Course Outline

● The course presents basic principles and reviews the

concepts at work in project management:
defining the problem, establishing project objectives,
creating a project plan, respecting deadlines, team
resource management, project closure, etc.
● This training also offers advice on creating project
evaluation reports, ensuring the smooth running of a
project and getting clients to accept the project.

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 1

 Module 1
PM FUNDAMENTALS
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 2

 PM Curriculum, 16 hours

Costs &
resources

PM Ethics &
ProjectLibre (*) Time
Fundamentals Communication

Risks
2h40 2h40 2h40

3 times 2h40
3

(*) “Projectlibre” is a free PM software that covers the major elements of project management. It can easily be installed by students on their PC or MAC.
Students learning behaviour and engagement

Students…
○ Are welcomed to act as no passive readers / listeners
○ Will be asked to apply PM principles directly into their
“Solidarity Project”
○ Will need to maintain the “PM attitude” along time

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 4

Zoom etiquette

• Keep 70 % cameras open at a given time (so teacher speaks to

people, not to a “black wall”)

• Mute microphones except when you speak (press the space bar
to speak)

• Don’t use the Zoom chat, use your voice to ask questions

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 5

 Grading Strategy

Final exam 70%

Quizzes 30%

Roll-call 10 minutes at the end May timeframe

inside of each session
“PM Fundamentals” Course Content (2 hours 40 minutes)
1. Start in project management
2. Create a project
3. Plan a project
4. Establish a project schedule
5. Manage a project
6. Closing a projet

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 7

1 - Start in Project Management
1. Define a project
2. Define project management
3. Discover the necessary skills
4. Study the processes of project management
5. Identify the appropriate method
6. Discover the project management software

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals

8
Define a Project

A project…
● Is unique
● Has specific goals / objectives
● Has a start and an end date
● Has a budget

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 9

 Define Project Management

● What is the opportunity / problem ?

● How to address opportunity or solve problem ?
● What is the plan
● How can we define the end of the project properly ?
● At the end of the project : “how did the project go ?”

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 10

 Discovering the skills required
The Project Manager must be qualified in :
• Project Management
• The field of the project (IT, finance, building, etc)
• Bringing project value for the Customer
• Being queen/king in interpersonal communication
• Acting as a leader when required
• Knowing her/his strengths and weaknesses

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 11

 Project Management Processes

Project Management Institute (PMI) in Atlanta

There are five process groups :

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring / Controlling
• Closing
12
 Traditional “Waterfall” Method
Traditional method (also called “cascade” method)
manages the five project management process
groups in sequence :

1. Initiating,
2. Planning,
3. Executing,
4. Monitoring/controlling,
5. Closing
13
 Agile Method

● “Agile” method will allow

multiple iterations
● Objectives may vary over time
● Usually used for small projects
● Requires skilled professionals

14
 Choose a Method

● Traditional cascade management

 standard project with clear goals,
solutions and deliverables
● Agile management
 proceeds by iterations with moving target

In this course we’ll focus on “cascade” method

15
 Tools for Project Management
● Simple project : Excel and Word
● Medium complexity project : Microsoft Project, Oracle
Primavera, Fasttrack schedule, Openproj, Project Libre
● Document management : Google Docs
● Presentation tool : PowerPoint
● Collaborative tool : Trello, Mural, MS Sharepoint
● Exchange and communication tool : Messenger, Slack
● Multiple / Complex project : professional tools with
resource allocation, financial monitoring, document library,
risk assessment, … 16
Select the right Project Management tool

● Corporate culture project management tools

● Maturity of teams and need for control
● Number of projects
● Complexity of projects

Do not forget feedback loop and experience feedback !

17
2 - Create a project
1. Set up a project
2. Write the statement of a problem
3. Define the goals and objectives of the project
4. Choose a strategy
5. Define the requirements
6. Identify the deliverables and the success criteria
7. Identify the assumptions and understand the risks
8. Create a specification
9. Identify the stakeholders
10.Obtain approval
11.Write a project charter
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 18
Set up Project

Define a precise goal

● Solve a problem
● Take advantage of a new opportunity

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 19

Write Opportunity / Problem Statement

● Describe opportunity/problem statement

○ Define clearly the opportunity/problem
○ Can be one sentence or one page
● Consider it is usually difficult to define
● Ask your team 7 times “why ?...”
● Make sure you write down the
opportunity/problem, not the solution.

