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TOTAL PROJECT PLANNING:Management Control, Project Fast-Tracking

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LESSON 25
TOTAL PROJECT PLANNING
BROAD CONTENTS
Total Project Planning
Project Charter
Management Control
Project Manager­Line Manager Interface
Project Fast Tracking
Configuration Management
25.1
Total Project Planning:
Planning is one of the most significant functions of management. The difference between good
project manager and poor project manager is often described in one word: planning.
Unfortunately, people have a poor definition of what project planning actually involves. Project
planning involves planning for:
·
Schedule development
·
Budget development
·
Project administration
·
Leadership styles (interpersonal influences)
·
Conflict management
With reference to this, the first two items involve the quantitative aspects of planning. Planning for
project administration includes the development of the Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC).
We know that although each project manager has the authority and responsibility to establish
project policies and procedures, they must fall within the general guidelines established by top
management. Guidelines can also be established for planning, scheduling, controlling, and
communications.
Note that the Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC) can result from customer-imposed requirements
above and beyond normal operations. For example, the customer may require as part of his quality
control requirements that a specific engineer supervise and approve all testing of a certain item, or
that another individual approve all data released to the customer over and above program office
approval. Customer requirements similar to those identified above require Linear Responsibility
Charts (LRCs) and can cause disruptions and conflicts within an organization.
There are several key factors that affect the delegation of authority and responsibility both from
upper-level management to project management, and from project management to functional
management. These key factors include:
·
Maturity of the project management function
·
Size, nature, and business base of the company
·
Size and nature of the project
·
Life cycle of the project
·
Capabilities of management at all levels
Once agreement has been reached on the project manager's authority and responsibility, the
results may be documented to delineate that role regarding:
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·
Focal position
·
Conflict between the project manager and functional managers
·
Influence to cut across functional and organizational lines
·
Participation in major management and technical decisions
·
Collaboration in staffing the project
·
Control over allocation and expenditure of funds
·
Selection of subcontractors
·
Rights in resolving conflicts
·
Input in maintaining the integrity of the project team
·
Establishment of project plans
·
Provisions for a cost-effective information system for control
·
Provisions for leadership in preparing operational requirements
·
Maintenance of prime customer liaison and contact
·
Promotion of technological and managerial improvements
·
Establishment of project organization for the duration
·
Elimination of red tape
In addition to this, documenting the project manager's authority is necessary in some situations
because:
·
All interfacing must be kept as simple as possible.
·
Project manager must have the authority to "force" functional managers to depart from
existing standards and possibly incur risk.
·
Gaining authority over those elements of a program that are not under the project manager's
control is essential. This is normally achieved by earning the respect of the individuals
concerned.
·
The project manager should not attempt to fully describe the exact authority and
responsibilities of the project office personnel or team members. Problem solving rather
than role definition should be encouraged.
In most cases, although documenting project authority is undesirable, it may be a necessary
prerequisite, especially if project initiation and planning require a formal project chart. Power and
authority are often discussed as though they go hand in hand. Authority comes from people above
you, perhaps by delegation, whereas power comes from people below you. You can have authority
without power or power without authority.
Most individuals maintain position power in a traditional organizational structure. The higher up
you sit, the more power you have. But in project management, the reporting level of the project
might be irrelevant, especially if a project sponsor exists. In project management, the project
manager's power base emanates from his:
·
Expertise (technical or managerial)
·
Credibility with employees
·
Sound decision-making ability
Keeping in view its significance, the last item is usually preferred. If the project manager is
regarded as a sound decision maker, then the employees normally give the project manager a great
deal or power over them.
Here it is important to discuss leadership. Leadership styles refer to the interpersonal influence
modes that a project manager can use. Project managers may have to use several different
leadership styles, depending on the makeup of the project personnel. Conflict management is
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important because if the project manager can predict what conflicts will occur and when they are
most likely to occur, he may be able to plan for the resolution of the conflicts through project
administration. The object, of course, is to develop a project plan that shows complete distribution
of resources and the corresponding costs. The project manager begins with a coarse (arrow diagram)
network and then decides on the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS) is essential to the arrow diagram and should be constructed so that reporting
elements and levels are easily identifiable.
