Final Cheat Sheet - Systems Analysis EXAM notes PDF

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Summary

integrated elements of Prince2 project is a temporary organisation that four Principles: is created for the purpose of delivering products according to agreed business 7 PRINCIPLES: Guidance to show the case. Project characteristics of a project way for all projects include introduces new things, co...

Description

project is a temporary organisation that four integrated elements of Prince2 Principles: is created for the purpose of delivering products according to agreed business 7 PRINCIPLES: Guidance to show the case. Project characteristics of a project way for all projects include introduces new things, complex 1. Continued business justification unique one-time thing, defined start-end, - must have a justified reason to start a limited by budget, schedule, resources, project resolve a goal or set of goals, involves - Revisited at multiple pre-defined people from different fields, customer point focused. - must remain valid throughout the life project management a process which of the project. enables a product to be delivered to - if project can no longer be justified it satisfy a specified business case. Benefits should be stopped. include: efficiency in delivering services, improved development/growth in team, creates competitive edge over competitiLearn from Experience : Lessons are on, increased quality/productivity, increa- 2. sought, recorded and acted upon sed increased risk assessment. throughout the project Project failures: lack of communication, - Identify mistakes coordination of resource values, poor estimation of duration/cost, poor planning - Recognise what’s gone well of resources, activities and scheduling, lack- Capture lessons - at the start of project of progress control/quality control, poor - throughout the project definition& agreement of business case. - when the project closes --------------------------------------------------------Project Performance Targets Time: when it is going to finish? 3. Defined roles and responsibilities : Cost: are the cost being controlled and Defined and agreed roles and are we within budget? Quality: will the products be fit for purposeresponsibilities within an organisation structure that engages the business, is the product passing quality checks? Scope: must be well defined and clear to user and supplier stakeholder interests. -Clear team structure all stakeholders; avoid “scope creep” Benefits: why are we doing this project? - Project has three primary What are we going to get out of this proj- Stakeholders - Business sponsors: Set objectives ect? Must be clear& measurable Risks: How much risk can the project take and ensure investment represents value for money On? How can risk be managed? Six variables monitored by PM, can affect - Users: Exploit the project’s outputs Each other, need to be managed for succ- to gain the intended benefits - Suppliers: Provide resources and essful project. --------------------------------------------------------- expertise to build the product (can be internal or external) Reasons for using Project Management The team can get on with delivery, rather 4. Manage by stages: prince2 project is Than debating the approach from first prinplanned, monitored and controlled on a stage-by-stage basis. Ciples. The participants understand their roles, Advantages of working in stages: - Results in Have a high-level Project and they don’t have to learn each time they pick up a new project. Best practice Plan and a detailed Stage Plan for the current work phase can be captured and encouraged. There’s a reliable basis for reporting progr--Monitoring stage-by-stage is easier ess and an ‘apples with apples’ comparison Solves the planning horizon issue as it is difficult to plan day-to-day too far can be made across a portfolio. Re-useable techniques, tools, and templat-ahead -Able to learn from previous stages es are given a natural home. --------------------------------------------------------5. Manage by exception : prince2 Standard vs Methodology Standard is considered by an authority or project has defined tolerances to by general consent as basis of comparison establish limits of delegated authority - Individual exercise own judgement an approved method. E.g., PMBOK Methodology is a set of methods, and rul- provided work they’re responsible for es of regulating a given discipline as in the remains within agreed boundaries - Manage by exception in the project arts or sciences. E.g., PRINCE2, SCRUM --------------------------------------------------------- management organisation is used to manage the level below. The lower PRINCE2 PRINCE2 is a project management frame- level should only notify the above work that enables organisation to plan, management layer if an issue falls outside the agreed tolerance. manage, and control a project. - results in more efficient use of Prince2 gives you: A standard lifecycle to take a project from senior management time start to finish; A set of processes that narrate the activi- Tolerances: Extent of deviation that’s permissible before upwards escalation ties undertaken at each stage Descriptions of the products that are needis required. ed if work is to be properly planned and 6. Focus on products: project focus on the definition and delivery of products, managed; An organisational structure, with a defin- in particular their quality requirements. In a prince2 project, deliverables are ition of the roles and responsibilities described using Product Descriptions involved. - Advantages Prince2 does not provide - Doing this avoids a product Specialists aspects being incorrectly described - e.g., industry-specific activity, specialist - Avoid delays, time-wasting lifecycle meetings, misunderstanding, Detailed techniques add additional cost, useless - e.g., generic planning techniques, critical Product path analysis, earned value management - Guides the project Leadership capability - build correct expectations e.g., Leadership, motivational, inter- Help deliver the required personal skills, team or stakeholder manaproducts gement. Product Descriptions: - Defines purpose, composition, quality - Created as part of product-based planning

