Business Case

What is Business case for Project management ?

Business case is a justification of any investment in your project. Long term commitment to acquire assets. It covers IT cost, product development cost, service agreement and company assets. Each of the company has its own format of preparing Business case for projects.

Integration Management 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work

Quick link Integration Management  Process :

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
4.3 Direct and Manage Project execution
4.4 Monitor and  Control Project  work
4.5 Perform integrated Change Control
4.6 Close Project or Phase

4.4  Monitor and Control Project Work

 

Monitoring and controlling involves tracking, reviewing and regulating progress toward meeting project objectives. Monitoring provides insight into the health of the project and identifies issues that may require attention. Controlling determines appropriate preventive or corrective action and identifies when re-planning may be necessary. Monitoring and controlling involve the following:

·         Comparing actual versus planned performance (variance analysis)

·         Determining/ recommending appropriate preventive or corrective action plans are implemented.

·         Identifying risks, reporting risk status and assuming appropriate response plans are implemented

·         Maintaining a timely, accurate information base

o   status reporting (where the project currently stands; report using variances on a periodic basis),

o   progress measurement (what has been accomplished; report using deliverables completed) and

o    forecasting (predict final cost and schedule performance using earned value and other techniques).

·         Monitoring the implementation of approved changes

Monitor and Control Project Work
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1.      Project management plan 2.      Performance reports 3.      Enterprise environmental factors 4.      Organizational process assets	1.      Expert judgment	1.      Change requests 2.      Project management plan updates 3.      Project document updates

Four Key Inputs for monitor and Control Project Work:

1. Project Management Plan: Described previously, the project management plan provides the baselines and “plan” portion of the information needed to conduct variance analysis and create performance reports.

2.  Performance Reports: Information on the actual status of the work is combined with the information from item 1 above. The resulting performance reports include the following:

·         Current status of the work

·         Significant accomplishments for the reporting period

·         Scheduled activities

·         Forecasts

·         Issues that may require a decision or response

3. Enterprise Environment Factors: Specific environment factors that may influence monitoring and controlling the work include:

·         Government or industry standards

·         Company work authorization systems (is the right work being done at the right time?)

·         Stakeholder risk tolerance

·         Project management information systems

4. Organizational Process Assets: The specific organizational process assets that may affect monitoring and controlling the work include:

·         Organization communication requirements

·         Financial controls procedures (time reporting, accounting codes)

·         Issue and defect management procedures

·         Risk control procedures

·         Process measurement database (collect data on status of processes and product)

·         Lessons learned database

One Key Tool for Monitor and Project Work:

1. Expert Judgment: Appropriate subject matter experts are used to correctly interpret the information collected by the monitoring and controlling process.

Three Key Outputs for Monitor and Control Project Work:

1. Change Requests: As a direct result of comparing planned and actual results, change requests may be issued to adjust the project as deemed necessary. These change may expand or reduce the scope of the project (management functions and activities) or product (features and functions embodies in the final product). As before, changes may involve:

·         Corrective action (actions taken to bring expected future performance back in line with the plan)

·         Preventive actions (actions taken to reduce the probability of negative consequences)

·         Defect repair (identification of a defect with a recommendation for either repair or replacement)

2. Project Management Plan Updates: Updates to the plan because of monitoring and controlling activities include:

·         Schedule management plan

·         Cost management plan

·         Quality management plan

·         Scope management plan

·         Schedule baseline

·         Cost performance baseline

3. Project Document Updates: Updates to project documents because of monitoring and controlling activities include:

·         Forecasts

·         Performance reports

·         Issue logs

Integration Managment . 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Execution

Quick link Integration Management  Process :

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
4.3 Direct and Manage Project execution
4.4 Monitor and  Control Project  work
4.5 Perform integrated Change Control
4.6 Close Project or Phase

 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Execution

This process involves performing the work identified in the project management plan. Some of the activities are the responsibility of the project manager and other activities belong to various team members. Also, work performance information describing the actual status of required deliverables is collected and fed into the performance reporting process. The many actions performed during execution of the project management plan include the following:

·         Perform activities to meet project objectives

·         Acquire staff and manage the project team

·         Obtain and manage other resources(materials, equipment, facilities and so on)

·         Obtain quotations, bids and proposals as needed

·         Manage risks

·         Manage sellers (contractors)

·         Generate project data for status reports and forecasts

·         Conduct change control and implement approved changes

o   Corrective action

o   Preventive action

o   Defect repair

·         Establish and manage project communication channels

·         Collect and document lessons learned

Direct and Manage Project Execution
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1.      Project management plan 2.      Approved change requests 3.      Enterprise environment factors 4.      Organizational process assets	1.      Expert judgment 2.      Project management information system	1.      Deliverables 2.      Work performance information 3.      Change requests 4.      Project management plan updates 5.      Project document updates

 

Four Key Inputs for Direct and Manage Project Execution:

1. Project Management Plan: As stated previously, the project management plan provides the foundation for executing the work of the project.

