Project Managers Handbook PDF

PROJECT
MANAGER’S
HANDBOOK
GPMF
Global Project Management Framework
CSC Catalyst SM
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Specifically defined collections of CSC CatalystSM framework products may be licensed to third parties external to CSC. The remaining products—practice
guides, service offerings, procedure guides, white papers, and collections of best practices—may not be licensed to third parties external to CSC.
CSC Catalyst Product Categories

Catalyst Framework
Catalyst framework products contain primary, custodial, and governing processes that represent a core set of CSC best practices refined to a common
architecture. These processes are repeatable and independent of tailored techniques, technologies, or problem areas. The intended audience for a
framework product is a mid- to senior-level practitioner, though the content can be used by anyone. In addition to processes, framework products define
roles, work products, and techniques necessary to execute the processes.
Examples of primary processes include Vision and Strategy, Architecture, Development, Integration, Deployment, and Operational Services. Examples of
governing processes include Enterprise and Account Management, Program Management, Project Management, Service Management, and Architecture and
Engineering Management.
Examples of custodial processes include Configuration Management, Quality Management, Release Management, and Risk Management.
Practice Guides
Practice guides extend architected bodies of knowledge (such as Catalyst framework products) with tips and guidance (for example, methods, techniques, or
work products) into tailored engagement or problem types applicable in the field.
Methodology practice guides apply the Catalyst framework to a particular engagement type, customer set, tool set, or other unique situation of business value
to CSC. They supplement the framework with tips and guidance appropriate to the target audience and may use structures, terms, or techniques that extend
the current Catalyst release. They may also contain valuable methodology and other ideas not yet integrated into a Catalyst release.
Service Offerings
Service offerings are offerings to customers that are supported by methodology assets and by other assets such as program and project plans and training.
Procedure Guides
Procedure guides are developed for standard, highly repeatable procedures. Procedure guides provide detailed, step-by-step tasks, roles, work products,
templates, tailoring guidelines, definitions, and samples and identify the responsible person by role (for example, system architect). Procedure guides can be
tailored into procedures for specific business situations, projects, or organizations.
White Papers
White papers are loosely structured documentations of innovations, project experiences, case studies, and research. White papers are used to accelerate the
capture and diffusion of knowledge developed in the field, and can provide input to framework products, practice guides, service offerings, and procedure
guides.
Collections of Best Practices
Collections of best practices use Catalyst framework concepts to structure loosely defined sets of methods, techniques, or procedures that have general
applicability across CSC accounts. These collections represent the first attempt to group what might later become a set of framework activities. Collections
are typically developed for emerging business to achieve cost effectiveness and efficiency for CSC and the customer.
CSC CatalystSM Project Manager’s Handbook

©2016 by Computer Sciences Corporation. CSC Proprietary. All rights reserved.
PROJECT MANAGER’S HANDBOOK
Contents
OVERVIEW 3
PROJECT INITIATION 5
DEVELOP PROJECT DEFINITION..............................................................................................................................................................6
DEVELOP PROJECT ESTIMATE ........................................................................................................................................................................20
DEVELOP PROJECT SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................................................................29
PROJECT EXECUTION 36
THE WEEKLY PM CONTROL CYCLE .........................................................................................................................................................36
GOVERNANCE 45
SUPPORT AND LINKS 47
CSC CatalystSM Project Manager’s Handbook

PROJECT MANAGER’S HANDBOOK INTRODUCTION

This Project Manager’s Handbook is a handy portable summary of CSC’s Global Project Management Framework
(GPMF). When used with the fully detailed GPMF in the Catalyst Knowledge Center and the Program and Project
Management Community (PPMC), this handbook can help make you a better project manager. Use the links in this
handbook for more details.
Remember: If you are new to project management, or to project management at CSC, first you should become
familiar with CSC’s approach to project management prior to using this Project Manager’s Handbook. Then stay
current with CSC’s developing corporate knowledge via the Program and Project Management Community
(PPMC).
What is a Project?
A project is a temporary endeavor with a managed set of activities undertaken to create a product, deliver a
service, or achieve a business result. A well-run project achieves specific objectives and meets completion
criteria within specific time, cost, and resource constraints.
The Importance of Project Management to CSC

Projects are the profit engine of the company. CSC projects are implemented through Project Managers who are
supported by standard processes, training and enforcement. When one of these are weak or missing it negatively
impacts CSC’s profit.
Process Process
Reinforcement / Reinforcement / Training
Training Enforcement
Enforcement
A Standard Approach
Having a standard approach to project management reduces internal confusion from multiple methodologies and
improves the quality and effectiveness of project management across the company. Better project management
leads to more consistent performance, which can increase margins and reduce write-offs due to failed
projects. This is how project managers increase client satisfaction and trust, and ultimately, the number of clients
willing to be reference accounts.
The Responsibilities of the Project Manager

The project manager is responsible for delivering products or services of appropriate
quality and meeting budget and schedule commitments. To meet these ends the
Project Manager works with the Solution Architect and the Account General Manager
to plan the project. The Project Manager allocates and directs staff and other
resources to accomplish project tasks, maintains control over the project, and reports
on project status and deliverables to the stakeholders.
The project manager is the leader of the project team, using and enforcing project
processes and discipline in accordance with accepted organization standards, best
practices, and the terms of the contract. The project manager is responsible to the
client and also accountable to senior management.
1 CSC CatalystSM
PROCESS OVERVIEW
. CSC CatalystSM 2
PROJECT INITIATION
Getting off to a good start is critical to a successful outcome. During Project Initiation, the client opportunity is clarified and
the scope and measures of success of the project are determined, thus establishing the project baseline. The primary goal
of Initiation is to write a credible Project Management Plan, one that is consistent with the project’s scope and approach
which govern the work to be accomplished and to obtain the client’s agreement to that plan.
Business Context
In a typical sales process, Initiation stage activities would commence after an opportunity is defined, in parallel
with developing the proposed solution (crafting the solution and telling the story). At this point, the Initiation and sales
processes should reinforce each other, resulting in a solution that is appropriate to the client and that can be delivered to
an expected schedule, budget, and quality.
Project Delivery Lifecycle

Sales Project Delivery
Opportunity Solution Proposal Project Project Project
Definition Definition Developed Initiation Execution Completion
Project Start up
Getting off to a Good Start

Project Definition Scope
“DONE”
Project Project
Schedule Schedule Budget
Estimate
Baseline Preparation Baseline

The three main outputs of Project Initiation, the Project Definition, the Project Estimate and the Project Schedule, are
interrelated and should be created iteratively. The draft Project Definition is developed first, especially the sections for
Scope, Approach, Deliverables and Roles & Responsibilities. Next, the Project Estimate is developed, building on the
Project Definition foundation. Use the Catalyst Estimating Template (CET) to develop the estimate and then use the
macro to generate the draft Project Schedule. This ensures consistency from the estimate to the schedule. Update and
refine the Project Definition as new assumptions or other elements are identified while developing the estimate and
schedule
Repeat the steps as many times as necessary to make certain that the project cost, schedule, and delivery commitments
are consistent, a cost-schedule baseline is established as the basis of project price, and detailed plans for the initial
phase of the project are complete. Review the cost estimates with senior management and client to align expectations to
validate that schedules achieve critical milestones with sufficient margin, and that critical resources needed to
accomplish both are available as required.
CSC CatalystSM 3
DEVELOP PROJECT DEFINITION

Defining the Project
This is the process where CSC defines and comes to agreement with the client on what CSC is to do. The outcome is a
Project Definition (PD), which is the foundation for project planning and supports development of a crisp proposal and a
fair contract baseline.
Why Is Defining the Project Important?

 Develops an understanding of the expected results
 Establishes a working relationship early
 Involves all parties to get commitment
 Surfaces and resolves issues early
 Aligns expectations — first step forward together
The project definition facilitates understanding and agreement
Scope: Problem Definition – “What” Approach: Solution Definition – “How”

Work Breakdown Structure and Deliverables
Organization Cat alyst
M odel View
IN OUT Business
Ent er pr ise
Business
Pr ocess
O r ganization Locat ion Applicat ion Dat a Technology
M odel View M odel View M odel View M odel View M odel View
SCOPE OF SCOPE
M odel View M odel View
Business O r ganization Locat ion Technology

Business Applicat ion
Pr ocess Dat a Dir ection
Dir ect ion Dir ect ion Dir ect ion Diagnost ic
Pr of ile Dir ect ion M o
del M odel
M odel M odel M odel M odel
Business Applicat ion Dat a

Business Locat ion
Process
O r ganization Technology
Location Ent er pr ise Diagnost ic Diagnost ic

Pr ocess Diagnost ic Dir ect ion Mod
el
Diagnost ic M odel M odel
Dir ect ion M o
del M odel M odel
M odel
Business Pr oces
s Subject Ar e
a Concept ual
Concept ual Concept ual/
Per f or m a
nce Concept ual Technology
Logical Dat a M od
el
O r ganization Locat ion
M odel Applicat ion M o
del M odel
M odel M odel
Data Technology Logical

O r ganization
M odel
Logical
Locat ion
M odel
G ener al
Syst em
St andar ds
Concept ual
Ent it y M o
del
Logical
Technology
M odel
User Syst e m Pr ocess / Physical

I nt er f a
ce Ent it y M a
t rix Technology
Physical
Tr ansit ion
Locat ion M odel M odel
M odel
M odel
Physical Logical Ent it y

M odel Per f or m a
nce
Physical Applicat ion
Engineer ing
O r ganization M odel
M odel
M odel
Com m on Physical Dat a
M odel
Ser vices
Dir ect or y
Application Accept ance

Cr it er ia
Scope x Approach = Work Effort

Establishes a common understanding with our Client
 “Define the Deal” — Identifies the work to be performed
o Define and Quantify the Problem = SCOPE
o Define and Quantify the Solution = APPROACH
o SCOPE + APPROACH = WBS (basis for the plan)
o Solidify that the budget is allocated to a specific scope of effort
o Project Management Section -Outlines how the project will be managed and controlled as mutually
agreed to by the Client and CSC
 The contractual basis of the project
 Provide authorization to proceed
Do not staff or proceed with project until the Project Definition is signed
o No signature = No authorization
Every project is subject to the Triple Constraint: Cost, Schedule and Scope.
The Project Definition provides the foundation of the Triple Constraint.
4 CSC CatalystSM
Your Role in Project Definition
Project Manager Solution Architect Account General Manager

 Create and maintain a written Project  Assure that the Project Definition  Assure that the project as defined in
Definition(PD) contains all information needed to the Project Definition satisfies CSC
 Make sure that all stakeholders create a satisfactory solution. and Client programmatic
understand the project, especially  Assist the Project Manager in requirements
the five critical areas of Objectives, documenting the Project Definition  Guide the Project Manager in
Scope, Approach, Deliverables and integrating project goals with the
Roles & Responsibilities Business Unit objectives
The Structure of the Project Definition (PD) Document

The PD documents the agreement between the project manager and the project sponsor on the work required to
complete the project. It describes the depth and breadth of the work to be done and the approach to accomplishing it.
Project
Definition
Catalyst Standard
Project
1 Background 5 Management 9 Assumptions
Approach
Roles &
2 Objectives 6 Deliverables 10 Responsibilities
3 Scope 7 Risks Equipment and

11 Facility Needs
Project
Solution Completion
4 Approach 8 Constraints 12
Criteria
The Most Important Project Definition Sections

The five most important sections of the Project Definition are the project objectives, scope, approach, deliverables, and
roles & responsibilities. Define these five sections first, paying special attention to the project scope.
It answers the key questions:

1. Objectives
Why — Objectives set the context of the project
2. Scope
What — Scope of the work 3. Approach
How — Solution approach and deliverables 4. Deliverables
Who — Roles and responsibilities for both, CSC and client
Do not write the project definition in a serial fashion;

rather focus on the top five sections first
CSC CatalystSM 5
Project Definition Section 3: Scope

