ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

College of Business and Economics

School of Commerce

Assessment on the Project management practice of

Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) Application
and Network Infrastructure Project.

A Project Work Submitted to Addis Ababa University, College of Business and Economics,
School of Commerce in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in
Project Management

By: Behailu Negera

August 2018
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
SCHOOL OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

An assessment on the Project management Practice

of Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE)
Application and Network Infrastructure Project

By: Behailu Negera

A Project Work Submitted to Addis Ababa University College of Business

and Economics School of Commerce in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of Master of Arts in Project Management

Advisor: Wubshet B. (PhD)

August 2018
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
SCHOOL OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
An assessment on the Project management practice of
Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) Application
and Network Infrastructure Project

A Project Work Submitted to Addis Ababa University College of Business and

Economics School of Commerce in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Master of Arts in Project Management

By: BehailuNegera

Approved by:

Advisor Signature Date

________________________ _________________ _______________

Internal Examiner Signature Date

________________________ _________________ _______________

External Examiner Signature Date

________________________ _________________ _______________

Declaration

I, Behailu Negera, declare that the study entitled “an assessment on the Project management practice of
Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) Application and Network Infrastructure Project” is the
result of my own effort and study that all sources of materials used for the study have been
acknowledged. I have conducted the study independently with the guidance and comments of the
research advisor. This study has not been submitted for any degree in any university. It is conducted for
the partial fulfillment of the Master of Art Degree in Project Management.

Behailu Negera

Date ________________________

Signature ____________________
Letter of Certification

This is to certify that Behailu Negera has conducted this project work entitled “an assessment on
the Project management practice of Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) Application
and Network Infrastructure Project” under my supervision.

This project work is original and suitable for the submission in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of Master of Arts Degree in Project Management.

Wubshet B. (PhD)

Date ________________________

Signature ____________________
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all I would like to thank my advisor Wubshet B. (Phd), who has contributed valuable
information and support for my paper.

I would also like to thank the project organizations and the study participants for giving me
information related to the project and for spending their precious time to fill the questionnaire of
this study.

Thank you all for your cooperation and willingness!!!

 Table of Contents

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... i

Acronyms/Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ ii

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii

Chapter one ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Research Question ................................................................................................................. 3

1.4 Objectives of the study .......................................................................................................... 3

1.4.1 General Objectives ......................................................................................................... 3

1.4.2 Specific Objectives ......................................................................................................... 3

1.5 Significance of the study ....................................................................................................... 4

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the study ....................................................................................... 4

1.7 Organization of the study ...................................................................................................... 4

Chapter Two.................................................................................................................................... 5

Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 5

2.1 Overview of project management ......................................................................................... 5

2.2 Standards in Project Management ......................................................................................... 5

2.2 PRINCE2 ............................................................................................................................... 6

2.2.1 The 7 Principles, Themes and Processes of PRINCE2 .................................................. 7

2.3 Related Works ..................................................................................................................... 12

Chapter Three................................................................................................................................ 13

Research Design and Methodology .............................................................................................. 14

3.1Research Design ................................................................................................................... 14

 3.2Target population ................................................................................................................. 14

3.3 Data Collection .................................................................................................................... 14

3.4 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 15

3.5 Ethical Issues and Validity .................................................................................................. 15

Chapter Four ................................................................................................................................. 16

Data Analysis and Presentation .................................................................................................... 16

4.1 Respondents General Information ....................................................................................... 16

4.2 Assessing the project management process Activities ........................................................ 16

Chapter Five .................................................................................................................................. 26

Finding, Conclusion and Recommendations ................................................................................ 26

5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 26

5.2 Summary of findings ...................................................................................................... 26

5.3 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 28

5.4 Recommendation ............................................................................................................ 28

References ..................................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 31

Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................ 32

Interview Questions................................................................................................................... 39
 List of Tables
Table 4.1: Participants General Information ................................................................................. 16
Table 4.2.1: How well the activities were done in the SU project process? ................................. 17
Table 4.2.2: How well the activities were done in the IP project process? ................................. 18
Table 4.2.3: How well the activities were done in the MSB project process? ............................. 19
Table 4.2.4 How well the activities were done in the CS project process? .................................. 20
Table 4.2.5: How well the activities were done in the MPD project process? ............................. 22
Table 4.2.6: How well the activities were done in the DP project process? ................................. 22
Table 4.2.7: How well the activities were done in the CP project process? ................................. 24

i
 Acronyms/Abbreviations
APM Associate for project management

CP Closing Project Process

CS Controlling Stage project process

DP Directing Project process

EPSE Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise

HQ Head Quarter

INSA Information Network Security Agency

IP Initiating project process

IPMA International Project management association

MPD Managing product Delivery project process

MSB Managing Stage Boundaries Project Process

PM Project Management

PMBOK Project management Body of Knowledge

PMI Project management Institute

PRINCE Project IN a Controlled Environment

SU Starting Up project process

ii
 ABSTRACT
Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities for adopting a project
approach to the way in which they address the creation and delivery of new business products or
implement any change. Having a formalized project management approach produces a substantial
increase in the probability of success for projects. Projects must be well conceived and managed
during their planning and execution to achieve the desired result on schedule and budget.
This study, an assessment on the project management Practice of Ethiopian Petroleum Supply
Enterprise (EPSE) application and network infrastructure project, tried to see the project
management practice of EPSE from the perspectives of project process activities. To achieve its
objectives, the study uses a descriptive research design and primary data were used. Questionnaire
and interview were used as a data collection mechanism. The target population of the study
were the project management team members who were participating in carrying out the project.
The study examines the entire population. The generated data was analyzed using mean value and
was discussed. The result from the study indicates that there was absence or lack of consistency in
quality assurance, risk and issues management of EPSE project. The study also revealed that in
capturing lessons from previous projects that may have contributed for the project, and also in
keeping the project lessons and risks in a log, there were gaps observed. On the use of a
documented quality assurance review, in all the project processes, the activity was absent.
Regarding decision making, delays were observed and advise on exception plans were not sought
from the board by the project manager and team leaders.

Key Words: Project Management, PRINCE, process activities

iii
 Chapter one
Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

According to Colin (2010), organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities for
adopting a project approach to the way in which they address the creation and delivery of new
business products or implement any change. They are also increasingly aware of the benefits which
a single, common, structured approach to project management can bring.
The Application of project management principles and practices continues to spread rapidly to an
increasingly broad range around the world (Archibald, 2004).
In spite of all that is known about project management best practices, they are often absent from
projects (Antonio & Froese, 2012).

