Project Management Methodology Training Manual

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Project Management Methodology
CMS PROJECT OFFICE Training Manual

Last Revised: June 3, 2006

DRAFT
CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

REVISION CONTROL

Document Title: CMS Project Management Methodology

Author: Paul M. Picciotta

File Reference: HSU_Project_Office_Training_20060531.doc

Date By Action Pages
11/16/05 P Picciotta Initial draft All
05/2006 P Picciotta Rewrite All

Review/Approval History

Date By Action Pages
11/2005 CMS Project Reviewed Initial Draft All
Director

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

COURSE OUTLINE
PAGE
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................................3
WELCOME................................................................................................................................................................................4
COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENT ..............................................................................................................................................4
THE STUDENT’S COMMITMENT TO THE CAMPUS .....................................................................................................................4
COURSE COMPONENTS ............................................................................................................................................................4
TRAINING OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................................................................5
CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE (PMO) METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................6
PMO METHODOLOGY PROCESS...............................................................................................................................................6
PROJECT LIFECYCLE ................................................................................................................................................................6
PMO PROJECT TOOLKIT ..........................................................................................................................................................7
PMO METHODOLOGY GLOSSARY ...........................................................................................................................................7
PMO PROCESS & REFERENCE GUIDE ......................................................................................................................................7
SECTION TUTORIAL & EXERCISES ...........................................................................................................................................7
INITIATING A NEW PROJECT: PROJECT PROPOSAL.................................................................................................8
MANAGING THE PROJECT: PLANNING & ORGANIZATION...................................................................................10
KEY DELIVERABLES ..............................................................................................................................................................10
CREATING THE PROJECT PLAN WITH MICROSOFT PROJECT ...................................................................................................11
Customizing the Project Plan Template ...........................................................................................................................12
SUMMARY & REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................25
Steps for Building the Project Plan..................................................................................................................................25
Additional Microsoft Project Tips....................................................................................................................................25
EXECUTING THE PROJECT: TRACKING & REPORTING PROGRESS ..................................................................26
TRACKING PROGRESS ............................................................................................................................................................26
Create A Baseline.............................................................................................................................................................26
Update the Gantt Chart View & Track Actuals................................................................................................................26
EXECUTING THE PROJECT: CHANGE MANAGEMENT ...........................................................................................27
APPENDIX ONE: FEEDBACK FORM................................................................................................................................28
APPENDIX TWO: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES...............................................................................................................29
APPENDIX THREE: BASIC GLOSSARY ..........................................................................................................................30

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

Updates –
Students bring operational/ongoing (at least list of standing meetings) – show how spending time.
Will need to use the exercise to emphasize the point of effective meetings.
Maybe add “effective meetings” session at the end.

Make discrete hands on labs or exercises – series of demos, then labs.

Start with walk through of sample project plan as way to explain the concepts we’ll learn in the class.

Concepts to add –
Clear explanatin of automatic leveling v. manual leveling
Reporting – thru ms project; and CMS PMO standards (project status reports; team member
status; cms status; etc.).
o Add organizational resource reporting session.
Weekly hours/yr correction – 51 or 62?
Question on fields in options and proj. calendar
o Schedule from fiscal year.
o Impact of working calendar on durations.
Update PMO docs
Add instructor’s copy

Additional hour break out sessions:
“effective meetings”
“organizational resource planning”

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

INTRODUCTION
This course has been developed by the Common Management Systems (CMS) Project Office to teach
technology project managers working on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) related projects the skills
and knowledge required to perform effectively and ensure project success.

Welcome
Welcome to Humboldt State University’s project management methodology training. The course will
cover topics including:
Standardized project management practices that allow a project manager to successfully plan and
manage any project related to the ERP software, which is PeopleSoft throughout the 23 campus
California State University system.
Use of Microsoft Project as a key component of the project management methodology.
Resources available to help you along the way.

Commitment to the Student
The CMS Project Office, starting with the Director, recognizes the value of taking an entire day out of
your work week to attend this class. Our commitment to you in return for your time is:
Provide you with a comfortable environment in which to learn;
Successfully meet defined course objectives & goals;
Enable you to succeed in performance of your job as a project manager; and,
Provide the resources necessary to support you with the application of the skills & knowledge
you will acquire from this course.

