Page 47 - DMGT302_FUNDAMENTALS_OF_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Fundamentals of Project Management

Notes The stages in this planning process are explained below:

Stage 1 – Analysis of Opportunities
The first thing to do is to do is to spot what needs to be done. You will crystallize this into a
formal aim at the next stage in the process.
One approach to this is to examine your current position, and decide how you can improve it.
There are a number of techniques that will help you to do this:
1. SWOT Analysis: This is a formal analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, and of the
opportunities and threats that you face.
2. Risk Analysis: This helps you to spot project risks, weaknesses in your organization or
operation, and identify the risks to which you are exposed. From this you can plan to
neutralize some risks.
3. Understanding Pressures for Change: Alternatively, other people (e.g. clients) may be
pressing you to change the way you do things. Alternatively your environment may be
changing, and you may need to anticipate or respond to this. Pressures may arise from
changes in the economy, new legislation, competition, changes in people’s attitudes, new
technologies, or changes in government.
A different approach is to use any of a whole range of creativity tools to work out where you can
make improvements. These creativity tools culminate in the powerful Simplex process.

Stage 2 – Identifying the aim of your Plan

Once you have completed a realistic analysis of the opportunities for change, the next step is to
decide precisely what the aim of your plan is. Deciding and defining an aim sharpens the focus
of your plan, and helps you to avoid wasting effort on irrelevant side issues.
The aim is best expressed in a simple single sentence. This ensures that it is clear and sharp in
your mind.
If you are having difficulty in formulating the aim of your plan, ask yourself:
1. What do I want the future to be?
2. What benefit do I want to give to my customers?
3. What returns do I seek?

4. What standards am I aiming at?
5. What values do I and my organization believe in?
You can present this aim as a ‘Vision Statement’ or ‘Mission Statement’. Vision Statements
express the benefit that an organization will provide to its customers.

Example: The vision statement for Mind Tools is: ’To enrich the quality of our customers
lives by providing the tools to help them to think in the most productive and effective way
possible’. While this is wordy, it explains what this site aims to do.
Mission statements give concrete expression to the Vision statement, explaining how it is to be
achieved. The mission statement for this site is: ’To provide a well structured, accessible, concise
survey of the best and most appropriate mind tools available’.

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