2. Approved Change Requests:  Changes that have been authorized and documented. Such changes usually expand or reduce the project scope and require the team to manage the implementation of the change.

3. Enterprise Environment Factors: Specific environment factors that may influence this process include:

·         Project management information systems

·         Organizational or customer structure and culture

·         Infrastructure (existing facilities and equipment )

·         Personnel administration (hiring, firing, performance reviews)

·         Stakeholder risk tolerance

4. Organization Process Assets: Described earlier, the specific organizational process assets that may affect execution of the project management plan include:

·         Standardized guidelines and work instructions

·         Communication requirements

·         Issue and defect management procedures (how to…)

·         Issue and defect management database (historical data)

·         Process measurement database (collect data on processes and products)

·         Project files from past project (historical information) and lessons learned knowledge base

·         Configuration management knowledge base (official company standards for project documents)

 Two Key Tools for Direct and Manage Project Execution

1. Expert Judgment: Expertise provided by the project manager and the team while executing the project management plan.

2. Project Management Information System: Provides access to automated information tools such as scheduling software, information distribution systems and configuration management systems.

 

Five Key Outputs for Direct and Manage Project Execution:

1. Deliverable: Any unique, verifiable product, result or capability that must be completed as part of the project management plan.

2. Work Performance Information: Information on the actual status of planned work. The information is collected as part of performance reporting and includes such items as:

·         Status of deliverable

·         Schedule progress

·         Costs incurred

3. Change Requests: When issues arise during a project, change requests are used to modify procedures, scope, cost, schedule or quality. These changes may lead to the use of corrective actions, preventive actions, defect repairs or various updates. Change requests may be optional or come from a mandatory legal requirement. They may originate from an external or an internal source.

For the example, be aware of possible “situational” questions that could involve various parties (functional manager, senior manager or customer) wanting to make a change to the project. In all cases, the appropriate first response is to evaluate the impact of the change and then meet with the team to discuss alternatives. Common incorrect choices often involve meeting first with management or the customer.

4. Project Management Plan Updates: Important elements of the project management plan may be updated, often in response to approved changes, at any following parts of the plan:

·         Requirement management plan

·         Schedule management plan

·         Cost management plan

·         Quality management plan

·         Human management plan

·         Communications management plan

·         Risk management plan

·         Procurement management plan

·         Project baseline (cost, schedule, scope, quality and so on)

5. Project Document Updates: May include the following:

·         Requirements documents

·         Project logs (issue, defects, assumptions etc.)

·         Risk register

·         Stakeholder register

Integration Management : Chapter 4 ( 4.6)Close Project or Phase

Quick link Integration Management  Process :

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
4.3 Direct and Manage Project execution
4.4 Monitor and  Control Project  work
4.5 Perform integrated Change Control
4.6 Close Project or Phase

4.6  Close Project or Phase

This process finalizes all activities across all process groups to formally close a phase or the entire project, as appropriate. The following activities are involved:

·         When closing the entire project, the project manager should review all information from closure of the previous phases. The purpose of this step is to ensure that all project work is complete and objectives have been met.

·         For closure of a phase or the project, the project manager should review the project management plan to ensure completion of all work identified in the plan.

·         The close project or phase process should also establish procedures to document the reasons if a project is terminated before completion.

·         This process also project also established the actions needed for administrative closure, which include:

o   The activities needed to satisfy the criteria for the phase or project.

o   The activities needed to transfer the product , service or result to:

§  The next phase

§  To production or

§  To operations.

.

o   Activities to collect records, audit successes and failures, document lessons learned and archive information for future use.

Close Project or Phase
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1.      Project  management plan 2.      Accepted deliverable 3.      Organizational process assets	1.      Expert judgment	1.      Final product, service or result transition 2.      Organizational process assets updates

Three Key Inputs for Close Project or phase 

1.      Project Management Plan: One of the key documents that establish the activities that should have been completed before formal closure should occur.

