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Managing and leading programs / projects in practice Maija-Riitta Varis Senior Program Manager Nokia Networks TKK/14.4.2005
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Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

Mar 01, 2022

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Page 1: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

Maija-Riitta VarisSenior Program Manager

Nokia Networks

TKK/14.4.2005

Page 2: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

2 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

TKK 14.4.2005

Program managementProgram organization structureProgram management basic elementsMilestone definitionsProgram management phasesWhat happens in real life?Program metricsHow to success still ☺

Page 3: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

3 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Program Assistant

Release Product Manager Quality Manager

n x subprojects

Hardware Project45 000 hours

Delivery Capability Project

n x subprojectstypically 1000 hours

Several SW Projects50 000 hours

n x subprojects

Functional Testing Project15 000 hours

Customer Documentation

Program Manager Chief Architect

Product Manager

HW Product Manager

Patent Engineer

The whole program organization consists of about 300 – 450 persons.

- 190 000 hours =>~150 man years

- divided about 10 projects

-led by about 30 managers

Program organization

Page 4: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

4 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Program /project management basics

Three basic elements in program planning• Schedule, content, resources• If one of those components is changed it affects at least

on one of the others => Change of schedule requires either decreasing of the content or adding resources

Schedule

Resources

Content

Schedule

Resources

Content

Schedule

Resources

Content

Page 5: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

5 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Program ManagementHow to success to manage a large program ?• Professional project managers => efficient management

TEAM• Good project and subproject plans and schedules =>

Realistic program plan• Efficient risk and change management• Clearly defined roles and interfaces + Good team spirit =

openness and trust

• Well planned and efficient communication within program and with all interfaces

• Meeting schedule• Communication methods, etc

Page 6: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

6 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Splitting the program schedule with checkpoints = milestones

• Every milestone has to be • reviewed against a specific criteria list

• Decision can be: Approved, Postponed or Cancelled• Confirmed by a high level steering group

Planning Specification Implementation+MT TestingE0.5 E1 E3 E3.5 E4ClosingE0 E5Customer Trials

Content frozen Impl. specs Module testing All FT done

Page 7: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

7 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Program/project management tasks• Program / project management

• Planning• Defining the targets, dependencies, communication models and interfaces• Plans are done at all hierarchy levels of the program:

• Follow-up• Program Management Team (PMT) meetings weekly – twice a month• Usually virtual teams – people sitting “all over the world” at least in several

offices inside Finland• Closing

• Final reviews and final reports both at all program hierarchy levels

• Risk management• Detecting risks

• From the early beginning of the program• Finding plan-B’s

• Plan-B’s are included to the risk management plan• Follow-up

• Risks are followed in PMT meetings regularly

• Change management• Changes in schedules, changes in content

• A separate Product Decision Board meeting handle this kind of changes

Page 8: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

8 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

• A communication plan should answer to following question-words:

•• WHAT?WHAT? => project status, changes, problems ..•• WHEN?WHEN? => once a month, when needed…•• HOW?HOW? => a meeting, by mail, by specific tool …•• To WHOM?To WHOM?=> this has to be thought carefully case

by case!

• Build a list of interest groups and mark job positions for everysingle person => useful when gathering participants to workgroups, meetings etc…

Page 9: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

9 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

What happens in reality?

• Consequence in most of the cases is that also the last milestone has to be moved because of there is not possible to have buffers in the plans!=> CHANGE MANAGEMENT and COMMUNICATION

• Effort estimation accuracy – gives the change of working hours – measured against E1 milestone effort estimation• Typical effort increase is 15 – 20 %

• Increasing is noticed first after detailed projecting in E1 milestoneLearned facts:

• Over 80% of the program costs are resource costs• Program delay ties resources => direct impact on costs

The example program was done with following results:• Effort estimation slippage 30% from E1• E3.5 milestone delayed with 72 days, E4 with 44 days and E4.5 with 4 days.

