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ADC-BSC EAST 2013 Keynote: Reading the Tea Leaves: Predicting a Project’s Future
- 1. WK2 Keynote 11/13/2013 12:45 PM "Reading the Tea Leaves: Predicting a Project's Future" Presented by: Payson Hall Catalysis Group, Inc. Brought to you by: 340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073 888‐268‐8770 ∙ 904‐278‐0524 ∙ sqeinfo@sqe.com ∙ www.sqe.com
- 2. Payson Hall Catalysis Group, Inc. A systems engineer and project management consultant, Payson Hall is a founding member of Catalysis Group, Inc. Formally trained as a software engineer and computer scientist, Payson has performed and consulted on a variety of hardware and software systems integration projects in both the public and private sectors throughout North America and Europe during his thirty-year professional career. He has been a writer and featured speaker on topics of systems integration, project management, and risk management. Payson's rare combination of IT project management experience and communication skills has made him a valued member of many project review and project oversight teams.
- 5. Learned(from(Dreams(2...( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 5( Predic3ng(the(Future(Isn’t(Magic( Involves:( – Recognizing(paNerns( – Grasping(underlying(rules( – Seeking(confirming(or(disconfirming(evidence( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 6(
- 13. Project(Management( • Defini3on( – What(do(you(want?((When?(((What(resources((people( &(funds)(will(you(commit(to(get(it(done?( • Planning( – What(will(happen?((When?((Who(will(do(it?((What(will( it(cost?((What(are(the(risks?( • Execu3on( – What(happened?(When?((What(resources(did(it( require?((How(does(that(compare(to(expecta3ons?(( Are(we(on(track(to(make(it?((Should(we(con3nue?( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 21( Early(Status...( • “Schedule(is(high(level(and(very(aggressive”( • “Concerned(whether(sufficiently(skilled(and( knowledgeable(staff(available(to(support( project”( Lee(unresolved(what(kinds(of(problems( might(you(expect(or(watch(for?( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 22(
- 14. What(Happened...( • Schedule(slip( • Quality(issues( • Reduced(3me(for(planning( Lost( Produc3vity( Insufficient( Planning( Surprises( Quality(Issues( Schedule( Problems( ? Unexpected( work( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 23( Key(Ideas( • It’s(hard(to(recover(from(a(sloppy(or(late(start( • Plans(don’t(guarantee(success,(they(set( baseline(expecta3ons( • Comparing(reality(to(plans(helps(ID(variance( • Progress(WON’T(match(plan(–(material( variances(should(be(explored(and(explained( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 24(
- 15. Looking(for(PaNerns( Mul3^dimensional(problem( – Time( – Effort/Cost( – Work( – Trends(of(these(factors(OVER(TIME( "There(is(always(an(easy(solu3on(to( every(human(problem—neat,( plausible,(and(wrong.”( (^(H.L.(Mencken( Catalysisgroup.com( 25( Tea(Leaves( Run(Chart((Time(Series)( Down2me$(Hrs)$ 60( 50( 40( 30( 20( 10( 0( Jan( Catalysisgroup.com( Feb( Mar( Apr( May( Tea(Leaves( Jun( Jul( Aug( Sep( 26(
- 16. Control(Chart^Run(Chart(w/Limits( 60( 50( 40( 30( 20( 10( 0( Jan( Feb( Mar( Apr( May( Down3me((Hrs)( Catalysisgroup.com( Jun( UCL( Jul( Aug( Sep( LCL( Tea(Leaves( 27( Control(Chart(Basics( ! Upper(Control(Limit((UCL)(–(Value(going(above(this(limit( triggers(ac3on( ! Lower(Control(Limit((LCL)(–(Value(going(below(this(limit(triggers( ac3on( ! Agreeing(to(limits(up(front(oeen(makes(ac3on(less(poli3cally( charged( 60( 40( 20( 0( Jan( Feb( Mar( Apr( May( Jun( Jul( Aug( Sep( Down3me((Hrs)( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( UCL( LCL( 28(
- 20. Symptom:(Tasks(exceed(planned(dura3on( Diagnos3c(Ques3ons:( – Are(people(assigned(doing(something( else?( – Has(schedule(shieed(&(pushed(tasks( into(holidays,(training(or(vaca3ons?( – Has(resource(consump3on(remained( consistent(with(original(es3mates?( – Are(tasks(blocked(awai3ng(material,( informa3on(or(approvals?( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 35( Possible(Causes( • Tasks(may(be(consuming(more(resources(( than(originally(es3mated(( • People(may(not(be(available(as(originally(an3cipated( when(dura3ons(were(calculated( • Inefficiency(introduced(when(team(members(work( on(mul3ple(tasks(concurrently( • Tasks(may(not(be(broken(down(sufficiently(to( highlight(dependencies(on(informa3on(or(approvals( • Task(dependencies(in(the(project(plan(may(be( incorrect( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 36(
- 21. Possible(Remedies( • Compare(actual(resource(consump3on(with( es3mates(–(assure(sufficient(resources( available,(revise(es3mates(if(needed( • Review/correct(task(dependencies(( • Look(for(trends((kind(of(task,(doer)(to(focus( further(analysis( • Review/refine(produc3vity(assump3ons( • Review(es3mates(with(those(assigned(to( future(tasks(and(refine/revise(( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 37( Summary( • Predic3on(can(be(scien3fic((vs.(supernatural)(( • Project(status(is(mul3^dimensional( – Schedule( – Scope( – Resources( • • • • Look(for(trend(informa3on( Progress(against(credible(plans(helps(ID(variance( Causes(of(variance(lead(to(issues/problems( Check(out(the(Job(Aid( Catalysisgroup.com( Tea(Leaves( 38(