2.      Accepted Deliverables: Includes those deliverables that have been accepted as a result of the Verify Scope process.

3.      Organizational Process Assets: The specific organization process assets that may affect closure activities include:

·         Project or phase closure guidelines (audit, evaluations, transition procedures)

·         Historical information and lessons learned knowledge base.

 

One Key Tool for Close Project or Phase:

1. Expert Judgment: Appropriate experts ensure that closure of the project or phase is performed using the correct standards.

Two Key Outputs for Close Project or Phase

1. Final Product, Service or Result Transition: the name says it all. The product, service or result created by the phase or project must be transitioned or delivered to the next step.
2. Organizational Process Assets Updates: The organizational process assets that may be updated as a results of closure activities may include:
• Project files: Archiving of files such as the project management plan, baselines for scope , cost ,schedule and quality , project calendars, risk registers, planned risk responses and risk impact .
• Project or Phase Closure Documents:  Completion of the projects transfer of deliverables, and documentation if the project was terminated early.
• Historical Information:  Lessons learned and historical information , e ,g actual contractor performance outcomes to be stored in a past performance database for use in selecting future contractors.

 

Integration Management : Chapter 4 ( 4.5) Perform Integrated Change Control

Integration Management  Process :

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
4.3 Direct and Manage Project execution
4.4 Monitor and  Control Project  work
4.5 Perform integrated Change Control
4.6 Close Project or Phase

4.5  Perform Integrated Change Control 

Project almost never run exactly according to the plan and changes, accordingly, changes are a normal part of project management. Integrated change control is performed constantly throughout the entire project life cycle to effectively manage the change process. The integrated change control process includes reviewing all change requests as well as approving and managing changes to any of the following: deliverables, organizational processes, project documents and the project management plan. The following activities are part of integrated change control:

·         Identifying that

o   A change is needed  or

o   A change has occurred

·         “Influencing factor” that lead to informal, uncoordinated changes (i.e. preventing people from circumventing the required process). Informal changes often lead to a phenomenon known as “scope creep”

·         Reviewing, analyzing and approving requested changes promptly (usually done by a CCB, i.e., change control board .However, small changes may be designated to another party so that the CCB can pay proper attention to larger, more significant changes).

·         Managing approved changes

·         Maintaining the integrity of established baselines (i.e. You must adjust current baseline to reflect approved changes)

·         Reviewing and either approving or denying all recommended preventive and corrective actions.

·         Coordinating the effect of changes across the entire project (e.g., A change in the schedule may affect cost, quality, risk and staffing requirements).

·         Documenting the likely impact of requested changes (CCB).

Configuration management and change control work together to accomplish three primary objectives:

·         Establish a consistent method for requesting changes to established baselines. The system must assess the potential value of all requested changes.

·         Improve the project by evaluating the likely impact of all requested changes (i.e., approve good changes and reject bad ones).

·          Provide effective communication mechanisms so that stakeholders are aware of all changes.

Other key information about changes control:

·         Change control operates within the configuration management system. A major goal of change control is to control emerging scope against the baseline.

·         Changes may be requested at any time by any stakeholder.

·         Verbal change requested should always be recorded in written form.

·         Many changes systems use a CCB (change control board) for approving or disapproving change requests.

·         However, project managers may be authorized to approve certain change requests (e.g., if the likely impact is below established cost or schedule thresholds).

·         In some cases, changes may be approved by the customer (as per contractual provisions)

·         On large projects, multi-tiered CCBs, with different responsibilities, may exist (e.g., technical review versus cost or different CCBs for each project within a program)

·         Change systems often include provisions to handle emergency changes without prior reviews. In such cases, the change is usually documentary as soon as practical.

·         Every change request must be either accepted or rejected with documentary to support the decision.

Perform Integrated Change Control
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1.      Project management plan 2.      Work performance information 3.      Change requests 4.      Enterprise environment 5.      Organizational process assets	1.      Expert judgment 2.      Change control meeting	1.      Change request status updates 2.      Project management plan updates 3.      Project document updates

Five Key Inputs for Perform Change Control:

1.      Project Management Plan: Provides the current, approved plan that may be affected by any approved changes.

2.      Work Performance Information: Provides the actual status of project activities and as such, may indicate where problems exist that requires changes.

3.      Change Request: This is the only instance in the site in which change request are an input. In the rest of this site, change requests are outputs to 2 of 20 planning processes, 5 of 8 executing processes and all 10 monitoring and control processes.