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 20

Define Project Goals & Objectives
● The goal should be simple and easy to understand
● Can be business goals, financial goals,
quality goals, etc.
● Can be performance targets
● Avoid vague terms - be specific
● Make sure they are measurable
● Be realistic

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 21

Choose Strategy

● Run a brainstorm meeting

● Use a decision matrix
○ Is strategy aligned to to the objective ?
○ Is the strategy feasible ?
○ Are the risks acceptable ?
○ Does the strategy fit the company culture ?

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 22

Define Requirements

● If you miss some requirements, you will

dissatisfy the Customer
● If you include optional requirements, you
may miss the objective
● Several techniques are available to define
requirements : reuse, prototype, process
modelling, interviews, group work, etc.

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 23

Identify Deliverables and Success Criteria
● Deliverables (“livrables”) are expected.
● Selected deliverables should appear all along
project life to ease tracking
● Assessment tools with success criteria need
to be put in place
● Success criteria must be clear and quantifiable

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 24

Create Specifications

● Make specifications clear enough

● Clarify the ‘“not included” ones
Requirements
● Beware of objectives drift
Specifications

● Track scope changes Deliverables

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 25

Identify Stakeholders

● Stakeholder : “someone who has an interest in the

outcome of a project”
● Project Client / Sponsors are a major stakeholders
● Team members are stakeholders
● Identify stakeholders role in the project

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 26

Obtain Approval

● Organize an approval meeting

(not just an email approval)
● Make sure everyone understands and agrees
● Have a decision document signed

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 27

Write Project Charter

● Project Sponsor publishes the Project Charter to

officialize the Project and the Project Manager.
● Project Charter contains :
○ Project Name / Objective / Goal
○ Project Scope
○ Project Manager’s scope of responsibilities

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 28

3 - Plan a project
1. Define planning
2. Understand the task flow
3. Create a task flow
4. Define work packages
5. Create a calendar
6. Identify resources
7. Establish a project budget
8. Identify risks
9. Create a risk management plan
10. Define a communication plan
11. Develop a quality management plan
12. Define a change management plan
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 29
Define Planning

● Planning phase identifies tasks to be done.

● It will as well define the project management
organization.
● The project plan will be used to communicate,
direct people, and identify issues.
● Planning phase is a key phase.

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 30

Understand Organization of Tasks

● Organization of Tasks (OT) is divided into parts.

● OT contains summary tasks and Work Packages.
● Work Packages are the lower level tasks

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 31

 Create Flowchart of Tasks

Summary task

Lower level task Lower level task Lower level task

Work Package Work Package Work Package Work Package

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 32

Define Work Packages

● Detail each work package so everyone

understands it well
● Work Package definitions will be used later to
check if the work has been performed properly
● Communication is key (a major Project
Manager responsibility)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 33

 Identify Resources
Trade Show responsibilities sales dpt mktg dpt design dpt law dpt

plan presentations R, RES

prepare documents R, RES

prepare individual events R, RES R realizes the work

I is informed
create presentations R, C RES I C is consulted
RES is RESponsible
create leaflets I R

Manage event preparation R,RES C, RES C

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 34

Create Organization Chart & Skills Matrix
Trade Show skills matrix sales dpt mktg dpt design dpt law dpt

plan presentations x

prepare documents x x

prepare individual events x x

…..

cost estimate 200 K€ 120 k€ 30k€ 0

people estimate 3 people 2 people 0,5 people

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 35

Establish Project Budget
● Budget = total cost of a project
● Compare estimated budget with target budget
● Cost types:
○ labor costs (people salaries + benefits), including
subcontractors
○ project costs (computers etc)
○ material costs (paper, building, etc)
○ Travel, training, registrations, etc (ancillary costs)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 36

Identify Risks

● Identifying risks means a lot of good communication

● Consider known risks and unknown risks
(-> covered by an insurance)
● Use experienced people, brainstorming, or internet-
available risks lists per industry.

