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The
Project Management Office Toolkit
by Jolyon Hallows, CMC |
The Project Management Office Toolkit is now
available. Get ordering information
below.
Focus of the
Book
The Project Management Office Toolkit has the following
focuses:
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Project management, to be effective, needs the support of
the organization, rather than being applied haphazardly by individual project managers.
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The support of the organization comes through a Project
Management Office, which is responsible for standards, guidelines, and policies.
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A Project Management Office is intended to help project
managers, not load them down with bureaucratic demands.
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A Project Management Office can be introduced gradually with
minor disruptions to the organization.
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Project management can be made consistent by using standard
templates. The Project Management Office Toolkit includes a complete library of
templates, as well as working documents to help set up the office in the first place. See
the Table of Exhibits for a complete list of templates |
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Table of
Contents
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
The Structure Of This Book
CHAPTER 2. WHY PROJECT MANAGEMENT?
Project Management As An Essential Function
Projects Do Not Have To Be Large
Project Management And Bureaucracy
CHAPTER 3. THE ROLE OF A PROJECT OFFICE
What Is The Role Of A Project Office?
The Problem With The List Of Functions
Fitting The Project Office Into The Organization
CHAPTER 4. PREPARING FOR A PROJECT OFFICE
Starting The Journey
The Levels Of Project Management Capability
Determining Your Project Management Level
The Road Map
Pilot Evaluation Of Project Management
The Costs Of Implementing A Project Office
CHAPTER 5. FINDING AND DEVELOPING PROJECT MANAGERS
What Makes A Good Project Manager?
Project Management Attitudes
How To Attract People Into Project Management
Hiring Project Managers
Training Project Managers
The Education Path
Mentoring Of Project Managers
A Mutual Assistance Program
Periodic Project Reviews
CHAPTER 6. SUPPORTING PROJECT MANAGERS
Escalation And Notification Paths
When The Project Manager Is Also A Team Participant
Managing Multiple Projects
A Basic Time Management Process
Time Gathering And Reporting
Initiating Projects
Managing Scope Changes
Managing Risks
Establishing Project Priorities
Closing Projects
Resource Negotiation
Project Management Methodologies
Project Management Software
Project Control Facilities
Project Office Information
Negotiation, Mediation, And Conflict Resolution
CHAPTER 7. MANAGING PROJECT MANAGERS
Line Management Of Project Managers
Assigning Project Managers To Projects
Defining Required Project Management Deliverables
Reviewing Project Management Deliverables
Creating Consistency
Evaluating Project Managers |
CHAPTER 8. - A PROJECT MANAGEMENT CAREER PATH
Reporting Hierarchies and Responsibility Levels
CHAPTER 9. MAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT FLEXIBLE
The Concept Of The Project Class
Application
CHAPTER 10. PROJECT MANAGEMENT DELIVERABLES
Descriptions Of Project Management Deliverables
- Project Charter*
- Constraints
- Assumptions
- Project Satisfaction Criteria
- Scope Statement
- Scope Management Plan
- Work Breakdown Structure
- Activity Definitions
- Activity Dependencies
- Activity Estimates
- Project Schedule
- Schedule Management Plan
- Resource Requirements
- Cost Estimates
- Cost Management Plan
- Project Plan
- Quality Management Plan
- Role and Responsibility Assignments
- Staffing Management Plan
- Organization Chart
- Project Team Directory
- Communications Management Plan
- Sources of Risk and Risk Categorization
- Risk Management Plan
- Procurement Management Plan
- Scope Change Requests
- Project Records
- Input to Performance Appraisals
- Formal Acceptance of Deliverables and Formal Acceptance of the Project
- Corrective Actions Checklist
- Team Member Time Sheets
- Performance or Status Reports
- Lessons Learned
- Project Archives