For each element in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), eventually there will be an arrow
diagram and detailed chart. If there exists too much detail, the project manager can refine the
diagram by combining all logic into one plan and can then decide on the work assignments. There is
a risk here that, by condensing the diagrams as much as possible, there may be a loss of clarity. All
the charts and schedules can be integrated into one summary-level figure. This can be
accomplished at each Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) level until the desired plan is achieved.
Moving ahead, finally, project, line, and executive management must analyze other internal and
external variables before finalizing these schedules. A partial listing of these variables includes:
·
Introduction or acceptance of the product in the marketplace
·
Present or planned manpower availability
·
Economic constraints of the project
·
Degree of technical difficulty
·
Manpower availability
·
Availability of personnel training
·
Priority of the project
In small companies and projects, certain items in the figure 25.1 below may be omitted, such as the
Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC).
Figure 25.1: Project Planning
25.2
The Project Charter:
Initially, the original concept behind the project charter was to document the project manager's
authority and responsibility, especially for projects implemented away from the home office.
Today, the project charter has been expanded to become more of an internal legal document
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identifying to the line managers and his personnel not only the project manager's authority and
responsibility, but also the management- and/or customer-approved scope of the project.
In theoretical terms, the sponsor prepares the charter and affixes his/her signature, but in reality,
the project manager may prepare it for the sponsor's signature. At a minimum, the charter
should include:
·
Identification of the project manager and his/her authority to apply resources to the project
·
The business purpose that the project was undertaken to address, including all assumptions
and constraints
·
Summary of the conditions defining the project
What is a "charter"? It is a "legal" agreement between the project manager and the company. Some
companies supplement the charter with a "contract" that functions as an agreement between the
project and the line organizations.
Recently, within the last two years or so, some companies have converted the charter into a highly
detailed document containing:
·
The scope baseline/scope statement
·
Scope and objectives of the project (Statement of Work (SOW)
·
Specifications
·
Work Breakdown Structure (template levels)
·
Timing
·
Spending plan (S-curve)
·
Management plan
·
Resource requirements and man loading (if known)
·
Résumés of key personnel
·
Organizational relationships and structure
·
Responsibility assignment matrix
·
Support required from other organizations
·
Project policies and procedures
·
Change management plan
·
Management approval of above
The project charter may function as the project plan when it contains a scope baseline and
management plan. This is not really an effective use of the charter, but it may be acceptable on
certain types of projects for internal customers.
25.3
Management Control:
It is essential that careful management control must be established because the planning phase
provides the fundamental guidelines for the remainder of the project. In addition, since planning is
an ongoing activity for a variety of different programs, management guidelines must be established
on a company-wide basis in order to achieve unity and coherence.
Note that all functional organizations and individuals working directly or indirectly on a program
are responsible for identifying, to the project manager, scheduling and planning problems that
require corrective action during both the planning cycle and the operating cycle. The program
manager bears the ultimate and final responsibility for identifying requirements for corrective
actions.
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For this purpose, management policies and directives are written specifically to assist the
program manager in defining the requirements. Without clear definitions during the planning
phase, many projects run off in a variety of directions.
In this regard, many companies establish planning and scheduling management policies for the
project and functional managers, as well as a brief description of how they should interface.
25.4
The Project Manager­Line Manager Interface:
Good project planning, as well as other project functions, requires a good working relationship
between the project and line managers. The utilization of management controls does not
necessarily guarantee successful project planning. At this interface:
·
The project manager answers the following questions:
What is to be done? (Using the Statement of Work, Work Breakdown Structure)
o
When will the task be done? (Using the summary schedule)
o
Why will the task be done? (Using the Statement of Work)
o
How much money is available? (Using the Statement of Work)
o
·
The line manager answers the following questions:
How will the task be done? (i.e., technical criteria)
o
Where will the task be done? (i.e., technical criteria)
o
Who will do the task? (i.e., staffing)
o
Furthermore, project managers may be able to tell line managers ''how" and "where," provided
that the information appears in the Statement of Work (SOW) as a requirement for the project.