- 23. Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment of Common Project Management Problems Introduction Even well managed projects encounter challenges. People closest to a project often have insights regarding project problems; however, their proximity to the consequences of problems can sometimes lead to lost perspective and overlooked causes. This reference is designed to support project management by supporting objective analysis and remediation of project problems. The table is intended as a supplement to assist project managers with problem diagnosis and treatment, not a substitute for sound project management practices. Project goals exist in three dimensions: • Scope – Deliverables, quality goals, process constraints, overall project size and boundaries • Schedule – Delivery target dates, milestone dates, expected task completion dates • Resources – People, equipment, facilities, materials, and funding The dimensions are inter-related and problems in one dimension tend to cause problems in one or both of the others. For example, if a key resource becomes unavailable to a project, it will likely have an impact on the delivery schedule and/or functionality and quality of work products until the problem is resolved. Because projects are complex systems of cause and effect, diagnosing root causes can be challenging. The “symptom” that is observed may be the source of the problem, a contributing factor, or the middle of a chain of causes and effects. Just as a physician must explore alternative potential causes from a patient’s presenting symptoms, this reference provides the project manager with questions to assist in the diagnosis of other causes and contributing factors. The reference presents information on troubleshooting project problems. It is roughly organized into four categories best matching the problem or “symptom” of a problem that is observed: • Scope: Quality, performance, process, or boundary related symptoms • Schedule: Schedule slippage symptoms • Resource: Personnel performance, human resource consumption, budget issues • Other: A catch-all category for classic symptoms and issues that don’t neatly fit into the categories above Symptoms are listed under each heading and matched with Diagnostics, questions that may be helpful to clarify or focus thinking about the symptoms. Information obtained using diagnostic questions will assist in identification of Possible Causes and selection among related Possible Remedies. While the reference is not exhaustive, it is hoped that it can aid with the rapid identification and resolution of project issues. As you use the table, it is important to keep in mind that symptoms may have multiple causes or potential causes. Tasks exceeding their schedule estimates may be a result of poor estimation, poor performance, lack of skills, lack of tools, increasing scope of the task, a key contributor getting the flu, or a combination of some or all of these causes. Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 1
- 24. Diagnostics Possible Causes Possible Remedies Clarifying/Focusing Questions Potential Contributing Factors Remedial Action Scope/Quality Symptoms Symptom: Project Scope appears to be expanding, but the Charter has not changed. Have users or sponsors requested Inadequate change control – Revisit change management process and assure that only functionality, performance, or quality Changes are being accepted without sponsor-authorized changes to scope are allowed to modify standards beyond what was originally the evaluation and explicit approval of the charter. chartered? the sponsor to expand project scope. Revisit the planning process to assure that tasks are broken to Is the change control process been Failure to document scope and an appropriate level of detail and estimated by someone used to document increases in project process assumptions as part of the competent to do the work and that estimates and task scope and assure that changes are charter or monitor those assumptions definitions are reviewed prior to finalizing plans. conscious decisions to modify the for change. charter? Assure that assumptions underlying plans are documented Initially chartered scope was and that invalid assumptions and their impact are Have risk items occurred that insufficient for the project’s needs communicated to the sponsor. increased project scope? (quality or performance standards were initially inadequate for actual Assure that mandated changes to the development Is the development staff receiving production use for example). environment or business processes are documented via contradictory guidance from client change management to assure that sponsors understand and staff? Staff changes may have caused a accept the impact of changes. loss of organizational memory Have personnel changes occurred in regarding the meaning of some Assure that the team is clear about the project boundary and key client or project staff? requirements or the location of project understands the process to recommend adding work to the boundaries. project that was initially “out of bounds” Have quality problems arisen that have resulted in increased needs for testing The impact of deferred quality issues Review earlier quality metrics and determine how quality or or rework? is usually amplified the longer they performance problems might have been detected and are deferred. remedied earlier. Look for process improvements to assure Have tasks from another project or that quality problems are identified and dealt with promptly. undertaking been moved into this Team members may not be clear on project? project boundaries and expanding Emphasize the importance of sticking to requirements and them to include work not originally requirements tracking in project meetings. Use requirements What tasks were added and why? identified as part of the project or tracking procedures to link requirements to test cases to user Was there insufficient planning, was work from other projects or acceptance. there insufficient detail, were there operational activity. really unexpected things that arose? Review requirements with lead developers often to re-affirm that only the documented requirements are being developed. Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 2
