The objective of the Course Project is to give you an
opportunity to practice the skills learned in class regarding the planning
methodologies of a project. These skills are directly applicable toward your
senior project.
Guidelines
Back to Top
For this project, you may choose one that is of interest to
you, or you may choose to begin planning for your senior project. When
selecting a project, avoid picking one that is either too big or too small. For
example, do not decide to build a new stadium for your local sports team (too
big) or to plant your summer garden (too small). Here are some successful past
project ideas.
The opening of a
coffee shop
A charity event
for a local social service agency
A meditation pool
and platform in the center of town
A redevelopment of
a local playground
Design and
installation of a computer network for a small business
Software
development project
A project to build a house or create a website is NOT
acceptable.
You are not limited to the list of projects above. Please
refer all questions concerning what is acceptable as a class project to your
instructor.
Milestones
Back to Top
Milestones:
Due Week 1:
Project Outline Proposal/Approval
Due Week 2:
Project Charter
Due Week 3: Scope
Statement
Due Week 4: Work
Breakdown Structure/Gantt Chart
Due Week 5: Risk
Management Plan
Due Week 6:
Project Schedule and Budget
Due Week 7:
Communication Plan
Due Week 8: Final
Project Package
Week 1
Back to Top
Due Week 1: Project Outline Proposal/Approval
To begin Week 1, all students need is to form teams (the
instructor can permit individual projects if necessary). This can be done by
the instructor or by the student at the discretion of the instructor. Once a
team is formed, students need to complete a Statement of Participation. This
document is found in Doc Sharing.
Provide an outline of your proposed project to your
instructor for approval. The project will be the project your team will use for
the remainder of this course.
Deliverables for Week 1:
For team projects:
Teams need to
complete the entire Statement of Participation with the team and team leader
assignments for Weeks 28. Lastly, teams need to update the status of
participation for Week 1.
For individual projects:
A one-page
document outlining your proposed project. This document should contain
particulars, such as what will be created, why this project is important, how
long it would likely take, and how much it would likely cost.
Week 2
Back to Top
Due Week 2: Project Charter
Provide a project charter of your selected project in
accordance with the charter template found in Doc Sharing.
Please put this in proper business writing format. Consider
me to be your boss. If working in a group, include the updated Statement of
Participation for Week 2, describing how each person contributed to this
project deliverable. Please place the updated Statement of Participation in
your teams’ Doc Sharing area for review. A charter should be a minimum of 35
pages long.
Deliverables for Week 2:
Completed Project
Charter (in MS Word)
Statement of
Participation and status update
Week 3
Back to Top
Due Week 3: Scope Statement
Prepare a scope statement using the template in Doc Sharing.
Remember to be tangible, measurable, and specific. Be sure to include all
sections required in the Week 2 Lecture. A scope should be a minimum of 1015
pages long.
Deliverables for Week 3:
Project Scope
Statement (in MS Word)
Statement of
Participation and status update
Week 4
Back to Top
Due Week 4: Work Breakdown Structure
According to the PMBOK Guide, “the WBS is a
deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by
the project team, to accomplish the project objectives and create the required
deliverables.” In other words, it lists the project’s deliverables and
work packages. For this week, you will create a work breakdown structure (WBS)
for the project you selected during Week 1.
Remember that the WBS starts with your major deliverables
(that you stated in your scope management plan) at the highest level. The lower
levels have the work package required to complete those deliverables. Review
the textbook (and the PMBOK Guide, if you have it) for some suggestions on how
to create a WBS. From your work breakdown structure, develop a project task
list with dependencies and add durations, using MS Project.
Develop the Work Breakdown Structure
Your WBS should
have a minimum of 100150 line items in MS Project and be three levels deep.
Make sure to use
verb-object task names (for example, “Develop software”).
Enter tasks in MS
Project.
Create the
predecessor relationships.
DO NOT LINK SUMMARY
TASKS OR ASSIGN RESOURCES!
