PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MODULE-2

1. Planning Projects
2. Scheduling Projects
 PLANNING PROJECTS
Project planning is the process of defining the goals, timeline, tasks, resources and
strategy for executing a project. It outlines what needs to be done, when and by whom
to achieve the project’s goals.
A project plan is a series of formal documents that define the execution and control
stages of a project. The plan includes considerations for risk management, resource
management and communications, while also addressing scope, cost and schedule
baselines.
 PROJECT SCOPE
Project scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and
documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines.
The documentation of a project's scope is called a scope statement or terms of
reference.
The importance of defining project scope
• Provides a roadmap
• Manages stakeholder expectations
• Makes budgeting and scheduling easier
• Prevents scope creep
• Meet project deadlines
• Produce high-quality deliverables
• Establish change management procedures
• Effective Resource Allocation
• Risk Mitigation
• Improved Decision-Making
 PROJECT SCOPE
Components of Project Scope
• Project Objectives: The specific goals and desired outcomes of the project.
• Deliverables: The tangible or intangible products, services, or results that will
be delivered upon project completion.
• Milestones: Key checkpoints or achievements that mark significant progress or
completion of project phases.
• Tasks: The specific activities and work packages required to complete the
project.
• Costs: The estimated budget and financial resources needed for the project.
• Deadlines: The target start and end dates for the project and its various
phases or milestones.
 PROJECT SCOPE
Project Scope Management Steps
• Identify Stakeholders and Understand Their Expectations
• Define the Project Objectives
• Identify the Deliverables
• Determine the Project Tasks
• Establish the Project Boundaries
• Determine the Resources Needed
• Set the Timeline
• Get Approval from Stakeholders
 PROJECT SCOPE CHECKLIST
A project scope checklist outlines what to include in a project's scope, such as:
• Project requirements: The project's objectives, outcomes, and deliverables
• Project stakeholders: The people involved in and affected by the project
• Project environment: Who the project will affect
• Project resources: The resources needed for the project
• Project budget and timeline: The project's financial resources and deadlines
• Expected activities: The activities that will be performed and their work
breakdown structure
• Deliverable acceptance criteria: The criteria for accepting the project's
deliverables
• Conditions and assumptions: The conditions that must be met for the project
to proceed
 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE(WBS)
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual representation of a project's tasks and
plan that helps project managers break down large projects into smaller, more
manageable parts. It's a hierarchical diagram that deconstructs a project by
deliverables.
 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE(WBS)
Importance of WBS
• Clearer Project Scope and Definition
• Improved Planning and Scheduling
• Enhanced Resource Management
• Effective Task Delegation and Collaboration
• Improved Risk Management
• Efficient Progress Tracking and Monitoring
• Enhanced Communication and Stakeholder Management
• Increased Project Success Rates
 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE(WBS)
Types of WBS
 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE(WBS)
Types of WBS
• Deliverable-Based Work Breakdown structure - This type of WBS focuses on the end
deliverables of the project and breaks them down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Each task is assigned to a specific team or individual responsible for completing it.
• Phase-Based Work Breakdown Structure - The project phases typically include the
planning, execution, control and closeout.
• Resource-Based Work Breakdown Structure - This structure is based on the type of
resource or the business function of the resource. A resource can be a facility, a type of
software used in the project, or equipment. Staffing is also part of the resource group.
• Risk-Based Work Breakdown Structure - This type of structure is organized by the type of
risk the project may encounter during its execution. The main groups of risks may include
categories such as people, environment and equipment
• Responsibility-Based Work Breakdown Structure - he responsibility-based structure is
based on the organization units. Therefore, it organizes all the activities by the teams or
units that work on the project.
 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE(WBS)
How to Create a WBS ?
• Identify the major deliverables
• Break down deliverables into sub-deliverables
• Continue breaking down until you reach manageable tasks
• Organise the tasks
• Assign resources and estimate time
• Review and refine
• Use the WBS as a reference
 SCHEDULING PROJECTS
A project schedule is a timetable that organizes tasks, resources and due dates in
an ideal sequence so that a project can be completed on time. A project schedule
is created during the planning phase and includes the following:
• A project timeline with start dates, end dates and milestones
• The work necessary to complete the project deliverables
• The costs, resources and dependencies associated with each task
• The team members that are responsible for each task
Elements of a Project Schedule
1. Deliverables 2. Tasks
3. Task start and end dates 4. Task Dependencies
5. Project Calender 6. Work Packages
7. Task duration and project timeline 7. Budgets
8. Resource Availability 8. Schedule Risk Analysis
 SCHEDULING PROJECTS
Purpose of a Project Schedule
Is to ensure a project is completed on time and within budget, and that
resources are used efficiently. A project schedule is a detailed plan that outlines
the tasks, their duration, and the resources required to complete them. It
provides a roadmap for the project team, and helps to:
• Keep the project on track
• Coordinate efforts
• Communicate
• Identify issues early
• Improve cooperation and communication
• Manage risk
 SCHEDULING PROJECTS
Steps to form an ideal project schedule : Project schedule development is
a sequential process consisting of several steps. Based on project requirements
or organizational needs, these can be altered.
1. Define the project scope - Project goals and objectives, deliverables, features,
tasks, budget, and other necessary elements.
2. Decide the milestones - The completion of each phase acts as a checkpoint in
the project, known as milestones.
3. Illustrate task interdependencies - many tasks take place simultaneously,
while some can only kick-start once the task-in-hand is complete.
4. Assess the resource demand and their availability - Every task on schedule
should have the related resources and costs associated with it.
5. Build a contingency plan - Risks are an inevitable part of any project, and they
can be in any form. Managers have to keep a backup plan in place to keep the
project going.
6. Monitor, review, and update - Last but not least, after forming the schedule,
assigning the right resource to the right job, and head-starting the project, it’s
time to monitor and control the progress.
 UNCERTAINTY IN PROJECT SCHEDULE
Uncertainty in project schedules is a fundamental part of project management,
and it can arise from a number of factors:
• Task duration: It's difficult to estimate how long a task will take, and it's
usually impossible to know exactly.
• Task sequence: The order in which tasks are completed can be uncertain.
• Task dependencies: The relationships between tasks can be uncertain.
• External factors: A changing business environment, such as new competitors
or changing customer preferences, can introduce uncertainty.
• Technological advancements: New technologies can quickly make existing
plans obsolete.
• Availability of Resources : Exhaust or non availability of resources at planned
prices, skilled workers, capital goods etc.
• Political and economic conditions - Country’s prevailing political and inflation
conditions.
 UNCERTAINTY IN PROJECT SCHEDULE
To manage uncertainty in project schedules, project managers can:
• Plan for contingencies: Divide the project into phases and build in buffers for
each phase.
• Communicate and update: Regularly review the project plan, and keep
stakeholders informed.
• Set priorities: Focus on scheduling priorities, rather than what's already on
the schedule.
• Use project management software: If managing multiple projects, use
software with prioritization capabilities.
• Obtain expert consultancy
• Include uncertainty in project budget
 GANTT CHART
A Gantt chart is a project management chart that allows project managers to
create a project schedule. It shows the order in which project tasks will be
completed, when they’re due, their duration among other details.
 GANTT CHART
Every Gantt chart has two main parts, a grid or task list on the left side and a
project timeline on the right.