- Meeting Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- Issues Log
- Project Handover Form
CHAPTER 11. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER*
Concluding Remarks |
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Table of
Exhibits
Table of Figures
Figure 1 – Flow Chart Of The Road Map
Figure 2 – Project Manager Recruiting Evaluation Form
Figure 3 – Sample Notification And Escalation Worksheet
Figure 4 – Determination Of Degree Of Risk
Figure 5 – Sample Project Manager Evaluation Form
Figure 6 – Progression Of Responsibilities
Figure 7 – Project Size Classification
Figure 8 – Sample Completed Project Size Classification
Figure 9 – Strategic Importance Ranking
Figure 10 – Business Risk Ranking
Figure 11 – Technical And Management Risk Ranking
Figure 12 – Project Size Ranking
Figure 13 – Project Class Summary
Figure 14 – Sample Raci Chart
Figure 15 – Determination Of Risk Severity
Figure 16 – Wbs For Setting Up A Project Office
Table Of Tables
Table 1 – Project Office Functions
Table 2 – Project Management Levels
Table 3 – Road Map To Setting Up A Project Office
Table 4 – Calculation Of Number Of Project Managers Needed
Table 5 – Responsibilities For Project Office Functions
Table 6 – Costs Of Starting And Running A Project Office
Table 7 – Basic Project Management Course Content
Table 8 – Project Leadership Course Content
Table 9 – General Management Skills Course Content
Table 10 – Project Management Policies
Table 11 – Project Management Reporting Structure
Table 12 – List Of Project Management Deliverables
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Table Of Templates
Template 1 – Project Charter Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 2 – Typical Project Constraints
Template 3 – Typical Project Assumptions
Template 4 – Sample Project Satisfaction Criteria Form
Template 5 – Scope Management Plan Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 6 – Sample Work Breakdown Structure
Template 7 – Sample Wbs For Application Development Project
Template 8 – Sample Wbs For It Facilities Move
Template 9 – Sample Wbs For Systems Upgrade Project
Template 10 – Sample Activity Definition Form
Template 11 – Schedule Management Plan Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 12 – Cost Estimate Annotated List Of Contents
Template 13 – Cost Management Plan Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 14 – Annotated Project Plan Table Of Contents
Template 15 – Communications Management Plan Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 16 – Typical Sources Of Project Risk
Template 17 – Risk Management Plan Annotated Table Of Contents
Template 18 – List Of Typical Project Risk Symptoms
Template 19 – Sample Scope Change Request Form
Template 20 – Sample Performance Appraisal Form
Template 21 – Sample Deliverable Or Project Approval Form
Template 22 – Sample Conditions Of Acceptance Form
Template 23 – Corrective Actions Checklist
Template 24 – Sample Project Time Sheet
Template 25 – Sample Project Status Report
Template 26 – Lessons Learned Checklist
Template 27 – Sample Project Archives Index Form
Template 28 – Sample Meeting Agenda Form
Template 29 – Suggested Meeting Agenda Items
Template 30 – Sample Meeting Minutes
Template 31 – Sample Issues Log Template
Template 32 – Sample Handover Form
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Excerpt of
the Week
Each week, we will post a topic from The Project Management
Office Toolkit to this web page. The Excerpt of the Week is identified in the Table of Contents with an asterisk.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT DELIVERABLES
Descriptions of Project Management Deliverables
[This section presents each of the project management deliverables
listed in Table 12 and describes each one. If the deliverable is a
document, the description includes an annotated table of contents, and sample section
numbers that indicate sub-sections.]
Constraints are generally unfavorable to a project. That is, if a
constraint proves to be true, the project suffers, if it is not true, the project
benefits. The purpose of defining constraints is to be able to define approaches to
mitigating them. Template 2 presents a list of typical project constraints,
which can be used as a checklist to determine the constraints of a project.
