Projectmanagement is a term that in some respects appears ubiquitous, yet in practice, it seems to still be relatively confined to big business. While this may be the case, the underpinnings of projectmanagement are actually quite simple and can be adapted by virtually anyone. But, before we get too far down this path I think it is important to look at what projectmanagement is…and what it is not.
First, projectmanagement is a methodology. At its core is a framework that allows for efficient use of time, but more importantly this methodology/framework helps ensure that the goal of the project is actually achieved. Second, it must be understood that to be considered a project, there has to be a specific “start date” and “end date.” If the project has no official beginning or specific date to end, by definition it is a process. It is important to differentiate between the two. A project is undertaken to meet a specific goal or requirement, within a specified time frame. For example, if you are planning a wedding you would want to use a projectmanagement methodology. This is because if certain things aren’t pulled together by the wedding day, proverbial heads are going to roll. A process, however, could be thought of as a repeatable group of activities and tasks that will be done over and over again. Making coffee would be a good example of a process. Coordinating everything to pull off a successful wedding, however, is a project.
There are a few projectmanagement methodologies, but for our purposes we will look at the basis of good projectmanagement. Our goal is to apply the principles of solid projectmanagement, rather than try and memorize a particular methodology.
In my experience, it is often thought that projects need to be somewhat complex in nature in order to use projectmanagement. The beauty of projectmanagement though is that even if there is little complexity to deal with, these principles will still be of great value to the individual applying them. At its core, projectmanagement is as much about efficiency as it is about bringing to fruition something that does not currently exist. Let’s get started by defining a few things.
There are typically 5 phases to any project. Some phases may only have a couple of things that happen within them, but there are about 5 phases nonetheless. The phases are Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing. We’ll take them one at a time, and remember, it’s more about the methodology than anything else. Effective projectmanagement always seeks to break down the enormity of the project into manageable parts. These manageable parts are called phases.
One more thing before we begin…sometimes it’s easier to apply a scenario or hypothetical situation to help us understand a concept. We will use “Planning a Wedding” as our scenario to help us understand various points or concepts.
The Initiation Phase
Project Charter
This is a very important component of the project that is often overlooked. Think of the Project Charter as your “Permission” to continue. Why do you need permission you may ask? Because 80% of project failures occur from a lack of communication. Have you ever had your boss tell you what they needed from you and then ask you to something completely different? I’ll bet that not only did you clarify exactly what they wanted, but you spent an enormous amount of time creating it. Only in the end to have them tell you that you must have misunderstood. A Project Charter is really your protection against this type of mismanagement and miscommunication.
What you put in the Charter is essentially the objective of the project, the scope of the project, what things will be done to complete the project, and who it is that needs to formally authorize the project. And, the best part of the Charter is that if it isn’t in the Charter, you can’t do it. This keeps your boss and others from continuously changing their minds and not letting you finish what you started.
So far as the mechanics of the Charter, here are some definitions. The “objective” is really just stating what the project should accomplish. The scope of the project is simply defining the parameters or boundaries of what will be done to accomplish the project. The things that need to be done to make the project a success are called deliverables. These are packages of work that need to be done, either individually or collectively, for the project to move along as planned. Finally, the authorizers are the ones that have the authority to say yes or no to the project and ultimately the ones that are going to pay for it. The authorizers are also called Stakeholders…not because they love beef, but because these are actually the people that have the highest “stake” in the project being done right. Sticking with our wedding planning theme, the stakeholders might be the Bride, Groom, Parents and the minister.
The Planning Phase
This is the very beginning of the project where you begin to brainstorm about what you think will need to happen in order for the project to come together. For example, using our wedding planning theme, we know that there are several things that need to occur in order to make this wedding come together seamlessly…so you begin listing them. There must be somewhere to have it, someone to open and close the facility, catering must be determined, what is the anticipated budget or cost that the family is looking to spend, etc. In fact, this can just be a list of items or bullet points that you know will need to be broken down more granularly later. Remember, this is just brainstorming to see what the main “things” are that need to occur for the project to be done correctly. This is where we look at how to begin adding shape to this wedding. We need to somehow bring it from conceptualization to reality, from thought process to paper. This is the rough framework of what we know will happen or at least what we think needs to happen. The planning phase is critical for getting started, but not critical for being 100% correct. We will refine as we go.