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 37

Define Communication Plan
A strong communication plan is essential to
the success of the project. Steps are :
a. Identify audiences
b. Define information needs and wishes
c. Define information distribution strategy
d. Implement communication plan

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 38

 Develop Quality Management Plan

1. Identify the quality criteria

of the deliverables
2. Define a quality
assurance plan
3. Monitor and evaluate the
quality of the results
Ishikawa “fishbone” diagram

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 39

 Define Change Management Plan
● Changes are unavoidable
● Accept all change requests
● Evaluate each change request
● Decide which changes are approved
● Implement approved changes : “baseline plan 1”
becomes “baseline plan 2”
● Communicate new “baseline plan 2”
● Maintain change requests log

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 40

4 - Establish a project schedule
1. Estimate the duration and budget
2. Create dependencies between tasks
3. Understand work, duration and units
4. Use milestones
5. Develop a realistic calendar
6. Understand the critical path
7. Shorten a calendar
8. Document the baseline

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 41

Estimate Duration & Budget
● Estimate time and cost of the project
● Work with experts to obtain best estimate
● Estimation types are
○ Parametric (“a 200m-long bridge is two times more costly
as a 100m-long bridge”)
○ PERT (uses probabilities)
○ DELPHI (uses questionnaires and weightings)
○ top-down or bottom-up
● Allow space for uncertainty
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 42
 Create dependencies between tasks

There are 3 main types of dependencies : A

○ FS Finish-to-start
○ SS Start-to-start FS
○ FF Finish-to-Finish

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 43

 Understand Work, Duration & Units

If 2 days of work are necessary to paint this wall

(“WORK”=2 days)...

● Then, if I work part-time (just 4 hours a day), I will need 4

days to finish (“DURATION” = 4 days)
● But with two painters full-time, I can have it done in
only 1 day (“DURATION” = 1 day)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 44

Use Milestones

● Milestones (“jalon” en Français) are dates

that are important to the project
● To each milestone corresponds a
Deliverable (“livrable” en Français)
● A milestone plan shows a high-level view
of the project with important dates

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 45

Develop realistic Calendar
Consider that :
● People are probably not assigned 100% to the project
● Non-working time (travel, socialisation, waiting, education,…)
● Individual calendars (part-timers, early leavers, etc.)
● Fast workers and slow workers
● ...

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 46

Understanding Critical Path
● Critical tasks have no margin (no “float”)
● Critical tasks will form the critical path
● If a critical task slides to the right, the whole
project will also slide to the right.
● Critical path calculations are made dynamically
by the project management software.
● Senior employees are usually allocated to
critical tasks to reduce risk of project delay

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 47

Shorten Calendar
time compression accelerated overlap
(increases cost) execution (increases risk)

A A

B B

A A
A B B
B
Note : this will modify the critical path
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 48
Document Baseline
● Successive baseline plans are the result of
approved changes added to the initial project plan
● The project manager needs to keep track of the
successive baselines, in order to report on budget
and schedule properly
● Project management softwares contain a “save as
baseline” function

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 49

Define Change Management Plan
● Changes are inevitable
● Accept all change requests
● Evaluate each change request
● Decide which changes are approved
● Implement approved changes : “baseline
plan 1” becomes “baseline plan 2”
● Communicate new “baseline plan 2”
● Maintain change requests log

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 50

5 - Manage a project
1. Define the necessary resources
2. Execute a project
3. Understand team dynamics
4. Manage resources
5. Collect data
6. Evaluate progress
7. Understand performance analysis
8. Report progression
9. Understand financial measures
10. Communicate effectively
11. Drive a meeting efficiently
12. Replace a project on track
51
13. Manage changes, risk and quality
Define Necessary Resources

Project execution starts : the Project Manager needs...

● to get the project team hired as planned
● to define a storage strategy for all project documents
● to control the progress against the plan
● to take corrective actions as needed

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 52

Execute Project
● Step 1 : perform procurement
○ people, documents, equipement…
○ sub-contractors (sollicitation, evaluation,
selection, contracting…)
● Step 2 : organize a kick-off meeting
● Step 3 : define a project repository
● Step 4 : create a first baseline plan

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 53

Understanding Team Dynamics

Consider Bruce Tuckman’s model :

● Training (to earn respect)
● Conflict (help focus on goals)
● Regulation (confort team dynamics)
● Execution (manage by exception)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 54

Manage Team Resources
Seven ways to motivate a team :
1. Clearly indicate roles and responsibilities
2. Set specific and achievable goals
3. Help in difficulties
4. Respect each team member
5. Perform positive reinforcement (be positive-taker)
6. Tell the truth
7. Perform timely problem management

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 55

Collect Data

● Data are paramount to the project

● Collect actual dates when things are performed
● Ask about the amount of work needed to end the tasks
● Set-up automated method to get data