- 25. Diagnostics Possible Causes Possible Remedies Clarifying/Focusing Questions Potential Contributing Factors Remedial Action Explain “scope creep” and how to prevent it to the project team. Revisit risk planning and determine whether anticipated risk events have occurred or if new risk events have emerged that are affecting scope. Add lessons learned to the lessons log and avoid this in the future on other projects. Identify another project designed to hold “additional” tasks. Build a “future enhancements” list to capture good ideas and new requirements that are not part of this project so that they can be included in a subsequent release. Symptom: Test results report a large number of errors and/or the number of errors in new work or re-work does not seem to decrease. Are the sources of errors being Mechanisms for early detection of Look for ways to detect errors sooner in the development identified? errors may not be in place or may not process. be implemented effectively. Are the sources of error changing over Look for trends in error sources and in types of errors to time? Feedback from the testing and quality identify high leverage interventions with processes or training. assurance processes might not be Are the types of errors consistent? causing necessary changes in current Determine how the project processes, or staff capabilities can process. be changed to improve the quality of products delivered to Is the severity of the error comparable? testing. If the source or type of error detected Are the errors being detected at the is changing over time, it may be that Revisit project plans and verify that early error detection earliest possible opportunity in the testing is being more effective at mechanisms in the plan (code reviews, design walkthroughs, process? finding these errors or that process etc.) are being conducted effectively. changes have shifted quality Is there schedule performance problems to new areas. Monitor team morale and be alert for the natural friction that pressure that is encouraging a rush can arise between development and testing. Remind the through design and/or coding? Some staff may need additional team that development of quality work products is a team goal training with processes, tools, the and that processes that identify faults early support those Has the quality of testing improved application domain, or basic efforts. during the life of the project? development skills to improve work Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 3
- 26. Diagnostics Possible Causes Clarifying/Focusing Questions Potential Contributing Factors product quality and worker efficiency. Are there skill issues with the staff responsible for creating the work products being tested? Are there morale issues with the staff responsible for creating the work products being tested? Morale issues among developers or testers may be causing performance or communication issues that result in either poorer quality or greater error reporting. Encouraging/rewarding testers based upon the number of faults they find may have the unintended consequence of causing multiple occurrences of the same error type to be written up as different errors, or complex errors to be written up as multiple errors. Symptom: Product passes all tests but the client is dissatisfied Have the client requirements changed Requirements were not captured in since the inception of the project? sufficient detail to truly define the users needs for the product. Has the project context changed since the inception of the project Tests that sufficiently evaluate all (regulations, strategic goals, business aspects of the requirements were not environment)? developed. Possible Remedies Remedial Action Beware the assumptions “More errors found = worse quality” “More errors found = better testing” “Few errors found = better quality” “Few errors found = worse testing” What testing behavior is being encouraged? Finding large quantities of errors? Finding high severity errors? Testing products quickly? Were the initial requirements clear and complete? Do test plans include demonstration of meeting requirements? Have there been key user personnel changes since the start of the project? Have there been changes in sponsorship since the start of the project? Requirements were not effectively managed to adapt to changes in the project business context. Changes in key client personnel may have resulted in different user expectations. There may be insufficient ongoing involvement of users in the development process. Re-evaluate the way in which the requirements were documented. Assure that the client approves the requirements document. Affirm that requirements meet the client’s expectation. Revisit and review requirements with the client. Re-evaluate the test plan to assure that the individual test cases effectively cover identified requirements New requirements may be integrated into the current project via change management or documented for the next release of the software. Review the process for monitoring the user business environment for new/changed requirements. Look for ways to improve this process. Work closely with the users to understand and capture recent or expected changes in business processes. The system may meet identified Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 4