7. Tailor to suit project environment Prince2 is very clear that tailoring doesn’t translate into simply cutting out parts of the method that don’t appeal. Instead role, processes and products are implemented in a practical way. This may include: combining roles, e.g. the PM takes on Project Support role too. OR running a project with a single delivery stage OR reducing the formality of some products by providing reports verbally or via email. Prince2 Project should be tailored to suit the project’s size, environment, complexity, importance, capability, risk Purpose of tailoring: - Ensure that the project method relates to the project environment - Ensure project’s controls are based on the project’s scale, complexity, etc. Project Initiation Document should describe how the prince2 method is tailored for a particular project. ---------------------------------------------------7 Processes: Activities to take a program from start to finish. - A process is a set of activities designed to accomplish a certain objective and help direct, manage, and deliver a project. - Each process is the responsibility of one management level (PB, PM, TM) Lifecycle: A path for getting from start to finish. Each phase of the lifecycle (pre-project, initiation stage, Subsequent delivery stage, final delivery stage) is complete using a predefined process. 1. Starting up a Project: (PRE-PROJECT) Purpose: to answer the question Is project viable and worthwhile? Objectives: Outline justification for the project’s existence. Assessing options for delivering the project and making a recommendation. Documenting a project outline to set the scope. Prepare detailed plan for next stage. Obtaining the sign-offs required to allow. Activities: Appoint the Executive and the project Manager. Capture previous lessons. Design and appoint the project management team. Prepare the outline Business Case. Select the project approach and assemble the project Brief. Roles & Responsibilities: Corp/ Programme Management - Provides project mandate - project level tolerance info - Appoint Executive, PM(optional) Executive - Appoint PM - Approves project management Structure - create the outline business Case Senior User: - Provides information for Project Product Description Project Manager: - Facilitates the creation of Project Brief, which is an expanded Project Mandate (PPD, scope, PMT) - Facilitates the Project Approach and gathers lessons - Creates the initiation Stage Plan Team Manager: - Helps with Project Approach and PPD ---------------------------------------------------2. Directing a Project (Project Board): (Pre-project part, Initiation Stage, Subsequent Delivery Stages, Final Delivery Stage) Purpose: Enable the PB to be accountable for the project by making key decisions, have control, and delegate day-to-day management of the project to the PM Objectives: Make decisions to initiate and deliver and close the project. Provide direction and control during the project. Ensure all post-project benefits be reviewed. Activities: Authorise Initiation and Project. Authorise Exception Plan, Giving ad-hoc direction. Authorising project closer. Roles & Responsibilities: Project Board: all decisions

Planning Process Prince2 offers a common set of planning techniques that can be applies to any type of plan. 7 planning steps: 1. Design the plan PM choose plan designs and then

