Project Management Basics: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:00, 16 October 2018

This section reviews a few of the basic building blocks for the other sections of the toolkit. Please contribute additional project management fundamentals or other examples to the DLF Project Managers Toolkit.

A PROJECT must have a defined objective (product, service, result) with a start and a finish. Projects should not be confused with ongoing work. For example, a digitization unit with regular requests for digitization is ongoing work, whereas a project would be to digitize a certain number of objects by a certain date.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to carry out a project.

A PROJECT MANAGER oversees the project life cycle from planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. There should only be one project manager in a project. Important characteristics for project managers are to be knowledgeable, performance-driven, and an effective communicator.

PROJECT PHASES include initiation, planning, implementation, and closing.

There are different factors or constraints to monitor and control in a project. Commonly known as the TRIPLE CONSTRAINT, the scope, time, and cost are managed and adjust in a project. Quality and risk should also be considered.

Project Management provides a framework and best practices for projects. For example, the following formula can be used to estimate the time of a task.

Three-Point Estimate

   Determine:
   -optimistic value, D(o)
   -pessimistic value, D(p)
   -realistic value, D(r)
   Then:
   Duration = (D(o) + 4D(r) + D(p)) / 6

Critical to the success of any project is communication. Before beginning a project, consider the frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly) and methods of communication (email, im, in-person; frequency of meeting). A communication plan should include the who, what, when, where, why & how. See the Project Templates of the DLF Project Managers Toolkit for an example of a communication plan.

References

Project Management Institute. 2018. A guide to the project management body of knowledge: (PMBOK® guide). Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute.

Tate, Karen, and Cynthia Snyder. 2006. The advanced project management memory jogger: a pocket guide for experienced project professionals. Salem, NH: GOAL/QPC.

There are lots of great articles, presentations and grey lit out there on project management and digital libraries. We've created a Zotero Group library at https://www.zotero.org/groups/2205688/dlf_pmg? and encourage you to add more when you read something good.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-    This section reviews a few of the basic building blocks for the other sections of the toolkit.  Please contribute additional project management fundamentals or other examples to the '''[[DLF Project Managers Toolkit]]'''.
+This section reviews a few of the basic building blocks for the other sections of the toolkit.  Please contribute additional project management fundamentals or other examples to the '''[[DLF Project Managers Toolkit]]'''.
 [[File:ProjectBasics.png|thumb|right]]
-A '''project''' must have a defined objective (product, service, result) with a start and a finish.  Projects should not be confused with ongoing work.
+A '''PROJECT''' must have a defined objective (product, service, result) with a start and a finish.  Projects should not be confused with ongoing work.  For example, a digitization unit with regular requests for digitization is ongoing work, whereas a project would be to digitize a certain number of objects by a certain date.
-Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to carry out a project.
+'''PROJECT MANAGEMENT''' is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to carry out a project.
-A '''project manager''' oversees the project life cycle from planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.  There should only be one project manager in a project.  Important characteristics for project managers are to be knowledgeable, performance-driven, and an effective communicator.
+A '''PROJECT MANAGER''' oversees the project life cycle from planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.  There should only be one project manager in a project.  Important characteristics for project managers are to be knowledgeable, performance-driven, and an effective communicator.
 [[File:ProjectPhases.png|thumb|right]]
-'''Project phases''' include initiation, planning, implementation, and closing.
+'''PROJECT PHASES''' include initiation, planning, implementation, and closing.
-There are different factors or constraints to monitor and control in a project.  Commonly known as the '''triple constraint''', the scope, time, and cost are managed and adjust in a project. Quality and risk should also be considered.
+There are different factors or constraints to monitor and control in a project.  Commonly known as the '''TRIPLE CONSTRAINT''', the scope, time, and cost are managed and adjust in a project. Quality and risk should also be considered.
 [[File:TripleConstraint.png|thumb|right]]
-Project Management provides a framework and best practices for projects.
+Project Management provides a framework and best practices for projects.  For example, the following formula can be used to estimate the time of a task.
-Example: The following formula can be used to estimate the time of a task.
 '''Three-Point Estimate'''
@@ Line 29: / Line 28: @@
      Duration = (D(o) + 4D(r) + D(p)) / 6
-Critical to the success of any project is communication.  Before beginning a project, consider the frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly) and methods of communication (email, im, in-person; frequency of meeting).  A communication plan should include the who, what, when, where, why & how. See the '''[[Project Templates]]''' of the '''[[DLF Project Managers Toolkit]]
+Critical to the success of any project is communication.  Before beginning a project, consider the frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly) and methods of communication (email, im, in-person; frequency of meeting).  A communication plan should include the who, what, when, where, why & how. See the '''[[Project Templates]]''' of the '''[[DLF Project Managers Toolkit]]''' for an example of a communication plan.
-''' for an example of a communication plan.
 == References ==
+* Project Management Institute. 2018. A guide to the project management body of knowledge: (PMBOK® guide). Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute.
-Project Management Institute. 2018. A guide to the project management body of knowledge: (PMBOK® guide). Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute.
+* Tate, Karen, and Cynthia Snyder. 2006. The advanced project management memory jogger: a pocket guide for experienced project professionals. Salem, NH: GOAL/QPC.
+There are lots of great articles, presentations and grey lit out there on project management and digital libraries. We've created a Zotero Group library at https://www.zotero.org/groups/2205688/dlf_pmg? and encourage you to add more when you read something good.