I, as applied research scientist, see that all research is fundamentally creative, and often unpredictable. As often as not, the course the research takes is unexpected. A principle researcher (PR) central challenge is to keep the research afloat while stimulating and supporting the highest levels of creative insight and technical innovation. Few researchers are trained to do this; with most, it comes only from experience. Some never learn to manage their research projects effectively, and this puts them at a considerable disadvantage compared to their colleagues.
Small research programs have their predictable aspects; indeed, they must be viable business entities to survive and thrive. This means assuring a sufficient flow of funds to draw and keep superior staff, as well as to obtain and maintain the required facilities and equipment. Furthermore, like shareholders of a corporation, the stakeholders in a research--funding organizations, host institutions, taxpayers, and so on---demand a exhibition of the value they get for the dollar they spend. This is especially important for the PR when the time comes to seek a grant renewal--or tenure.
The answer is effective management. I need to manage my research projects the same way I do my science: boldly but methodically, with the right balance of purposefulness and opportunism. Project management provides the tools I need to systematize the management of my research, to make sure the risks I take are calculated. Best of all, I am likely to find that taking a structured approach to managing research nurtures, rather than inhibits, creativity.
Project management is simply guiding a project from inception to successful completion, making coordinated use of processes and systems to guide and encourage people to successfully perform a project's work.
The three key steps of project management are:
Planning--clarifying:
· Desired project outcomes
· Stakeholders: who will be affected by, are needed to support, or will be interested in the project outcome?
· Activities that have to be performed to complete the project
· Dates on which each project activity will start and end
· Budgets for all required project resources (including, but not limited to, money)
· Significant project risks and how they will be managed
Organizing--specifying roles and responsibilities for project personnel
Controlling the performance of project work--including:
· Organizing, focusing, and continually motivating project personnel
· Tracking and comparing project work and results against the plan
· Considering and making changes to plans when tracking suggests a change is called for
· Keeping everyone informed of project accomplishments, issues, and changes
· Continuously tracking and dealing with evolving project risk
Organization information systems can be used to support project planning and control, including the maintenance of records of:
· The dates on which activities are started and completed and milestones are reached
· The amount of work effort expended by people on project activities
· The funds expended on project activities
Put another way: Project management expands the concept of "budgeting" to cover not just monetary resources, but other resources such as time and personnel.
Encouraging people to perform up to their maximum potential means:
· Helping each person to appreciate:
o The value to him or herself and to the organization of the project in general and of his or her assignment, in particular
o The feasibility of successfully accomplishing the project objectives
· Regularly providing project personnel information about how their actual performance and accomplishments compare to what is planned
· Acknowledging people's contributions to overall project success Project plans, expenditure reports and team meetings will not, in and of themselves, guarantee project success. The greatest chances for success are achieved when project information is used to align, guide and motivate team members, and when these team members, in turn, use this information to guide their work. A project rarely sticks to a predetermined course. Projects flow and evolve; project management is a way of making sure that the key players remain motivated, and that their objectives remain aligned.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
CHAPTER 13 Ideas
For any business enterprise diversification has been one of the toughest goals. It's nothing new, though. In fact, diversification has been a nail of the economic world for more than 50 years. Portfolio management, AS its name implies, groups projects so they can be managed as a portfolio, much as company director will manage his or her different departments. In the In the business world, the obvious benefit of project portfolio management is that it gives executives a wide (fish-eye) view of projects so they can mark sluggishness, extend capital properly and maintain secure labels on progress.
Its appealing to many business managers is the focus on projects as a portfolio of investments. Planning isn’t just about how much a project will cost, but also about its expected risks and returns in relation to other projects. This way, entire portfolios can be put together to produce the maximum returns based on existing circumstances.Another important idea in the area of the enterprise project management is the enterprise performance management (EPM). Is all about gathering real-time operational data from various points (projects) in the enterprise, including finance, the shop floor, customer service, sales and marketing, and/or procurement, and leveraging that data to determine how the company is meeting (or not meeting) its various business targets. Project managers utilizing EPM tools can get a clear picture, for example, of how the project is doing at a particular point in time in terms of hitting its intended goals, reducing its cycle times, or pushing through improvements.
