REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN

Peace – Work – Fatherland Paix – Travail – Patrie

******** ********
MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTERE DE ENSEIGNEMENT
******** SUPERIEURE
********
YAOUNDE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL
School of Computer Engineering

Course Code & Title: SWE 242: Project Management

Module: Management of Computer Projects
Credit & Credit Hours: 4 Credits (60 Hours) – L(40), T(10), P(10)
Lecturer: MUNJAM Thomas (MSc. Computer Engineering)

1. Basic Concepts of Project Management

2. Projects in the business environment

4. Estimates

5. Project Planning

6. Project Execution

7. Project Monitoring & Control

8. Project Quality

9. Leadership in Projects

10. Projects’ success & failure

11. Project Closure & Audit

12. Conclusions & Presentations

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
1
 BASIC CONCEPTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

I. What is a Project?

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. A project and
an operation are similar because:

❖ Both activities are performed by people

❖ Both are constraint by limited resources.

❖ Both are planned, executed, and controlled.

❖ Both have a goal and procedures.

But they are different because a project is unique (it is not a routine operation, but a specific set
of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal) and temporary (it has a defined beginning
and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources) while an operation is on-going and
repetitive.

Example of a project: rearranging your office, installing software on your computer, writing, and
publishing an article/book.

II. What is Project Management?

Project management is the combination of techniques, people, procedures, and objectives that
leads to the successful completion of a project OR it is all the activities that direct and guide a
project to achieve specific goals.

The Project manager is the person responsible for supervising a system project from its initiation
to its completion. Project managers can have the responsibility of planning, execution and closing
of any project, typically relating to construction industry, engineering, architecture, computing,
and telecommunications.

III. Importance of Project Management

Importances of project management are:

➢ It allows managers to plan and manage strategic initiatives that generate new revenue in
expanding sectors of the market.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
2
 ➢ Project management tools decrease time to market, control expenses, ensure quality
products, and enhance profitability.

➢ It helps to sell products and services by positively differentiating them from their
competitors.

➢ It is one of the most important management techniques for ensuring the success of an
organization.

IV. Life Cycle of a Project

The activities related to a project can be structured and grouped by the main aim of the activities
and groups of activities. These groups of activities are linearly ordered and are called stages.
Normally the life cycle of the project consists of the following stages: Initiation, Planning,
Execution, Controlling and Closure. The division of stages into activities depends on the type
and volume of the project.

Project Initiation: Determining the main objective and forming a clear understanding about the
necessity and suitability of the project; this stage should answer the questions what? and why?
activities carried out here include:

➢ Identification and initial analysis of the business needs.

➢ Determination of the main objective(s).

➢ Resource analysis (people, equipment, financial; needs and availability).

➢ Composition of the project charter.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
3
 Project Planning: Determining an optimal scheme/algorithm for project execution; this stage
should answer the question how? Activities carried out here include:

➢ Needs analysis.

➢ Description of the project (incl. determination of activities and necessary resources).

➢ Composition of a project plan.

➢ Planning and performing necessary PR activities.

Project Execution: Achieving the project objectives without violating the constraints of the
project: activities carried out here include:

➢ Starting up the execution.

➢ Information and Communication Technology High School

➢ Day-to-day management.

➢ Change management and reporting.

Project Controlling: Project managers will compare project status and progress to the actual plan,
as resources perform the scheduled work. During this phase, project managers may need to adjust
schedules or do what is necessary to keep the project on track.

Project Closure: Formally completing the project and building solid bases of follow-up activities.
Activities carried out here include:

➢ Product acceptance and implementation/application activities.

➢ Composition of the final report and the Lessons Learned document.

➢ Planning the follow-up activities (including PR activities).

➢ Filing and archiving the project documentation.

V. Characteristics of a Project

The two key characteristics of a good project include:

It should have a defined budget.

It should be sustainable.

It is recommended to apply the SMART principle. According to this, the objective and its
formulation should be:

✓ Simple - Must have clear objectives or goals.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
4
 ✓ Measurable - It should be possible to measure to what extent the project goal has been
achieved.

✓ Agreed -The outcome should meet the customers/end user's needs, should solve some
problenis.

✓ Realistic - The objective should correspond to the resources (including knowledge)

available.

✓ Timed - The project should have a time frame.

VI. The Tripple Constraints of Project Management

Like any human undertaking, projects need to be performed and

delivered under certain constraints. Traditionally, these
constraints have been listed as “scope”, “time” and “cost”. These
are also referred to as the “Project Management Triangle”,
where each side represents a constraint. One side of the triangle
cannot be changed without affecting the others.

The time constraint refers to the amount of time available to complete a project.

The cost constraint refers to the budgeted amount available for the project.

The scope constraint refers to what must be done to produce the project’s result.

Increased scope typically means increased time and increased cost. A tight time constraint could
mean increased costs and reduced scope, and a tight budget could mean increased time and reduced
scope.

