PMI-ACP vs CSM? Agile vs Scrum

This is a common question since the Jan 2012 launch of PMI’s Agile Certified Practioner (ACP) certification. PMI-ACP is about ALL agile methods/principles/practices; CSM knowledge will not be enough to pass the PMI-ACP.

Differences:

1. PMI-ACP includes various Agile methods used including Lean, XP, TDD, Crystal and more. About 65% of Agile practitioners use SCRUM & 15% use XP. Others use various Agile methods. CSM on the other hand covers only one method, SCRUM, in complete detail.
2. PMI-ACP requires 1500 hrs of Agile project experience & 2000 hours of general project experience; CSM does not require any experience.
3. PMI-ACP is a rigorous exam (similar to the highly acclaimed and valued PMP). PMI expects about 70% will pass the exam; CSM, broadly speaking, is a no-fail exam.
4. Recognition and Brand Awareness: PMI-ACP is advocated by PMI (The world’s largest project management advocacy body with huge global recognition); CSM is advocated by Scrum Alliance which is a smaller (and more niche) body.
5. PMI-ACP exam is administered all over the world in various test centers; CSM is offered at fewer locations and the exam administration itself is nowhere near the standards set by PMI.

What is the better choice? It depends...

1. If you have no work experience, your only choice is Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
2. If your employer is using SCRUM methodology & wants you to do Certified Scrum Master (CSM), then it is a better choice.
3. If you have more than 3 years of work experience & you are looking for career growth and ability to apply & customize Agile principles & practices, then the best option is PMI-ACP.
4. If you want to learn about the Agile values, principles & practices and be able to apply them to real life scenarios & integrate in a world of command &control, then PMI-ACP is a better cert.

Hope this helps.

 

Reference: Link

 

Thanks & Regards,

Arun Manglick
Project Manager (PMP, CSM, MS-Project)

 

Elapsed Duration - ed (MS Project)

Elapsed Duration is used to schedule tasks to occur during Working and Non-Working time.

I.e. Elapsed Duration is used for a task that goes round the clock rather than just normal working hours.

 

For e.g. Assume there are two tasks – Pour Plaster and Remove Plaster. If so, there must be a task “Wait to Dry Plaster”. This task will have elapsed duration as the plaster will dry over a range of days, whether they are working or non-working. Thus if the plaster takes 48 Hrs to cure than you can enter it’s duration as “2ed”.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Arun Manglick
Project Manager (PMP, CSM)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8/80 Rule - MS Project

What is the 8/80 Rule?

The 8/80 rule is used as a reminder to project managers to limit the size of WBS work packages.  Following these guidelines will prevent micro management or the creation of work packages that become too large to manage.

Work packages should be:

• No smaller than 8 hours
• No larger than 80 hours, and
• Between 1 and 10 days in duration

This rule suggests that task durations between 8 hrs and 80 hrs are generally sized about right. Tasks shorter than one day might be too granular or task longer than 2 weeks might be too long to manage properly.

 

Well there are many legitimate reasons to break this rule, but for most tasks it’s worth considering.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Arun Manglick
Project Manager (PMP, CSM)

 

Project Assumptions

For Details - Read “Project Assumptions” Post.

 

Project assumptions.

·         Lists and describes the specifi c project assumptions associated with the project scope and the potential impact of those assumptions if they prove to be false.

·         Project teams frequently identify, document, and validate assumptions as part of their planning process.

·         Information on assumptions may be listed in the project scope statement or in a separate log.

 

General:

·         We assume that because the weather forecast is for a sunny day, and there is not a cloud in the sky, it will not rain so we will not take an umbrella with us to work.

·         We assume that the washing machine will not break down and overflow before we set a load of washing as we walk out the door.

·         We assume the bus will come on time when we go to the bus stop at a certain time.

 

 

Here is the list.

 

Below is the categorization of assumptions:

1.       Scope : There will be no scope change after the ‘Analysis’ phase is over

2.       Schedule: Client will not introduce any presssure to complete the project before scheduled time.

3.       Schedule: All the phases will be completed on time.

4.       Financing : Project funding will not be withdrawn

5.       Resources: Development resources will be available since Analysis Phase to the end of the project.

6.       Resources: BA resource will be allocated for the entire project life cycle.

7.      Resources: An onsite co-ordinator is available to clarify the issues

8.       Resources: Resources will not be pulled to do other projects in between

9.       Customers/Client: Client will provide the related information and answer to queries on time and thus not affecting project timelines

10.   Technologies : Client will not introduce ‘Technology Change’ in b/w of the project

11.   Technologies: There will always be technology support from Microsoft.

 

12.   Expectations:

13.   SponsorShip

14.   Other Assumptions: There will be no natural calamity delaying project timelines.

 

Regards,

Arun Manglick

Issue Register & Tracking Tools

Issue Register /Issue Log is a documentation element of software project management. An issue log contains a list of ongoing and closed issues of the project.