Deliverables for Week 4:
Statement of
Participation and status update
The MS Project
file (.mpp) saved from the Tracking Gantt chart screen
Week 5
Back to Top
Due Week 5: Risk Management Plan
Remember, risk is an uncertain event or condition that can
have a positive or negative impact on the project. This week, you will be
identifying and analyzing your project risks and developing a risk management
plan to monitor and track your project. You will evaluate each task in your
project schedule to identify any risk factors associated with the execution of
the deliverable. You will then add your list of risk to the risk register
template in Doc Sharing. The number of risks will depend on the project deliverables
in your schedule; however, 2025 positive and 2025 negative risks would be
considered the minimum. Review the instructions on the first sheet of the
template and complete your risk register in its entirety.
Deliverables for Week 5:
Use the Risk
Register Template spreadsheet found in Doc Sharing (there is a separate tab for
each portion of the risk management plan).
Statement of
Participation and status update
Week 6
Back to Top
Due Week 6: Project Schedule and Budget
A project plan cannot be considered complete until the
resources have been assigned (including budget and cost estimate). This week,
you will assign the resources required to work on your project to your
scheduled tasks. In addition, you will add the cost of the resources per hour
and any direct or indirect cost required for project contracts, materials, or
supplies.
You will submit a two-part summary report (business
professional format) of your project budget and resources, which includes the
following:
Part 1: Project Budget (Cost Management)
Explain your
approach to estimating the project cost (e.g., top down, bottom up, etc.) and
why that method was chosen.
Create a table
that shows the original budgeted cost (from the charter) and the actual
budgeted cost (side by side). Include line items for labor, materials,
contract, equipment, travel cost, and so on.
Compare the budget
from the charter to the final budget and explain any variances that occurred
from your original budgeted cost in the project charter and the current project
cost (include your original estimated cost for the project).
Explain your
budget contingency plan and how much is budgeted for contingency.
Part 2: Resource Management
Explain the
results of your resource assignments. Did you assign enough people to the
project? Were there any resources over-allocated? What approach will you take
to fix any allocation problems?
Develop a plan to
manage your project team and define how you will motivate your team and how you
will handle team conflicts.
What structure
would you select for your project: functional, weak matrix, balanced matrix,
strong matrix, or pure project? Why?
Deliverables for Week 6:
MS project file
(.mpp) updated with resource assignments and cost
MS Word file with
report of project budget and resource management
Statement of
Participation and status update
Week 7
Back to Top
Due Week 7: Communication Plan
According to the PMBOK Guide, “the Communications
Planning process determines the information and communications needs of the
stakeholders; for example, who needs what information, when they will need it,
how it will be given to them, and by whom.” In other words, it lists the
general communication requirements for the project. This week, you will create
a simple communication plan for the execution of your project. Each team will
need to complete the Communications Plan found in Doc Sharing.
Deliverables for Week 7:
Communication Plan
Statement of
Participation and status update
Week 8
Back to Top
Due Week 8: Final Project Package
You will need to create a project plan. This plan should be
completely integrated and presented in a logical order. It should be written
professionally and should be mistake-free in terms of spelling and grammar. The
final project plan should incorporate any changes that occurred along the way,
including corrections and advice given by colleagues or your professor. Any
tables or graphs should be labeled correctly.
Deliverables for Week 8:
Statement of
Participation and status update
Your final project
plan should consist of the following items.
Executive
Summary
Project
Charter
Scope
Statement
Work Breakdown
Structure
Budget and
Resource Management Reports
Risk
Management Plan
Communication
Management Plan
Grading Criteria for Weeks 2 and 7
Back to Top
Category Points % Description
Documenting and Formatting 5 12.5% The deliverables should be formatted correctly as a business
document and should use APA formatting for cited sources. Spelling and grammar
must be accurate.
Organization and Cohesiveness10 25% The deliverables should be created and
organized using standard templates or equivalent.
Statement of Participation 5 12.5% The student must fully participate in team activities. Any
student not participating in any team activity during the week will receive no
points for the weekly course project.
Content 20 50% Content
should address the required deliverable to sufficient detail.
Total 40 100% A
quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
Grading Criteria for Weeks 36
Back to Top
Category Points % Description
Documenting and Formatting 5 20% The deliverables should be formatted correctly as a business
document and should use APA formatting for cited sources. Week 4 and Week 6
deliverables should be created in MS Projects and follow standard indent/outdent
format. Spelling and grammar must be accurate.
