Project Management Planning
From Practice to Applied Research
Summary
Evidence shows two massive gaps in project management planning across the field, which this book hopes to address. The first gap is between current project management planning and its potential as a practical discipline. The second gap is between project management system knowledge and its potential as an applied research discipline. This book first explains how a project management plan develops from project management contents, before using the same tools to explain how project management system logic develops from project management system contents. Finally, it shows how project management system contents and its logic improve project management contents.
By understanding how a project management plan develops into a project management systems logic, we can implement strong plans across programs, businesses and corporations, organizations, and any entity for which managing plans is an integral part.
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- About the author
- About the book
- This eBook can be cited
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1 Overview of Project Management Planning
- Introduction
- Basis for Project Management Planning
- Current PMP.
- System knowledge in PMP.
- Details in PMP.
- Narrative Communication Method.
- Structural Communication Method.
- Development of Project Management Plan
- Contents in Project Management Planning
- Terminology.
- Characteristics.
- Overlaps among Phases.
- Processes in Project Management Planning
- Terminology.
- Characteristics.
- Interactions between Processes.
- Structures in Project Management Planning
- From Reductionism to Breakdown Structure Method.
- Characteristics.
- Relationships among Structures.
- Networks in Project Management Planning
- From Graph Theory to Critical Path Method.
- Characteristics.
- Development of Project Network Diagram.
- Implementation of Project Management Plan
- Feedback in Project Management Planning
- From Dynamic Theory to Feedback Method.
- Characteristics.
- Controlling Changes in Project Management Plan.
- More of the Same, only Bigger and Better
- 2 Time and Resource in Project Management Planning
- Introduction
- Time Management
- Characteristics
- Forward calculation.
- Backward calculation.
- Processes
- Float Management.
- Progress Management.
- Resource Management
- Characteristics
- Resource Aggregation.
- Resource Allocation.
- Processes
- Time-Limited Schedule.
- Resource-Limited Schedule.
- Case Study
- Knowledge of Project Manager
- Involvement of Project Manager
- Soft Skills of Project Manager
- 3 Cost in Project Management Planning
- Introduction
- Cost Management
- Characteristics
- Cost Types.
- Basic Calculations.
- Processes
- Cost Estimating.
- Cost Presentation.
- Planned Value.
- Earned Value.
- Actual Cost.
- Variances and Indicators.
- Cost Estimate to Complete.
- Earned Schedule
- Cost-Estimating Constraints
- Case Study
- 4 Best Practice in Project Management Planning
- Introduction
- Steps in Project Management Planning
- Development of Project Management Plan
- Project Requirements.
- Introductory Meeting.
- Basic Terminology.
- Project Works.
- Responsibility for Project Works.
- Project Master Plan.
- Schedule Value Items.
- Activity List.
- Relationships among Activities.
- Duration and Cost for Activities.
- Alignment of Project Structures.
- Control Levels.
- Integrated Project Management Plan.
- Setup of Initial Baseline.
- Implementation of Project Management Plan
- Data Gathering.
- Updating Procedure.
- Project Management Plan after the Update.
- Reports and Records in Project Management Planning
- Project Reports
- Short-Term Report.
- Report on Earned Value.
- Stakeholders Report.
- Top Decision-making Report.
- As-built Report.
- Project Records
- Activity Record.
- Test Record.
- Control Record.
- Plan Record.
- Quality in Project Management Planning
- Methodologies and Skills
- Maturity Path
- Career Path in Project Management Planning
- Project Manager
- Project Planning Manager
- Cost Accounting Manager
- Cost-Estimating Manager
- Quality Manager
- Risk Manager
- Procurement Manager
- 5 Project Management System Logic
- Introduction
- The PMBOK Guide
- Past of the PMBOK Guide
- The present of the PMBOK Guide
- The Perspective of the PMBOK Guide
- Rules for Handling System Knowledge
- Rules for Relating Particles of System Logic
- Rules for Developing Sequence of Particles
- Rules for Verification of System Logic
- Relationships between Process Groups
- Extracts from Case Study
- Development of Project Management System Logic
- Contents of Step 5.
- Example for Step 5.
