Planning and Managing Projects

Introduction to the Course

Buck Buchanan

Hello! My name is Buck Buchanan and welcome to Planning and Managing

Projects. I am one of the instructors for this course. Throughout the course we will
consider and discuss many of the major topics, skills, and activities that a project
manager needs to understand and use as you proceed through the lifecycle of a
project.

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 Module 1 Objectives

Explain Explain the overall structure of the course.

Summarize Summarize the expectations for student performance.

Define the concepts of a project and project

Define management.

Describe the project management process and the

Describe functions of project management.

Here are the objectives for this module. This module will cover the course structure, what we expect
from the students, and project management concepts, processes, and functions.

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 Why Project Management?

To focus managerial activities to accomplish the unique objectives of the

project

Produce a technical objective on-time, and within budget

Provide a single point of integrated responsibility

Provide central planning, monitoring, communication and reporting

So when we say “project management” just what is

it---what do we mean? Project management strives
to focus a team’s activities to achieve the unique
objectives and provide the deliverable or product for
a customer within the bounds of the funding and
timeframe available. The technical project manager
is usually leading a team to provide a highly
technical objective within that stated schedule and
budget. The project manager provides the “single
point of contact” for the customer, subcontractors ,
internal company management and for the team that
is executing the project and ensures appropriate
monitoring, communications and reporting internal to
the company and external to the customer. As the

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semester unfolds, we will consider these topics in
more depth.

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 Project Management Framework

CONCEPT
DISPOSAL DEFINITION
Executing, Monitoring,
Initiating & Planning
Controlling & Closing
Iteration Directing &
Work
Authorizatio
PMO Finance, n
Contracts &

SUPPORT
Procurement
DESIGN
Staffing and Stakeholder Delivery
Scope & Stakeholder Monitoring
Startup Value &
Objectives Value Plan Organization & Control
Delivery Closeout

Schedule
Create a Resource Manage to
baseline plan Planning &
Budgeting Baseline Evaluation
baseline plan

Manage: Risk, Configuration, Change, Quality, Conflict, Multi-Projects

OPERATIONS DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTION

© Staś Tarchalski

Throughout the semester we will refer back to this project management framework as a means to
keep us oriented to what part of the project lifecycle we are discussing and how that discussion fits
into the larger scheme.

By way of a brief summary of the project lifecycle: project planning really starts with your company’s
proposal efforts to win the project. Once the effort is won and the contract is “in-house”, the
initiation of the project starts with a refinement and update to any project planning done during the
proposal phase based on the information and agreements in the contract. The project manager and
their project team will consider the statement of work (SOW), the funding available, the schedule for
the project, deliverables, and a host of other details stated in the contract to “map out” the detailed
planning. Throughout the semester, we will delve more deeply into the specifics of project planning.
And your team project, PickPOCIT, will provide you an opportunity for you to work with your
teammates to develop an actual project plan.

Once the plan is created, the project manager and his/her team move into the execution of the plan.
Throughout the execution, the project team will be using the plan as a tool to access progress
towards achieving the technical objectives against the schedule and budget allocations. This will be
an iterative process as the team works through issues that arise and modifications to the plan

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become necessary.

As the project is successful and comes to the close the project team will ensure delivery of any final
product and that the project is formal closed out. The project manager will also work within his
company’s structure and procedures to ensure that any “lessons learned’ are captured to aid in
improving the company’s performance on future projects.

This was just a very brief overview of this framework for discussing a project’s timeline and activities
that are encountered throughout the lifecycle. You will see this again throughout the semester as we
discuss more in depth each of the items in the framework.

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 Course Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
• Describe and apply the principles and practices of project management.
• Develop a project plan designed to facilitate the execution of a project.
• Present that plan to audiences that have an array of interests, e.g., the customer, top
management, project team.
• Work as a member of a project team to develop an agenda of the interests of the
various audiences and address those interests via in person presentations and other
communication media.
• Describe the wide array of functions, authorities, roles, and obligations of the project
manager.
• Make prudent decisions regarding the strategies and tactics required to plan and
implement the work of a project.

