The document provides guidance on effectively planning and launching projects. It discusses defining project objectives, setting limitations, planning activities and resources, delegating tasks, monitoring progress, and managing risks. Key aspects covered include communicating vision, establishing milestones, adapting to changes, and motivating project teams.

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2. Appeal
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3. Index
• Defining project
• Bypassing planning
• Project objectives
• Setting limitations
• Project planning
• Effective planning
• Project resources
• Launching a project
• Effective Monitoring
• Scope creep
• Software
• Closing a project
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4. Defining project
• Define Goal & expected changes after project
• What are the benefits for client
• For organisation (helps to set the priorities)
• Time boundaries
• Resources needed
• People
• Money
• Hardware & Software
• Facilities
• Element of the risks
• Maximising result –plan & optimize efforts
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5. Defining project
• Steps
• Define the project
• Plan the project
• Estimate duration, money and resources
• Build a project team
• Launch the project, Party with stake holders
• Monitor the project, review the progress
• Closure of the project
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6. Bypassing planning
• Mentality of
• Pushing the project
• Planning means waste of money and time
• Laziness, Shying away new methods
• Overconfidence
• Deceiving that adopted methods are the best
• Hoping everything will be all-right
• Lesser / Poor experience of manager
• Sr. management involved in many crisis &
activities
• Too much dependency on consultants
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7. Project objectives
• Sense of purpose? Would help on focus
• Target? Would help motivating the team members
• Prioritization & Time sensitive? Would help to
organise & measure how much to go
• Specific – Clear & Simple
• Measurable – to measure the success of the project
• Aggressive but Realistic – to achieve action & result
Who has created the project?
• Have you suggested? Or
• Direct client? Or senior management of client? Or
• Their client? Or
• Consultant of client? Or
• Consultants of client’s client?
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8. Define Project
Ask - What project should attempt to achieve?
• Is there a need to change? How?
• To create something new? Why?
• Why is it important? Is any liability linked?
• How soon it is needed? Is it time dependant?
Define – Key players from client &
organizational side
• Vision statement & share during kickoff
meeting – Seek agreement
• Be flexible to revise the vision statement or
objectives
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9. Setting limitations
Time constraints
• Who is setting the time constraints?
• Is any scope shifting the time frame?
• Is it realistic? Is it shorter than team envisaging?
• Does it have right distribution across phases? e.g.
RA 2 months & entire development – 2 months??
Budget constraints –
• To control the scope of the project, Client would
always want to have as much
• To check, monitor & control the budgets
• Can you absorb over-run of efforts & budget?
Structural constraints - To get buying from all the
hierarchy
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10. Risk & mitigation
• Estimate probability of occurrence and impact
thus likely exposure
• External - Out of control of manager; good to
identify the owner & transfer
• Internal - Understand, measure the impact,
mitigate or transfer
• Track till closure or transfer
• Think always contingency plan
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11. Project planning
• Look at the bigger picture - Think priority,
available resources, budget, schedule,
resources to be recruited, etc
• Set a reference point - Baseline the schedule
for tracking
• Communicate a vision - Share a well written
plan to all
• Delegate the tasks - Cover all the activities,
define role of everyone, make delegation
• Break into modules - Clearer & smaller tasks
helps
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12. Project planning
• Allow to control - Define ownership once
modules are defined
• Set clear roles - Helps avoiding confusion, no
excuses for missing deadline
• Adapt to change – Plan creates direction,
revisit original assumptions & change if & as
required, needs agreement
• Check history – Similar project might have
been executed, visit previous templates, talk
with team members who were involved,
capture the tips & act accordingly
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13. Project planning
Plan brainstorming meeting chaired by third party -
Gather team members to brainstorm
• Requirements understanding & knowledge transfer
• Detailed Plan
• Risk mitigation
• Resourcing and Budgets
Pre-project activities are listed & scheduled;
To check if re-scheduling is required
To group the activities logically, chronologically and cost
based to make assignment eazier
To plan further meetings for checking completion,
acceptance, availability of the resources
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14. Project planning
Creating milestones
• To measure the progress
• To focus on results
• To divide work schedule
• To raise alerts for risks & difficulties
Attributes of mile stones
• Defined milestones in agreement with client
• Direct & clear statements for deliverables
• Verifiable results
• Adaptability – By client and team members
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15. Effective planning
• Time estimate – Estimate the size of the
project , convert it to schedule & check is it
inline with client’s expectations?