In order to manage projects, Information Network Security Agency (INSA) has adopted PRINCE2
(an acronym for projects IN Controlled environments) as a project management methodology since
2014.
This study tries to assess the project management of Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPSE)
network and Application infrastructure project, which was undertaken by INSA, from the
perspectives of PRINCE2 processes.

1.2 Background of the project

Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise is a nationally registered public enterprise with a major
mission of supplying refined petroleum products to the country. The enterprise was first
established in 1967 GC as “Ethiopian Petroleum Association Company”. Taking additional
assignment from the government, the enterprise also imports Steam coal for steel, cement and
ceramic factories working in Ethiopia.
In 2014, EPSE had undertaken a project in order to obtain an automated information management
and processing environment that enhances the flow and sharing of data within the head quarter and
the branch offices of the enterprise.
The main objectives of the project was to

1
  Securing the exchange of data between HQ and Branch offices and
 Increasing organizational efficiency by automating the various activities (work processes)
of the enterprise.
As a scope the project has delivered network infrastructure and application (Enterprise Resource
Planning) systems.
In order to implement the project EPSE has signed a contract with INSA in February, 2014.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Project management is a discipline that requires skills and knowledge to achieve project goals
through various project activities. It involves planning, organizing, leading and controlling
functions which are performed by the project manager (PMI, 2013).
Having a formalized project management approach produces a substantial increase in the
probability of success for projects. Projects must be well conceived and managed during their
planning and execution to achieve the desired result on schedule and budget (Archibald, 2004).

Before 2014, there was no strict and formalized project management approach in INSA. As a
result, the PM relies on the functional managers to coordinate project activities informally using
procedures and methods that were not consistent and organized within the organization. Because
of that there were many challenges faced in managing projects.
As a result, understanding the challenges and the benefits that can be obtained, INSA has adopted
PRINCE2 project management methodology in order to manage the various projects that fall under
its mandate.
While adopting PRINCE2 as a methodology, INSA has implemented an application and network
infrastructure project for EPSE. According to the preliminary data obtained from the project
manager, even if the project was expected to be closed within 14 months from the signing of the
contract, it took 4 years in order to complete the project. Therefore, by considering this fact and
the fact of having a formal PM methodology creates a question whether the implemented PM
methodology was properly implemented or not. This study tries to assess the project management
of EPSE application and Network infrastructure project from the perspectives of PRINCE2
processes.

2
1.3 Research Question

The Research questions this study tries to answer are based on the 7 processes of PRINCE2 and
are listed below.
 How well the activities were done in the Directing project (DP) project process?
 How well the activities were done in the Starting UP (SU) project process?
 How well the activities were done in the Initiating Project (IP) project process?
 How well the activities were done in the controlling a stage (CS) project process?
 How well the activities were done in the managing product delivery (MPD) project
process?
 How well the activities were done in the managing stage boundaries (MSB) project
process?
 How well the activities were done in the closing project (CP) project process?

1.4 Objectives of the study

1.4.1 General Objectives

As a general objective this study tries to assess the project management of EPSE application and
Network infrastructure project.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

In conjunction with the main objective, the study also tries to address the following points
 To see whether the DP project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the SU project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the IP project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the CS project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the MPD project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the MSB project process activities were done properly or not.
 To see whether the CP project process activities were done properly or not.

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1.5 Significance of the study

This research paper has a great importance in identifying the gaps observed in the Project
management of EPSE application and Network infrastructure project. It will give an insight for
INSA by presenting the identified gaps in the project management of EPSE so that it can better
perform similar projects that are undertaken and also are going to be undertaken in the coming
future. Furthermore, this paper will also contribute to the project management knowledge area by
serving as a reference on the subject matter.

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the study

The scope of this study is to assess the project management of EPSE application and Network
infrastructure project. The result obtained will provide an overview on the gaps that were seen
during the management of EPSE Application and Network infrastructure project. Finally by
analyzing the observed gaps, it will give a recommendation on addressing the observed gaps so
that future projects can get benefited from this study.

1.7 Organization of the study

This study is organized in to five chapters. The first chapter, which is an introduction, presents
background, problem statement, research question, objectives, significance and scope of the study.
By giving more emphasis on the PRINCE2 project management methodology, chapter two
presents a review of literatures (both theoretical and empirical) on the various standards and
practices of project management.
While the third chapter is all about research design and methodology, the fourth chapter discuss
on the findings of the study. Finally the fifth chapter presents summary of the findings, conclusion
and recommendation.

4
 Chapter Two

Literature Review

2.1 Overview of project management

Many definitions exist for the term project, to mention some

“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”

(PMI, 2013, p.3)

“A project is a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or
more business products according to an agreed business case.” (OGC, 2009, p.3)

“A project is a time and cost constrained operation to realize a set of defined deliverables
(the scope to fulfill the project’s objectives) up to quality standards and requirements.”
(IPMA, 2016, p.13)

From the above definitions, a project can be characterized by its constraints, uniqueness, output
driven and its temporariness.
The temporary nature of projects indicates that a project has a definite beginning and end. In order
to complete a project within a schedule deploying a Project management methodology has a great
importance for organizations. In project management, maturity is linked to how well an
organization is able to manage their projects. Study made by Archibald and Prado (2014) has
shown that maturity and success really go together.
Through the years, many standards and models were developed that can be used both to assess and
manage projects.

2.2 Standards in Project Management

In order to assess the management of a project a benchmark should be in place. There are many
standards and methods of project management practices, and among those PMBOK, International
project management association competence baseline, ISO9000 and PRINCE2 are practices that

5
represent substantial investment of expertise, development effort, broad-based consensus and
wide-spread acceptance (Antonio & Froese, 2012).

Since PRINCE2 is a widely accepted PM practice (Wrike, 2018), and it’s the methodology used
for managing the project that this study is concerned with, it was chosen as a guideline for
conducting this study. As a result the remaining section of the review will focus on the PRINCE2
project management methodology.

2.2 PRINCE2

PRINCE2 is a structured project management method based on experience drawn from thousands
of projects and from the contribution of countless project sponsors, project managers, project
teams, academics, trainers and consultants. It’s widely recognized and used both in the UK and
internationally (OGC, 2012).

