Lesson video

Welcome.

My name is Steve and I'm your Computing teacher.

This unit is IT Project Management.

And in this lesson, we're going to be looking at how to evaluate a project.

Make sure you get your resources from previous lessons to look at alongside your notes and make sure you've removed all distractions, so that you can fully focus on the lesson.

Let's go.

In today's lesson we're going to start off by recalling the project life cycle and then we're going to be evaluating success using three different methods.

Our SMART goals, testing, and feedback.

But first let's be recall the product cycle.

There were five questions here which are going to displayed on the screen in a moment as well.

I would like you to answer each of those questions.

Pause the video and complete your task.

Let's look at some answers.

The four stages of the project life cycle.

Initiate, plan, execute and evaluate and it's evaluate that we're looking at today.

Question two, the tools that we can use are the Gantt chart, and the PERT chart which we spoke about in previous sessions.

Sketches and mood boards, which you may have seen in artists' areas.

Which stage are SMART goals set? The initiation stage at the very beginning.

Very early on, we set those goals so that we know how to evaluate what we're doing.

In a feasibility report, I would expect to see an analysis of the brief, some user requirements, constraints, risk assessments and those SMART goals.

What does integration between stages mean? It means when one part of a stage flows into the next for example, the SMART goals we create in initiation stage lead into the planning stage.

The two things are connected.

They are integrated.

Let's look at those SMART goals now to evaluate success.

How would you know whether you've been successful in meeting your use requirements outlined in the feasibility report you created in the initiation stage? Well, you created measurable SMART goals.

These should have been included in your time-focused plan using either a Gantt or PERT chart.

For example, using the ingredients listed on the product brief, create a stock control sheet for the workbook.

Time allowed, 10 minutes.

Now, if you have created a stock control sheet for the workbook and it includes, the ingredients listed on the project brief, you can tick yes, done.

You would need to indicate on your plan a task has been completed.

This will help you decide how well you have met your SMART goals.

We can also use testing to evaluate success.

If we had developed the integrated system, we would have needed to check whether the formulas and functions that were applied worked as intended.

We could have added sample data to see what happens.

We could have changed the day number or week number to see if the outputs were correct.

We could have put in erroneous data, data that made no sense to make sure the software that we've developed, the system that we've created responded in an appropriate way.

A testing table is a valuable tool for this.

It includes: the test type, the expected results, the actual outcome, and the changes that were made as a result of that.

So for example, checking that the hyperlink from the front sheet take the user to the correct sheet in the workbook.

I might start off by clicking on stock if I appear in sales, clearly that we had a problem that needs to be remedied.

So, we will click on that hyperlink to see what happens.

The test shows that the hyperlink works as intended and so no changes need to be made this time.

What about feedback to evaluate our success? Many advertising products and tools that require user input, often get outside feedback to ensure they are fit for purpose.

This is often called Beta testing.

Software developers often bring in people to test out software.

Beta software is software that they know may have problems, but they want people to test it to see if they can find those problems and to see what happens.

Beta testing is a key part of feedback.

Good feedback uses positive language like, I like this because, this could be improved if.

Good feedback is also helpful and it doesn't make the other person feel bad.

It shows like the apprentice they often receive feedback on a regular basis.

And sometimes the people leading the projects will listen to the feedback and think, "I'm going to ignore all of it but it doesn't align to what I think." Nine times out of 10 when they reach the boardroom, that feedback really should have been listened to.

That says, you also have to evaluate the feedback and make sure it's worth it.

Some feedback isn't relevant.

Is it possible to change at this stage or is there a common thread in your feedback? Is that feedback which just isn't practical? Requests for things are impossible to produce.

Does it actually work from a technological viewpoint? Always consider the changes that you're going to make as a result of that feedback.

Listen carefully, but also be realistic.

The final evaluation is a summary of each stage of the project life cycle.

It starts by stating what the project was.

So in this instance, Delicious Desserts was our scenario.

It then looks at each stage and it goes through and identifies what went well, what could have been improved and how to implement these improvements.

It's always an opportunity to learn from what we've experienced.

Then there was a conclusion, stating whether or not the user requirements have been met and there will be recommendations to follow for future projects.

So task one, evaluate a project.

Using the prompts that we've provided, write the final evaluation for this product.

The testing you have just done that will support what you write about in the execution stage section.

I appreciate that we've done hypothetical testing, not actual testing.

So presume that everything went well and report that using those prompts.

Pause the video to complete your task.

Winston Churchill famously said, "Those who plan do better than those who do not plan, even though they rarely stick to their plan." Throughout this unit, we have stressed the importance of planning.

When you are managing a project, an IT project especially, you need to be aware of the whole task, aware of your goals, aware of the user requirements.

Evaluating each stage, communication with your team and managing that project, project.

Those who plan do better than those who do not plan.

It could be that what you are doing is you're building a scaffold on which to climb.

At the top of that scaffold you put a diving board.

It's not until you dive off into the water, that great things happen and things get exciting.

Those who plan do better than those who do not plan, even though they rarely stick to their plan.

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