Essay About Project Scope Definition And Use Of The Structure

Project Management
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Chapter 4
The project scope definition, priorities, and breakdown structure are the keys to nearly
every aspect of managing the project. The scope definition provides focus and emphasis
on the end item(s) of the project. Establishing project priorities allows managers to
make appropriate trade-off decisions. The structure helps ensure all tasks of the project
are identified and provides two views of the project–one on deliverables and one on
organization responsibility. The WBS avoids having the project driven by organization
function or by a finance system. The structure forces attention to realistic requirements
of personnel, hardware, and budgets. Use of the structure provides a powerful framework
for project control that identifies deviations from plan, identifies responsibility,
and spots areas for improved performance. No well-developed project plan or control
system is possible without a disciplined, structured approach. The WBS, OBS, and cost
account codes provide this discipline. The WBS will serve as the database for developing
the project network which establishes the timing of work, people, equipment,
and costs.
PBS is often used for process-based projects with ill-defined deliverables. In small
projects responsibility matrices may be used to clarify individual responsibility.
Chapter 6
Many project managers feel the project network is their most valuable exercise and
planning document. Project networks sequence and time-phase the project work, resources,
and budgets. Work package tasks are used to develop activities for networks.
Every project manager should feel comfortable working in an AON environment.
The AON method uses nodes (boxes) for activities and arrows for dependencies. The
forward and backward passes establish early and late times for activities. Although
most project managers use computers to generate networks and activity times, they
find a keen understanding of network development and the ability to compute activity
times is invaluable in the field. Computers break down; input errors give false information;
some decisions must be made without computer “what if ” analysis.
Project managers who are well acquainted with network development and AON
methods and who are able to compute activity times will encounter fewer problems
than project managers less well acquainted. Project networks help to ensure there are
no surprises.
Several extensions and modifications have been appended to the original AON
method. Lags allow the project planner to more closely replicate the actual conditions
found in practice. The use of lags can result in the start or finish of an activity becoming
critical. Some computer software simply calls the whole activity critical rather
than identifying the start or finish as being critical. Caution should be taken to ensure
that lags are not used as a buffer for possible errors in estimating time. Finally, hammock
activities are useful in tracking costs of resources used for a particular segment
of a project. Hammock activities can also be used to reduce the size of a project network
by grouping activities for simplification and clarity. All of the discussed refinements
to the original AON methodology contribute toward better planning and control
of projects.
Chapter 7
To put the processes discussed in this chapter in proper perspective one should recognize
that the essence of project management is risk management. Every technique in
this book is really a risk management technique. Each in its own way tries to prevent
something bad from happening. Project selection systems try to reduce the likelihood
that projects will not contribute to the mission of the firm. Project scope statements,
among other things, are designed to avoid costly misunderstandings and reduce scope
creep. Work breakdown structures reduce the likelihood that some vital part of the
project will be omitted or that the budget estimates are unrealistic. Teambuilding
reduces the likelihood of dysfunctional conflict and breakdowns in coordination. All
of the techniques try to increase stakeholder satisfaction and increase the chances of
project success.
From this perspective managers engage in risk management activities to compensate
for the uncertainty inherent in project management and that things never go according
to plan. Risk management is proactive not reactive. It reduces the number of surprises
and leads to a better understanding of the most likely outcomes of negative events.
Although many managers believe that in the final analysis, risk assessment and contingency
depend on subjective judgment, some standard method for identifying, assessing,