Post on 16-Jan-2016
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PhD WorkshopProject Management
4 November 2010
Dr Kay DudmanFaculty of Computing
London Metropolitan University
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Plan for today
Projects and project management: some definitions
Project life cycle
Planning tools and techniques
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What we are notnot doing todayNot writing proposals...Not writing proposals......looking organising, scheduling and
monitoring activities and resources
What we are are doing todayUsing examplesUsing examples
...try out the techniques in the context of your own PhD
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Definitions
Project
Purpose of projects
Project management
Stakeholders
Project life cycle
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What is a project?
"...a managed collection of activities to bring about a desired change"
(CCTA, 1997)
"...a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service"
(PMBoK, 1996)
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Why do we have projects?
"All work is project work"
Tom Peters, 1999
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What is project management?
Ensuring the defined project is delivered
on time
within budget
to the specification and quality required and expected by the major stakeholders
Making the project happenhappen
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Stakeholder analysis
A stakeholder in a project is a person or organisation who:
is involved with...
is affected by...
can affect the outcome of...
the project
A key stakeholder could close the project
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Who are the (key) stakeholders(key) stakeholders for your PhD programmes?
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Project life cycle
Four phase life cycle
...there are other models in use
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Project life cycle
Four basic phases conceptualisation definition/plan execution/implementation finishing/completion
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Conceptualisation initial plans demonstrate feasibility identify general risks and constraints identify stakeholders & their
requirements define scope determine success criteria prepare feasibility document gain approval to move to next stage…
Project life cycle:
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Definition/plan refine objectives and scope design solution identify project constraints identify tasks and activities identify resources agree standards and methods
Project life cycle:
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Definition/plan (continued) schedule activities and resources agree budget assess risks produce a baseline plan gain approval to move to next stage...
Project life cycle:
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Why plan?
If we failfail to planplan…
…we planplan to fail fail !
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Definition/plan proactive rather than reactive who does what, when and how? what resources are required, and
when? identify problems and/or risks early help identify costs help communication allows progress to be measured
Why plan?
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Why plan?
Planning has its own costs
Benefits must outweigh costs Good planning will benefitbenefit the project Bad planning can add to the cost of failurefailure
Don't over-plan – allow flexibility too detailed may be impossible to achieve
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Execution/implementation detailed technical requirements &
design refine & carry out the plan monitor & control progress against
plan update plan as necessary report on progress plan identifies detail of future work
Project life cycle:
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Finishing/completion work is completed and documented finished product made available provides basis for final evaluation
Project life cycle:
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What phase of the project life project life cyclecycle is your PhD?
What do you need to do to move to the next phase?
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Planning tools and techniques STEEPLE factors SMART objectives Work breakdown structure Scheduling Gantt charts Network diagrams Critical path analysis
Project management
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External (environmental) factors include:= S= Socialocial
= P= Politicalolitical
= E= Economicconomic
= T= Technologicalechnological
= E= Environmentalnvironmental
S
T
E
E
P
L
E
Influencing factors
= L= Legalegal
= E= Ethicalthical
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What STEEPLE factorsSTEEPLE factors can you identify for your PhD?
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Objectives
Clear project objectives are vitalvital to planning
Allow successsuccess of the project to be evaluated
Enable prioritiespriorities to be set
Enable conflictsconflicts to be resolved
Provide direction and motivation
Published so key stakeholders are aware of them
Must be SSMMAARRTT
Cross-reference at end to establish completion
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Objectives
= S= Specific and written downpecific and written down
= T= Time-framedime-framed
= A= Agreed, Aligned, Achievablegreed, Aligned, Achievable
= M= Measurableeasurable
= R= Realistic, Relevantealistic, Relevant
S
M
A
R
T
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SMART Objectives
Increase UK sales volume of ring binders by 5% by 30 June 2011
Some examples:
the objective is:
specific and written downspecific and written down
measurablemeasurable “increase UK sales volume of ring binders by 5%”
achievableachievable by the staff concerned, agreedagreed by those involved, alignedaligned to the requirements of the organisation
relevantrelevant to organisation’s sales targets, realisticrealistic in terms of outlets
time-framedtime-framed “by 30 June 2011”
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SMART Objectives
Reduce staff absenteeism in SE department by 30% by 31 Dec 2011
Some examples:
the objective is:
specific and written downspecific and written down
measurablemeasurable “reduce staff absenteeism in SE dept by 30%”
achievableachievable by the staff concerned, with health awareness courses, agreedagreed by those involved, alignedaligned to the requirements of the organisation
relevantrelevant to the work of the organisation, realisticrealistic in terms of health care provision
time-framedtime-framed “by 31 December 2011”
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SMART Objectives
Submit draft report to supervisor by 31 August 2011
Some examples:
the objective is:
specific and written downspecific and written down
measurablemeasurable “submit draft report”
achievableachievable by the student (you!), agreedagreed between student and supervisor, alignedaligned to the research topic
relevantrelevant to the research area, realisticrealistic in terms resources (e.g. attending seminar / conference / workshop)
time-framedtime-framed “by 31 August 2011”
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What SMART objectivesSMART objectives can you identify for your PhD?
