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aspects of project management for researchers networks gantt charts and critical paths networks gantt charts and critical paths robin beaumont date 18 12 2001 14 00 contents 1 learning outcomes ...

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                                                                 Aspects of project management for researchers 
                                                                    Networks, Gantt charts and Critical Paths 
                                 Networks, Gantt charts and Critical Paths 
                                Robin Beaumont  Date: 18/12/2001 14:00 
                                                      Contents  
                   1.     LEARNING OUTCOMES CHECK LIST FOR THE SESSION..2 
                   2.   INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................3 
                   3.   THE GANTT CHART......................................................................................................................3 
                                                                                                               
                   4.   MAIN PROJECT PHASES..............................................................................................................4
                   5.   ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS...........................................................................................................5 
                   6.   NETWORK DIAGRAMS................................................................................................................6 
                      6.1   EVENT NUMBERING......................................................................................................................6 
                      6.2   ADDITIONAL EXERCISES...............................................................................................................7 
                   7.   TIME CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................................................................8 
                      7.1   ESTIMATING.................................................................................................................................8 
                      7.2   EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES AND QUALITY ISSUES.........................................................................8 
                      7.3   ANNOTATING NETWORK DIAGRAMS............................................................................................9 
                      7.4   EARLIEST TIME (E) /FORWARD PASS AND PROJECT DURATION.....................................................9 
                      7.5   LATEST TIME (L) /BACKWARD PASS AND THE CRITICAL PATH...................................................10 
                      7.6   OBTAINING A CRITICAL PATH IN MICROSOFT PROJECT98...........................................................11 
                   8.   NETWORK DIAGRAMS IN MICROSOFT PROJECT98........................................................11 
                   9.   SLACK AND FLOAT.....................................................................................................................12 
                                                                                                               
                   10.    RESOURCE ANALYSIS...........................................................................................................13
                   11.    NOW CHECK WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT........................................................................13 
                   12.    ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL EXERCISES...............................................................................14 
                   13.    REFERENCES............................................................................................................................14 
                   14.    MCQS...........................................................................................................................................14 
                                                                  
                   Robin Beaumont   e-mail: robin@robinbt2.free-online.co.uk Source: Laptop; C:\edinburgh\mod8\sect5\cpa\word\cpa1.doc    Page 1 
                                                                  Aspects of project management for researchers 
                                                                     Networks, Gantt charts and Critical Paths 
                    1.      Learning outcomes check list for the session 
                    Each of the sessions aims to provide you with both skills (the 'be able to's' below) and useful 
                    information (the 'understand what's' below) listed below. After you have completed this session 
                    you should come back to these points ticking off those you feel happy with. 
                     
                     
                                                     Learning outcome                             Tick box 
                                               Be able to describe a Gantt chart                     ! 
                                       Be able to describe the purpose of a Gantt chart q            ! 
                                                                
                                            Be able to describe a Network diagram                    ! 
                                                                
                                    Be able to describe the purpose of a Network diagram             ! 
                                   Be aware of the 4 overall aims of Project management as           ! 
                                              espoused by the PRINCE method 
                                            Be able to provide examples of events                    ! 
                                           Be able to provide examples of activities                 ! 
                                 List the difference between event and activity centred network      ! 
                                                          diagrams 
                                 Be able to develop a Network diagram from a list of activities      ! 
                                Describe the purpose of event numbering in Network diagrams          ! 
                                 Be aware of the PERT method of activity duration estimation         ! 
                                 Describe the traditional method of activity duration estimation     ! 
                                                    along with its dangers 
                                Be aware of the importance of considering external constraints       ! 
                                   Be able to modify Network diagrams to show the activity           ! 
                                                          duration's. 
                                Describe, and be able to carry out the process of Forward Pass       ! 
                                 Describe what Earliest time (E) is along with its relationship to   ! 
                                                       Project duration 
                                               Describe what Latest time (L) is                      ! 
                               Describe, and be able to carry out the process of Backward Pass       ! 
                                             Describe what a Critical Path (CP) is                   ! 
                                         Describe what Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is               ! 
                                      Describe the various types of  “periods of inactivity”         ! 
                                    Describe how periods of inactivity can be manipulated            ! 
                                                 Be aware of resource issues                         ! 
                     
                    Back to top of the document 
                     
                    Robin Beaumont   e-mail: robin@robinbt2.free-online.co.uk Source: Laptop; C:\edinburgh\mod8\sect5\cpa\word\cpa1.doc    Page 2 
                                                                   Aspects of project management for researchers 
                                                                      Networks, Gantt charts and Critical Paths 
                    2. Introduction 
                    This short introduction describes a quantitative method of specifying projects which has gained 
                    almost universal acceptance. 
                    Although there are numerous software packages available to support this process, this 
                    introduction expects you to use the old pencil and rubber technique. Admittedly I have used 
                    several software packages to produce the various graphical examples in this introduction 
                    including Microsoft Project98 for the Gantt charts along with the drawing tools provided as part 
                    of Word98 for  the Network diagrams. However, there is no reason why, for a small project 
                    such as one that involves only one or two people, a pencil and rubber should not be used, and 
                    it is probably more time efficient than learning yet another new piece of software. In contrast for 
                    large projects a significant proportion of a manager's time can be taken up with managing the 
                    documentation even if they know the  computer package. 
                    Most people equate project management with the production of a chart, called a Gantt chart, 
                    similar to the one below which in this instance was produced by Microsoft Project98. Although 
                    this is the most popular way to specify a project it is not necessarily the most helpful for all 
                    participants where the alternative Network diagram is easier to follow. While the network 
                    diagram is the focus of this document a brief description of a standard Gantt chart is given 
                    below. 
                     