History of PRINCE2 (Haughey, 2014)

PRINCE2 has its roots back in the 1970s. In 1975 project resource organization management and
planning technique (PROMPTII) was developed by simpact Systems limited as a project
management methodology for the computer projects that were frequently experiencing both
schedule and cost overruns.
In 1979 the UK government Central Computing and Telecom Agency (CCTA) adopted the
PROMPTII for all information system projects. In 1989 CCTA developed PRINCE by taking
PROMPTII as a foundation and since then it has become the UK standard for all government
information system projects. However, through time the PRINCE method developed a reputation
as being too unwieldy, too rigid and applicable only to large projects, leading to the 1996 revision.
The upgrade to PRINCE (PRINCE2) was contracted out and was assured by a committee
spreading among more than 140 European organizations.

Originally developed for information systems and information technology projects to cut cost and
time overruns; the second revision was made more generic and applicable to any project type.
Even though in 2002 and 2005 PRINCE2 was updated in consultation with the international user
community, it was in 2009 that a major revision was done on PRINCE2. In this revision it has
become more simple and customizable. The 2009 version also introduced the seven principles.

6
In 2013 PRINCE2’s ownership was changed to AXELOS Ltd. AXELOS published its next major
update in 2017. The new guidance focuses on scalability and flexibility.
Despite being major revisions, the name PRINCE2 hasn’t changed. Instead of referring to
PRINCE3, ‘PRINCE2:2009 Refresh’ and ‘PRINCE2:2017 Update’ were chosen because the core
principles behind PRINCE2 remain the same.

2.2.1 The 7 Principles, Themes and Processes of PRINCE2

The 7 Principles
The principles are guiding obligations and good practices which determine whether the project is
genuinely being managed using PRINCE2 or not. Because they are characterized as universal,
self-validating, adaptable to any project size, they need to be respected (Colin B., 2010).
The fig below shows the 7 principles of PRINCE2

Figure 2.1 The Seven Principles of PRINCE2

Source: Bentley (2010). PRINCE2 Revealed.

Based on the principles, a project must make good business sense and there needs to be a clear
return on investment and the use of time and resources should be justified. Regarding lessons, the
Project teams should take lessons from previous projects into account and a lessons log should be
kept updated for this purpose.

7
About the individuals participating in the project, everyone should know what they and others are
doing. This includes knowing who the decision makers are.
Looking at project complexity, difficult tasks are better off broken into manageable chunks, or
management stages and while managing the project running a lot of intervention from managers
is not required. The project board is only informed if there is or might be a problem. Everyone
should know ahead of time what’s expected of the product and product requirements determine
work activity, not the other way around.
Finally on the way of adoption, PRINCE2 can be scaled and tailored. Projects that adapt PRINCE2
to their needs are more likely to succeed than projects that use PRINCE2 dogmatically (ILX,
2016).

PRINCE2 Themes
The 7 themes describe aspects of project management that must be addressed continually and in
parallel throughout the project (OGC, 2009).The fig below shows the seven themes of PRINCE2

Figure 2.2 The Seven Themes of PRINCE2

Source: Bentley, C. (2010). PRINCE2 Revealed.

Related to the continued business justification principle, the Business case theme provides
knowledge about whether the project is worthwhile and achievable. Similarly for the roles and
responsibilities principle, the organization theme requires project managers to have everyone’s

8
roles and responsibilities on record. The Quality theme, which related to the focus on products
principle, is vital for keeping the project work on track.
On the topic of planning which is essential for any project or activity, the plan theme describes
how targets will be achieved and focuses on the products, timescale, cost, quality and benefits.
Regarding risk, the risk theme helps to identify, assess and control uncertain events during a project
life cycle.
On the topic of change management, there is a Change theme which is about handling change
requests and issues that arise during the project. The idea is not to prevent changes, but to get them
agreed on before they’re executed.
Finally on tracking project progress, the progress theme allows project managers to check and
control where they are relative to the plan (OGC, 2009).

PRINCE2 Processes
The PRINCE2 processes provide a set of activities required to direct, manage and deliver a project
successfully (OGC, 2009). As shown in the diagram PRINCE2 involves 7 processes.

Figure 2.3 The Seven Processes of PRINCE2

Source: Bentley (2010). PRINCE2 Revealed

9
The steps of project management are described in seven processes, which are
Directing a Project (DP)-This process is aimed at the senior management team responsible for
the project, the key decision-makers. The DP process covers the activities by the senior
management team and has five major steps:
 Authorizing the preparation of a Project Plan and Business Case for the project;
 Approving the project go-ahead;
 Checking that the project remains justifiable at key points in the project life cycle;
 Monitoring progress and giving advice as required;
 Ensuring that the project comes to a controlled close.
Starting Up a Project (SU)-This is intended to be a very short pre-project process with six
objectives:
 Ensure that the scope of the project is known.
 Ensure there is business justification for initiating the project.
 Design and appoint the project management team.
 Decide on the approach which will be taken within the project to do the work.
 Agree upon the customer’s quality expectations.
 Plan the work needed to draw up the PRINCE2 ‘contract’ between the customer and the
supplier.
Initiating a Project (IP)-This process prepares the information on whether there is sufficient
justification to proceed with the project, establishes a sound management basis for the project and
creates a detailed plan for as much of the project as management are in a position to authorize. The
management product created is the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), the baseline against
which project progress and success will be measured.
Controlling a Stage (CS)- This process describes the monitoring and control activities of the
Project Manager involved in ensuring that a stage stays on course and reacts to unexpected events.
The process forms the core of the Project Manager’s effort on the project, being the process that
handles day-to-day management of the project development activity. Throughout a stage there will
be many cycles of:
 Authorizing work to be done;
 Gathering progress information about that work;
 Monitoring and controlling changes;

10
  Reviewing the situation;
 Reporting;
 Taking any necessary corrective action.
Managing Product Delivery (MP)-The process covers:
 Making sure that work allocated to the team is authorized and agreed upon;
 Planning the team work;
 Ensuring that the work is done;
 Ensuring that products meet the agreed quality criteria;
 Obtaining acceptance of the finished products;
 Reporting on progress and quality to the Project Manager.
The process acts as a control mechanism so that the Project Manager and specialist teams can
agree on the details of the work required. The work agreed upon between the Project Manager
and the Team Manager, including target dates, quality and reporting requirements, is called a
Work Package.
Managing a Stage Boundary (SB)
The objectives of this process are to:
 Plan the next stage;
 Assure the Project Board that all products of the current stage have been completed and
accepted;
 Update the Project Plan;
 Update the Business Case;
 Update the risk assessment;
 Report on the outcome and performance of the stage which has just ended;
 Obtain Project Board approval to move into the next stage.
Closing a Project (CP)
The process covers the Project Manager’s work to request Project Board permission to close the
project either at its natural end or at a premature close decided by the Project Board. The objectives
are to:
 Note the extent to which the objectives set out at the start of the project have been met;
 Confirm the customer’s satisfaction with the products;
 Confirm that maintenance and support arrangements are in place (where appropriate);

11
  Make any recommendations for follow-on actions;
 Ensure that all lessons gathered during the project are annotated for the benefit of future
projects;
 Report on whether the project management activity itself has been a success or not;
 Prepare a plan to check on achievement of the final product’s claimed benefits.