Even then, the line manager can take exception based on his technical expertise.
The following figures 25.2 and 25.3, that is, "The Brick Wall" and "Modified Brick Wall"
respectively, show what can happen when project managers overstep their bounds. In Figure
25.2 below, the manufacturing manager built a brick wall to keep the project managers away
from his personnel because the project managers were telling his line people how to do their
job. In Figure 25.3 "Modified Brick Wall", the subproject managers (for simplicity's sake,
equivalent to project engineers) would have, as their career path, promotions to Assistant
Project Managers (A.P.Ms). Unfortunately, the Assistant Project Managers still felt that they
were technically competent enough to give technical direction, and this created havoc for the
engineering managers.
In view of this, the simplest solution to all of these problems is for the project manager to
provide the technical direction through the line managers. After all, the line managers are
supposedly the true technical experts.
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Figure 25.2: The Brick Wall
Figure 25.3: Modified Brick Wall
25.5
Project Fast-Tracking:
No matter how well we plan, sometimes something happens that causes havoc on the project.
Such is the case when either the customer or management changes the project's constraints.
Consider Figure 25.4 "The information explosion" and let us assume that the execution time for
the construction of the project is one year. To prepare the working drawings and specifications
down through level 5 of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) would require an additional 35
percent of the expected execution time, and if a feasibility study is required, then an additional
40 percent will be added on. In other words, if the execution phase of the project is one year,
then the entire project is almost two years.
Let us now assume that management wishes to keep the end date fixed but the start date is
delayed because of lack of adequate funding. How can this be accomplished without sacrificing
the quality?
What should be the answer to it? The answer is to fast-track the project. Fast-tracking a project
means that activities that are normally done in series are done in parallel. An example of this is
when construction begins before detail design is completed.
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Figure 25.4: The Information Explosion
Now the question arises as to how would this help. Fast-tracking a job can accelerate the
schedule but requires that additional risks be taken. If the risks materialize, then either the end
date will slip or expensive rework will be needed. Almost all project driven companies fast-
track projects. The danger, however, is when fast-tracking becomes a way of life on all projects.
25.6
Configuration Management:
Configuration management or configuration change control is one of the most critical tools
employed by a project manager. As projects progress downstream through the various life-cycle
phases, the cost of engineering changes can grow boundlessly. It is not uncommon for
companies to bid on proposals at 40 percent below their own cost hoping to make up the
difference downstream with engineering changes. It is also quite common for executives to
"encourage" project managers to seek out engineering changes because of their profitability.
What is configuration management? It is a control technique, through an orderly process, for
formal review and approval of configuration changes. If properly implemented, configuration
management provides:
·  Appropriate levels of review and approval for changes
·  Focal points for those seeking to make changes
·  A single point of input to contracting representatives in the customer's and contractor's
office for approved changes
At a minimum, the configuration control committee should include representation from the
customer, contractor, and line group initiating the change. Discussions should answer the
following questions:
·
What is the cost of the change?
·
Do the changes improve quality?
·
Is the additional cost for this quality justifiable?
·
Is the change necessary?
·
Is there an impact on the delivery date?
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As we know that changes cost money. Therefore, it is imperative that configuration management be
implemented correctly. The following steps can enhance the implementation process:
·
Define the starting point or "baseline" configuration
·
Define the "classes" of changes
·
Define the necessary controls or limitations on both the customer and contractor
·
Identify policies and procedures, such as:
o  Board chairman
o  Voters/alternatives
o  Meeting time
o  Agenda
o  Approval forums
o  Step-by-step processes
o  Expedition processes in case of emergencies
It is essential to know that effective configuration control pleases both customer and contractor.