The planning phase is really just getting the major people together that will own part of the project work and planning how they will do it and what they will need to get it done. In the business world, these are the Subject Matter Experts. A project manager does not need to be an expert in everything, but the project manager does need to find those that are and get those Subject Matter Experts on their team. This phase is also where you assign starting dates and ending dates to particular tasks. This is crucial to the project’s success. There will be tasks that can happen at the same time that may or may not be related. But, some of those tasks will end later than others because they will simply take longer to complete. Start and stop dates also give you a way of ensuring that everything gets completed on time. This makes sense because the project has a specific stop date (otherwise it’s a process), so all tasks have to end sometime. A word of caution, you are still in the “planning” phase here. Don’t get overwhelmed with the lack of details. Every home needs a frame before it can be built. But, before the frame is constructed there is a rough idea of the total square footage of the home, how many rooms, bathrooms, etc. that there will be. That’s what the planning phase if for…to determine how this thing should look.
Activities and Tasks
Project plans are created to track activities and tasks. It may be easier to think of a project plan as an Excel spreadsheet with as little as 4 columns (Task Name; Start Date; End Date; Assigned To). This gives each activity and task the ability to be formally tracked and completed. You may be wondering what the difference is between an activity and a task. Simply put, an activity is the culmination of 1 or more tasks. As an example, let’s take drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. If you like coffee, drinking a cup in the morning is an activity you enjoy. However, for that activity to occur, you must complete several tasks. For example, you need to clean the coffee maker; put in the coffee filter; scoop in the coffee; fill the coffee maker with water; get a clean cup…you get the idea. Now, just because there are numerous tasks in making a cup of coffee doesn’t mean that you need to include them all in a project plan. You need to go deep enough into the activity to ensure it gets completed on time, but you don’t need to list all 15-20 tasks to make a cup of coffee. Remember, these are tasks and not procedures. The final rule of thumb is that tasks should always be able to be accomplished…yes or no items…did you do it or not? This means that tasks are intentionally named using action verbs. So, the activity is making a cup of coffee. The tasks that make up this activity we’ve already discussed. We could name one of these tasks “Scoop the coffee into the filter”. Now we have a task that is action oriented and can be tracked.
Milestones
This is a way of rolling up or categorizing activities and tasks into their highest component. For example, maybe coffee is actually a part of a milestone named Provided Beverages for All Age Groups. The milestone is there to ensure that all of the beverages are bought and ready for when the guests arrive. Within the “Provided Beverages for All Age Groups” milestone then, you may have activities and tasks for Water; Punch and Soda, Iced Tea, Coffee, and Ice. Together (once purchased, delivered, and ready to be served to the guests) they complete the Provided Beverages for All Age Groups milestone for the project. Milestones give you the ability to track project completion at a higher level. This makes it easier for both reporting and tracking purposes.
The Execution Phase
This is where the activities and tasks are being completed according to the start and stop dates. You have moved out of the planning phase and into the executing (doing) phase. Here is where you, as the project manager, track others progress in completing their assigned tasks. Remember, even though you are not responsible for completing the tasks themselves, you may need to do some hand holding to help ensure that others are completing their tasks accordingly. Completion of the tasks, activities, milestones, and ultimately the entire project falls on you.
The Controlling Phase
Once you have begun to execute the project tasks and activities, you will begin controlling the work and the times it takes to complete it. Controlling the project is not as difficult as it sounds if you have good management support. Again, try and remember that your resources (those doing the work) are responsible to the stakeholders and management to ensure that they are completing their assigned work, on time. Your role is to ensure that everyone knows what tasks and activities they are supposed to be working on and tracking that completion on the project plan. From there, at regular intervals, you need to report progress to management. Management won’t typically want to know every task that is being done, but they will need to be apprised of what tasks are behind schedule. You always need to have a “point of escalation” plan in case things go south. It is a good idea to also set up a weekly meeting with all of your resources to discuss tasks, completion, issues and other items affecting the project. This becomes your leveraging tool for managing people not in your area and not under your direct management. This also allows a forum to be in place so that everyone is on the same page when issues or questions arise about tasks and activities.
