Schulz / Meier Project Management

A Practical Guideline for Today´s Project Managers
3rd Auflage
ISBN: 978-3-381-13483-0
Verlag: UVK Verlag
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 258 Seiten

For years, advocates of professional project work have stressed the growing shift towards project-oriented work structures. This has now become a reality in the daily routines of many employees and managers. Consequently, strong project management skills are becoming increasingly vital to business success. Following the five project management phases of DIN 69901:2009 and supplemented by chapters on cross-phase competencies and agile methods, this book offers a clear and professionally sound presentation of the modernised ICB 4.0 framework (effective from January 1, 2024). Its structured content, illustrated by a consistent project example, not only guides readers but also ensures they are well-prepared to meet the IPMA ICB 4.0 examination requirements. This book equips anyone seeking to engage in professional project management with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully apply current best practices.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schulz, Marcus

Meier, Tinka

Leseproben

1Basics of Project Management

Figure 1 – ICB Elements in project management basics

The terms explained below ? project, project management, process, task, project portfolio, project management office and project types ? are the content of the ICB elements Governance, structures and processes and Project design.

Governance, structures and processes (4.3.2)

[GPM17a, page 47, translated]

Project design (4.5.1)

[GPM17a, page 106, translated]

1.1Terminology

Term	Explanation

Project

DIN 69901 defines a project as a ‘project that is essentially characterised by the uniqueness of its conditions’ [DIN20a]. According to ICB 4.0, a project is ‘a one-off, time-limited, interdisciplinary, organised undertaking to achieve specified work results within the framework of predefined requirements and framework conditions’. [GPM17a] The characteristics of a project derived from this are defined beginning and end at least one goal professional (interdisciplinary) and socially complex project-specific organisation limited resources unique, new

Project management

DIN 69901 defines project management as ‘the entirety of management tasks, organisation, techniques and resources for the initialisation, definition, planning, control and completion of projects’ [DIN20a]. ICB 4.0 adds ‘Project management is concerned with the application of methods, tools, techniques and competences for a project in order to achieve objectives.’ [GPM17a] Project management is a temporary task over the course of a project.

Programme

Time-limited project that includes several related projects that all aim to achieve an overarching (strategic) goal

Programme management

The totality of management tasks, organisation, techniques and resources for the selection, definition, initialisation, definition (integrated) planning and control of projects that have an overarching (strategic) objective and are combined in a programme. Programme management is a temporary task over the course of a programme.

Multi-project management (MPM)

Application of project management methods and procedures in multiproject situations, e.g. by coordinating deadlines, resource utilisation, delivery objects etc. between several projects in order to exploit synergy effects and avoid mutual disruptions. MPM provides an organisational and procedural framework for the management of several individual projects. Depending on the type and scope of the project situation, it can be divided into the areas of programme management and project portfolio management [SEID19] [MOTZ17].

Project portfolio

A project portfolio bundles projects in a defined area of responsibility for the purpose of overarching planning and control. It is based on the overarching objective (e.g. from the strategy) of the company, selects projects taking into account scarce resources and initiates their implementation [DIN20d, PATZ17].

Project portfolio management

In contrast to project and programme management, project portfolio management is a permanent task. Like project management, project portfolio management also encompasses the entirety of management tasks, organisation, techniques and resources, but here for the overarching planning and control of an organisation's project portfolios [DIN20d, MOTZ17].

Process

Generally speaking, a process is a series of activities that generate a defined result (output) from a defined input, which makes this simple definition more precise [MOTZ17]. It describes a process as a ‘sequence of related and/or interrelated process steps that have a beginning and an end in time and are converted into results by the inputs.’ Project management processes can be found in DIN 69901, which defines a minimum standard for project management [DIN20a].

Task	In the project context, tasks are ‘requests derived from objectives to individuals, groups of people or organisations to complete a certain task … under given conditions and using certain means and to achieve the specified objectives.’ [MOTZ17]

Table 2 – Terminology

1.2Project management office

A project management office (PMO) is a mostly permanent cross-project support function which provides the methodological framework and PM standards for the projects on the one hand and accompanies the introduction and optimisation of the company's project management system on the other. Another key task is to provide operational support to project managers and other project participants.

The following table shows examples of the tasks, competences and accountabilities (TCA – see also section 3.5.2) of the PMO (based on [PFET20] and [PATZ17])

Task

Classify and review project applications Prepare meetings of the steering committee Maintain the project portfolio Advise and train project participants in the use of the PM manual / procedure model Maintain and further develop the PM manual / procedure model Organise the exchange of experience between project managers

Competence (Authority)

Demand compliance with the specified guidelines for project management (PM manual / procedure model) Request project status reports

Accountability

For informing the applicant about the status of their project application For transparency about critical developments in the project portfolio or in the event of resource overload

Table 3 – TCA of a PMO (example)

1.3Project types

Projects are categorised into different dimensions in common practice. Project types are often classified according to their object (project content) [GPM17b]

Investment project

Research and development project

Organisational project

Project type

Explanation

Investment project

Require a high degree of planning and control according to their plan

Research and development project (R&D)

Relationship between input and output is often uncertain, solutions are usually reproducible

Organisational project (change project)

Require variable planning, as the foundations of...