Its appealing to many business managers is the focus on projects as a portfolio of investments. Planning isn’t just about how much a project will cost, but also about its expected risks and returns in relation to other projects. This way, entire portfolios can be put together to produce the maximum returns based on existing circumstances.Another important idea in the area of the enterprise project management is the enterprise performance management (EPM). Is all about gathering real-time operational data from various points (projects) in the enterprise, including finance, the shop floor, customer service, sales and marketing, and/or procurement, and leveraging that data to determine how the company is meeting (or not meeting) its various business targets. Project managers utilizing EPM tools can get a clear picture, for example, of how the project is doing at a particular point in time in terms of hitting its intended goals, reducing its cycle times, or pushing through improvements.
CHAPTER 12 Ideas
Measuring progress helps to ensure the success of the project initiative by providing intermediate indicators of progress. They also create accountability within the organization, with funding and policy oversight bodies, and with the public. The development of performance measures parallels the establishment of goals in the planning process, and the use of these measures is a key indicator of successful project management.
The idea of early warning has been designed in project management to identify, analyze and forewarn user of potential problems. Many provide early warning facility, but none can determine early warning according to the urgency of a task. This is deemed important because ignorance of critical task will lead to project failure. In addition, none provides learning ability that help project management application to understand how the existing data behave and there fore prevent future risks. Therefore, the application of the 0-50-100 rule is very important for contingency in the project progress.
The purpose of performance measurement is to help project manager how decision-making processes or practices led to success or failure in the past and how that understanding can lead to future improvements. An efficient performance measurement system includes these: (1) clearly distinct, goals that flow from organizational operation to management and program levels; (2) state performance measures that can be used to measure how well program goals and objectives are being met; and (3) established benchmarks from which progress toward the achievement of goals can be measured;
The idea of early warning has been designed in project management to identify, analyze and forewarn user of potential problems. Many provide early warning facility, but none can determine early warning according to the urgency of a task. This is deemed important because ignorance of critical task will lead to project failure. In addition, none provides learning ability that help project management application to understand how the existing data behave and there fore prevent future risks. Therefore, the application of the 0-50-100 rule is very important for contingency in the project progress.
The purpose of performance measurement is to help project manager how decision-making processes or practices led to success or failure in the past and how that understanding can lead to future improvements. An efficient performance measurement system includes these: (1) clearly distinct, goals that flow from organizational operation to management and program levels; (2) state performance measures that can be used to measure how well program goals and objectives are being met; and (3) established benchmarks from which progress toward the achievement of goals can be measured;
Sunday, June 10, 2007
CHAPTER 14 Ideas
To solve a problem under project management prospects we need to do the following:
Develop a problem statement.
Identify the potential cause of the problem.
Gather data and verify the likely cause.
Identify possible solutions.
Evaluate alternative solutions.
Implement the solution.
Determine whether the problem has been solved.
Develop a problem statement.
Identify the potential cause of the problem.
Gather data and verify the likely cause.
Identify possible solutions.
Evaluate alternative solutions.
Implement the solution.
Determine whether the problem has been solved.
When a problem identified, we should call a problem-solving meeting with other appropriate individuals, we should not wait for a meeting to be called. Identifying and resolving project’s potential problems as early as possible, this is the critical factor for the project success. The brainstorming technique is very useful in identifying several problems. The project manger and the project team need to establish guidelines at the beginning as well as level of authorization required to implement corrective actions.
