Project Management

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_separator color=”sandy_brown” align=”align_left” border_width=”2″ el_width=”10″][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Project management focuses on planning and organizing a project and its resources. This includes identifying and managing the lifecycle to be used, applying it to the user-centered design process, formulating the project team, and efficiently guiding the team through all phases until project completion.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][themesflat_title_section title_font_size=”26px” title_color=”#111111″ content_color=”#999999″ title=”Value of Project Management”]Through proper project management, you can assure that the purpose/vision and goals of the project are maintained, all while supporting the audiences’ tasks and objectives.  Additionally, you avoid risks and effectively and efficiently use your available resources.  It also helps the team members to understand their responsibilities, the deliverables expected, and the schedule everyone needs to follow to complete the project on time and within budget.[/themesflat_title_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][themesflat_title_section title_font_size=”26px” title_color=”#111111″ content_color=”#999999″ title=”Areas within Project Management”]The Project Management Institute (PMI) has identified nine areas of knowledge within project management:[/themesflat_title_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]integration management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]cost management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]communication management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]scope management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]quality management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]procurement management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]time management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]human resource management[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]risk management and[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][themesflat_title_section title_font_size=”26px” title_color=”#111111″ content_color=”#999999″ title=”Building a Team and Encouraging Communication”]Depending on your project needs, the size of your team and the roles needed may vary.  Keep in mind that members on your team may fulfill one role or may fulfill many.

Regardless of the size of the team, it’s important to identify how the team will communicate and collaborate with one another.  This includes discussing upfront:[/themesflat_title_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Planned/ regular meetings[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Scope, which correlates to the requirments[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Schedule[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Resources, including technology, budget, and team roles and responsibilities[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Dependencies[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Change control plan[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Risk assessment and management plan[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Assumptions[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][themesflat_title_section title_font_size=”26px” title_color=”#111111″ content_color=”#999999″ title=”Project Phases, Life Cycles, and Incorporating User-Centered Design Principles”]Projects are typically broken down into phases.  Each phase outlines the work that needs to be done and who is involved.  Generally, in order for a phase to be considered complete, specific deliverables need to have been completed and handed off.  Some project teams, however, do choose to implement fast tracking, which is when phases are overlapped.

A lifecycle defines the beginning and end of the project; it represents all of the phases together.  When defining the project’s life cycle, the first phase is noted as Step 0.  It usually captures the visioning and conceptualizing of the project.  According to the Project Management Institute, most life cycles have four or five phases but some may have more.

The most common lifecycle approaches are Waterfall and Agile., Regardless of the approach you choose, you will need to incorporate user-centered design (UCD) best practices and methods.  At a high-level, the UCD process includes the following steps: planning, collecting and analyzing data, writing content, designing and developing prototypes of the system, and testing.[/themesflat_title_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][themesflat_title_section title_font_size=”26px” title_color=”#111111″ content_color=”#999999″ title=”Project Plan and Charter Agreement”]When defining your project, it is important to come up with a project plan that the team agrees to upfront so that it can serve as a reference point throughout the project. Make sure when outlining your plan, that throughout it you note how you plan to include user-centered design best practices and methodologies. Most project plans outline:[/themesflat_title_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Objectives[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Scope, which correlates to the requirments[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Workflow for decisions and approval[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Whether meetings will be held in-person, virtually, or both[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]How the team will share and collaborate on documents[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]Where documents will be stored and how they will be version controlled[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]At the end of the project plan, depending on your team’s needs, you may choose to include a charter agreement. A charter agreement is typically a one page document that has the sponsor of the project sign off that they agree to the work to be done as outlined by the team in the project plan. Remember, however, that successful teams understand upfront that things happen and that they’ll need to adapt. The project plan establishes the baseline for how you assume the project will happen and then provides information about the process for taking changes into account, should they arise.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

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