This is THE most important section in the Project Definition.
Quantifiable, measurable aspects of client situation that are included and excluded in the project
 Product Scope — Features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result that the project is to
create. The future state that the client wishes to realize. Sometimes detailed in the Solution Definition
Document.
What is included in the price of the project and what is not
Scope is defined by reference to the Domains of Change, also known as POLDAT.
Using the Catalyst Domains of Change

Organization  What change will the project introduce into the client’s
environment?
Process Location Business Domains  For each domain ask: Which? What? Where? How many?
Data Technology System Domains  Answers determine which parts of the client’s business
are within or outside the boundaries of the project
Application
Domain
Business
Organization Location Data Application Technology
Process
Scope Scope Scope Scope Scope
Scope
 Processes  People in the  Countries or  Databases  Systems  Platforms

 Functions enterprise regions  Entities  Subsystems  Operating
Considerations
 Operations  Their culture  Sites  Attributes  Interfaces systems

 Activities  Their roles and  Complexes  Data  Screens  Database
capabilities  Campuses migration  Reports technology
 Team structures  Buildings  Data  Modules  Networks
 Organizational  Work cleaning  Processors
units locations
 Support systems
Guidance:
 Use the six Domains of Change from Catalyst to help define the scope
 Use nouns to describe scope in the domains: lists of people, places and things
 Don’t just fill in the blanks mechanically. Work with the client to define the desired future state.
 Be specific and quantify - List the specific elements of the domains. Remember you’ll use these lists
when you estimate project costs.
 Within Out-of-Scope Sections, be sure to specify items that might be considered in-scope.
 Don’t start describing how you’ll do the work in this section...save that for the Approach sections
 “Bullets” are a good way to document scope
 Define scope in measurable units rather than activities
 If it is not clear if an item is in/out of scope, the assumption is that it is out-of-scope and should be specified as
such. Use this as a tool to clarify scope with your Customer when you can.(Customer will assume items to be in
scope)
 Length is generally 3 – 6 pages total for all six domains.
6 CSC CatalystSM
Example: Scope
In Scope Out of Scope
Analysis of the following Customer IT security processes are Analysis of any third party security
in scope: organizat ions' processes including:
  Antivirus infrastructure implementation Web
Business
Technical vulnerability assessments

Process
 Vulnerability alert management content filtering

 Network intrusion detection monitoring /Security  FirewallsNPN's implementat ion
event correlation Any processes that are not identified as in
 Security compliance monitoring on critical, CSC scope are out of scope
managed servers
The follow ing Organization Resources will participate in the  Corporate and Field organizations not
Northeast Region OpCo Facility Infrastructure OpCo Retrofit specified as "in scope"
 Distribution Operations Representatives (4)  All Organization outside the NE Region not
Organization
 OpCo IT Representative (13) specifically defined as "In Scope"

Organizations that will be affected by OpCo Retrofit Results Any organizat ional components that are not
 OpCo Logistics (includes Warehouse Ops) identified as in scope are out of scope
Organization Need to Participate in Design Review and Issue
Resolution
 Distribution Services Corp IT
 Steering Committee (4)
 NE OpCo Presidents (14)
OpCo Retrofit Team will be primarily located at:  ABC Operating Companies outside the
 1700 North Moore Street, Rosslyn, VA Northeast Region
OpCo Retrofit Team will travel to each of the 13 NE OpCos  ABC Subsidiary locations
for Review ((Baltimore the 14th OpCo has been assessed Any locations that are not identified as in scope
Location
and is currently under a separate PD to implement the are out of scope

assessed changes)
 NE Regional CoOp (see appendix for detailed listing)
Locations Impacted by OpCo Retrofit
Recommendations
 NE OpCos (see 7.1 14 NE OpCo Locations)
 Corporate
 Customers with their respective contact data (Approx  Employee personal data End use product
2000) data Historical purchasing data
 Items and Product data (Approx. 1500) Product  Scrubbing or cleanup of data extracted
Data
Pricing data (Approx. 1500) Bills of Material data from external or legacy systems prior to
(Approx.y 1500) Routings data (Approx 500) being imported into PeopleSoft
 Work centers data (Approx 250) Any data items that are not identified as in
scope are out of scope
 Computer Associates Cleverpath Portal Rel 2.4  Reconfiguration of static IP addresses for
 Computer Associates eTrust Web Access Control applications
(EWAC) Version 6.1  Vulnerability alerts for out-of-scope
Application
 CSC Hydra Expert Technology Version 3.6 systems

Assessment Tool (H.E.A.T .) scanning tool Rel 2.1 Any applications that are not identified as in
Management Program (VAMP) tool for CSC managed scope are out of scope
systems
 New external network Business Partner Connection
peering points
Hardware platform technologies:  Installation, configuration, modifications to,
 IBM AS/400 Model 3C, and/or testing of application software
 IBM System 390 (mainframe) packages associated w ith the PES
Technology
 Model 2048 IBM RS6000 activities, in the Legacy Lab environments

 Model 350, Intel based Workstations and server(s) and Any technology components that are not
Network equipment identified as in scope are out of scope
Operating System and Middleware Technologies:
IBM AIX (UNIX) Version 5.3, IBM OS/400 Version 2.5, IBM
OS/MVS Version 3.41 IBM MQ Series Version 5.2
CSC CatalystSM 7
Example: Cross Referencing the Domains of Change

Looking at how the items in each of the domains relate to each other is a good technique for understanding the scope of
the solution and what needs to be achieved. This may be included in the Project Definition if appropriate, but its main
purpose is a way of checking that you have it covered in what is in and out of scope.
Project Definition Sections 4 & 5: The Approach
The Solution Approach The Management Approach

follows the follows the
Life Cycle phases Management Framework
Project Definition Section 4: Solution Approach

Guidance
The Solution Approach Overview should present a summary view of the project/phase/release. An effective technique
for conveying this information is in the form of a high-level Gantt chart which portrays phases that precede, follow, or
parallel the current phase. This should be approximately 1 page.
The Project Activities Matrix describes the work to be performed under this PD. This covers Activity Title, a brief
description or purpose, the Work Product created and who is responsible for creating it. This should be approximately 2-5
pages.
Caution: Section 4 Solution Approach
 Show months or weeks with just a sequence number rather than actual dates
 Be careful with “joint responsibility”, split the activity into several components, if possible,
each of which can be uniquely assigned to one party
 Use Customer jargon
 Don’t list activities that won’t be managed by the project manager.
 Don’t get carried away with work product or deliverable descriptions.
o Limit to one phrase or sentence. If it requires more than one sentence, attach a sample or
an outline as an attachment at the end of the PD.
8 CSC CatalystSM
Solution Approach Overview

Example: Solution Approach Overview
This project will transform the existing ABC Company network infrastructure (ATM/Frame Relay) into a shared service
network model. CSC will implement MPLS-based network design for connectivity to all supported sites globally. This
architecture will interconnect ABC Company business locations, CSC Data Centers, and ABC Company Data Centers
globally.
To facilitate MPLS infrastructure, CSC has classified various sites into tiers, from Tier 1 at the highest level to Tier 5 at
the lowest level. Tier 1 to Tier 3 sites are scheduled for direct connection to the new MPLS network; Tier 4 and Tier 5
sites will be connected via the most appropriate network technology using secure IP (IPSec) tunnels to secure data over
the transport.
ABC Company and CSC will adopt multiple levels of services to align with business requirements. Refer to Appendix B
for Tier site description and locations
CSC will perform the network infrastructure project through the following stages:
Responsible
Activity Description/Purpose Work Product
Organization
Project Initiation
Set up Create the initial project definition, estimate, and project plan Project definition, Project
Project for the work necessary to complete the project Catalyst estimating Manager
template, Project
plan
Discovery
Current state Perform a complete inventory of the hardware and environments at Current state Solution
analysis the AT&T sites and the CSC Data Center sites Architect
Define Review hardware requirements for each AT&T and CSC Data Center Conceptual solution Solution
Conceptual site definition document Architect
Architecture Prepare final site diagram and site schematic for each AT&T
and CSC Data Center site
Design
Design Solution Document global AT&T and global CSC procedures Logical and Solution Architect
Determine hardware requirements for each AT&T and CSC physical solution
Data Center site models
Develop a future state Physical Technical Model (PTM) for
each AT&T and CSC Data Center site
Standardize and develop Network Diagrams, including LAN
and WAN layouts, and the store in the CSC tool NetEISS
Be careful not to use any of the “6 Forbidden Words”:
In the Scope Section DO NOT use: All Any

In the Approach Section DO NOT Assure Guarantee
use:
Ensure Warranty
CSC CatalystSM 9
Project Definition Section 5: Management Approach

This section deals with seven key areas of the management approach:
 Overview of the management approach
 Agreed upon baselines
 Process to monitor process
 Means of communication
 Dealing with issues
 Change control procedure
 Acceptance of deliverables
Note: Do NOT modify the contents of the Project Management Approach.
The Management Approach section has been carefully crafted with very specific wording. This detailed text is provided
to give CSC the controls necessary to successfully deliver the project. Study this text, understand it and implement it on
the project. Changing any of this text is likely to result in weakening necessary management controls.
Project Definition Section 5.1 Project Management Approach Overview

CSC and the Customer are each responsible for the success of the project and providing the necessary resources to the
project. Our joint management objectives are focused on tightly monitoring, controlling, and balancing the project’s three
key constraints: Scope (or Requirements), Budget, and Schedule. To be effective in achieving this primary management
objective, we must establish:
 An agreed-upon baseline.
 A process to monitor progress.
 A clear means of communication.
 An open approach for dealing with issues.
 An objective project change control procedure.
 A process to recognize and manage risks.
 An approach for accepting project deliverables.
 A definition of what constitutes project completion.
Project Definition Section 5.2 Agreed-Upon Baseline

This Project Definition is the baseline for all the key project management activities for the project. It identifies the work
activities that will be tracked, defines the boundaries for scope control, identifies responsibilities, and clarifies many of the
areas where issues can arise that need to be managed.
The Project Definition is then used as the basis for creating a detailed project schedule for the work activities to be
performed on the project. Every activity will have an estimate of work effort. All project team members, from CSC and the
Customer, will be assigned these activities and this will determine the budget of the activity based on the rates of the
individual team members assigned to it.
Once all the activities are allocated to team members, the project schedule is leveled and loaded against the calendar.
This completed schedule represents the baseline schedule. This schedule will include the key milestone dates to track
schedule progress.
The summation of all activity expenses including the baselined project schedule, plus expenses, plus the costs of
purchased items like hardware, software, and other services, will represent the budget that the CSC / Customer
management team will track.
Project Definition Section 5.3 Process to Monitor Progress

The detailed project schedule is the key vehicle for measuring progress. The specific activities that each team member
works on, and their progress against completing those activities, are the objective measure of where the project stands
against the schedule and budget. To capture this information every team member, both CSC and [Customer Name], will
10 CSC CatalystSM
record and report their actual hours spent on project activities against the budgeted time in the project schedule. In
addition, each team member will provide estimates of the effort remaining on activities that have not been completed.
This information will be recorded weekly and given to the appropriate manager along with a status report that provides a
description of work accomplished, issues/problems, and planned work. The management team will determine where the
project stands versus the schedule and budget by analysis of this information.
Project Definition Section 5.4 Means of Communications

Because CSC and [Customer Name] are responsible for managing this project, it is imperative that we use a formal
process to ensure timely and accurate communication between the organizations. There are two key vehicles for
providing this communication: a weekly status report and a weekly status meeting.
As mentioned earlier, all team members will report progress and status weekly. This information, and the analysis of it will
be summarized into a project status report for the Customer and CSC Management. This report contains the following
information:
 Significant Problems/Actions Taken.
 Progress Summary – Schedule and Budget status.
 Accomplishments.
 Planned Accomplishments.
 Risks and Status.
 Issues and Status (discussed later).
The weekly project status meeting will be used to review the project status and open issues in the status report. The
CSC and Customer management team must be committed to having this meeting and making it effective. The meeting
will be focused on major issues and areas where management action or intervention is required. Customer is
responsible to provide information that is accurate and objective.
Project Definition Section 5.5 Approach for Dealing with Issues

