Project Management

In this Project Management Guide, I have refined the knowledge and expertise I gained from both the Google Project Management certification program and my real-life experiences as a project manager. The guide offers practical tips and advice that can help you overcome common project management challenges and achieve success in your projects. I recently started attending Google’s professional certificate program in project management, and it is currently helping me to enhance my project management knowledge. The Google Professional Certificate consists of six fundamental courses that focus on topics like: Project management fundamentals; Goals, objectives, and deliverables; Risk management; Team dynamics; Project management methodologies; Data-driven decision making; and more. It is well-structured, focused, and informative, with plenty of hands-on experience. As I move forward in the course material, I realized that if I shared my knowledge with more people, it would remain more intact even after a while. Long story short, here I am. Of course, my goal here is not to explain the training program itself, but rather the information it provides. To summarize, I strongly advise anyone interested in a career in project management to pursue it. There is a lot to know about project management and starting out in this field can be difficult, which is why this project management series aim to teach you about what exactly project management is, how to make the transition from your current career into the field of project management, and some of the types of job roles a project managers might do. If you’re interested in a career in project management, here’s a quick guide to what project managers do and how you can become one. What is a project management career? A project management career is a very attractive proposition for many people. This position requires planning, organizing, and controlling resources in order to achieve specific goals and objectives. Project management is a demanding profession, but it can also be extremely rewarding. Here’s everything you need to know about pursuing a project management career. The Project Management Institute is the leading association for those in project, program, or portfolio management professions. The Scrum Guide defines Scrum, a technique used in Agile project management.But let’s define the term project management first: What exactly is project management? Briefly, Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome. (Source: APM) According to the (PMI) Project Management Institute’s Job Growth and Talent Gap Report, the project management labor force in seven project-oriented sectors is expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs, by 2027* So having an official PMP or even CAPM certificate is very important to pursue a job in the project management career. In order to pursue a career in project management, it is important to have a clear understanding of what the role entails. How to Gain Your PMP Certification Earning your PMP Certification requires dedication, which is why it is so valuable. Do you have successful real-world project management experience? You’ve completed the most difficult part. Before applying, ensure that you meet the following PMP Certification requirements: — OR — What qualifications do I need? Pursuing a career in project management typically requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as business administration or engineering. Besides, many employers also value experience and seek candidates with several years of experience working in projects. Furthermore, it involves setting clear objectives, assigning responsibility for each task, and ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goal. In addition, you must be able to effectively communicate with all members of the project team, as well as stakeholders. As a project manager, you’ll also need to track progress and report back to clients or shareholders on the status of the project. Good project management skills are essential for keeping things on track and meeting deadlines. Hence, it is essential to have a deep understanding of how to effectively manage both people and resources. What does a project manager do in practice? A project manager is a professional who is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the work of a team to achieve a specific goal. In practice, project managers often have a wide range of roles and responsibilities. You, as the project manager, may be in charge of maintaining the entire project from start to finish, or you may be brought in at particular points to provide guidance and ensure that the project stays on track. However, it is important to note that a project manager is responsible for ensuring that a project is completed on time, within budget, and to the required standards. In either case, you will typically have a deep understanding of how to effectively manage both people and resources. For example, you will use this knowledge to develop schedules, set milestones, and monitor progress. Furthermore, you will work closely with other members of the team to identify risks and potential problems so that they can be addressed quickly. Nonetheless, despite being a professional with vast responsibilities, you should always be able to effectively communicate with all members of the project team, as well as stakeholders. Project management is a critical skill in today’s business world. With the ever-increasing complexity of projects, more and more organizations are turning to project managers to help them get the job done right. How does one structure the project team? A project manager is responsible for defining the project team and its structure. The project team is typically composed of a group of individuals with various skillsets who work together to complete the project. The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the team works together efficiently and effectively to complete the project. Different types of roles for different types of career paths There are different types of roles for different types of career paths. For project management, there are different types of roles such as product manager, project manager, operations manager, program manager, portfolio manager, software development manager etc. Sometimes the position itself