- Implementation of Project Management System Logic
- Contents of Step 31.
- Example for Step 31.
- 6 Where Is Planning in (Project) Management Going Next?
- Introduction
- Symmetry of the Rules
- Producers and Users
- Experience and Imaginary
- Current Debates
- Research in Project Management
- Conclusion
- 7 Derivative Project Management Planning
- Critical Chain Method
- Characteristics
- Overview
- Agile
- Characteristics
- Overview
- 8 Notes, Integrated Definitions, Readings
- Bibliography
- Index
List of Illustrations
Figure 1.1: Project Phases—Conventional
Figure 1.2: Project Phases—Agile
Figure 1.3: Processes in Project Management
Figure 1.4: Relationships among Project Processes
Figure 1.5: Work Breakdown Structure
Figure 1.8: Network Diagramming Methods. Relationships between “From” and “To” activities—Time View
Figure 1.9: Network Diagramming Methods. Development of Relationships
Figure 1.10: Project Management Feedback
Figure 2.1: Precedence Diagramming Method Basic Calculations
Figure 2.2: Precedence Diagramming Method Updating Project Progress
Figure 2.3: Precedence Diagramming Method Constraint Dates Effects
←xiii | xiv→Figure 2.4: Resource Aggregation
Figure 2.5: Resource Allocation
Figure 2.6: Project Planning Equipment Layout
Figure 2.7: Project Planning Mechanical Equipment—Project-Oriented Production
Figure 2.8: Project Planning Connection Lines–Delivery and Installation
Figure 3.1: Project Schedule and Cost Plan Schematics
Figure 3.3: Calculation Elements
Figure 3.4: Cost Account Baseline
Figure 3.6: Optimization of Project Time and Cost
Figure 3.7: AIA and PM Terminologies
Figure 3.8: Project Summary as of January 19, 2004
Figure 3.9: Change Order Details as of January 19, 2004
Figure 4.1: Project Planning Key Contracts, and Manager’s View
Figure 4.2: Management Summary
Figure 4.3: Project Performance Report
Figure 5.1: Relationships of System Particles
Figure 5.2: Critical Outputs Sequence
Figure 5.3: Management Feedback
Figure 5.4: Project Scope Baseline and Work Breakdown Structure
Figure 5.5: Project Management Plan, Project Report, Data Date—August 8, 2008
Figure 5.6: Performance Reports, Activity Report, Data Date April 30, 2009
Acknowledgments
We may consider project management planning (PMP) as an analytical setting for arranging daily requirements, changes, and decisions related to project scope, time, resources, cost, quality, risk, benefits, satisfaction, and other attributes. Tough decisions are required sometimes in a situation where many unknowns and limitations in PMP exist. Yet the project manager must move forward, whether the action will work out or not, and live with the consequences.
I learned the above knowledge consistently and continuously while living in Sarajevo and working as a construction management trainee for Vranica and reporting to the Construction Director Dz. Muhamedagic; as a department manager in Energoinvest-ERC and reporting to the CEO M. Cico; and as vice-president in Energoinves-IDV and reporting to the CEO Z. Selmanagic.
Then happened the siege of Sarajevo, which led to the massive destruction of lives, environments, and social structures in Sarajevo. Energoinvest was in flame. I was assigned by the Premier of RBiH (Republic Bosnia and Hercegovina) J. Pelivan to the Government Commission for Estimating the War Damages. In an extraordinarily complex situation, M. Dizdarevic supervised the commission, the RBiH’s Secretary of the Construction Industry, whose management style and attitude could not have been more pleasing. After 30 months of wartime, I ended ←xv | xvi→my last assignment in Bosnia. I took off into unknown roads. I felt so gratified and attached to where I am from as my life was to change soon.
I settled in the United States in November 1994, with solid experience and the particular knowledge and realization that each project manager must be responsible for developing and implementing a project management plan.