Every project has issues that hinder progress. It is important to identify these issues and resolve quickly. The first step in
effectively dealing with these issues is to make the entire team aware of the importance of identifying issues and getting
proper resolution. We will then use the following procedure to track the issues.
 Identify issues. When the project begins, we will start identifying issues that could hinder our ability to meet the
objectives of the project. Issues can be identified by anyone involved with the project.
 Document the issue. The person who identifies the issue must document it.
 Assign responsibility for resolving issues. The CSC / [Customer Name] management team will determine
the appropriate individual who will be responsible for resolving each issue. The responsible person must be an
individual who has the knowledge and authority to make decisions regarding the issue. The management team
will also assign a priority to the issue.
 Monitor and control progress. All issues will be tracked on an issues log that will be maintained to formally
track the status and resolution of the issues.
 Report progress on issue resolution. As mentioned earlier, the issues log will be a part of the
weekly status report and discussed in the weekly status meeting.
 Communicate issue resolution. The issues log and documented resolutions of issues will be made
available to all team members.
We are assuming that all issues and decisions will be resolved or made within 2 business days from the date the issue is
identified. Failure to meet this time constraint may cause a change of scope request.
In the event that an issue cannot be resolved in a reasonable time frame, to the mutual
satisfaction of CSC and ABC, we will determine a mutually acceptable approach to
escalating to the next level of management.
Project Definition Section 5.6 Project Change Control Procedure

The Project Change Control Procedure is a crucial mechanism that can affect the success or failure of this project. This
process is the primary vehicle for containing scope and ensuring that management has the opportunity to make timely
CSC CatalystSM 11
trade-offs between the three key project variables of budget, time and scope. It is imperative that potential changes are
identified early, documented carefully, and resolved at the appropriate levels of responsibility.
Changes are broadly defined as work activities or work products not originally planned for as defined by this Project
Definition. More specifically, changes will include:
 Any scope items not listed in this Project Definition (Section 3).
 Participation in activities not previously included in this Project Definition’s list of work activities (Section 4.2).
 Provision or development of deliverables not included in this Project Definition (Section 6).
 A change in responsibilities, as defined in this Project Definition (Sections 4, 5, or 10) between CSC and
[Customer Name], including reallocation of project staffing.
 Any rework of completed activities or accepted deliverables.
 Investigative work to determine the impact of major changes.
 Impact caused by a change in the assumptions defined in this Project Definition.
 Impact of any risk items defined in this Project Definition.
 Delays or rework caused by items identified in this Project Definition as [Customer Name] responsibilities or
activities.
 Delays created by customer’s request to change the schedule requested or caused by customer’s inability to
meet its commitments.
 Delays caused by a change in previously agreed-upon acceptance criteria.
In order to manage change properly, a Project Change Control process will be established to identify, record, assess, and
approve changes to the project. CSC and [Customer Name] will follow this process to classify, prioritize, approve, or
reject changes. Change requests need to be clearly defined, including budget and schedule implications, to allow CSC
and [Customer Name] management to make appropriate decisions. CSC will always need prior authorization and
approval of expenditures by [Customer Name] before starting work on changes.
Project Definition Section 5.7 Acceptance of Deliverables

All of the completed deliverables identified in this PD’s Section 6.0 will be formally submitted for final review and
customer approval. This section outlines the key components to this acceptance process. The key components are:
 There will be only one person identified as the designated acceptor for each deliverable.
 The deliverables will include an acceptance form for signature.
 Each deliverable will have clearly documented objective acceptance criteria.
 There will be a specified timeframe for acceptance/rejection of each deliverable.
 Deliverables will be deemed accepted if the acceptance timeframe is exceeded.
In order to avoid delays in the schedule and the associated increased cost due to slow deliverable review, deliverables not
reviewed and approved within 5 business days will be considered accepted. Feedback supplied after the review period
will be evaluated as a change of scope.
Project Definition Section 6 Deliverables

 Identify the deliverables and production performance measurements that must be accepted by the customer
before the project is considered complete.
o List only those items that require customer acceptance. (If they do not require customer acceptance,
they probably aren’t deliverables.) It is not necessary to list interim work products. All software and
hardware installations should be on the list of deliverables.
o Each deliverable is subject to a formal acceptance process (defined in the Project Execution Package).
Identify the organization responsible for producing the deliverable
 There is sometimes confusion between objectives and deliverables.
 Objective statements usually contain verbs e.g. install new Wide Area Network between customer location and
Maidstone.
 Deliverables are usually nouns e.g. Wide Area Network.
12 CSC CatalystSM
 You would expect an objective to result in one or more deliverables AND

 Each deliverable to support one or more objectives.
 Define the acceptance criteria such that delivering the products and services constitutes the completion of the
task, milestone, or project rather than the customer’s subjective assessment of completion.
 Acceptance criteria should be consistent with the scope
 Keep the number of deliverables limited — should be no more than 3-5 if possible. Remember, each deliverable
requires formal acceptance by the customer, so fewer are better.
 The deliverable is generally the accumulation or the result or outcome of work products; describe these in your
description section
 The length is usually limited to 2-3 pages.
Caution: Section 6 Deliverables
 Remember, don’t list work products with deliverables

 Deliverables should map to Project Objectives...ask yourself:
o If an objective has no deliverable, how are we meeting that objective?
o If a deliverable has no objective, why are we delivering it?
Example
Responsible
Deliverable Description Party Acceptance Criteria
The purpose of the Physical Technology Model

Physical CSC and ABC
is to detail the architecture associated with the
Technology CSC Networks Manager
implementation of the specific environments
Model sign-off
within this project.
CSC and ABC

Test plans will be developed for AT&T and
Test Plans CSC Networks Manager
CSC Data Center sites.
sign-off
Hardware equipment and circuit/backout will be CSC and ABC

Installed
installed and tested at AT&T sites and CSC CSC Networks Manager
hardware
Data Centers sign-off
CSC and ABC

Deployed The infrastructure has been deployed and is
CSC Networks Manager
Infrastructure running in the production environment
sign-off
CSC CatalystSM 13
Project Definition Section 2: Objectives

Document the two sets of objectives
Customer’s Business Objectives CSC Project’s Objectives
Major business objectives that the Customer has identified Goals set specifically for the project or phase
as goals for the enterprise or division, e.g.: Usually defined in a few sentences
 Improvements in profitability Directly align and can be mapped to Deliverables
 Reductions in cost Usually VERY technical in nature
 Improvements in operating efficiency, or
 Improvements in market share
 NOT usually technical in nature
Include specific project/phase objectives that are reasonable, measurable and attainable:
 Make the project/phase objectives measurable
 Length as needed, but typically around 1-2 pages
Example: Objectives
 Replace a system with a new software package
 Build and maintain a technical infrastructure
 Develop a Business Area Architecture
 Evaluate and make recommendations on improving margins for bulk lumber products
Caution: Section 2 Objectives
 Do not commit to things we cannot deliver

 Do not commit to attainment of business objectives.
 Don’t jump the gun by starting to list individual project deliverables or activities here; leave them for Section
4 and 6
Triple Constraint Prioritization
Scope  This drives the project team’s decision making process

o How the project is managed
o How changes of scope are handled
o How issues are resolved
 This is determined by the customer
Schedule Budget
Example: Triple Constraint Prioritization

ABC Company has defined the following project prioritization:
 Scope is of the utmost importance. This project must allow ABC Company to achieve the stated objectives and
meet the defined business requirements.
 Schedule is somewhat flexible, but must be very aggressive, and as close to the original schedule as possible.
 Budget is the most flexible constraint. Adjusting staffing, and therefore budget, will be the primary mechanism
for adapting to project changes, given that the first two constraints have very little flexibility.
14 CSC CatalystSM
Project Definition Section 10.0 Project Roles and Responsibilities

Guidance
Define the role and responsibilities of all Customer and CSC team members
For Customer Team Members, clearly define the specific responsibilities and note the minimum time commitment in
specific terms (I.e. 4 hours / day + fulltime for weeks 2-4). Projects are run in partnership with customer resources. As
such, customers have responsibilities that impact the success of the project. Our customer’s failure to fulfill their
responsibilities in the required timeframes entitles CSC to issue change orders to recover the budget and schedule
impact to the project
This should align with the Approach section responsibilities. It is a common tendency to focus on CSC responsibilities.
Do NOT forget the customer’s responsibilities – they are a critical component of the project.
Be VERY careful of dual responsibility. When two people are responsible, no ONE is responsible
Example: Project Organization Chart

Project
Board
Account
Manager
Project
Sponsor
Project
Project Manager
Lead
Management
Architect
Office
Workshop Analysis Team:

Delivery Team:
Participants Senior Business Analysts (5)
Network Design Engineer,
Business Analysts (2)
Quality Review Engineer,
ABC Business Analyst
ACES Support Engineer
ABC Data Specialist
Example: Customer Responsibilities

 Participation in workshops, interviews
 Review/Approval of project work products and deliverables
 Creation/Execution of Customer Acceptance Test Plan
 Analysis/Development of conversions and interfaces to legacy systems
 Identification and analysis of applications
 Providing project team facilities
 Providing development environments
 Providing required access to customer sites, files, servers or networks
The Other
DecisionSections of the
making turn around timesProject Definition
The above text has described the five (5) most important sections of the PD. Complete these five sections first.
After you have focused on the above sections, then define the seven (7) remaining sections.
Project Definition Section 1: Background

Guidance
 Describe why the project has been initiated, the business environment surrounding the Customer and previous
engagements /phases
 Limit to 1 page, usually 1/2 a page is enough.
CSC CatalystSM 15
Example: Background
In 2008 ABC Company entered into a relationship with CSC to outsource its IT infrastructure as a way to cut costs and
increase return on assets while freeing resources to support critical business initiatives.
To meet ABC Company’s needs CSC intends to provide a globally integrated solution that is standardized, reliable and
scalable. As ABC Company’s future business success relies on its IT environment, CSC intends to implement a migration
that builds a solid IT foundation capable of supporting new and emerging technologies to drive ABC Company’s
business.
ABC Company’s infrastructure will be transformed by:

 Implementing a new, integrated voice and data network within 24 months
 Centralizing mainframe and selected midrange platforms into targeted global data centers
 Providing total resource monitoring and management through CSC’s Global Management Centers
 Installing an asset management capability
 Replacing or upgrading all desktop devices to a standard operating environment (SOE) within 24 months
 Providing all global users with consistent and accountable help desk support
 Implementing an Information Risk Management Program
Project Definition Section 7: Risks and Opportunities

A “Risk” is an uncertain event, concern, or outcome that has a probability of occurrence that could adversely
impact the project
An “Opportunity” is an uncertain event, concern, or outcome that has a probability of occurrence that could
favorably impact the project
 Manage opportunities too...try to steer your project toward opportunities!

