This document discusses various tools and techniques for project management. It describes how tools can help with defining project plans and tasks, monitoring progress, managing budgets and risks. It discusses creating a project plan that includes tasks, deliverables, schedules, evaluations, and risks. Specific tools mentioned include MS Project, ProjectPlace, mindmapping software, and Gantt charts for task scheduling and tracking progress. Communication methods like meetings, video conferencing, reports, and websites are also discussed.

1. Project Management Tools and Techniques Owen Stephens Royal Holloway, University of London

2. Tools can help: Defining the project plan & tasks Monitoring & evaluating progress Managing budgets (money & time) Risk analysis Communication and Collaboration

3. Project Plan: Tasks Task attributes What? Who? How long? How much? Success criteria? Dependencies What must be done before something else can start? What can be done in parallel? Calendar When is everyone involved available?

4. Project Plan: Deliverables Overall objectives of the project Objectives for every task “ How will we know when this task (or the whole project) has been completed? …to what standard of quality?” ‘ Milestones’ in the project

5. Divide and Rule Break down a BIG TASK … into several little tasks each with objectives & deliverables each with a budget … maybe each one is made of smaller tasks … until each task is so small, it’s easy!

6. Project Plan: Evaluation How long (has it taken)? How much (has it cost)? How good (was it for you)?

7. Project Plan: Risks Risk Log Condition; Cause; Consequence Probability Impact Communication

9. Project Plan: Risks Acceptable vs Unacceptable risk Contingency Risk Management Plan

10. Tools MS Project Integrated tools ProjectPlace.com erooms Project Controls Database Mindmapping Freemind ConceptDraw

11. Computer-based tools Useful when a project is large or complex enough Automatically calculate: dates & costs Estimated vs Actual costs & times Critical path Produce nice charts & reports (if it looks that good, its got to work)

12. Gantt chart (from Microsoft Project)

13. Never let a good tool get in the way of a successful project

14. Communication and Collaboration Meetings Voice and video-conferencing (Skype, MSN, NetMeeting) Reports, newsletters Email Websites (Wikis, Blogs)

15. References JISCinfoNet – Project Planning http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/project-management/index_html JISCinfoNet – Risk Management http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/risk-management Nick Obolensky, (from) “Practical Business re-engineering – tools and technique for effective change” http://www.vthdimension.com/project.pdf Martin E. Modell, (from) “A Professional's Guide to Systems Analysis” http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~mtruill/dev-pert.html John Paschoud, “Techniques & Tools for Project Management” presentation