PROJECT MANAGEMENT


The course is composed by:
-Real projects to manage during the term within the University (one project per group of two students).
-Books to read and to understand (ITIL books and project management books).
-Templates.
-Videos.
-The following ITIL course: ITIL v3
-Mid-term exam, final exam, paper and oral presentation.
-And the following information:


What is a project?
A PROJECT is an activity, with a start and end date, in order to create a product, a service or a result by respecting:
-the SCOPE (= the objectives).
-the COSTS.
-the TIME.
-the RISKS.
-the QUALITY.
-the BENEFITS.


What is Project Management?
PROJECT MANAGEMENT is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing a project.


Who is the Project Manager?
-The Project Manager is the person responsible for the project.
-The Project Manager will manage his project, from the beginning to the end.
-The Project Manager reports to his project’s Client.
-The Project Manager will also lead the persons working on his project. These persons are called the project team members.
-In Project Management, a project team member is sometimes called a resource.
-Sometimes, the project team has one member only: the Project Manager. In this case, the Project Manager works alone on his project.



Examples of project (scope, money and time):

At work:
-Choose, buy and install a new files server.
-Improve the network security.
-Create software.
-Create your company’s website.
-Buy and install twenty computers.
-Upgrade all computers from Windows 7 to Windows 8.
-Make paper and oral presentation.
-Buy a new antivirus software for all computers and servers.
-Backup all sensitive data of your company.
-Hire a good security expert in your company for the end of the year.
-Choose and buy ten good IT books for our library.
-Build a new international airport in New York.

In your personal life:
-Buy a new car.
-Buy a new smartphone.
-Buy a new computer.
-Move to another house.
-Prepare a Bachelor’s Degree.
-Be a part-time teacher during summer.
-Buy new clothes.
-Buy a new motorbike in fall.



Different sizes of project:

-Very small projects.
Example of very small project: “Buy a new smartphone”.
Budget: $500. Time: 3 days.
Project team: only one person, the Project Manager.

-Small projects.
Example of small project: “Buy and install three computers”.
Budget: $1000. Time: 3 weeks.
Project team: an IT technician and the Project Manager.

-Medium projects.
Example of medium project: “Create the website of your company”.
Budget: $15,000. Time: 4 months.
Project team: four web developers and the Project Manager.

-Big projects.
Example of big project: “Improve the IT security of your company”.
Budget: $300,000. Time: 1 year.
Project team: 24 technicians, engineers, network experts and the Project Manager.

-Very big projects.
Example of very big project: “Build a new international airport in New York”.
Budget: $5,000,000,000. Time: 5 years.
Project team: 500 persons and the Project Manager.




General STEPS for managing a project:

A Project Manager has to manage a project given by his Client. If he wants to realize his project successfully, then he can respect the following steps:

1- Identification study.
The goal of this step is to ensure that the Project Manager understands the need of his Client, in order to avoid working on a wrong project.
So the Project Manager will contact again his Client (face to face, phone, email…) and will check with him his need.

2- Opportunity study.
2a- Analyze the current situation of your Client.
2b- Check how the others do to solve the same problem than your Client.
2c- Search and find several solutions.
2d- Make the economic study of these solutions.
2e- Study the social impact of these solutions.
2f- Choose/select one solution only.

3- Analysis of the functions.
The goal of this step is to describe the functions of the solution.

4- Project Charter.
The Project Charter is a very important document; it will be written and signed by the Project Manager and his Client.
It's the unique and official document for this project; it contains all details of the project, like time, budget, scope, Client and PM names, addresses...

5- Realization of the solution, and tests.
This task can be split in several sub-tasks (it depends of the size of the project).
And for each sub-task, give a target date, analyze the risk and try to mitigate it; then realize the sub-task.
When the solution is finished, test it and ensure it works fine.

6- Implementation of the solution.
Implement the solution within your environment as requested by your Client.



Project Manager’s SKILLS:
-Good communication (very important).
-Rigorous (very important).
-Multitasking.
-Self-confident.
-Honest.
-Realistic.
-Proactive.
-Strong leadership.
-Service-oriented.
-Very good relationship with his Client.
-Enthusiastic, energetic.
-Stress and pressure resistant.
-Mature, experienced.
-Accounting.
-Information technology.
-With technical background too.


More information about the Project Manager:
-He has to analyze correctly the needs of his Client.
-He has to assess correctly the workload of his project.
-He has to analyze the risk and try to mitigate it (the risk is an event which has a negative impact on your project, and is related to uncertainty. If you don’t manage the risk, it will manage you).
-He has to accept sometimes being reprimanded by his Client.
-He has to be rigorous but not despotic.
-He has to be a leader but not a people manager.
-He may ask for work to some employees without having hierarchical authority on them.
-He spends more than 80% of his time to communicate.
-He is responsible of the quality.
-He calculates the men.days for each task (ex: 20 men.days can be 1 man working on 20 days, or 2 men working half-time on 20 days, or 2 men working on 10 days...)