An issue log is usually blank at the beginning of the project ^[1], but this is not always true for subsequent releases.

It helps you to monitor the status of your issues and track the actions taken to resolve them.

By using an issue log effectively, you can minimize the impact that issues have on your project, thereby increasing your chances of success.

 

The Issue Register or Issues Log helps you track the:

• Priority of each issue raised
• Impact that the issue is having on the project
• Actions taken to resolve the issue

Issue log-guided projects may be easier to manage in terms of completion time and progress estimation.

Basic Issue Information

• Issue reference number (ID): Typical number to identify different issues.
• Issue name: Issue's name.
• Description: Briefly describe what the issue concerns.
• Issue author: The person who raise this issue.
• Parties: all the people involved in solving the issue.

Issue Categories

• Issue type: what knowledge domain the issue belongs to. (E.g. IT infrastructure, IT application, etc.)
• Issue priority: it determines which issue is the most urgent and should be solved first. (E.g. the priorities may encompass Immediate, Soon, Later, etc.)
• Issue severity: how bad the consequence would be if the issue is left unsolved. (E.g. the severity may encompass Vital, Major, Medium, Minor, etc.)

Issue Date Information

• Date raised: when the issue is raised.
• Date assigned: when the issue is assigned.
• Deadline: when is the final date to get the issue settled.
• Date resolved: when the issue is actually solved.

Issue Status

• Current status: the current status the issue is within. (E.g. Investigating, escalated, resolved, etc.)
• Actions updating: Actions performed before issue is resolved (List all the actions according to dates.)
• Resolution: The final resolution to settle the issue.

Other Information

• Notes: Some ideas or things to remember.

Issue ID

Issue name

Description

Issue author

Parties

Type

priority

Severity

Date raised

Date assigned

Deadline

Date resolved

status

Actions

Resolution

Notes

0001

Sample Issue1

Sample Description

Mr.A

Mr.A,B; Mrs.C

IT Application

High

Critical

20091010

20091011

20100101

20091015

Resolved

Some Actions

Resolutions

Things to do

0002

Sample Issue2

Sample Description

... ...

 

Issue-tracking systems

1.       HP Quality Center 2.       IBM Rational Team Concert 3.       ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 4.       JIRA 5.       Request Tracker 6.       Team Foundation Server 7.       Web Help Desk 8.       BugTracker.NET 9.       Bugzilla	10.   Assembla Tickets 11.   Bontq 12.   The Bug Genie 13.   FogBugz 14.   Fossil 15.   Gemini 16.   GNATS 17.   GLPI 18.   Google Code Hosting 19.   IBM Rational ClearQuest 20.   ikiwiki 21.   Cerebro 22.   codeBeamer 23.   Debbugs	24.   FIT Issue Management 25.   Flyspray 26.   IssueNet 27.   IssueTrak 28.   iSupport 29.   Launchpad 30.   Liberum Help Desk 31.   Kayako SupportSuite 32.   LibreSource	33.   MantisBT 34.   Microsoft Dynamics CRM 35.   Mojo Helpdesk 36.   OnTime 37.   org-mode 38.   OTRS 39.   Planbox 40.   Pivotal Tracker 41.   Plain Ticket 42.   Projistics 43.   Redmine	44.   Remedy Action Request System 45.   Roundup 46.   StarTeam 47.   Supportworks 48.   Teamwork 49.   Trac 50.   Unawave 51.   Wrike 52.   YouTrack 53.   Zentrack 54.   Zoho BugTracker

 

Reference: Link1

 

Thanks & Regards,

▲T/DG THE DIGITAL GROUP

Arun Manglick Technical Project Manager (PMP, CSM) Digital Group InfoTech Pvt. Ltd. Pyramid building, Plot No.5 Rajeev Gandhi InfoTech Park, Phase I, Hinjewadi, Pune - 411057,  India   Office: +91 20 66532084 Fax: +91 20 66532052 Mobile: +91 9850901262

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leadership

Leadership

To be successful in your career, regardless of your title or position, focus on developing your leadership skills.

Effective leaders can add value simply by being present on teams. They are inspirational and motivating. They know the right things to say to people to help them understand what's needed, and they can convince people to support a cause.

• Leadership is about imparting vision and rallying/meeting people around that vision.
• Leaders motivate and inspire and are concerned with strategic vision.
• Good leaders commonly have strong interpersonal skills and are well respected.
• Good leaders are directive in their approach but allow for plenty of feedback and input.

Leadership Styles – [Reeta]

There are many leadership styles, as below, referred to as ‘Situational Leadership’. This refers to using different leadership styles based on the people and project work they are dealing with.