The Student’s Commitment to the Campus
In return, we seek the following commitment from each student attending this class (if you are not
comfortable with making such a commitment, please discuss this with the instructor immediately):
Be courteous to your fellow student:
o turn cell phones, pagers, etc. to vibrate mode;
o avoid side conversations during group discussions and lecture;
o respect the investment by the campus in offering this class; and,
o respect the time of your colleagues who are here to learn.
Ensure your attendance. Seats are limited. If for any reason you are unable to attend the entire
duration of the course, please let your instructor know immediately.
Try your best to learn. If something is missing and it is a requirement for you to effectively
learn, please let the instructor know. Even if it cannot be addressed for the immediate course,
your feedback will help improve future courses and CMS product service in general.

Course Components
Not everyone learns the same way. In appreciation of that, this course delivers content through:
documentation, lecture, hand-on exercises, and visual demonstrations. Content includes:
This training manual.
Lecture content and handouts that supplement the information in this manual.
Orientation to the Project Manager’s Toolkit Web page.
Computer based exercises which utilize the fictitious, “Project Blackhawk”.

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TRAINING OBJECTIVES
The following are the defined objectives of this course for each participant:
Understand the software lifecycle as it relates to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software
such as PeopleSoft implementations & upgrades.
To facilitate success of CMS projects through the use of a fully developed project management
methodology.
To teach participants:
o where to find and how to use CMS project management resources;
o how to successfully manage a CMS project from start to finish;
o the project management lifecycle and key activities during each phase;
o how to use the functionality available in Microsoft Project to aid in the management of
CMS projects.
To enable CMS project managers to use standardized tools, templates, and methodologies so that
all projects are managed in a consistent format. This accomplishes the following:
o enables each project manager to help their peers and vice versa;
o facilitates employees across campus becoming more familiar with project management
documents and standards which will contribute to increasing rates of success over time
and improved communication; and,
o enables executives to receive consistent, standardized project updates and status reports.
To provide each participant with the skills and knowledge required to apply the standardized
project management methodology established for CMS related information technology projects.

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE (PMO) METHODOLOGY

PMO Methodology Process
A standardized project management methodology accomplishes the following:
Provides a standards based, repeatable process to guide projects from concept to completion.
Introduces generally accepted project management techniques and practices that fit within the
culture and business needs of Humboldt State University. These are derived from research of
practices in use by largely successful (as rated by the Gartner Group) consulting firms, and the
Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org).
Defines roles and responsibilities associated with each step in managing a project, and associated
deliverables; i.e., the project management methodology conveys what to do and how to do it.
Explains the standard project lifecycle phases and key activities.
Serves as a checklist of what is to be accomplished.
Provides tools and reference material to facilitate the work of both experienced and novice
project managers.

Project Lifecycle
The graphic below shows the project lifecycle phases and activities. It is the highest level roadmap of
project activities. Familiarity with this activities depicted in this graphic is essential to success as a
project manager. For more information, please see the CMS Project Management Methodology Process
Guide, which also includes links to templates associated with each activity.

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PMO Project Toolkit
The project manager’s toolkit provides the new project manager with all the tools they need to be
successful at their job. It includes:
An inventory of each template available as part of HSU’s project management methodology; and
for each:
A description of purpose and contents;
Explanation of where it fits within the project lifecycle;
The approval process within our organization; and,
Links/URLs for finding the template online.
A description of additional project management standards required of all CMS project managers;
and,
A brief overview of project manager tools available or being research at HSU, including: MS
Project, and MS Project Server, and a Knowledge Exchange.

PMO Methodology Glossary
The Project Management Office Methodology Glossary is a dictionary of terms relevant to the
responsibilities of project management at Humboldt State University.

PMO Process & Reference Guide
The Project Management Office Practice & Reference guide ties together all of the resources mentioned
this far, by explaining the project managers what needs to happen and when. For each phase in the
project lifecycle, it tells management what key deliverables should be considered and offers guidance as
to when they are most relevant.
For example, not every project requires a detailed risk management plan, while others may be of such
grave importance to the success of the organization, or of such substantial cost, that extra time should be
invested into risk assessment and mitigation.