2.3 Empirical Review

The following studies were conducted on the assessment of project management for different
organizations.

 Temesgen (2013) conducted an assessment on Project management capability at Mesfin

industrial PLC using a project management maturity model. The maturity model is
comprised of key project management processes and best practices. The research work was
built on both qualitative and quantitative research strategy. While the qualitative approach
of the study was aimed for a more extensive understanding of organization’s project
management practices, the quantitative approach was based on theoretical consideration
and existing knowledge. The finding of the assessment was that the overall project
management capability of the organization was at its lower level. Project management
processes were defined but not consistently applied to all projects.
 Ebise (2007) conducted an assessment on the project management practice of Oromia
integrated urban land information system coordination project office. The study tried to
assess the project management practice of an organization implementing large
government projects in one of the regions of the country. Descriptive research design
was used in the study and the assessment methodology was adopted from the study
conducted to assess the project management maturity of organizations in USA and
modified to be used for the study. The researcher developed a questionnaire based on the
practice of five project management process groups. The study found out that project
management is in its lower level of maturity that implies substantial opportunity exists
for improvements.
 Unlike the above two, which focus on the whole PM practice, Geremew (2016) conducted
an assessment that only covers the monitoring and evaluation practice of Oromia in the

12
 case of Oromia Finance and Economic Development Bureau. To achieve its objective, the
study employed descriptive research approach and both primary and secondary data were
used. Questionnaires, focus group discussion, interview, and document reviews were used
as a data collection tools. Furthermore, it employed purposive and judgmental sampling
techniques. As a finding the study points out that poor management and limited human
resource (both in quality and quantity) were the two main obstacles in the evaluation and
monitoring process of the bureau.
 Yonatan (2016), conducted a study that assess the human resource Management practices
in Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) at federal. The study uses a Descriptive research
design and for data collection semi-structured interview was used. The study concludes
that the program is effectively practicing HRM in HR recruitment and selection and
developing Human resources aspects and on the other side it was not effective on installing
convenient benefit and reward schemes, and recruiting new staffs on time for human
resources needs of the program.
 The study conducted by Frezewed (2016), tries to identify the practice of project risk
management in Batu and Dukem Town water supply projects. The researcher has used
descriptive research method. The data collection tools were interview and questionnaires.
The findings of the study revealed that there is no policy or guideline that is designed on
how to manage risks in the projects. A standard risk management process also does not
exist within the projects. The outcome of the research confirmed that risk management
practice is implemented to some extent but there is a gap between the theory of project risk
management which should be applied and the actual practice that is performed by the two
water supply projects.

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 Chapter Three

Research Design and Methodology

According to Creswell (2014), research design is the plan and the procedure for the research to be
conducted and it span the steps from broad assumptions to detailed methods of data collection,
analysis, and interpretation. This chapter covers the research design, and the methods and
procedures used in data collection, analysis and presentation while conducting the study.

3.1Research Design

This study follows a descriptive research design that presents (describes) the project management
of EPSE application and network infrastructure project. Even though the study is more of
quantitative, it also uses qualitative methods in order to triangulate the responses obtained from
the close ended questionnaires.

3.2Target population

As the purpose of this study is to describe the project management of EPSE Application and
network infrastructure project, the target population of the study were the project management
team members who were participating in carrying out the projects . The total population size of
the study is equal to the total number of the project management team members which is 15 in
number and this study examined the entire population of the project management team.

3.3 Data Collection

As a Data source primary data sources were used that include the project manager, the project
board members, and the project team leaders of EPSE application and network infrastructure
project.

A close ended questionnaire was used in order to capture respondents view on the various project
activities that were performed during EPSE application and network infrastructure project.
The questionnaire was organized in two parts. The first part captures general information of
participants like age, educational level and work experience. The second part which is about the

14
project management process activities, uses a likert scale of 1-5 to measure respondents' attitudes
to a particular statement.
The questions were originally adopted from a pre developed assessment tool by Total Programme
Control Ltd; a project consultancy firm based in England, and then customized using the book
“Prince2 Revealed” by Colin Bentley. A total of 60 questions were used in order to capture the
project management process activities of EPSE application and Network Infrastructure project.
For the semi structured interview the data was collected by taking notes while conducting the
interview.

3.4 Data Analysis

Analysis of the data collected from primary source using questionnaire was analyzed using
SPSS software version 20.0 to present the collected data in mean value. The data that was
collected using semi structured interview was analyzed by combining and summarizing the results.

3.5 Ethical Issues and Validity

Throughout the study of this research ethical issues were considered and respondents were clearly
informed the purpose of the study and their anonymity were also kept confidential.
The constructs used in the study were designed according to the relevant literatures and pre
developed systems in the field area.

15
 Chapter Four

Data Analysis and Presentation

4.1 Respondents General Information

Fifteen respondents were participated in this study. All the respondents who have participated were
male. While eight of them were between the ages 20-30 the remaining were between the ages 31-
40. Regarding the educational level of respondents, 12 of them have first degree and the remaining
have finished their MSC/MA degree.
The table below summarizes the general information of respondents

Table 4.1: Participants General Information

Items Response Frequency Percentage

Sex Male 15 100
Age 20-30 8 53.3
31-40 7 46.7
Network Infrastructure 2 13.3
Department Software Development 12 80
Information Technology 1 6.7
Total Years of work 0-5 9 60
Experience 6-10 6 40
Years of Experience on 0-5 9 60
projects 6-10 6 40
Degree 12 80
Level of Education MA/MSC 3 20
PRINCE2 5 33.3
MA project management 1 6.7
1courses/ trainings/
Education related Undergraduate courses 6 40
project management None 3 20

4.2 Assessment on the project management process Activities

Based on the Prince2 process groups, the activities for the seven process groups of EPSE
application and network infrastructure project is discussed in the section below.