Organization and Cohesiveness10 20% The deliverables should be created and
organized using standard template or equivalent, if appropriate. Deliverables
created in MS Projects should be organized using standard MS Project
methodology.
Statement of Participation 10 10% The
student must fully participate in team activities. Any student not
participating in any team activity during the week will receive no points for
the weekly course project.
Content 25 50% Content
should address the required deliverable to sufficient detail.
Total 50 100% A
quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirementsDiscussionsweek 1 discussion s
Case Study: Keflavik Paper Company (graded)
Read Case Study 3.1
The Keflavik Paper Company is a case with a problem in
determining a project management process for new product development.
Answer the following questions:
What does this case demonstrate about the effect of poor
project screening methods on a firms ability to manage projects effectively?
How would project portfolio management help to improve the
situation at Keflavik?
If you think about it, all business problems are case
studies. To effectively evaluate the situation, you must approach the problem
in a methodological manner. A proven technique to do this is to do the
following:
list the facts;
identify the issues;
based on the facts of the case and your knowledge, analyze
the issues of the case;
prepare recommended solutions and their possible outcomes;
implement the optimal solution (not always the one with the
best outcome, because the cost or other things could be impractical); and
monitor the implementation and outcomes.
So when you read and prepare to respond to this case, please
follow the above guidelines. I don’t necessarily expect you to perform Steps
46, but I do expect your response to be based on the facts and your knowledge.
Rememberyour first impressions may not be correct!
Case Study: Widgets ‘R Us (graded)
Read Case Study 2.4
The Widgets R Us case study is a case with a problem of how
the company is set up and how the company will handle operations with its
projected growth.
Answer the following questions:
You have been called in as a consultant to analyze the
operations at WRU. Based on the readings, what would you advise Widgets R Us
to do in order to sustain the competitive advantage in the widget market?
What structural design changes might be undertaken to
improve the operations at the company?
week 2
Project Scope (graded)
As we have seen this week, project scope creation is very
different in traditional project management versus Agile project management.
What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the process of scope
creation in the traditional project management world? What advantages and
disadvantages can you see with the process of scope creation in the Agile
project management world? Share your experiences with projects that were
created using either Agile or traditional project management techniques.
Case Study: Project Management at Dotcom.com (graded)
Read Case Study 5.3: Project Management at Dotcom.com.
Dotcom.com is a software engineering and systems development consulting firm
that needs some organizational improvements in the area of project management
processes that will cut cost and potentially increase the profit margin for the
company.
Answer the following questions:
Discuss how you would begin redesigning dotcom.coms project
management processes to minimize the problems it is experiencing with poor
scope management.
Why do you think configuration management and project change
control are difficult to perform in the middle of a complex software
development project, such as those implemented at dotcom.com?
Share any experiences you have with project change requests.
week 3
Project Schedule (graded)
To develop a schedule for a project, we will use the concept
of a project network, which shows work activities taken from the work breakdown
structure and is organized according to the logical flow in time and
relationships governing when the work will be performed. By combining this
network of work activities with estimates of the time duration for performing
each of the activities, we can create a schedule for the project work. What
types of information can we learn about the project by reviewing the project
schedule and all the information used to generate it?
Agile Schedule Development (graded)
As we have seen, traditional and Agile schedule developments
are quite different. Agile project management was originally developed to do
software development. Could a traditional process be successfully used to
develop a new software program? Why or why not? Could an Agile methodology be
used to build a strip mall in your home town? Why or why not?
week 4
Risk Management (graded)
Assume you have just been assigned to a project risk team
composed of five members. Your task, as project manager, is to develop a
process for handling risks to the project.Because this is the first time your
organization has formally set up a risk team for a project, it is hoped that
your team will develop a process that can be used on all future projects. Your
first team meeting is next Monday morning. Each team member has been asked to
prepare for the meeting by developing, in as much detail as possible, an
outline that describes how you believe the team should proceed in handling
project risks. Each team member will hand out his or her proposed outline at
the beginning of the meeting. Your outline should include, but not be limited
to, the following information:
What methods should be used for identifying risks?
Who should be involved in identifying risks?
What should be considered when identifying risks?