Section Tutorial & Exercises
For each of the four key components available to assist project managers at HSU and described in this
section, additional, more detailed documentation exists and is available online.

CMS Project Office Methodology Web Page Overview

Navigate to www.humboldt.edu/~cms/pmo Tour the CMS Project Management Office
Login as: pmo with password: rhinotek+1 Methodology web page.

What is the approval process for your project’s scope
document?
(hint, lookup scope document in the PMO Toolkit)

During what phase must the flux capacitor be
assessed?
(hint, lookup flux capacitor in the PMO Glossary)

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INITIATING A NEW PROJECT: PROJECT PROPOSAL
This section describes how every individual can contribute to the long term strategy plans of Humboldt
State University’s CMS Project Office. This is accomplished by taking advantage of the pre-project
initiation process (see graphic). The high level steps are further explained below.
PRE-PROJECT INITIATION LIFE CYLCE PHASE

Business Driver, Problem, &
STAKEHOLDERs
STAKEHOLDERs

Business proposed project Charter STAKEHOLDER
Problem or submitted to PMO via FINDS
Need www.humboldt.edu/~cms/ ALTERNATE
Detected feedback.html SOLUTION

Charter
NO
Accepted?
YES

PMO Project
PROJECT REJECTED
Evaluation
PMO
PMO

PROJECT NEEDED

PMO Project Lifecycle
Additional Charter Shared
Beings:
FINALIZES With Stakeholders
Approval NO PHASE 1:
PROJECT PLANNING &
Required?
CHARTER ORGANIZATION
CMS EXECUTIVE SPONSOR

YES
CMS EXECUTIVE SPONSOR

Project
Approved?

PMO
Finalizes
YES
Project
Charter

Step 1 – Business Need Detected [Any HSU Stakeholder]
Any employee or interested party who finds a problem, has an idea for more efficient operations, or
perceives a need for a technology based solution suitable to a project managed by the CMS Project
Office gathers their thoughts including multiple options for potential solutions. They should submit
their initial thoughts and contact information using the feedback form available at:
www.humboldt.edu/~cms/feedback.html
The CMS Project Office will make contact with the individual to obtain details about the business need
and help them draft a proposed Project Charter.

Step 2 - PMO Reviews New Project Proposal [CMS Project Office Management
Team]
The CMS Project Office will collaboratively review the project proposal in light of the totality of
circumstances affecting the long term technology strategy at HSU. This may include discussion with
stakeholders, analysis of required costs and timeline, analysis of impact relative to the existing CMS
Roadmap, likelihood of success, and other factors as well.

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Step 3 – Project Approval [CMS Project Director and/or CMS Executive Sponsor]
If the project is feasible and makes good business sense, it may be forwarded to the CMS Executive
Sponsor for final approval. In some cases, the project may be of a scope where additional approval
(beyond the CMS Project Director) is not required; e.g., low cost or nominal impact to the campus.

Step 4 – Charter Finalized [Project Sponsor(s) & CMS Project Office]
Upon project approval by either the CMS Project Director or CMS Executive Sponsor, the Project
Charter is finalized. The Charter is the starting point for all other project management documentation.
It should provide a very high level mission and objectives for the project, which will serve as the basis
for a more detailed scope document. Developing the Charter should involve key stakeholders and
project sponsors.

Step 5 – Project Planning Begins [Project Manager]
After the Project Charter is finalized and after the CMS Project Office appoints a project manager, the
project moves into Phase 1 of the project lifecycle, where detailed planning and organization will take
place.

Next Up!
The planning & organization phase is the focus of most of the remainder of this course. In the sections
that follow, you will learn through hands-on exercises in Microsoft Project, how to build a project plan
that incorporates the critical components of our CMS Project Management Office Methodology.

Tips & Tricks! Consider All the Circumstances
Not every project is the same. The project manager applying the standards and methods available to
them through HSU’s project management methodology must consider the totality of the circumstances
affecting their unique project.
For example, a project with a scope and timeline that lasts less then a month and costs the campus zero
out of pocket expenses does not necessarily warrant months of planning and development of every
possible project management document.
On the other hand, a multi-year, multi-million dollar project demands careful attention to every detail.