• Resource need- Build the team using the best
possible members, also include infrastructure,
hardware, software, etc
• Cost – determine how much would the project
cost? Have a firm grip on direct (salary, travel,
equipment) & indirect cost(overheads like
management cost, stationary, administration,
etc. Track the cost as project progresses
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16. Effective planning
Completeness –
• Do not miss any activity/ feature/ function. Include all
review & rework activities.
• Estimate efforts & time needed to complete the
activity – Allow contingency time for holdups ,
overruns, quality rejections, delivery failures, leave,
holidays, meeting, emergency, accidents, etc.
• Identify dependent & non dependent activities,
Connect activities based on priorities & dependency.
Non-dependent activities can be completed in
parallel. Create network diagram for dependent
activities & determine critical path
• Track all activities
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17. Effective planning
• Assign the resources
• Changing objectives- review to check the changes
due to inadequacy at starting phase, Address
appropriately re-estimating & re-scheduling.
• Experience-Use organisational experience
• Recorded data & PCB (project capability baseline) -
Use historical data- PCB, ready components, etc
• Consultant – Hire expert for estimation & reviews
• Do not agree under pressure- Client or management
might push estimation or schedule. Unless it is
realistic & doable, do not agree.
• Communication – Synchronize the communication
with all stake holders & seek agreement
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18. Leadership style
• Authorative – Making most of the decision on own,
discouraging different ways of looking at thing;
• Disadv – team members can get disgruntled since
unable to vent their opinions
• Hands-on – Less dependent on fellow members, can
work with less confident members
• Consensus seeking - spend time listening to
members, helps building team confidence,
encourage members to use their initiatives, long time
for decision making
• Analytical – more time spend analyzing the situation
& planning, fine tuning decision making, attention to
details, need to be good at delegation
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19. Project resources
Check the leadership of manager
• Ownership of failures
• Ability to motivate team
• Ability developing team members
• Ability to cope up with the changes
• Ability to delegate
• Leading from front
# Role # Role
1 Establishing objectives 6 Encouraging & Motivating team
2 Preparing master plan 7 Keeping priorities of stake holders
3 Fixing budget 8 Reciprocating demands
4 Defining & communicating roles 9 Monitoring & controlling progress
5 Selecting team 10 Ensuring targets
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20. Project resources
Project performance depends on the skills of the best possible
team without burdening the budgets to ensure quality & speed
• List the key role, designation, brief description of each tasks,
necessary & preferred skills
• Check team logic by grouping different roles
• Get the best available resources, identify the training needs
• Assure to have back up for the key resources
• Revisit schedule to adopt available resource
• Chase second choice if first choice is not available
• Workout new recruitment, invest as & if necessary
• Get agreement on the team, hierarchy and their roles
• Forecast direct (Salary & subcontract) & indirect cost
• Arrange a team meeting, convey goal & objectives,
communicate the role and schedule
• Request for explaining understanding of role & responsibility
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21. Teamwork & spirit
• Forming – Seek commitment from individual, explain their roles
& seek their understanding, discuss their expectation,
understand their background, areas of expertise, etc
• Storming – Address the grievances & conflict, avoid getting too
personal, brainstrom to carry assigned tasks effectively, what
support do they need, etc
