Project Management Quick Reference Guide

Initiate

Create Plan

New Project

Plan

A PROJECT is a complex series of non-routine tasks directed to meet a specific one-time goal. The PROJECT MANAGER works to balance project scope, the time available to carry out the project, and the budget available for the project.

The Initiating stage of project management includes examining the strategic fit for a proposed project. Before beginning a new project, an organization must determine that the project fits in with its strategic goals. Understanding the organization’s goals can help executives identify certain proposed projects focusing on mission-critical activities as high-priority, and other projects peripheral to organization goals as lower priority. During the Initiating stage, an executive sponsor should be identified. A high-level evaluation of the project’s business case should be developed, along with project limitations and technical and financial requirements. A project manager should be identified and a placeholder project plan set up in Microsoft Office Project 2003, Microsoft Project 2002, or Microsoft Project 2000.

Initiate a new project

1. Create a new project file: On the File menu in Project 2003, click New. In the Project Guide, click Blank Project.
(In Microsoft Project 2000, click New on the File menu, and then in the General tab, click Blank Project. In the Project Information dialog box, enter your project start date in the Start Date box.)
Create a new project from a template: On the File menu, click New. In the New Project task pane, click On my computer (or General Templates in Microsoft Project 2002), and then click the Project Templates tab. Click the template that you want.
(In Microsoft Project 2000, click New on the File menu, and then click the Project Templates tab. Click the template that you want.)

2. Specify the project start date: On the Project menu, click Project Information. In the Start date box, enter your project start date.

3. Define the project calendar: On the Tools menu, click Change Working Time. Identify working and non-working days and times for your project.

4. Save the project file: On the File menu, click Save As. In the File name box, type the project name.

The Planning stage devises a workable scheme to accomplish the project’s intended goals and outcomes. In the Planning stage, you identify the project’s milestones, deliverables, and tasks. This plan can be your work breakdown structure (WBS). You develop and refine the schedule, and identify the resources needed to implement the project.

Create a new plan

1. Enter tasks: Make sure the default Gantt Chart with the Entry table is showing. In the Task Name field, enter tasks. Tasks can also include summary tasks, milestone tasks, and WBS items.

2. Outline tasks: Create your task hierarchy including tasks and milestones under summary tasks, which can represent phases or other work divisions. Click a task (or several tasks), and then click the Indent or Outdent button on the Formatting toolbar.

3. Enter durations: Click the Duration field for a task and enter a duration, for example, type 4h. To specify a milestone without a duration, type 0d. To indicate that a duration is an estimate, add a question mark, for example, type 6d?.

4. Specify task dependencies: Select the tasks that you want to link, and then click the Link Tasks button on the Standard toolbar. To change the default Finish-To-Start dependency type, double-click the link line of the tasks that you want to change, and then select a task link from the Type list.

Assign Resources

Set Baseline

Define and assign resources

1. Define the resource pool: On the View menu, click Resource Sheet. In the Resource Name field, type the names of the resources you will use for this project.

2. Assign resources to tasks: On the View menu, click Gantt Chart. Select a task to which you want to assign a resource. On the Standard toolbar, click the Assign Resources button. In the Assign Resources dialog box, click the resource name(s), and then click Assign.

3. Know your task type: As soon as you assign resources, the task type determines how the task is scheduled. To set a default task type for the entire project, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Schedule tab. In the Default task type box, select Fixed Units (the default), Fixed Duration, or Fixed Work.
To change the task type for an individual task, select the task, and then click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar. Click the Advanced tab, and then in the Task type box, click the task type that you want to create.

Work, duration, and units (% allocation) are determined by the formula: Work = Duration * Units

Task Type	When you add or remove a resource, this changes…	When you change duration, this changes...	When you change units, this changes…
Fixed Duration	Units	Work	Work
Fixed Work	Duration	Units	Duration
Fixed Units	Duration	Work	Duration

Set the project baseline

1. Save the baseline plan: After your project plan is optimized for finish date, budget, and scope, you can submit the plan for approval. Once approved, save the baseline plan. On the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Save Baseline.

2. View baseline data in a Gantt Chart: On the View menu, click Tracking Gantt. In the chart area, the baseline information is shown as the lower of the two Gantt bars for each task.
(In Microsoft Project 2000, click More Views on the View menu, and then double-click Tracking Gantt.)

3. View baseline data in a table: On the View menu, point to Table, and then select Variance. This table includes fields for baseline and variance start and finish.

The Executing/Controlling stage coordinates people and other resources to carry out the plan as defined in the project plan. The deliverables in this stage focus on managing change, entering schedule updates, tracking progress, and communicating project information. Each team member performs defined tasks within the project scope, ensuring their contribution to the project’s success.

Close Out the Project

Close

Communicate & Report

Update

& Track

Update progress

1. Manage changes: Modify durations, dates, dependencies, resource assignments, or tasks based on requested changes or new information. Keep the current fields up to date and compare it to the baseline.

2. Track actual dates and durations: It’s best to decide on a single method for tracking progress. You can enter percentage complete, actual start and finish dates, actual and remaining durations, or actual and remaining work. Select the task for which you want to enter actual progress. On the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Update Tasks. Enter progress data in the % Comp., Act. Dur. and Rem. Dur., or the Act. Start and Act. Finish fields.

3. Track actual hours and costs: If you want to enter actual and remaining work hours or costs, use the Tracking table. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Tracking. Enter progress data in the Act. Work or Act. Cost fields for the task.
You can also use the Tracking table to enter percent complete, actual start and finish dates, and actual and remaining duration.

Note Project tracks three sets of dates: current, baseline, and actual. When you first set the baseline, current = baseline. When a task is 100% complete, current = actual. Baseline, current, and actual values exist for start date, finish date, duration, cost, and work.

Communicate project information

1. Format a view for printing: On the Format menu, click Text Styles and Bar Styles to set up styles that will apply to multiple tasks. Or, on the Format menu, click Font and Bar to format individual elements for a specific task. Click Timescale, Gridlines, or Layout on the Format menu to change those aspects of the current view.

2. Print a view as a report: Set up the current view the way that you want it to look when printed. On the File menu, click Print Preview to check the view layout. When ready, click Print.

3. Generate a report: On the View menu, click Reports. Double-click a report category, and then double-click the predefined report. Enter any requested information. A preview of the report appears. To print the report, click Print.

4. Add a field (column) to a table: Click anywhere in a column to the left of where you want to insert a new column. On the Insert menu, click Column. In the Field name box, click the name of the field that you want to add as a new column.

5. Customize views: On the View menu, click More Views. Click New or Edit. In the View Definition dialog box, specify the table, group, and filter that you want to use to define the view.

6. Customize tables: On the View menu, point to Table, and then click More Tables. Click New or Edit. In the Table Definition dialog box, specify the information that you want to include in the table.

7. Customize groups: On the Project menu, point to Group by, and then click More Groups. Click New or Edit. In the Group Definition dialog box, specify how you want to group project information.

8. Customize filters: On the Project menu, point to Filtered for, and then click More Filters. Click New or Edit. In the Filter Definition dialog box, specify how you want to filter project information.

The Closing stage includes final details for completing a project. Resolve any final project details, and obtain customer acceptance of final deliverables. Conduct a Lessons Learned session, recording information about areas for improvement and best practices. Make any final updates to the project plan. Finally, archive the project plan according to your organization’s project data archival guidelines.