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

MANAGING THE PROJECT: PLANNING & ORGANIZATION
The planning & organization phase of the project is perhaps the most critical. Many projects suffer from
a lack of completion in this phase, which can leave the project manager scrambling to develop critical
planning documents after the hands on work of their project team has already begun.
Avoid the frustrations that can result from putting yourself in that position by completing your planning
phase early and thoroughly developing the deliverables suitable for the unique nature of your project.
Key deliverables may include all or some of the items listed in the list below, (depending on the nature
or the project). The remainder of this section focuses on the development of the last item listed, the
project plan.

Key Deliverables
Project Scope Document
Goals & Objectives
Timeline
Project Stakeholders & Participants
Roles & Responsibilities
Approach
Scope Management Plan
Risks Assessment & Management Strategy
Quality Control Management Plan
Communication Plan
Issues Management Approach
Project Success Criteria
Project Plan

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Creating the Project Plan with Microsoft Project
This section is meant to help the user understand and use Microsoft Project to fully develop the CMS
Project Office provided project plan templates.
The process involves three essential high level steps, which are iterative; i.e., they must be repeated and
updated as more information becomes available. That is, as a project progresses, predictions of future
activities can be made more accurate based on updated information about events, variables, etc.. The
graphic below depicts this process.

Tips & Tricks! Build in Checkpoints
Build into your plan project checkpoints where you allocate time to assess progress and update plans.

1 – DEVELOP/REVISE TASK PLAN
Build an inventory of major tasks in your project.
Update this list after phase completion and/or
new information becomes available.
2 -DEVELOP
2 - DEVELOP/UPDATE RESOURCE 1 - DEVELOP (UPDATE)
(REVISE) TASK RESOURCE
PLAN PLAN PLAN
Assign resources to each task and update time
allocations when warranted by new information.

3 – TRACK/MANAGE TASKS &
RESOURCE
Update your project plan weekly to ensure you
keep track of progress and are constantly 3 - TRACK /
gathering the information required to update your MANAGE
plans (and know whether you will finish on time TASKS &
RESOURCES
and on budget!).

Next Up: Project Blackhawk!
Welcome to Project Blackhawk!

Your mission for the remainder of the course is to successfully develop, track, and report on a project
plan for the mission critical Project Blackhawk! Not to worry, everything you need to know to be
successful will be provided to you through the hands on exercises that follow!

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The detailed steps for developing your customized project plan are listed below, in order of occurrence.
Each step will be examined further as we embark upon Project Blackhawk.
Customize the project plan template: establish default settings, timeline, etc.
List the tasks in the project
Assign resources
Level resources
Review, set, and adjust resources & task constraints
Identify risks and build in contingencies
Publish the plan

Customizing the Project Plan Template
In this step you, as the Project Manager for Project Blackhawk, will accomplish the following:
Familiarize yourself with the default layouts of MS Project.
Learn the location of PMO templates and supporting documents on the HSU web site.
Download the PMO project plan template.
Set up your default project preferences for Project Blackhawk.

Launch Microsoft Project

This is the Gantt Chart
view. The view
consists of three
columns.

On the left is the
project creation wizard.

In the middle, is the
task entry area where
you will enter each Task Entry Area Gantt Chart Timeline
individual project
activity along with its
start and end dates. Project Setup
Wizard
On the right is the
Gantt Chart Timeline,
which provides a
graphical timeline of
project activities.

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Set the Default Task Entry View

Close the Project
Jumpstart Wizard
(left most column)

Select
Tools>Macro>Record
New Macro

Assign the letter t for
the action key.

Click OK

Select
View>More
Views>Task Entry

Click APPLY

Your view should now
look like the screenshot
to the right:

Select
Tools>Macro>Stop
Recorder

As you work through
the training you can
now return to this basic
task and resource entry
view at any time by
pressing:

CTRL + t

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Open & Setup the CMS Project Plan Template

Select
File>Open>
PMO_Proj_Plan.mpp

Note the 7 Key project
phases and first
section for tracking
ongoing management
activities.