 Manage them using the same tools and processes used to manage risk
 Identify and Document major project risks
o Identify risks that hinder or prevent successful completion of the project
o Identify opportunities that enhance the probability of success or have a favorable cost/schedule impact
on the project
o Differentiate client business risks from project risks
o Use a solution perspective
 Cause of risks
 Understanding of impacts
 Management of risks
o Some risks may be inappropriate to define to the client.
 Analyze the risks
o Perform a qualitative analysis of the risk and how it would affect the project
 Likeliness of occurrence (high, medium, low)
 Extent of impact (high, medium, low)
o Set priorities for each risk
 Based on analysis, determine if risk should be accepted or avoided
o If decision is to avoid the risk, then the solution may need to change
 Plan risk handling strategy
o Consider actions to limit, eliminate or transfer the occurrence or impact of risks
o Identify resources needed for mitigation
16 CSC CatalystSM
 Create full risk management plan when required

 Use the appropriate tool to manage the list of risks
Project Definition Section 8: Constraints & Dependencies

A “Constraint” is something that limits choices or options.
Constraints reflect the items that limit the choice in design, approach, scheduling, execution etc. and include customer
directives that have been accepted by the project team.
 Do not list resources as a general constraint. However, if there exists a need for a particular scarce resource
e.g. in a particular technology include it.
 Include factors to be taken into account because they affect or limit the project design e.g. security restrictions
that may force a particular design
 Identify “inputs” into the project upon which this project’s deliverables are dependent e.g. other project
deliverables, customer activities, vendor activities etc.
 Include Constraint restrictions under which the project must perform:
o Response Time
o Budget
o Time Constraints
o Resources
o Hardware / Software
o Dependencies on outside resources
Example: Project Dependencies

Terminal
element
Project Terminal Terminal Terminal Terminal

start element element element element
Terminal Terminal Project

element element finish
A network diagram shows the project as a set of interconnected activities and events (e.g. Delivery of client-furnished
equipment or information) with dependencies among major elements of work.
Project Definition Section 11: Equipment and Facilities Needs

 Include only the major items that require specific attention
o e.g. buildings, office space, new servers or other equipment, additional software, support tools. Also
include any access requirements e.g. security passes
 State these needs clearly to avoid any confusion on the part of the customer
o Lack of fulfilling these requirements could lead to a delay in schedule, increase in cost or the inability to
complete some technical aspects of the project
 If facilities are tight on the customer site, include space which may have to be rented locally in the project costs
 Note the equipment and/or facility and support tools that are requirement for this project
Project Definition Section 12: Project Completion Criteria

This project is considered complete when project deliverables listed in Section 6.0 have been completed and accepted
by the customer based on the Deliverables Acceptance Criteria.
This completes the description of the sections of the Project Definition.
CSC CatalystSM 17
In Summary
The Project Definition is more than the individual sections. The Project Definition should tell a story that is easy to read.
Development of the Project Definition must be carefully managed. It should take about 5 business days to write the PD
for most project under $1M. The overall length of the PD should be between 24 – 40 pages. The client must be closely
involved in the development of the PD, especially the Scope, Objectives, Roles and Responsibilities. The PD is a
balance of level of detail and completeness. The perfect PD has not been written. A PD must be very good with special
focus on the 5 most important sections.
Project Definition Development Challenges

 Balance
o Level of detail
o Completeness
 Time
 Securing customer involvement and cooperation
 Defining Scope
 Differentiating between work products and deliverables
 Appropriate objectives
 Sufficient assumptions
 Clear Roles & Responsibilities
Guidance
 Preparing the PD is a process
 It is essential to involve the client to form the basis for understanding and setting expectations
 Use the Catalyst Domains of Change to define scope
 Develop a high level WBS and document the solution approach
 A review of PD ensures awareness and commitment of CSC senior management
 The PD provides measurable basis for all future scope control of the project
 It is an early opportunity to establish and implement change and issue management processes
18 CSC CatalystSM
DEVELOP PROJECT ESTIMATE

Why is the Estimating Process so important?
Clients need to know:
 How much they are going to spend
 How long the project is going to take
 What their commitment is to the execution
CSC Management needs to:
 Know there is a viable approach to completing the work
 Understand the skill sets required to execute the project
 Evaluate the costs, revenue and risks associated with delivering the project
 Be assured there is continuity between Project Definition, Estimate, and Project Schedule
The estimating process is the foundation for determining what is a fair estimate for
CSC, the Client and the Delivery Team!
When to Estimate?
Estimates are created anytime CSC commits to a client:
 Proposals
 Project Initiations
 Change of Scope requests
 Planning the next project phase
Note: Estimate to Complete (ETC) and Estimate At Completion (EAC) are key financial indicators and maintained
throughout the project duration.
Why do we Estimate?
Factor Description
Size Size the basis of money and time. It also includes complexity (interfaces) and
reach (impacts).
Effort Most effort is described in resource hours, but numbers and types of resources are
also important to anticipate staffing needs.
Labor Cost Your SMEs will need to help you estimate effort, then you will need to apply a cost to the
effort
Capital Cost hours.
Capital covers equipment and other permanent assets
Other Direct These may include training, temporary space and other items.
Costs
Total Cost Simply, the sum of all the costs listed above, but don’t forget to show it clearly to your client.
Schedule You need to estimate how long in addition to how much.
Risk Factors Many risks can have impacts to cost or schedule. These need to be estimated and
provided to the client (and account team) as well.
CSC CatalystSM 19
Your Role in Project Estimating

 Determine the appropriate model  Assure that the Project Definition  Assure that the project as defined in the
and create the plan for completing contains all information needed to Project Definition satisfies CSC and
create a satisfactory solution. Client programmatic requirements
 Assist the Project Manager in  Guide the Project Manager in integrating
documenting the Project Definition project goals with the Business Unit
objectives
When the three key players in the estimating effort work together seamlessly, it makes everyone’s job easier.
How to Estimate? The answer starts here...

Critical Success Factors
 Have Good Input:
o Project Definition
o Work Breakdown Structure
 Have an estimating approach, plan, and schedule
 Start with the latest estimating template
 Have skilled estimating resources
 Have skilled estimating reviewers
 Allow sufficient time to develop a quality estimate
 Document the outcome, especially all assumptions required by the estimate
Relationship between Project Definition, Estimate, and Schedule

The project estimate and schedule is driven from the approach and scope sections of the project definition.
Project Definition Project Estimate Project Schedule
Approach Section Activity Work Sizing Base Total Activity Work Total
Product Factor Effort Effort Product Effort
Scope Section
The flow between the Project Definition, through the Project Estimate to create the Project Schedule
Example: Project Definition Solution Approach

Extract from the Approach Section of the Project Definition
Responsible
Activity Description/Purpose Output
Organization
Discovery
Validate circuits and Perform a complete List of key contacts Site Discovery
infrastructure at AT&T inventory of circuits and Demark location – dual entry, carrier support, backhaul Team
sites infrastructure at Redditch circuit
and Frankfurt AT&T sites
Inventory of current raised floor space availability
Inventory of server farm space requirements
Definition of backup solution space
List of current circuits to provision
Inventory of current environmental
20 CSC CatalystSM
Responsible
Activity Description/Purpose Output
Organization
Discovery
Validate circuits and Perform a complete List of key contacts Site Discovery
infrastructure at CSC inventory of Demark location – dual entry, carrier support, backhaul Team
Data Center sites Chesterfield and circuit
Maidstone CSC
Inventory of current raised floor space availability
Data Centers
Inventory of server farm space requirements
Definition of backup solution space
List of current circuits to provision
Inventory of current environmental
Example: Catalyst Estimating Template

Example of a Catalyst Estimating Template that is populated with the discovery activities identified in the Project
Definition Approach Section. Also, the sizing factor and base effort determined from the scope are populated by cost
drivers. Please note: there is a large number of tailorable Catalyst estimating templates based on selected
lifecycle/enablement path for the PM to choose from.
Activity: Validate circuits and infrastructure at AT&T sites

Phase DISCOVERY
Milestone Discovery Phase Begins
Major Activity DISCOVERY AT&T Sites
Milestone Discovery AT&T Sites Begins
Activity Validate Redditch Circuits and Infrastructure
Task Identify & document key contacts - Redditch AT&T Core site - CSC to i ESE, ETWL Organization 1 4 4 4.0
Task Identify & document each firew all, PVCs and destination ( AT&T Core site - Risk w it ESE Site Discovery 1 5 12 12.0
Task Identify & document equipment requirements (pow er, rack AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document current hardw are requirements - Red AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document current environmentals - Redditch AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document access control (passw ord, building, AT&T Core site - High RIS ESE, ETWL Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Create site diagram - Redditch AT&T Core site - High RIS ESE Diagrams 1 6 16 16.0
Task Create site schematic (routing configurations, IPAddress AT&T Core site - 9R, 2S, ESE Diagrams 5 4 6 30.0
Milestone Validate Redditch Circuits and Infrastructure Ends
Activity Validate Frankfurt Circuits and Infrastructure
Task Identify & document key contacts - Frankfurt AT&T Core site - CSC to i ESE Organization 1 4 4 4.0
Task Identify & document each firew all, PVCs and destination ( AT&T Core site - Risk w it ESE Site Discovery 1 5 12 12.0
Task Identify & document equipment requirements (pow er, rack AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document current hardw are requirements - Fra AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document current environmentals - Frankfurt AT&T Core site - depends ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Identify & document access control (passw ord, building, AT&T Core site - High RIS ESE Site Discovery 1 3 6 6.0
Task Create site diagram - Frankfurt AT&T Core site - High RIS ESE Diagrams 1 5 12 12.0
Task Create site schematic (routing configurations, IPAddress AT&T Core site - 9R, 2S, ESE Diagrams 2 4 6 12.0
Activity: Validate circuits and infrastructure at CSC Data Center sites

Major Activity DISCOVERY CSC Data Center Sites
Milestone Discovery CSC Data Center Sites Begins
Activity Validate CSC Chesterfield Data Center facility - infr
Task Perform site visit - Chesterfield CSC Core site - 5 days o ESE, ETWL Site 1 6 40 40.0
Task Identify & document Demarc location - dual entry, carrier s CSC Core site - w orking ESE Site Discovery 1 4 8 8.0
Task Identify & document Demarc location - backhaul circuit - u CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE Site Discovery 1 2 4 4.0
Task Identify & document current raised floor space availability CSC Core site - Operation ESE Site Discovery 1 2 4 4.0
Task Identify & Document server farm space requirements w ith CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE, ETWL Site Discovery 1 2 4 4.0
Task Identify & document server farm space requirements - Ch CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE Site Discovery 1 5 12 12.0
Task Identify & document backup solution space requirements CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE, ETWL Site Discovery 1 2 4 4.0
Task Identify & document backup solution space requirements - CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE Site Discovery 1 4 8 8.0
Task Identify & Document current circuits to provision - include CSC Core site - IGN to be ESE Circuits - Provi 2 3 4 8.0
Task Identify & Document current environmentals - Chesterfield CSC Core site - 8 cabinet ESE Netw ork envir 11 2 2 22.0
Milestone Validate CSC Chesterfield Data Center facility - infrastru
Activity Validate CSC Maidstone Data Center facility - infras
Task Identify & Document IGN group contact - Maidstone CSC Site - CSC Diane Klin ESE Organization 1 2 2 2.0
Task Identify & Document site support group contact - Maidston CSC Site - CSC Key conta ESE Organization 1 2 2 2.0
Task Identify & document IGN node - Maidstone CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE Site Discovery 1 1 2 2.0
Task Identify & document Demarc location - IGN carrier (backha CSC Core site - w ork w it ESE Site Discovery 1 4 8 8.0
Task Identify & document current environmentals - Maidstone CSC Site - install router (s ESE Site Discovery 1 2 4 4.0
Milestone Validate CSC Maidstone Data Center facility - infrastruct
Milestone Discovery CSC Data Center Sites Ends
Milestone Discovery Phase Ends
Phase DESIGN
Milestone Design Phase Begins
CSC CatalystSM 21
Example from the populated Catalyst Estimating Template the Project Schedule is created in MS project.
Activity: Validate circuits and infrastructure at AT&T sites
Activity: Validate circuits and infrastructure at CSC Data Center sites
22 CSC CatalystSM
The Catalyst Estimating Template
The Catalyst Estimating Template is the bridge Project Schedule

between the Project Definition and Project
Schedule. It is built from the Project Definition’s Catalyst
Scope and Approach sections - ie, the template Estimating
must map to activities in the project schedule. Template
The focus should be on effort not duration.