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Work Breakdown Structure
Systematic way of breaking down a project into manageable and well-defined “chunks” of work (work packageswork packages)
Each work packagework package broken down into a detailed list of activitiesactivities
Each activityactivity broken down into individual taskstasks
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Work Breakdown Structure
project your PhD!
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Work Breakdown Structure
work packages work packages could include:
literature survey and reviewperform studyanalyse & interpret resultswriting thesis
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Work Breakdown Structure
activities activities could include: identify and review relevant papers submit paper to conference submit interim report to supervisor prepare questionnaire interpret data from questionnaire identify subjects (individuals) for study plan structure of thesis
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Work Breakdown Structure
tasks tasks could include: request paper by Jones from library request paper by Smith from author review paper by Jones review paper by Smith interview subjects set questions for questionnaire issue questionnaire analyse data from questionnaire write report have report proof read submit report cite references build references section
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Work Breakdown Structure
Project Breakdown: top level
W P 1 W P 2 W P 3 W P 4
C o m ple te P ro je ct
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Work Breakdown Structure
W ork Package 1 Breakdown
A c tivity 1 .1 A c tivity 1 .2 A c tivity 1 .3
W P 1
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Work Breakdown Structure
Activity 1.1 Breakdown
Task 1.1.1 Task 1.1.2 Task 1.1.3 Task 1.1.4
A c tivity 1 .1
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Work Breakdown Structure
Project Breakdown: com plete structure
Task 1.1.1Task 1.1.2Task 1.1.3Task 1.1.4
A c tivity 1 .1
Task 1.2.1Task 1.2.2Task 1.2.3
A c tivity 1 .2
Task 1.3.1Task 1.3.2
A c tivity 1 .3
W P 1 W P 2 W P 3
Task 4.1.1Task 4.1.2Task 4.1.3
A c tivity 4 .1
Task 4.2.1Task 4.2.2Task 4.2.3Task 4.2.4Task 4.2.5
A c tivity 4 .2
W P 4
C o m p le te P ro je ct
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Work Breakdown Structure
Work package breakdown decided on: Functional grounds Responsibility Project phase Geographic location
There is not an implied order in the
work packageswork packages / activitiesactivities / taskstasks
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Work Breakdown StructureWork package: literature survey and Work package: literature survey and
reviewreviewActivity Activity – identify relevant literature
tasktask: request paper by Jones from library tasktask: request paper by Smith from author
Activity Activity – review relevant literature tasktask: review paper by Jones tasktask: review paper by Smith
Work package: check validity of dataWork package: check validity of data Activity Activity – confirm findings of survey
tasktask: interview subjects
Activity Activity – interpret data from questionnaire tasktask: analyse data from questionnaire
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Work Breakdown StructureWork package: prepare surveyWork package: prepare survey
Activity Activity – generate questionnaire for survey tasktask: set questions for questionnaire tasktask: issue questionnaire
Work package: report findingsWork package: report findingsActivity Activity – construct report
tasktask: write report tasktask: have report proof read tasktask: submit report
Activity Activity – gather existing work tasktask: cite references tasktask: build references section
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What work packages, activities and work packages, activities and taskstasks can you identify for planning your research?
Can you group the activities and tasks together in different ways?
Which arrangement suits youryour way of working?
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Scheduling
Setting out all project activities & tasks
logically so dependencies & resource
constraints are satisfied
The project schedule is constrained by:
Resource availability
Logical dependencies
Milestone constraints
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Resources
Resource availability affects task schedule
Ensure the rightright resources are used
Ensure resources are used efficientlyefficiently
Affects cost, quality and time
Relationship between these is not linear(Brooks, 1995)
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Resources
HumanOther
Equipment Tools Office space Information Raw materials … and so on ...
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What resourcesresources do you need for your research?
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Dependencies
Logical relationships between tasks
Finish-to-start is common task Atask A must finish before task Btask B can start
may include lag and lead times (delay or overlap)
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Dependencies
Other constraints on tasks: task cannot start beforebefore a specific date task must finish byby a specific date task must start onon a specific date task must start as soonsoon as possible task must start as latelate as possible task must run in parallelin parallel with another task task must wait X dayswait X days after another task ends
• caution: these may be consecutive working days
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Milestones
Milestones significant eventssignificant events in the project plan normally correspond to key deliverables
• transfer report from MPhil to PhD
• submission of thesis
milestones and dates are agreed with key stakeholders at the baseline plan stage
milestones often become fixedfixed
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What milestonesmilestones can you identify for your PhD?
