Project Management
Schedule Management
Complex projects expose risk
Like this new article notes, projects that are characterised by scale and complexity are risky: involvement of many players on one single project. there is risk associated with project timelines and another risk associated with budgets. Target-related risks have two outliers: one of total failure to meet project schedule and the milder one of project schedule … Continue reading
Schedule Baseline Log
Compare the initial approved schedule baseline against the actual completion dates. Enter the planned start and finish dates from the initial schedule baseline. Document all actual start, finish dates, and explain any schedule variances, including approved changes to the schedule baseline WBS Elements Activity or Task Planned Start Date Actual Start Date Planned Finish … Continue reading
Work Breakdown Structure Table
Element Number WBS Elements Activity, Task, or Sub-Task Definition of Activity, Task, or Sub-Task (Description) Responsible Person or Group Estimated (E) or Actual (A) Cost (Cross reference to budget) Project Phase (Cross reference to schedule)
Checklist for Project Resource Management
Project Resource Management Quality Assurance Checklist Has standard been met? Checklist Yes No N/A Initial Comments 1. Are all resource assumptions documented? 2. Have job descriptions been prepared and graded for all required positions? 3. Have Organisation policies been observed in the recruitment of contract staff and/or IT Professional Services? 4. Do all staff … Continue reading
A credible project plan is essential
The purpose of project planning is to establish a credible project plan for delivering and managing the project. It involves developing estimates, establishing commitments, and defining the plans to perform the work. Credible project planning is the answering of the following questions: What must be done? How should it be done? Who will do it? By when … Continue reading
Checklist for validating the Project Schedule
Project Schedule Quality Assurance Checklist Has standard been met? Questions Yes No N/A Initial Comments 1. Has more than one estimation method been used? 2. Are estimates supported by appropriate documentation? (Assumptions, Risks, etc..) 3. Are estimates adjusted for Risk Factors where appropriate? 4. Are estimates consistent with the Work Breakdown structure? 5. Were … Continue reading
Checklist of Key Questions for Developing the Schedule
Key Questions for Developing the Schedule include: Project Schedule Quality Assurance Checklist Has standard been met? Estimation Yes No N/A Initial Document Reference 1. Have all “dependencies” been identified? 2. Were any new … Continue reading
Checklist for defining the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Checklist of key Questions for Work Breakdown Structure include: Work Breakdown Structure Quality Assurance Checklist Has standard been met? Key Questions Yes No N/A Initial Comments 1. Are all tasks identified? 2. Are often-forgotten tasks such as planning the project, approval cycles, testing, and printing included? 3. What is the unit of … Continue reading
Project Planning and Task Dependencies
Schedule the Work Planning a schedule is an art, it is where you will earn your $ as a PM First, determine how long a task SHOULD take if everything goes right Then, think of all the things that could delay it Pick something in the middle If your Work Breakdown Structure has the right … Continue reading
Making realistic schedule commitments
O.P.B. (optimistic planning bias) Are you or your customer suffering from O.P.B. (optimistic planning bias)? – if so, you are driving youself and our delivery teams crazy and you are not getting the results you and others expect. How accurate are your project estimates? Research points out that most people suffer from optimistic planning bias! … Continue reading