Risk Management Part II(graded)
As the work of your risk management team (from the first
discussion question) continues, the discussion of your team’s risk management
plan outline moves on and considers the following questions:
How should the risks be prioritized?
Who should do the prioritization of the project risks?
How should project risks be monitored and controlled?
Who should develop risk responses and contingency plans?
Who should own these responses and plans?
week 5
Case Study: The Problems of Multitasking (graded)
Read Case Study 12.1: The Problems of Multitasking. Answer
the following questions:
How does multitasking confuse the resource availability of
project team personnel?
In modern organizations, it is impossible to eliminate
multitasking for the average employee. Why?
How would resource loading or resource leveling help address
multitasking situations?
Reducing Project Duration (graded)
In your own words, describe crashing, fast tracking, and
scope reduction as means of schedule compression. When would each be appropriate?
Which methods would you consider better first-choice methods by most project
sponsors? Would any of these methods apply to Agile projects? How does Agile
address schedule compression?
week 6
Project Communications (graded)
Discuss the importance of communication and information
exchange to project success. What are the crucial features and elements of
effective communication and information exchange in successful projects? How
are key stakeholders involved in this process? Are communication requirements
different on an Agile project versus a traditional project?
Case Study: Finding the Emotional Intelligence (graded)
Read Case Study 4.2: Finding the Emotional Intelligence.
What are the differences between leaders and managers?
Can anyone be a leader? Which would you prefer to work for:
a leader or a manager? Why?
Select one of the characteristics of an effective project
manager and tell why it is important.
Is leadership of a project different in an Agile environment
than in a traditional project environment?
Take the Future Time Perspective scale on page 129. Share
your results and comments with the class.
week 7
Project Baseline (graded)
We have now moved from the planning stage to the execution
stage of project management. Following good project management practices, we
have set a baseline. How is a project baseline used to guide the execution of
the project’s work, to evaluate progress and performance, and to control the
project? Also, as you continue to think about monitoring and controlling the
project, specifically consider the question: How can the project baseline and
the earned value approach for variance analysis be used to monitor and report
project progress?
Agile Project Control (graded)
In the first discussion, we looked at traditional project
control. Is project control different in an Agile project? What is the role of
a project manager in controlling an Agile project? What is the role of the
project client, sponsor, or customer at controlling project changes?
The objective of the Course Project is to give you an
opportunity to practice the skills learned in class regarding the planning
methodologies of a project. These skills are directly applicable toward your
senior project.GuidelinesBack to TopFor this project, you may choose one that is of interest to
you, or you may choose to begin planning for your senior project. When
selecting a project, avoid picking one that is either too big or too small. For
example, do not decide to build a new stadium for your local sports team (too
big) or to plant your summer garden (too small). Here are some successful past
project ideas. The opening of a
coffee shop A charity event
for a local social service agency A meditation pool
and platform in the center of town A redevelopment of
a local playground Design and
installation of a computer network for a small business Software
development projectA project to build a house or create a website is NOT
acceptable.You are not limited to the list of projects above. Please
refer all questions concerning what is acceptable as a class project to your
instructor.MilestonesBack to TopMilestones: Due Week 1:
Project Outline Proposal/Approval Due Week 2:
Project Charter Due Week 3: Scope
Statement Due Week 4: Work
Breakdown Structure/Gantt Chart Due Week 5: Risk
Management Plan Due Week 6:
Project Schedule and Budget Due Week 7:
Communication Plan Due Week 8: Final
Project PackageWeek 1Back to TopDue Week 1: Project Outline Proposal/ApprovalTo begin Week 1, all students need is to form teams (the
instructor can permit individual projects if necessary). This can be done by
the instructor or by the student at the discretion of the instructor. Once a
team is formed, students need to complete a Statement of Participation. This
document is found in Doc Sharing.Provide an outline of your proposed project to your
instructor for approval. The project will be the project your team will use for
the remainder of this course.Deliverables for Week 1:For team projects: Teams need to
complete the entire Statement of Participation with the team and team leader
assignments for Weeks 28. Lastly, teams need to update the status of
participation for Week 1.For individual projects: A one-page
document outlining your proposed project. This document should contain
particulars, such as what will be created, why this project is important, how
long it would likely take, and how much it would likely cost.Week 2Back to TopDue Week 2: Project CharterProvide a project charter of your selected project in
accordance with the charter template found in Doc Sharing.Please put this in proper business writing format. Consider
me to be your boss. If working in a group, include the updated Statement of
Participation for Week 2, describing how each person contributed to this
project deliverable. Please place the updated Statement of Participation in
your teams’ Doc Sharing area for review. A charter should be a minimum of 35
pages long.Deliverables for Week 2: Completed Project
Charter (in MS Word) Statement of
Participation and status updateWeek 3Back to TopDue Week 3: Scope StatementPrepare a scope statement using the template in Doc Sharing.
