MGMT404 (May 2019) Full Course

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 1 Discussion

MARSHMALLOW TOWER CHALLENGE

Think about your experience in class participating in the Marshmallow Tower Challenge and the videos we saw on the challenge.

Answer the following questions:

What does the Marshmallow Tower Challenge demonstrate about the importance of project screening methods on a firm’s ability to manage projects effectively?

How could you improve your team’s performance on the Marshmallow Tower Challenge?

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 2 Discussion

CASE STUDY: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AT DOTCOM.COM

Read Case Study 5.3 in your textbook, page 192: Project Management at Dotcom.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

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.

Share your answers for the following questions.

Discuss how you would begin redesigning dotcom.com’s 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.

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 3 Discussion

PROJECT SCHEDULE

To develop a schedule for a project, we use the concept of a project network diagram, which shows work activities taken from the work breakdown structure and organized according to the logical flow in time and relationships governing when the work will be performed.

Address the following questions.

How is that useful?

How does it help to organize the tasks in the project?

How will it help in formulating the budget?

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 4 Discussion

CASE STUDY: THE PROBLEMS OF MULTITASKING

Read the Case Study 12.1 from the textbook, page 446: The Problems of Multitasking. For your convenience, here is the text for this Case Study.

An eastern U.S. financial services company found itself way behind schedule and over budget on an important strategic program. Both the budget and schedule baselines had begun slipping almost from the beginning, and as the project progressed, the lags became severe enough to require the company to call in expert help in the form of a project management consulting firm. After investigating the organization’s operations, the consulting firm determined that the primary source of problems both with this project in particular and the company’s project management practices in general was a serious failure to accurately forecast resource requirements. In the words of one of the consultants, “Not enough full-time [human] resources had been dedicated to the program.”

The biggest problem was the fact that too many of the project team members were working on two or more projects simultaneously—a clear example of multitasking. Unfortunately, the program’s leaders developed their ambitious schedule without reflecting on the availability of resources to support the project milestones. With their excessive outside responsibilities, no one was willing to take direct ownership of their work on the program, people were juggling assignments, and everyone was getting farther behind in all the work. Again, in the words of the consultant, “Project issues would come up and there would be nobody there to handle them [in a timely fashion].” Those little issues, left unattended, eventually grew to become big problems. The schedule continued to lag, and employee morale began to bottom out.

Following their recognition of the problem, the first step made by the consultants was to get top management to renegotiate the work assignments with the project team. First, the core team members were freed from other responsibilities so they could devote their full-time attention to the program. Then, other support members of the project were released from multitasking duties and assigned to the project on a full-time or near full-time basis as well. The result, coupled with other suggested changes by the consultants, was to finally match up the project’s schedule and activity duration estimates with a realistic understanding of resource needs and availability. In short, the program was put back on track because it was finally resource-leveled, particularly through creating full-time work assignments for the project team that accurately reflected the need to link resource management with scheduling.

(Pinto, Project Management, Achieving Competitive Advantage, Pearson, Copyright 2019, page 446)

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 5 Discussion

RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

Risk management is critical to good project management practice. Discuss the risk management process.

What are the tools and techniques used for identifying risks?

Who should be involved in identifying risks?

What should be considered when identifying risks?

What process is used in analyzing risks?

What is most important to consider when formulating a risk response strategy?

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 6 Discussion

CASE STUDY FINDING THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Read Case Study 4.2 from the textbook, page 147: Finding the Emotional Intelligence To Be a Real Leader.

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?

MGMT 404 Project Management

Week 7 Discussion

PROJECT BASELINE

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 following question. How can the project baseline and the earned value approach for variance analysis be used to monitor and report project progress?

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 1 HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE PROJECT CHARTER

DELIVERABLE:

Getta Byte Software Project Charter (30 points)

In the Week 1 Lesson Video, you were introduced to the team at Getta Byte Software. Your assignment this week is to discuss the billing project charter and submit a one- to two-page paper. Consider what additional risks, assumptions, or requirements Getta Byte should include in this charter.

What have they missed?

What would you add if you were the project manager?