Project Definition
The Catalyst Estimating Template Guidance

1 3
WBS - General Columns A and B on this tab are considered to be your Work Column F - Drivers Drivers are defined on the Driver Tab. The driver
Breakdown Structure (WBS). Before you begin your estimate make sure that you must exist on the Driver Tab for the Formula in the Unit Estimate (Column
review the template's WBS and make any modifications necessary to reflect the H) to work. If a driver is NOT defined on the Driver Worksheet a #N/A
work that you intend to perform during your project. Remember that your WBS error will appear in the Unit Estimate column (Column G) Attempt to
represents the beginning of your project plan. If you do not wish to utilize a task minimize the number of drivers that you use during an estimate but make
within the WBS template you may delete the task. You may add tasks to the WBS. sure that your are able to speak to each of the drivers and how you
The best way of doing this is to make a copy of one task and use the Excel Insert derived the overall estimate by driver in your Assumption column Baseline
Copy function to add the new task. Once the new line is added change the the Schedule. Use tangible drivers as much as possible. Tangible driver
Description of the task and , if applicable, the driver. Update Resources. examples are circuits, interfaces, sites, servers and test cases.
Describe complexities and how they translate to effort hours

2 Project Estimate is developed by:
Project Manager
Resource Column Rules: Column D on the Program Subject Matter Experts (Technical Leads, Estimating
Matrix is used to assign resources to tasks. Specialist etc.)
CSC CatalystSM 23
Develop Project Estimate

This is a summary of the activities undertaken to estimate the project
1 Plan the estimating activities
2 Identify project information
3 These are the 7 activities
Finalize the work breakdown structure
that will follow and be described.
4 Estimate labor effort
5 Estimate costs
6 Review estimate
7 Approve project estimate
Activity 1: Plan the Estimating Activities

The PM must understand
 Project Scope
 Deadlines for submitting cost estimate
 How to staff the team using these requirements and deadlines
Create a schedule to develop the estimate
 This is not necessarily a formal document; it is used by the Project Manager to plan the estimating activities
 Include ownership for completing the work, along with activity start and end dates
 Include all the anticipated reviews
 Ensure the planning team understands any time constraints
Activity 2: Identify Project Information

Use the Project Definition by leveraging similar historical projects
Identify “missing” information
 Challenge the customer or CSC organization if “missing” information is critical to the estimate
 Formally document assumptions on “missing” information to provide to the customer with the final estimate
Identify any unbounded requirements or open-ended statements
 If, after further discussion with the customer, these requirements cannot be bounded, the PM must propose a
scope limit and formally document as an assumption
Activity 3: Finalize the Work Breakdown Structure

Definition: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – a deliverable oriented grouping of project elements that organizes and
defines the total scope of the project
Review the Scope and Approach in the Project Definition
Identify Project Tasks
 It is more important to identify a task than it is to estimate it correctly
 What are the logical tasks to be completed?
 Use our CSC Catalyst methodology
 Are some tasks repetitious?
 Are there task dependencies?
 Ensure each task has a tangible work product
 Document additional assumptions, constraints, etc.
Update the PD as new assumptions, risks, or constraints are identified
24 CSC CatalystSM
Some of the tasks to be considered include:
 Reviews (peer, technical, security etc.)  Production integration (Operational Readiness

Reviews, Early Life Support)
 Procurement  Deliverable acceptance
 Testing and re-work  Performance engineering
 Communication, reporting, project meetings  Configuration management
 Training  Close down tasks
Activity 4: Estimate Labor Effort

Estimate Labor Hours
 Obtain the appropriate Catalyst Estimating Template
 Populate the template with the WBS information
 Use cost drivers based on scope sizing units
o Use tangible cost drivers, such as interfaces, servers, circuits, sites.
 Add Project Management and Architecture Engineering as Level of Effort (LOE)
 Minimize use of Level of Effort and Timebox estimates
 Document the approaches used
 Document additional assumptions, constraints etc.
 Don’t imply a level of accuracy that isn’t there
 The Estimating Validation Workbook is used to store results of multiple estimating techniques
Remember that your labor hour estimates should come from your SMEs.
Review and Verify Labor Hours
 Review Catalyst and other sources for missed activities and tasks
 Use at least two estimating techniques (sanity check one against another)
 Reconcile the estimates from the different techniques
 Compare estimates with someone else’s if possible
 Add in appropriate contingencies
 Re-estimate at the start of each project phase, or with any major changes in project scope or approach
Some Additional Estimating Considerations
 Labor estimates can be impacted by other factors, which should be taken into consideration to raise or lower the
effort. The following items should be considered as you perform your estimates:
o Size and complexity of system, domains, activities & deliverables
o Size and location(s) of user community
o Size and location of project team(s)
o Use of unproven technology
o Use of vendors and subcontractors
o Customer’s corporate culture
o Availability of critical documentation
o Complexity and breadth of conversion
o Geographical culture, language, and/or government regulation
o Staff experience and skill levels
o Extensive or rigid acceptance criteria
o High reliability and/or performance requirements
CSC CatalystSM 25
o Number of system interfaces

o Availability of scarce resources
o Other dependent projects
o CSC negotiated time frames for hardware delivery
Estimate Labor Cost , Price and Labor-Related Costs
 Use appropriate labor rates to calculate labor price
 Estimate requirements for travel, expenses, and training. Clarify whether training costs will be billed to the
customer
Activity 5: Estimate Other Costs

Estimate Non-CSC Labor Costs
 Estimate any costs for subcontractor labor
 Estimate costs for all hardware, software, equipment and facilities. This is especially important for infrastructure
projects where long procurement lead times may apply
Calculate Life-Cycle Costs
 Includes software maintenance, disaster recovery, support
 Any additional baseline costs that will need to be managed by the account
Activity 6: Review Estimate

Estimates should be peer reviewed by multiple resources to validate the content. Consider having these people review
your estimates – the list is NOT exhaustive:
 Review by Solution Architect/Technical Leads
 Review by Independent Reviewer
 Review for Standards Compliance
 Review by Account Team (Account PMO)
After reviews have been completed, update the estimate. Make sure to capture additional issues and risks.
Activity 7: Approve Estimate

Upon completion of estimate, ensure proper levels of approval before the estimate is submitted to the client
 Use Account defined procedures to obtain estimate approvals
 Obtain formal approval of estimate by Account Team before exporting estimate to MS Project
 Once the MS Project schedule is complete, submit the PD, estimate, and schedule to Account Team for final
approval
 Submit the Proposal Package to the customer for approval
 Establish the project baseline
General Do’s:
DO make sure SMEs know the content to accurately estimate the work
DO allow sufficient time to complete the estimate
DO use past estimates or other methods to validate, but use the standard tools for the formal estimate. Historical data
can be your most accurate and valuable reference.
DO get reviews early so there is time to adjust and refine the estimate
DO make sure the estimate reflects what the project needs to accomplish in order to meet client’s requirements
DO use terms in the estimate that are familiar to the client to accelerate buy-in to the estimating and planning process
DO document all assumptions required by the estimate
26 CSC CatalystSM
DO account for the uncertainty in the estimate
General Don’ts:
DO NOT assume the input provided by SMEs is absolute – challenge any estimates that seem unreasonable
DO NOT assume another business unit will provide the detailed estimate — set clear expectations
DO NOT let external partners provide a lesser level of detail if CSC is accountable for their work
DO NOT forget to include effort for project manager’s time and other ongoing technical support roles
In Summary
Plan the estimate so you do not run out of time. Make sure to account for:
 Time for the required reviews
 Time to interface with pricing
 Scheduling the needed resources
 Meeting the client’s timeline — which are getting more aggressive
 Leave management enough time to realistically shape the deal if necessary
Manage expectations internally
 Understand the client’s requirements (Scope) and our solution to meet those requirements (Approach)
 Communicate the requirements (technology, skill set, timeline) and type of estimate (ROM, Firm for Fixed Price
or Time & Materials)
 Utilize the right tool for the estimate
Leverage independent review to establish complete, reasonable, and accurate estimates
Rely on estimating Templates and Related Assets on the DA Repository in the Catalyst Knowledge Center
 Estimating Templates
 Excel Administration Guide for Estimating Templates – how to install an updated version of the estimating macro
and error list
 Estimating Template Troubleshooting Guide – troubleshooting advice and instructions for installing updated
macro versions
 Updated Macros for Estimating Templates – updates to native Estimating Template macros for compatibility with
newer versions of MS Excel and bug fixes
 Estimating and SOW Status Template – tracks status of the estimating effort’s progress and sets up/ shows
when DA or other reviews take place
 PMO or Support Level of Effort Estimating Template – used only when estimating a PMO or Post Production
support for a large program where you are estimating overhead or duration
CSC CatalystSM 27
DEVELOP PROJECT SCHEDULE

The purpose of the project schedule is to set common timeline, resource and effort expectation. It specifies schedule
baseline with: expectations for completion of Deliverables (milestones) and intermediate work products and associated
tasks, links tasks and effort thus defining cost, resources, and resource capacity
 Defines sequencing/alignment of team tasks
 Defines dependency relationships between tasks
 Supports resource leveling
 Identifies dependencies on external parties
o Work products needed from other projects
o Work products based on obligations from vendors
o Client developed work products not within the scope of your project
 Provides a vehicle to objectively measure actual vs. expected progress
Why is it critical that the WBS represents ALL the work necessary to create the deliverables that meet client
requirements? Without it,
 Impact on variance to Cost / Budget
 The missing incremental work effort becomes an immediate 100% negative variance to cost (effort based
resource expenditure)
 Margin will be diluted if no action is taken
 Possible impact on variance to Schedule if the missing incremental work is on or becomes part of the Critical
Path…Unless the missing incremental work can be negotiated as an approved change request
After setting the initial schedule baseline, scope will often grow through “progressive elaboration” of the product’s
requirements
Your Role in Project Scheduling

 Owns the creation of the schedule and its  Contributes to developing the detailed  Is aware of the key milestone dates ,
compliance with CSC standards work breakdown structure , particularly for contractual deliverables
 Owns the schedule baseline as a resource/role assignments, sequencing  Validates schedule staffing plan matches
measureable standard of activities, and durations needed to approved budget
 Responsible for the agreement of the create the solution for all deliverables  Assist in obtaining correct staff in
initial schedule baseline with the  Performs a sanity check on the accordance with the staff plan
approved budget and agreed scope schedule  Participates in schedule reviews and
 Conducts schedule reviews with Solution  Participates in schedule reviews and agrees the plan makes ‘sense’
Architect and Account Manager prior to agrees on the plan’s completeness
setting the baseline
All eyes will be on the Project Schedule, it’s the key roadmap that all follow in achieving
project success
28 CSC CatalystSM
Sources of Information for Time Phasing Activities & Tasks During the
Scheduling Process
Project Definition Catalyst PM, Solution Architect
• Deliverables • Activity
and Project Team
• Approach Sequencing
– Phases
– Activity Sequencing
• Assumptions
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Mandatory Task Dependencies
Calendar Project • Mandatory Resource
Dependencies
• Critical Dates Schedule • Dependencies on 3rd parties
(vendors or subcontractors)
• Fiscal Considerations
• Holidays • Dependencies on work
• Vacations products from other projects
• Resource Leveling
Client and Environment
• Business
Seasonality
How is the Initial Project Schedule Developed?