16
4.2.1 SU project process

Based on the interview with the PM, the project was initiated by the request from the customer to
get a solution for their business problem.
In order to examine how well the starting up project was done in EPSE application and network
infrastructure project 11 activities were considered.
The summary of respondents’ for the SU process activities is shown in the table below.

Table 4.2.1: How well the activities were done in the SU project process?

SU Process Activities Mean Score

Project Board Executive and project manager were appointed 4.3
Lessons from similar previous projects were captured 2.7
The project organization structure, terms of reference and job
descriptions were stated. 4.3

The business case, including cost, resource estimates, and the

benefits the project will deliver were listed. 3.9

Key stakeholders were identified. 4.5

Risk and issues relevant to the project were identified.
3.1
User requirements were clearly specified in a project brief or
another document. 4.3

A project approach was defined. 3.5

A project initiation stage plan was produced.
4.1
The outline business case, project brief and initiation stage plan
were subjected to a documented quality assurance review. 2.9

Overall Mean 3.76

Source: Own survey, 2018

As shown in the above table most of the participants agree that the project executive and project
manager were appointed and the project organization structure, terms of reference and job
description were stated. And also most of them agree that the business case including resource

17
estimate and the business benefits the project will deliver were listed. They also agree that for the
next stage, which is initiation, an initiation stage plan was prepared.

However the respondents also indicate that there were gaps observed in capturing lessons from
similar projects, on identification of project risks and on defining a project approach.
Regarding a documented quality assurance review on the activities/ tasks done in the process, most
of the respondents are either uncertain or don not agree with the statement.

4.2.2 IP Project process

In this process activities concerned with the definition of quality, risk and communication strategy,
high level project plan, identification of project controlling mechanisms and the refining of the
predefined business case are covered.
The table below summarizes the participant’s response with regard to the initiation process.

Table 4.2.2: How well the activities were done in the IP project process?

IP Process Activities Mean Score

The project quality and assurance approach was defined
3.14
The approach to risk and issue management was clearly defined.
2.64
There was a clear procedure on how a Project management and specialist
products will be stored, accessed and modified.
3.07
Communication lines, timing and responsibilities were clearly defined. 3.79
There was a project plan. 4.29
Specialist products were clearly defined in the project plan. 3.43
Management products were clearly defined in the project plan. 3.14
The project plan includes quality assurance review schedule.
2.79
The project plan includes key communication activities.
3.64
Reporting procedures, content & frequency were defined.
3.57
Tolerances for performance, time, and cost were defined.
3.21
The project initiation document, plans and the business case were
subjected to a documented quality assurance review.
2.86
Overall Mean 3.29

Source: Own survey, 2018

18
On the definition of quality assurance approach in the initiation process, most of the participants
are either uncertain or do not agree that it exists. With regard to risk and issue management, most
of the participants don’t agree that there exist a clear approach defined for the project.

About configuration management, most of the participants are either uncertain or agree with the
existence of clear procedure on how project management and specialist products will be stored
and accessed. On the interview the PM also mentioned that even though most of the teams have
used a centralized configuration management solution, there were some team members who don’t
follow the procedure.

Regarding communication lines timing and responsibility most respondents agree that it was
clearly defined in the initiation process of the project.
By fully agreeing that there was a project plan most of the participants agree that the project plan
includes key communication activities and reporting were clearly defined in the project plan. On
the contrary they were either uncertain or don’t agree on the definition of management and
specialist products in the project and that the PID has gone through a documented QA review.
Regarding the definition of tolerances against performance time and cost in the project plan, most
of the participants were uncertain or agreed with the statement.

4.2.3 MSB project process

This process involves planning, updating the business case, presenting an end stage report and if
exists producing an exception report and plan.
The response by participants with regard to the managing stage boundaries is summarized and
presented in the table below
Table 4.2.3: How well the activities were done in the MSB project process?
MSB Process Activities Mean Score
The project plan was updated to account for detailed stage planning. 3.6
The business case was updated (where necessary) at project stage ends. 3.2
There was an end stage report. 3.5
Exception plans were produced following exception reports. 3.1
Overall Mean 3.35

Source: Own survey, 2018

19
As shown on the above table most of the participants agreed that the project plan was updated to
account for detail stage plans and end stage reports were produced at the end of a stage.
They were either uncertain or agreed that when necessary that the business case was updated at
the end of a stage and that exception plans were produced following exception reports.

4.2.4 CS Project process

This process involves activities for managing the stage from approval to completion.
The table below summarizes the response given by the participants on the various activities that
build up the process.

Table 4.2.4 How well the activities were done in the CS project process?

CS Process Activities Mean Score

Work to be done was allocated to a team or individuals based on the needs of
the stage plan. 4.3
Any work handed out was accompanied by measurements such as quality
expectations, delivery and reporting dates.
3.7
Information gathering was done to update the stage plan to reflect the actual
progress. 3.6
Project issues were recorded 2.8
Key issues were used to update the lessons learned log. 2.4
The risks that caused issue were recorded in the risk log. 3.2
Checking on the status of a stage was done on a regular basis to avoid
potentials and take corrective actions. 3.5
Regular reports between assessments at the end of each stage were presented
for the project board and project stakeholders that need to be informed.
3.4
Within the limits of the tolerance margins established by the project board, the
PM has taken actions to remedy the problems that were observed during the
project execution.
2.4
For issues or risks that were within the authority of the board, exception
reports were issued to the project board.
3.3
Work packages completion was recorded (reported). 3.8
Overall Mean 3.3

Source: Own survey, 2018

20
Based on the response from the participants, most agreed that based on the need of a stage plan
work was allocated and controlling mechanisms were set during the project execution.

On recording of project issues, while 42.8 % of the respondents were either strongly disagreed or
disagreed that the activity was done, 42.8% of the respondents agreed that the activity was done
and the remaining participants were uncertain. Based on the interview with the project manager,
issues recording were done but it was not organized as such there was an issue log that records the
issues of the project from the start to finish. It was more of individual dependent and situational.

About lesson learned log and risk log the interview with the project manager tells that there is no
such a record that was used for the project lifetime. As shown on the above table, the respondent’s
response also supports the PM statement.

Regarding stage status most of the respondents agree that a regular checking was done to avoid
potentials and take corrective actions.

Most of the respondents were either uncertain or agreed that there were regular reports at the end
of a stage for the board and interested stakeholders.

On taking corrective action, most of the respondents were either uncertain or disagreed that the
project manager had taken actions to remedy the problems that were observed during the project
execution.

Regarding the escalation of issues and risks most of the respondents were either uncertain or
agreed that exception reports were issued to the board.