• Norming – Allow members to settle, set the guideline for daily
reporting, conduct start up meeting for daily updates, etc
• Performing – Motivate working together & to perform towards
shared objectives, recognize good work, grant higher role,
more responsibility, encourage to develop new skills, etc
• Boring – If project is long, members feel they have outlasted
their role, remind their deadlines & targets
• Mourning – Finishing tasks early could de-stabilise, assign
more tasks to bind those members
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22. Project resources
# Role Description
1 Champion Supports project, guides to manager , powerful leverage
during tough time, can be relied
2 Director/ Having final say, manages the project - plan, track, control
Manager & measure
3 Sponsor/ Seek agreement , advice & secondary support; invaluable
client contributor, provides opinions on result, involving at every
possible phase, listen & act on their feedback, Test &
accept
4 Project To execute day-today operation, measurement, arranging
manager meeting,
5 Team Have hierarchy, can raise question decisions offer
members alternate way of thinking, execute responsibilities offered,
updates on progress
6 Support team Includes HR, legal, contract, finance, sys-admin, admin,
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23. Project resources
# Role Description
7 Analyst Seek inputs, from external sources,
Appointment based on repeat experience
8 Critic / Critic who has unrealistic standards, final say
Reviewer is of manager, compare results of advice
9 Team Brings members together, inject team spirit,
builder energetic & self motivated
10 Creative Improvised way of working helps to project &
team
11 Activator Keen to push things forward, usually goal
oriented,
12 Carer A sympathetic person listening to the
grievances, safety valve for volatile member
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24. Delegate effectively
Right team Seek the member based on track record & then
potential
Communicate Communicate expectations clearly, exact nature of
clearly the tasks, Avoid ignorance
Set realistic Understand potential, capability, experience & energy
targets while setting the tasks
Monitor Indicate clear milestone, define % completion in
progress agreement, Have a check list to declare the
completion of the tasks, seek inputs on daily basis
Get & give Seek updates on performance, check the results, ask
feedback the supervisor & give feedback setting / reminding the
expectations
Encourage Encourage commitment & time from team members
accountability to complete tasks as planned;challenge ownership
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25. To motivate team
Question Understand reasons liking of challenges, status of
motivation the assignment, recognition, salary, security &
stability. Understand liking & disliking & act;
demand high standards of them & encourage hard
work, think something new always.
Recognize Credit members for the tasks well done, be specific
good work on compliment,
Steer them Understand the resistance to change, get the
agreement sharing the cons of the old system,
support while establishing the change
Encourage Select employee who dares & like change, Support
change & guide to take more, share examples of success,
Set up Appraise regularly, focus on hard facts & quantify.,
appraisals set up measurement
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26. Launching a project
Halfway point…revisit again while launching a project
• What are the main constraints of the project?
• What are the reasons for the project? What are the
problems of the client which lead to this project?
• Who suggested the project? Vision of the project…
• Who will be main beneficiaries of the project?
• What would happen if project is failed or shelved?
(Loss of revenue or profitability?)
• What are the desired outcome of the project?
• Who have you involved in the project? Have you
identified all the resources needed for this project?
• Activities needed to complete the project?
• Set monitoring process and reporting mechanism?