Remember to be tangible, measurable, and specific. Be sure to include all
sections required in the Week 2 Lecture. A scope should be a minimum of 1015
pages long.Deliverables for Week 3: Project Scope
Statement (in MS Word) Statement of
Participation and status updateWeek 4Back to TopDue Week 4: Work Breakdown StructureAccording to the PMBOK Guide, “the WBS is a
deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by
the project team, to accomplish the project objectives and create the required
deliverables.” In other words, it lists the project’s deliverables and
work packages. For this week, you will create a work breakdown structure (WBS)
for the project you selected during Week 1.Remember that the WBS starts with your major deliverables
(that you stated in your scope management plan) at the highest level. The lower
levels have the work package required to complete those deliverables. Review
the textbook (and the PMBOK Guide, if you have it) for some suggestions on how
to create a WBS. From your work breakdown structure, develop a project task
list with dependencies and add durations, using MS Project.Develop the Work Breakdown Structure Your WBS should
have a minimum of 100150 line items in MS Project and be three levels deep. Make sure to use
verb-object task names (for example, “Develop software”). Enter tasks in MS
Project. Create the
predecessor relationships. DO NOT LINK SUMMARY
TASKS OR ASSIGN RESOURCES!Deliverables for Week 4: Statement of
Participation and status update The MS Project
file (.mpp) saved from the Tracking Gantt chart screenWeek 5Back to TopDue Week 5: Risk Management PlanRemember, risk is an uncertain event or condition that can
have a positive or negative impact on the project. This week, you will be
identifying and analyzing your project risks and developing a risk management
plan to monitor and track your project. You will evaluate each task in your
project schedule to identify any risk factors associated with the execution of
the deliverable. You will then add your list of risk to the risk register
template in Doc Sharing. The number of risks will depend on the project deliverables
in your schedule; however, 2025 positive and 2025 negative risks would be
considered the minimum. Review the instructions on the first sheet of the
template and complete your risk register in its entirety.Deliverables for Week 5: Use the Risk
Register Template spreadsheet found in Doc Sharing (there is a separate tab for
each portion of the risk management plan). Statement of
Participation and status updateWeek 6Back to TopDue Week 6: Project Schedule and BudgetA project plan cannot be considered complete until the
resources have been assigned (including budget and cost estimate). This week,
you will assign the resources required to work on your project to your
scheduled tasks. In addition, you will add the cost of the resources per hour
and any direct or indirect cost required for project contracts, materials, or
supplies.You will submit a two-part summary report (business
professional format) of your project budget and resources, which includes the
following:Part 1: Project Budget (Cost Management) Explain your
approach to estimating the project cost (e.g., top down, bottom up, etc.) and
why that method was chosen. Create a table
that shows the original budgeted cost (from the charter) and the actual
budgeted cost (side by side). Include line items for labor, materials,
contract, equipment, travel cost, and so on. Compare the budget
from the charter to the final budget and explain any variances that occurred
from your original budgeted cost in the project charter and the current project
cost (include your original estimated cost for the project). Explain your
budget contingency plan and how much is budgeted for contingency.Part 2: Resource Management Explain the
results of your resource assignments. Did you assign enough people to the
project? Were there any resources over-allocated? What approach will you take
to fix any allocation problems? Develop a plan to
manage your project team and define how you will motivate your team and how you
will handle team conflicts. What structure
would you select for your project: functional, weak matrix, balanced matrix,
strong matrix, or pure project? Why?Deliverables for Week 6: MS project file
(.mpp) updated with resource assignments and cost MS Word file with
report of project budget and resource management Statement of
Participation and status updateWeek 7Back to TopDue Week 7: Communication PlanAccording to the PMBOK Guide, “the Communications
Planning process determines the information and communications needs of the
stakeholders; for example, who needs what information, when they will need it,
how it will be given to them, and by whom.” In other words, it lists the
general communication requirements for the project. This week, you will create
a simple communication plan for the execution of your project. Each team will
need to complete the Communications Plan found in Doc Sharing.Deliverables for Week 7: Communication Plan Statement of