- 27. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions Has user staff been involved in the development or review of designs and test criteria? How could user feedback have been solicited earlier in the development process to detect user satisfaction issues sooner? Is usability an issue? Is performance an issue? Is user training an issue? Possible Causes Potential Contributing Factors requirements but be difficult to use or have performance issues. Have users received sufficient effective training and documentation about the use of the system to enable them to utilize it effectively? Possible Remedies Remedial Action Look for ways to continually re-validate that the system being built is consistent with the written requirements and needs of system users. Gather data from the users by observing them interact with the system for an extended period of time and encourage them to comment about their frustration. Look for usability issues and places where expectations may not be consistent with requirements. Look also for opportunities to improve training or documentation. Begin building an enhancement list for the next release of the product so that users feel that concerns have been heard and to assure that good ideas are captured. Is available documentation sufficient? Symptom: Agreed upon processes and rules are not being consistently followed Are the rules and process If rules or process requirements are Rules and process requirements should be clearly written requirements clear? not clear, they cannot be complied (examples improve the effectiveness of documented rules and with. processes) Are the rules and process requirements necessary? If people don’t understand why rules Written rules and process requirements should include a brief and process constraints are in place, description of why the rule or process is in place. Are the rationale for processes and they will not comply with them rules clearly stated? consistently. The team should have ready access to documentation explaining rules and process requirements. Are project staff aware of rules and If an organization does not appear to process constraints? be serious about enforcing rules and The team should receive sufficient training and support to process constraints, teams will tend to facilitate compliance. Do project staff have sufficient skill and ignore rules and process experience to effectively comply with requirements that appear to get in the Periodically, rules and processes should be revisited with the rules and process constraints? way of getting the project completed. team to look for process improvements and provide the team a chance to offer input to the rules. Has the organization required If there is no apparent consequence consistent compliance with rules and for breaking rules or violating process Exceptions to rules and processes should be conscious process constraints? requirements, people tend to ignore decisions made by the project manager. them. Does the team have sufficient time and The team must receive an unambiguous message that Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 5
- 28. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions resources to comply with rules and process requirements? Are the same people continuing to ignore or subvert rules and processes after repeated intervention? Possible Causes Possible Remedies Potential Contributing Factors If the team does not have the tools, time, or skills to comply with rules, they will tend to ignore them. Remedial Action compliance with rules and processes is expected, and that if this causes changes in estimates or the project plan, the changes should be communicated to the project manager. If rules and process requirements are clearly communicated and understood, and team members with the skills and tools to comply with them refuse to comply after repeated intervention, this is sabotage or insubordination When new personnel are added to the team, rule and process information should be explicitly shared with them as part of orientation. Sabotage or insubordination are personnel issues that should be promptly handled as such. Left untreated, they undermine morale, discipline, and the cohesiveness of the project team. Resource Symptoms Symptom: Tasks are tending to consume more human resources than estimated in the project plans. Has the scope of tasks changed since Initial estimates were incorrect. Estimates should be created by individuals competent to do they were estimated? the work. Insufficient expert input into the Do the people working on the tasks identification, definition, and Estimates should be written, and should specify the have a comparable level of skill to the estimation of project tasks. assumptions upon which they are based, including the team ones envisioned for the tasks when it size, skill levels, processes to be used, performance was estimated? Assumptions underlying task environment and scope of the task. estimates were incorrect. Are people working on tasks devoted When tasks materially vary from their estimates (over or full time to the project or are they being Quality problems are being introduced under), particularly if trends are noted among types of tasks or diluted with other projects or earlier in the project, causing later tasks estimated