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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 !
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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