Participation and status updateWeek 8Back to TopDue Week 8: Final Project PackageYou will need to create a project plan. This plan should be
completely integrated and presented in a logical order. It should be written
professionally and should be mistake-free in terms of spelling and grammar. The
final project plan should incorporate any changes that occurred along the way,
including corrections and advice given by colleagues or your professor. Any
tables or graphs should be labeled correctly.Deliverables for Week 8: Statement of
Participation and status update Your final project
plan should consist of the following items. Executive
Summary Project
Charter Scope
Statement Work Breakdown
Structure Budget and
Resource Management Reports Risk
Management Plan Communication
Management PlanGrading Criteria for Weeks 2 and 7Back to TopCategory Points % DescriptionDocumenting and Formatting 5 12.5% The deliverables should be formatted correctly as a business
document and should use APA formatting for cited sources. Spelling and grammar
must be accurate.Organization and Cohesiveness10 25% The deliverables should be created and
organized using standard templates or equivalent.Statement of Participation 5 12.5% The student must fully participate in team activities. Any
student not participating in any team activity during the week will receive no
points for the weekly course project.Content 20 50% Content
should address the required deliverable to sufficient detail.Total 40 100% A
quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.Grading Criteria for Weeks 36Back to TopCategory Points % DescriptionDocumenting and Formatting 5 20% The deliverables should be formatted correctly as a business
document and should use APA formatting for cited sources. Week 4 and Week 6
deliverables should be created in MS Projects and follow standard indent/outdent
format. Spelling and grammar must be accurate.Organization and Cohesiveness10 20% The deliverables should be created and
organized using standard template or equivalent, if appropriate. Deliverables
created in MS Projects should be organized using standard MS Project
methodology.Statement of Participation 10 10% The
student must fully participate in team activities. Any student not
participating in any team activity during the week will receive no points for
the weekly course project.Content 25 50% Content
should address the required deliverable to sufficient detail.Total 50 100% A
quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirementsDiscussionsweek 1 discussion sCase Study: Keflavik Paper Company (graded)Read Case Study 3.1The Keflavik Paper Company is a case with a problem in
determining a project management process for new product development.Answer the following questions:What does this case demonstrate about the effect of poor
project screening methods on a firms ability to manage projects effectively?How would project portfolio management help to improve the
situation at Keflavik?If you think about it, all business problems are case
studies. To effectively evaluate the situation, you must approach the problem
in a methodological manner. A proven technique to do this is to do the
following:list the facts;identify the issues;based on the facts of the case and your knowledge, analyze
the issues of the case;prepare recommended solutions and their possible outcomes;implement the optimal solution (not always the one with the
best outcome, because the cost or other things could be impractical); andmonitor the implementation and outcomes.So when you read and prepare to respond to this case, please
follow the above guidelines. I don’t necessarily expect you to perform Steps
46, but I do expect your response to be based on the facts and your knowledge.
Rememberyour first impressions may not be correct!Case Study: Widgets ‘R Us (graded)Read Case Study 2.4The Widgets R Us case study is a case with a problem of how
the company is set up and how the company will handle operations with its
projected growth.Answer the following questions:You have been called in as a consultant to analyze the
operations at WRU. Based on the readings, what would you advise Widgets R Us
to do in order to sustain the competitive advantage in the widget market?What structural design changes might be undertaken to
improve the operations at the company?week 2Project Scope (graded)As we have seen this week, project scope creation is very
different in traditional project management versus Agile project management.
What advantages and disadvantages can you see with the process of scope
creation in the traditional project management world? What advantages and
disadvantages can you see with the process of scope creation in the Agile
project management world? Share your experiences with projects that were
created using either Agile or traditional project management techniques.Case Study: Project Management at Dotcom.com (graded)Read Case Study 5.3: Project Management at Dotcom.com.
