Project development and planning

Before we start talking about project development and planning, it’s worth a little refresher on our understanding of planning as such. The essence of planning is to set goals and determine ways to achieve them by creating a set of activities and actions necessary for implementation, using methods and ways of implementing activities and actions, linking the resources required to perform and coordinating the functions performed by project participants. It is with the issue of planning that we will begin the first lesson (we will immediately make a small disclaimer: there is a lot of information on the development and planning of projects, so we will present it in a concentrated form, dwelling in detail only on the most important points).

Project planning

The work of drawing up a plan includes all stages of the creation and implementation of the project. It begins with the development of the project concept by the leader (project manager), continues with the selection of strategic decisions, development of details, conclusion of contracts and execution of work, and ends with the completion of the project.

At the planning stage, the main parameters for the implementation of the project are established. These include:

Duration of each controllable element of the project
Need for resources (financial, material and technical and labor)
Delivery times for necessary equipment, components, materials, raw materials, etc.
Timing and volumes of attracting organizations (construction, design, etc.)

Any process and any project planning procedure must ensure that the project is completed on time and in compliance with all requirements, including cost, standards and quality. In addition, in a well-organized project, a separate body should be responsible for performing each function and achieving each goal: for the mission of the project - the project manager, for private goals - responsible persons, etc. It is for this purpose that it is customary to develop a responsibility matrix that defines the functionality of performers and specifies the range of their work.

And here we invite you to practice project planning and complete an interesting task.

Peer review task

Above, you learned that at the planning stage, the main parameters for the implementation of the project are established. Suggest your plan for a small project. In this case, be sure to indicate:

The duration of each controllable element of the project.
Need for resources (financial, material, technical and labor).
Delivery times for necessary equipment, components, materials, raw materials, etc.
Timing and volumes of attracting organizations (construction, design, etc.)

This is a peer review assignment, so you will need to check 2 other people's work first and then upload yours. When checking other people's work, it is necessary to evaluate projects for detail, calculation of deadlines and resources, as well as the quality of the task as a whole.

Statistics Full screen

We are sure that now the topic of project planning has become somewhat closer to you, and therefore it will be more interesting to study further material. Let's continue.

The higher the level of the governing body, the more generalized it makes decisions on the management of lower divisions. As the hierarchical level increases, the time intervals between setting tasks, monitoring their implementation, etc. increase. In these intervals, lower-level units must work independently and independently of their peers. Their independent work is ensured by reserves of resources, which also need to be planned.

The main goal of planning is to build a project implementation model necessary to coordinate the actions of those involved in the project. Thanks to this model, the order according to which work will be carried out, etc. is established.

At the first stage of project planning, initial plans are developed that serve as the basis for drawing up the project budget, determining resource needs, organizing project support, etc. Planning always precedes control and is considered the basis for its application, because allows you to compare planned and actual indicators.

Planning is the most important process for a project, because the result depends on it. The scope and detail of planning depend on the usefulness of the information that can be obtained during the implementation process and is determined by the design of the project itself. The planning process cannot be fully automated, because it has a lot of variable parameters. Plus, it can be influenced by random factors.

In addition, project planning consists of a number of main and supporting processes.

Main processes (always present):

Planning, documenting and describing the scope of the project
Determining the main stages of the project and breaking them down into smaller components
Budgeting and estimating the cost of resources required to implement the project
Defining and drawing up a step-by-step action plan to ensure achievement of project goals
Determining the sequence of work
Determination of technological dependencies and restrictions on work
Estimation of work duration, labor costs and other resources required to complete individual works
Resource planning (determining the type of resources for project work and their volume)
Determining the timing of work under conditions of limited resources
Formation of a budget and linking costs according to estimates to specific types of work
Development of a project plan
Collecting the results of other planning processes and organizing them into a single document

Supporting processes (present as needed):

Planning and setting quality standards and determining how to achieve them
Organizational planning, including the definition and distribution of functionality, responsibility and subordination norms
Selecting the people needed to implement the project and forming a team
Establishing the communication and information needs of project members
Identification, assessment and documentation of project risks (establishment of uncertainty factors and the degree of their influence on the project, identification of favorable and unfavorable scenarios for project implementation)
Logistics planning (what, when, where and how to purchase and deliver)

The plans (networks and schedules) that represent the results of planning must ultimately be built into a pyramidal structure that includes all the necessary information, differentiated by levels, deadlines, etc. Project planning and systematization of plans are built on the principles of “feedback”, which ensures regular comparison of planned and actual information and gives the work more efficiency, relevance and flexibility.

