According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, from the 8th–10th centuries Adam had a wife before Eve named Lilith. When God created Adam, he was lonely. He then created a woman for Adam, from the earth, as He had created Adam himself, and called her Lilith. Adam and Lilith began to fight. She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you, but only on top, for you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.' Lilith responded, 'We are equal to each other in as much as we were both created from the earth.' But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air. God sent three angels in pursuit of Lilith. They caught her and ordered her to return to Adam. She refused, and said that she would henceforth weaken and kill little children, infants and babes. The angels overpowered her, and she promised that if the mother hung an amulet over the baby bearing the names of the three angels, she would stay away from that home. So they let her go, and God created Eve to be Adam's mate [created from Adam's rib, so that she couldn't claim equality]. And ever since, Lilith flies around the world, howling her hatred of mankind through the night, and vowing vengeance because of the shabby treatment she had received from Adam. She is also called "The Howling One."
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Qatar National Project Management – An overview
Posted on 07:02 by Unknown
Qatar National Project Management (QNPM)
Qatar National Project Management (QNPM) is a Planning Council initiative to build and support professional project management capacity in Qatar’s public service. It began as part of a broad program to make their public service more efficient and effective. It combines international best practice with the insights of local experts who have years of project management experience. It is an evolving initiative that currently includes a framework for managing projects based on a project Lifecycle, with templates, job aids and other resources and a software tool to help you automate project management tasks and work with your team online. It offers practical advice and support for new project leads, experienced project managers, and executives interested in how a standard approach to project management can support their organization’s success.
A project is a temporary endeavour that creates a unique product, service or result. Project management is a defined body of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques for meeting project requirements. It has been proven to greatly increase the chances of achieving project success and delivering on time and on budget, and it is the most effective mechanism for achieving outcomes efficiently and effectively. It improves results by providing a structure for better information and better controls. The methods and techniques that make up project management are generic and they apply to projects of all types, regardless of size. The key elements of project management include techniques for managing a project’s scope, quality, time, cost, risk, human resources, procurement, and communications. A project lifecycle refers to the standard phases a project will move through as it moves from conception to completion. These stages are Define, Plan, Implement and Close.
1. Define
In this phase the project manager proposes a project to senior management and stakeholders with a brief written description (the Project Definition Document). The project definition document helps support a shared understanding of what work the project will involve and what results it should achieve and is subject to approval.
Key activities are to:
Understand stakeholder interests and expectations
Establish a shared high-level understanding of the proposed project and its intended results
Seek approval from senior management to move to the Plan Phase.
Typically the deliverable for the Define Phase is the Project Definition Document. The Project Definition Document is not a Project Plan. It is much shorter, and it is designed to ensure there is enough interest in a project to justify the effort required to write a Project Plan, Schedule, and Budget. It contains the following:
- Purpose
- Problem/Opportunity
- Project goal
- Project objectives
- Project scope
- Key stakeholders
- Outcomes/success criteria
- Assumptions and constraints
- Risks
- Estimated cost
- Estimated duration
A Business Case and Cost Benefit Analysis are produced instead of or in addition to a Project Definition Document when senior management needs a more detailed justification for a project. Business Cases are often required when projects:
- Need large budgets
- Need new funding
- Will have a big impact on the organization, or
- Will have a big impact on service delivery.
KEY DELIVERABLES
Complete deliverables in the Define Phase will answer the following key questions:
- Is this the right project?
- What results should it achieve?
- How will success be measured?
KEY RESOURCES
These job aids will help you complete project management deliverables in this phase.
Stakeholder Identification Checklist
Stakeholder Identification Checklist
2. The Plan Phase
Here the project is proposed in more detail, and an outline of a clear approach for executing the project is made.
Key activities are to:
- Thoroughly plan the project activities, schedule, and resource requirements; and
- Provide more detailed information to senior management for discussion and approval.
Deliverables in this phase build on the Project Definition Document and Business Case from the Define Phase.
A Project Plan will outline what work a project will do and how it will be executed, including timeline and budget information. Typically, a detailed Schedule and Budget are provided as appendices to the Project Plan.