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 2 HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE PROJECT CHARTER

Now that you’ve seen what the Getta Byte team discussed (in the Week 2 Lesson Video) to formulate the project scope for the billing project, write and submit a one- to two-page paper about what was included in the scope and what may have been missed.

What do you think the team should consider to include in the scope?

Do you believe that this project could work as an Agile project? If so, what would have to be done with the project scope?

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 3: HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE PROJECT SCHEDULE

After reviewing the Week 3 Lesson Video for Getta Byte Software, write and submit a one- to two-page paper on what Ima Payne, the project manager at Getta Byte Software, put together for her preliminary project schedule. Address the following questions.

What types of information have we learned about the Getta Bill project by reviewing the project schedule and all the information used to generate it?

If Ima made the decision to try to use the Agile Methodology for the Getta Bill project, what should she do?

How could the WBS help the next step to plan using Agile?

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 4 HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Resource Allocation (30 points)

In the Week 4 Lesson Getta Byte Software video, Resource Allocation, you observed how Ima assigned resources to tasks. Imagine that the project sponsors requested that this project be completed by August 1 instead of September 1.

Answer and submit the following questions in a one- to two-page paper.

What would you do?

How would you crash or fast-track the schedule?

Could this project be an Agile project? What would be different about it?

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 5: HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE RISK MANAGEMENT

Deliverable: Getta Byte Software Risk Management (30 points)

Review the Week 5 Lesson Getta Byte Software Video.

As you continue to help Ima at Getta Byte, write and submit a one- to two-page paper to consider the following questions for the Getta Bill project.

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?

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 6 HOMEWORK – GETTA BYTE SOFTWARE STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION PLAN

Review the Week 6 Getta Byte Software Video. Based on the Getta Byte team the stakeholder management and communication plans development, complete the files linked below with your recommendations.

Add frequency and methods of communication to the Stakeholder Management Plan.

Add additional forms of communication to specific stakeholders to the Communication Plan.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

Files for the Getta Byte Homework:

NOTE: IF THE STAKEHOLDER IS KEY OR PRIMARY, INTEREST IS HIGH, INFLUENCE IS HIGH, AND ATTITUDE IS SUPPORT, FONT WILL HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN.

NOTE: IF THE STAKEHOLDER IS KEY OR PRIMARY, INTEREST IS HIGH, INFLUENCE IS HIGH, AND ATTITUDE IS AGAINST, FONT WILL HIGHLIGHTED IN RED.

Stakeholder: Enter the names of the project stakeholders.

Stakeholder’s Role: Enter the stakeholder’s role in the project.

Category: Primary/Secondary/Key

Influence High/Low: Use the dropdown box to enter the stakeholder’s level of influence in the project. (Select high or low.)

Interest High/Low: Use the dropdown box to enter the stakeholder’s level of interest in the project. (Select high or low.)

“Monitor, Inform, Satisfy, or Manage: Use the dropdown box to select an approach for the stakeholder based on his or her level of influence and level of interest.

– High influence/High interest: Manage by fully engaging them in the process

– High influence/Low interest: Satisfy with levels of communication necessary to meet their needs

– Low influence/Low interest: Monitor for changing needs and interests

– Low influence/High interest: Inform with appropriate levels of communication to safeguard against issues”

Strategy: Enter a strategy action based on the selection of monitor, inform, satisfy, or manage.

Strategy Owner: Enter a strategy action owner.

Strategy Date: Enter a strategy action date.

Comments: Enter necessary comments based on the stakeholder line item.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 2 COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE: PROJECT CHARTER

Project Charter (50 points)

This week, you will be selecting your project and developing the charter. The following are some possible project ideas. But don’t feel that you are confined to them.

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

Think about the following as you select your project.

What is your passion?

What have you been thinking about starting, or what could help you in your current position?

Think about selecting a project that will serve you so that you will be creating a project plan that you can use.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 3 COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT

Complete and submit the Project Scope in MS Word (50 points)

This week, you will create and submit your Project Scope Template (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. See the Course Project Overview page under Introduction and Resources for details.

Your assignment is to provide a Project Scope of your selected project in accordance with the charter template found in Files and linked here.