by the same estimator, or tasks performed by operational responsibilities? tasks to exceed their estimates. the same doer; estimates should be reviewed to understand When quality problems are not dealt whether the scope of the work has changed, the anticipated Have initial assumptions about the with promptly, subsequent task resources have changed, the assumptions underlying the work or the work environment proven resource needs tend to grow as estimate have changed, or the estimation process needs to be incorrect? deferred problems must be corrected. improvement. Have process errors or quality problems occurred that required unanticipated rework? New tools and processes introduced after estimation sometimes invalidate earlier estimates. Is resource consumption being accurately tracked at a task level? Task resource consumption may not be reported accurately. Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 Review the project charter to determine appropriate optimization response. Can additional resources be allocated to problem tasks to recover schedule? Can the scope of tasks be modified to better fit the budget? Revisit similar estimates for tasks not yet completed and refine where necessary. www.catalysisgroup.com Page 6
- 29. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions Are any tasks being reported as completing with less resource than initially allocated? Have new tools or processes been introduced that effect task doer’s efficiency either short term (climbing the learning curve or stabilizing a new development environment) or longer term (utilizing more complex tools)? Are task completion criteria clear? Possible Causes Potential Contributing Factors If task completion criteria are not clear, task doers may be doing more than required to complete tasks. Possible Remedies Remedial Action Use the change management process to inform sponsors, users and team members of any material changes to schedule, scope or resource targets. Monitor task performance after the introduction of changes to tools and processes to identify whether, after a reasonable learning curve, estimates need to be modified up or down for work that has not been completed and will utilize the new tools or methods. Monitor the impact of changes in tools and processes to assure that the expected cost benefit of the change is achieved. Consider backing out changes that prove to be ill advised or immature. Status reporting of task resource consumption by team member should occur on a regular basis so that trends and issues can be promptly identified and handled. Clearly defined completion criteria should be specified for all tasks. This is the foundation of good estimation and also provides task doers with a discrete target so that they can stop work as soon as the completion criteria are met. Symptom: Unanticipated tasks (tasks not included in the project plan) are consuming substantial project resources Has the scope of the project changed? Plans omitted tasks that were Project plans should be developed by people competent to do necessary to achieving the chartered the work, and developed at a level of detail sufficient to Are changes being approved using the scope. capture the work to be done. change management process? Plans may not have been developed Project plans and estimates should be revisited periodically to Have risk events occurred that caused at level of detail sufficient to identify look for trends in missed tasks or highly variant estimates. unanticipated tasks? all required work. Risk events that occur should be documented and the change Have external forces increased the Changes in the project context may management process used to assure that sponsors and users amount of work (new regulations, be invalidating estimates are willing to incur the additional cost, schedule and scope required changes to work environment impact of the risk event. such as new tools or modified The team may be expanding the processes)? scope of the project with unChange management processes should be used to inform Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 7
- 30. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions Has the team discovered work that was not originally anticipated and included in the plan? Are the un-anticipated tasks work that must occur and was omitted from the original plans or optional work that is being included? Possible Causes Potential Contributing Factors anticipated tasks. Risk events may have occurred whose consequences are being handled without conscious acknowledgment Possible Remedies Remedial Action sponsors of refinement to estimates and provide an opportunity to revisit the schedule and scope of the project. Assumptions about project context should be reviewed periodically to determine whether they impact project scope. Assure that the team is clear about the project boundary and understands the process to recommend adding work to the project that was initially “out of bounds” Risks that have occurred become project issues that may result in change management activities Risk events that have occurred and were not previously identified as potential risks may indicated deficiencies with the current level of risk planning. Symptom: Tasks monetary costs are exceeding planning estimates Has the scope of tasks changed since Initial estimates were incorrect. they were estimated? Insufficient expert input into the Have initial assumptions about the identification, definition, and work or the work environment proven estimation of project tasks. to