successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

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order to exchange meaning and share understanding of the various stages of the project. Handling DE projects has shown that every stage is full of perplexities, by way of unexpected developments (conflicts, discoveries, new ideas, ideas that fail, misunderstandings, and so forth) that shape and re-shape original intentions. No manager can predict with accuracy what the outcome of a given project milestone will be. Full knowledge of the outcome will materialize when the manager and the team have spoken, to the extent that we can say before interaction and before results are achieved, they are partners in ignorance. They simply have to exchange ideas, or interact in order to achieve those results they will have planned for. In fact, even successful planning is dependent on interaction. It is, therefore, the objective of the present chapter to answer the question: How can communicative interaction be promoted for successful project management? The terms of reference Embarking on a project with a group of employees in the organization without clarifying their roles is like rounding up thugs from the street and call them security guards who will look after diamonds at night. This may sound far-fetched, but in reality all that is being said is that without a road map of who does what, why, when, and towards what end chances of failure are predictable. At the very outset, it must be communicated to every team member what is happening and why. The project manager is well advised to consult with departmental heads from whom team members are drawn. The departmental heads are the ones who actually choose who to assign to the project. You as project manager will then put in writing the main ideas that will guide members. This is best expressed through a carefully conceived document known as terms of reference. Before inauguration of the project team, at the very first meeting, the document should be communicated to the team in the presence of departmental heads, and possibly with the sponsor of the project if only to demonstrate the seriousness of purpose and commitment. It is at this stage where interaction that is focused on the project properly begins. There will be step-by-step discussion of the points contained in the terms of reference, and the presumption is that this will lead to further clarity. By the end of this meeting, all the important questions will have been answered and participants 30
are then requested to append their signatures to the document before it is filed in the project notebook. Below is an example of terms of reference. Sample Terms of Reference Document Name of Organization ………………………………………………………………… Project Sponsor ………………………………………………………………………. Distance Education source of the project (e.g. Management, Learner Support, Programmes development, Information Technology, etc.) ………………………………………………………………………………………… Project Title ………………………………………………………………………………….. Name of Project Manager …………………………………………………………………… Terms of Reference Roles The roles of members of the project team are to: • Define problem for which solution is sought • Plan for the 4 aspects of the Project (PCTS) a. Performances b. Cost c. time lines d. scope • Determine project stages • Control implementation of project • Schedule key activities (exit milestones) • Monitor project quality • Identify and minimise project risks •Agree roles of stakeholders • Come up with resolutions and implement them • Build project notebook through Secretariat 31
Page 1 and 2: SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT Insig
Page 3 and 4: About the Authors Stanslaus Tichapo
Page 5 and 6: The content of your message……
Page 7 and 8: DEDICATION To the intellectually in
Page 9 and 10: Foreword The goal of this book is t
Page 11 and 12: Overview Successful Project Managem
Page 13 and 14: Abbreviations BOCODOL: Botswana Col
Page 15 and 16: To come up with a quality product a
Page 17 and 18: allowed effective resource allocati
Page 19 and 20: Chapter 2 What is a Project? Work o
Page 21 and 22: Stakeholders Stakeholders is the te
Page 23 and 24: Project Areas in Open and Distance
Page 25 and 26: that it is complete, it is no longe
Page 27 and 28: A useful tool you could use to capt
Page 29: Chapter 3 Interaction For Successfu
Page 33 and 34: ?? Activity 1. Suggest any improvem
Page 35 and 36: Please note that this is not the pl
Page 37 and 38: knowledgeable about issues may not
Page 39 and 40: ?? Activity To what extent do you a
Page 41 and 42: You may now contribute to our discu
Page 43 and 44: • Use language that shows you ack
Page 45 and 46: • Fourthly, avoid jargon because
Page 47 and 48: You will note that these are sugges
Page 49 and 50: Perhaps this is a difficult questio
Page 51 and 52: Chapter 4 How to Plan the Project D
Page 53 and 54: Planning involves answering the que
Page 55 and 56: S= The course should help officers
Page 57 and 58: • Is the product, at various stag
Page 59 and 60: ?? Activity i. What is meant by obj
Page 61 and 62: Chapter 5 Structuring and Schedulin
Page 63 and 64: ?? Activity The Mission Statement f
Page 65 and 66: Table 5A WBS for the B. Com. Degree
Page 67 and 68: Sample Gantt Chart Figure 5B Course
Page 69 and 70: Chapter 6 The Project Team Knowing
Page 71 and 72: observation, how productive is your
Page 73 and 74: The tasks to be done In project man
Page 75 and 76: • have a clear knowledge of proje
Page 77 and 78: critics who question ideas from tea
Page 79 and 80: Two members are in disagreement wit
Page 81 and 82:
our own things without interference
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vi. Members being unable to manage
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Organizations perform work either a
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Let us now share ideas about the ma
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• infrequent communication with s
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On the basis of what we said above,
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Project Cost Management Regarding p
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1. Do you concur that managing a pr
Page 97 and 98:
?? Activity 1. Explain what you und
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Chapter 8 Project Control and Evalu
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Individual activities Team activiti
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• New tasks without guidance or t
Page 105 and 106:
?? Activity Suggest five ways in wh
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Project closure You will recall tha
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• Evaluation is planned at the ou
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surprising that project team meetin
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determined, it is important to cons
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In our opinion, if you produce agen
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• informed as to the meeting’s
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?? Activity Five types of difficult
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• the language of meetings. 121
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Case Study A Two lecturers from the
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Case Study C Two distance education
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The NGO recommends re-education of
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The head of your institution decide
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• The learner does not have to le
Page 133 and 134:
References Andersen, E.S., Grude, K
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successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

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