In addition to listing the task name, it can include details like the work
breakdown structure, due dates, task dependencies, planned resource costs,
planned hours and other project planning data.

The Gantt chart was created by Henry Gantt in the early 20th century to improve
project planning, scheduling and tracking by illustrating completed work
compared to planned work. Today, project managers and team members use
Gantt chart software to plan projects, create a project schedule, allocate
resources and track progress with just one project management tool.
 GANTT CHART
Importance of Gantt Chart
• Plan and Schedule Projects
• Track Progress
• Visualize Dependencies
• Identify Critical Path
• Facilitate Communication
• Clear Visualization
• Progress Updates
• Task Allocation
• Prioritization
• Resource Management
• Forecasting
 GANTT CHART
Key Components of a Gantt Chart
• Task list: Runs vertically down the left of the Gantt chart to describe project work
and may be organized into groups and subgroups
• Timeline: Runs horizontally across the top of the Gantt chart and shows months,
weeks, days, and years
• Dateline: A vertical line that highlights the current date on the Gantt chart
• Bars: Horizontal markers on the right side of the Gantt chart that represent tasks
and show progress, duration, and start and end dates
• Milestones: Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions, and
deliverables
• Dependencies: Light gray lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a certain
order
• Progress: Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by percent complete
and/or bar shading
• Resource assigned: Indicates the person or team responsible for completing a task
 GANTT CHART
Steps to Make a Gantt Chart
1. Review Scope Baseline - Gather the team and review the approved scope baseline,
which consists of three components: (i). the Scope Statement, (ii). the Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS) and (iii). the WBS Dictionary.
2. Create Activities - Using a technique called Decomposition, the project team breaks
down each WBS work package into activities. Too many activities can be as bad as too
few. It is also important to identify deadlines and milestones while decomposing the
project.
3. Sequence Activities - Every activity is related to one or more other activities. Every
activity, except the first and last, has a relationship with a predecessor and a successor.
Sequencing activities means placing the activities in the right order using the right
relationships.
There are four types of relationships:
1. Finish to Start – Cannot start the successor activity until its predecessor is finished.
2. Start to Start – Cannot start the successor activity until its predecessor has started.
3. Start to Finish – Cannot finish the successor activity until its predecessor had started.
4. Finish to Finish – Cannot finish the successor activity until its predecessor has
finished.
 GANTT CHART
4. Estimate Resources - Before the durations can be estimated, resources must be
identified and estimated. Resources include labor, material and equipment. After
estimating the resources, they are loaded in the schedule against the respective
activities. A resource calendar is also created to show when resources are needed and
available.
5. Estimate Durations - Duration is the time between the start and end of an activity.
Review the resources, relationships and sequencing, then estimate the duration for
each activity.
6. Develop Schedule - Create the Gantt chart by loading all information into a project
management software tool. Review the schedule and ensure that all schedule risks
have been addressed. Check that response plans and schedule contingencies have been
included.
“Review and approve the schedule. The approved Gantt chart schedule becomes the
schedule baseline”