MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

PROJECT MANAGEMENT means planning, executing,

scheduling and controlling activities to provide solutions to the identified problems.

A. Project Plan

C. Project Schedule D. Project Control

E. Documentation Policies & Guidelines

B. Organizing the Project Team

Project Plan
Serves as the nucleus of a consulting engagement and provides a guide to staff assignment and completion dates Provides the consultant with updated status at any point during the project Should be updated at least weekly, providing comparison of planned and actual resources and results Usually begins with an engagement kick off meeting A key element in getting the project off to a good start

Kick Off Meeting

This kick off meeting will play a key role in establishing the tenor of the project and should be carefully orchestrated to cover significant points in the project process. Important topics to be addressed at the meeting:
1.
2. 3.

Review of the engagement proposal - To summarize & review objectives, scope, benefits & resolution Discussion of the work objectives Logical follow-on to discussion of engagement objectives and benefits Definition of intermediate work results Serves as the beginning point for development of the detailed work plan Serves as measuring points for progress Serves to break the project into mini-projects

Kick Off Meeting Continued)

4.

5.

Responsibility assignments and client participation General assignments of duties for project planning management, project task work and review of project progress at milestone points Project completion date the kick off party should end with: Review of the decisions and agreement reached Statement that outlines the general steps in the project and that focuses on the development and presentation of the detailed work plan Every participant understand how the engagement will proceed as well as his or her individual responsibilities

Before deciding on the details of the kickoff meeting, a decision should be made regarding the time, venue, participants and the agenda for the meeting.

Developing the Detailed Work Plan

Serves as the blueprint for execution of the engagement and a means by which the consultant can monitor project progress It also shows what staff will be needed to complete the project, as well as when and for how long will they be needed.

Elements of the Detailed Engagement Work Plan

Task Relationship Task Identification And Description Estimating The work effort

Scheduling Tasks

Detailed Work Plan Review Staffing The Project

Determining Review Point

Project Costing

ORGANIZING THE PROJECT TEAM

A project team may be just one consultant or may consist of several persons.

Team briefing should be held before assigning the project tasks to members of the project team.
Briefing should also discuss:
Responsibility for clerical function
Responsibility for travel arrangement Working space in the clients office Working hours to be observed Unusual aspects of working with particular client Project progress reporting Project strategy

Project schedule

Project Control Gantt Chart

Project Control PERT

Documentation policies and guidelines

What documentation policies and guidelines should be

established for internal use? How should documentation be prepared and reviewed to ensure quality control and responsibility for the documentation/ What documentation is needed to support conclusions? How long and where should client work papers be retained?

Work Papers
Purpose Contents Format

TIME MANAGEMENT
Effective Time Management 1. Be aware of time 2. Prioritize tasks 3. Anticipate tasks 4. Avoid putting off jobs 5. Break down tasks 6. Ensure deadlines are understood 7. Be prepared 8. Support others with time management

Time Management System

3 Essential Parts A guide to breaking down projects into their component tasks A means of reminding when the tasks is due to be completed A guide to reviewing the tasks One page plans flow chart that illustrate the stage of the project Tasks-to-do list divides the project into intervals Job cards splits the project into task types rather than time intervals The project log can be used as the basis of or to support effective time management

Managing Project Shocks

Common Reasons: Changes in clients interests Changes in the clients business situation Cuts in expenditure Misinterpretation of information Loss of key people Responding to Project Shocks: Be prepared Avoid panic Refer back aims and objectives Evaluate resource implication Modify plans Communicate

The End.....

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