shared.
Client Reactions
Client is in the dark, does
not have confidence in
outcome or team, is not
contributing and/or not
being contacted.
Client is skeptical but
supportive, does not
understand direction, does
not interact with team.
Client is confident in team,
provides support input and
information, interacts regularly
with team.
Project Timeline/Schedule
• Build timeline from start
to end or end to start
• Highlight milestones
• Include dates, resources,
owners, etc.
• Identify series and
parallel items
• Identify key development
areas, i.e. project
learning,
experimentation,
prototyping, detail
design, testing, etc.
• Gantt Chart