4.      Enterprise Environment Factors: Specific environmental factors that may influence integrated change control include:

  
Project management information systems (scheduling tools, configuration management system and information collection and distribution systems

5.    Organization Process Assets: The specific organizational process assets that may affect nitrated change include:

•  Change control procedures
•   Procedures for approving and issuing change authorizations
• Process measurement database (collect data on status of processes and products)
• Project files (scope, schedule, cost, calendars, network diagrams, risk registers, risk response plans)
• Control management knowledge base 

 

Two Key Tools Perform Integrated Change Control:

 

1. Expert Judgment: In this case, it is important to get right subject matter experts on the CCB.

2. Change Control Meeting: Meeting by the CCB to review change requests and either approve or reject each request.

Three Key Outputs for Perform Integrated Change Control

1. Change Request Status updates:

·         Approved change requests are implemented though Direct and Manage Execution and updates are made to project documents

·         Disapproved change requests are documented as such in the change request log.

2. Project Management Plan Updates: Subsidiary management plans and baselines are updated, as needed.

3. Project Document Updates: The change request log and any documents that are subject to the formal change control process are updated, as needed.

Other Information about Integrated Change Control: Change control operates as a subset of the configuration management system. Configuration management provides the following functions:

1. The first major step (performed early in the project life cycle) identifies the functional and physical characteristics of the product. This step result in the establishment of three key baselines ( scope, time and cost)

2. The next major step controls changes to those baselines and keeps careful records of the status of each change.

3. The final step audits the final results to verify conformance to requirements (including any approved changes)

Integration Management : Chapter 4 ( 4.2) Developing Project Management Plan

Quick link Integration Management  Process :

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
4.3 Direct and Manage Project execution
4.4 Monitor and  Control Project  work
4.5 Perform integrated Change Control
4.6 Close Project or Phase

4.2 Developing Project Management Plan

The project management plan defines how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed. It is a key integrative document that is usually developed by the entire team (even though it is the PM’s responsibility to see that the plan gets done). Development of the plan used the outputs of the other planning process (scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk and so on) to create a consistent, coherent document that can be used to guide both execution and control of a project. Changes to the plan are approved using the integrated change control process. In summary, the project management plan provides the guide for performing all project work and also forms the baseline against which any changes are made.

Develop Project Management Plan
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1. Project charter       2. Outputs from planning processes       3. Enterprise environmental factors       4. Organizational process assets	1. Expert judgment	1.  Project management plan

Four Key Inputs for develop Project Management Plan

1

      Project Charter:

Described previously.  Note that the output of previous process often becomes the input to the next process.

2    Outputs from Planning Processes:

The project management plan is a collection of all the numerous “subsidiary” plans that are defined in our site (scope, schedule, cost, quality, staffing, communication, risk and procurement).The integration of these various detailed plans forms the overall project management plan.

3    Enterprise Environment Factors:

Described earlier, the specific environment factors that may affect development of the project management plan include.

·         Governmental  or industry standard

·         Project management information system

·         Organization structure and cultural

·         Infrastructure (existing  and equipment)

·         Personnel administration(hiring, firing, performance reviews)

4    Organizational Process Assets:

Describe earlier, the specific organization process assets that affect development of the project management plan include.

·         Standardized guidelines and work instructions

·         Project management plan templates

·         Change control procedures

·         Project files from past project (historical information) and lessons learned knowledge base

·         Configuration management knowledge base (official company standards for project documents

One key tool for Development Project Management Plan 

Expert Judgment: As with the charter and preliminary scope statement, expert judgment is used to assess the accuracy of information used is developing the project management plan. It may specifically help with the following:

·         Tailoring the project management plan to the specific needs of a particular project

·         Development  technical and management details

·         Determining resource needs and skill levels

·         Determining the level of configuration management

·         Determining which documents should be subject to change control

One Key output for Develop Project Management Plan

Project Management Plan: A formal, approved document used to manage and control project execution. It should be distribute as defined in the communication plan. The following subsidiary plans are integrated to from the official project management plan.

·         Scope management plan

·         Requirement management plan

·         Schedule management plan

·         Cost management plan

·         Quality management plan

·         Process management plan

·         Human management plan

·         Communication management plan

·         Risk management plan

·         Procurement management plan

The following three baselines are also established by the project management plan:

·         Cost, Schedule and Scope

SOW - Statement of work

SOW - Statement of work

Templates