be incorrect? Assumptions underlying task Have process errors or quality estimates were incorrect. problems occurred that required unanticipated rework? Quality problems being introduced earlier in the project are causing later Is resource consumption being tasks to exceed their estimates. accurately tracked at a task level? When quality problems are not dealt with promptly, subsequent task Have fees for services increased? resource needs tend to grow as deferred problems must be corrected. Have fees for materials increased beyond what was Procuring products, services and anticipated/budgeted? equipment at the last minute frequently drives up costs. Did budget estimates include an Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 Estimates should be created by individuals competent to do the work. Estimates should be written, and should specify the assumptions upon which they are based. When tasks materially vary from their estimates (over or under), particularly if trends are noted among types of tasks or tasks estimated by the same estimator; estimates should be reviewed to understand whether the scope of the work has changed, anticipated costs have changed, the assumptions underlying the estimate have changed, or the estimation process needs improvement. Review the project charter to determine appropriate optimization response. Can additional resources be allocated to problem tasks to recover schedule? Can the scope of tasks be modified to better fit the budget? Revisit similar estimates for tasks not yet completed and refine where necessary. www.catalysisgroup.com Page 8
- 31. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions inflation factor? Possible Causes Possible Remedies Potential Contributing Factors Remedial Action Are materials and equipment that have been procured being used? Use the change management process to inform sponsors, users and team members of any material changes to schedule, scope or resource targets. Are overhead costs (equipment rentals or facilities charges) increasing because of schedule delays? Status reporting of task budget consumption should occur on a regular basis so that trends and issues can be promptly identified and handled. Are products, services and travel being procured in sufficient volume and with sufficient lead time to allow discounts? Consider negotiating discounts for products and services procured in bulk or with substantial lead times. Schedule Symptoms Symptom: Tasks are exceeding their planned duration Are the resources assigned to the task The task may be consuming more working on other project tasks or resources than originally estimated. assigned to other project or operational Tasks that consume more resources duties? than originally estimated frequently also exceed their schedule estimates. Has a schedule shift caused tasks to straddle holidays, training, or vacation Project resources may not have the of team members allocated to the availability that was originally task? anticipated when durations were calculated. Has the resource consumption of the task remained consistent with original Inefficiency is introduced when team estimates? members are required to work on multiple tasks concurrently. Are tasks being held up waiting for approvals or sign offs? Tasks may not be broken down to sufficient level of detail to highlight Are tasks being held up waiting for dependencies on information or materials, equipment or information? approvals. Are tasks starting when they were scheduled? Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 Task dependencies in the project plan may be incorrect. Compare actual resource consumption of tasks with observed duration. Generally, dealing with increased resource requirements must occur before addressing corresponding schedule impacts. Review task dependencies for accuracy. Review task definitions and break down tasks to highlight external dependencies and approvals. Look for trends (kind of task, task doer) to focus further analysis. Review productivity estimates for project resources. Generally it is ill advised to expect more than 30 hours per week of productive project time from full time resources. This must be further adjusted to account for holidays, vacation, training, other project work and any other substantial resource commitments. Task duration predictions are normally derived from resource estimates and assumptions about the availability of team members to do the work. When duration estimates are www.catalysisgroup.com Page 9
- 32. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions What are the assumptions about team member availability during a typical work week? How were duration estimates created? Is there a disruption in the work environment that is causing interruptions in task work? Possible Causes Potential Contributing Factors Project resource productivity may have been over-estimated. Duration estimates may not be based upon resource estimates. Interruptions in task work introduce two factors that increase schedule, the overhead of stopping and starting the task, as well as the off-task time of the interruption. Some unexpected factor may be affecting durations or performance. Symptom: Tasks are not performed in the specified order Is the desired order of task The assignment of tasks is not being performance clear? clearly stated, including the order in which they are to be performed. Are team members encouraged to Team members may work on aspects complete one task before starting of the project they like first. another unless blocked? Task