The template
jumpstarts your CMS
specific project.

It contains those fields
that are most
important to your
initial planning efforts.

Select File>Save As Enter a new filename using this standard: Blackhawk_YYYYMMDD.mpp

Set file properties
which auto populate
custom fields (often
used in headers and
footers)

Select
File>Properties

Click OK

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Additional Formatting

Adjust Headers and
Footers.

Select
View>Header and
Footer

Enter the project
name,
“BLACKHAWK”
where the center
header tab reads
Project XYZ

All of the other header
and footer fields will
auto-populate.

Click PRINT
PREVIEW
(bottom left hand
corner) to see the
headers and footers.

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Set up the Project Calendar & Working Time

Set your Project
Start Date.

Select
Project>Project
Information

Check start and
current date fields
read: 06/01/06

Use the fill down
button and predecessor
field to help quickly
set the default
template task start
dates to 06/01/06.

Check your Calendar
Defaults.

Select
Tools>Options
(calendar tab)

Do NOT change any
of these settings.

Keep in mind the
following:

20 days per month

8 hours/day
40 hours/week
160 hours/month

52 weeks/year (51 @
CSU)

Approx 255 business
days per year.

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CMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING MANUAL

Adjust Working Time

Select
Tools>Change
Working Time

Advance to Dec 2006
Highlight 12/25-12/29
and select the radial
button for:
“Nonworking time”

WARNING –
It is imperative you
check and adjust
calendar and working
time defaults prior to
scheduling resources.

If you think the team
will not take work Plan For & Prevent the Worst Case Scenario
seriously on the last
day before a holiday, Set your organizational non-working time; then set non-working time for all
set it to a half day, or foreseeable out of office time for each project team member. Try to account
full day of non- for marriage and baby leaves of absence, vacations, surgeries, etc..
working time; e.g.,
check 12/22/06. Many projects fail because of resource shortages that are preventable by
paying attention to this particular detail for each team member and the
organization as a whole.

Set Your Default
Task Type.

Select
Tools>Options
(schedule tab)

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Balancing the Project: Scope, Time, and Resources

The Project
Management
Challenge

Balancing project
scope, the project
timeline, and available SCOPE TIME
human and fiscal
resources is one of the
primary challenges
facing the project
manager.

The three task types
RESOURCES: MONEY, STAFF, ETC.
are the tools MS
Project offers for
manipulating the This challenge is further complicated for the CMS project manager at HSU
variables to achieve a since the timeline variable for most projects is beyond the control of our
balance that works for campus; i.e., typically our project start and end dates are dictated by either or
our organization and both the Chancellor’s Office and the product vendor (Oracle).
the specific
requirements of each FIXED DURATION
individual project.
• The total number of days to complete the task do not change
The three task types: when other variables do change.

Fixed Duration FIXED UNITS
• The % of time a resource is allocated to a task never changes,
Fixed Units while the total number of days (duration) they must work on the
task or the total number of hours may change.
Fixed Work.
FIXED WORK
• The total number of hours a resource is assigned to work on a
task will not change, while the units or duration may change.

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Understanding Task Types: Fixed Duration, Units, Work

Changes to Fixed • Revise units, work changes, duration is fixed.
Duration Tasks • Revise work, units changes, duration is fixed.
produce these • Revise duration, work changes, units are fixed.
results:

Changes to Fixed • Revise duration, work changes, units are fixed.
Unit Tasks produce • Revise work, duration changes, units are fixed.
these results: • Revise units, duration changes, work is fixed.

Changes to Fixed • Revise duration, units change, work is fixed.
Work Tasks produce • Revise units, duration changes, work is fixed.
these results: • Revise work, duration changes, units are fixed.

Project Advisor: refer (often) to the row in this chart that relates to the task type in use for your project
or individual task whenever you need to adjust or balance a team member’s % of time allocated (units),
total number of days working on the task (duration), and/or total hours allocated for completing the task
(work).

The challenge for CMS projects is the constant need to adjust start and end dates for tasks. As much as
possible, note the three key variables before making any such change; i.e., note % of time allocated,
duration, and total work hours.