My first professional job in the United States was with Luckett and Farley Engineering. I was hired as program manager for a multi-project planning work. I got the privilege to help develop and update project management plan weekly for 7 to 12 project managers and build an integrated program plan. It was an exciting experience to communicate the general approach of PMP to a diversified group of general managers, architects, construction managers, accountants, estimators, and others. I learned a lot during that period, especially about the role of project management planning in case of an uprising, and downsizing of architect and construction engineering organization, and rightsizing of derivative startups. I appreciate the exemplary support and professional commitment extended by J. Stewart, vice-president, and G, Blackmore, department manager of Luckett and Farley. I also wish to express my special thanks to team members and my friends and peers, Project Managers T. Mihaljevic, H. R. Guyton, T. Smith, P. Newman, M. Mazeika, P. Burkhead. J. Sugars, J. Dortch, and others for their advice and for accommodating, accepting, and supporting me as one of the team and providing me with valuable inputs and wisdom about my work.
Several years later, I joined the FKI Logistex Integration Division and met a team of experienced engineers and project managers. It was the time when the FKI Logistex project team was working to tie-in the technology management processes and project management processes for better accomplishment of contracts. We confronted situations where strategic technological decisions emerged outside the project manager’s influence, threatening to derail the effort of the project team and project’s success. During this endeavor, I worked closely with R. Crawford, vice-president; T. Brennan, department manager; Project Managers M. Hockensmith, V. Williams, R. Stoess, K. Anderson, P. Mankowski, and others. I want to express my most profound appreciation for their help while learning new technologies and communicating possible solutions. I recall the priceless moments in my professional life when I had the chance to work with an inspired team and received extraordinary management support. Then, my whole work, including the reconstruction of information between technology management and project management processes, grew to a higher level and made the project manager’s views heard.
←xvi | xvii→Next, I joined Vanderlande Industries as a Project Planner, primarily motivated by the success of Vanderlande’s big project, the UPS World Project, completed on time. Several moments helped develop and communicate the plan that matched the site work and covered the payment application process for numerous contractors. At the same time, the plan served as a top-level project performance report. Thanks to the silent and continuous support from J. Broeksteeg, project director; W. Vos, construction manager; and my peers and friends, E. Cengic, C. van Gog, T. Davidson, J. Connell, T. Grant, M. Walker, and other professionals—the development, update, and communication of the integrated project management plan became a common interest.
All the above experiences felt like a cultural cohesion among professional people benefiting from PMP.
Several others offered suggestions and clarifications during the course of publishing my previous books about system logic, something which I have also accommodated to strengthen the present books’ discussions on the innovations in the development of PMP. In this sense, I am deeply grateful to R. Archibald for his endorsement and M. Wideman for his continuous support of the system logic idea. Without their support and encouragement, this textbook would not have come into fruition.
The book is also benefitted greatly from a highly devoted Acquisition Editor D. Green, who was helped and supported me at all the stages of the writing this book, and the Production Editor N. Palani who patiently managed the final touch of the book.
Special thanks are due to several anonymous reviewers for their effort to ensure that this book turned out to be a good-quality text for students and budding professionals.
Finally, I wish to thank my chronically busy family for their understanding while I was collecting materials and formatting and writing the draft versions of this book.
But this story has to reach students, practitioners, and scholars since writing in our society has to be endorsed by readers. Suppose this book helps educators introduce the values and limitations of PMP and prepare readers to advance their project management knowledge. In that case, many readers will see how project management experiences and concerns rise to a higher level and more stories follow.
Foreword
In this book, I describe new perspectives on the principles of project management planning (PMP) that apply to a subject whose components can be identified, quantified, related, implemented, controlled, and updated. The book shows integration and compatibility among principles of PMP and how we can use those principles for most development, research, or maintenance projects in construction, information technology, production, and others. This part of the book is fundamental for professional PMP.
I use the same principles of PMP to reveal and explain the system logic hidden within a collection of project management knowledge. Applying PMP principles to an empirical cluster of project management knowledge creates a positive condition that facilitates and supports the development and incorporation of critical outputs sequences in project management system knowledge. The book shows how the critical outputs sequence can be used as a textbook outline to develop a project management plan by augmenting the project management system knowledge. This part of the book is ahead of time and essential for understanding the project management system logic and the system approach to PMP.