dependencies may not be Are task dependencies correct? correct or may be incomplete. Are team members informing their team leaders or project managers when they are blocked on a task? Possible Remedies Remedial Action inaccurate, working backward through availability assumptions, skill assumptions, and resource estimates is usually instructive. Work to minimize interruptions in task work. This can be accomplished by trying to eliminate unnecessary meetings, providing productive work space, assuring that staff have reliable and efficient equipment (computers, copy machines, networks, printers, etc.) Discuss schedule variances with the team to discover root causes. Review project schedule during the regularly scheduled project meetings. Review project task assignments with each person. Pass out task assignments in a tangible form, such as emails or a form. Link tasks assigned to their line-location in the project schedule. Print an oversized copy of the project schedule and display in a common area. Make sure that task owners understand their responsibility to perform tasks in the prescribed order. Other Symptoms Symptom: Stakeholders are blocking tasks (not providing timely feedback on reviews or holding up document approvals) Does the communication plan clearly Stakeholders may have concerns The communication plan should identify which stakeholders identify stakeholder roles? about the work product or document have project responsibility and authority to approve work they have been reviewing. products. Do tasks exist in the project plan for stakeholder review and sign off? Stakeholders may be unclear whether The impact of stakeholder delays should be communicated to or not they have the authority to stakeholders to give them a chance to provide feedback and Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 10
- 33. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions Have stakeholders been contacted to understand what concerns are holding up their tasks? Has a change order been filed to reflect the schedule, scope and resource implications of the delay? Have turn around expectations been clearly defined and communicated to stakeholders in writing? Possible Causes Potential Contributing Factors approve a work product. Stakeholders may be unaware of the impact that their delays have on the project. Possible Remedies Remedial Action take appropriate action. If delays continue, change orders should be filed to communicate the impact of delays to the sponsor. Stakeholders may be unaware of the expectations surrounding their turn around. Are the planning assumptions related to document approval and turnaround clearly documented? Is the authority for review or approval clearly assigned in the project charter or task descriptions? Symptom: A team member is struggling to solve a technical problem or struggling to get tasks done in a time that is realistic How is the problem being approached? The problem may be beyond the skill Provide mentoring if the issue can be narrowly defined and of the staff members trying to solve it. targeted mentoring will help. Does the problem resemble one with which the team has experience? Problem solving training may be Provide opportunity to take training classes. necessary. Is the approach to solving the problem Switch personnel and obtain someone that has a background rational? External expertise may be necessary. appropriate to this technical problem or task. Are multiple avenues of resolution being sought? Consider outside expertise to assist with specialized technology. Are appropriate internal and external experts being sought? Provide problem analysis and problem solving training to the staff. What has been tried thus far? Symptom: A team member is not providing the expected amount of time to the project. What activities are competing with the The team member may have been Talk with the person and determine why they have not been project for his or her attention? redirected to other tasks by his or her putting in the required number of hours. Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 11
- 34. Diagnostics Clarifying/Focusing Questions Possible Causes Possible Remedies Potential Contributing Factors supervisor. Have the average hours per week expected from the team member been documented as part of computing the duration of the team member’s tasks? The team member may have other activities competing for his or her attention. Is the team member’s supervisor aware of the time commitment and willing to support the project? The team member may not be available to the project because of personal issues. Remedial Action Talk to their supervisor or other project managers to resolve scheduling issues. Emphasize the importance of their role on the project and limit their hours to only the work that requires their special effort. Seek to adjust resource assignments to back fill if possible. If the resource issue cannot be resolved, submit a change If personal issues are competing for request to the sponsor to document the change in assigned the team member’s time, is a resources and the schedule or scope implications to the replacement person available for the project. project? Symptom: Status reports are not being read Does the communication plan specify Status reports are too long. Design status reports to be exception-based. the content and timing of status reports? Status report doesn’t contain the Ensure the status report contains information that is relevant information that is really relevant to to all dimensions of the