Overall benefits include:
·
Better communication among staff
·
Better communication with the customer
·
Better technical intelligence
·
Reduced confusion for changes
·
Screening of frivolous changes
·
Providing a paper trail
Lastly, but importantly, it must be understood that configuration control, as used here, is not a
replacement for design review meetings or customer interface meetings. These meetings are still
an integral part of all projects.
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Table of Contents:
  1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT:Broad Contents, Functions of Management
  2. CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS AND NATURE OF PROJECTS:Why Projects are initiated?, Project Participants
  3. CONCEPTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT:THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, Managerial Skills
  4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES:Systems, Programs, and Projects
  5. PROJECT LIFE CYCLES:Conceptual Phase, Implementation Phase, Engineering Project
  6. THE PROJECT MANAGER:Team Building Skills, Conflict Resolution Skills, Organizing
  7. THE PROJECT MANAGER (CONTD.):Project Champions, Project Authority Breakdown
  8. PROJECT CONCEPTION AND PROJECT FEASIBILITY:Feasibility Analysis
  9. PROJECT FEASIBILITY (CONTD.):Scope of Feasibility Analysis, Project Impacts
  10. PROJECT FEASIBILITY (CONTD.):Operations and Production, Sales and Marketing
  11. PROJECT SELECTION:Modeling, The Operating Necessity, The Competitive Necessity
  12. PROJECT SELECTION (CONTD.):Payback Period, Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
  13. PROJECT PROPOSAL:Preparation for Future Proposal, Proposal Effort
  14. PROJECT PROPOSAL (CONTD.):Background on the Opportunity, Costs, Resources Required
  15. PROJECT PLANNING:Planning of Execution, Operations, Installation and Use
  16. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):Outside Clients, Quality Control Planning
  17. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):Elements of a Project Plan, Potential Problems
  18. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):Sorting Out Project, Project Mission, Categories of Planning
  19. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):Identifying Strategic Project Variables, Competitive Resources
  20. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):Responsibilities of Key Players, Line manager will define
  21. PROJECT PLANNING (CONTD.):The Statement of Work (Sow)
  22. WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE:Characteristics of Work Package
  23. WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE:Why Do Plans Fail?
  24. SCHEDULES AND CHARTS:Master Production Scheduling, Program Plan
  25. TOTAL PROJECT PLANNING:Management Control, Project Fast-Tracking
  26. PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT:Why is Scope Important?, Scope Management Plan
  27. PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT:Project Scope Definition, Scope Change Control
  28. NETWORK SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES:Historical Evolution of Networks, Dummy Activities
  29. NETWORK SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES:Slack Time Calculation, Network Re-planning
  30. NETWORK SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES:Total PERT/CPM Planning, PERT/CPM Problem Areas
  31. PRICING AND ESTIMATION:GLOBAL PRICING STRATEGIES, TYPES OF ESTIMATES
  32. PRICING AND ESTIMATION (CONTD.):LABOR DISTRIBUTIONS, OVERHEAD RATES
  33. PRICING AND ESTIMATION (CONTD.):MATERIALS/SUPPORT COSTS, PRICING OUT THE WORK
  34. QUALITY IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT:Value-Based Perspective, Customer-Driven Quality
  35. QUALITY IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT (CONTD.):Total Quality Management
  36. PRINCIPLES OF TOTAL QUALITY:EMPOWERMENT, COST OF QUALITY
  37. CUSTOMER FOCUSED PROJECT MANAGEMENT:Threshold Attributes
  38. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TOOLS:Data Tables, Identify the problem, Random method
  39. PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY:Messages of Productivity, Productivity Improvement
  40. COST MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL IN PROJECTS:Project benefits, Understanding Control
  41. COST MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL IN PROJECTS:Variance, Depreciation
  42. PROJECT MANAGEMENT THROUGH LEADERSHIP:The Tasks of Leadership, The Job of a Leader
  43. COMMUNICATION IN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT:Cost of Correspondence, CHANNEL
  44. PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT:Components of Risk, Categories of Risk, Risk Planning
  45. PROJECT PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, AND ETHICS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT:Procurement Cycles