3. Initiating a Project: (Initiation Stage) Purpose: Project Manager builds the foundation necessary to run the project. What needs to be delivered, what this will take, is there sufficient business justification to proceed? Objectives: The Starting Up a Project process checks if the project is viable, while Initiating a Project is about building a correct foundation for the project so that all stakeholders are clear on what the project will achieve. Project Manager will be creating a collection of management products to show: how the project will be managed, the cost, how quality will be checked, planned, how communication will be done, etc. Activities: Prepare: - Risk Management Strategy: answers how to manage risk during the project. - Configuration Management Strategy: gives information on how to manage the products produced during the project. - Quality Management Strategy: which will answer the question on how to ensure quality. - Communication Management Strategy: how to communicate with stakeholders, how frequency? Etc. - Project Controls: provides information on how the PB can control the project. - Project Plan: covers Product Description, risks, timescales and costs. Detailed Business Case: refined and completed. Project Initiation Document (PID): assembled from most of the documents created to date. Roles & Responsibilities: Project Board: - Approve all part of PID Executive - Create Business Case - Approve PID Senior User - provides info and resource for Product Description - provide info for Benefits Review Plan Senior Supplier: - Approve parts of PID (Project Plan, PMT) - provide resources to help with planning Project Assurance: - review info of PID Project Manager: - Creates most of the documents for PID - Create Benefits Review Plan Team Manager: - Assist with Planning (Product Based Planning (PBP), estimating) ---------------------------------------------------4. Controlling a Stage: (PM) (Subsequent Delivery Stages) Purpose: For the PM to assign the work to be done, monitor this work, deal with issues, report progress to PB and take action to ensure Project remains within the tolerance. Objectives: Attention is focused on the delivery of products. Keeps Risks and Issues under control. Keep Business Case under review. Deliver the product for the stage to the agreed quantity and achieve the defined benefits. Activities: Authorize a Work Package – Assign and agree with the Team Manager. Review Work Package Status – Check on Work Package progress. Receive completed Work Package – Check quality and Configuration Management. Review the stage status – Continually compare status to Stage Plan. Report Highlights – Regular reports to the Project Board. Capture and examine issues & risks – Categorizing and assess impact. Escalate issues and risks – Create Exception Report and send to the Project Board. Take corrective action – Solve issues while keeping stage within tolerance. CONTINUE RIGHT UP

Roles & Responsibilities: Project Board - Give advice to Project Manager Project Assurance - Give advice to Project Manager Project Manager: - create or update all controlling a Stage Management product. Team Manager: - Send checkpoint reports ---------------------------------------------------5. Managing Product Delivery (Subsequent Delivery Stages): Purpose: To manage and control the work between the PM and the TM by placing certain formal requirements on the accepting, executing and delivery of products. Objectives: Ensure that: - Products assigned to the team are authored - The team is clear about what has to be produced and understand, efforts, cost, time needed. - Planned products are delivered to the expectations within tolerance. - Accurate progress info is provided to the PM by the TM. - Managing product delivery is from the POV of TM. Activities: Accepting a Work Package: The Team Manager accepts the Work Package from the Project Manager and creates the Team Plan to manage the development of the products. Executing a Work Package: The team produces the products, requests the quality checks, obtains approval, and reports to the Project Manager using the Checkpoint Report. Delivering a Work Package: Delivering a Work Package is delivering proof that the products are complete. Roles & Responsibilities: Project Manager: - Authorises work packages (controlling a stage process) - Reviews Checkpoint Reports and Quality Register (controlling a Stage Process) Team Manager: - Manages the development of products - Sends checkpoint reports ---------------------------------------------------6. Managing a Stage Boundary: (glue between stages) (Initiation Stage) Remember Managing a Stage Boundary begins near the end of the current stage and before the next. If the current stage is forecast to go out of tolerance, then the Project Manager will create an Exception Plan instead of a next Stage Plan, and the Project Manager will request to complete the current stage instead of asking to continue with the next stage. Purpose: PM provides the PB with an overview of the performance of the current stage, update the Project Plan and Business Case, and create a stage plan for the next stage. Objectives: - Assure the Project Board that all products in the current stage are produced and approved - Review and update, PID, Business Case, Project Plan, Risk Register. - Record any lessons in the Lessons Log - Prepare the Stage plan for the next Stage Activities: Planning the next stage - create the next stage plan and use Product Based Planning Update the Project Plan - Confirm what has been done and forecast planning for the next stage Update Business Case - update cost and up-to-date forecast for the next stage for the Business Case. It will be used by the project board. Report Stage End or Produce an “Exception Plan”. Roles & Responsibilities: Project Manager: - Create or updates all Managing a Stage Boundary Management Products Team Manager: assist PM in planning