KEYS to SUCCESS:
The Project Manager must ensure of the following points anytime during the project:
-Stakeholders are committed (stakeholders are individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project).
-The risk is mitigated.
-The scope is realistic and manageable.
-The tasks of the work of the project team are predictable.
-The project team has a clear organization and is motivated.
-The money: take care of the budget, and don’t forget to make money-earning.



Difference between Project Manager and Program Manager:
-Possible answer:
A Project Manager manages only one project.
A Program Manager manages several projects simultaneously.

-Another possible answer:
A Program Manager manages multiple projects simultaneously and these projects are linked.
A Project Manager manages multiple projects simultaneously but these projects are not linked.



Examples of Project Management METHODS and certifications:
-PMP: Project Management Professional;
-PMI: Project Management Institute;
-PRINCE2: PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2;
-WWPMM: World Wide Project Management Methods;
-AGILE and SCRUM.



Remarks:
-PRINCE2 method has the following processes: SU (Starting Up a project); IP (Initiating a Project); PL (Planning); DP (Directing a Project);
CS (Controlling a Stage); MP (Managing a Product delivery); SB (Managing Stage boundaries); CP (Closing a Project).

-Small information in French language: MOA= Maitrise d'OuvrAge (c'est le client) et MOE= Maitrise d'OEuvre (c'est le concepteur du projet).

-What is a project's MILESTONE?
It's a specific/important point along a project timeline. It can be used to measure the progress of a project toward its ultimate goal.

-How can a project manager manage QUALITY?
Possible answer: he manages quality by checking the impact on the end user; he will try to limit the impact of each project's task, and the best is to have zero disruption.



Examples of Project Management TEMPLATES:
-Project charter
-Communication management plan
-Project risk management plan
-Technical environment.


Examples of Project Management TOOLS:
-Microsoft PROJECT and PROJECT SERVER.
-Computers; tablets; smartphones, phones.
-Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Open Office, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
-Emails with Outlook, Google Mail or Lotus Notes.
-PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique).
-GANTT (for example with Microsoft Excel).


Example of test at university: MID-TERM EXAM
Duration: 1h30 – 20 questions – 1 point per question.
Question 1- What is the definition of a project?
Question 2- What are the three main constraints of a project?
Question 3- Give an example of a small IT project (write the three main constraints).
Question 4- Give an example of a medium IT project (write the three main constraints).
Question 5- Who is the Project Manager? What is his role?
Question 6- Give five important skills for being a good Project Manager.
Question 7- Give five more skills for being a good Project Manager (different than in question 6).
Question 8- What is the definition of the Quality? Give an example of Quality if you are a client.
Question 9- What is the Identification Study? Why is it important?
Question 10- Write the name of three steps of the Opportunity Study?
Question 11- Give three reasons for a Project Manager to be reprimanded by his Client.
Question 12- What is the definition of the risk? Give an example of risk in a project.
Question 13- What should the Project Manager do with the risk? Give an example.
Question 14- What is a Project Charter? When do we do it?
Question 15- The Project Manager may ask for work to some employees without having hierarchical authority on them. What does it mean? Why is it difficult sometimes?
Question 16- The Project Manager has to be rigorous but not despotic. What does it mean?
Question 17- What it the difference between a Project Manager and a Program Manager?
Question 18- Write three names of Project Management method or certification.
Question 19- What are the “keys to success”? Write six keys to success.
Question 20- What is the difference between Microsoft Project and Microsoft Project Server?


Another example of test at university: FINAL EXAM
Duration: 1h30 – 20 questions – 1 point per question.
Question 1- What is the definition of Project Management?
Question 2- Write the six main constraints of a project.
Question 3- A Project Manager has to be rigorous. Why? What does it mean exactly?
Question 4- What is a Project Charter? When should we make it?
Question 5- You are managing a project, but one day your Client decides to choose a solution/way that you don’t like because you are sure it’s wrong. What are you going to do?
Question 6- Give four reasons for a Project Manager to fail his project.
Question 7- A condition for being a Project Manager is to have good communication skills. Why? Write three means of communication used by a Project Manager to manage his project.
Question 8- What is the definition of ITIL v3?
Question 9- Why learn and use ITIL in Project Management?
Question 10- What are the two main goals of ITIL v3?
Question 11- Write the names of the five main ITIL v3 books.
Question 12- What is the difference between ITIL process Service Portfolio Management and process Service Catalog Management?
Question 13- Write the role of the Service Level Manager. Explain why it’s important.
Question 14- What is the purpose of the ITIL sub-process Service Continuity Management?
Question 15- What is the difference between ITIL incidents and problems?
Question 16- Write the names of four sub-processes of process Service Design.
Question 17- What is a CMDB? In which ITIL v3 book is it?
Question 18- Service Level Agreement (SLA): in which ITIL process and in which sub-process is it?
Question 19- Write the names of the five sub-processes of ITIL process Service Operation.
Question 20- What is Continual Service Improvement? What is his goal?

Back to IT courses page

Back to website main page