PMP Notes for Scope Management

Scope Management is the process of defining what work is required and then making sure that all of the work and only the work is done. This Process includes scope planning, scope defintion, creation of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), scope verification and scope control.

Any Project Manager will tell you that “scope creep”is one of the worst problems on a project. That means you must institute a formal Change Control mechanism. All scope must fit the Program’s charter (defined earlier in the process).

You should be giving the customer what he asked for; no more, no less. I heard someone once compare it to having a customer order a VW and the engineering team building a Cadillac. Giving away extras is a waste of time and adds to the risk of the project. Maybe it only takes 30 minutes to code; but what about testing, documentation, and training to name a few.

Scope Management involves mastering both product and project scope. Product Scope is another way to say “requirements that relate to the product of the project”. Project scope is the work you need to deliver that product.  This includes meetings, reports, analysis and any other project related activities.

Scope baseline: Measurements of success on the project include whether the requirements have been met and whether the scope baseline has been met. The scope baseline is the scope statement , the work breakdown structure and the work breakdown structure dictionary.

Scope planning is focused on thinking ahead and thinking “how will I do this” before doing the work and the Scope Management Plan.

The Scope Management Plan answers “how will I do scope? What tools should I use to plan how the project will accomplish the scope of this project?” The output of Scope Planning is the Project Scope Management Plan. It should contain 3 parts: how will the scope be planned, executed and controlled. It may be created in iterative steps during project planning. Once complete, it becomes part of the overall Project Plan and cannot be changed without going through a formal Change review process. Once you get to Risk Planning, it is possible that changes will have to be made to the Scope using the formal Change review process.

Scope definition: Scope definition is primarily concerned with what is and is not included in the project.  Scope definition takes into account constraints and assumptions. The result is used to manage and measure the project performance.

Stakeholder Analysis: This process makes sure the stakeholders’ needs are metm and turned into requirements.

Product Analysis: This analyzes the objectives stated by the customer or sponsor and turns them into tangible requirements.

Project Scope Statement: The preliminary scope statement is expanded into the “final” project scope statement to be used on the project. Different approaches to performing the work and incorporating the needs of the stakeholders are taken into consideration.

Scope planning inputs:

• Product description
• Project Charter
• Project constraints
• Project assumptions

The tools and techniques that may be used are benefit/cost analysis, expert judgement, product analysis and alternatives identification.

The main key message here is to have a clearly defined Change Management Plan to address any changes to the final scope. When a change is made, if it is deemed necessary, will cause many other plans and the schedule to be re-done. Changes should be documented as required, important, non-critical or nice to have.

 

 

Who Am I?

There are a myriad of personality tests out there to help with career assement, personality assessment etc. I thought I’d list a few for you to look at:

• Myers-Briggs: this has been around for a long time. Although some don’t think it goes into enough depth, It’s still used today. It is based on research by Carl Jung.It basically looks at 4 areas making up 16 different personality types:   Favorite World: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or the inner world? This is called Extrovert (E) or Introvert). Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S or Intuition (N). Structure: When dealing with the outside world do you prefer to get things done or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Sensing (S). Your personality type:When you decide on your preferences in each category of the Myers-Briggs Indicator instrument you have your own personality type which is expressed in 4 letters. Mine is ENTJ.
• Winslow Dynamics Profile: This is an in depth description of your personality as determined by a self assessment test. My report was 38 pages.
• Various 360 degree tests: these are usually assessments done by your boss, your peers, your reports and yourself. The can be quite enlightening.
• The Birkman Advanced Report: This report consists of 298 questions and produces a series of related report sets that facilitates team building and personal development. It includes areas of interest, stress behaviors, unusual behaviors, underlying needs and organizational focus. My report was about 100 pages.
• Campbell Interest and skill survey: this measures self reported vocational interests and skills. It was written by David Campbell, PhD.
• MAPP Assessment: This takes about 15 minutes and identifies your motivations towards work allowing you to match yourself to the correct job.
• Self Management Profile: This quick assessment allows you to measure your effectiveness to be self employed.
• The Color Code: this test measures you to be a Red, Blue, Yellow or white. I am a purple 🙂

 

PMP Notes for Risk Management

• Risk – uncertainty; good or bad
• Project risk meetings should be an agenda item at each status team meeting
• Risk Management – strategically fit; progressively monitored and controlled
• Risks grouped, sorted and treated by experts
• Risk management plan does to address responses to individual risks;
• There is a separate Risk response plan for each risk
• Risk identification – inputs from all areas; iterative
• Risks evaluated and responses written and followed when needed
• Brainstorming – most popular technique for identifying risk
• Delphi technique – anonymous; facilitator required to analyze and categorize risks
• The nominal group technique – participants self nominate and then have open discussion/clarification
• Crawford slip – 10 times 10 different answers, less interactions
• Checklist – quick and simple; danger of inconclusive and prejudgement
• List of identified risks – progressively adjusted throughout project life cycle
• Risk categories; technical, performance, management, organizational, external
• Risk tolerance- willingness to accept risk; risk thresholds help to measure effectiveness of plan
• Severity of risk – impact and probability; ranking; only to events
• Risk scale – ordinal (L,M,H) or cardinal
• Documenting the rationale of risk ranges is important component of risk interview
• Data precision ranking – data about risk useful? Risk understanding, component of risk interview
• Affinity diagramming – separate risks into groups treated by experts
• Risk Response – avoidance, transfer (deflect), mitigation and acceptance take
• Risk register – risk response plan – residual v. secondary risks
• Risk avoidance – plan change; totally avoid by doing something; eliminate root cause; most preferable
• Insurance and contracting are the methods of transferring (deflecting) risk. Splitting order is a method of risk mitigation.
• Risk acceptance – setting up the risk tolerance first; within limit
• Passive acceptance – do nothing, work around
• Active acceptance – contingency plan, fullback plan, proactive, start early
• Contingency planning is defining the steps to be taken if an identified risk event occurs
• Risk mitigation – reduce the probability or impact; level to accept; change the conditions; planning for what to do in case the risk materializes – probability and impact; specific tasks dome regardless of whether a risk occurs
• Risk taxonomy – identify risks, assess their probability and impact and understand the effectiveness of a particular mitigation strategy on a specific risk
• Known risks- contingency budget or reserve set aside and approved by the project manager, reduced proportionally toward the end of the project
• Unknown risks – management reserve
• When a risk is identified, budget and schedule time are identified and put into the contingency reserve and added to the operating budget of the project
• Corrective action – itself the output of all the controlling process; performing the workaround or the contingency plan in cost and risk control; performing expediting in schedule control
• When the influence of standards and regulations is unknown or uncertain, they must be considered under Project Risk Management.