Day 7 – Project Management
6/29/2020
I am studying Item 1.5. This covers the skill in project management.
This is part of the Building Personal Capability category
These are notes, so expect typoos.
First things first. Mohamed (Moe Ash) Reda posted this really useful infographic on different types of Design Methodologies that are helpful >> https://prezi.com/i/sqcuh7bqhz9n/design-approaches [PDF version]
TD Articles
- Here is a list of articles that I found useful/interesting while studying.https://www.td.org/insights/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-project-management
- The sample chapters from Agile and LLAMA for ISD Project Management is helpful connecting project management to instructional design.
- https://www.td.org/insights/guerilla-project-managementmoving-from-controller-to-helper
Notes from TD BoK (Mostly things I want to remember)
A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a single goal (PMI 2017).
A project can become a process. For example, TD course developers analyze, design, and build learning solutions for a customer based on the learning objectives and requirements.
Implementing a systematic project management approach allows TD professionals to oversee and forecast completion dates for each project phase, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and within quality specifications.
TD professionals can be assured they are discussing a project if it encompasses four things:
- It has a definite start date and it did not exist before.
- It has a definite ending that may be defined by the completion of some defined end point or the delivery of the goal.
- It is a unique one-time event, it is temporary, and it will not be repeated.
- It accomplishes a goal or will deliver something that did not exist before the project started.
Critical roles in project management include subject matter experts (SMEs) as well as project sponsor, project manager, and project stakeholders.
Don’t forget the governance plan: Establish a governance plan. Tailored to the organization and the specific project, the governance plan incorporates, but is not limited to, the policies, procedures, and relationships that create the rules guiding the oversight and authorization of the project.
There are several different TD methodologies, including ADDIE, Agile, rapid prototyping, and SAM; each is an adaption of an existing PM approach.
The project charter is the outcome of the project’s initiate phase. It presents the need for the project accompanied by a brief description of its deliverables and components, providing a short, high-level overview of the project and what it requires for anyone involved.
Additional Notes
Bill Brantley >> https://www.td.org/magazines/communication-the-key-to-project-management
Mary Z. Ashlock, assistant professor of communication with the University of Louisville, says that emotional intelligence helps project managers read verbal and nonverbal communication of the team and understand how their own communication shapes the reception of any message. Simply defined, emotional intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions.
Application
The following text and image comes from Raymond Noe’s Employee Training & Development, pp. 217-218.
Program design should be considered a special case of project management. In this case, project management refers to the skills needed to manage a team of people and resources to create a learning solution.
SPADES (start, plan, administer, develop, engage, and stop) includes project management concepts that incorporate principles of ISD (recall our discussion of ISD in Chapter One).
“Start” involves understanding the stakeholders for the learning solution (employees, managers, subject-matter experts). It also involves conducting a needs analysis or revisiting the results to understand who needs training, the context, the focus, and the expected outcomes.
The “Plan” phase involves identifying what you need to do as well as any resources that may be needed. This includes identifying tasks, how long it will take to complete them, and any expertise that is needed to execute your plan such as web designers or subject-matter experts.
“Administer” involves overseeing the tasks and communicating with the project team, stakeholders, and subject-matter experts. It also involves ensuring that tasks are completed and deadlines and budgets are met.
“Develop” involves many of the steps in the ISD process including identifying the training objectives and methods, how the program will be evaluated, and ensuring transfer of training. It also involves designing the actual training including any materials or online modules.
“Engage” is where the training “goes live” or is implemented. It also includes conducting an evaluation of training (evaluation is discussed in Chapter Six).
The “Stop” phase includes finishing the project, paying vendor and suppliers, and meeting with stakeholders to see if they feel that the project met its objectives and their expectations.
From Bill Brantley’s article:
The Lab at the Office of Personnel Management defines human-centered design, also called design thinking, as a creative and strategic approach to solving challenging problems and meeting real needs. Its blend of design, research, and innovative thinking puts people at the center of the process—helping team members define a problem, generate ideas, and use prototyping to develop potential solutions. Using concepts from ethnography and visual communication, stakeholders develop a shared understanding of a challenge and devise ways to resolve it.
