Project Management in the Language Industry: Lecture 4 Project Management Processes

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Project Management in the Language Industry
Lecture 4Project Management Processes

• Dr. Gregory M. Shreve
• Kent State University
• Institute for Applied Linguistics

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Project Management Processes

• Project management processes are concerned with
  describing and organizing the work of the
  project. In this lecture we will discuss the
  project management processes that are applicable
  to most projects
• Product-oriented processes are concerned with
  specifying and creating the project product.
  Product-oriented processes are typically defined
  by the project life cycle and vary by application

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• Project management processes and product-oriented
  processes overlap and interact throughout the
  project. For example, the scope of the project
  cannot be defined in the absence of some basic
  understanding of how to create the product.

Product-oriented processes
Project management processes
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Product-oriented processes
Project management processes
deliverables
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Initiation
Conclusion
Software Project Life Cycle
Systems Analysis
Design
Coding
Build
Release
prototyping beta-testing
OOP code validation
OOA
requirements specification
design specification or prototype
source code
compiled code libraries
help files packaging media
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Product-Oriented Processes LI
Deliverable Process
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Process Interactions

• Within each process group, the individual
  processes are linked by their inputs and outputs.
  By focusing on these links, we can describe each
  process in terms of its
• Inputsdocuments or documentable items that
  will be acted upon.
• Tools and techniquesmechanisms applied to the
  inputs to create the outputs.
• Outputsdocuments or documentable items that
  are a result of the process.

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Discussion LI Projects

• Are there different kinds of LI-Projects? If so,
  what might they be and how might they differ
  (phase / deliverable / processes)
• Can we identify discrete phases in LI-Project
  life cycles? (They may overlap or be staggered.)
• Can we identify discrete deliverables for the
  major phases of any LI-Project life cycle?
• What are the product / service oriented
  processes associated with the phases /
  deliverables?

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PM Processes Classified

• Generic project management processes can be
  organized into five groups of one or more
  processes each
• Initiating processesrecognizing that a project
  or phase should begin and committing to do so.
• Planning processesdevising and maintaining a
  workable scheme to accomplish the business need
  that the project was undertaken to address.
• Executing processescoordinating people and
  other resources to carry out the plan.
• Controlling processesensuring that project
  objectives are met by monitoring and measuring
  progress and taking corrective action when
  necessary.
• Closing processesformalizing acceptance of the
  project or phase and bringing it to an orderly
  end.

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Process Groups
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• The process groups are linked by the results they
  producethe result or outcome of one (the
  deliverables) becomes an input to the next one.
  Among the central process groups (planning,
  controlling, implementing), the links are
  iterated. For instance, planning provides
  executing with a documented project plan early
  on, and then provides documented updates to the
  plan as the project progresses. The project
  management process groups are not discrete,
  one-time events they are overlapping activities
  which occur at varying levels of intensity
  throughout each phase of the project.

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INITIATION
Initiation is the process of formally recognizing
that a new project exists or that an existing
project should continue into its next phase
In some organizations, a project is not formally
initiated until after completion of a feasibility
study, a preliminary plan, or some other
equivalent form of analysis which was itself
separately initiated.
How might language projects be initiated?
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• Projects are typically authorized as a result of
  one or more of the following
• A market demand (e.g., an oil company
  authorizes a project to build a new refinery in
  response to chronic gasoline shortages).
• A business need (e.g., a training company
  authorizes a project to create a new course in
  order to increase its revenues).
• A customer request (e.g., an electric utility
  authorizes a project to build a new substation to
  serve a new industrial park).
• A technological advance (e.g., an electronics
  firm authorizes a new project to develop a video
  game player after the introduction of the video
  cassette recorder).
• A legal requirement (e.g., a paint manufacturer
  authorizes a project to establish guidelines for
  the handling of toxic materials).
• In the language industry (provider segment)
  initiation of external projects is typically by
  customer request (e.g., for core services such as
  localization or translation). Tool-makers may
  initiate projects for additional reasons such as
  market demand or business need. The client
  request may have been initiated by the full range
  of initiating factors including legal
  requirements. Are there language industry
  internal projects?

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Initiation Inputs, Tools, Outputs
Expert judgment (consultants, etc.) Project
selection methods (decision models)
Product description
T
Project charter Project manager
identified Constraints Assumptions
I
O
Strategic plan
Selection criteria
Historical information
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Inputs to Initiation

• 1 Product description. The product description
  documents the characteristics of the product or
  service that the project was undertaken to
  create. Many projects involve one organization
  (the seller) doing work under contract to another
  (the buyer). In such circumstances, the initial
  product description is usually provided by the
  buyer. Why is this a problem in the LI?
• 2 Strategic plan. The strategic plan of the
  performing organization should be considered as a
  factor in project selection decisions. Why?
• 3 Project selection criteria. Project selection
  criteria are often driven by the strategic plan
  or overall business plan of the company and can
  cover the full range of possible management
  concerns (financial return, market share, public
  perceptions, etc.). Would an LI company have such
  criteria?
• 4 Historical information. Historical information
  about both the results of previous project
  selection decisions and previous project
  performance should be considered to the extent it
  is available. When initiation involves approval
  for the next phase of a project, information
  about the results of previous phases is often
  critical.

