successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

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It is worth noting that the emphasis and timing spent on a particular stage will depend on the magnitude of the task, the amount of thinking and input needed for the job. The good manager will ensure that the team members are clear what the problem is, why it is said to be a problem, why it has to be solved, and agree what alternative solutions are at the disposal of the team. Most certainly, if there is no agreement at the beginning, the project is likely to lead to some of the most difficult conflicts. There are several barriers to good planning, namely: • Prevailing paradigms among the members. A paradigm is what each individual member perceives about a problem. People have different beliefs about a given situation. • The nature of human beings. It is natural for members to be sceptical about colleagues or the project itself. This is usually because of workplace politics or personality clashes. • Competing responsibilities. Members often belong to different sections of an organisation, and their being assigned to membership of the project may be against their will. Some will most likely consider the project to be interfering with what they consider their core responsibilities in the organisation. • Negative attitudes. These arise for various reasons, one of them having to do with taking orders from a manager who is not the member’s supervisor. You may have other barriers from personal experience. Add them to the few already given above. When you have done that, let’s turn to planning before the project begins, during the course of the project, and when we have finished the project. We shall base our discussion on a given project, which is: Developing a communication course for immigration officers. The problem Immigration officers in the country face challenges communicating with visitors coming from all over the world. Currently there is no training programme to help them cope with the situation. P= The team has to work together to develop the course. C= The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated a budget for the project. T= Development of the course has to take place within the current financial year. 54
S= The course should help officers deal with speakers of different languages, not speakers of English only. Before Starting the Project The planning should include three steps. Step One: Setting objectives The following should be agreed. Add any two of your own in the space below. • Define and agree what is to be accomplished. • Ensure objectives are specific (clear to everybody), measurable, achievable (can be attained), realistic (not too far-fetched), and time-based (attainable within agreed time). • Agree who will play what role. • Establish a shared project vision. • Agree about time lines (scheduling). • As a team, specify how you will know when you are succeeding or failing stage by stage. Step Two: Plan and organise for action The following should be agreed. Add any two of your own in the space below. • Determine the strategy the team is going to follow in order to tackle the job. • Analyse the tasks and activities that need to be done. • Agree on the resources required (people, time, materials, equipment, authority) • Establish alternative methods in case things do not go according to plan. • A leader whose authority is defined should be appointed. The head of the organisation should ensure the leader’s role is explained to all. Step Three: Establish controls The following should be agreed. Add any two of your own in the space below. • The standards of performance expected should be clear to every member. • Measures to ensure compliance with agreed standards should be put in place by the team. • Controls, milestones and exit points that will be used to keep in touch with progress should be agreed (time checks, formal reporting, informal reporting, observation, systems, etc.) 55
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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 and 30: Chapter 3 Interaction For Successfu
Page 31 and 32: are then requested to append their
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: Planning involves answering the que
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
Page 83 and 84: vi. Members being unable to manage
Page 85 and 86: Organizations perform work either a
Page 87 and 88: Let us now share ideas about the ma
Page 89 and 90: • infrequent communication with s
Page 91 and 92: On the basis of what we said above,
Page 93 and 94: Project Cost Management Regarding p
Page 95 and 96: 1. Do you concur that managing a pr
Page 97 and 98: ?? Activity 1. Explain what you und
Page 99 and 100: Chapter 8 Project Control and Evalu
Page 101 and 102: Individual activities Team activiti
Page 103 and 104: • New tasks without guidance or t
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?? 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
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References Andersen, E.S., Grude, K
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