1.Web-activities Recommendation

（1）log into Moodle every day;
（2）referencing is a MUST both within discussions forum and reports;
（3）PM can message any missing team member to show care.

2.Web projects

（1）everyone should follow the plan, even though PM fail to keep up (team member can start a discussion);
（2）avoid attachments;
（3）using “I agree because …” “I disagree because …”;
（4）Only PM should write a project report, and team members should discuss on Moodle;
（5）Only draft and final report can happen in a separate thread;
（6）format and grammar correction don't count;
（7）peer marks should be objective, and will be added in the final reports;
（8）PMs should discuss about team roles (plan, discussion summary, draft, final, etc.) outside of Moodle.

3. Organizational Strategy and Project Selection

（1）Strategy
Oxford: A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or an overall aim.
Webster: A careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time.

通常策略是为长期发展服务的，但并不排除短期策略的存在。且策略通常是纵观全局统筹规划的，不应着眼于旁枝末节。比如，如果制定策略的时候过于关注技术，则容易忽视市场的需求，使得项目在运行的时候出现问题。
策略是项目的蓝图，项目是策略的实施。

Organizational strategy: An expression of how an organization needs to evolve over time to meet its objectives along with a detailed assessment of what needs to be done. Developing an organizational strategy for a business involves first comparing its present state to its targeted state to define differences, and then stating what is required for the desired changes to take place.

由于公司战略是立足当下的，制定时的主要目标是朝向既定方向前进，所以公司战略是变化的，定期要review和revise。

一个organization最抽象的描述应该是values，为什么存在？往往包括ehics, principles, beliefs等；
承载values的是vision，朝什么方向发展？往往包括hope, ambition等；
承载vision的是mission，相比于前两个具体的多，要做什么？往往包括motivation, purpose等；
承载mission的是strategic objectives，如何实现mission？往往包括plan, goal, sequencing等；
最基础可控制的是action & KPI's，我们做什么？往往包括action, owner, timeframe, resource, outcome等。

公司的战略描述要尽可能清楚、简洁、有逻辑。常见的描述涉及公司规模、发展领域、并购、产品方向、产品定位等

set objectives to strategies的原则：
S Smart Be specific in targeting an objective;
M Measurable Establish a measurable indicator(s) of progress;
A Assignable Make the objective assignable to one person for completion;
R Realistic State what can realistically be done with available resources;
T Time related State when the objective can be achieved, that is, duration.

Project manager和strategy的关系：Project managers must respond to changes with appropriate decisions about future projects and adjustments to current projects. Project managers who understand their organisation’s strategy can become effective advocates of projects aligned with the firm’s mission.

公司的常规运转主要是action & KPI，如果要实践strategy，project manager在这个过程中一定要基于公司strategy做决策。

（2）Strategic management
Strategic management is the process of assessing “WHAT an organisation is” and deciding “WHERE the organisation would like to be in the future” and and “HOW to achieve this using the available resources”.
End result is often to improve its competitive position/competitive advantage.

Four Activities of the Strategic Management Process:
1.Review and define the organizational mission.
2.Analyze and formulate strategies.
3.Set objectives to achieve strategy.
4.Implement strategies through projects.

（3）Portfolio management system
The aim of a portfolio management system is to ensure that projects are aligned with strategic goals and prioritised appropriately. It can often be the link between strategic organisation goals and the project.

strategy比较抽象，project比较具体，project是strategy的具体实践，但在过程中经常因为具体状况难以与strategy统一，尤其当多个project并行时。
二者之间扮演协调者的角色是portfolio management system，基于strategy对项目进行分类，制定选择项目的标准，评估项目以及管理运转中的项目等。

1.project classification：项目通常分为compliance，必须完成的要求，且是最重要的，这是一个组织存在的前提；strategic，战略性的项目，比如当下很多企业转型都在自动驾驶汽车领域布局做项目；operational，比如公司内一个降低生产成本的项目。

2.selection criteria：分为financial，通常包括payback分析（多久可以收回项目投资的资源，越短越好）和Net Present Value（用cash flows分析，未来的钱要转化为present value，转化参数rate of return通常是由organization自主定义的）；非financial，通常包括strategic criteria的分析，和multi-criteria的分析（常用checklist和multi-weighted分析）

在挑选项目的时候，有两条需要补充：1.时间有价值；2.机会成本衡量。

3.proposal sourcing：分为内部sourcing，由organization内部完成；外部sourcing，由外部的contractor, vendor等完成，或者通过request for proposal来完成。

source的来源不要局限于管理层或者专门的一个团队，一线的实践者往往更能明白具体执行时会遇到的问题，广开言路，让任何人都有机会做贡献是重要的管理功课。

4.proposal evaluation：要实现对不同项目区别的识别，主要包括project screening process, priority analysis（难点在must do和want do的区分）, project portfolio matrix（从可行性和对战略的价值两个维度衡量）, project relativity matrix（从可行性和商业潜在价值两个维度衡量）

Sample project screening process Sample priority analysis Project portfolio matrix Project relativity matrix

5.ongoing portfolio management：Involves monitoring and adjusting selection criteria to reflect the strategic focus of the organisation.

project manager要根据公司战略指导团队完成具体项目，同时要平衡不同项目间的资源配比。

往期文章：
GSOE9820 Project Management WEEK1