Discuss the following: what is a project, what is project management and the phases of a project life cycle?
A project is a collaborative enterprise that involves research and design developed through careful; planning for the achievement of a particular desired aim. Projects can also be defined as temporary social systems carried out by teams in an organization or across a number of organizations for the accomplishment of a particular task or tasks within a given timeframe. Project management therefore stands for the undertaking of temporary endeavor for the creation of unique services or products. On the other hand, project management also means the management of environment created for the delivery purpose of a specific business case or objective. For a project to meet its targeted desires at the end of the project term, measurable, specific and planned processes remain essential.
This brings out the need of project management to reach planned benefits within the prescribed time. It is the project managers’ duty to make sure that project objectives are set within reachable capacities for the organizations current resources within a stipulated time frame. The benefit of project management to a projects life cycle is that the project continues under close supervision of the project manager. At the end of a projects life, evaluation determines whether project objectives succeeded or not. However, for the project to be successfully complete, it requires that continuous evaluation and monitoring takes place for any risks and hitches to be tackled in time. Any project can only achieve this benefit, from the efforts of a project manager’s competence in handling challenges as they present themselves.
The management of projects takes place in phases. A projects life can go through from its conception to closure in the guidance of a project manager five main phases. Since project management requires the presentation of knowledge, technique and skills for the available broad ranged activities, for the project to meet its requirements; the processes of controlling and directing a project from its initial stages to the moment of its closure takes 5 main phases. The first phase is the project conception or initiation phase. This is the stage where examination of project ideas takes place. This needs to be done carefully for the determination of its beneficial aspects for the organization. In this phase, the team in charge of decision making identifies the viability and realistic completion capabilities if the proposed project. After this, the second phase to follow is the project definition or planning phase. In this phase, an in depth look into the project brings about the development of a project charter, project plan and the project scope. These are put into writing with the outlining of the duties to be performed during the project implementation. In this phase, the project developers should prioritize on the project, determine needed resources, calculate a budget and prepare a time schedule. Phase three of project life cycle is the project execution or launch. In this stage, there is a distribution of task and devolution of resources. Teams get informed of their responsibilities and any relevant information about or related to the project are brought out. Phase four is the project control and performance. This phase needs the full concentration of the project manager. It is in this phase that the project manager compares the current status of the project and the progress it is taking from its execution time. He studies the project to determine if it is going according to plan. The project manager also evaluates whether the allocated resources are adequate for the projects’ scheduled work. It is in this phase that project managers adjust the schedules of the project for it to come back on track should he notice any irregularities in its progress, or decide to keep the project as it is. Project closure is the fifth and the last phase of project management. During this phase, it means that project tasks have reached their completion and that the outcome has the clients or organizations approval. At this phase, evaluation is done for the highlighting the success of the project as well as for learning from the history of the project. With the success of a project, the project manager calls the process off and it is time for the organization to enjoy the benefits offered by the new service or product during the change process.
What is a Responsibility Matrix and how would it be used in project management?
The responsibility matrix is a tool used in project management to show the responsibilities of project team members. It presents the roles of project team members giving room for better follow-ups from the project manager and accountability from those accorded certain responsibilities. It helps in the description of roles for completion detailing those in charge of every duty of deliverables or tasks. Those responsible for given tasks take full control of their completion or on special occasions they can delegate the duties while still maintaining their completion within the given timings. The accountability accorded these people gives them final authority for the completion of the task. Therefore, in cases of delegated duties, those in charge must be consulted and informed of any need or progress of given deliverables. Responsibility Matrix can be use in project management by listing major project activities by making an emphasis of various roles needed for every task. This takes into account the role of stakeholders and determination of sub projects that may exist within a project. it lists stakeholder groups or persons responsible for specific parts of the project. Through project management, responsibility matrix is coded to show responsibility levels of stakeholders. It also gives the provision of incorporation into the project rules making it part of project rules for confirmation. The importance of the responsibility management is that it gives the project manager an opportunity of having a written documentation of ever team members responsibility. This proves vital in cases of resolution of dispute whenever conflicts arise during the implementation process of the project.