Please put this in correct business writing format. Consider me to be your boss. The scope is critical to your project plan. It forms the backbone of your project.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

Scope Statement

Note: Remove all red descriptions and guides and complete the form.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 4: COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE: WBS AND PROJECT SCHEDULE

DELIVERABLES:

WBS Outline: in a Word document (50 points)

Project Schedule: the MS Project file (.mpp) saved from the Tracking Gantt chart screen (50 points)

You must download MS Project from the software store or access it through Virtual Lab (Citrix). If you have had any difficulty with this, please let your professor know.

You will create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for the project you selected and the scope you have created. See the Course Project Overview page under Introduction and Resources for details.

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 lesson and 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.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

Develop the work breakdown structure first in MS Word as a hierarchical list in outline form. It should look like this.

Work Breakdown Structure – Outline Format in Microsoft Word

This image illustrates the visual representation of the Work Breakdown Structure outline: the major and minor hierarchical levels of the work to be done, using different levels of indentation with code numbers for each element. It depicts the granular level activities needed to be performed towards achieving the deliverable.

Now take these tasks and copy them into Microsoft Project.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 5: COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE: RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND PRELIMINARY BUDGET

DELIVERABLES:

Resource Allocation: MS project file (.mpp) updated with resource assignments and cost

Preliminary Budget: MS Word file with a report of project budget and resource management

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

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 overallocated? 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?

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 6 COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN

DELIVERABLE:

Risk Management Plan using the Risk Register Template spreadsheet found in Files section (50 points)

Remember, a risk is an uncertain event or condition that can have a positive or negative impact on the project.

This week, you will:

Identify and analyze your project risks

Complete a risk register as the foundation for your risk management plan

Evaluate each task in your project schedule to identify any risk factors associated with the execution of the deliverable

Add your list of risks to the risk register template in Files section

The number of risks will depend on the project deliverables in your schedule; however, 20 negative and positive risks are the minimum. Use the Risk Register (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. template in the course Files. Fill in the fields completely. There is a sample risk for you to use as a reference.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 7 COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE COMMUNICATION PLAN

DELIVERABLE:

Communication Plan

Ninety percent of project management is communication. It requires preparation and planning. Prepare a communication plan for your project using the Communication Plan (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. linked here, or located in Files. You have already had some practice using this template when you were helping the team at Getta Byte Software.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 7 COURSE PROJECT DELIVERABLE STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

DELIVERABLE:

Complete and submit the Stakeholder Management Plan (40 points)

Complete the stakeholder management plan for your project using the Stakeholder Management Template (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. You’ll notice that if a stakeholder is designated as a key or primary stakeholder and identified as against the project, the name and role font color will change to red. Conversely, if the stakeholder’s attitude is support, the name and role will be green.

Identify all of the individuals and groups who are impacted in any way by your project, influence, authority, and attitude.

Indicate whether how you will work with this stakeholder and how often and type of communication is required.

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 8 FINAL COURSE PROJECT PLAN NARRATED PRESENTATION

DELIVERABLE:

Create the Final Course Project Plan Narrated Presentation using PowerPoint (125 points)

Your Final Course Project Plan Narrated Presentation should include 10–15 slides in length to summarize your Project Plan.

Executive Summary

Business Case (Summary from Charter)

Scope Summary

Work Breakdown Summary

Budget

Resource Management Plan

Communication Plan

Stakeholder Management Plan

Recommendations regarding next steps regarding the project

For additional instructions and guidelines, refer to the Course Project Overview page, located under Introduction and Resources.

MGMT 404 Project Management

WEEK 8 FINAL COURSE PROJECT PLAN

Create a project plan following this Final Project Template (Links to an external site.).

The project management plan includes all of the components that you have completed throughout the course. It must be organized logically as suggested below. Be sure to make this a feasible, achievable plan. Imagine your professor is your project sponsor and is ready to fund this project based on the documentation you provide.

Your final project plan should consist of the following items.

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Project Charter

Scope Statement

Work Breakdown Structure

Budget and Resource Allocation Plan

Risk Management Plan

Stakeholder Management Plan

Communication Management Plan

References