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27. Launching a project
Re-launching project
• Understand the problem
• Seek main beneficiaries – inspiration to push
• Reestate project objectives
• Focus on activities
• Reenergise team
• Revisit time table
• Revisit members- right members & numbers
• Consider the risks & their handling
• Focus on monitoring – keep close eye on
performance & progress
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28. Launching a project
# Analysis Detail description
1 Handling • Ask what if questions & alternate paths
uncertainties • Workout odds…seek expert advice
• Assess success; to lower the element of errors
• Identify key uncertainty – choose 3 to 5 points
• Prioritize – Try top most important uncertainty
• Specify impact & outcome
• Simulate the future
• Hire consultant- Experienced resources when
needed
• Prepare contingency plan
2 Managing • To set up physical information center like LCD
information • Separate the data - group the information
• Appoint a knowledge coordinator if budget
permits
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29. Launching a project
# Analysis Detail description
3 Effective • Ask questions, encourage open
Communicating communication
• Make announcements
• Listen , pay attention, don’t interrupt
• Prepare weekly reports
4 Preparing project • List the stakeholders
report • Kickoff / launch the project
• Project a vision
• Establish a targets
• Recognize uncertainties
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30. Effective Monitoring
# Item Description Description
1 Effective Measure progress Assure client
monitoring Boost team morale Safeguard decisions
Encourage flexibility Prevent collapse
2 Progress Provide eazy feedback Include basic details
reports forms Make comparisons
Make reports regular Underline problems
Make reports brief Start with highlights
3 Review Book a regular meeting Allow question time
meeting slot Be available
Be specific Write meeting
Structure the meeting summary
Appoint a meeting
leader
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31. Effective Monitoring
# Item Description Description
4 Email Is email the best? Don’t shout
communication Keep email short Keep copies & ready
Read through reference
5 Monitoring Monitor schedule Fail to achieve targets
schedule- capture reasons for Personality clashes
delay Incomplete prerequisites
Overestimation of Less efforts than envisaged
experience & skills In-efficiencies
Low motivation
6 Measures to Encourage use of time Encourage ideas to improve
avoid delay sheet Cost effective alternatives
Face to face meeting Judge the work for its quality
Conclude on non-
performers, change if
needed, it is never late
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32. Effective Monitoring
# Item Description Description
7 Monitor the Under researched Underestimated work
cost purchases schedule for the consultants
Time delay & overrun
8 Measures Invite more bids, negotiate Adopt close down process -
to minimise hard release equipment or
the cost Avoid overtime members if not required
9 Change Assess impact on efforts, Explain change once
request schedule, quality & cost, accepted
convey to stakeholders &
get approval
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33. Scope creep
Process of introducing new parameters & approaches
to a completed project plan
• Factors for scope creep
• Fear of turning down a client
• Not realizing or underestimation of impact of
changing project plan
• Over-optimism of new suggestion to improve a
difficult situation
• Lack of faith in original plan, desire of over
engineering
Effect of scope creep
• Risking / derailing the project
• Encourages client to make further suggestions
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34. Scope creep
Controlling the scope creep
• Reasons for change to be convincing
• Check impact of not making changes & doing nothing
• Do not be afraid, convey the proposed changes, it
could hinder the project
Managing the risk
• Identify the risk, probability of occurrence, impact,
exposure, mitigation plan & owner
• Be objective while avoiding occurrence of the risks
• Develop risk management strategy, close or transfer
the risk, develop contingency plan
• Communicate the risks to all stake holders, seek
feedback, device alternative strategy
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35. Softwares
# Item Description
1 Project Eazier storage & retrieval of information
management Analysis of information
software Preparing report & presentation, check accuracy of data
Over-reliance on data
Loss of team spirit / communication
2 Speciality Project management, email, Spread-sheet, word ,
software calendar, database (access), presentation
Eazily available, and Efficient
Difficulty in integration, we miss bigger picture
3 Integrated Calculate project budget
Software Manage/ Monitor schedule; task duration, assignee, etc
Optimize schedule & resources
Auto / predefined project report
Integration with data
Needs training to the users
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36. Closing a project
Following are advantages closing the project
• Measure success if objectives have been achieved?
• Satisfies the team- sense of achievement of
completing project
• Paves the way for future teamwork recognizing
efforts & hard work
• Avoid repeating mistakes – create records of lesson
learnt, derive benefits from mistakes
• Control expense–release the resources
• Improves communication with end users, earns
respect
• Offer personal satisfaction, write challenges you have
faces & how did you overcome
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37. Closing a project
• Plan project closure - To arrange a meeting with all stake
holders communicating formally the closure, presenting data
of efforts, schedule, quality (defect data) and cost (actual &
variances), degree of achievement, change requests,
feedback, progress reports, positive & negative points,
challenges, risks & how those were managed, lessons learnt
& corrective actions, performers, emerging leaders,
productivity, do & don’t for future projects, areas of
improvements, etc
• Release hard & soft resources (Hardware, source code,
software, team members, their access rights, project email id)
• Complete appraisal
• Celebration & thanking – Foster a spirit of collaboration,
improves morale, underline core values
• Seek official approval of closure
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38. Thank You
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