Here are the objectives for the course. For the first objective, I have already talked about introducing
you to project management tools and processes and that we will be expanding on that as well as
developing your leadership, management, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
over the semester.

To meet the second objective, we will be presenting you with the PickPOCIT scenario where we will
be asking you for three deliverables over the course of this semester…the first is a “kickoff” briefing
on your baseline plan to execute the project; the next is a progress report briefing after a major
milestone and the third is a project plan document that you will submit as your final exam. We will
talk more about these deliverables and the scenario in a subsequent module.

For the third objective, you will be giving your briefings to Top Management. You will then assess
how this briefing would be modified if you were giving this briefing to the project team, functional
managers, or the customer. Each of these audiences will have different takeaways that they will
want to get out of the briefings you present…so you will have to sort out what you think those things
are and how you would adjust your briefings accordingly. For example, top management wants to
come away knowing that you have a good plan to execute this important program for the company;
the team wants to be incentivized and know what’s in this for them if they have to be called upon to

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work weekends, etc.

For the next objective, we will cover the many roles, responsibilities and functions of a project
manager during this course.

Finally, through the scenarios, lectures, readings, briefings, and on-line discussions, you should walk
away from this course armed with the knowledge and skills necessary to make good decisions on
strategies and tactics to be successful as a project manager. We believe that good decisions come
from experience. We are going to be purposely vague in some areas while presenting you with the
PickPOCIT scenario, and you are going to have to make some assumptions. Expect us to challenge
some of your assumptions, or ask you why you didn’t consider doing this or that in order to help you
gain some of that valuable experience.

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 Teaching/Learning Process

Online lectures/modules

Individual assignments

Web discussions – Sharing of experiences and thoughts

Reading assignments

Team projects and presentations

Mid-term exam

Weekly online office hours

The teaching and learning process we will use for

this course are listed here. We will use the lectures
in the modules to provide the project management
and soft skill knowledge we want to impart. We will
also provide brief scenarios in many of the modules
that we will want you to discuss with us and your
classmates in the blackboard discussion area. In
those discussions we want you to start and
participate in the web discussions a to share your
thoughts and related experiences about the subjects
covered

As I mentioned earlier, we will be using a scenario

called “PickPOCIT” as the team project. This will be

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the basis for the three team deliverables that I will talk
about later. We have assigned readings for each
module that will complement and amplify the subject
material for that module. There will be a mid-term
exam that each of you will complete on your
own. We will be holding office hours every week
through Zoom. Office hours are mandatory as a lot of
valuable information is discussed during these
sessions. Please refer to the course syllabus for
date, time and link information. We will have more
about each of these topics later in this discussion.

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 Semester Topics
Introduction to Project Management
Project Lifecycle, Staffing the Organization, PickPOCIT Scenario Introduction
Statement of Work and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Scheduling, Estimating, Finance and Contracts
Execution, Risks, and Opportunities
Design Reviews, Configuration Management, and Conflict Management
Directing, Monitoring and Control
Communications and Quality
Project Progress Reviews and Audits
Leadership and Portfolio Management
Innovation and Marketing
Project Closeout

During the semester we are going to be considering a wide array of topics that a project manager
needs to understand and consider in his or her role leading the project team. Take a moment to
familiarize yourself with the topics before we move on.

(Pause a few moments before moving on)

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 Office Hours and Syllabus Highlights

There are mandatory online Office Hours for most modules

via Zoom. Please refer to the course syllabus for day and
time.
• Opportunity for students to interface directly with professors and for
further discussion of highlighted topics for the module
• Must either attend live, or send an email synopsis to the instructors after
listening to the office hours recording

Please refer to the syllabus for additional details regarding

grading, academic conduct policies, services for students
with disabilities, and JHU’s contact numbers and web page.

As I mentioned earlier, we will be conducting office hours each week. Please

consult the syllabus for the day and time. During these sessions, we will talk about
such things as upcoming assignments, current assignments, hot washes of
previous assignments, answer questions you may have, highlight key items from
that weeks modules, etc. Students must either attend live, or send an email synopsis to the instructors
after listening to the office hours recording

Please familiarize yourself with the course outline and the syllabus. The syllabus
covers many topics including the philosophy behind discussion forums,
assignments, grading policies, details for the weekly office hours, Hopkins academic
conduct policy's, services for students with disabilities, etc.

