Project Managers are usually familiar with the Project Management Institute’s categorization of organizations as outlined in the PMBOK®. There are functional, strong matrix, balanced matrix, weak matrix, projectized, and composite organizations. Another organizational structure term is the Inverted Matrix. This is actually more of a projectized type of organization that has specialists permanently employed to support projects. So when the project manager needs a certain specialist, that person may be conveniently located right down the hall.
January 22, 2010
January 14, 2010
Hard Project, Soft Project
A hard project may be easy! A hard project is one whose outcome is a clearly defined physical product, whereas a soft project’s outcome is not. If Kathy’s project is to make her father a batch of brownies, it is a hard project since it has a clearly defined physical deliverable. However if Kathy’s project is to teach her father how to make a good batch of brownies, it is a soft project since its deliverable is intangible. The fourth-edition PMBOK®’s definition of a project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a product, service, or result.” This edition has expanded the definition of a project by adding “result” which now better represents soft projects as well as hard projects.
January 7, 2010
Contract Changes in the Fourth Edition PMBOK®
Contract categorization has changed from the Project Management Institute’s third edition PMBOK to the fourth edition. The formerly simple Fixed Price has been split into three types. The old Cost Plus Fee and Cost Plus Fixed Fee are now both considered Cost Plus Fixed Fee. Cost Plus Incentive Fee has remained the same, except that in the cases of a subjective award fee, the contract type is now called Cost Plus Award Fee. Time and Materials contracts have remained the same.
To read more about the descriptions of these contract types, please see the earlier postings of Fixed Price Contracts (posted 4/16/2009), Cost-Reimbursable Contracts (posted 4/17/2009), and Time and Materials Contracts (posted 4/20/2009).
January 6, 2010
Project Charter Changes in the Fourth Edition PMBOK®
The Project Charter is one of the most important documents in project management. In addition to other purposes, this document officially authorizes the project so that resources may be assigned. The Project Management Institute has streamlined the Project Charter from the third edition PMBOK to the fourth edition PMBOK. Of course, individual organizations and PMO’s will choose variations that best suit their needs. Here are three categories of Project Charter content: items in the Project Charter that are listed in both the third and fourth edition, additions to Project Charter items, and deletions to Project Charter items.
• Project Charter Includes:
• Stuff that was Included Before
– Project Purpose or Justification
– Summary Milestone Schedule
– Summary Budget
– High-level Project Description, Product Characteristics
– Assigned Project Manager, Responsibility and Authority Level
• New Stuff!
– Measurable Project Objectives and Related Success Criteria
– High-level Requirements
– Project Approval Requirements
– Name and Authority of Sponsor Authorizing Project Charter
– High Level Risks
• Project Charter NO LONGER Includes:
• Assumptions (Now in Scope Statement)
• Constraints (Now in Scope Statement)
• Stakeholder Influences (Now in Stakeholder Register)
• Functional Organizations and Their Participation (Now in Stakeholder Register)
• Requirements (Now High-level Requirements)
• Business Case Justifying the Project (Now in Business Case Document)
January 5, 2010
Change Requests in the Fourth Edition PMBOK®
In many ways, the fourth edition PMBOK has simplified its project management processes. In the third edition, processes could have preventive actions, defect repairs, corrective actions, and requested changes. Now these are all considered simply Change Requests. It is a generic term indicating that some type of course alteration is being called for. They can increase or decrease the project scope, and apply to anything from plans, policies, procedures, timelines, or budgets.
Change Requests are an output of fifteen project management processes: Plan Procurements, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Perform Quality Assurance, Manage Project Team, Manage Stakeholder Expectations, Conduct Procurements, Monitor and Control Project Work, Verify Scope, Control Scope, Control Schedule, Control Costs, Perform Quality Control, Report Performance, Monitor and Control Risks, and Administer Procurements.
Change Requests all go through the Perform Integrated Change Control process, so this is the only process for which they are an input rather than output. If through this process the Change Request is approved, the Approved Change Request may specifically become an input to three processes: Administer Procurements, Perform Quality Control and Direct and Manage Project Execution.
November 2, 2009
September 18, 2009
What is the PMBOK®, PMI®, and PMP®?