Creating a project charter is essential for managing and tracking a project. It helps to identify who is responsible for what, assigns deadlines, and sets expectations. It’s time to get project planning underway! And what better way to start than by learning about the essentials of a project charter? It’s essential for every project — big or small — to ensure effective and efficient project management. In this reading, I’ll try to explain everything you need to know about creating a good one. From understanding a project document to understanding its various components, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring successful project outcomes. Thanks for reading! How to create a good project charter? Creating a good project document is key to ensuring that your project succeeds. This document outlines the critical components of a project — from its purpose to who will be responsible for it. While creating the charter, it’s important to keep stakeholders in mind — ensure the document is clear and concise so everyone understands what needs to happen. This document helps you organize vital project information and communicate it effectively to stakeholders. Knowing how to create it, is one of the essential skills of a PM. A project charter is your first formal agreement with your customer, so it’s something that should be carefully crafted and reviewed before delivery. Additionally, ensure that all stakeholders are on board with the plan from the beginning to be aware of their responsibilities. Because you are preparing this document during the initiation phase, you will write a draft initially. Still, following email and video conversations with stakeholders, there will be room for adjustments to ensure it will guide you to your project goals. What is a Project Charter? This is a formal document that clearly defines the project and outlines the necessary details to reach the project’s goals. You, as project manager, create it during the initiation phase, which is the first phase of the project life cycle. Projects can be a lot of work, and ensuring that stakeholders are on board from the beginning is key to success. That’s where this project document comes in — a document that helps you organize your project and ensure everyone is satisfied with the final product. By following these simple steps, you can create an effective document to help you navigate the project smoothly. As the document outlines vital project milestones and requirements, it also helps to clarify who is responsible for completing the project and when it will start. So, get started on your next big project — with a project charter, everything will run more smoothly! What are the components of a project charter? Projects can be a lot of work, and the last thing you want is to get bogged down in details. It contains key information about a project, like the summary, goals, and deliverables. A good project charter should be concise but detailed enough to provide clarity to all stakeholders. When creating your document, consult with an advisor or team member before starting work on the project. Here are some of the guiding questions: The primary components of the charter: Summary The summary aims to provide an overview of the project and outline the goals you hope to accomplish. Summaries should be brief — just a few sentences at most and to the point; after the summary comes project goals and deliverables. Goals Deliverables Deliverables are specific tasks and tangible (or intangible) outcomes that enable the team to meet project goals. Consider words like output, outcomes, delivery, tasks, and responsibility. Scope Scope refers to the boundaries of the project. In other words, an agreed-upon understanding of what is included or excluded from a project. This includes understanding precisely who will be delivered the project and who will use the project’s end result. You must also have a good understanding of the project’s complexity. Is it simple, with an achievable task list? Or will a lot of work, many iterations of approvals, and a large-scale procedure that will take years to finish be required? The project’s scope also includes the schedule, cost, and resources. You must clearly define these in order to ensure that you are working inside those constraints and that the project is genuinely feasible. Poorly specified scope or significant modifications to your scope might cause budget, timing, or even project outcome issues. Benefits & Costs Answer the below questions when determining the benefits and costs of this project: Appendix You can include misalignments here for future references. A charter can also include other sections, such as budget, costs, risks, KPIs, stakeholders, and success metrics. Here you can see a typical project charter example: Why do you need a project charter? Creating a project charter is essential for any project — big or small. It helps to ensure that everyone involved with the project is on the same page, understands their role and the timeline, and is aware of the project’s objectives, goals, and deliverables. It’s also a document that can help project management, assurance, and legal teams. Keep in mind: What are the benefits of having a project charter? Project charters are valuable because they provide clarity around what needs to be done. They can also help you organize your thoughts by defining what actions will be taken on behalf of your organization or client base. Projects can be a lot of work, and ensuring everyone is on the same page and accountable for their part can make the process much smoother. It ensures that all stakeholders are on board with the project’s vision and objectives and that everyone knows what is expected of them. Having a project charter in place helps to ensure that the project is successfully completed and that all stakeholders are happy with the final product. By being clear from the start, misunderstandings and potential conflicts can be avoided. To conclude, a well-written project charter will give you insight into how others perceive your projects, which can help shape future efforts for greater success. Also,