Before the meeting we need to determine whether the meeting is necessary or not. Also, we to pin point the purpose of the meeting. Who needs to participate in the meeting? What are the Agenda of the meeting? During the meeting we should start at the specified time and designate a note taker. We should always review the purpose of the meeting and summarize the result of the meeting. At the end we must have an evaluation of the meeting and the outcomes. After the meeting we should document and prepare a concise summary of the meeting. The meeting summary should confirm the decisions taken in the meeting.
CHAPTER 11 Ideas
Communication and project management
To communicate a project there are several communication steps we need to do:
Kick-off meeting
We conduct a kick-off meeting with key stakeholders.
This establishes project timelines, required resources, agreed-upon outcomes for the project, reporting schedules and so on. The kick-off meeting serves two purposes.
· It serves to introduce the project team and formalize the project management aspects of the overall project.
· It provides an opportunity for the project team to receive a more detailed briefing from the team leader and to finalize user and stakeholder involvement.
Review the scope meeting
A review the scope meeting could be held at the end of any of the analysis, design, or implementation phases. We discuss the outcomes of that phase and their bearing on how to proceed with the project.
What we do
We walk the project team through showing them the paper designs and explaining both the rationale behind the different designs, and how we would expect each interaction to work.
We then discuss any implementation, content-related or business impact issues that may arise as a result of the designs.
Technical review
This is an opportunity for us to explain the design to our technical team and gain any feedback about any implementation issues, before the design progresses too far.
Final presentation to stakeholders
The presentation to our project stakeholders at the end of the design phase is a crucial opportunity for our organization to understand the design so far, and the rationale it is based on.
To communicate a project there are several communication steps we need to do:
Kick-off meeting
We conduct a kick-off meeting with key stakeholders.
This establishes project timelines, required resources, agreed-upon outcomes for the project, reporting schedules and so on. The kick-off meeting serves two purposes.
· It serves to introduce the project team and formalize the project management aspects of the overall project.
· It provides an opportunity for the project team to receive a more detailed briefing from the team leader and to finalize user and stakeholder involvement.
Review the scope meeting
A review the scope meeting could be held at the end of any of the analysis, design, or implementation phases. We discuss the outcomes of that phase and their bearing on how to proceed with the project.
What we do
We walk the project team through showing them the paper designs and explaining both the rationale behind the different designs, and how we would expect each interaction to work.
We then discuss any implementation, content-related or business impact issues that may arise as a result of the designs.
Technical review
This is an opportunity for us to explain the design to our technical team and gain any feedback about any implementation issues, before the design progresses too far.
Final presentation to stakeholders
The presentation to our project stakeholders at the end of the design phase is a crucial opportunity for our organization to understand the design so far, and the rationale it is based on.
CHAPTER 10 Ideas
Achieving a project goal and objectives must be carried out closely with more people. On the job and working environments, teams are more common these days, and getting results is a challenge, especially when the team is diverse. As a team member, you’re often charged with satisfying your customers, ensuring that the deadlines are met, and that the results meet certain standards.
One important way to avoid confusion, frustration, and conflict when working with others is to agree on what is mutually important to you and how you want to work together. Discussing motives, why people do what they do, and what each member expects of the others helps create positive relationships. Team members can then focus their attention on optimal performance: getting work done faster, with better quality and less cost.
To get assurance to the project, first we must understand what people want to get out of their work and their association with us. People, given choices, we must choose the option that promises to give them the greatest reward. So, to find people to do a particular job, all we have to do is find out what motivates them best.
As a project manager you need to do the followings:
1. Tell people what you expect them to do on a regular basis. Be as specific as possible, share your goals, and explain the standards of performance you expect.
2. Make the work valuable. When possible, assign work that they like to do. Give them work they can do well—work that helps them achieve their goals.
3. Make the work doable! This helps increase employees’ confidence that they can do what you expect. Give them training, coaching, and really listen to what they say when they tell you what they need. You must also provide the resources they need to do the work.