Results can appear unpredictable and confusing; but the following exercises are meant to help explain
the impact of the types of changes a CMS project manager will often need to make, and enable you, as
the project manager to produce more accurate and valuable project plans.

Project Advisor: For CMS Projects Use Fixed Duration Task Types
Given the start and end date constraints prevalent in most CMS projects, the Fixed Duration task type is
often the easiest to work with, since it provides automatic adjustments to units and work.

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Understand fixed durations & the Impact of Weekly Meetings

Highlight Task ID 3,
“Project Team
Meetings”

Place the cursor on the
task entry form area
for resources and
enter:
Julia Websurfer

Check task type reads:
Fixed Duration

Ensure duration reads:
255 days

Enter 51 in the work
field.

Click OK

Units are
automatically changed Weekly Meetings Quick Facts
to 3% • Remember there are 52 work weeks in the year, so a 1 hour per
week meeting over a full calendar year equates to 52 hours of
The Gantt Chart and work.
Resource Name
• For an employee to attend a meeting that one hr/week, but you
column both show the
do not know the number of weeks, set units to fixed and assign
resource allocation %.
3%.
• For an employee to lead a meeting that is one hr/week, set units
Where resources are
to 6% to allow them an hour to attend, and an extra hour to
assigned 100%, no %
prepare for the meeting and compile & distribute notes.
is displayed.

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Understand Units & Percentage Resource Assignments

Highlight task 104,
“Build Task 1” and
give it a real name.

Note, where Task ID
numbers skip, it
indicates tasks are
“rolled up”. You will
need to expand the
summary task to view
each sequential sub
task.

Assign
William Worrier
at 50% of his time,
make sure task type is
set to Fixed Duration.

Highlight task 105 and
give it a real name
also.
Notes on Multiple Resource Assignments & Percentages
Assign
Johnny will work 100% of his time on task 105 for the full duration of the
Johnny O’vachievah
task; i.e. from the start date to the end date, this allocation assumes the only
at 100% and,
think Johnny has to work on is task 105.
William Worrier
at 80%
If you wanted to split the work of task 105 evenly between Johnny and
William, you would assign each units of 50%. Given the current allocations,
Johnny will work 100% of his time, while William works 80% of his time,
thus reduce the total duration required to complete the task if there were only
one resource assigned.

That is, by adding an extra resource to the task; you have reduced the time
required to complete it.

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Resource Usage View

Select
View>Resource Usage

Use the zoom +/-
buttons to zoom to the
day level.

Scroll across to the
week of Oct 15, 2006

Notice William
Worrier is in RED and
is allocated to more
the 8 hrs/day – no
wonder the poor guy
is worried!

Next you will “level”
the resources to help
prevent William from
worrying.

Highlight William
Worrier’s name.

Select
Tools>Level
Resources

Make sure the settings
match the picture.

Click LEVEL NOW

Select the radial for
SELECTED
RESOURCE

Click OK and watch
William’s problems
disappear!

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Leveling Resources

But the fun isn’t over
yet. As a project
manager, you know
problems that
mysteriously go away,
always mysteriously
return later to haunt
you.

To help solve this
mystery, check your
task dates for tasks
104 and 105. Use
your macro:

Press CTRL + t

You can see from the
Gantt Chart on the
right that MS Project
has automatically
resolve William’s over
allocation by forcing
task 105 to wait for
task 104 to complete.
Compare this
screenshot to the one 2 Automation v. Hands-On Leveling
pages back. You may want to consider leveling your resources manually to minimize your
project timeline and work in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
For example, in some cases, perhaps task 105 could have been reassigned to
another employee or even a consultant, rather then delayed by such a long
duration.

To have more control over the balancing of your project’s scope, timeline, and
resource commitments, level resources using the approach that follows on the
next page.

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Additional Options for Leveling Resources

Undo the prior
leveling.

Select
Tools>Level
Resources

Click CLEAR
LEVELLING

Review the dates for
task 105.

Add “Consultant 1” as
a resource to task 105.

Click OK

Notice MS Project
automatically reduces
the units (%) for each
resource.

Review your Resource
Usage view to check
the overall impact.