THEME: Quality (PM are responsible) Theme based on “Focus on Product” principle Project Quality is defined as the totality of features and inherent or assigned characteristics of a product, person, process, service and/or

Quality Review Technique ROLES Most roles are taken on by Team Members Chair – responsible for conduct of the review (PM or TM) Presenter – Introduces the productfor review and responsible for addressing

7.Closing a Project: (Final Delivery Stage) Purpose: To provide a fixed point to check that the project has reached its objectives and the products have been accepted. Objectives: - Verify user acceptance of the project’s products. - Ensure product can be supported after the project is disbanded - Review the performance of the project. This is done by comparing the project to the baselined documents Assess the benefits already realised and plan review of benefits that will be realised after the project. - Address open issues and risks with a follow-up on action recommendations. All this info is given to the PB as PB is the one to close the project; the PM only prepares the project for closure. Activities: Prepare Planned Closure: Confirm the completion and acceptance of products Preparing premature closure(optional): Done instead of the “Prepare planned closure” if requested by the Project Board. Handover of products: Product handover to customer, as described in the Configuration Management Strategy document. Evaluating the Project: Compare the project objectives with the actuals and write the End Project Report. Recommending project closure: Send a notification to the Project Board to close the project. Roles & Responsibilities: Project Manager: - Create or update all CP Management Products, End Project Report, Lessons Report, Benefits Review Plan. Team Manager: - Assists the Project Manager (Configuration Item Records, all records, etc.)

Project Management Team Structure Project Board: Consists of Executive, Senior User and Senior Supplier. They are accountable for the success or failure of the project. Provide unified direction to the Project and PM. Provide resources and authorise funds. Ensure effective communication with stakeholders. Executive: a key decision maker who owns the business case. Ensures value for money. Appoints project management team. Only one person. Senior User: Provides user resources. Defines and verifies user requirements and expectations. Liaise between project manager and users. Oversee product specification. Monitor quality checks. Specify benefits. Role may be shared and taken on by more than one. Senior Supplier: Provides supplier resources. Ensures products get built and meet quality targets. Ensure that the right people, tools, equipment and knowledge are in place. Represents those engaged in construction effort. Role can be taken on by more than one person. Can be external or within customer organisation. Project Manager: Prepares strategies. Reviews and updates project management team structure. Prepares role descriptions. Run project on behalf of PB. Can supervise small teams directly if no TM has been assigned. Must take on Project Support role if not delegated. Responsible for Project Support and Team Manager. Team Managers: (optional role) Manage team members. Advice on team members and stakeholder engagement. Manage a specific package of work. Charged with successful creation of one or more products. Roles Overview- Supporting Project Assurance: Project board is responsible for the Project Assurance role. Why do we need project assurance? – might have a PM who is not fully aware of the corporate quality standards - thus, delivery a product that cannot be used as expected. - PM might have discovered a big issue and keeps it quiet, hoping it will go away. - For each of these situations PM might be telling the PB everything is fine. - so, PA is a second opinion Change Authority: is a person or group to which the PB may delegate responsibility for the consideration of requests for change or offspecifications. E.g., The change Authority may be given a change in budget and can approve changes within that budget. CA can may delegate to a number of levels depending on the severity of change. Part of the PM Team. Project Support: Project Support is the responsibility of the PM. Provide administrative support to the project management team such as planning, budgetary control. Gives advice or guidance on the use of project management tools or Configuration Management.

Objective Time Cost Quality Scope

Tolerance Time before and after a target completion date Cost below and over a planned budget Deviation from quality target Deviation from an agreed product

Risk

Extent of risk exposer

Benefit

Deviation from planned benefits

1. Business Case THEME A Business Case gathers information on the business value of the project, developed at the start of the project, maintained throughout the project by the Project Manager. WHY IS IT MAINTAINED? Purpose: To establish mechanisms to judge whether the project is desirable, viable and achievable as a means to sup...