                    Back to top of the document 
                     
                    3.      The Gantt chart 
                    A Gantt chart shows the project activities as a series of rectangles.  Each rectangle represents 
                    an activity and the activities themselves are listed down the site of the chart. In the above Gantt 
                    chart there are five activities listed. Along the top of the chart is the time scale. In this instance 
                    it is in thirds of months (marked Beginning, Middle, End). In Microsoft Project98 you can easily 
                    adjust the time units to be anything from minutes to years. Microsoft Project98 also allows you 
                    to define various activity types and explode high level activities into a number of lower level 
                    ones (e.g. the high level activity 'Literature review' might be divided into: developing search 
                    strategy, doing, and reporting). 
                             Port folio exercise 
                             Considering the units of time in the above Gantt chart. Create a table with two 
                             columns. The first column should specify the unit of time and the second give an 
                             example of a project where it is an appropriate time measure.  Save this in your 
                             Portfolio. 
                    Back to top of the document 
                     
                    Robin Beaumont   e-mail: robin@robinbt2.free-online.co.uk Source: Laptop; C:\edinburgh\mod8\sect5\cpa\word\cpa1.doc    Page 3 
                                                                   Aspects of project management for researchers 
                                                                      Networks, Gantt charts and Critical Paths 
                    4.      Main project phases 
                    There are hundreds of project management techniques around supporting a host of 
                    'consultants', and while each technique purports to offer some additional benefit over rivals little 
                    empirical research has taken place.  The lack of empirical findings has not prevented the 
                    development of various standards such as ISO 9001 (International Standards Organisation) 
                    and BS5750 (British Standard).  Within these standards specific project management methods 
                    have developed such as that of PRINCE (Projects in Controlled Environments). Such methods 
                    have been designed for large projects and are often too unwieldy to be downsized.  However, 
                    some of PRINCE's principles are worth bearing in mind: 
                    The overall aim of project management, according to the PRINCE method, is to: 
                    •   Deliver required products 
                    •   Deliver specified quality 
                    •   Deliver on time 
                    •   Deliver within budget (resource constraint)    
                    PRINCE expects you to be able to define the products ('deliverables') at the start of the project 
                    in a document known as the PID (Project Initiation Document). Although this is often very 
                    difficult in the research environment where investigation is the prime activity one should not 
                    forget the poor researcher of a TV programme who is given a defined deliverable in a specified 
                    time. Possibly the variable quality of the outcome in this situation demonstrates the dangers of 
                    such an approach!  In the research setting it is possible to define deliverables but these are 
                    frequently re-defined or developed during the project. Creativity and project management often 
                    make uncomfortable bed fellows. 
                    PRINCE has three main aspects: 
                    •   Organisation - A project board and Project site office (PSO) consisting of people with set 
                        responsibilities. 
                    •   Plans - Various plans specifying technical, resourcing, quality and exception issues. 
                    •   Controls - These are of two types; Managerial controls assess progress throughout the 
                        project with various defined assessment and checkpoint (actual versus planned 
                        achievements) meetings. The other type of control concerns the product ('deliverables'). 
                     
                    Port folio Exercise: 
                    Considering the organisation, plans and controls issues of PRINCE how might they be relevant 
                    when planning a research project investigating the quality of nursing care patients receive in 
                    three local hospitals? This should be no longer then one page of A4. 
                     
                    Back to top of the document 
                     
                    Robin Beaumont   e-mail: robin@robinbt2.free-online.co.uk Source: Laptop; C:\edinburgh\mod8\sect5\cpa\word\cpa1.doc    Page 4 
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...Aspects of project management for researchers networks gantt charts and critical paths robin beaumont date contents learning outcomes check list the session introduction chart main phases activities events network diagrams event numbering additional exercises time considerations estimating external dependencies quality issues annotating earliest e forward pass duration latest l backward path obtaining a in microsoft slack float resource analysis now what you have learnt optional references mcqs mail robinbt free online co uk source laptop c edinburgh mod sect cpa word doc page each sessions aims to provide with both skills be able s below useful information understand listed after completed this should come back these points ticking off those feel happy outcome tick box describe purpose q diagram aware overall as espoused by prince method examples difference between activity centred develop from pert estimation traditional along its dangers importance considering constraints modify sho...

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