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Project Management for Evaluators

Steve Dibble

Eval Cafe Jan-30-2013

http://goo.gl/Gpknd

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Introduction

  • Interdisciplinary Evaluation Ph.D. student
  • Associate Director - P3MO at Stryker
  • 10+ years of experience in automotive and medical device industries

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Objectives

  1. Introduce PM concepts and tools that can help your Evaluation activity

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  • Share useful resources to further develop your PM skills

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Why Project Management?

  • The means to create an effective and efficient team

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Project Definition

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.

  • Temporary indicates that a project has a definite beginning and end

PMI, PMBOK, 5th edition (2013), pg 3

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Project Management:

A set of competences

International Project Management Association, Competence Baseline (2006)

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Project Management:

A set of processes

PMI, PMBOK, 5th edition (2013)

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Initiation:

Stakeholder Analysis

Analysis Types

  • Power/interest
  • Power/influence
  • Influence/impact
  • Resistance
    • Agreement
    • Understanding
    • Willingness
    • Capability
    • Accountability

PMI, PMBOK, 5th edition (2013)

Resistance: Amel Karboul, Feb 2011, PM Acadamy

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Initiation:

Charter

  • Project purpose
  • Objectives and success criteria
  • Assumptions
  • Summarize cost, time, and scope
  • Change management
  • Approvals

Charter examples

Statement of Work examples

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Planning:

Team assessment & roles

What roles are best fit for your team members?

Are you missing an important role?

Multiple frameworks:

  • Belbin
  • PM Safari

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Organize team

RACI

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Planning:

Work Breakdown Structure

Step 1: A hierarchical list that lists project deliverables and activities.

  • Supports better planning and estimation

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Guidelines

  1. 100% Rule
  2. Mutually exclusive elements
  3. Detail < 80 hours effort

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Can be grouped by;

  • Phase
  • Deliverable
  • Resource type

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Planning:

Scheduling

Step 2: Process to forecast end date and assess progress toward completion

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Essential elements

  • Resource
  • Duration (effort or time)
  • Relationship
  • Dependencies/Constraints

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Critical Path

The longest necessary path through a network of activities.

The identification and close management of the critical path will improve your project timeliness.

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Free PM Software

ProjectLibre www.projectlibre.org

  • Released: August 2012
  • OpenSource project of the month: Oct 2012
  • Fully featured solution
    • WBS
    • Gantt
    • resources
    • costing

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Planning:

Communication Plan

Essential elements

  • Target audience
  • Purpose
  • Channels
  • Frequency
  • Effectiveness measures

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Example

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Planning:

Risk Register

  1. Identify risks (schedule, cost, scope)
  2. Assess risks (probability x impact)
    1. Qualitative
    2. Quantitative
  3. Plan and assess countermeasures
    • Avoid
    • Mitigate
    • Transfer
    • Monitor
  4. Implement plan

Example

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Monitoring:

Creating "signal" systems

Signal

Tool

Normal project progress

Gantt: Time on task, Remaining time on task > planned finish date and cost

Conflict resolution progress

Project plan effectiveness

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Time tracking software

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Task Coach

  • Desktop (free)
  • iPhone app available (fee)

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Timesheet

  • Android (free)

Monitor time on task and expenses

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PM Tool Use

  • "ala carte" use of tools is appropriate, use where there is value!

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Next steps

Consider joining PMI

  • Online "Knowledge Center"
  • Local meetings for networking
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored classes

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Cost

  • Student: $32
  • Full: $129

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Evaluation Center ideas

  • Dedicated PM for large evaluation projects
  • Formal Project Management
    • Fund and schedule training for personnel
      • A competitive advantage for contracts?
    • Future IDPE program requirement?
    • Centralized database for plans and actual hours
      • Publicly available to improve evaluation capacity
      • Facilitates the development of Evaluation's version of the PMBOK?

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Questions or Comments?