The three categories of leadership styles are

• Top-down:  (old timer style - My way or the highway) Where  the leadership consists of taking the manager’s vision and essentially using the team members as the means by which this vision is carried out.   As the name implies, it gives the most autonomy to the leader and is the least empowering from the standpoint of the team members; they are the servants of the project manager.
• Analytical - Making the technical decisions for the project which are communicated to the project team. (If PM is highly technical then anyone in the team)
• Autocratic - Manager has power to do whatever he or she wants
• Bureaucratic - Making sure that the project team follows procedures exactly.
• Consultative-Autocratic - After soliciting input from team members, makes decisions by him- or herself
• Directing - Telling others what to do. (In case of Unforeseen risk occurs and rapid action is required)
• Driver - Constantly giving directions

• Bottom-up:   Where  the leadership consists of taking the input from the team members and coordinating or integrating it in some fashion in order to carry out the vision of the project.    It gives the most autonomy to team members and the leader is actually the servant of the group, rather than the other way around.
• Facilitating - Coordinating the input of others
• Consultative - Obtains others’ opinions and acts as the servant for the team
• Charismatic - Energizing and encouraging team to perform project work
• Laissez-faire - Not directly involved in the work of the team, but manages and consults as necessary.

• Lateral:   This is where leadership consists of having the entire group, including the project manager, get involved in carrying out the vision of the project.    It gives the most autonomy not to the manager or the group, but to the dynamics of the team itself.    In this style, each person in the group is the servant of the other, and yet also has the opportunity to contribute towards the solution.
• Consensus - Problem solving in a group, and decision-making based on group agreement
• Delegating - Establishes goals, gives project team sufficient authority to work
• Democratic - Encourages team participation in the decision-making process
• Influencing - Emphasizes teamwork, team building, team decision making
• Supporting - Providing assistance along the way

Lead By Examples: Develop Expert Power

• Good leaders lead by example. They "do what they say," and "say what they do."
• These types of leaders are trustworthy, and show integrity.  
• They get involved in the daily work where needed, and they stay in touch with what's happening throughout the team/organization.
• Great leaders don't just sit in their offices and give orders; they demonstrate the actions and values that they expect from the team.
• A key part of being a good role model is leading from the front by developing Expert Power.

Providing Vision & Motivating People to Deliver the Vision

• This is your ability to create a Vision of the Future, and to present this vision in a way that's compelling and inspiring to the people you lead.
• Another great way of inspiring people is to use bright stories to explain your vision.

Managing Performance Effectively

• Effective leaders manage performance by setting their expectations clearly and concisely.
• When everyone knows what's expected, it's much easier to get high performance.

Providing Support and Stimulation

• Effective leaders require committing to developing their people.
• To be highly motivated at work, people usually need more than a list of tasks to be completed each day. They need challenges and interesting work. 
• Think about your approach to Task Allocation, and look for opportunities to match people with jobs and responsibilities that will help them grow and develop.
• Perform Training Needs Assessments on a regular basis to determine what your team needs to be successful.

Emotional Intelligence

• The concept of emotional intelligence used to be referred to as "soft skills," "character", or even "communication skills".
• EQ is the ability to recognize feelings – you’re own and those of others – and manage those emotions to create strong relationships.

Few More Leadership Tactics:

Being a Good Role Model & Proactive

• You must have good domain knowledge
• Understand the subject/functionality thoroughly
• Always be prepared to take responsibilities
• Work on the current phases a head of time
• Start reporting without being asked
• Always communicate interim status
• Proactively take initiatives

Team Spirit:

• Respect your team.
• Motivate team members
• Encourage team with positive appraoch.
• Protect team from being part of external issues.  

Regards,

Arun Manglick

How Good Are Your Project Management Skills?

Project managers need a broad range of skills.

Whether or not you hold the official title of project manager, chances are you'll be called upon to lead some sort of project at some time.

This short quiz helps you determine how well you perform in the eight key areas that are important to a successful project.

How Good Are Your Project Management Skills?

Project Manager should have below PM skills.

Statement
1	When a project begins, I work with its sponsor to negotiate and agree specific deliverables.	Y
2	At the start of a project, I formally outline what, why, who, how, and when with a Project Initiation Document – so everyone can understand how the elements of the project fit together.	Y
3	I prepare a specific timeline and sequence of activities, and I use this schedule to manage the overall project to ensure its timely completion.	Y
4	I communicate what needs to be done by what deadline, and expect the people to whom I assign the work to be responsible for breaking down the work packages into smaller and more manageable pieces.	Y
5	I outline clear expectations for the project team, and I manage their individual and collective performance as part of the overall project evaluation process.	Y
6	I give people a deadline to complete their project work, and then I expect them to coordinate with others if and when they need to.	Y
7	I consider a variety of cost alternatives when developing my original project budget plan.	Y
8	I identify as many potential project risks as I can, and I develop a plan to manage or minimize each one of them, large or small.	Y
9	I routinely monitor and reevaluate significant risks as the project continues.	Y
10	I keep all project stakeholders informed and up-to-date with regular meetings and distribution of all performance reports, status changes, and other project documents.	Y
11	I define specifically what the stakeholders need and expect from the project, and I use these expectations to define and manage the project's scope.
12	Forecasting costs is more art than science, so I include extra funds in the budget and hope that I’m under cost at the end.
13	I present project status information in an easy-to-use and easy-to-access format to meet stakeholders' information needs.	Y
14	Delivering on time and on budget are the most important things for me.
15	When a project gets behind schedule, I work with my team to find a solution rather than assign blame.	Y

