Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

Transcription

1 Managing and leading programs / projects in practice Maija-Riitta Varis Senior Program Manager Nokia Networks TKK/

2 TKK Program management Program organization structure Program management basic elements Milestone definitions Program management phases What happens in real life? Program metrics How to success still 2 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

3 Program organization Program Assistant Release Product Manager Program Manager Quality Manager Chief Architect Product Manager HW Product Manager Patent Engineer n x subprojects n x subprojects typically 1000 hours Hardware Project hours Several SW Projects hours Customer Documentation Delivery Capability Project Functional Testing Project hours n x subprojects The whole program organization consists of about persons hours =>~150 man years - divided about 10 projects -led by about 30 managers 3 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

4 Program /project management basics Three basic elements in program planning Schedule, content, resources If one of those components is changed it affects at least on one of the others => Change of schedule requires either decreasing of the content or adding resources Schedule Resources Content Schedule Resources Content Schedule Resources Content 4 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

5 Program Management How to success to manage a large program? Professional project managers => efficient management TEAM Good project and subproject plans and schedules => Realistic program plan Efficient risk and change management Clearly defined roles and interfaces + Good team spirit = openness and trust Well planned and efficient communication within program and with all interfaces Meeting schedule Communication methods, etc 5 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

6 Splitting the program schedule with checkpoints = milestones E0 Planning E0.5 Specification E1 Implementation+MTE3 Testing E3.5 Closing E4 Customer Trials E5 Content frozen Impl. specs Module testing All FT done Every milestone has to be reviewed against a specific criteria list Decision can be: Approved, Postponed or Cancelled Confirmed by a high level steering group 6 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

7 Program/project management tasks Program / project management Planning Defining the targets, dependencies, communication models and interfaces Plans are done at all hierarchy levels of the program: Follow-up Program Management Team (PMT) meetings weekly twice a month Usually virtual teams people sitting all over the world at least in several offices inside Finland Closing Final reviews and final reports both at all program hierarchy levels Risk management Detecting risks From the early beginning of the program Finding plan-b s Plan-B s are included to the risk management plan Follow-up Risks are followed in PMT meetings regularly Change management Changes in schedules, changes in content A separate Product Decision Board meeting handle this kind of changes 7 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

8 COMMUNICATION A communication plan should answer to following questionwords: WHAT? => project status, changes, problems.. WHEN? => once a month, when needed HOW? => a meeting, by mail, by specific tool To WHOM?=> this has to be thought carefully case by case! Build a list of interest groups and mark job positions for every single person => useful when gathering participants to workgroups, meetings etc 8 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

9 What happens in reality? E0 Planning E0.5 Specification E1 Implementation+MT E3 Testing E3.5 Closing E4 E0 Planning E0.5 Specification E1 Implementation+MT E3 Testing E3.5 Closing E4 Consequence in most of the cases is that also the last milestone has to be moved because of there is not possible to have buffers in the plans! => CHANGE MANAGEMENT and COMMUNICATION Effort estimation accuracy gives the change of working hours measured against E1 milestone effort estimation Typical effort increase is % Increasing is noticed first after detailed projecting in E1 milestone Learned facts: Over 80% of the program costs are resource costs Program delay ties resources => direct impact on costs The example program was done with following results: Effort estimation slippage 30% from E1 E3.5 milestone delayed with 72 days, E4 with 44 days and E4.5 with 4 days. 9 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

10 What can go wrong? What happens in reality? Answer is: Everything 1. Human factors Sick leaves, paternity leaves etc 2. Organization changes commitments does not exist anymore 3. Technical changes/problems takes more time than planned partners cannot keep their contracts 4. Test environment is not available as planned 5. New issues coming to the project content all the time 6. ETC Solutions are: FOLLOW-UP, RISK and CHANGE MANAGEMENT 10 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

11 How to success still? 1. Communication, Communication, Communication 2. Good planning = half done! 3. Detect the risks and do the plan-b s = active risk management 4. FOLLOW-UP => corrective actions 5. Gross-COMMUNICATION over organizations, programs and projects GOOD LUCK is not the worst tool in program management 11 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

12 TKK Leadership in program Team building / Team leading Challenges and requirements for a program/project manager Question summary 12 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

13 Team building / leading Kick-off meetings Usually held at all program hierarchic levels Program level: project managers, quality mgr, product Project level: subproject managers, quality mgr Subproject level: respective project manager, quality mgr, whole subproject personnel Targets To get to know a bit better each other (everybody gives a short presentation background, education, experience etc) To set the clear and common targets for the program / project To clarify the role and interfaces for each team member Face-to-Face discussions Development discussions during the program Main target is to listen the feelings, give and get feed-back Motivation Recreation events, sauna-evenings etc Rewarding Keep-it-simple, it s not the monetary value but the way you do it! 13 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

14 Challenges and requirements for program / project manager Expectations: Manager knows everything and everybody Manager is capable to solve all problems Manager remembers all tiny issues, etc, etc => mission impossible Solution: Collect and share information effectively Admit that your knowledge is limited Delegate => use your strengths, face your weaknesses Do not pretend to be more capable than you are! What you get: Respect Supportive and co-operative team 14 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

15 Program / project manager personality Strengths: Decision making Responsibility Assertiveness Consistency Gumption to take risks when needed Tolerate uncertain circumstances Leadership skills Manipulation skills Ability to create a good team spirit Managers in different project levels: Program manager: efficient in communication and problem solving capable to create a big picture of the final product both in content and technical point of view Project manager: Knows the project content at least in feature level, knowledge also from coding Subproject manager: Knows the subproject issues by detail, might be a specialist 15 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

16 Questions 1. Which are the three most essential differences when managing a small or large project? 2. Effort estimation methods? 3. What is the most difficult issue to remember when managing a big program with thousands of issues? 4. How to get the needed information out of a team that might include only introvert persons? 5. How to deal with people who don t get their work done in time? 6. Is it more difficult to manage / lead highly skilled people than common ones? 7. How to learn the leadership skills? By doing? In a training? 8. What is the most important issue in leadership? 9. Any tips on how to boost the creativity of a coder who is not at all interested in the project? As a co-worker? As a manager? 10. What are differences between a good and a poor manager? 1. What is the difference between rewarding a high skilled very experienced person and a beginner? 2. Is there any requirements for coder in a large sw-project? 3. Is a good manager in a small project also good in a large project? 4. What is the most important thing to remember in a large program / project? COMMUNICATION!!! 5. How big part of the day / week is needed from program manager to get all the work done? 6. Is there time to personal life? 16 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis

17 17 NOKIA Program management.ppt / /Maija-Riitta Varis Please remember: There is always a new morning when everything is a bit better or at least differently also in program management