To clearly express a complicated theme in simple terms, I first explain the genesis and application of fundamental theories and resulting methodologies for PMP. Then I derive the symmetric tools that help reveal and explain the logic of ←xix | xx→a project management system. Having the system logic of a recognized project management system, I select real-life projects and demonstrate the steps involved in the system approach to PMP. The book shows how:
• a model of project management system knowledge can expose its hypothetical meaning.
• to establish the critical links within the contents of the project management system and reveal its system logic.
• to debug and sense the system logic.
• to modify the system logic to better express the requirements and conditions of the specific project management plan.
• the system logic helps the practitioner or the reader to advance the contents and the application process of PMP.
Besides, I demonstrate how understanding the project or system contents can be considerably simplified when explaining the principles of PMP. The book shows that such an approach provides a measurable basis for comparing project management systems and enhances the contents and processes of the systems. I demonstrate how this line of reasoning should improve both the project management system logic and project management plan.
The above idea of the system approach to PMP originates from my works published earlier. It complements the understanding about project management system and its role in project management.
Preface
Project management planning is the science and art of handling planned responsibility and unexpected conditions. But evidence shows two massive gaps in PMP, across the community. The first gap is between current PMP and its potential as a practical discipline. The second gap is between project management system knowledge and its potential as an applied research discipline.
What do the project management scholars, students, practitioners, managers, or management trainees need to overcome these gaps? How does an individual realize the practical and research potentials of PMP? Suppose we do not understand both the current PMP and project management system knowledge. In that case, the gaps will get wider and mess up the project’s development. If we have understood them well, then how should we manage these gaps?
Let’s begin with facts. Each project is different when it comes to its technology, size, conditions, and objectives or whether it is related to types of activities and services such as construction, information technology, product development. However, the attributes, for example, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, benefits, and others, are generally shared across projects. For that reason, comprehensive PMP principles can be applied across all types of projects. Otherwise, we cannot identify the differences and commonalities between how different projects ←xxi | xxii→are planned and completed, and think about integrated project management for projects, programs, or project businesses.
Therefore, it is not about how to modify an existing method or create a new method to suit a project but about how to improve PMP potential to accommodate any project. It is about a simple, comprehensive explanation of the continuous path from practice and applied research to a system for PMP. Such an approach makes a difference since it promotes new perspectives that help to constantly improve project management system knowledge and, consequently, PMP. Suppose a specific teaching strategy links the PMP project management system knowledge. In that case, the teaching strategy’s implementation takes advantage of both and reveals the system for PMP. Why should it work and how?
Project management planning has to be specific in terms of developing and implementing the project management plan. For this purpose, we must:
• Define, communicate, and explain the PMP objectives.
• Evaluate decision processes and actions to ensure support for PMP objectives.
• Motivate project stakeholders to accomplish PMP objectives.
This part of the book simplifies the learning and application of PMP essential for students and project management trainees interested in understanding PMP. Figure 4.2 illustrates a simple, sufficient, and reliable management summary report for the project valued at US$350 million, completed in 36 months, and described by 8,000 activities and about a 100,000 activity attributes. The weekly updated report helps top managers to assess the status, progress, and forecasts of the project and central contracts and make responsible decisions. The forms, selection, organization, usage, and update of PMP data and reports are transparent to any team or teams involved in the implementation of the whole project or the project programs’ components. Understanding this part of the book (Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4) is a precondition for and key to project management’s success in contemporary times.
Project management system knowledge has to be explicit in developing and implementing project management system logic. For this purpose, we must:
• Display the system logic in a relative timeframe and discuss the meaning of the system logic.
• Give a good reason for adapting the system logic to specific planning objectives.
Details
- Pages
- XXXII, 344
- Year
- 2022
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9781433189319
- ISBN (ePUB)
- 9781433189326
- ISBN (MOBI)
- 9781433189333
- ISBN (Hardcover)
- 9781433189340
- ISBN (Softcover)
- 9781433189357
- DOI
- 10.3726/b19696
- Language
- English
- Publication date
- 2022 (August)
- Keywords
- Project Management Planning project management system logic system approach to project management plan Abdomerovic Muhamed
- Published
- New York, Berlin, Bruxelles, Lausanne, Oxford, 2022. XXXII, 344 pp., 38 b/w ill.
