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The Project Management Document Sets of WWW.PLAN-IT-CONTROL-IT.COM contain the following
PM0101 Project versus Operational Work
PM0102 Characteristics of a project
PM0103 Elements of a project
PM0104 Terminology
PM0105 Rules for Project Managers
PM0106 Working with External Organisations
PM0201 Initial Study
PM0202 Project Authority
PM0203 Objectives
PM0204 Project Background
PM0205 Project Foundations
PM0301 Estimating the costs
PM0302 Benefits
PM0303 Project Risk Primer
PM0304 NPV
PM0305 NPV example - excel spreadsheet
PM0401 Governance
PM0402 Project Manager
PM0403 Starting a Project
PM0404 Project Reporting
PM0405 Issue Log
PM0406 Closing the Project
PM0501 Why plan
PM0502 Elements of Planning
PM0503 GANTT and Bar Charts
PM0504 Networks
PM0505 Change Management
PM0101 Project versus Operational Work
Provides a discussion of what type of work constitutes Project work as opposed to day to day operational or routine work. It also shows how it fits in with the broader area of Programme Management. Some relevant definitions are given. It answers the question ‘Is this piece of work a project or not’, and hence should the piece of work be handled using the disciplines and methods (the methodology) of Project Management.
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PM0102 Characteristics of a project
Discusses the characteristics of a Project are. And how we identify them. You should also refer to the document on Project versus Operational Work (PM0101) where some relevant definitions are given.
The Project Challenge Form is a useful tool for examining a proposed Project and determining if it meets the characteristics of a Project discussed in this document. This form can also be used to review a Project historically.
This document also presents the Project List form, a document for listing all the Projects currently under way in your organisation, and for gathering information about any one Project planned or underway.
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PM0103 Elements of a project
Outlines the basic elements of a Project; technical elements, management elements and quality elements
This document also introduces one of the first basic rules of Project Management – ‘Risks Should Decrease But Costs Will Increase’ and examines the basis of risk in a Project. It looks at the definition of success (and by inference failure) and some of the problem you will encounter with a Project.
It provides a list of hints and tips for a successful project that you can use as a checklist. Also presented is a Risk Matrix (as beloved by all management consultants) that answers the question ‘just how risky is this project?’
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PM0104 Terminology
Explains some of the jargon and terminology used in Project Management.
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PM0105 Rules for Project Managers
Sets out some rules for a Project Manager, Eight Simple Rules that are designed to help the Project Manager through the daily dramas and politics that beset every working environment.
These are presented in an A4 poster that can be printed and pinned to the wall.
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PM0106 Working with Suppliers
When working on projects it is sometimes necessary to bring in external organisations. This document presents two skeleton documents which may be of use to you in bringing these external agencies into the project.
The first is a formal skeleton for a non-disclosure agreement and enforces an element of confidentiality into proceedings.
The second is a Memorandum of Understanding that allows you to cement a relationship between yourself and the external agency.
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PM0201 Initial Study
Discusses the background events and issues that determine why a Project is created and the contents of the Initial or Feasibility Study and its Report. The report is often used to begin a project or propose the start of one.
This document looks at some of the questions to be raised by that Study and proposes a structure for the report of findings
Outlines the document used to authorise the starting of a Project.
The Project Authority gives the go ahead for a Project (allows the Project Manager to get on with drawing up the Terms of Reference for the Project) and is a crucial document in any Project. An outline contents for the Project Authority is proposed.
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PM0203 Objectives
Discusses the nature of Objectives and how they can be created, reviewed and used during a Project including a useful way to express all objectives and why should treat them as a flexible tool.
This also presents a simple form that cab be used as a validity (or sanity) check against any or all objectives
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PM0204 Project Background
Defines the work to be carried in doing the Feasibility or Initial Study and in providing the Project Manager with the background to the Project.
An Information Requirements form is also presented. This is a tool designed to enable the Project Manager to get a overview of the use of information in the process, service or system that is the subject of the Project. It tracks the inputs, outputs, storage and processes involved in a system or process
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PM0205 Project Foundations
Examines the work to be carried in producing the basic documents that see a Project established and under way.
Having carried out an Initial Study (PM0204) and the obtained the Project Authority to go ahead, there are three basic documents that need to be written or set up at the start of a project
- the Project Terms of Reference that describes the function of the project, what it is to do, the background scope and objectives
- the Project Approach (Statement) defines the nature of the solution that will be the subject of the project
- the Risk Register captures and acknowledges risks in the project and provides a framework for dealing with the Project
This document gives a structure (in fourteen sections) for the Terms of Reference, defines the contents of the Project Approach and describes the Risk Register and provides a pro-forma version for you to use.
