Practical Project Management. Elizabeth Gray-King

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Bertram Bradley
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1 Practical Project Management Elizabeth Gray-King

2 Identify Purpose Before After Goal The statement of anticipated change Project Outcome The statement of change which occurred Target The number of planned activities or products Output The actual number of activities or products

3 Frame the Context Stakeholders - Who is interested? Of these, who needs Reports? Resources What is available? (are there gaps which create needs?) Who is available? (are there gaps which create needs?) Outcome Funders Who is providing finance? Of these, who needs monitoring reports? Output statements What are the core project activities?

4 Turn Outputs to tasks Go to output statements Change to task language Use clear task language THEN Create subtasks for each output task Verb do arrange agree obtain plan Object this meeting plan finance event

5 Outputs to Tasks - 2 Work in more detail Push down what else?

6 Analysing Tasks Milestones Dependencies Constraints

7 Analyse Tasks Activity Go to your project tasks: Mark tasks which are milestones Add new milestones (dates, events) Mark dependencies to milestones Link or code (M1 to D1.1, D1.2, M2 to D2.1, D2.2, etc) Mark tasks which are also constraints Add new constraints Look to SAFRO for other milestones and constraints Note: Milestones in BLF and other funder language is more like outputs

8 Critical Path Analysis Not necessarily used in social benefit sector Useful to understand so that your timing can be as real a guess as possible

9 Task Reflection

10 GANTT Charts Industry core to project management

11 Gantt Activity Mark up Gantt columns Decide time increments Put in Project Management as a task heading with 2 detail tasks Review Tasks, Review Risks Decide task groups Volunteers? Milestones? Themes of activities? Stages? Fill in Gantt & allocate timings make Milestones, Dependencies & Constraints clear Note: Estimating Timescales (5 v 7 hour days, developing people, working with volunteers or vulnerable people)

12 Gantt Visits Wander around to see others Gantts Ask what you need to ask Pick out one shock/learning point and explain to group

13 And finally Questions? Some tools: Microsoft Project (and similar freeware) PRINCE (Projects In Controlled Environments)

14 Tomorrow Transferring your Gantt to Excel or to Quadrille paper Risk Management & Planning Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting Delegation & People Management Practical tools and tips Mop up of expectations

15 PPM Day 2 Questions from Day 1?

16 Gantt Electric Plain Gantt Overview Gantt Activity: Create/copy your Gantt and fill it, adding drop down menus and http links

17 Risk Moving from theory to strategy

18 Risk Activity 1 Create a risk plan in the project workbook Work through each task and ask could there be a risk associated with this? If no, delete Copy/paste the task with risk to the risk plan Change the task language to risk description Explain the why of the risk in the Notes column Rank Risks in the Priority column Type Risks in Type column Agree risk response and actions for H and med H only

19 Risk Activity 2 Go to SFRO context sheet, add overall project risks Go back to Gantt to revise look at how to mitigate constraints, add tasks Either add mitigating actions directly into Gantt below the tasks associated with the Risk & e-link to risk plan Or add a task Manage associated risks -below the task and e-link to the actions in the risk plan

20 Risk Reminders Project risks are project, not organisational, though they could lead to organisational issues As much as possible, do risk before the final Gantt, as risk actions could lead to new tasks If you are not aware of the full range of risks, confer with those who work with the same sort of people, the same sort of activity or in the same geographical area RM demonstrates preparedness and good management; helps in case of complaints If you are the sole project manager, check risk register with Trustees, Line Manager, Stakeholders Get Approval Remember to do Risk Monitoring in Gantt

21 Monitoring moving from strategic planning to management Electronic Project Management Project Overview Book Be disciplined about updating your Gantt and linking information

22 Reporting managing & negotiating At START of project Who needs to receive reports and Why? Recognise that different audiences need different formats and timing Create all templates at the beginning During project Pull information from your Gantt and associated files; copy/paste/edit to report format

23 Reporting Activity Go to Context sheet (SFRO) and indicate which groups will need reports and note what level of reports may be needed when Create small sub Gantt as a reporting timetable

24 Evaluation from management to negotiation to strategy Purpose For you For your organisation s future development For funding/budget allocation evidence For information for reporting/news At START Agree outcome statements Gather baseline Design information collection tools [Participation and classic methods] At intervals Collect evidence Analyse Record

25 Evaluation Activity Go to Context sheet (SFRO) Look at your Outcomes and Outputs Add a few success measures (qualitative and quantitative) Outcome: reduced isolation Measure: single parents reporting feeling more involved Measure: more groups of single parents seen meeting together

26 Delegation where PM actually happens Moving from task management to people management Telling the truth up, down and sideways Getting clear on information Getting clear on expectations

27 Delegation Activity Go to Gantt, select one task to delegate Look at Individual Task Delegation page and frame a request Try it out on someone at your table

28 Practical Tools and Tips Whatever works for you! Whatever makes sense to others who will share the information Electronic where appropriate (most often)

29 Moving On Gantt personal ToDo Gantt an easy win Gantt the most frustrating project Gantt from NOW, not history (have fun!)

Practical Project Management. Elizabeth Gray-King

Practical Project Management. Elizabeth Gray-King Practical Project Management Elizabeth Gray-King Identify Purpose Before After Goal The statement of anticipated change Project Outcome The statement of change which occurred Target The proposed work areas