The Project Management Life Cycle is a systematic process for managing the tasks involved in a project. It outlines the activities that people need to perform and the order in which they should perform them. This ensures that people complete a project within budget and on time. APM defines this process as below: A project management life cycle is a framework comprising a set of distinct high­-level stages required to transform an idea of concept into reality in an orderly and efficient manner. Please refer APM Website for more info The cycle typically consists of five distinct stages: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closure. First Stage of the Project Management Life Cycle: Project Initiation The first stage of the project management life cycle is initiation. This is when the project is first conceived and planned. The project manager works with the team to develop a project plan and budget. They also identify the resources needed and create a schedule. This stage also includes risk assessment and feasibility studies. This is the launchpad for the entire process of your project. In this phase, you’ll define project goals and deliverables, identify the budget and resources you’ll need, the people involved in your project, and any other details that can impact the successful completion of your project. You’ll document all this information in one place to showcase the project’s value, and hopefully get approval to move forward with it. Let’s get rolling once the project receives approval. In this phase, ask questions to help set the foundation for the project, such as: Here are some important steps: ▹ Executive summary ▹ Project goal ▹ Deliverables ▹ Business Case / Background ▹ Benefits, Costs, and Budget ▹Scope and Exclusion ▹ Project Team ▹ Measuring Success 2. Project Planning The first stage of the project management life cycle is project planning. This stage is where the project manager develops a detailed plan for the project, including its scope, objectives, timeline, and budget. It involves defining the project goals and objectives, and determining the steps to achieve them. Senior management receives a project charter or proposal that gets submitted for approval. The project manager identifies the resources that the project will need to complete. In the planning phase, you’ll develop an integrated set of plans that will direct your team through every phase of the project. You’ll create detailed work breakdown structures (WBS) — documents that show how activities relate to one another within a project — as well as define activities associated with each WBS task or activity. You’ll also identify risks that could affect your ability to meet deadlines or otherwise meet objectives, develop contingency plans for handling these risks should they occur, and determine quality control requirements throughout all project stages. Step-by-step list of the planning phase In this phase, make a plan to get your project from start to finish. Here is a list of my notes from my learnings: 3. Project Execution: Running the Project After creating the project plan, it’s time to start executing it. This is where the rubber meets the road and where all of your hard work in the previous stages pays off. During project execution, you’ll be working with your team to complete the tasks that have been laid out in the project plan. This is typically the longest and most difficult stage of the project management life cycle, as it can be easy to get bogged down in the details. However, by staying focused on the goal and keeping communication open with your team, you can ensure a successful project execution. In this phase, as a successful project manager put all of your hard work from the first two phases of project management into action. These are the key steps for the execution phase: 4. Project Monitoring Project monitoring is the fourth stage of the project management life cycle. It begins after the execution phase is complete and ends when the project is closed. The purpose of project monitoring is to track progress, identify variances, and take corrective action as needed to keep the project on track. Remember, monitoring the project means keeping an eye on things like milestones, budget allocation, stakeholder management, priorities, and making sure that all quality deliverables are on time and according to the plan. Project monitoring involves several activities. First, tracking milestones, reviewing deliverables, and checking for quality assurance. Next, if necessary fine-tuning priorities and managing changes. Furthermore, it involves communicating with internal and external stakeholders to keep them informed of project progress and get their feedback. In this phase, you will be tracking your progress against your original plan and making adjustments to ensure that you meet your schedule and budget goals.The purpose of this phase is to ensure that your team is keeping its commitments. On the other hand, it is essential to monitor your progress toward completing tasks within time and budget constraints. Moreover, it ensures customer satisfaction. Tools to evaluate whether a PM is meeting these objectives or not: Analyzing variances between planned and actual expenditures for materials, labor hours, etc., so that cost overruns can be identified early enough to take corrective action before they become serious problems. Last Stage of the Project Management Life Cycle: Project Closure Project closure is the last stage of the project management life cycle. Once all the work is completed and the objectives have been met, the project is officially closed. Prepare and submit the final report and make any payments that are still due. The project manager then archives all the project documents and closes out the project in the system. Project closing consists of the process performed to formally complete the project, the current phase, and contractual obligations. The first thing you should know is that completing a project is not the same thing as closing a project. Just because a project is done doesn’t mean it’s closed. In a restaurant, just because you’ve ordered your meal and finished it, doesn’t mean your dining