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 Textbook

Larson, E. & Gray, C. (2020).

Project Management: The
Managerial Process, (8th ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

ISBN10: 1260238865
ISBN13: 9781260238860
Copyright: 2021

Readings will accompany topics.

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The textbook for this course is “Project Management, The Managerial Process” by
Erik Larson and Clifford Gray. It can either be purchased in hard cover or
electronically. It is a good introductory text covering the breadth of topics we will be
discussing this semester. Most of the required readings for the class will be from
this text. Some additional readings may also be required but those will be provided
as part of the module where they are assigned. This text will also be used in other
core courses in this program.

Additional information regarding project management is available from a number of

additional authors as well as the Project Management Institute. They have available
the project management bible called the PMBOK…or the Project Management
Body of Knowledge. You may want to consider having a copy of this document as
well while involved in project management endeavors. Additionally, should you
decide to get the PMP certification at some point, the certification test will be based
on the PMBOK.

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Another great source of project management information can very possibly be found
right within your own organization where you work. Many companies have started
internal project management courses for new project managers and may also have
produced project management manuals. Check your respective workplaces and see
if such manuals exist and if you can possibly get a copy for your reference shelf.

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 Mid-Term Exam
Answer THE question -
Avoid using your time
ALL parts of it. Use the
and space repeating
Take home, open book MODE
the question as part of
REQUESTED, e.g., list,
your answer.
discuss, define, etc.

Edit your answers to be

In addition to the ideas Strive to see and
concise, specific, and
and language used in the express the central
complete, yet as brief
lectures and text, express thought or idea. Avoid
as you can. Do not use
your thoughts in the temptation to write
“etc.” when specific
original ways, the way every thought on the
information is
you see it. subject.
requested.

Make your answers

grammatically Read out loud what
correct: use the you write, make
correct words, put in sure the answers make
all the words, spell the sense and
words correctly, try to sound correct.
punctuate correctly.

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The midterm exam will be an individual effort, not a team

or collaborative effort, and it will be open book. We ask
that you answer all parts of the question and please
answer the question asked. Please use a mode that is
requested such as list, discuss, define, etc. There's no
need to waste time and space repeating the discussion is
part of your answer. We know what the questions are.
When answering the question, you can obviously use the
ideas and language used in the lectures and text without

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plagiarizing, but we really want you to express your
thoughts in original ways. In other words, the way you see
it. We want you to answer the questions crisply and
completely without a lot of extra verbiage. Responses to
each question should only be about a page or two. The
midterm can also be considered an exercise in
communication. It is important for project managers to
communicate well; speaking, listening, and writing.
Therefore, make your answers grammatically correct. Use
the correct words, put in all the words, spell the words
correctly, and try to punctuate correctly. The final exam for
the project will be the team project plan for pickpocket.
It'll be due according to the date in the course outline.

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 Team Project - PickPOCIT

 Students will be divided into teams to participate in the semester’s team project.
 The team will develop a project plan for Inventory Specialists, Inc. (ISI) to design,
produce, and demo a prototype, automated inventory picker and mailer system
for OK.com.
 Each team will present a project baseline and milestone briefing to the class.
 Each team will submit a complete project plan at the end of the semester (this plan
will be in lieu of a final exam).

Additional details for the team project will be provided in a future Module

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For purposes of working for the pickpocket scenario on

the project, the class will be divided into teams. Once
you're assigned to a team, the team will stay together for
the entire semester to develop the two presentations and
the final project plan. The two presentations will be
briefed to the company's senior executive team. Roles
played by the professors will consists of a kick off
presentation and an in-process presentation done at the
time-frame of the project milestone. The material

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developed during the preparations for these presentations
and in working the assignments and discussions can then
be used to help develop the final project plan. Part of the
project will require working through how the team
members will interact, developing roles and assign tasks
work within the development the presentations, and the
final project plan, and the final production and delivery of
each of these team deliverables, the two team
presentations, and the final project plan. Grades for the
team deliverables are discussed in the next slide.