Resource Constraints |
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Key staff resources will
be available only on a part-time basis. |
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Computer resources will
be available on a limited basis. |
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Key customer resources
will be available on a restricted basis. |
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A significant percentage
of the project staff will not be experienced with the development environment. |
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A significant percentage
of the project staff will not be experienced with the operating environment. |
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The customer has limited
staff capable of adequately describing in detail the functional requirements of the
system. |
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The customer has limited
staff capable of adequately describing in detail the operational requirements of the
system. |
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Delivery Constraints |
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Deliverables submitted
for approval will require at least n working
days for review. |
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There is no limit to
review and approval cycles. |
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Equipment order lead
times cannot be specified with accuracy. |
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Environmental Constraints |
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The development or
operating environment is new, and no project staff members are familiar with it. |
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An overtime ban is in
effect, which restricts all work to normal working hours. |
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Key decision-makers are
based out of town and are difficult to contact when issues arise. |
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The project does not
have a customer project manager (or executive sponsor, or steering committee) |
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Customer internal
processes (such as purchasing) are inefficient and unpredictable. |
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The methodology [name
it] is new and not familiar to the development team. |
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The project environment
is new and the components have not yet been successfully integrated. |
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The project depends upon
the successful and timely completion of associated projects. |
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Budgetary Constraints |
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Statistics used in
preparing the estimates are unreliable. |
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Travel and living
expenses cannot be accurately estimated. |
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Outside consulting
requirements cannot be accurately estimated. |
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Functionality Constraints |
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The scope of the project
is unclear. |
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The project depends upon
receiving data from other, external applications. |
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Template 2 –
Typical Project Constraints
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Comments
and Reviews
Watch this space for reviews of this new book.
Librairie Eyrolles carries a description and synopsis of The Project
Management Office Toolkit. You can read their comments at http://www.calindex.com/livre/economie-management/management-entreprise/gestion-projet/
the-project-management-office-toolkit.html
The Entrepreneurship Institute of Canada carries a description of The Project Management Office Toolkit. You can read their comments at
http://www.entinst.ca/AMA-PM-Project%20Management%20Office%20Toolkit.htm
Training Media Review had this to say about The Project Management
Office Toolkit:
"I wish I could have had this toolkit to help me at least a
little. Remove "Project" from "The Project Management Office Toolkit"
and you could easily use this toolkit to assist you in developing any management office or
department from marketing to finance to training."
"This is an easy book to read, with plenty of white space to write
notes, thoughts, and ideas. It will help you develop a road map to assess where you are,
introduce checklists and forms to give you a clear idea of how you wantr to set up your
own project office and more importantly give you the impetus to change what you are
currently doing now to a more productive approach in succeeding in your assignments and
providing a climate of support."
Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Copyright © 2003 by TMR Publications at http://www.trainingmediareview.com. All
rights reserved.
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About the
Author
Jolyon Hallows is a Certified Management Consultant and information
systems professional with over 30 years of experience in business and strategic planning,
consulting, and managing and executing systems development projects in complex commercial,
financial, and engineering applications. He has carried out a variety of management
consulting assignments and has demonstrated strong communications skills working at all
levels from senior management to end users and Information Services staff. He is a proven
project manager with a demonstrated ability to deliver requirements in a timely and
effective manner, and to turn around projects that are in difficulty.
EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
Mr. Hallows is a Consultant with a background in systems consulting and
project management. His assignments have included strategic planning, requirements
analyses, technology reviews, systems development, project management, and project
management reviews. His assignments have required him to work at the most senior levels of
client organizations.
His clients have included Federal, Provincial, State, and Municipal
Government Ministries and Departments, a large pension fund, national retailers, a
community college, manufacturers, aerospace companies, and several public utilities. He
has consulted on information systems strategic planning, conducted requirements
definitions, led design teams, prepared cost/benefit studies, and provided other
consulting advice to clients. As a senior project manager, he has developed a project
management methodologies and has presented courses in project management.
Mr. Hallows has written numerous articles on various business topics
for the trade press and the mass media. He is the author of Information
Systems Project Management (AMACOM, 1997) and The Project Management Office
Toolkit (AMACOM, 2001).
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Ordering
Information
You can order your copy of The Project Management Office Toolkit
direct from the publisher, AMACOM. Go to http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814406637.htm.
It is also available from Amazon.com or by order from any bookstore. Quote ISBN
0-8144-0663-7.
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Get
a Free Sample Template
Want to look at a template? Just click on the box on the form in the Contact Us page and we'll e-mail you a sample of the Project
Charter.
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