Home page requirements

First you need to select the font size. Depending on the purpose of the project and its type, there may be some differences in the font size. The font used is usually Times New Roman, size 16. The main text is located in the center of the page. The rules for designing a project require posting the full name of the educational institution (organization). An important point is setting the margins on the page. Depending on the requirements for a particular project, the size of the fields can be selected automatically or configured manually.

Principles of Project Planning

Decisions made and actions taken in the field of project planning are based on several important principles:

The principle of purposefulness. It is expressed in the fact that the project is aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of the project initiator (person, group of people, organization, etc.)
Systematic principle. It assumes that the project is managed as a single whole with its own characteristics of formation and development, but at the same time can be divided into subsystems with their subsequent study, because they are all interconnected and affect each other and the entire project. This allows you to find and create useful connections between subsystems and their effective relationships, to present qualitative and quantitative assessments of the process of implementing the entire project and its individual elements.
The principle of complexity. According to it, phenomena are considered taking into account their dependence and connection, different methods and forms of management are used, the entire set of project management goals is considered at various levels and in various links, individual elements are linked to each other and correlated with the main goal of the project.
The principle of security. It means that all activities provided for by the project must be equipped with all the resources required for their implementation.
The principle of priority. He says that when developing a project and its implementation, the main attention should be paid to the primary tasks determined by the general concept of strategic development.
The principle of economic security of planned events. Economic security should be calculated taking as a basis the probability of losses and damages as a result of the non-fulfillment of the event planned by the project. No innovations in work can eliminate risk, which is why in the practice of project development and planning it is necessary not to avoid risks, but to consciously take justifiable risks in order to reduce them to the maximum possible level.

In addition to the principles that we have named, it is also important to take into account the consistency of the tasks and interests of all persons involved in the development and implementation of the project and the timeliness of achieving the set goals within the prescribed time frame.

Taking into account the features of project planning and the above principles, we can move on to the next equally important issue - breaking down design work into components.

Slide Design Resources

In this section we provide examples of free services that will help you design your presentation slides more easily and professionally.

Selection of font pairs

Google Fonts. This application allows you to visually select font combinations.

An example of selecting font pairs in Google Fonts

Google Type. The project was created by professional designers to select font pairs. On the site we see how the text will look on the page. If you like the option, there are font names at the top of the screen.

Selecting font pairs using Google Type

Palettes for finding color solutions

Color Palette. The resource contains photos taken by professionals. The color combinations on them are pleasing to the eye. Under each photo there is a palette of five main shades with numbers. To design your slides, choose colors from the same palette.

Selecting a palette for slide design

Adobe Color. The service helps you select harmonious combinations of shades using a color wheel.

Matching colors using Adobe Color

Ideas and photos for presentation design

Pinterest. In this social network you will find examples of presentations that will inspire you to create designs for your slides.

Search for ideas on Pinterest

Photo stocks - our blog article contains free resources for finding high-quality photos and terms of use of downloaded images.

Network project planning

Methods of network project planning or, as they are also called, network diagrams (graph network, PERT diagram) are a graphical display of project work and the dependencies between them. The concept of “network” here refers to the full range of activities and control points of the project with established dependencies between them.

Network diagrams display a network model as a graph with a series of vertices that correspond to activities, and lines connecting them show the relationships between these activities. A graph, often called a precedence-follow diagram or a vertex-job network, is considered the most common representation of a network. Below you can see an example of a fragment of such a graph:

There is also a type of network diagram called a vertex-event network, but it is not used very often in practical work. In this case, the work takes the form of a line connecting two events (graph nodes) representing the beginning and end of a certain work. A good example of such a diagram is a PERT diagram - here it is:

Network diagrams are often confused with flowcharts, but this is not entirely true, because... The difference between a network diagram is that it displays only the logical dependencies of activities, while a flowchart shows inputs, outputs and processes. There are also no repeating cycles (loops) in the diagram.

Network planning methods are methods aimed at minimizing the duration of a project. They are based on the critical path method (MCP or CPM (from the English Critical Path Method)) and the method of evaluating and revising plans (PERT (from the English Program Evaluation Review Technique)).

