Project Management Process: Closing a Project

Acceptance of the project or its phase is formalised in closing the project and the project is brought into an orderly end. The project manager needs to make sure that all the project deliverables are complete, lessons are documented, no outstanding issues are left, maintenance plan and resources are there, ongoing user support is there and a formal acceptance has been taken by the client.

Closing Processes:

The core processes involved in closing a project are as follows:

Procurement

Contract close out.

Communication

Administrative closure

Project Management Process: Controlling a Project

Controlling of a project begins as a preventive action in anticipation to possible problems. Complexity of a project determines the level of control. If a project is complex, high control is required whereas if a project is simple, low control works with it. Ongoing administration and management planned project controls involve the following processes:

·         Risk Management

·         Communications

·         Status Reporting

·         Issue Management

·         Project Changes

·         Project Documentation

Core Processes:

The core controlling processes are as follows:

Communications

Performance reporting.

Integration

Integrated change control.

Facilitating Processes:

The facilitating processes in controlling a project are given as under:

Scope

Scope verification and scope change control.

Time

Schedule control.

Cost

Cost control.

Quality

Quality control.

Risk

Risk monitoring and control.

Project Management Process: Executing a Project

Project execution involves requirements, analysis, design, coding, testing and maintenance. It involves core and facilitating processes to work in parallel.

Core Process:

The core process involved in project execution is integration.

Integration

This process involves execution of project plan.

 Facilitating Processes:

The facilitating processes which run in parallel to the core process of project execution are given as under:

Procurement

Solicitation, source selection and contract administration.

Quality

Quality assurance.

Human Resources

Team development.

Communication

Information distribution.

Project Management Process: Planning a Project

Planning of a project involves core processes and facilitating processes to work in parallel. They together form an integrated project plan. A work break down structure (WBS) is made in this stage. Major part of a project manager’s job is done if the project is planned well.

Core Processes:

The core processes involved in planning include the following:

Scope

Scope planning and scope definition.

Time

Activity definition, activity sequences, activity duration estimating and schedule development.

Cost

Resource planning, cost estimating and cost budgeting.

Risk

Risk management planning.

Integration

Development of project plan.

Facilitating Processes:

The facilitating process which run in parallel to the core processes are given as under:

Quality

Quality planning.

Communication

Communication planning.

Human Resources

Organization planning and staff acquisition.

Procurement

Procurement planning and solicitation planning.

Risk

Risk identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis and risk response planning.

Project Management Process: Initiate a Project

Initiating a project involves the following steps:

Product Description:

The product description is written in collaboration with key personals. It contains definition of problem, key objectives and constraints and business justification.

Sponsors:

The sponsors of the project should be committed and should perform major activities of a project including approval of plans, schedule and budget, steering committee chair, ensuring availability of resources, resolve major issues and review progress of the project.

Project Charter:

The project charter is written collectively by the sponsor and project manager. It highlights direction on funding source and budget authority, level and selection of planning and controls, assignment of resources for project activities and identification of other groups of whom involvement is required in the project.

The initiation process must be approved in order to start working.