QUESTION 2- Priority Matrix
It is never interesting to customers to realize that the products of their expectation cannot be received within the stipulated time. However, it remains the role of the development team to make an agreement of how to subdivide the project for it to be released in subsections with certain bits given priority. Therefore, if a project faces resource limitations, it becomes necessary for project stakeholders to work within the limits of use cases, functional requirements and requested features. This gives the project manager room for conflict resolution, trade-off decision making and planning for desired deliverables. The constraints of time value and scope work side by side in the development and enhancement of a product. Time constraint is the amount of time available for the completion of a project. Cost constraint on the other hand refers to the available budgeted amount for the completion of a project. Scope constraint is the required task for completion of project results. The three constraints compete with each other. If scope is increased, it means increased cost and time. If time constraint is tight, costs increase and chances are that scope reduces. Tight cost constraints could mean reduced scope and increased time. Project management therefore works towards the balancing of appropriate tools within given constrains using management techniques and tools to meet the constraints.
a) Time-constrain, Scope-enhance, Cost-accept
Time constrain means that a project is to be finished within a very short time. This may need the incorporation of more personnel in the project to quicken it within the given short time. This can give a project the chance of using more finances that necessary unless shortening time reduces the cost on some phases of the project. For example, for an organization to change flavors of its drink, it may require to employ skilled technical staff to quickly work on the change. This can be costly but it can rectify the need for a new flavor to counter those of competitors in the market.
b) Time accept, Scope-constrain, Cost accept
Tackling a project within the circumstances of time-accept, scope-constrain and cost accept means that time is available for enhancing the product. Since the scope of the project demands quality, cost is generally going to be high to meet the desired standards. Working with the same example of new flavor for a drink company, it may need to employ not only skilled personnel but also more of them to work on the new product for their market. This involves product design to market testing of its acceptance till the end because time is available. To finish the product and eventually take it to the market uses so much money but quality is assured to be met because of the availability of time.
c) Time-constrain, Scope-accept, Cost enhance
Working on a project under time-constrain, scope accept and cost enhance means that the product must be developed within a short time using as little amount of finances as possible. This requires a highly skilled team to develop the newly desired flavor for the drink needed in the market. The doing of this must be within a very short time and the cost should be as regulated as possible to meet the needs of the new market. This may be because of catching up with products that competitors have introduced into the market and there is no time to get into long processes or wait for finances. The project manager therefore remains with the option of working within the limit of available resources and time.
QUESTION-3 Scope Statement
Scope statement is also referred to as statements of work. it contains the objectives of the project, deliverables and the required tasks for the production of required deliverables. The scope statement is also used for directing the work of the projects team members for the current project as well as for project decisions in the future. Through a comparison of the scope statement of the text book project and the one in appendix I, it is obvious that the one in appendix one is more detailed and easy to work with. The textbook statement has no time allocation while the one in appendix one has ten month duration for completion of its work. It therefore becomes possible to project plans for the completion of desired deliverables within the given time period. Working with the text book scope statement may be a relaxed one and it would not cause serious strain on team members given timing. The cost allocation for the textbook scope statement for the project is also much squeezed and that may give room for poor quality delivery of the project. Being that it has no time constraint, there is a possibility of the project going for long and even cost of resources may go higher than stipulated. When working with the project on matrix one, purchase of resources is limited within a span of ten months meaning that price projections will be manageable and the completion of the project may face Very few cost obstacles. Other than just having the project scope in place, the appendix one template has clearly defined deliverable to achieve. This gives me a clear picture of what is expected from me for the project to get to its final phase. I would therefore be better placed with working with appendix one template for these reasons.
QUESTION- 4 Work Breakdown Structure
Deliverables
Contacting ADCM auditorium for space allocation
Informing faculty and students in HCT colleges
Invitation of key speaker
Invitation of the college director
Contacting an outside caterer
Drafting of letters
Signing of letters
Dispatch of letters
Work Breakdown Structure
Planning
9th September 2012: meeting to decide on duties
10th September 2012: Drafting and signing of invitation letters for the conference
11th September 2012: first dispatch of invitation letters to guests and participants
15th September 2012: end of dispatch of invitation letters to guests and participants
Confirmations
10th October 2012: confirmation of attendance of schools through phone
13th October 2012: confirmation sent to the catering service providers giving final number of attendants.
Conference
14th October 2012: preparation of the conference auditorium in readiness of the conference
15th October 2012: Online teaching and learning conference
QUESTION 5 – Abu Dhabi Projects
(arabianbusiness.com)
Description
The Abu Dhabi urban planning council has the mandate of expert designing the future of Abu Dhabi through the decree number 23 of 2007. It is responsible for ensuring infrastructure capacity, sustainability, community planning, and development overseeing and overall development of emirates. Its aim in the expansion of transport routs would be achieved through the building of a new airport terminal. This will provide alternative transport for citizens, investors and tourists in turn reducing congestion in the city.
The Abu Dhabi economic vision 2030 of constructing Airport terminal is to meet the growing evolution of the city as a global destination. This is in line with the council’s determination to meet the needs of the city’s future growth needs. The airport terminal will provide room for future development as provision for accessibility of the country. The intended airport is a new development with viable and coherent plans for the future of the city. It is going to meet the much needed transportation requirements in the city and act as an economic development for the city through its integration into the Abu Dhabi economic vision 2030.