The critical path refers to the longest path in the network, and the jobs along this path are called critical. The minimum duration of design work depends on the duration of the critical path. The overall project duration can be reduced by reducing critical activities. Thus, delays in the completion of work entail an increase in the duration of the project.

Using the critical path method, you can calculate approximate schedules for completing a package of work based on the logical structure of the network and estimates of the duration of individual activities, as well as establish an overall critical path for the project.

There is also the concept of a complete reserve (reserve) of time. This is the difference between the late and early start or finish dates of work. The managerial essence of time reserve is that there is an opportunity to resolve financial, resource or technological constraints, and the project manager can suspend work for the period available in the reserve without fear of negatively affecting the final completion date of the project. The slack time for critical work is zero.

A horizontal line chart where project tasks are represented by time segments with specific time parameters (start, finish, delays, etc.) is called a Gantt chart, and it is also an integral part of network planning. Here is her example:

For effective planning, it is convenient to use PERT charts, a network graph, and a Gantt chart. Network planning itself implies a description of all project work in the form of a set of works with specific relationships between them. To calculate and analyze a network diagram, a set of network operations called critical path method procedures are typically used.

The network model is being developed in stages:

Lists of design work are determined
Work parameters are assessed
Dependencies between jobs are established

Work lists need to be defined to describe all project activities, including all details. Work is the main element of the network model. Work packages define the activities that must be performed to achieve project results. The results are usually highlighted with control points.

Before developing a network model, you need to make sure that the lower level of the WDS includes all the work that guarantees the achievement of specific design goals. The network model is the result of defining dependencies between activities and adding connecting events and activities. In its most general form, the approach presented is based on the assumption that any work is intended to help achieve a particular goal. Connective work does not necessarily have to be aimed at achieving a material result, because their goal may be to organize a particular event, etc.

The main task of the project manager is to evaluate the parameters of the work. For this purpose, other project participants responsible for completing individual project tasks may be involved. Assessing the duration of work and the need for financial resources and resources most directly affects the relevance of resource and cost plans and schedules, which are drawn up after analyzing the network model. Such an assessment must be carried out for each of the works. Then, on its basis, the levels of SRR in the project plan are generalized and formed.

In order for individual stages of the project and the entire project as a whole to be implemented on time, it is also necessary to plan the project according to time parameters. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

Before you start making your presentation

State the purpose of the presentation. Are you submitting this information to what? Teach, show, motivate, push to take some action - choose what you need and keep it in mind.
Think about who it is for and how it should help these people. What language does this audience speak, what style and presentation will be interesting to them?
Outline your speech. It will help you structure your slides and avoid jumping from idea to idea during the presentation process. It is convenient to use paper cards or mind maps for this.
Based on the format of the event for which you need a presentation. If this is a conference, what do the other speakers' presentations look like? If the presentation is part of a lesson in a course where you are an expert, look at how other lessons are designed.

Planning a project based on time parameters

Time parameters should be understood here as the time periods during which work and work packages are planned to be completed, as well as control points of the project implementation process. Time is the most important factor affecting the effectiveness of the entire plan.

The timing of the implementation of project elements and the entire project is always planned in advance, and, of course, it is desirable to minimize them. But minimizing deadlines is limited by three parameters: technical capabilities, technological requirements and quality of work. All this must be taken into account when planning.

Planning according to time parameters is a key element of project management, which includes several components. These components are:

Concept of project management based on time parameters
Project scheduling
Monitoring the progress of design work
Analysis and regulation of work progress
Closing project management

It is often difficult to complete a project within a given time frame. The reason for this is a unclear understanding of what exactly needs to be managed, and most of the problems arise at the planning stage.

The reason for discrepancies with the schedule may be delays in deliveries, lack of resources, etc. If the scope and subject areas of the project are incorrectly determined, subsequently adjustments will have to be made to the work and schedule.

When a manager is dealing with typical recurring projects, it is convenient to use past experience to accurately determine the timing and sequence of actions, although in practice projects are extremely rarely repeated.

If we talk about the reasons for temporary losses in a project, they include:

Inadequate quality and budgeting management
No contingency plan for unexpected costs
Poor distribution of risks among project participants
Lack of structure in the communication system
Difficult to implement project reporting system

Another important component of project management based on time parameters is the management of personal time resources. This is relevant for every performer and project participant, but it is more important for the manager, because he is responsible for the success of the project, which means he needs to have time to do a lot of all kinds of work.