4. Give them feedback. Remember to let them know how they are doing. Positive feedback means they should continue what they are doing. Negative feedback, of course, means they should correct mistakes. You may have to help them discover their mistakes before they can fix them.
5. Reward successful performance. Remember that rewards can be different for each person because after all we are all unique individuals. Rewards can be money, recognition, a heartfelt thank you, more responsibility, or even some kind of award or certificate.
One important way to avoid confusion, frustration, and conflict when working with others is to agree on what is mutually important to you and how you want to work together. Discussing motives, why people do what they do, and what each member expects of the others helps create positive relationships. Team members can then focus their attention on optimal performance: getting work done faster, with better quality and less cost.
To get assurance to the project, first we must understand what people want to get out of their work and their association with us. People, given choices, we must choose the option that promises to give them the greatest reward. So, to find people to do a particular job, all we have to do is find out what motivates them best.
As a project manager you need to do the followings:
1. Tell people what you expect them to do on a regular basis. Be as specific as possible, share your goals, and explain the standards of performance you expect.
2. Make the work valuable. When possible, assign work that they like to do. Give them work they can do well—work that helps them achieve their goals.
3. Make the work doable! This helps increase employees’ confidence that they can do what you expect. Give them training, coaching, and really listen to what they say when they tell you what they need. You must also provide the resources they need to do the work.
4. Give them feedback. Remember to let them know how they are doing. Positive feedback means they should continue what they are doing. Negative feedback, of course, means they should correct mistakes. You may have to help them discover their mistakes before they can fix them.
5. Reward successful performance. Remember that rewards can be different for each person because after all we are all unique individuals. Rewards can be money, recognition, a heartfelt thank you, more responsibility, or even some kind of award or certificate.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
CHAPTER 7 Ideas
Time is money ....... "We don't have enough time." That what we do say whenever we get busy. We often feel overwhelmed and helpless against a threatening schedule, and when we work "against" something like time or schedules, there is much struggle and a large chance of failure. When we stop fighting against time and work within our schedules and abilities, we increase our success rate. For instance, the schedules themselves may not be antagonistic; it's just that we've chosen to put too much into that allocated time. Intelligently deciding what to put into the schedule and how to work within those boundaries is within our control.
The following techniques will help restore that control: (1) Don't allow "being busy" to spoil your commitments; (2) Document an element task list; (3) Identify decisive paths and log jams early; (3) Work on what will be of value to the client; (4) Institute customer-sponsored releases; (5) Master effective and rapid choice making; (6) Thoroughly set up reasonable functions; (7) Perform effective meeting management; (8) Accept progressive modification; and (9) Cut inventory wherever possible.
As a manager, you have to regulate the pressure and work load which is imposed upon your team; you must protect them from the unreasonable demands of the rest of the company. Once you have arrived at what you consider to be a realistic schedule, fight for it. Never let the outside world deflect you from what you know to be practical. If they impose a deadline upon you which is impossible, clearly state this and give your reasons. You will need to give some room for compromise, however, since a flat NO will be seen as obstructive. Since you want to help the company, you should look for alternative positions.
The following techniques will help restore that control: (1) Don't allow "being busy" to spoil your commitments; (2) Document an element task list; (3) Identify decisive paths and log jams early; (3) Work on what will be of value to the client; (4) Institute customer-sponsored releases; (5) Master effective and rapid choice making; (6) Thoroughly set up reasonable functions; (7) Perform effective meeting management; (8) Accept progressive modification; and (9) Cut inventory wherever possible.
As a manager, you have to regulate the pressure and work load which is imposed upon your team; you must protect them from the unreasonable demands of the rest of the company. Once you have arrived at what you consider to be a realistic schedule, fight for it. Never let the outside world deflect you from what you know to be practical. If they impose a deadline upon you which is impossible, clearly state this and give your reasons. You will need to give some room for compromise, however, since a flat NO will be seen as obstructive. Since you want to help the company, you should look for alternative positions.
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