William is still red, but
is only slightly over-
allocated. He can now
rest easy.

Aim for 160 hours per
month for most
employees.
Consultants and
managers may be
allocated higher in
some cases.

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Summary & Review

Steps for Building the Project Plan
At this point you have customize the PMO delivered project plan template. You have also learned the
skills required to build out and modify the suggested tasks and project phases to suit the needs of your
project. The following summary of tasks provides a roadmap for building your completed plan:

1. Add all tasks that are important to the success of your project; the following guidelines may help:
Any activity that takes more then 40 hours to complete.
Any activity that must occur in order for the project to be successful; i.e., a critical path
activity.
Any activity that can serve as a project milestone, major completion point, or checkpoint
(these are typically added as zero duration tasks).
2. Assign resources to each task.
3. Add dependencies among tasks.
4. Level resources.
5. Analyze resource plan versus staffing budget.
6. Identify risks and build contingencies into your plan. Add slack time if necessary.
7. Publish the plan and review with every team member.

Additional Microsoft Project Tips
Note Milestones (zero duration)
Use as checkpoints; revisit estimates at end of key phases
For operational plans; track actuals and special situations to improve your estimates YOY
Deliverables should have a single person responsible to avoid finger pointing
Use of dependencies can help assess impact of a change to one task on the rest of the project:
Gives a more accurate timeline
Build in slack when identifying dependencies – helps later on when addressing delays
Set up your calendar for each individual resource; babies, weddings, vacations, etc.
The plan is for ensuring employees are not overworked and management has allocated sufficient
budget (see the CMS Staffing Policy for more information)s
Project plans should NOT be immutable
Plan for the worst case scenario

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EXECUTING THE PROJECT: Tracking & Reporting Progress

Tracking Progress
Some project managers set up a project plan, painstakingly enter tasks, and create a schedule with
meticulously accurate durations, task dependencies, and constraints. They acquire and assign exactly
the right resources and calculate costs to the last penny. How-ever, after they have their plan perfected,
they execute the project and leave the project plan behind. What started out as an excellent roadmap of
the project is now little more than a bit of planning history. To be an effective project manager, take
your project plan with you as you move to the execution phase of your project. Maintain the plan and
enter actual progress information. By tracking progress in this way, your schedule and costs are updated
so you know what to expect as you work through the weeks and months of your project. Most
importantly, you’ll always have the up-to-date details you need at your fingertips. If you need to adjust
the plan, either to recover a slipping phase or to respond to a directive to cut 10 percent of the project
budget, Project serves as your project management information system to help you make those
adjustments.

Create A Baseline
The baseline is your completed 1st draft project plan which should represent the ideal balance of scope,
schedule, and cost. At this point in time, it is the scheduled plan. Think of it as your current plan. This
is the only point in the project when the original plan and the current plan are exactly the same.
This is because your current plan is necessarily fluid. It must be able to respond to a dynamic set of
variables in an ever changing world.
As soon as you enter progress information, such as one task’s actual start date or another task’s percent
complete, your project plan is recalculated and adjusted to reflect the new information from those
actuals.
The constant recalculation is essential for you to always know where your project stands in the current
reality. But what if you want to know what your original start dates were? What if you want to compare
the original baseline plan with the current schedule to analyze your progress and performance?
Answer: view your original saved baseline. The baseline is your special saved copied of the original
project plan, prior to entering your first actual values.
The difference between your current plan, updated with actuals, and the original baseline, is called a
variance.

Update the Gantt Chart View & Track Actuals
You will want to add columns to your Gantt chart view that facilitate the process of tracking actuals.
Add the following columns to facilitate this process: (1) baseline duration, start, and end date; (2) actual
duration, start, and end date. To simply the view, remove the original columns: duration, start and end
date.