The Closing Phase
Think of this as the winding down phase. Tasks, activities, and milestones are almost all completed. The project is officially coming to an end…maybe there are some tasks still being performed to ensure that everything is running accordingly, but for the most part the project is coming to a close. This will usually be a fairly low resource constraint for you. You will be updating any necessary project materials and making sure that the deliverables match the Charter that you defined this project by. This is also where resources will go back to their usual daily activities as was normal before your project began.
No project should end without a close out meeting where people are praised for their efforts and thanked for their project dedication. This is a tag-team effort and everyone deserves credit.
Lessons Learned
Other than the Charter, lessons learned is probably the other most neglected part of a project. It is reasonable to think that since projects are new there will be unanticipated obstacles that you run into. Those obstacles, no matter how small, will somehow be resolved. Lessons learned is your opportunity to capture what the Subject Matter Experts learned to resolve or look out for when working on the project. These should be documented and given to management, as well as kept for yourself. From a reasonableness perspective, you may manage a project in the future that has similar characteristics of the project you just finished. How inefficient would it be to drive a project team into the same issues and obstacles that you already encountered and make the new team come up with their own resolutions? Lessons learned becomes the project FYI that can help a new project team plan better and be more efficient because they are aware and have planned for certain obstacles ahead of time. All this because you were wise enough to capture this information from past experience.
In conclusion, while there is much more to formal projectmanagement and the memorization and application of proven methodologies, it is the author’s hope that this will benefit you to some degree and that maybe you will even have a take away to apply to your own project. I wish you all the best in your projectmanagement endeavors.
Copyright (c) 2010 Michael A. Miller
Michael A. Miller has been considered a subject matter expert by many in regards to Enterprise-wide Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, and ProjectManagement and has been a frequent guest speaker at multiple engagements, in the U.S. and Canada, regarding the aforementioned disciplines. Michael’s projectmanagement and risk management skills are further solidified by his earning ProjectManagement Professional (PMP) and Certification in Risk Management (CRM) designations. http://millerpmpcrm.webplus.net/
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Before moving on to discussing Production Outsourcing KPI, there is a need to define outsourcing. Outsourcing is a business strategy in which a company - called a client - dumps a task to another company - commonly termed as the Business Process Outsourcing company - and lets it handle the task on the client’s behalf. For example, one company may think that it is too much of a hassle to hire people for employment. What this company does is to pay another company to handle the hiring process for them. They provide the BPO company with their specifications - employee background, educational attainment, skill set, etc. - and they pay the BPO company for their services.
This is applicable to many manufacturing industries that do not want to concentrate on the actual manufacturing of the goods. Many clients want to focus their energy on research - on developing their products to keep up with the changing times. Therefore, what these companies do is to contract a BPO company to do the actual manufacturing process while they research for newer things that will improve the product.
Off shoring, on the other hand, is a totally different thing but it is oftentimes confused with outsourcing. Off shoring is a business strategy in which a company builds its manufacturing plant or factory in a different country. The company still manages it, but only in a different country. This is normally done if the company wants to cut costs on labor and taxes. In reality, many manufacturers of famous brands of designer clothing, fast food, and even electronics, are doing this. Just look at the labels of your stuffs and you will see where these things are manufactured.
The first Key Performance Indicator that is always used in the outsourcing industry is productivity. In many cases, this is often called Service Level. There is a specified amount or number of products that need to be produced by the hour or every day. These numbers are checked against the expectation. Outsourcers or BPO companies must ensure that they meet the demands of the client because if they don’t, the client is very likely to pull out and find another one who can complete the job based on it specifications.
Another common metric in the BPO Key Performance Indicator is Quality. Obviously, this is something that customers buy. Quality is also equated to brand name. It is for this reason that many people significantly prefer a brand for another. Clients are very specific about this and are very strict because they do not want a substandard output or product to be released to the market. What with all the warranties that they issue, they do not want to have any other extra expense because of poor quality. In many instances in the production outsourcing KPI, there are clients who may provide leniency to this. However, one should watch out since no client will find it acceptable to have products of poor quality based against their specifications. The more substandard output there is, the more money and resources are wasted.