  

Project Integration

(Statements 6, 11)

·         Develop a solid understanding of the project's goals.

·         Start by producing a Business Requirements Analysis, and then develop a comprehensive Project Initiation Document, which covers the basic project needs and outcomes, so that everyone can understand the project's goals.

·         To prepare this critical, high-level document, you need to understand the phases and processes of project management. This overview will help you become better prepared for what's ahead.

  

Scope Management

(Statements 4, 16)

·         Projects have a nasty habit of expanding as they go along, making it impossible to hit deadlines. To control this “scope creep,” it's essential to define the scope at the very start of your project based on the Business Requirements Analysis, and then manage it closely against this signed-off definition.

·         For more on how to do this, see our article on scope control.

  

Time/Schedule Management

(Statements 1, 3, 9, 14)

·         A project's scope can easily grow, and so can the time needed to complete it.

·         For a project to be completed successfully, despite all of the unknowns, it's important to clearly define the sequence of activities, estimate the time needed for each one, and build in sufficient contingency time to allow for the unexpected.

·         With this information, you can develop a Project Schedule and then begin breaking it down into very specific pieces of work using a Work Breakdown Structure.

·         A schedule often isn't enough. To keep track of the various activities, Gantt Charts and Critical Path Analysis are often helpful.

  

Cost Management

(Statements 7, 17)

·         To determine what a project will cost, you must be systematic with your estimating, budgeting, and controlling.

·         Also, be aware that many project decisions will have an impact on cost.

  

Quality Management

(Statements 4, 12, 19)

·         To achieve quality, ensure that you actively manage project benefits. By continuously referring to the benefits that the project will provide, you keep client quality at the forefront – and you won't waste precious time and resources trying to achieve an inappropriate level of quality.

·         An effective project manager knows the importance of checking that project outcomes are consistent with needs. The Deming Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and Business Testing are important tools for this, as they both force you to consider the needs of the end users.

  

HR/People Management

(Statements 5, 8)

·         Right mix of interpersonal and political skills is just as important as the right technical skills.

·         To help your new team start working together effectively as soon as possible, develop a Team Charter and outline performance expectations.

·         Use well-informed task allocation and appropriate team management skills to keep the project team on track and working productively.

·         And be prepared to help people through the Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing stages that so many teams go through.

  

Communication

(Statements 15, 18)

·         As with most situations, effective project communication means communicating with the right people at the right time and in the right way.

·         To do this, Stakeholder Management is essential. When you analyze your stakeholders, you identify who must be kept informed in full, and who needs less intensive communication. This can save you a lot of time, and helps you maintain good relationships with people involved in the project.

·         Project Dashboards are great for presenting project updates in a way that people can quickly understand. For longer projects that require periodic status reports, Milestone Reporting is effective for capturing the essentials of a project's status.

  

Risk Management

(Statements 10, 13)

·         Project managers must understand which of the risks to their plans are significant. An Impact/Probability Chart will help with this.

·         From there, develop a plan for monitoring and controlling the major risks involved in your project.

·         Using your Risk Analysis, develop options to reduce risks, prepare Contingency Plans, and decide who is responsible for which parts of risk response.

  

Project Procurement

(Statements 2, 20)

·         Unless your project is in-house, external suppliers will generally have a large impact on your costs. Suppliers will also affect whether the project delivers on time and to specification.

·         Take the time to define your needs in a Request for Proposal document, and then use an appropriate Procurement Management approach to select the best supplier.

  

General Project Management Skills

(Statements 4, 9)

This quiz also highlights some general skills that you should be aware of while developing your project management skills.

·         Negotiation – specifically, Integrative Negotiation – is very important for dealing with suppliers and getting the in-house resources you need, when you need them.

·         Conflict resolution is another important general skill. From resolving conflict within your project team to managing conflict that arises during negotiation, this is a fundamental skill for project managers.

·         And, ultimately, your problem-solving skills are essential. They will not only improve negotiation and conflict resolution skills, but also help with risk management, time management, and quality management.

Key Points

Project management is a complex process that requires a wide range of skills.

Understanding client needs and meeting their expectations in a timely manner are universal requirements.

Reference: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_60.htm

Regards,

Arun Manglick