AQA Information and Communication Technology/Project Management

From Wikibooks

A project is a short-term activity with specified objectives that is usally part of a larger plan. Most projects have a team of varied skills.

Projects have specific characteristics, such as:

• Specified objectives
• Specific budgets
• Specified schedule
• Temporary teams

Projects are headed by a project manger - someone who has a degree of technical skills in addition to managerial skills. The project manager plans the project and recruits staff. He or she monitors project progress and reports the status. He or she controls budgets, prepares performance appraisals and acts as an intermediary between the users, the managers and the developers.

The project manager hires the development team and has to balance the size. If the team is too small, the workload becomes unmanagable, and if it is too large, morale drops, absenteeism occurs and labour turnover rises.

The 5 principles of staffing are:

1. Employee the top talent (fewer, better people)
2. Job matching (match skills to tasks)
3. Team balancing
4. Phase out unsuitable staff
5. Allow career progression

The characteristics of a good team is one where

• The leadership provides inspiration and motivation
• Tasks are allocated well (the best person for each job)
• Standards are set and observed (procedures, documentation, etc)
• The costs, schedules and progression of the project are monitored and controlled.

The project plan should cover a task definition (what needs to be done), skill identification (who can do it) and training (who needs to be able to do what).