PERFORMED IN THE PERFORMED IN
ESTIMATING MODEL SCHEDULING TOOL
1. Develop the Work 4. Perform Schedule Setup
Breakdown Structure 5. Establish Dependencies
2. Estimate Project Effort 6. Level Resources and
3. Upload the WBS and Optimize the Schedule
Estimates to the 7. Review and Approve the
Scheduling Tool Schedule
8. Baseline the Schedule
Estimate Schedule
Project
Budget
Definition
Activity 1: Develop the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

What is a Work Breakdown Structure?
 A deliverable-oriented, hierarchical grouping of products or services that a project team must create to meet
project objectives
 Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the components of deliverables and
suggests the actual work to be accomplished
How is a WBS created?
Start with the deliverables defined in the Project Definition (start with the end in mind)
Decompose deliverables into:
 Work packages that create either intermediate deliverables or work products
CSC CatalystSM 29
 Decompose work packages into major and minor activities

 Decompose activities into tasks (but don’t make the tasks too small and create a schedule that is too detailed to
manage efficiently)
 Add activities and tasks for quality reviews, testing, and non-functional requirements
 Add ending milestones that mark the points where major deliverables and work package components are
created
Activity 2: Estimate the Work

Estimate effort of each WBS task and activity, leveraging the DA Estimating model
Costs may be allocated as hours
Details presented in the “Estimating” module
Activity 3: Upload the WBS and Estimates to the Scheduling Tool

Determine the scheduling tool to be used via Project Tailoring (If and only if the project has less than 500 hours,
Excel may be used to track the project’s schedule. For all other projects, MS Project will be used for the
project’s schedule.
When the CET is complete, press the “Update” button in the top left corner (1).
Then press the “MS Project” (2) to copy the WBS into MS Project. Now you will move to MS Project to
complete the remaining project scheduling steps.
Activity 4: Perform Schedule Setup

In the scheduling tool, set appropriate calendars for resources along with other parameters such as labor rate and
availability percentage. Assign predecessors and successors to tasks.
30 CSC CatalystSM
MS Project Button
 Do not use the macro until you have completed all of your estimate reviews and have gained approval for the
budgeted effort hour numbers.
 You must have a copy of MS Project on your PC for this function to work.
 When working with a large WBS we recommend that you close any open applications you might have to provide
more memory to the MS Project Macro program.
The MS Project Macro performs the following functions:
1. Opens MS Project in the background (meaning you will not see MS Project as an open application until the
macro has completed its update)
2. Makes two passes over the Program Matrix
a. First pass copies all the information into MS Project
b. The second pass performs the indents using the information from the WBS Level Column
3. Opens MS Project to the CSC Gantt (NOTE: You must have the CSC global.mpt file loaded to display this view
Activity 5: Establish Dependencies

Establish mandatory predecessor/successor relationships (Finish Start or Start Start)
 Task Dependencies establish firm relationships between two tasks
 Resource Dependencies refer to the physical constraint that a single resource cannot perform multiple tasks at
exactly the same time and considers the last task to which the resource was assigned
Establish milestone Dependencies
 External Dependencies are related to the availability of work products from sources outside the control of your
project team (e.g., work products from other projects, vendors, or client initiatives) that are needed as inputs to
your project for certain tasks to proceed
 Discretionary Dependencies that represent “preferences” such as desired deliverable dates
Audit the Project Schedule
 The validity of subsequent scheduling steps requires that the Project Schedule satisfies established scheduling
standards
o The CSC Toolkit contains an Audit Tool for this purpose when using MS Project
 Primary purpose is to ensure scheduling integrity
o Resources are assigned to all tasks
o Project tasks that lead to the creation of deliverables are effort driven and not duration driven
o Effort estimates are within acceptable range for all task/resource assignments
o Mandatory Dependencies are assigned to all tasks and milestones (necessary for time-phased
scheduling integrity)
Activity 6: Level Recourse and Optimize the Schedule

Level the Resources
 Resource leveling is the process of spreading the work evenly among resources on a week to week basis
 Resources may initially be defined as a role but the role must represent a single person before optimizing the
schedule with MS Project
 Resource roles should be replaced by named individuals as soon as the resource names are known (prior to
when the resources begin work)
 Minimize overworking resources - the number of productive hours should be 80-90% of available hours.
 Don’t plan for overtime
Optimizing the schedule includes consideration of trimming duration off the Critical Path - CAUTION must be applied!
 Care must be taken with optimizing the schedule
CSC CatalystSM 31
 Be realistic, do not compress to an impossible schedule

o Add and subtract staff gradually to avoid sudden disruptions in team size; maintain continuity from one
phase to the next, so that key staff remain in place
o Management and Coordination tasks, including project management and architectural oversight are
Level of Effort (LOE) tasks (i.e., effort is scheduled to be applied uniformly throughout the project’s
duration)
o Optimize the schedule as necessary by adding periods of inactivity between tasks (lags) and periods
where tasks can overlap (leads) to stretch or compress the schedule as needed
o Stretch the schedule to mitigate risk (e.g. external dependencies)
 Audit the project schedule again to identify any new errors
How Can I Determine if the Schedule is Actually “Leveled”?
 First, run the Audit Tool again and make corrections to the schedule as necessary
 Second, examine a Resource Usage View (if using MS Project) to see if any resources have weekly hours in
excess of their normal work week hours
Note: MS Project will show some values in red even though they do not appear to exceed the normal work week
hours. This is because there are tasks in the week that are scheduled to be performed in a window that is smaller
than the hours required for the tasks (e.g. a 6-hour task is scheduled to be performed between 8:00 and 12:00 so
MS Project thinks the resource is over allocated even though it may not really matter what time the task is
completed that day).
What is the Critical Path and why is it important?
 The Critical Path is the longest sequence of activities/tasks in a project schedule which must be completed on
time for the project to complete on time
 It is the minimum amount of time needed for the completion of the project
 The Critical Path of tasks is defined by a mathematical calculation based on task durations and sequencing
o A common misconception is that “critical tasks” are those that are the most complex or crucial to the
success of the product/solution. No such relationship necessarily exists between such tasks and the
Critical Path.
o Critical Tasks on the critical path are simply defined by having no “slack” or “float” (i.e., if any critical
task is delayed, the end date of the project will be delayed)
o Non-Critical Path tasks have positive slack (i.e., “wiggle room” for expected finish date)
 As you execute the work in the schedule, the Critical Path will change from week to week (i.e. tasks will move
on and off the critical path)
How can I view the Critical Path?
 Use the Critical Path Gantt View of the schedule if using MS Project
32 CSC CatalystSM
What if the Estimate Based Project Duration is Too Long?

A Problem with the Critical Path
Once you’ve created the schedule and understand the earliest date the project can finish, you learn that the client has
an imposed delivery deadline that is not attainable.
What options does the Engagement Team have to propose to the client?
What option does the engagement team have to propose to the clients
1 Adjust the deadline – increase duration Option 3B, applied to most systems
2 Reduce the scope of the project – deliver less integration tasks, may not compress
the schedule.
3 Increase the capacity to do work – increase cost
A Increasing the hours worked per day
B Employing additional resources
Will Adding Resources Necessarily Shorten Project Duration?

Can project duration be shortened by adding resources?
 Yes, but only if the task is “divisible”; that is, it can be divided into separate, distinct subtasks
Does adding additional resources have hidden costs in respect to schedule delays?1
 Ramp up time is needed (new resources do not hit the ground running)
 Ramp up time diverts established resources from their own work to help the new team member become
acclimated
 On architecture and design tasks, new resources may bring different perspectives that lead to conflicts which
may slow progress (though perhaps achieve a better solution)
 Communication channel overhead increases as the number of resources increase
Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering,
2nd Ed., 1975 [1995], Addison-Wesley.
“Will it help to add resources?”, Is always an appropriate question to seriously evaluate.
CSC CatalystSM 33
Activity 7: Review and Approve the Schedule

 Run the Audit Tool again and make corrections where necessary
 Review with Engagement Team for consistency with PD and Estimate
 Conduct Pre-Baseline Quality and Standards Review
o Leverage an independent reviewer (Delivery Assurance, Master Scheduler, etc.)
o Check for reasonableness
 Conduct Customer Review (optional)
o Usually shared using a high level schedule provided in PDF format
 Don’t show task hours, especially for Fixed Price projects
If you modify the Schedule as a result of review feedback, you must level resources
again,
rerun the Audit Tool, and correct errors.
Activity 8: Baseline the Schedule – Take a snapshot!
Prior to any project work being performed, a baseline of the project schedule must be captured and saved.
Even if CSC Senior Management decides to allow the work to proceed “at risk” (i.e., without a signed contract), you still
must baseline the work before work begins! Note: Working “at risk” is strongly discouraged due to potential
negative impacts on CSC and the client relationship.
The baseline contains original effort hour (which obviously drives our cost) estimates and planned start and
finish dates
The baseline sets the foundation for tracking progress
Schedules may be re-baselined only for impacts of incremental work defined by approved change requests
As we execute work, the schedule becomes a continuous, living representation of

current project progress
How Do I Evaluate a Schedule?

 Are the tasks at the appropriate level of detail to manage a project?
 Are the tasks intuitively descriptive of the work? Does it make sense?
 Is work grouped into logical units (i.e. sensible work packages)?
 Is the work tailored to the specific needs of your project (not simply using boilerplate from template?
 Are all tasks identified that are needed to create the deliverables?
 Does it incorporate quality assurance tasks (peer reviews, audits, etc.)?
 Are the following adequately represented?
o Testing?
o User training?
o Ramp up of new project team members?
o Startup and orientation activities?
o Handoff to operational services?
This is not a definitive list. This is a subset.
34 CSC CatalystSM
PROJECT EXECUTION
The Control Cycle
Projects tend to migrate out of control “minute by minute, inch by inch” during execution. The challenge is to recognize
the deviations from the baseline as soon as possible, identify the causes of those deviations, determine alternatives for
corrective actions, and select the best actions and implement them quickly
To recognize incremental change quickly, the project manager and solution architect both need to make deliberate
observations (quantitative and qualitative) and report quantified status on a weekly basis.
What Is the Control Cycle?

The Control Cycle is analogous to steering a ship. The more frequently you evaluate the ship’s position, the smaller the
corrections need to be. It’s about continually making course adjustments with one main objective in mind, bringing the
ship into safe harbor, as promised at the start of the voyage.
Evaluate your status and keep a watchful eye on what lies ahead
This topic presents the operational core of what a Project Manager does:
 Monitor. Collect quantitative metrics and qualitative observations of project progress
 Evaluate. Assess the current status of project health
o Progress vs. “Plan”
o Issues impeding progress and their impact
o Actions taken to remove or circumvent issues and the effectiveness of those actions
o Planned activity (work themes) and accomplishments for the next week
 Report. Accurately communicate quantified status to the client and CSC stakeholders
 Control. Initiate and follow-through on actions to maintain or regain “control”
What Do We Mean by the Concept of “Control”?

 What are the standards for determining whether or not a project is in “control” or “on track”?
o Contractual/Scope Baseline — Are we delivering what we are obligated to deliver?
o Financial/Budget Baseline — Are we meeting CSC’s project financial objectives (margin, OI, etc.)?
o Temporal/Schedule Baseline — Will we deliver when we said we would?
 Are there other “imputed” baselines?
o Product Quality - Does the delivered product meet defined functional and non-functional requirements?
o Customer satisfaction - Are we managing expectations and continuing to “win” the client toward trusted
partnership with CSC?
“CONTROL” is defined as the level of adherence of ACTUAL PROGRESS to the currently

accepted TRIPLE CONSTRAINT BASELINES
CSC CatalystSM 35
Your Role in Project Execution

 Executes Control Cycle Steps  Holds PM accountable for diligently  Develops and provides deliverable solutions
 Proactively identifies issues impacting performing the Control Cycle that correspond to scope requirements in
adherence to budget, schedule or  Participates in determining corrective each Domain
scope baselines actions  Supports Control Cycle steps with team
 Leads identification of root causes  Helps deliver difficult messages to members
 Owns process to develop alternative client when root causes requiring  Proactively identifies issues impacting
corrective actions corrective actions belong all or in adherence to budget, schedule or scope
 Monitors and evaluates part to the client baselines
 Assists the PM in defining root causes and
identifying corrective actions
 Monitors deployment of corrective actions
How To Achieve Project Control?