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Outputs of Initiation

• 1 Project charter. A project charter is a
  document that formally recognizes the existence
  of a project. It should include be issued by a
  manager external to the project and provides the
  project manager with the authority to apply
  organizational resources to project activities.
  When a project is performed under contract, the
  signed contract will generally serve as the
  project charter for the seller.
• 2 Project manager identified/assigned. In
  general, the project manager should be identified
  and assigned as early in the project as is
  feasible.
• 3 Constraints. Constraints are factors that will
  limit the project management teams options. For
  example, a predefined budget is a significant
  constraint that is highly likely to limit the
  teams options regarding scope, staffing, and
  schedule. When a project is performed under
  contract, contractual provisions will generally
  be constraints. (?)
• 4 Assumptions. Assumptions are factors that, for
  planning purposes, will be considered to be true.
  For example, if the date that a key person will
  become available is uncertain, the team may
  assume a specific start date. Assumptions
  generally involve a degree of risk. They may be
  identified here or they may be an output of risk
  identification.

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Planning Processes
Planning is of major importance to a project
because the project involves doing something
which has not been done before. As a result,
there are relatively more processes in this
section. However, the number of processes does
not mean that project management is primarily
planning the amount of planning performed
should be commensurate with the scope of the
project and the usefulness of the information
developed.
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Core Planning Processes
Some planning processes have clear dependencies
that require them to be performed in essentially
the same order on most projects. For example,
activities must be defined before they can be
scheduled or costed. These core planning
processes may be iterated several times during
any one phase of a project. They include Scope
Planning developing a written scope statement as
the basis for future project decisions. Scope
Definition subdividing the major project
deliverables into smaller, more manageable
components. Activity Definition identifying
the specific activities that must be performed to
produce the various project deliverables.
Activity Sequencing identifying and documenting
inter-activity dependencies.
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• Activity Duration Estimating estimating the
  number of work periods which will be needed to
  complete individual activities.
• Schedule Development analyzing activity
  sequences, activity durations, and resource
  requirements to create the project schedule.
• Resource Planning determining what resources
  (people, equipment, materials) and what
  quantities of each should be used to perform
  project activities.
• Cost Estimating developing an approximation
  (estimate) of the costs of the resources needed
  to complete project activities.
• Cost Budgeting allocating the overall cost
  estimate to individual work items.
• Project Plan Development taking the results of
  other planning processes and putting them into a
  consistent, coherent document.
• What are some critical LI issues here?

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Facilitating Processes

• Facilitating processes. Interactions among the
  other planning processes are more dependent on
  the nature of the project. For example, on some
  projects there may be little or no identifiable
  risk until after most of the planning has been
  done and the team recognizes that the cost and
  schedule targets are extremely aggressive and
  thus involve considerable risk. Although these
  facilitating processes are performed
  intermittently and as needed during project
  planning, they are not optional. They include

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Quality Planning identifying which quality
standards are relevant to the project and
determining how to satisfy them. LI Quality
Planning? Organizational Planning identifying,
documenting, and assigning project roles,
responsibilities, and reporting relationships. LI
Team Organization? Staff Acquisition getting
the human resources needed assigned to and
working on the project. Communications
Planning determining the information and
communications needs of the stakeholders who
needs what information, when will they need it,
and how will it be given to them. Risk
Identification determining which risks are
likely to affect the project and documenting the
characteristics of each. Unique LI risks? Risk
Quantification evaluating risks and risk
interactions to assess the range of possible
project outcomes. Risk Response Development
defining enhancement steps for opportunities and
responses to threats Procurement Planning
determining what to procure and when. LI Needs?
Solicitation Planning documenting product
requirements and identifying potential sources.
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Executing Processes
Project Plan Execution carrying out the
project plan by performing the activities
included therein. Scope Verification
formalizing acceptance of the project scope.
Quality Assurance evaluating overall project
performance on a regular basis to provide
confidence that the project will satisfy the
relevant quality standards. Team Development
developing individual and group skills to
enhance project performance. Information
Distribution making needed information available
to pro- ject stakeholders in a timely manner.
Solicitation obtaining quotations, bids, offers,
or proposals as appropriate. Source Selection
choosing from among potential sellers. Contract
Administration managing the relationship with
the seller.
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Controlling Processes
Project performance must be measured regularly to
identify variances from the plan. Variances are
fed into the control processes in the various
knowledge areas. To the extent that significant
variances are observed (i.e., those that
jeopardize the project objectives), adjustments
to the plan are made by repeating the appropriate
project planning processes. For example, a missed
activity finish date may require adjustments to
the current staffing plan, reliance on overtime,
or trade-offs between budget and schedule
objectives. Controlling also includes taking
preventive action in anticipation of possible
problems.
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Performance Reporting collecting and
disseminating performance information. This
includes status reporting, progress measurement,
and forecasting. Overall Change Control
coordinating changes across the entire
project. Scope Change Control controlling
changes to project scope. Schedule Control
controlling changes to the project schedule.
Cost Control controlling changes to the project
budget. Quality Control monitoring specific
project results to determine if they comply with
relevant quality standards and identifying ways
to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory
performance. Risk Response Control responding
to changes in risk over the course of the project.
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Closing Processes
Administrative Closure generating, gathering,
and disseminating information to formalize phase
or project completion. Contract Close-out
completion and settlement of the contract,
including resolution of any open items.