project. Have the content, format and understanding the status of all the frequency of status reports been dimensions of the project. Ensure the status reports accurately reflect project status. reviewed with the sponsor recently? Status reports have been too Is the project still a priority with the optimistic or untrustworthy. sponsor? The sponsor may be become Has sponsorship changed? complacent Symptom: Staff from another department is not being fully compliant or cooperative. Have expectations for external staff Staff from another department may Discuss the issue with the individual. Identify priority conflicts participation and cooperation been have higher priorities as assigned by or other issues contributing to the problem. Review the clearly communicated to the their manager. priority of the project in the context of the competing priorities. organization? Expectations may not have been If discussion with the individual does not resolve the problem clearly communicated. or if the individual does not believe that the priority of the project is higher than other assigned work, discuss the issue with the individual’s manager or supervisor. Verify priorities, amount of time and commitment to your project. Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 12
- 35. Diagnostics Possible Causes Possible Remedies Clarifying/Focusing Questions Potential Contributing Factors Remedial Action If this is not sufficient, discuss the issue with your sponsor and seek assistance with the organizational issues or changes to the project schedule boundaries to account for resulting schedule impacts. Project team members may have concerns about the success of the project. Project teams frequently know before the project manager and sponsor when a project is in trouble. Speak individually with all members of the project team on a regular basis to provide opportunities to get their perspectives on the project, what is working well, what is not working well, their concerns, and their suggestions about how the project could be better accomplished. Team members may not believe they are being fairly compensated or recognized for their work. Involve team members in the discussion of decisions that affect the way that they work. Symptom: Team morale is low Does the team have concerns about the project’s ability to meets its objectives? Is the team being pushed hard to make unrealistic goals? Is the team being rewarded for their work? Are personnel issues being dealt with promptly and fairly? Are team members putting in excessive overtime? Are any individuals having personal issues that should be dealt with? Is the team comfortable with the quality of the work products they are producing? Is there an absence of humor on the project? Individual team members may have personnel issues that need attention before they can contribute. Failure to handle discipline or performance issues with team members who are not doing their share may be damaging morale or cohesiveness of the group. Many team members take the quality of their work very seriously and morale may suffer if they believe that the quality of their work is inadequate. Poor morale can cause a spiral of poorer morale. Take the time to publicly recognize team members who are performing well. Deal promptly, fairly, and privately with performance or discipline issues. Look for ways to encourage humor that do not make individual team members the focus of jokes. Regularly emphasize that team members have permission to approach the project manager with suggestions, questions or concerns. If a project is not on track to meet its schedule, scope or resource goals, communicate that information to the sponsor and assure that the team is involved and aware of any changes to the goals or approach. If financial compensation is unavailable, look for ways to use choice assignments, training opportunities, or allocation of new equipment as rewards for the team. If personal problems are causing a disruption, request additional resources be brought to bear to relieve the troubled Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 www.catalysisgroup.com Page 13
- 36. Diagnostics Possible Causes Clarifying/Focusing Questions Potential Contributing Factors Possible Remedies Remedial Action team member of project responsibilities and deal with the problem. Symptom: Team resists timely and accurate status reporting for their tasks Are status reporting requirements Reporting requirements may not be Assure status reporting requirements are clear. clear? clear. Assure the team understands how status information is used. What is the consequence of inaccurate Team may not understand how the or untimely status? data is used. Assure team understands the value of status information. Have expectations been clearly communicated? Team may not see value in data reported. Has the rationale for gathering status been communicated? There may be a perception or history that reported status information results in negative consequences. Is status information being used constructively? Project Symptom & Diagnostic Aid V1.0 Team may resist status because “it takes too much time” or is seen as administrative rather than project work. Assure that all information gathered is used constructively. Assure that the format of status information gathered is focused and can be reported efficiently. Consider adding brief status reporting and team meeting tasks to the project plan to reinforce the perception that status reporting is a necessary project activity. www.catalysisgroup.com Page 14