First, start in control, with a sound project plan, based upon a well defined Scope and Approach, along with a baselined
Budget and Schedule.
The Importance of the Weekly PM Control Cycle

If projects tend to migrate out of control “minute by minute, inch by inch” during execution, the challenge is to:
 Recognize the deviations from baseline ASAP
 Identify the causes of those deviations and determine
1: Cl lecta &
alternatives for corrective actions Review
Projecto Dt a
 Select the best actions and implement them quickly 8: Udat e 2: Ps t
Other Actuals &
Project Calculate
To recognize incremental change quickly, the PM and SA both Collateral Variancesv
need to:
 Constantly make deliberate observations (quantitative
and qualitative)
7: Mnage
 Batch those observations into a regular weekly status Acceptance
of
3: Eal uat e
Status e
report (i.e. metrics accumulation and reporting) Deliverables
p
The result is that:

 Project performance has a better chance of being
steered back to health before it strays too far out of 6: Cnt rol
4: Rsol ve
Variancese &
Issues
control &Changesa
Address
Problems
 Valid needs for change are identified more quickly and 5: Rpor t
can be managed and controlled Status o
Discipline is critical in performing the Control Cycle; all steps must be followed on a regular
routine cycle —don’t skip or postpone status reviews.
Activity 1: Collect and Review Project Data

Primary source of project data
 Task Turnaround Sheet (TTS) or
 Cost, Schedule, and Technical Performance data
Other sources of project data:
 Financial Reports
o Team Member Time Reports and Expense Reports
o Labor and Cost reports from the Accounting System
36 CSC CatalystSM
 Active listening — “managing by walking around” (MBWA)

o How do you do this with a geographically separated team?
 Prior period Project Status Report
 Team Meetings
 TTS’s are generated based on resource hours and schedule
Activity 1: Collect & Review Project Data

Task Thru Date: 02/25/2005 Weekly Task Report Week Ending Date: 02/11/2005
Planned % Actual Est to Planned Planned This Week Est to Start Finish
ID Task Name Work Comp Work Comp Start Date Finish Date Actual Comp Date Date Comments
Bob Garland
Please return completed TDOC to your Project Manager no later than 12:00p noon on Friday, 2/11/05.
DESIGN
ENGINEERING CSC Data Center Sites
Architect Documentation Design for CSC global process Enter actual
Develop Proxy Services Migration Plan - CSC Data
94 Center Sites 2.0 0 0.0 2.0
hours worked
2/8/05
for
2/14/05
Develop DNS Services Migration Plan - CSC Data week in this Enter remaining
95 Center Sites 2.0 0 0.0 2.0 2/8/05 2/14/05
column hours for task in
Develop Business Partner Circuit Migration Plan - this column
96 CSC Data Center Sites 2.0 0 0.0 2.0 2/14/05 2/17/05
Architect CSC Chesterfield Data Center facility design (ETC)
Identify & document new hardware requirements -
101 Chesterfield 16.0 97 15.0 1.0 2/2/05 2/7/05
Identify & document space and hardware
102 requirements for Server Farm - Chesterfield 15.0 0 0.0 15.0 2/7/05 3/9/05
Create core support equipment design (IDS,
Contivity, Blue Coat, Checkpoint, Cisco Secure ACS,
Cisco IRS Routers & Business Partner connection) -
111 Chesterfield 32.0 0 0.0 32.0 2/7/05 2/17/05
Create site architecture design - includes bandwidth
112 sizing - Chesterfield 16.0 0 0.0 16.0 2/17/05 2/23/05
Obtain architect design approvals - ABC Company
113 POC, CSC management - Chesterfield 3.0 0 0.0 3.0 2/23/05 2/25/05
Unplanned Tasks:
Enter tasks worked but not

assigned to you in this section. All
unplanned tasks must be approved
by the PM. You can also record
scheduled and unscheduled
absences here.
TTS — Guidelines
 Stress timely submission (allow time to process all the inputs to the project status report)
 Insist on accuracy and completeness
 Stress importance of “estimate to complete”
 Don’t allow tasks to be marked “complete” unless they are 100% complete
 Don’t allow team members to add tasks independently (unplanned work)
CSC CatalystSM 37
 Watch for team members working on too many tasks at the same time, or working on the “wrong” tasks (out-of-
sequence, or assigned to someone else)
Success Criteria
Two critical success factors:
All project team members that contribute to the cost structure of the project must provide status updates
 Every control cycle period at the time specified by the project manager
 With accuracy and completeness of reporting the actual work performed
Accuracy of the project’s overall Estimate at Completion (EAC) is impacted by team members estimating remaining work
to complete (ETC) each period
The work required to perform unauthorized or unplanned tasks represents an immediate negative variance to plan
ALL team members must work to the plan - No Freelancing!

Discipline
Make timely, accurate, and complete status reporting a basis for employment on your project and state this during the
on-boarding of your resources
Train all team members in the project’s “Reporting Rules”; these are not guidelines, but rules
Engage team members in direct discussion to determine why their updated status report shows one or more tasks that
 Extend or will extend past their end dates
 Increases ETC resulting in the “Task EAC” increasing significantly over the original estimate (>10% as a rule of
thumb)
 Were entered as Unplanned Tasks
Tracking of actual hours and revised ETCs by all team members is required to
understand where we are in the project’s progress
Financial Reports
Time, Labor Cost and Expense Reports:
 Insist on timely submission
 Insist on completeness and accuracy
 Verify that expenses/charges are not excessive and do not exceed client’s own expense policies
 Validate Time and Expense Reports against team member’s status reports and your budget for both actual
hours and expenses
 Review time and cost reports and verify that:
o Time charges are accurate
o Only authorized personnel have charged to the project
o Travel and Other costs are valid and in line with expectations
 Identify discrepancies and assign actions to resolve
MBWA Proactively Seeks to Uncover Budding Problems

Active listening — “Managing by Walking Around” (MBWA)
 Facilitates productivity and “building in” quality
 Develops effective working relationships
 Should be impromptu, providing an opportunity to give your team on-the-spot guidance
 Is the basis for leadership excellence
Extra effort is required with a geographically separated team
 In addition to regularly scheduled meetings; take time to make frequent, irregularly timed calls to key remote
members just to “check in”
38 CSC CatalystSM
 Budget for periodic trips to remote sites

Use your experience and intuition to proactively look for problems
Anticipate what might go wrong
Leverage the experience of your team’s senior architects
Team Member Status Reports Success Factors

Communicate clear expectations to team on preferred content (e.g. don’t need to know how many meetings were
attended; focus on what happened at the meetings)
Stress timely submission
Problem identification and remediation are the most significant parts
Previous Project Status Report Guidelines

Determine whether previous “actions taken” were effective for problems reported
Note differences between last period’s “Planned Accomplishments” and this period’s “Accomplishments”
Verify that the report’s distribution has not changed (if not reporting through the CSCPMO dashboard)
Team Meetings
How often should team meetings be held? What circumstances determine the required frequency of meetings?
 Frequency of daily, weekly, bi-monthly or monthly should be considered
 Daily team meetings work well
o For virtual teams
o As major deliverables are approaching, or
o When the project has spun out of control and needs immediate and
decisive correction
What should the fundamental content of team meetings entail?
 Focus on finishing work that completes near term milestones
 Focus on work that is or will be late, obstacles, issues and effectiveness of issue resolution activities to date
 Address conflict (within the team and between client and team)
Activity 2: Post Actuals and Calculate Variances
 Post actual costs, schedule progress, and technical progress

 Automated process can be set up to update cost and schedule actuals and revised ETCs in:
o MS Project’s CSC Toolkit
o Earned Value Management Systems
 Perform variance calculations
Calculating Budget Variances

 Budget at Complete (BAC)
EAC = Actual work + ETC
 Budget Spent to Date = Actual work
 Estimate to Complete (ETC) VAC = BAC - EAC
 Estimate at Completion (EAC)
 Variance at Completion (VAC)
Activity 3: Evaluate Status

Essential questions for evaluating status:
 Are team members working to schedule based on task assignments? No free-lancing!!
CSC CatalystSM 39
 Are we producing quality deliverables — the correct deliverables — on schedule and within budget (i.e., Are we
controlling the Triple Constraint?)?
 Is the client meeting their scheduled contractual obligations?
 Are we managing expectations of the three constituencies
(the client, CSC management, and the project team)?
Using all available information, approach the evaluation on five levels.
Level Consideration
 SMEs not devoting their time to the project as agreed in the project definition or contract
Client  Client or client contractor associated with the project not meeting obligations
 Hardware/Software environments not being made available when needed
o Development environment
o Integration Testing environment
o User Acceptance Testing environment
o Performance Testing environment
o Access to needed client applications
 No effort variances or large effort variances reported (actual vs. planned work)
Task  Tasks not started on schedule/Tasks not completed on schedule
 Tasks added without permission (unauthorized tasks not in the plan)
 Working on the wrong tasks (out of sequence)
 Administrative or support tasks used as catch-alls

 Open tasks persist with only a few effort hours remaining (ETC) from week to week (the “90% complete” syndrome) or time
remaining increases each week
 Effort hours not matching eTES
Team  Team member not meeting documented “project expectations”
 Results not similar to those of other team members doing similar work

 Note discrepancies between last reporting period’s “Planned Accomplishments Next period’s” section and this week’s “This
period’s Accomplishments” section in team member status reports
Variances and Variance Trends
Project  Analyze Earned Value
o Work (effort) Variance at Completion (EAC vs. BAC)
o Schedule Variances and Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
o Cost Variances and Cost Performance Index (CPI)
 Plot and track “variance trends” over time
o Are variances Increasing? Decreasing?
 Analyze variances along with the current schedule for
o Impacts to Budget
o Impacts to Critical path (project end date)
 Identify and treat root causes, not just symptoms
o Identify potential corrective actions
o Plan implementation, understand risks, execute!
Warning Flags
Issue  Are issues prioritized?
 Do issues contain realistic completion dates?
 Are issues assigned to one team member and is only one team member accountable to resolve it?
 Does it take too long for issues to surface?
 Are issues being solved too slowly? Resolution takes more than 10 business days.
 Do issues resurface? Are we working to identify and remediate root causes or simply treating symptoms with band-aids?
 Are issues or remediations outside of the team’s control?
Activity 4: Resolve Variances and Address Issues

Engagement Team and Client addresses the issues:
 Working from symptoms, identify root causes
 Use governance process to escalate issues when necessary
 Identify options for corrective actions
 Base actions on the prioritized Triple Constraint
 Select a course of action and make it happen; set a “plan within the plan”
40 CSC CatalystSM
 Set realistic priorities based on what is most important to the client for taking action when multiple issues prevail
simultaneously
 Don’t promise what can’t be delivered; don’t over commit; set realistic resolution dates
 Great PM’s: Do not “go it alone”!
Activity 5: Report Status

A written weekly project status report communicates a concise project management view of project progress, budget,
schedule, and solution status, and brings to management’s attention areas requiring intervention or action.
 Use earned value calculation for SPI and CPI.
 Quantified solution development productivity metrics.
A regular weekly status review meeting is held with the project team, customer and CSC management to discuss in more
detail any questions they may have with the published status report
Reporting guidelines
 Summarize team member status reports
 Quantify and explain variances
 Quantify the Triple Constraint status
 Present action plan
 Maintain consistent format
 Proofread for errors
 Always deliver promptly
 Give alternatives and recommendations (re: problems)
 Be positive, objective, and “politically sensitive”
Remember, the Project Status Report is a major P.M. Deliverable
The following is an example of the GPMF standard for project status reporting. There is a version in CSCPMO and also
a standalone Excel version in GPMF.
CSC CatalystSM 41
Example: Reporting via the CSCPMO Dashboard
The upper portion of the

dashboard contains
summary status indicators,
a budget status and
forecast, and current
schedule summary
information
All data in this table

comes directly from the
project schedule
42 CSC CatalystSM
Activity 6: Control Issues and Changes
Issues
An issue is - An event or situation of negative consequence that has occurred or has a 100% likelihood of occurring,
which may have a negative effect on achievement of one or more organization, service, product, Account, Program,
and/or project objectives
 Managing issues effectively is a key to delivery success
 Managing issues provides an open, legitimate forum for project stakeholders to bring up concerns that might
impact successful delivery — focus on the problem not the messenger
Track time to resolution. Should be 10 business days or less.
Changes
The key to managing change is to recognize it before it impacts one or more of the scope, schedule or budget baselines
Changes and requests for changes come in many forms, both obvious and subtle
Activity 7: Manage Acceptance of Deliverables