VII. Project Management tools and Techniques

There are many tools available to assist with accomplishing the tasks and executing the
responsibilities. Some require a computer with supporting software, while others can be manual.
Project managers should choose a project management tool that best suits their management style.
No one tool addresses all project management needs.

Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) and Gantt Charts are two of the most used
project management tools. Both project management tools can be produced manually or with
commercially available project management software.

A. Gantt Chart

Gantt chart (or a bar chart, first used in 1917 by Henry Gant) is a project management technique
that is used for timing and presenting project plan and progress quickly and easily.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
5
To draw up a Gantt chart, follow these steps:

1. List all activities in the plan. For each task, show the earliest start date, estimated length
of time it will take, and whether it is parallel or sequential. If tasks are sequential, show
which stages they depend on.

2. Head up graph paper with the days or weeks through completion.

3. Plot tasks onto graph paper. Show each task starting on the earliest possible date. Draw
it as a bar, with the length of the bar being the length of the task. Above the task bars, mark
the time taken to complete them.

4. Schedule activities. Schedule them in such a way that sequential actions are carried out in
the required sequence. Ensure that dependent activities do not start until the activities they
depend on have been completed.

Benefits of using a Gantt chart include:

✓ Gives an easy-to-understand visual display of the scheduled time of a task or activity.

✓ It makes it easy to develop “what if” scenarios.

✓ Enables better project control by promoting clearer communication.

✓ Becomes a tool for negotiations.

✓ Shows the actual progress against the planned schedule.

✓ Can report results at appropriate levels.

✓ Allows comparison of multiple projects to determine risk or resource allocation.

✓ Rewards the project manager with more visibility and control over the project.

B. PERT Chart and Critical Path

A PERT chart is a project management tool used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within
a project. PERT stands for Program Evaluation Review Technique. It is a methodology developed
by the US Navy in the 1950s.

The critical path is a series of tasks that must be completed on time for the project to be finished
on schedule OR it is a sequence of activities that takes the longest time to complete. It is important
because it helps to determine the latest date when the project will be completed. Critical tasks are
activities in the project that must be completed.

Calculating of critical path

To calculate the critical path, the following four parameters are determined for each activity:

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
6
 ➢ Earliest start date (ES): The earliest time at which the activity can start, based on the
constraints and dependencies for the activity.

➢ Earliest finish date (EF): The earliest start time for the activity plus the time required to
complete the activity.

➢ Latest finish date (LF): The latest time at which the activity can be completed without
delaying the plan, based on the constraints and dependencies for the activity.

➢ Latest start date (LS): The latest finish time minus the time required to complete the
activity.

Based on these dates, the slack or float for an activity is calculated.

If the slack is zero, the task or activity is a critical task and is highlighted in the Gantt chart view.
On the critical path, none of the activities have slack times, that is, for all these activities, ES=LS
and EF=LF. A delay in an activity on the critical path delays the project. To accelerate a delayed
project, reduce the total time required for the activities on the critical path.

Some important terminologies

Milestone: It is a major stage in project management where important decisions are made, or tasks
suspended.

Risk: It is a combination of the probability that an event will occur and the impact on the project
if the event occurs.

Slack or float time: It is the length of time that a schedule task may be delayed from its early start
without delaying the project finish date.

Lead time: It is the difference between the early finish date and the late finish date.

PERT event: A point that marks the start or completion of one or more activities. It consumes no
time and uses no resources.

Predecessor event: An event that immediately precedes some other event without any other events
intervening. OR it is an activity that must logically end before the start of another task.

Successor event: An event that immediately follows some other event without any other
intervening events. OR it is the task that comes immediately after a predecessor task.

PERT activity: the actual performance of a task which consumes time and requires resources.
APERT activity cannot be performed until the predecessor event has occurred.

Optimistic time (O): The minimum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming
everything proceeds better than is normally expected.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
7
Pessimistic time (P): The maximum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming
everything goes wrong (but excluding major catastrophes).

Most likely time (M): The best estimate of the time required to accomplish a task, assuming
everything proceeds as normal.

Expected time (TE): The best estimate of the time required to accomplish a task, accounting for
the fact that things don't always proceed as normal (the implication being that the expected time is
the average time the task would require if the task were repeated on a number of occasions over
an extended period of time). TE = (O + 4M + P) / 6.

Application Exercise

A project has been defined to contain the following list of activities. Along with their required
times of completion.

Activity No. Activity Expected Completion time Dependency

A Requirements collection 5 –
B Screen design 6 A
C Report design 7 A
D Database design 2 B, C
E User documentation 6 D
F Programming 5 D
G Testing 3 F
H Installation 1 E, G

a) Draw a Gantt chart for the activities.

b) Draw a PERT chart for the activities.
c) Calculate the earliest expected completion time for the project.
d) Show the critical path.

Thomas (Person) MUNJAM | thomas.munjam@uniba.cm Compiled for Higher National Diploma (HND)
https://www.personlinks.com | thomasperson33@gmail.com
+237 678686249 | 659496501 | munjam.tanguh@ictuniversity.edu.cm SWE242: Management of Computer Projects
8