KEY DELIVERABLES
The deliverables in the Plan Phase, when complete, should answer:
- What activities and deliverables will be completed?
- How long will the project take?
- Who will do what?
- What will the project cost?
- How will risks and issues be managed?
KEY RESOURCES
- Project Plan Preparation Guidelines
- Resource Estimate Worksheet
- Ready Reckoner
- Stakeholder Identification Checklist
- Standard Organization Chart and Role Descriptions
- Three Key Questions:
1.How will we know when the project is complete?
The answer to this question is a list of outputs or deliverables, sometimes with measures of completeness or quality.
2. How will we know if the project has been a success?
The answer to this question names desired project results. It should not restate project outputs or deliverables; instead, it should state what impact outputs and deliverables will have on those outside the project.
3. Who gets to answer questions one and two?
The answer to this question names who the primary stakeholders are for a project.
3. The Implement Phase
This is the phase where the work described in the Project Plan is actually done.
At the beginning of this phase, project mobilization or start up is done and it entails:
- Securing the resources required to execute the project
- Orientation of team members,
- Getting started on the work plans.
Once the team is established, you control the execution of the Project Plan using techniques to manage risks, issues, changes, quality, and cost. You also manage communications, project documents, procurement, and human resources.
Key activities of the project manager are to:
- Mobilize the team to execute the Project Plan
- Control the execution of the Project Plan
- Communicate with stakeholders
- Report project status
- Update the Project Plan, Schedule, Budget and Business Case as needed
KEY DELIVERABLES
Deliverables are divided into Project Mobilization and Project Control.
Project Mobilization Deliverables
When complete, the Project Mobilization deliverables should answer the following questions:
- How will the team work together to manage risks, issues, and changes?
- How will the team report status? How frequently?
- What is the process for approving and storing project deliverables?
- What are the expectations of the team regarding standards, methodologies, and templates?
- How will the team communicate with stakeholders?
The key mobilization deliverables that clarify how the team will work are as follows:
- Project Manual Template
- Risk Management Plan,
- Issue Management Plan
- Change Control Plan
- Status Report, and
- Document Management Plan.
The key mobilization deliverables for getting the team started and aligning stakeholders are as follows:
- Steering Group Terms of Reference Template
- Steering Group Meeting Agenda Template
- Advisory Group Terms of Reference Template
- Advisory Group Meeting Agenda Template
- Team Launch Meeting Agenda
- Communications Plan Template
Project Control Deliverables
Complete Project Control deliverables answer the following questions:
- How is project work progressing?
- What issues, risks, and changes does the project face and how should these be managed?
- How much is the project actually costing?
- What results have been achieved to date?
The key project control deliverables for reporting status and maintaining project records are as follows:
- Project Status Report Template
- Risk Log Template
- Issue Log Template
- Change Log Template
- Updating project management documents such as the Business Case Plan, Schedule, and Budget.
KEY RESOURCES
- Risk Management Templates and Job Aids
- Issue Management Templates and Job Aids
- Change Control Templates and Job Aids
- Document Management Templates and Job Aids
- Human Resource Management Templates and Job Aids
- Status Reporting Templates and Job Aids
- Stakeholder Alignment Templates and Job Aids
- Miscellaneous Templates and Job Aids
4. The Close Phase
This is the phase where you shut down the project in a controlled manner.
Key activities are to:
- Demonstrate the project is complete
- Assess the success of the project
- Undertake administrative closeout
- Transfer knowledge to the permanent organization
- Support departing staff as the project ends and the team dissolves
KEY DELIVERABLES
- Lessons Learned Template
- Acceptance Document Template
- Final Project Archive
KEY RESOURCES
- Exit Interview Questionnaire
- Project Archive Checklist
- Lessons Learned Preparation Guidelines
- Acceptance Document Preparation Guidelines
QNPM Tool
The QNPM Tool is an important part of the QNPM initiative. It acts as a virtual project assistant and it includes customized and automated functions that you can use to manage workflow for issues, risks, schedules, resources, tasks, documents, and budgets. It can help you stay organized as you move through the stages of the project lifecycle.
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