PMI® (Project Management Institute) describes itself as the world’s leading non-profit project management association with over half a million members. PMI awards several certifications relating to project management, with the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification for project managers being the most common. Those who contribute to projects, but do not lead them, may earn their CAPM® (Certified Associate in Project Management), and those who manage multiple projects simultaneously in the form of programs may earn their PgMP ® (Program Management Professional). There are also two project specialty certifications awarded by PMI—the PMI-SP® (Project Management Institute Scheduling Professional) and the PMI-RMP® (Project Management Institute Risk Management Professional).
The PMBOK® (Project Management Body of Knowledge) is the book produced by PMI that is the recognized standard for the profession of project management and the foundation for PMI’s certifications. Currently in its fourth edition, the PMBOK describes 42 processes that are “generally recognized as good practice” in the field of project management.
July 14, 2009
CBAP and PMP Certification Exam Changes this Summer
The summer of 2009 brings changes to two certification exams for which TAPUniversity provides preparation. Both the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam and the International Institute of Business Analysis’s (IIBA) Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) have version changes this summer. As of July 1, the PMP exam is based on the fourth-edition PMBOK®. There will be no more exams given based on the third-edition PMBOK (not even re-takes for those who have failed the exam based on the third edition). The changes from the third-edition PMBOK to the fourth-edition PMBOK are minor. For example, most processes have been re-named and procurement processes have been merged, but this has no effect on the underlying concepts. Two new processes have been introduced—Collect Requirements and Identify Stakeholders—but they should be familiar concepts to most project managers.
The CBAP exam will be based on the BABOK® (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) version 2.0 beginning August 1. The BABOK change from version 1.62 to version 2.0 has been dramatic. Information has been deleted, added, re-named, and re-arranged. The earlier version was basically an incomplete draft, and the current version is much better edited. If you plan on taking the 1.62 version exam, you only have 3 more weeks to do so.
July 1, 2009
Administer Procurements Process
The Administer Procurements process is one of the 42 project management processes described in the fourth edition PMBOK®. It’s one of the four Procurement knowledge area processes, and one of the ten Monitoring and Controlling processes. The primary purpose of this process is to manage procurement relationships, monitor contract performance, and make any needed changes. Information about the procurement work can be found in the Procurement Documents, Procurement Management Plan (which is part of the Project Management Plan), and the actual Contract. Monitoring the procurement performance is aided through Performance Reports and Work Performance Information.
Any Change Requests that have been approved through the Integrated Control Process relating to procurement are also an input to this process. A Contract Change Control System manages changes to the contract. These and other changes will be in the form of the Change Requests output. Contested Changes between the buyer and seller are handled through the Claims Administration.
The day-to-day management of the procurement relationship uses Payment Systems and a Records Management System. Assuring that the obligations of the parties are being met is done through Procurement Performance Reviews, Inspections and Audits, and Performance Reporting. Outputs of this process include Procurement Documentation and updates to the Organizational Process Assess Updates and Project Management Plan.
June 30, 2009
Monitor and Control Risks Process
The Monitor and Control Risk process is one of the 42 project management processes described in the fourth edition PMBOK®. It’s one of the six Risk knowledge area processes, and one of the ten Monitoring and Controlling processes. The primary purpose of this process is to implement risk plans, watch already identified risks and residual risks while watching for new risks, and evaluate risk process effectiveness. The Risk Register is where the list of identified risks and information about then can be found. How risks are to be handled can be found in the Risk Management Plan, which is part of the Project Management Plan.
Monitoring the status and effects of risks, as well as the potential for new risks can be done through obtaining Work Performance Information and Performance Reports. Variance and Trend Analysis and Technical Performance Measurement are tools that examine actual project performance and therefore provide current information on project risk.
Because the status of risks change throughout the project and new risks arise, Risk Reassessments should be scheduled during the project. And to determine whether risk responses are effective, Risk Audits should be performed. Comparing the amount of contingency reserves to the amount of remaining risk is called Reserve Analysis. Throughout the project, Status Meetings should include updates and discussion on project risk.
The outputs of this process include updates to the Risk Register when changes occur as well as the results of risk audits and reassessments. If a change is needed in response to more information about risks or new risks, Change Requests may be made. Also, updates may be made to the Organizational Process Assets, Project Management Plan, and Project Documents. Also see the earlier postings of Risk Register (posted March 27, 2009) and Variance Analysis (posted June 29, 2009).
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