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 56

Evaluate Progress
● Using Gantt chart, visualize delays from a time
perspective :
○ ahead of schedule
○ on schedule
○ behind schedule
○ focus on problematic tasks
● Using cost reporting capabilities of the project
management software, track cost variations

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 57

Understand Performance Analysis basics
● In a project, you “spend” time and money.
● Ideally time and money move along together
according to the plan.
● But at a given date, you may be late (in time), and/or
you may have spent more money than planned (if
someone had to work overtime for example), or both.
● Performance analysis will combine for you these
elements right into the project management software.
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 58
Report Progress

● The Project Manager needs to set-up

a strong reporting system
● Gather information (automagically or
manually) and produce reports
○ for the team (weekly ? )
○ for executives (monthly ?)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 59

Understanding Financial Measures
● Basics are cost and revenue of the project
at a given time
● Others are :
○ Payback period (period after which project
investment is recovered)
○ NPV Net Present Value (includes inflation rates)
○ IRR Internal Rate of Return (if IRR > benefit
target, project is financially viable)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 60

Communicate effectively

● Make sure the receiver has well

received the information (rephrase) Execs

● Listen and listen

Customer PM
● Use phones, emails, …
as appropriate, wisely.
Team
● Use humor with care

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 61

Conduct Meeting Effectively
● Remind the objective
● Develop an agenda & send it in advance
● Invite only necessary people
● Give time for preparation
● Start / end on time
● Facilitate / moderate meetings
● Use remote media as appropriate
● Communicate meeting minutes and decisions

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 62

Putting Project Back on Track
● Always keep an eye on project progress
● Troubled projects start with little issues
● Perform immediate minor adjustments when
possible
● Ask for stakeholders authorization to perform
important adjustments (more people, more time..)
● Use diplomacy / network / management authority
to get support

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 63

Manage Changes, Risks & Quality
● Follow the plans you made for
○ change (manage all changes according to
the change management plan)
○ risk (implement risk response plans)
○ quality (find ways to improve if planned
quality is not met)
● Change / risk / quality plans need to
be monitored and eventually updated

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 64

6 - Closing a project

1. Closing a project
2. Having the Customer accept the project
3. Documenting lessons learned from a project
4. Prepare a closing report and archive information
5. Close contracts and accounts and ensure the transition
6. Conclude on project management

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 65

End Project
● Closing properly a project is essential to avoid future
claims and related costs
● Ensure the Customer agrees on project ending (all
objectives achieved)
● Document lessons learned
● Create final documentation and closing report
● Close all contracts / archive data
● Ensure team members get a new project assignment

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 66

Have Client accept Project

● Check all planned deliverables have been delivered

● Check project success criteria are fulfilled
● Run UATs (User Acceptance Tests) and production tests
with due acceptance criteria
● Have a closing meeting to formally close the project

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 67

Document Lessons Learned
● Lessons learned help improve future
performance of the project manager and of
the whole organization
● Hold regular meetings with the team to
collect lessons learned (do not procrastinate)
● Have a positive, can-do attitude
● Ensure lessons learned are accessible to
other project managers
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 68
Prepare Closing Report
● Was the project a success ?
● Detail cost / time / deliverables / milestones
● Highlight changes
● Note lessons learned
● What went well / what we could do better next time ?
● Store closing report in a safe repository for 10 years
(by law)

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 69

Close Contracts / Accounts
● Close contracts that can be closed
● Make sure contracts requiring maintenance work will
continue
● Close accounting costs in the books
● Help team members
○ move to the next project,
○ or work in follow-up project compartiments
(maintenance, help-desk, support, evolutions, etc)
● Only now can the Project Manager end her.his mission :-)
Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 70
Conclusion on Project Management
● More information can be found on
○ pmi.org
○ prince2.com (UK based)
● Getting certification is key for project managers
● Like doctors, project managers require both
education and experience to be able to manage
complex projects

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 71

 END OF PREZ

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 72

 10-minutes Quizz
When prompted by the professor, 10-minutes before
the end of the course, start the quizz available @
iesegonline (don’t run it afterwards !)

- Only 1 good answer per question

- No negative points
-Questions and answers shuffled
-Questions picked at random into a bank of 1000
questions

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 73

inspired from Bonnie Biafore’s
“the foundations of project management”
on LinkedIn

Exploring Diversity / Solidarity Project / Project Management / PM Fundamentals 74