What is a Project?

[AA_Arland]

Definition of a Project
o Sequence of tasks
+ Planned from beginning to end
+ Bounded by time, resources, & required results

o Defined outcome and "deliverables"


o Deadline


o Budget
+ limits number of people, supplies, and capital





Tasks vs Projects
o Responding to email


o Making coffee


o Writing a letter to a prospect


o Hooking up a printer


o Producing a customer newsletter


o Catering a party


o Writing a book


o Implementing a computer network




Five Features of a Project
o Defined beginning, end, schedule, and approach


o Use resources specifically allocated to the work


o End results have specific goals (time, cost, performance/quality)


o Follows planned, organized approach


o Usually involves a team of people






Resources (and Constraints)
o Time


o People


o Money


o Equipment


o Facilities






What Makes a Project Successful
o Organized, well planned approach


o Project Team Commitment


o Balance among


o Time


o Resources


o Results


o Customer Satisfaction




Program
o A recurring project


o Happens predictably


o New plan


o New end result


o New set of resources






Review of Project Elements
o Well defined goal


o Expectation of time commitment


o Underlying costs to achieve


o Described plan of achievement


o Listing of goal’s major sub-elements


o Description of risks or unknown factors


o Success measurement techniques




Additional Elements in Defining the Project
o Funding sources and expectations


o Problem background information


o Critical reference document


o Project methodologies - management and operation


o Required capital equipment


o Necessary computer hardware & software






Critical Project Factors
o Computer system as major technology component


o New characteristic - requires research


o Narrow domain to fit imposed semester deadline


o Commercial competition


o Acceptable risk factors






Phases of a Project
o Conceptualization


o Feasibility


o Preliminary planning


o Detailed planning


o Execution


o Testing


o Termination






Phase 1: Initiating
o Recognize the project should be done


o Determine what the project should accomplish


o Define the overall project goal


o Define general expectations of customers, management,
or other stakeholders as appropriate


o Define the general project scope


o Select initial members of the project team






Phase 2: Planning
o Refining the project scope


o Listing tasks and activities


o Optimally Sequencing activities


o Developing a working schedule and budget for assigning resources


o Getting the plan approved by stakeholders






Phase 3 - Executing
o Leading the team


o Meeting with team members


o Communicating with stakeholders


o Fire-fighting to resolve problems


o Securing necessary resources to complete the project plan






Phase 4 - Controlling
o Monitoring deviation from the plan


o Taking corrective action to match actual progress with the plan


o Receiving and evaluating project changes requested


o Rescheduling the project as necessary


o Adapting resource levels as necessary


o Changing the project scope


o Returning to the planning stage






Phase 5 - Closing
o Acknowledging achievement and results


o Shutting down the operations and disbanding the team


o Learning from the project experience


o Reviewing the project process and outcomes


o Writing a final project report


http://www.cs.odu.edu/~cs410/whatisaproject.htm