Challenging Aspects of Modern Project Management

1. Challenging Aspects of
Modern Project Management
Yamanta Raj Niroula, PMP, PMI-SP
Planning and Project Controls Manager
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
yamanta.raj@gmail.com

2. Project Management:
 Project Defined:
– PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition : “A project is a temporary endeavor
undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”
– A complex, non-routine, one-time effort limited by time,
budget, resources, and performance specifications designed
to meet customer needs.
 Major Characteristics of a Project:
– Has an established objective.
– Has a defined life span with a beginning and an end.
– Requires across-the-organizational participation.
– Involves doing something never been done before.
– Has specific time, cost, and performance requirements.
Success and failure is no longer within the total
control of that project

3. Project Management:
 Project Management Defined:
– PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition : “Project management is the application
of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to
meet the project requirements.”
– Project Management : a well-understood discipline.
– Produce predictable, repeatable results.
 Project Management Processes:
– A project management process is the management process of
planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project.
– According to PMI, project management is accomplished through the
appropriate application and integration of the 47 logically grouped
project management processes, which are categorized into five
Process Groups - Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and
Controlling, and Closing.

4. Project Management Process:
Initiation
Complete
&
Assess
Tracking
& Control
Reporting
Review
Planning
Initiation
Plan
Detailed
Plan
Status
Report
Post
Project
Review
Report

5. The Project Life Cycle:
 A representation of the phases that a project typically goes through.
 General, but representative of the common flow of activities on a project.
 The phases represented at the bottom of the graphic below describe the
way in which a project typically progresses.

6. Project Success:
The 'Golden Triangle of
Project Success
Objectives
Time Cost
Project success occurs when we have:
I
I
I
I A delighted client (expectations met)
Delivered the agreed objectives
Met an agreed budget - resources etc.
Within an agreed time frame
and
I Done it all professionally &
safely

7. Project Failure:
• I've been involved in several projects that;
- went over budget,
- were delivered late, and
- didn't make the customer happy.
• But I've never heard any of them actually called "failures".
• What is Project Failure?
 A project is considered a failure when it has not delivered
what was required, in line with expectations.
 In US, more than $250 billion dollars is spent each year on
IT application development in approximately 175,000
projects.

8. Project Failure:
• Summary of 2009 Standish Group CHAOS report:
• This result shows a marked decrease in project success rates.

9. Why Do Projects Fail?:
The number of reasons can be infinite. However, if we
apply the 80/20 rule the most common reasons for failure
can be found in the following list:
 Poor sponsorship
 Unclear requirements
 Unrealistic timescales or budgets
 Scope creep
 Poor risk management
 Poor processes/documentation
 Poor estimating
 Poor communication/stakeholder engagement
 Poor business case
 Inadequate/incorrectly skilled resources

10. Project Management Maturity Model
No formal
consistent process
Adhoc
(1)
Foundation
(2)
Consistent, basic approach to
project execution
Managed
(3)
Consistent, comprehensive
approach
Integrated
(4)
Institutionalized & integrated
Into planning
Optimizing
(5)
Project-centered
organization
• A common method of determining the current level of project management
capability and maturity is to use the project management maturity model
illustrated by five distinct levels of maturity as shown in the
following diagram:

11. Level 1 – Adhoc:
 No formal, consistent process to execute a project.
 Many, incomplete, informal approaches.
 Project outcomes unpredictable.
 Little organizational support for project management.
 Lesson learned are not gathered and passed on to
other projects.
 Projects happen without correct initiation.
 Communication is poor.
 Interdependencies are not managed.
 Standards, if any, are poorly defined or unenforced.
Adhoc
(1)
Success rate less
than 20%

12. Level 2 – Foundation:
 Consistent, basic approach to project execution is
adopted.
 Managed support for project management.
 Repeatable processes are applied to basic project
management steps
 Project outcomes are more predictable
 Use of common tools and techniques for key project
management processes
Foundation
(2)
Success rate of
20% to 40%

13. Level 3 – Managed:
 Consistent, comprehensive approach to project
execution
 Senior management support for project management
 Organization can efficiently plan, manage, integrate
and control single projects
 Repository of previous project experience is
maintained and utilized
 Team members and project managers trained in
project management
 Consistent use of tools and techniques for project
management processes
Managed
(3)
Success rate of
40% to 60%

14. Level 4 – Integrated:
 Project portfolio management is institutionalized and
integrated into the organization’s business planning
process.
 Active senior management support for integration of
business planning and project execution.
 Organization can efficiently plan, manage, integrate
and control multiple projects
 Database of previous project data is maintained and
utilized (Organizational Process Assets).
Success rate of
60% to 80%
Integrated
(4)

15. Level 5 – Optimization:
 Project-centered organization with an established
approach to continuous improvement of project
 Management.
 Project management environment improvement is
actively encouraged.
 Flexible, project-centered organization structure.
 Career program for project managers.
 Project management training is a key component in
staff development.
Success rate better
than 80%
Optimization
(5)

16. Why Should We Care?:
 To answer following questions:
- Where does your organization fit today? How important
are successful projects to your business?
- Based on the level of business importance is your
organization at the appropriate level? For example, if
the successful delivery of projects is important to your
business success then you will likely want to be at level
three or greater. If you have a software development
company, consulting company or engineering firm that
is totally based on projects then you will likely want to
be at level four or five.
- Each organization is different and must carefully
analyze their position in terms of the impact projects
have on their own bottom-line.

