ASSIGNMENT 2

SUMMARY CHAPTER 2 MANAGING AND ORGANIZING A PROJECT

The next step after select the project is to choose the PM. The PM and/or a senior manager then calls a meeting of people who have the requisite talent and knowledge. Therefore the planning begins. The hard part in project management is playing the many roles of the PM, negotiating with stubborn functional managers and clients who have their own way, keeping the peace among project team members, dealing with senior managers who allow their wild guesses about budget but then become fixed in concrete, being surrounded by the chaos of trying to run a project in the midst of a confused mass of activity representing the normal business of the organization. Thus, it is the PMs job to make sure that the project is properly planned, implemented, and completed THE PROJECT MANAGER ROLE 1. AS A FACILITATOR We must first know the different between project manager and functional manager. PROJECT MANAGER Functional division of the PM is not clearly defined PM hardly has technical capability in more than one or two of the several technologies involved in the project PM is not a competent supervisor PM is a facilitator FUNCTIONAL MANAGER Department head Probably trained or raised from the ranks Has the capability in the technology being managed The role is mostly to supervise

PM must ensure that those who work on the project have the appropriate knowledge and resources, including that most precious resource, time, to accomplish their assigned responsibilities. Besides, PM must also manage conflicts by negotiating solution to the members. In addition, the former uses the systems approached but the latter adopts the analytical approached to understanding and solving problems. The analytical approach centers on understanding the bits and pieces in a system The systems approach includes study of the bits and pieces, but also an understanding of how they fit together

The systems approach manager conducts the group so that it contributes to total system optimization. If all subsystems are optimized, a condition known as suboptimization, the total system is not even close to optimum performance. To be successful, the PM must adopt the systems approach.

PM may work for a program manager who closely supervises and give second guesses every decision the PM makes. Sometimes the bosses will tell PM what to do. This condition is called micromanagement and PM must avoid this. Such condition will deny the value of entrustment and assume that everyone except the boss is incompetent.

2. PM AS COMMUNICATOR Figure below shows the PMs position and highlights the communication problem involved in any project. The solid lines denote the PMs communication channels. The dotted lines denote communication paths for the other parties in the project.

There will problem when some of these parties spread communications that may misinform other parties, or directly conflict with other messages in the system. It is the PMs responsibility to introduce some order into this communication mess.

3. PM AS VIRTUAL MANAGER The project teams are geographically dispersed. Many projects are international, and team members may be on different continents. These geographically dispersed projects are often referred to as virtual projects, possibly because so much of the intra - project communication is conducted via email, through websites, by telephone or video conferencing, and other high technology methods. It is the PMs job to keep senior management up to date on the condition of the project. It is important that the PM keep management informed of any problems affecting the project or any problem likely to affect the project in the future. A golden rule for anyone is Never let the boss be surprised! Abuses of this rule will cost the PM credibility, trust, and possibly his or her job.

THE PM S RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE PROJECT 1. ACQUIRING RESOURCES The key challenge is to acquiring the necessary quality and quantity of resources and personnel. The work plan developed by the project team may have its budget and schedule cut and then cut again after the project is checked and approved at successively higher levels of the organization. 2. FIGHTING FIRES AND OBSTACLES All projects have their fires and obstacles that must be solved. Early in the projects life cycle, fires are often linked to the need for resources. Budgets get cut, and the general cuts must be transformed into highly specific cuts in the quantities of highly specific resources. 3. LEADERSHIP AND MAKING TRADE-OFFS The PM is the key figure in making trade - offs between project cost, schedule, and scope. Which of these has higher priority than the others is dependent on many factors having to do with the project, the client, and the parent organization. If cost is more important than time for a given project, the PM will allow the project to be late rather than incur added costs.

If a project has successfully completed most of its specifications, and if the client is willing, both time and cost may be saved by not pursuing some remaining specifications. It is the clients choice. 4. NEGOTIATION, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND PERSUASION The acquisition of resources requires negotiation. Dealing with problems, conflict, and fi res requires negotiation and conflict resolution. The same skills are needed when the PM is asked to lead the project to a successful conclusion and to make the trade - offs required along the way.

SELECTION OF A PROJECT MANAGER Credibility PM needs believability on technical credibility and administrative credibility. Sensitivity The PM needs a finely tuned set of political antennae as well as an equally sensitive sensor of interpersonal conflict between team members, or between team members and other parties to the project. Leadership, Style, Ethics able to direct project in an ethical manner

FITTING PROJECTS INTO THE PARENT ORGANIZATION Factors Increasing the Importance of Projects Emphasis on time-to-market Product development/design process requires input from a variety of areas Explosive rate of technological change in almost every area of the organization tends to destabilize the structure of the enterprise. Need for accountability and control Rapid growth of globalized industry

PURE PROJECTS ORGANIZATION

Advantages

Drawbacks

effective and efficient for large projects resources available as needed broad range of specialists short lines of communication

expensive for small projects specialists may have limited

technological depth may require high levels of duplication for certain specialties

FUNCTIONAL PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Advantages

Drawbacks

technological depth Less personnel cost minimize the projectitis

lines of communication outside functional department can be slow technological breadth can be missing project rarely given high priority

MATRIX PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Advantages

Drawbacks

flexibility in way it can interface with parent organization strong focus on the project itself contact with functional groups minimizes projectitis ability to manage fundamental tradeoffs across several projects violation of the unity of command principle complexity of managing the organizations full set of projects intrateam conflict

MIXED ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS

THE PROJECT TEAM Effective team members have some characteristics in common. They must be technically competent Senior members of the project team must be politically sensitive Members of the project team need a strong problem orientation Team members need a strong goal orientation Project workers need high self-esteem

MATRIX TEAM PROBLEMS The smaller the project, the more likely it is to be organized as a weak matrix. In such projects the PM may have no direct reports. The PM contracts with functional managers for capacity, but often knows most of the individuals who are doing the actual work. Thus, the PM can usually communicate directly with project workers, even in the weakest of matrices. It is important to maintain good moral since team loyalty may be limited . A project war room may be helpful CAUSES OF INTRATEAM CONFLICT Life cycle phase Conflicts vary with the different stages of the project Name-only team In which individuals work essentially independently Interpersonal conflict Which tends to impact on the ways groups work together