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PM0301 Estimating the costs
Discusses the elements of estimating and calculating costs within a project framework, costs that are expected or predicted for a Project. The document examines the types of costs involved with project work and how these may be accommodated within your plans.
A list of questions and queries to be raised with your project accountant is presented.
A Project Cost Record Sheet is also provided for itemising all the costs elements within a project and to be used by the Project Manager to keep a clear site on the major costs within a project, i.e. help you avoid surprises.
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PM0302 Benefits
Discusses the issues of estimating and analysing benefits of a Project.
It looks at the types of benefit and categorises these in to three areas and provides you with some points to consider when trying to identify benefits. It also presents a Project Benefits Record Sheet, to be used by the Project Manager to keep a clear vision of how the benefits are being realised.
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PM0303 Project Risk Primer
Discusses the issues of estimated and analysing risk within a Project and should be used with the Costs and Benefits documents.
This document defines how to determine the risks associated with a project and what actions can be taken to prevent or mitigate those risks. It also presents a warning about disclosing commercially and politically sensitive issues in the risk register.
It presents an outline form to record risk, The Risk Log or Risk Register.
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PM0304 NPV
Discusses the use of NPV or Net Present Value to determine the payback of a project, a key project appraisal tool.
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PM0305 NPV example - excel spreadsheet
Supporting spreadsheet on Net Present Value.
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PM0401 Governance
Outlines the basic organisational structure for the governance of a project including the four key roles in a Project.
The basic roles for Project Management are described and some risks for each role are presented. A typical pro-forma ‘job description’ for a Project Manager is presented.
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PM0402 Project Manager
Outlines the basic tasks of the Project Manager, what he or she does and discusses the characteristics of a good Project Manager, in terms of seven traits of a good Project Manager.
This document can be considered a set of hints and tips to the Project Manager (and to anyone employing a Project Manager). It provides the Project Manager with the FOUR areas on which he or she should concentrate.
It also provides a useful form, the Leader Scorecard, which identifies 16 characteristics of a leader and allows you to evaluate yourself as a Project Manager against those characteristics.
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PM0403 Starting a Project
Provides a basic introduction to getting a project going from the Terms of Reference/Project Brief.
This document outlines a structure for a Project Initiation Document (PID) that you may want to use either as an adjunct to the Terms of Reference or as an alternative.
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PM0404 Project Reporting
Provides a basic introduction to reporting and control of a project throughout its life cycle.
Presents the basic structure for a number of documents that are used in this context.
The concepts of tolerance or contingency and Traffic Light alerting/reporting are introduced.
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PM0405 Issue Log
Describes the use of the Issue Log to control variances against a project plan.
Two pro-forma documents are presented. The first is for raising and monitoring individual Issues. The second is the Issue Log for recording progress on all Issues.
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PM0406 Closing the Project
Covers the process of closing down a project.
At the end of the project it is important to review progress and report on the closing aspects of the project (the Final End of Phase Report), the outline for this report is presented in this document.
Also covered in the document is the Post Project Review, that gives the opportunity to consider how the Project went in relation to its initial objectives and the success or otherwise of the Project Management process.
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PM0501 Why plan
Outlines the case for planning, and why it needs to be carried out carefully and methodically.
The basic case for planning is presented, including a checklist for planning and a discussion of the limitations and things to look out for. As part of Starting the Project and probably within the Terms Of Reference) the Project Manager will need to sit down and work through this process. A process that will take time and effort, which he or she may need to justify as an investment in the project. Use the lists in this document to explain why Planning needs to be done, and done well
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PM0502 Elements of Planning
Outlines the tools and techniques commonly used for planning.
The basic tools of planning are described including a highly simplified breakdown structure and a pair of documents that can be used to record information about tasks, and a checklist for estimation.
In particular this document introduces the concept of the Breakdown Structure – a tool for reducing large complex issues and processes into constituent parts. It also discusses dependencies and the inter-relationship between tasks.
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PM0503 GANTT and Bar Charts
Describes how to represent the schedule of activities that comprise a project plan.
Two basic techniques are discussed, the GANTT chart, or bar chart approach and activity networks. It shows how activities, resources, dependencies and milestones can be represented on the GANTT chart. It also introduces the concept the Critical Path.
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PM0504 Networks
Describes how to represent the schedule of activities that comprise a project plan.
This document discusses how to represent the activities in a project in a network diagram, what the basic building blocks are and how it can be used to determine the Critical Path, with a simple ‘10 Simple Steps to Determining the Critical Path for a Project’
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PM0505 Change Management
Describes how to control changes to the plans and objectives of a project
This document discusses how to handle changes to the requirements of a project, the use of Change Management, including the escalation procedures. A checklist for managing the acceptance or rejection of the Change request is presented. Requests for changes should be handled as Issues on the Issue Log
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