Project Management Crash Course
You can't make a movie until you have a script written, and you can't start working on a project until you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.
"Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal." - Cornelius Fitchner
There are six steps involved in the beginning phase of project management, all of which are necessary to understand and agree upon the size and shape of the project and its outcomes. The six steps should be recorded with your group members on the Project Planner.
Step One: Establish Goals
Each project begins with a question, issue, problem, or perspective that drives the project and aligns with the learning outcomes of the course. This question or issue will most likely be provided by your teacher, but it is up to you to set the goals outlining what you will achieve by the end of your project. These goals must be clear and answer the question, "How do I know when I'm done?" Goals have measurable and observable outcomes. The more specific you can be, the easier the rest of the project will be, so try to assign qualitative or quantitative measures to goals.
Terms to Know
Qualitative - measured by the quality of work not by the quantity or amount of it
Quantitative - measured by the quantity of something not by the quality of it
Step Two: Identify Resources, Constraints & Assumptions
Now that you have a general vision of your project, you need to make sure your goals are realistic and attainable by identifying available resources, constraints, and assumptions on your project planner.
Terms to Know
Resources - the things that are available to be used to achieve your goals, which may include money, people's time, or goods and services already on hand
Constraints - things that limit what can be done, such as time or budget
Assumptions - things that are known to be true about the project
Step Three: Establishing your Boundaries
The next part of planning the project is establishing boundaries both for what the project will do and just as importantly what it will not do. You will record these on your project planner, and can look at the project planner exemplar for ideas.
Step Four: Identify Deliverables
Identify the deliverables of your project on your project planner.
Terms to Know
Deliverable - the end product or products of the project that lead to the goal
Step Five: Name Stakeholders
Think about possible stakeholders for projects, such as students themselves, the teacher, peers, and anyone who is involved in the project in any way. Identify your stakeholders on your project planner and connect them to your deliverables.
Terms to Know
Stakeholders - the people that have an interest in your project and its goals
Step Six: Assign Project Managers
Every project needs managers - people who lead the process. Managers may be assigned within each small group or by the teacher. If you are working on the project alone, you do not need to assign these roles, but you do need to understand them.
You should assign roles based on each individual's strengths and interests. You can assign these roles on your project planner. If you need help determining the strengths of each group member, you can take the Multiple Intelligences personality quiz.
Terms to Know
Project Manager - responsible for helping the project stay within the boundaries, reporting to the stakeholders, and presenting a regular project update to the larger group
Time Manager - responsible for helping teams stay on schedule and coordinating schedules between deliverables that need to be done
Quality and Risk Manager - responsible for helping team identify possible challenges or stumbling blocks, and getting the supplies or other resources needed to help group members produce deliverables with high quality
The Project Team Contract can be used to keep members accountable, if you like.
Monitor your progress regularly by revisiting your Project Planner every two or three days to ensure you are staying on track.