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Scheduling
TasksTasks must be scheduled to satisfy all constraints, logical dependencies and milestone dates
There are tools to help achieve this Project schedule must also be ‘‘stable stable ’’
Small disruptions Small disruptions to tasks must not have significant impact on the whole schedulewhole schedule
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Gantt charts Gantt charts show tasks/activities against time Tasks could include:
request Jones paper from library request Smith paper from author review paper by Jones review paper by Smith interview subjects set questions for questionnaire issue questionnaire analyse data from questionnaire submit report have report proof read write report cite references build references section
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Gantt charts
Can set questions while requesting and reviewing papers Might not need two full weeks
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Gantt charts
Might be able to start this task early ...and finish early
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Gantt charts
Might not have to start this task straight away Might want to delay while doing other things
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Gantt charts
Might be able to set questions in the middle of the time slot
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Gantt charts
Questionnaire must be prepared before it can be issued
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Gantt charts
Questionnaire must be issued & returned before results can be analysed
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Gantt charts
Analyse data before interviewing subjects
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Gantt charts
Interview subjects before writing report
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Gantt charts
Have report proof read before submission
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Gantt charts
In their basic form Gantt charts: Do not explicitly show logical dependencies Do not optimise resources and costs Do not display current progress
But...They are simple to read
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Isolate the Baseline Plan
RisksRisks must be associated with a planplan before they can be handled
As risks could prevent the achievement of objectives, plans for achieving objectives must be in place before risks can be considered
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Analyse and Assign RisksIdentify:
WhatWhat are the potential risks?
Assess: What is the impactimpact of each risk? What is the likelihoodlikelihood of the risk occurring? How can the risk be preventedprevented or identifiedidentified
early early ? What needs to be doneneeds to be done if the risk does occur?
Allocate: To whom can I assignassign the risk?
this will probably be youyou
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What risksrisks can you identify in your plan for your PhD?
What could possibly go wrong?
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Network diagrams
Powerful tools to represent and optimise
complex schedules
Not as intuitive as Gantt charts
Planning rather management reporting tool
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Activity on Arrow
The network consists of ‘nodes’ and ‘arrows’ Each node represents an ‘event’ Each arrow starts and ends at an event Each arrow represents an activity Arrows and nodes are uniquely labelled Arrows point from left to right (indicating time)
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10 20A
2
Activity A runs from event 10 to event 20 and has a duration of 2 time units
An activity could be: identify and review relevant papers submit paper to conference submit interim report to supervisor prepare questionnaire interpret data from questionnaire identify subjects (individuals) for study
Activity on Arrow
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Activity on Arrow
10 20 50 70 80
30 40
60
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
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Critical path method
Earliest Event Time (EET): Earliest time an event can occur
Equal to the earliest time allall activities leading into the event can be completed
Determines the earliest time any activity leading from the event can start
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Critical path method
Latest Event Time (LET):
Latest time an event can occur (and still complete the project in the shortest possible time)
Greater than or equal to the earliest event time
Cannot be earlier than the earliest event time (would indicate a problem in the calculation)
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Critical path method
Notes: two passes through network diagram
• first pass to calculate EETs, left to right
• second pass to calculate LETs, right to left
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Critical path method
Notes: cannot have LET earlierearlier than EET - by
definition cannot have negativenegative times for EETs and
LETs start time of project will be zero (EET=LET=0) finish time of project will have EET=LET
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Critical path method
Some definitions …
FloatFloat is the difference between LET and EET: Float = LET – EET
Slack is slightly different from float, but the terms are often used inthe same way
Float is always greater than or equal to zero
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Critical path method
Some definitions …
The critical pathcritical path is the sequence of activities with zero float
The critical pathcritical path is:
the longest pathlongest path through the network, but the shortest timeshortest time in which the project can be completed
The critical path must go all the way throughall the way through the network diagram
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Critical path method
10 00
2022
5070 80
30 40
60
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEET
EET 0 plus duration 2 gives EET 2 for the
next activities B, C & D
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Critical path method
10 00
2022
5077
70 80
30 66
40
6055
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEET
EET 2 plus duration 3 gives EET 5 for the
next activity H
EET 2 plus duration 5 gives EET 7 for the
next activity G