As seen on the response most of the participants agree that work package completion was
recorded (reported).

4.2.5 MPD Project Process

Acceptance, execution and delivery of work packages are the activities covered in this process.
The table below summarizes the respondent’s response regarding the management of product
delivery process.

21
Table 4.2.5: How well the activities were done in the MPD project process?

MPD Process Activities Mean Score

Team managers agreed up on the detail of a work package with the PM and
have planned the work necessary to complete the work package.
4
Team managers have managed the development of the solution defined in the
work package. 4.2
Product acceptance and handover were documented. 4.5
Configuration item records were updated to reflect completion and handover
of the products. 4.1
Lessons learnt log entries were recorded at completion. 2.4
Work package completions were documented. 3.9
Overall Mean 3.8

Source: Own survey, 2018

Except for the updating of lesson learnt log, most of the participants were either agreed or
strongly agreed on all the activities of the managing product delivery process activities of the
project.

4.2.6 DP project Process

The directing project process, which is mainly performed by the project board, handles activities
that are concerned with giving direction and authorization.

The table below summarizes the respondent’s response regarding the directing project process
activities of EPSE.

Table 4.2.6 How well the activities were done in the DP project process?

DP Process Activities Mean Score

Draft job descriptions, ToRs and team structure were approved by the board.
4.5
The initiation stage plan was approved by the project board.
3.5
The PID, Plans and Business Case were approved by the project board and
authorization was given for the project to proceed against the next stage plan.
3.5

22
 Each Stage and exception plans were authorized by the board.
3.4
The project board had given advises on taking corrective action.
3.9
Exception reports were approved by the project board.
3.6
Exception plans were requested by the project board.
3.5
Advise were sought from the project board before submission of exception
plans. 2.9
The project board confirmed closure of the project.
3.8
Overall Mean 3.6

Source: Own survey, 2018

As shown on the table above, most of the participants were either agreed or strongly agreed that
the draft job descriptions, ToRs and team structure were approved by the board.

Regarding the approval of the initiation stage plan by the project board, while only one (7.1 %)
of the respondent disagrees, 42.9 % of the respondents are uncertain. The remaining 42.9% and
7.1 % of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed respectively.

On the authorization of the project the same response as the authorization of the project were
observed by the participants.

On the authorization of stage or exception plans, most of the participants were either uncertain or
agreed that each Stage and exception plans were authorized by the board.

From the participants response, most of them agree that the project board had given advises on
taking corrective action, But, during the preparation of exception plans, most of them were either
uncertain or disagreed that advises were sought from the project board.

Regarding on the authorization of project closure, Most of the respondents agree that the project
board had confirmed the closure.

4.2.7 CP Project Process

This process involves checking that all products have been delivered and accepted by the
customer and that they can be maintained and supported after the project is disbanded. It also

23
involves reviewing the project performance from what is set out and documenting and passing on
any lessons from the project.

The participant’s response on the closing project process activities is summarized in the table
below

Table 4.2.7: How well the activities were done in the CP project process?

CP Process Activities Mean Score

Customer acceptance was confirmed and documented. 4.5
Operational and maintenance acceptance was confirmed and documented.
3.5
Operational and maintenance acceptance was confirmed and documented.
3.5
There was an evaluation of the baseline PID against the actual project delivery.
2.5
There was an end project report. 4.3
The end project report summarizes lessons, follow-on action and
recommendations. 3.6
The project board had confirmed closure of the project. 4.2
A closure notification was issued by the project board. 4.2
Overall Mean 3.3

Source: Own survey, 2018

On product delivery and customer acceptance, most of the participants either agree or strongly
agree that it was confirmed and documented.

On support and maintenance acceptance most of the participants agree that it was confirmed and
documented. Also based on the interview, administration and maintenance documents were
delivered to the customer and there is a 1 year technical support agreement.

On evaluating the project, most of the participants disagree on the statement that the actual delivery
was evaluated against the baseline PID.

On confirming the project closure and issuing a closure notification most of the participants either
agree or strongly agree that it was done. They also show the same response on the delivery
(presentation) of an end project report. But on the content of the end project report, while 50%
were uncertain, 42.9% of the respondents agreed and 7.1 % strongly agreed. Based on the

24
interview, even if there was a strong agreement on the inclusion of follow-on actions and
recommendations, the lesson learned during the project lifecycle were not included in the report.

Looking at the overall mean, in the IP, MSB, CS and CP project processes a score of less than 3.5
was observed. Thus, this indicates that some of the activities related to those project processes
were performed poorly and needs improvement.

25
 Chapter Five

Finding, Conclusion and Recommendations

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents summary of findings and conclusions based on the analysis covered in
chapter four. It also presents recommendations on the observed gaps/issues of EPSE application
and network infrastructure project management.

5.2 Summary of findings

5.2.1 SU project process

 The project organizational structure, stakeholder identification and user requirements were
clearly defined.
 On capturing lessons from previous projects, it was not done during the startup process and
it was totally dependent on the individual’s experience who had performed similar projects
before.
 Risk and issues relevant to the project were not identified at the start.
 The use of a documented quality assurance review was not performed for the activities that
were done in the process.
 On defining the business case, project approach and quality expectation and acceptance
criteria, even if they are performed in the startup project process, they were not fully done.

5.2.2 IP project process

 There was a project plan and communication lines, timing and responsibilities were
defined.
 The approach for quality assurance, risk and issue management was not defined and as a
result it was done inconsistently throughout the project.
 By linking the project plan there were no efforts made in order to refine the predefined
business case.

26
  Similar to the startup process, here also there was no a documented quality assurance
review for the activities that were done in the process.

5.2.3 MSB project process

 The project plan was continuously updated to account for detail stage plan and stage reports
were produced.
 Exception plans were also produced following exception reports. But if the exceptional
task to be done were not complex or wide enough, an exception plan may not be produced.

5.2.4 CS project process

 Work package allocation to team and individuals was done and it was accompanied by
measurements such as quality expectations, delivery and reporting dates.
 Risk and lesson learned logs were not used during the project execution; however issues
and risks that were identified by the project members were included in regular project
reports.
 Checking on the status of a stage was done regularly and reports between assessments were
also presented at a regular interval.
 Both for the PM and the board, delays were observed on taking corrective actions to remedy
the problems that were observed during the project execution.

5.2.5 MPD Project process

 The team managers together with the project manager agreed on the detail work packages
and they have managed the development of the solutions to complete the work packages.
 Product acceptance and handover were documented and as a result the configuration item
records were updated to reflect completion and handover of products.