The process by which a client agrees that the deliverables of a project meet the contractual conditions and requirements
 An internal CSC or peer reviews should be completed before the deliverable is presented to the client
 If possible, one person on the client’s staff should be responsible for deliverable acceptance
The PM actively forms a partnership with the Customer at the beginning of the project around
 Definition of concise and measurable acceptance aligned with the project’s scope
 A process for review and formal sign-off indicating satisfactory completion of individual deliverables
CSC CatalystSM 43
Delivery is not complete when a required product is submitted

 The product must be formally accepted
 The PM must proactively work with the Customer to facilitate the review and achieve approval of each
deliverable
 The acceptance log must be updated whenever activity occurs
Activity 8: Update Other Project Collateral

Schedule
 Continue to make changes to the project schedule to represent work added (or subtracted) by client approved
Change Requests
 Look for ways to reduce cost and/or tighten the schedule
Budget
 Reconcile (and make corrections, where appropriate) to the following three items:
o Actual hours and Revised ETCs
o Budget actuals and ETCs
o SAP or CostPoint reports (actuals)
Other Activities
 Update Other PM Work Products
o Issue/Action Items Log
o Risk Register
o Acceptance Log
o Change Request Log (cont.)
Project Control — Other Considerations
 Project Reviews
o Project reviews may be held for a number of reasons – from “continuous improvement” efforts to issue
resolution. The Project Manager will normally have significant responsibilities in a review
 Deliverable Acceptance Plan
o A Deliverable Acceptance Plan was documented in the Project Definition. As the project proceeds it is
important to review the plan and modify it if necessary
In Summary
Key Actions for the PM
Stay disciplined in performing the Weekly PM Control Cycle throughout the project
Require 100% participation from project team in the process
 Require accuracy in reporting of “Actuals” and ETCs
 Be proactive in anticipating and addressing problems that can derail your project
 Manage by “walking around”; listen carefully to the project team and client stakeholders
 Monitor project budget, schedule and product variance metrics
 Look for variance trends; are remediation activities working?
 Reconcile differences between the Project Schedule, Budget, and financial reports
Proactively identify and address problems early; “nip them in the bud”
44 CSC CatalystSM
GOVERNANCE
Key Principles
The overall program governance structure for CSC Programs should include:
 The organizational structure with clarity in reporting hierarchy
 The recommended thresholds for decision authority and escalation
 The PMO functions to support the program and the projects
 The standards and principles to maintain the global solution
 The structure to facilitate creation of the integrated plans and schedules
 The tools and techniques to monitor and resolve issues and changes
 Monitoring and measurement of changes to external influences such as customers, regulators and competitors
that can affect program direction
Governance for each program involves the structure, the roles, responsibilities, decision thresholds and policies
designed to achieve the business benefits and also to be able to respond to external events and changing conditions.
Management and oversight must be efficient, and the needs for direction and decisions are clear, understood and
transparent.
The Governance structure should decompose all management, oversight and review functions, and describe the
relationships amongst them.
Governance must help managers assess the program’s current state and adjust content and direction if necessary.
Governance supports management’s ability to redefine the definition of success to maintain alignment as business
strategy and direction change and evolve.
Are we doing these Are we doing the

things the right way? right things?
Alignment to
business
requirements
Architecture Strategy
Program Value
Accountability
Governance Measurement
Delivery Value
Risk and Issue

Management
Are we getting these Are the business benefits

things done well? being realised?
Strategy: Are we doing the right things?

Is this investment/solution in line with the vision and strategy?
Is the investment/solution consistent with the business principles?
Is the investment/solution contributing to the strategic objectives, both individually and collectively, so that CSC and the
client are getting optimal benefits, at an affordable cost, at an acceptable level of risk?
Does the solution support the real client business needs and priorities as understood by CSC?
Do we know/understand how this investment/solution will deliver the required benefits for the business
CSC CatalystSM 45
Architecture: Are we doing these things the right way?

Is the solution in line with the enterprise architecture?
Is the solution consistent with the architectural principles and standards?
Are we leveraging synergies/repeatable elements for the client?
Does this solution optimize/take forward the use of existing CSC and client technologies, assets and resources?
Delivery: Are we getting these things done well?

Is CSC delivering using “best practices” with effective management, delivery and change management processes (e.g
appropriate use of Catalyst)?
Does CSC have competent and available technical and business resources to deliver the required capabilities and the
organizational changes required to leverage them?
How are we ensuring we are delivering a solution that is reliable, scalable, available when and where required, and
secure?
Value: Are the benefits being realized?

Does CSC have a clear and shared understanding of what constitutes value and success from the client and CSC
viewpoint?
Does CSC and the client have a clear and shared understanding of the expected benefits from the new solution,
resulting IT services, assets, and other resources?
Is there a clearly defined and accepted accountability matrix with relevant metrics for realizing the benefits?
Is there an effective benefits realization process in place to monitor the effectiveness of the solution over the full
economic life cycle to ensure that the client is getting optimal business value?
Decision Making and Cadence

Building a program organization to enable good governance and communication is important for:
 Business strategy alignment
 Policy and direction
 Timely decision making
The diagram below is an example of a program governance model with the projects feeding in project status through the
Project Board and the solution decisions through the Architecture Board.
The project needs to be anchored into both the Client’s and CSC governance structure so that effective decision making
and escalation can take place.
Quarterly
Executive Vision Steering

Board
& Commitment
Joint Customer/CSC
(Strategic)
Executive Level
Governance
Program
Delivery Board
Monthly
(Operational)
Enterprise
Architecture
Review Board
Individual
Individual
Project
Project Boards
Boards
Business
(as required)
Value
Standards Strategy
Program Level
Technical
& Controls Decision
Weekly
Committee
CSC Internal Governance
Release
Program Solution/ Program Delivery
Management
Architecture Board Board
As defined in Meeting
Architecture Governance
Execution
Project Level
Project Any other

Weekly
Risk & Issue

Individual Solution/ Change meetings/
Management
Project
Individual Boards
Project Architecture Control Meeting reviews
Review
Boards Board necessary
Individual Project
Boards • Requirements Review
• Functional Design Review
• Interface Review
46 CSC CatalystSM
SUPPORT AND LINKS

Process
GPMF Process Descriptions
Develop Project Definition
Develop Project Estimate
Develop Project Schedule
Manage Project Schedule — fundamentals of management of the project schedule
Project Scheduling Pocket Card — a two-sided, printable pocket card that presents the fundamentals of good
scheduling practice
Monitor Project Status — fundamentals of collecting, assimilating and analyzing project data; see “Examples of
Corrective Actions” in section “1.3 Take Corrective Action”
Report Project Status — fundamentals of communicating a concise view of project progress, cost, schedule, and
solution status and areas requiring management intervention or action
Conduct Project Status Review — guidance on preparing and conducting weekly status meetings with the project
team, customer and CSC management
Training
PM Training - see the array of PM Training available. Especially see the New GPMF Refresher classes designed to
specifically complement this PM Handbook.
Templates
Catalyst Project Scheduling Techniques Workbook for detailed scheduling techniques
CSC Estimating Templates
MS Excel Small Project Schedule Template — for use when the Project Tailoring Tool sizes your project as “small”.
ROM Estimate Template
Fast Track Procurement Form
Tools
Topic Process/Tool Tool Access Quick Guide Link
Reporting Monthly DA Report onlineMDAR onlineMDAR Quick Guide

OnlineMDAR (Access via CSCPMO)
Early Warning System Early Warning System for GBS Early Warning System Quick
(EWS) Guide
EWS
Early Warning System for GIS
PaRIS tool for Central Region:

Notes://EMEA-
AP10/C1256A760049A179/
Access via 20 net (CSC offices or
VPN)
CSC CatalystSM 47
Topic Process/Tool Tool Access Quick Guide Link
Project Management C1 System Access Project Management Reporting

Reporting Quick Guide
C1 SAP GUI
Project Staffing Demand and Overall GRM GRM – Demand Initiation Quick
Resource Guide
Management - (GRM)
– Demand Initiation
Resource Assignment C1 System Access Lean Staffing Quick Guide

(Lean Staffing)
Contract Legal reviews and CRS Contract Request System Quick

Management approvals Guide
Delegation of Authority n/a Delegation of Authority Quick

(DoA) Guide
Human HR Information Workday Workday Quick Guide

Resources (Workday) (Access via preferred browser –
Management Firefox)
Financial Client Invoicing BSP Tool Client Invoicing Process (using

Management Process (using the the BSP Tool)
BSP Tool)
Revenue Forecasting T+M Staffing & Budget Template Revenue Forecasting Quick Guide
DA Budget Tracker FFP Staffing & Budget Template
Simplified Project T&M or FP Maint Project Revenue

Tracker Forecast Template thru FY16.xlsx
Purchase Order C1 System Access Ariba Quick Guide

Handling- Ariba
Standard Labor Costing Quick
Standard Labor Guide
Costing
C1 Billing C1 System Access C1 Billing Quick Guide
Project Setup Intercompany Work Global IWO Database Setting up Intercompany Work
Orders (IWOs) Orders (IWOs) Quick Guide
Setting up a WBS C1 System Access Setting up a WBS Code Quick

Code - FRATS Guide
SharePoint tool
Time Time review and C1 System Access myTIME Quick Guide

Management approval (myTIME)
48 CSC CatalystSM
Change History
Version Date Changed By Description
1.0 Sep 2015 Dan Sarna Put together as of part of the GPMF Refresher Initiative.
2.0 Feb 2016 GPMF PIC Reviewed and updated for inclusion in GPMF processes
CSC CatalystSM 49

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PROJECT

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CSC CatalystSM Project Manager’s Handbook

CSC CatalystSM Project Manager’s Handbook

PROJECT MANAGER’S HANDBOOK INTRODUCTION

The Importance of Project Management to CSC

The Responsibilities of the Project Manager

Project Delivery Lifecycle

Getting off to a Good Start

Baseline Preparation Baseline

DEVELOP PROJECT DEFINITION

Why Is Defining the Project Important?

The project definition facilitates understanding and agreement

Scope: Problem Definition – “What” Approach: Solution Definition – “How”

Business O r ganization Locat ion Technology

Business Applicat ion Dat a

Location Ent er pr ise Diagnost ic Diagnost ic

Data Technology Logical

User Syst e m Pr ocess / Physical

Physical Logical Ent it y

Application Accept ance

Scope x Approach = Work Effort

Your Role in Project Definition

Project Manager Solution Architect Account General Manager

The Structure of the Project Definition (PD) Document

3 Scope 7 Risks Equipment and

The Most Important Project Definition Sections

It answers the key questions:

Do not write the project definition in a serial fashion;

Project Definition Section 3: Scope

Using the Catalyst Domains of Change

 Processes  People in the  Countries or  Databases  Systems  Platforms

 Operations  Their culture  Sites  Attributes  Interfaces systems

Technical vulnerability assessments

 Vulnerability alert management content filtering

 OpCo IT Representative (13) specifically defined as "In Scope"

and is currently under a separate PD to implement the are out of scope

 CSC Hydra Expert Technology Version 3.6 systems

 Model 2048 IBM RS6000 activities, in the Legacy Lab environments

Example: Cross Referencing the Domains of Change

Project Definition Sections 4 & 5: The Approach

The Solution Approach The Management Approach

Project Definition Section 4: Solution Approach

Caution: Section 4 Solution Approach

Solution Approach Overview

Be careful not to use any of the “6 Forbidden Words”:

In the Scope Section DO NOT use: All Any

Project Definition Section 5: Management Approach

Project Definition Section 5.1 Project Management Approach Overview

Project Definition Section 5.2 Agreed-Upon Baseline

Project Definition Section 5.3 Process to Monitor Progress

Project Definition Section 5.4 Means of Communications

Project Definition Section 5.5 Approach for Dealing with Issues

Project Definition Section 5.6 Project Change Control Procedure

Project Definition Section 5.7 Acceptance of Deliverables

Project Definition Section 6 Deliverables

 You would expect an objective to result in one or more deliverables AND

Caution: Section 6 Deliverables

 Remember, don’t list work products with deliverables

The purpose of the Physical Technology Model

CSC and ABC

Hardware equipment and circuit/backout will be CSC and ABC