17. Project Management - Key Challenges:
 Key challenges of today's project managements are:
- Increased magnitude of project complexities.
- Uncontrollable changes.
- Communication and liaison with team members and
stakeholders.
- Managing and dealing with multiple people from different
regions / countries (in global projects).
- Obtaining resources with right skills or characteristics.
- Managing high risk projects.
- Non-centralized communication flow.
- Padding of estimates (Parkinson's Law).

18. Management Techniques:
To increase the likelihood of project success you must
manage:
 Stakeholders
 Risks
 Issues
 Change

19. ProjectAcademic &
Business Units
Who Are Stakeholders?
Outside Groups
(Vendors)
Team
Members
Information
Technology
Steering
Committee
Clients & UsersSenior Mgmt
Interdependent
Projects

20. How to Manage Stakeholders:
 Project stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations
who may affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be
affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.
 Every project will have stakeholders who are impacted by or can
impact the project in a positive or negative way. They exert
influence over the project and its deliverables and could cause
the success or failure of the project.
 The ability to correctly identify and manage these stakeholders in
an appropriate manner can mean the difference between
success and failure.
 Stakeholder management is all about engagement. Engagement
is about involvement. Involvement means communication, but it
also means participation. Get your stakeholders to participate in
the project and you can manage them better.
 Get them involved; Keep them informed; Gain their endorsement

21. Stakeholder Management Overview:
 Identify Stakeholders
 Plan Stakeholder Management
 Manage Stakeholder Engagement
 Control Stakeholder Engagement

22. Risk Management:
 What is “risk”?
 An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has
a positive or negative effect on one or more project
objectives such as scope, schedule, cost, and quality.
 To be successful, an organization should be
committed to address risk management proactively
and consistently throughout the project.
 Risk Management Overview:
 Identify Risks
 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
 Plan Risk Responses
 Control Risks

23. Issues Management:
 Unresolved issues will drive a project towards failure
and consume a significant part of a project manager’s
time.
 Stakeholders play key role in issues management
and resolution
- Establish Issues log, review, escalation process

24. Change Management:
 Uncontrolled changes to a project will probably
account for up to 30% of a project’s total effort.
 If these changes are not managed, the project will be
viewed to be over time and over budget.
- Establish a Change management process

25. Project Management Best Practices:
 Project planning : the project definition, the work plan,
and the project management procedures.
 Plan the work by utilizing a project definition document.
 Create a planning horizon : detailed work plan,
including assigning resources and estimating the work.
 Define project management procedures up front.
 Look for warning signs.
 Ensure that the sponsor approves scope-change
requests.
 Guard against scope creep.
 Identify risks up front.
 Continue to assess potential risks throughout the
project.
 Resolve issues as quickly as possible.

26. The Project Management Certification:
 Certification allows for industry wide recognition.
 It is an excellent way for new graduates to gain the
attention of the companies they apply for and work in.
 Shows dedication and knowledge in industry.
 Represents experience on the job.
 Aids employers in the management of costs, time and
quality.

27. The Project Management Certification:
 Better control of financial, physical, and human
resources
 Improved customer relations
 Shorter development times
 Lower costs
 Higher quality and increased reliability
 Higher profit margins
 Improved productivity
 Better internal coordination
 Higher worker moral.

28. The Project Management Institute (PMI):
 Founded in 1969. Largest Not-for-Profit Organization
for Project Management Professionals.
 Truly global membership with representation in 190+
countries.
 PMI has 12 standards for project, program and portfolio
management and they are most widely recognized
standards in the profession.
 Credentials, Research, Standards, Promotion of Project
Management Profession.
 PMI offers 6 global certifications – PMP, CAPM, PgMP,
PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, PMI-ACP
 More than 250 chapters, and 30 industry or interest-
based communities of practice.
 More than half million members and credential holders
worldwide.

29. PMP – Certification Benefits:
 A truly global certification. Provides professional and
personal recognition.
 Expedites professional advancement.
 Creates job growth and opportunities within an
organization.
 Provides a framework for standardized project
management requirements.
 Increases an employee’s value to the organization.
 PMI Certified Project Managers are a preferred lot by
any organization worldwide.
 High Demand due to short supply of Certified Project
Managers.
 Increase in compensation within the organization.

30. PMP Journey:
 PMP Prerequisites:
Secondary Diploma + 5 Years Experience in Project
Management + 7500 Hours + 35 Hour PM Education
Or
4 years degree + 3 Years Experience in Project
Management + 4500 Hours + 35 Hour PM Education

31. PMP Costs of Certification:
 Registration fees for 35 Contact Hours program through
a R.E.P.
 PMI Membership Fees for General Candidates: $129
 PMP Examination Fees
- Non-Members : USD 555
- PMI Members : USD 405
 Re-Examination Fees
- Non-Members USD 375
- PMI Members USD 275

32. Nine steps in the Journey towards PMP:
1. Become a PMI member.
2. Mandatory training/PM education for 35 hours of credits
(chapter, university, institute or REP).
3. Prepare for Exam
4. Submit PMP examination Application (You get 90 days to
complete application).
5. Receipt of PMP examination eligibility notice from PMI.
6. Submit Fees (Cost: US$ 405).
7. Application Audit (if selected).
8. Get Eligibility Letter. Schedule Exam.
9. Execute, Succeed & Celebrate

33. Post Successful PMP Certification:
 Certificate is valid for 3 years.
 Within three years, individual need to earn 60 PDUs.
 Go to www.pmi.org for registering 60 PDUs & paying
60$ (current fee)
 Your certificate will be renewed for next three years.

34. Thank You