Introduction to Project Management
WEEK 5
Agenda

Phase 2: Planning
◦ Compressing the Schedule
◦ Risk Analysis

Phase 3: Executing
COMPRESSING THE
SCHEDULE
Methods of Compressing

Crashing
◦ Look at alternatives that provide the maximum
compression for the least cost

Fast Tracking
◦ Compressing the project schedule by overlapping
activities that would normally be done in
sequence
INCREASES RISK
Increasing Resources

Decreasing the time it takes to perform
individual activities by increasing the
number of people working on the activity
◦ Example:
 If it takes Joe 4 hours to complete
 Logically it would take Joe & Mary 2 hours to
complete
Increasing Resources - Cons

Consider the following
◦ New sources are not familiar with the tasks .:
less productive than current team members
◦ Who will guide the new member along the
learning curve?
◦ Being available != being qualified
◦ May increase costs
Task Splitting

Aim to take a large task and split it into 2
or more smaller tasks,
◦ Each of which could start ahead of the
completion of the previous one.

Considerations:
◦ Task must be on critical path
◦ Cannot use same resources
◦ May cause new critical path
RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk Management
Identifies threats that can affect the
project
 Planning to proactively deal with the
threats


Risks should be considered for:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Health & Safety
Environmental
Legal
Financial
Risk Identification Techniques
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Interview with SME’s
Brainstorming
Delphi Technique
Nominal Group Technique
Crawford Slip
Analogy
Checklist, forms, and templates
SWOT
Cause & Effect Diagram
Risk Identification Workshop

In groups, research the techniques
◦ What is it?
◦ How it is accomplished?
◦ Prepare a mini presentation
◦ Upload the presentation to the file exchange
10 minutes to complete
Project Risk Review
Type of Review
Questions
Stakeholders
What could upset them?
Communication Plan
Where could poor communication cause
trouble?
Schedule
What milestones might be troublesome?
Resource Demand
At what point are people overloaded?
Peers
Can your peers identify any additional risks?
Management
Can management identify any additional risks?
Plan Risk Management Example
Specific Project Stakeholder Priorities
Improve
Scope
Sacrifice
X
Quality
X
Time
Cost
Keep
<= 1 month to
save $5,000
Want to save
Risk Identification
Identify the risk event(s)
 Keep them realistic
 Example:

 Resources may be constrained due to team
members working on other projects
 Significant schedule delays may occur due to team
being unfamiliar with the new application or
process
Qualitative Risk Analysis
Risk Description
A
B
Resources may be
constrained due to team
members working on
other projects
Significant schedule delays
may occur due to team
being unfamiliar with the
new application or process
Probability
(10% - 90%)
Impact
Severity
(H 3, M 2, L 1) = P * I
70%
2
1.4
80%
3
2.4
• Use Severity to identify the risks worth planning
Risk Response Planning
Risk Response Plan
A
Schedule bi-weekly meetings with sr
management to provide status
updates and resolve any resource
conflict
Send sr team member on training
(before implementation)
B
Contract with vendor for consulting
services during the 1st week of
planning
Schedule
Adjustment
Cost
Adjustment
+ 20 hrs
0
+ 40 hrs
$2,000
+ 0 hrs
$9,000
PROJECT EXECUTION
Executing Projects
“Time to get to business and ‘just get it
done’ “
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
Executing
 The
process of coordinating the
people and other resources to carry
out the plan.
 Project executing efforts are now:
◦ Participating
◦ Observing
◦ Analyzing the work done
Executing Processes
 The
process include
◦ Team development
 Ensure your team knows documentation needs and
conventions like naming, storage, retrieval and
control
◦ Performance Monitoring
◦ Status reports
◦ Procurement (if applicable)
 RFI, RFQ, RFP
Group Exercise
In groups of 3 maximum
Search for different versions of a status report (or
deliverable template)
 Download and save 2
 Create a mini presentation to show to the class the
downloaded templates and prepare to discuss the
differences or nuances



Upload the templates and presentation to the file
exchange

20 minutes
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATIONS
Meetings
 Prepare
agendas
 Send out agendas to allow for
preparation time
 Minutes/action items
 Establish
communication rules (at the
beginning of the project)
Emails
 Create
standardized email
distribution lists
◦ Cc’s to team members (especially on client
emails)

Use “Out of Office” option
Instant Messaging
 Good
for client calls
 Good for out of office team
members
Group Exercise
 In
groups of 3 maximum
 Search and list 10 things you can do
to organize and lead effective
meetings
 Download and save an agenda
 20
minutes
Hybrid / Homework
Read Chapter 3
 Complete all activities required while
reading chapter 3
 Complete the Fill in the Blank exercise
for chapter 3
 Complete the Multiple Choice for
chapter 3

Quiz Time