Project Management Project Planning Concepts Training Content only to be used as reference material. The suggested training process mainly involves familiarisation with the respective mindmap structrure and content and not with this resource 1
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Question: What is common between my wedding, this course and the Parthenon Monument? Answer: All three of them are products of projects!
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Question: What is a Project? Answer: A project is a work effort made over a finite period of time with a start and a finish to create a unique product, service or result. (Project Management Institution’s definition)
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Question: What is a Project Management? Answer: This term is used freely in today’s work but often it is used to define the entire field of work that is focused on the delivery of project results. Project Management is accomplished through the use of following processes/phases which are always obligatory: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Initiating and Planning Project Approval Executing Monitoring and Controlling and Project Closing
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Project Phases in European Projects •Project Initiation & Planning •Project Plan Approval •Project Execution •Project Monitoring & Controlling •Project Closing
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Project Phases Project initiation begins with a business/social need and discussion on how to meet that need. However, European funded projects, since they are financially supported by the EU funds, they have to be aligned and support some specific objectives and priorities as they are specified in the "Call for Proposals" and in the "Work Programme" official documents. Therefore, very often but as a bad practice, proposed projects are initiated and planned so that to fit the Programme Priorities and not necessarily to satisfy the needs and the scope of the organisations involved. Nota Bene: In our PPPM course, we will learn not only how to write good proposals but to develop useful and sustainable projects for us and our organisations.
Project Initiation & Planning
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Project Phases Project Planning is actually the writing of the proposal for requesting funding. On one hand, it creates the framework for the project's management and on the other hand, it forms the basis for the co-funding authority evaluating whether it is worth it receiving funding. It describes its project objectives and outcomes expected (what), it clarifies the need and the rationale (Why), who will benefit (target group), it estimates timetable by workpackages and activitie (how)s, and identify the resources that will be needed (on what cost). It specifies also the consortium, their skills and responsibilities (by whom). Also it specifies project management principles such as the decision making process, something very challenging in a multicultural environment that each organisation has different business priorities and focus. Finally, it estimates some potential risks and how these will be managed. Project Initiation & Planning
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Project Phases Project Plan Approval includes the acceptance of the proposed project project for financial support by the Co-funding authority. In principle, the steps are the following: 1. After the evaluation of all submitted eligible proposals by the co-funding authority with the help of external experts, the highest ranked proposals are retained for funding. The total no. of successful proposals depends on the budget of the available programme, and the total budget requested by the highest ranked proposals. 2. Then, some further documentation and completion of forms is requested and some requirements for further improvement or for budget cut can be negotiated between the consortium and the co-funding authority. 3. As soon as these legal and financial viabilities are confirmed and documented then financial support agreement is signed between the partnership and the co-funding authority based on the initial plan proposed and the outcome of the negotiations.It includes also binding conditions and clauses for all partners 4. In some cases, an internal agreement or consortium agreement is signed also within the partnership with the responsibilities of each partner and the conditions for the grant distribution. Also the framework of the ownership rights of the expected outcomes may be specified. Project Approval
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Project Phases Project execution involves the actual implementation of the project and it • Executes tasks and activities as defined in the approved project plan • Ensures common understanding of the objectives and the steps needed for reaching common expectations within the partnership • Implements the procurement and management of project resources • Implements a quality management plan and the approved changes • Improves consortium performance • Reacts on project risks and applies proactive measures • Applies measures to ensure the sustainability of the project after the project funding period. • Applies measures to ensure continuous and in some cases specific dissemination (promotion) of project outcomes. This is a special requirement for all projects funded/sponsored by the EU funds Project Execution
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Project Phases Monitoring and Control phase runs in parallel with the Execution and it 1.Measures project performance 2.verifies and manage changes to the project 3.ensures conformance of project deliverables to quality standards and to workplan 4.monitors and reacts accordingly to risks
Project Monitoring & Controlling
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Project Phases The Project Closing is the final phase of the project and often underestimated. In brief, it requires to: 1. Obtain financial, legal, and administrative closure within the consortium but especially by the co-funding authority 2. Obtain final acceptance for the project 3. Release project resources 4. Identify, document, and communicate lessons learned 5. Create and distribute final project outcomes 6. Archive and retain project records. This is of paramount importance since it is contractually required all documentation and especially financial records and proper justification to be maintained for at least five years after the project completion date for any audit by the co-funding authorities. N.B.: The Project Completion date is considered as the date that the final payment was made by the co-funding authority. This is very important to stress out, since it is faulty presumed that the project completion date is the date that the project is completed technically. Project Closing
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Additional elements in Project Management of European Funded Projects
Projects funded from European Union funds include also the following factors 1. Co-financing from European Union funds: All these projects are normally financially supported by funds from the European Union (mainly through tax-payers/citizens in Europe). This co-funding can be seen as sponsorship on behalf of the European Union. This means that all these projects have to address some priorities that are normally defined in a couple of documents and are issued by the co-funding authority (the authority that co-funds the projects). These are the "Calls for Proposals" and the "Work Programme". 2. European Partnership: European Funded Projects involve cooperation from organisations from different European countries and in some cases from third countries also. Organisations from these countries form a consortium for planning and implementing the project 3. European Impact: European Funded Projects require as many as possible Europeans to benefit from the project outcomes. 4. Focus on Innovation: European funded projects require transfer or development of innovation across different European countries. ensures conformance of project deliverables to quality standards and to workplan 5. Joint ownership of the project outcomes by the partners: Although the European funded projects are financially supported by European Commission and its agencies according to the specific programme, they do not own any outcome of the project. The outcomes are owned by the partnership or by some specific partners according to their internal agreement.
Project Monitoring & Controlling
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PPPM Fundamentals – Be proactive and not reactive!
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PPPM Fundamentals – delegate & empower
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PPPM Fundamentals – exploit resources properly
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PPPM Fundamentals – Apply effective decision making mechanisms – set priorities
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PPPM Fundamentals – Good management is based on good communication mechanisms
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PPPM Fundamentals – There is never enough time. So set priorities
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PPPM Fundamentals – Document but not overdo it. (Only in Financial Management)
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PPPM Fundamentals – Look around and be alert. Ensure proper management to avoid sinking!
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