If you are interested in production outsourcing kpi, check this web-site to learn more about production outsourcing roi.
Here’s a cut from the “documentary” it’s run on water where we see a demonstration of the Water Fuel Cell of Stanley A Meyer who died in 1998. Many believe he was poisonned
Walking or driving through the neighbourhood on a Sunday afternoon is very relaxing. I love looking at all the gardens. I have never tried to develop my horticultural skills because time is always an issue. That is why I admire people who actually spend time in their gardens.
Some people believe that gardening is good for our health. It helps us to relax and get rid of unnecessary stress. Many people jog or spend time in the gym after a hard day’s work. Well, gardening is exercise, too. It should be an option. It helps our bodies physically and we burn calories out in the garden just like in the gym.
Yes, gardening sounds like hard work out of doors where we have to contend with the forces of nature: wind, heat, insects … The soil has to be prepared, the seeds need to be scattered and watered, and the plants need to be nurtured. But that’s the point. We reap what we sow: happiness, confidence, serenity, peace, self-respect. So, gardening helps us not only physically, but in a psychological way, too. And when we work hard, we appreciate more the outcome of our efforts.
A garden tells our neighbours about us. It reflects our personality. We are what we sow and plant. Some people have gardens that look peaceful and quiet, with an amazing calming effect on visitors. Others prefer colourful gardens with bird baths and bird feeds. The birds give the garden a cheerful and lively effect. I’ve seen sophisticated gardens and natural gardens that fit in with their environment; gardens with themes; and gardens that look like a park inviting me to sit down and enjoy a picnic.
When I look at all these gardens, I realize that no special qualifications are needed to start gardening. All we really need is genuine interest. There are so many books and articles available for the inexperienced gardener, and we also learn through trial and error.
I remember reading ‘The Secret Garden’ when I was young. I loved the part where Mary discovered the hidden door and found the neglected garden. She took it upon herself to tend to the garden. She learnt things like the fact that the lifeless roses were not dead. And as she worked in the garden she blossomed in her own special way.
Since reading the story, I’ve always wanted a special corner in my garden where I could sit down and relax. I never had the opportunity to develop my own little garden and time is still my greatest enemy. I find myself running in and out of every day with very little time to stop and see exactly what is growing outside my house.
Perhaps that is why so many pensioners spend time gardening. But, our dreams should never be kept for tomorrow. There’s nothing wrong with today. When I go shopping again, I’ll buy the seeds. And when I find time to sit and type my next article, I’ll consider the seeds and maybe I’ll water and till the ground.
Are you racking your brain to come up with something your partner would love as a romantic gift? Do you not get to see your partner as much as you would like? Is your relationship long distance? What can you do to show your lover that you are thinking about them despite the distance? This article is written for all of you who are in the difficult situation of trying to juggle a relationship despite being away from each other because of work or simply being from different places. These are tough situations to be sure but they offer a unique opportunity to truly express your love and affection for your partner. You know the old saying “distance makes the heart grow fonder” well, with these special and unique romantic gift ideas you will grow to believe this to be absolutely true.
So what type of gifts really express to your partner that you are thinking about them all the time and that you miss them deeply? Make the gift as personal as you possibly can. When I say personal I mean find gift ideas that are specific to your partner. Perhaps hobbies or other activities they do in their spare time are a good place to start. It really adds a touch of understanding and love when the item you choose truly encapsulates your partner’s likes and favorite activities. Ask their friends or your friends for advice as to what might be special. Friends are a great resource and measuring point for any idea you might have especially for gifts. Friends always tell each other what they would like to get much more openly than they tell their boyfriend or girlfriend.
If you are just starting out, this may take some research or digging on your part but it will not be as difficult as you may think. Now days with Facebook and other types of social media pages people spell things out for you very clearly as to what they like or dislike. This will at least give you some clues as to the direction you need to go. From their use your imagination or the internet to really come up with something personal and special. Ultimately, do not be afraid to make a mistake. Even if you are not 100% correct or what you send is not the perfect gift this time around you will learn for the next time and your partner will undoubtedly love whatever you get them and appreciate the gesture deeply. Like with so many things in a relationship, it is not about being right but about doing the right thing and showing you love for one another.