Project management is leading a team to achieve specific goals and objectives within a defined timeline and budget. Effective project management is crucial for the success of any project, whether it is a small or large-scale project. In this blog post, we will discuss the ten essential tips for effective project management. 1. Defining Clear Goals Setting clear and well-defined goals is crucial for project success. SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals are a great way to define clear objectives that can be easily tracked and measured. This approach helps the team stay focused and aligned towards the common goals. ✅ Actionable Tip: Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound)❌ Mistake To Avoid: Setting Vague or Unrealistic Goals Setting vague or unrealistic goals is a common mistake that can lead to project failure. Specifically, vague goals lack clear direction, making it difficult to track progress and measure success. On the other hand, unrealistic goals set unrealistic expectations that are impossible to achieve, leading to disappointment and frustration among the team members. Therefore, it’s essential to set clear and achievable goals to ensure the success of any project. According to a study by ClearCompany, employees who understand their company’s goals are 70% more likely to be engaged. 2. Effective Communication: Effective communication is essential for project success. Establishing clear communication protocols and channels helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can access information quickly and efficiently. Communication protocols should include guidelines for meetings, reporting, and feedback.A study by the Project Management Institute found that ineffective communication is the leading cause of project failure. ✅ Actionable Tip: Establish Communication Protocols and Channels ❌ Mistake To Avoid: Lack of Communication or Unclear Communication Lack of communication or unclear communication is one of the leading causes of project failure. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and project delays. Effective communication requires active listening, clear messaging, and timely feedback. Example: Making the Movie “The Avengers”: The production of “The Avengers” involved a large team of actors, directors, and technicians. Effective communication was crucial to ensure that everyone was working towards the same goal and could access information quickly. 3.Thorough planning Thorough planning is crucial to project management success. It involves breaking the project down into manageable tasks, estimating timeframes, and identifying potential risks and obstacles. This allows project managers to allocate resources and manage the project effectively. ✅ Actionable tip: Break the project down into manageable tasksBreaking a project down into smaller tasks makes it easier to manage and control. Similarly, it also helps team members to understand what is expected of them and what their roles are in the project. Use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to divide the project into smaller, more manageable components. ❌ Mistake to Avoid: Failing to identify potential risks or obstacles Not identifying potential risks or obstacles can lead to project failure. Project managers should conduct a risk assessment to identify potential problems that could impact the project. Also, they should develop contingency plans to minimize the impact of these risks if they occur.  According to a study by PwC, only 2.5% of companies complete 100% of their projects successfully. This statistic highlights the importance of thorough planning in project management. By breaking down the project into manageable tasks and identifying potential risks and obstacles, project managers can increase the chances of project success. 4. Stakeholder management Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the outcome of the project. It’s essential to identify and prioritize meeting stakeholders’ needs and expectations early on in the project. This includes not only customers and end-users but also internal stakeholders such as team members and project sponsors. ✅ Actionable tip: Identify and prioritize stakeholders based on their level of influence and interest in the project. Develop a stakeholder management plan that outlines how to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle. ❌ Mistake to avoid: Failing to keep stakeholders informed or manage their expectations can lead to dissatisfaction, delays, and even project failure. It’s important to communicate regularly with stakeholders and address their concerns promptly. A study by PMI found that high-performing organizations meet stakeholder needs 80% of the time, while low-performing organizations only meet stakeholder needs 36% of the time. 5. Regular progress monitoring To ensure the project is on track and to address any issues or delays promptly, it is crucial to monitor progress regularly. This involves establishing regular check-ins and progress reports to keep the team and stakeholders informed. ✅ Actionable tip: Establish a regular check-in schedule with the team and stakeholders to review progress and identify any issues or risks. Develop progress reports that communicate project status, risks, and next steps. ❌ Mistake to avoid: Failing to monitor progress regularly can lead to delays, missed deadlines, and project failure. It’s important to identify and address issues early on before they become bigger problems. 6. Task prioritization Task prioritization is essential to ensure that the most important tasks are completed first and that team members are working efficiently. It involves using priority matrices or other tools to prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. ✅ Actionable tip: Use priority matrices or other tools to prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. Develop a task prioritization plan that outlines how to allocate resources and address potential conflicts. ❌ Mistake to avoid: Failing to prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency can lead to wasted time and resources and delays in completing the project. 7. Adaptability Projects can face unexpected changes or obstacles that require a shift in strategy or direction. Being adaptable and having contingency plans in place can help mitigate risks and keep the project on track. ✅ Actionable tip: Develop contingency plans for potential risks and obstacles. Build in flexibility to the project plan to allow for changes or adjustments as needed. ❌ Mistake to avoid: Failing to anticipate potential changes or obstacles can lead to delays, cost overruns, and project failure. It’s important