5.2.6 DP project Process

 Project organizational structure, PID, stage plans, exception reports, exception plans and
end project report were approved by the board. The board had also confirmed closure of
the project.

27
  Highlight reports were reviewed by the board and advices were given on taking corrective
actions.
 Before submission of exception plans advices were not sought from the project board.

5.2.7 CP Project Process

 Project acceptance documents were done and the project board had confirmed closure of
the project and a closure notification was issued.
 There was no post project review plan defined.
 On the delivered solutions, follow on actions and recommendations were given but in
considering risks, issues and the lesson learned from the project, a gap was observed and
it was not consistent from throughout the teams.
 The use of a documented quality assurance review was not performed for the activities that
were done in the process

5.3 Conclusion

As the main objective of this study is to assess the project management practice of EPSE
application and network infrastructure project the following gaps were observed during the
assessment that may have contributed for the schedule overrun of the project.
In all the project processes of EPSE as a common the absence or lack of consistency in quality
assurance, risk and issues management was observed.
The study also revealed that in capturing lessons from previous projects that may have contributed
for the project, and also in keeping the project lessons and risks in a log, there were gaps observed.
Project lessons were tied to individual’s experience.
Regarding on the use of a documented quality assurance review, in all the project processes, the
activity was absent.
Regarding decision making, delays were observed and advise on exception plans were not sought
from the board by the project manager and team leaders.

5.4 Recommendation

Based on the findings of this study the following recommendations were derived that can be
considered for ongoing and future similar projects.

28
 Defining quality expectations without a strategy to meet can result in an inefficient way of
doing the work. By establishing links to the organization or programme quality assurance
functions a better and consistent quality assurance can be delivered by the various project
team members.
 As a project is a means to bring change, the possibility of risk is always present. Therefore
before a project begins the method for identifying, analysis and controlling risk must be
established. By finding out if there are any organizational risk strategies, practices and
standards that projects could use and by linking it to the project management processes can
improve (bring) a risk management approach to projects.
 Looking for lessons from previous similar projects could avoid problems or provide good
advice for the project to be done. Also keeping the use of lesson learned and risk and issue
log will create an environment that is can benefit future similar projects.
 The use of a documented quality assurance review on all the project management process
activities can result in an efficient way of performing the activities. It’s recommended for
future projects to incorporate documented quality assurance review for the activities of the
project management processes.
 Based on EPSE project organization, the board as it is the composition of various
stakeholders can advise by checking external events that might affect the project business
case or risk exposure. When needed, it’s recommended to always ask for advice during the
preparation of exception plans in order to avoid redoing of the activity or task.

29
 References
John W. Creswell (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
approaches. Thousand Oaks, California 91320: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Lawrence F. Locke, Waneen Wyrick Spirduso and Stephen J. Silverman (2007). Proposals that
Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals. Thousand Oaks,
California 91320: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Colin Bentley (2010). PRINCE2™ Revealed. Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP,
UK.Elsevier Ltd

Project management Institute (2013). A Guide to the Project management body of

knowledge.Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073-3299 USA: Project Management
Institute, Inc.

Russell D. Archibald (2004). The Importance and value of project management for enterprises and
institutions. Forum w Europie Warszawa, Poland : Project Management Institute, Inc.

International Project management association (2016). IPMA competence Baseline. International

project management association, Netherland. IPMA

Antonio G. Sanjuana, Thomas Froeseb (2012). The Application of Project Management Standards
and Success Factors to the Development of a Project Management Assessment Tool.
University of British Columbia, 6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
Canada: ScienceDirect

Wrike (2018). Project management Guide. www.wrike.com

OGC (2012). Managing Successful projects with PRINCE2.16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT14GD, UK:
TSO

Duncan Haughey (2018). The History of PRINCE2. www.projectsmart.com

Ebise G.(2007). Assessing project management of Oromia integrated urban land information
coordination project office.Addis Ababa University College of Commerce

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Geremew D. (2016). An Assessment of Public Project Monitoring and Evaluation Practices of
Oromia: the Case of Oromia Bureau of Finance and Economic Development. Addis Ababa
University College of Commerce

Temesgen Weldemariam (2013). Assessment of project management capability- (A case study at

Mesfin Industrial Engineering PLC, Mekelle – Ethiopia). Stockholm, Sweden.

Archibald & Prado (2014). The Importance of Knowing Your Project, Program, and Portfolio
Management Maturity: PPPMM. www.pmworldjournal.net

31
Appendix

Questionnaire

Dear Participants:

My name is Behailu Negera, I am a Masters of Arts in Project Management student at Addis Ababa
University School of Commerce. As part of my MA study, I am Assessing the Project management practice
of Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) Application and Network Infrastructure Project.
I kindly request you to participate in this study by completing the attached questionnaire.
In order to ensure the confidentiality of your response, please do not include your name anywhere in this
questionnaire. I also sincerely request you to respond to the questions as honestly as possible and return the
completed questionnaires.

In case of any question or dilemma please contact me via ―behailu2000@gmail.com

Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

32
General Instruction and information:

Part I includes demographic of general information; part II includes questions about the project. Please
attempt to answer all the questions.

Part 1

General Information

Indicate your answer by providing a tick mark  on the information that describes you.

1. Age 20-30 years 31-40 years 41-50 years

51-60 years above 60 years

2. Educational level Diploma Degree MA/MSC

Other_____________

3. Department ________________________

4. Total Years of work experience 0-5 years 6-10 years

11-15 years above 15
5. Years of work experience on projects 0-5 years 6-10 years
11-15 years above 15
6. Have you taken any course/trainings related to project management? (Yes /No)_______
If yes please specify the name of course/trainings you have taken.
________________________

33
Part 2

Questions about the project

From the scales given, indicate your opinion by marking a thick mark  for the statements that
describes the project management process activities of EPSE.

The scaling for the statements range from 1-5 Where: Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree = 2,
Uncertain = 3, Agree = 4 and Strongly Agree = 5.

Process Activities 1 2 3 4 5

Project Start Up – SU

Project Board Executive and project manager were appointed 1 2 3 4 5

Lessons from similar previous projects were captured. 1 2 3 4 5

The project organization structure, terms of reference and job descriptions

1 2 3 4 5
were stated.

The business case, including cost, resource estimates, and the benefits the
1 2 3 4 5
project will deliver were listed.