EET 2 plus duration 4 gives EET 6 for the
next activity E
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Critical path method
10 00
2022
5077
701212
80
30 66
4088
6055
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEET
From H, EET 5 plus duration 7 gives EET 12 for the next activity I
From G, EET 7 plus duration 3 gives EET 10
for the next activity I
From F, EET 8 plus duration 3 gives EET 11
for the next activity I
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Critical path method
10 00
2022
5077
701212
801515
30 66
4088
6055
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETChoose the latestlatest EET;
need to wait until longest activity has finished
EET 12 plus duration 3 gives 15 for the endof the project
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Critical path method: table
Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack
A 2 0B 4 2C 5 2D 3 2E 2 6F 3 8G 3 7H 7 5I 3 12
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Critical path method
1000
2022
5077
701212,,1212
801515,,1515
3066
4088
6055
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLET
LET 15 minus duration 3 gives LET 12 for activity I
LET = EET for the end of the project
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Critical path method
1000
2022
5077,,99
701212,,1212
801515,,1515
3066
4088,,99
6055,,55
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLET
LET 12 minus duration 3 gives LET 9 for activity F
LET 1 minus duration 3 gives LET 9 for activity G
LET 12 minus duration 7 gives LET 5 for activity H
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Critical path method
1000
2022,,22
5077,,99
701212,,1212
801515,,1515
3066,,77
4088,,99
6055,,55
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLET
LET 7 minus duration 4 gives LET 3 for activity B
LET 9 minus duration 5 gives LET 4 for activity C
LET 5 minus duration 3 gives LET 2 for activity D
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Critical path method
1000
2022,,22
5077,,99
701212,,1212
801515,,1515
3066,,77
4088,,99
6055,,55
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLET
Choose the earliestearliest LETso that the longest activity will
have enough time to finish
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Critical path method
1000,,00
2022,,22
5077,,99
701212,,1212
801515,,1515
3066,,77
4088,,99
6055,,55
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLET
LET 2 minus duration 2 gives LET 0 for the start of the project
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Critical path method: table
Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack
A 2 0 0B 4 2 2 or 3C 5 2 2 or 4D 3 2 2E 2 6 7F 3 8 9G 3 7 9H 7 5 5I 3 12 12
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Critical path method
1000,00
2022,22
5077,99
701212,,1212
801515,1515
3066,77
4088,99
6055,55
A2
B4
D3
C5
E2 F
3G3H7
I3
EETEETLETLETCritical pathCritical path
The longestlongest path through the network is
the shortestshortest timetime the project can take
The critical path is the path with zero float; anyany delay will meanthe whole projectwhole project will be late
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Critical path method: table
Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack
A 2 0 0 00B 4 2 2 or 3 1C 5 2 2 or 4 2D 3 2 2 00E 2 6 7 1F 3 8 9 1G 3 7 9 2H 7 5 5 00I 3 12 12 00
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Network diagram Network diagrams show tasks in sequence/parallel Tasks could include:
request paper by Jones request paper by Smith review paper by Jones review paper by Smith interview subjects set questions for questionnaire issue questionnaire analyse data from questionnaire submit report have report proof read write report cite references build references section
Consider how long each task might take
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Network diagram
10
20
110 12040
30
request Jones paper
request Smith paper
write
repor
tpr
oof
read
repo
rt
subm
i
t re
por
t7060
review Jones paper
review Smith paper
set q
’s for
q’naire
issue
q’na
ire
analyse data
from
q’naire
interview
subjects
50 100
90cit
e
refere
nce
s
build
refe
renc
e
s sec
tion
80
dumm
y
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How could you use the critical critical path method path method in planning your PhD?
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Conclusion
Project life cycle basic framework for any project
• going on holiday• organising a conference• researching for a PhD
Planning tools & techniques useful methods to help you plan
• what you are going to do• what you have done so far• what there is left to do
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Enjoy your research!• think about publishing papers
- relevant journals- appropriate conferences
• attend relevant conferences to get feedback- some conference organisers want student
helpers
• submit your transfer document / thesis- follow the university guidelines
• think about using project management tools and techniques to keep your research on track!
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References & further reading Allen D (2001) Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity, Piatkus
Bell J (1993) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education and Social Science, 2nd edition, Open University Press
Cohen L, Manion L & Morrison K (2000) Research Methods in Education, 5th edition, Routledge Falmer
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References & further reading Andersen E S (2008) Rethinking Project Management: An Organisational Perspective, FT Prentice-Hall
Bentley C (1997) PRINCE 2: A Practical Handbook, Butterworth-Heinemann
Brooks F. (1995) The Mythical Man-Month (Anniversary Edition), Addison-Wesley
Burke R (1999). Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques, Wiley
Cadle J & Yates D (2008) Project Management for Information Systems, Pearson/Prentice-Hall
Central Computer & Telecommunications Agency (1997) PRINCE 2: An Outline, The Stationery Office
Field M & Keller L (1998) Project Management, International Thomson Business Press
Maylor H (2003) Project Management 3rd edition, FT Prentice-Hall http://www.epigeum.com/component/content/article/37-research-
skills-online/67-6-project-management-in-the-research-context (last accessed 1 Nov 2010)
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Any Questions?