Gift ideas for her: If she likes to read than an obvious choice would be to find a new novel from her favorite author or a book you know that she has been interested in reading and perhaps has not been able to find or find the time to read. It is a great choice because it is easy and inexpensive to send to her and will not get ruined or broken on the journey to her. The last thing you want is to send her something fabulous only for her to receive it in less than perfect condition. Although I am sure she would still appreciate the sentiment, going through all of the hassle to arrange and send it to her just to send her a broken gift would be brutal. So a book is a perfectly appropriate and practical gift that has a very personal and also intimate quality to it because you do have to think about the gift and have an understanding of your partner to really get it right. Plus it usually takes people some time to read an entire novel so the other great thing that will happen is that they will think of you every time they pick the book up.
Another great gift idea for her would be to send a cute drawing of her in a card or letter. This really shows you are thinking of her because it takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and caring to pull this one off. No matter if you are Picasso or not, do not worry about it. Having great drawing ability is, again, less important than the real reason you are sending it and that is to show you are thinking of them. Like with all of these gifts the true gift is in the thought and the time put into them, not the gift itself. Believe me when I say this…it will not matter on little bit. She will be flattered at the attempt and even if she came out looking like a stick figure or the Hunchback of Notre Dame it will at the very least be something you can laugh about! If you are really not willing to take that chance than find a photo of her and get an artist to draw her for you. Just be sure not to try to pawn the drawing off as your own. Other than being just flat out wrong there will come a time where she will notice that you can draw worth a darn and then the explaining will have to begin. It is not a fun situation to be in so avoid it at all costs. She will love it all the same especially if the drawing is accompanied by a sweet and caring love letter telling her how much she is missed and wanted.
Lastly, another great gift for her, and this one is on the romantic side, is to send a bouquet of her favorite flowers. Contact a florist where ever she is and place a delivery order through them. This will ensure that the flowers are fresh and beautiful when she receives them. Again do not guess as to her favorites. Take the time to do your research if you do not already know and send what she truly loves. I will reiterate one more time, this adds a definite personal element that you really want to get across to her. You want her to understand that you are thinking about her all the time. This will not work if you send the wrong flowers! So tread carefully and wisely with this. To go one step further with this idea, attach a little personal note to the flowers. Nothing too explicit or over the top but simply a gesture of love and intimacy. It will add so much to the flowers for her to get a romantic personal note from you.
I think that the most important things to remember when trying to think of a great gift to send to your partner who lives a long ways away is to show them that you are constantly thinking of them and miss them dearly. The best way to do this is to think of something personal to them whether it be a gift related to a hobby or activity that they love to do or an item that you know they love and would appreciate. If you do not know exactly find out. It is very easy to do this and the extra sentiment will pay off many times in the end.
The USAID Plastic Recycling Project was initiated in 2005. One of the Projects major goals is to create an effective, economically valuable and sustainable system for the collection, separation and recycling of plastic PET waste. A few years ago, illegal dump sites and scattered plastic bottles were regular scenery throughout Macedonia—in the capital, along main roads, and even at tourist locations. This desperate situation could only by changed through the commitment and engagement of local governments, public utility companies, NGOs and citizens. Through the Projects grant program, 24 municipalities purchased containers for the collection of PET plastic waste. Municipalities invested as well by providing locations for the containers named Ecological islands and by widely promoting the program. 8 companies were also awarded grants for start up, new equipment, and protective clothing needed for the collection, separation and recycling of plastic PET waste, thus creating thousands of new jobs. Public awareness campaigns under the motto Collect PET for a better world were a key element in promoting the concept of recycling. To reach the youngest generation, USAID provided funding for recycling clubs in 14 schools. Students participated in community clean-up activities, distributed collection bags for plastic waste to their neighbors, and found creative ways to promote the benefits of recycling. In 2008 and 2009, the USAID Plastic Recycling Project organized an International …
About Rita Mulcahy, PMP - An expert in advanced project management, the PMP® Exam and risk management - A gifted instructor and author of the books PMP ®Exam Prep and Risk Management Tricks of the Trade - President of RMC Project Management, the Innovators in Project Management Training and Products since 1991.