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 Final Exam – PickPOCIT Project Plan
1. Overview
2. Financial Summary
3. Contractual Aspects
4. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
5. Networks / Schedules
6. Resources
7. Organization / Key Personnel
8. Evaluation Methods
9. Risk Management
10. Estimate at Completion (EAC)
The completed Team Project P lan will be the final exam for this class.

E ach group w ill use the follow ing outline for the final P ickPOCIT Project P lan:

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The “final exam” for the project will be the team project plan for PickPOCIT. It will
be due according to the date in the course outline.

Above is the outline/table of contents for the project. Each team will use this table
of contents for the project plan. As you will notice, the plan will provide you the
opportunity to practice project planning for all of the major parts of a project that as
project managers we need to consider. One additional note regarding the plan: it is
OK to add lower level sections under each of the 10 parts of the outline but the plan
must include all 10 of these sections. We will talk more about the plan in future
modules.

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 Notes on Grading Team Assignments

Team presentations require involvement by the total team

Grades are assigned as team grades. Each member receives the same
grade

Presentations are evaluated on:

• How well they respond to the assignment
• How well they address the issue in the assignment
• How well they address the desired audience
• Team participation / displayed teamwork
• Thought given to the project
• Role playing
• Response to questions, etc.

Instructors will provide general and detailed feedback once all the
briefings have been completed 13

For the two briefings, we will also be assessing how well each team addresses the
needs of the audience, and how well the briefings were presented. Again...having
good communication skills is important, and your presentations will be an
opportunity to practice your briefing skills...to include how well you respond to
answering questions from the audience. By the way, we will be doing these team
briefings "live" via Zoom between the team members of each team and the class.
We will work with the team to assign times for the presentations. While we will be
recording the presentations, they will be live and team will get instant feedback
from us during the presentation as we will be role playing your audience. We will
also provide more detailed feedback a few days after your presentations.

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 Overall Semester Grading
Item Points Possible

Homework Scenarios (Individual) 160

Discussion Forums (Individual) 160

Presentation #1 (Team) 100

Mid-term Exam (Individual) 100

Presentation #2 (Team) 100

Project Plan Final Exam (Team) 100

Peer Evaluations 20

Total 740

Note: Any assignment that is late without advance notice to the

instructors will have the grade reduced 5% per day.
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Here are the possible total number of points for each of the major activities for the
semester. Team presentations 1& 2 and the final project plan will be a team grade
with each team member receiving the same grade. Homework, assignments,
discussion forums and the mid term exams will be individual grades. We will assign
numerical grades to your work, and the averages of those grades will equate to a
letter grade based on the ranges as listed in the syllabus. Note there will also be
two peer evaluations provided by each student assessing their teammates
participation after the first presentation, and then again after the final project plan is
submitted.

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 Tell Us About Yourself
For your first Discussion Forum in Module 1, post the following:
 Prepare a Zoom introduction (with a duration of two minutes or less) either speaking on camera or narrating a
PowerPoint slide:
 Introduce yourself to the class
 Identify your role/position in your current organization (where you work) and any past or current project
management roles
 Describe your background briefly, e.g., your undergraduate degree, work experience/roles, what graduate
program/focus at JHU, why you are in the program and how many classes have you taken in the program
 At your option, you may also share something else about yourself with the class, such as interests outside the
workplace, what do you like to do for fun, or anything you would like the class to know about you
 View the YouTube video on integrity and describe an ethical issue you have either faced or observed in your work
experience.
 Post the link to your recording to share with your peers
 Reply to at least one of your peers' posts

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For your first web discussion assignment, we want you to

introduce yourselves so your classmates and us. This can
be done in blackboard in the discussions forum. Prepare
a video and cover those items listed here. Once everyone
has posted this information, we'll use it to assign each of
you to your respective teams for the semester. Once we
do so, we'll inform all of you of your team assignment.

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 © The Johns Hopkins University 2021, All Rights Reserved.

We look forward to getting to know and working with each of you during this course and wish you success as
we progress throughout the semester.

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