Planning Specification Implementation+MT TestingE0.5 E1 E3 E3.5 E4ClosingE0

Planning Specification Implementation+MT TestingE0.5 E1 E3 E3.5 E4ClosingE0

Page 10: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

10 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

What happens in reality?What can go wrong?Answer is: Everything1. Human factors

• Sick leaves, paternity leaves… etc2. Organization changes – commitments does not exist

anymore3. Technical changes/problems – takes more time than

planned – partners cannot keep their contracts4. Test environment is not available as planned 5. New issues coming to the project content

all the time6. ETC…Solutions are: FOLLOW-UP, RISK and CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Page 11: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

11 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

How to success still?

1. Communication, Communication, Communication2. Good planning = half done!3. Detect the risks and do the plan-B’s = active risk management4. FOLLOW-UP => corrective actions5. Gross-COMMUNICATION over organizations, programs and

projects

GOOD LUCK – is not the worst tool in program management ☺

Page 12: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

12 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

TKK 14.4.2005

Leadership in program• Team building / Team leading• Challenges and requirements for a

program/project manager • Question summary

Page 13: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

13 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Team building / leadingKick-off – meetings• Usually held at all program hierarchic levels

• Program level: project managers, quality mgr, product• Project level: subproject managers, quality mgr• Subproject level: respective project manager, quality mgr, whole

subproject personnel• Targets

• To get to know a bit better each other (everybody gives a short presentation – background, education, experience etc)

• To set the clear and common targets for the program / project • To clarify the role and interfaces for each team member

Face-to-Face discussions• Development discussions during the program

• Main target is “to listen the feelings” , give and get feed-backMotivation• Recreation events, sauna-evenings etcRewarding• “Keep-it-simple”, it’s not the monetary value but the way you do it!

Page 14: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

14 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Challenges and requirements for program / project manager

Expectations:• Manager knows everything and everybody• Manager is capable to solve all problems • Manager remembers all tiny issues, etc, etc…=> mission impossible ☺Solution:• Collect and share information effectively• Admit that your knowledge is limited• Delegate => use your strengths, face your weaknesses

• Do not pretend to be more capable than you are!• What you get:

• Respect • Supportive and co-operative team

Page 15: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

15 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Program / project manager personality

• Strengths:• Decision making• Responsibility• Assertiveness• Consistency• Gumption to take risks when needed• Tolerate uncertain circumstances• Leadership skills

• “Manipulation” skills ☺• Ability to create a good team spirit

Managers in different project levels:• Program manager: efficient in communication and problem solving

– capable to create a “big picture” of the final product both in content and technical point of view

• Project manager: Knows the project content at least in feature level, knowledge also from coding

• Subproject manager: Knows the subproject issues by detail, might be a specialist

Page 16: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

16 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Questions1. Which are the three most essential differences

when managing a small or large project?2. Effort estimation methods?3. What is the most difficult issue to remember

when managing a big program with thousands of issues?

4. How to get the needed information out of a team that might include only “introvert” persons?

5. How to deal with people who don’t get their work done in time?

6. Is it more difficult to manage / lead highly skilled people than “common” ones?

7. How to learn the leadership skills? By doing? In a training?

8. What is the most important issue in leadership?9. Any tips on how to boost the creativity of a coder

who is not at all interested in the project? As a co-worker? As a manager?

10. What are differences between a good and a poor manager ?

1. What is the difference between rewarding a high skilled very experienced person and a beginner?

2. Is there any requirements for coder in a large sw-project?

3. Is a good manager in a small project also good in a large project?

4. What is the most important thing to remember in a large program / project? COMMUNICATION!!!

5. How big part of the day / week is needed from program manager to get all the work done?

6. Is there time to “personal life”?

Page 17: Managing and leading programs / projects in practice

17 © NOKIA Program management.ppt /2103.2005/Maija-Riitta Varis

Please remember: There is always a new morning –when everything is a bit better or at least differently – also in program management ☺