To improve personal time management, it is advisable to use so-called forms. The form is a list of work required to be completed, indicating the performers and deadlines. The highest priority work should be moved to time blocks of the planning calendar. A planning calendar might look like this:

or like this:

Unscheduled events or lower priority work can be added to empty time blocks. In cases where the amount of work exceeds the amount of time, work can be planned several days in advance. But you shouldn’t abuse this, otherwise there may be delays in completing high-priority tasks. And given that low-priority work may increase in priority in subsequent days, all tasks should be completed on time.

For effective time management, you need to correctly set priorities and act in accordance with them. The project manager should not be distracted by secondary and unclear tasks and procrastinate in making important decisions. He must also be able to delegate authority.

And the last thing we will focus on in the first lesson is some organizational issues.

Criteria

The classic option is considered to be the upper and lower parameters of twenty mm, the indent on the right side is fifteen millimeters, on the left - thirty mm. Increasing the size of the margins on the left is necessary so that the submitted work can be attached to a binder.

Next, the cursor is placed in the middle of the page, the font size is changed from 16 to 24. The author indicates the type of project: creative, scientific, abstract. The next line indicates the title of the work without quotes and periods, using font size 28.

Having retreated about six lines to the bottom of the page, you need to enter information about the author of the work, as well as about his supervisor.

The last line of the title page is reserved for indicating the year the work was completed. This is a classic project design. A sample title page is shown in the photo.

Depending on the rules established by the educational institution or the organizer of the conference (competition), some nuances in the design of the title page are allowed.

Organization of project planning work

Project planning is the process of forming decisions that determine the sequence of project work and activities. It plays a dominant role in project management, representing the organizing beginning of the project implementation process.

Project planning includes several stages:

Setting goals and objectives
Resource calculation
Creating a work duration schedule
Optimization of the work schedule
Organization of work execution
Creation of a calendar plan for increasing the complexity of work
Monitoring the progress of work
Adjustment of work progress

A project implementation plan is a comprehensive plan containing a comprehensive system of tasks and goals, detailed work, actions and activities to achieve the main goal of the project. Great attention should be paid to drawing up an implementation plan, trying to avoid common mistakes, such as:

Setting the wrong goals
Using incomplete information
Ignoring past experience
Ignoring the issue of resource availability
Lack of attention to coordination of project participants
Ignoring the motivation of performers
Excessive attention to plan detail
Making a plan for the sake of a plan and ignoring control over adherence to the plan

Despite the fairly large number of errors and their specificity, taking into account all the planning elements that we told you about helps you avoid them. It is only important to remember that project planning is a systematic arrangement of tasks, the purpose of which is to achieve the main result - the implementation of the project. And taking into account the fact that the plan always contains instructions for actions and the actions themselves, it can be safely considered a standard or guideline with which actual indicators will be compared. If, as a result of such comparisons, any discrepancies are found, it is necessary to take measures to adjust the plan.

In the second lesson we will talk about another important element of project management for a manager - team management. Issues such as the composition of project participants, the functions of a project manager, features of the formation and development of a project team, characteristics and composition of a team, conflict resolution and a number of others will be considered.

Content

Before you start making your presentation
How to Create a Presentation in PowerPoint
Presentation structure for a training report
How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation

A lot of SlideShare presentations are bad. The slides in them are overloaded with effects, the selection of colors and pictures is strange, huge fragments of text are unreadable and cause boredom, and the template illustrations look hackneyed and motley.

This is due, on the one hand, to the availability of presentation programs and the abundance of possibilities within them, and on the other hand, to ignorance of the basic rules for presenting and perceiving information. You say: “You need to be a designer to create the perfect presentation!” Yes, to be ideal, maybe it’s necessary. But I will cover the basic principles and show you how to make a good presentation that will work for its teaching purpose.

Types of artifacts

Artifacts are divided into formal and informal.

Formal - mandatory, specified in the contract, which contains the details of the customer and the contractor. Formal artifacts also include documentation and elements that are specified in official documents. If the contract states that the contractor is obliged to provide research results, then they will be a formal artifact.

Informal artifacts are all other information: the results of correspondence, messages in instant messengers, records from a flipchart on which the team records the progress of the project, stickers from the Kanban board and even the RACI matrix.