Dotcom.com is a software engineering and systems development consulting firm
that needs some organizational improvements in the area of project management
processes that will cut cost and potentially increase the profit margin for the
company.Answer the following questions:Discuss how you would begin redesigning dotcom.coms project
management processes to minimize the problems it is experiencing with poor
scope management.Why do you think configuration management and project change
control are difficult to perform in the middle of a complex software
development project, such as those implemented at dotcom.com?Share any experiences you have with project change requests.week 3Project Schedule (graded)To develop a schedule for a project, we will use the concept
of a project network, which shows work activities taken from the work breakdown
structure and is organized according to the logical flow in time and
relationships governing when the work will be performed. By combining this
network of work activities with estimates of the time duration for performing
each of the activities, we can create a schedule for the project work. What
types of information can we learn about the project by reviewing the project
schedule and all the information used to generate it?Agile Schedule Development (graded)As we have seen, traditional and Agile schedule developments
are quite different. Agile project management was originally developed to do
software development. Could a traditional process be successfully used to
develop a new software program? Why or why not? Could an Agile methodology be
used to build a strip mall in your home town? Why or why not?week 4Risk Management (graded)Assume you have just been assigned to a project risk team
composed of five members. Your task, as project manager, is to develop a
process for handling risks to the project.Because this is the first time your
organization has formally set up a risk team for a project, it is hoped that
your team will develop a process that can be used on all future projects. Your
first team meeting is next Monday morning. Each team member has been asked to
prepare for the meeting by developing, in as much detail as possible, an
outline that describes how you believe the team should proceed in handling
project risks. Each team member will hand out his or her proposed outline at
the beginning of the meeting. Your outline should include, but not be limited
to, the following information:What methods should be used for identifying risks?Who should be involved in identifying risks?What should be considered when identifying risks?Risk Management Part II(graded)As the work of your risk management team (from the first
discussion question) continues, the discussion of your team’s risk management
plan outline moves on and considers the following questions:How should the risks be prioritized?Who should do the prioritization of the project risks?How should project risks be monitored and controlled?Who should develop risk responses and contingency plans?Who should own these responses and plans?week 5Case Study: The Problems of Multitasking (graded)Read Case Study 12.1: The Problems of Multitasking. Answer
the following questions:How does multitasking confuse the resource availability of
project team personnel?In modern organizations, it is impossible to eliminate
multitasking for the average employee. Why?How would resource loading or resource leveling help address
multitasking situations?Reducing Project Duration (graded)In your own words, describe crashing, fast tracking, and
scope reduction as means of schedule compression. When would each be appropriate?
Which methods would you consider better first-choice methods by most project
sponsors? Would any of these methods apply to Agile projects? How does Agile
address schedule compression?week 6Project Communications (graded)Discuss the importance of communication and information
exchange to project success. What are the crucial features and elements of
effective communication and information exchange in successful projects? How
are key stakeholders involved in this process? Are communication requirements
different on an Agile project versus a traditional project?Case Study: Finding the Emotional Intelligence (graded)Read Case Study 4.2: Finding the Emotional Intelligence.What are the differences between leaders and managers?Can anyone be a leader? Which would you prefer to work for:
a leader or a manager? Why?Select one of the characteristics of an effective project
manager and tell why it is important.Is leadership of a project different in an Agile environment
than in a traditional project environment?Take the Future Time Perspective scale on page 129. Share
your results and comments with the class.week 7Project Baseline (graded)We have now moved from the planning stage to the execution
stage of project management. Following good project management practices, we
have set a baseline. How is a project baseline used to guide the execution of
the project’s work, to evaluate progress and performance, and to control the
project? Also, as you continue to think about monitoring and controlling the
project, specifically consider the question: How can the project baseline and
the earned value approach for variance analysis be used to monitor and report
project progress?Agile Project Control (graded)In the first discussion, we looked at traditional project
control. Is project control different in an Agile project? What is the role of
a project manager in controlling an Agile project? What is the role of the
project client, sponsor, or customer at controlling project changes?