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EXECUTING THE PROJECT: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
How can the project manager best facilitate organizational change throughout the life of the project? In
other words, so now you have all these new skills, but what exactly is your role as a project manager!?!
The following is a brief summary of the project manager’s responsibilities, all of which, you should now
be fully armed and ready to take on with blazing success:

Initiating & Planning the Project
Establish scope, charter, goals, and schedules
Create a task plan
Create a resource plan

Executing the Project
Ensure motivation
Manage communication
Identify and manage risks
Ensure quality end product

Controlling the Project
Track progress & resolve issues
Track budget and expenditures
Communicate and report progress and results
Manage public relations

Closing the Project
Identify lessons learned
Ensure post-roll transition support

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APPENDIX ONE: FEEDBACK FORM

What did you think of this class (please circle your answer below)?
A. Jeepers, was that ever good!
B. Are you kidding man, that was the best thing since sliced bread!!
C. Not sure, I slept through most of it.
D. I thought I should have thought more throughout the whole thing, so that in the future I wouldn’t
have to think.

Was the instructor knowledgeable in the content provided (choose one)?
A. Yes.
B. Of course, don’t be ridiculous.
C. Definitely.
D. Honestly, this guy was beyond knowledgeable, I can’t believe you would even ask such a
question.
Additional Comments: ___________________________________________________

Was your time well spent today/was the length of the class appropriate (circle answer)?
A. Yes
B. Yes, except if it weren’t for this survey, I would be home already (and could let out my dog).
C. The class length was perfect.
D. I believe the class could not have been effective if it was either shorter or longer.

Using the remaining space below, please share any additional comments you feel may help the
CMS Project Office further improve this class. Please forward your feedback form directly to the
CMS Project Director. Thank you for attending and taking the time to help us improve our skill sets on
campus.

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APPENDIX TWO: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Online books, magazines, etc., are available from this nonprofit professional organization
for project managers. PMI sponsors the industry leading PMP (Project Management
Professionals) certification, and is also the publisher of the PMBOK (project
Management Body of Knowledge) which details generally accepted project management
standards, practices, knowledge areas, and terminology. A copy of the PMBOK is
available from the CMS Training Lab on CD ROM.
www.pmi.org

MICROSOFT PROJECT HOME PAGE
Official site for MS Project. Includes downloads and resources.
www.microsoft.com/office/project

MICROSOFT OFFICE ONLINE
Contains step-by-step assistance, training modules, downloadable templates and clip art,
articles, links, tools, and more for all MS Office products.
http://office.microsoft.com

CMS WEB SITE
In the future, the CMS Web site will provide templates that span the lifecycle of a
project. Managers will be able to download templates that guide them through the
creation of most project materials, such as scope documents, project plans, risk
assessment & analysis documents, etc..
www.humboldt.edu/~cms/pmo.html
This web page will eventually be password protected.

Book – Microsoft Office Project 2003, Teresa S. Stover

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APPENDIX THREE: BASIC GLOSSARY
Project
A project is an activity that has a defined start and a defined finish, produces some
measurable result, and requires time, money, and resources to complete. Although that
definition amounts to a rather abstract description, usually projects are concrete and easy
to identify. For example, building a skyscraper, landscaping a parking lot, throwing a
party, and making a movie are all projects. Each has a defined start and a defined finish.
Each produces some measurable result. Each requires time, money, and resources.
Operations
Operations are a series of tasks that are routine, repetitive, and ongoing as necessary to
sustain the business. MS Project can be used to help identify operations and becomes a
powerful tool for assessing adequate staffing levels.
Gantt Chart
A graphic representation of a project. The left half is a table listing tasks and related
information; the right half is a bar chart showing the timeline of the tasks and overall
project.
Milestone
A significant event in the project, often the completion of a major deliverable or phase.
Milestones are represented as part of a project’s task list.
Project Baseline
A snapshot of key project information for tasks, such as start and end dates, estimated
durations and costs. The snapshot of baseline information provides a means for
analyzing performance through comparison with “actuals” data.
Actuals
Data which reflects the actual experience of historical activities. Typical project will
record the actual durations for tasks and compare them to the estimates in the baseline.
The analysis shows discrepancies and errors of past estimates which are useful for
making future project plans more accurate. The actuals data is also used for budgetary
matters.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A work breakdown structure is a numbering system where a unique identifying number is
assigned to each task. The numbering system acts as an outline, so that the number
reveals additional information about the task, such as the major project phase to which it
belongs and depending on the level, where within that phase that task occurs.

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