Key stakeholders were identified. 1 2 3 4 5

Quality expectations and acceptance criteria were defined. 1 2 3 4 5

Risk and issues relevant to the project were identified. 1 2 3 4 5

User requirements were clearly specified in a project brief or another

1 2 3 4 5
document.

A project approach was defined. 1 2 3 4 5

A project initiation stage plan was produced. 1 2 3 4 5

The outline business case, project brief and initiation stage plan were
1 2 3 4 5
subjected to a documented quality assurance review.

34
IP - Initiating a Project

The project quality and assurance approach was defined 1 2 3 4 5

The approach to risk and issue management was clearly defined. 1 2 3 4 5

There was a clear procedure on how a Project management and specialist

1 2 3 4 5
products will be stored, accessed and modified.

Communication lines, timing and responsibilities were clearly defined. 1 2 3 4 5

There was a project plan. 1 2 3 4 5

Specialist products were clearly defined in the project plan. 1 2 3 4 5

Management products were clearly defined in the project plan. 1 2 3 4 5

The project plan includes quality assurance review schedule. 1 2 3 4 5

The project plan includes key communication activities. 1 2 3 4 5

Reporting procedures, content & frequency were defined. 1 2 3 4 5

. Tolerances for performance, time, and cost were defined. 1 2 3 4 5

By linking with the project plan, a refined business case was developed. 1 2 3 4 5

The project initiation document, plans and the business case were subjected
1 2 3 4 5
to a documented quality assurance review.

SB - Managing a Stage Boundary

There was a next stage plan for each defined management stage. 1 2 3 4 5

The project plan was updated to account for detailed stage planning. 1 2 3 4 5

The business case was updated (where necessary) at project stageends. 1 2 3 4 5

There was an end stage report. 1 2 3 4 5

Exception plans were produced following exception reports. 1 2 3 4 5

CS - Controlling a Stage

Work to be done was allocated to a team or individuals based on the needs

1 2 3 4 5
of the stage plan.

35
Any work handed out was accompanied by measurements such as quality
1 2 3 4 5
expectations, delivery and reporting dates.

Information gathering was done to update the stage plan to reflect the actual
1 2 3 4 5
progress.

Project issues were recorded 1 2 3 4 5

Key issues were used to update the lessons learned log. 1 2 3 4 5

The risks that caused issue were recorded in the risk log. 1 2 3 4 5

Checking on the status of a stage was done on a regular basis to avoid

1 2 3 4 5
potentials and take corrective actions.

Regular reports between assessments at the end of each stage were

presented for the project board and project stakeholders that need to be 1 2 3 4 5
informed.

Within the limits of the tolerance margins established by the project board,
the PM has taken actions to remedy the problems that were observed during 1 2 3 4 5
the project execution.

For issues or risks that were within the authority of the board, exception
1 2 3 4 5
reports were issued to the project board.

Work packages completion was recorded (reported). 1 2 3 4 5

MP - Managing Product Delivery

Team managers agreed up on the detail of a work package with the PM and
1 2 3 4 5
have planned the work necessary to complete the work package.

Team managers have managed the development of the solution defined in

1 2 3 4 5
the work package.

Product acceptance and handover were documented. 1 2 3 4 5

Configuration item records were updated to reflect completion and

1 2 3 4 5
handover of the products.

Lessons learnt log entries were recorded at completion. 1 2 3 4 5

Work package completions were documented. 1 2 3 4 5

36
DP - Directing A Project

Draft job descriptions, ToRs and team structure were approved by the
1 2 3 4 5
board.

The initiation stage plan was approved by the project board. 1 2 3 4 5

The PID, Plans and Business Case were approved by the project board and
authorization was given for the project to proceed against the next stage 1 2 3 4 5
plan.

Each Stage and exception plans were authorized by the board. 1 2 3 4 5

Highlight reports were reviewed by the project board. 1 2 3 4 5

The project board had given advises on taking corrective action. 1 2 3 4 5

Exception reports were approved by the project board. 1 2 3 4 5

Exception plans were requested by the project board. 1 2 3 4 5

Advise were sought from the project board before submission of exception
1 2 3 4 5
plans.

The end project report and post project review plan were approved by the
1 2 3 4 5
project board.

The project board confirmed closure of the project. 1 2 3 4 5

The board published and promoted the end project report and post project
1 2 3 4 5
review report to relevant stakeholders.

CP - Closing a Project

Notification of project end was documented. 1 2 3 4 5

Operational and maintenance acceptance was documented. 1 2 3 4 5

Customer acceptance was documented. 1 2 3 4 5

There were follow-on-action recommendations. 1 2 3 4 5

The recommendations take account of residual risks, issues and the lessons
1 2 3 4 5
learnt log.

There was a post project review plan. 1 2 3 4 5

37
The post project review plan shows the benefits which are expected in
1 2 3 4 5
accordance with the business case.

The post project review plan shows how and when benefit measurement
1 2 3 4 5
can be undertaken.

The project plan was updated with actuals and follow on actions tasks. 1 2 3 4 5

The post project review plan shows the date for the post project review
1 2 3 4 5
report.

The post project review plan shows the resource plan to ensure expected
1 2 3 4 5
benefits are measured, reported & have been realized.

The post project review plan shows the report whether products have
1 2 3 4 5
caused any problems during their use.

There was an end project report. 1 2 3 4 5

There was an evaluation of the baseline PID against the actual project
1 2 3 4 5
delivery.

The end project report summarizes lessons, follow-on action and

1 2 3 4 5
recommendations.

The end project report and post project review plan were subject to a
1 2 3 4 5
documented quality assurance Review.

Assurance roles were included in the review of documents. 1 2 3 4 5

The end project report and post project review plan were approved by the
1 2 3 4 5
project board.

The project board had confirmed closure of the project. 1 2 3 4 5

A closure notification was issued by the project board. 1 2 3 4 5

38
Interview Questions

1. What’s your perception on the project management of EPSE? Was the project dependent on
individual’s preference or was it more governed by a predefined structured system?
2. In what way does the deployed project management methodology provide a solution to the project
management life cycle of EPSE? And how well was it understood (accepted) by the project
management team members?
3. As a lesson learned what weaknesses and strengths were observed during the project management
lifecycle of EPSE?
4. At the start of the project, were there quality expectations and acceptance criteria defined?
5. Were identification of risk and issues relevant to the project done? Were there issue and risk register
logs?
6. Was there a lesson learned log used?
7. Regarding communication, were communication lines, timing and responsibilities clearly defined?
8. Was configuration management of project products defined?

39