Volledige samenvatting - Project Management: essentials

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MODULE 1 - THE PROJECT
Project management
= A project can be defined as a group of people, usually from various fields of
expertise, collaborating temporarily with the aim of reaching a predetermined project
result within a predetermined budget within a predetermined time frame

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES


Improvised Project-based Routine
When? Ad hoc Predictable Repetitive
Result? Uncertain Reasonably certain Certain
Familiarity? New, sudden New, planned Well-known
Freedom? A lot of freedom A suitable amount Little freedom
Procedures? Chaotic Increasingly Clear



VUCA
Volatile
→ the environment demands you react quickly to ongoing changes that are unpredictable
and out of your control

Uncertain
→ the environment requires you to take action without certainty

Complex
→ the environment is dynamic, with many interdependencies

Ambiguous
→ the environment is unfamiliar, outside of you expertise

or

Vision
→ focus on activities that will bring you closer to your goal

Understanding
→ work with up-to-date data coming from all stakeholders

Clarity
→ simplify communication to make sure messages are understood clearly

Agility
→ provide flexibility to adjust to changes more quickly



WHAT IS A PROJECT

,  Organizing a major event (exhibition, sports event or music festival)
 Building a new shopping centre, bridge, housing estate, nursing home, factory, …
 Relocating a large company to a new location
 Implementing new software at a company
 Introducing a new electronic learning environment
 Developing and launching a new product
 Setting up a website

Other examples
- Merging two businesses
- Creating a new corporate identity for a company
- Improving internal communication
- Developing a marketing plan for international recruitment
- Improving the selection/recruitment process
- Reducing waiting lists in the field of health care
- Doing a theater production or film
- New tramline in Ghent (Gentspoort)
- …
- Even re-arranging your own study room
- …

PROJECT FEATURES

From improvisation to routine:
Improvisation → via project → routine

1. Temporary
 Clear starting point → start-up of kick-off
 Finishing date
2. Unique an clearly defined goal
3. Sponsor who has commissioned the project
4. A project has a budget
5. Project members with different expertise
6. Own organizational set-up
7. A project must be initiated


WHAT SEPARATES A PROJECT FROM A PROCESS?
3 specific project features

1. A project has a finish line
 Completion date/ deadline
 Desired outcome/ goal
 Finished prototype/ product
 Delivering a specific outcome, within a certain budget by a set deadline.

2. A project involves something new
 Bringing change by creating or doing something new
 Can be challenging
 A project can become a process
3. A project delivers a benefit, but not straight away
 Projects seek to change and/or improve the world.
 Added value and progress

,  “Short term pain for long term results”

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Technical projects

 Effect change in technology or come up with a new product
 E.g. construction of a bridge, railway line or computer network

Social projects

 Change the corporate culture or organizational structure of a company
 Also known as ‘soft’ projects → most difficult projects
 E.g. adapting working procedures, reorganization of a company

Commercial projects

 Ultimate goal is to earn money
 E.g. conducting market research or introducing a new product on the market

Mixed projects

 Combine some of the aspects of both technical and social projects
 “They do not speak each other’s language”
 E.g. the design, programming and installation of an extensive computer program

Events

 The end result only appears at a certain point in time
 E.g. computer fair, pop festival, quiz, car show

PHASING AND PRODUCTS

Why phasing

→ Phasing minimizes the risks associated with the project.

→ A number of opportunities for decision making are built into the project. At the end of
each phase the sponsor has an opportunity to alter the project:
 Continue as planned
 Continue with some alterations to the project
 Termination of the project

→ Termination? – Requires a great deal of courage. After all, a lot of time and effort has
already been invested in it.

→ In general – benefits ↔ the costs, during each phase of the project.




1 – THE CONCEPT/IDEA
 A project proposal
 The idea