The TTP-4 - Project Resources and Costs

TTP-4 Project Resources and Costs (Team project)

Please be sure to read the Team Contribution Assessment and Grading of Team Assignments and the Project Documentation Requirements sections of the ITP Master Document.

Assignment for the TTP-4 Project Deliverables

By now, your project team should have a well-fleshed out WBS in MS Project with a schedule and durations and dependencies. Start by reviewing your previous deliverable assignments and by looking at what the other teams have posted in the Shared Learning Environment Discussion for both the Project Charter and the Project Schedule with Dependency Links. Make sure to read and understand the Week 5 readings, as they will help you be successful with this assignment.

This assignment includes 3 Parts.

Part 1. Adding Resources to the WBS in Microsoft Project

In Microsoft Project, add resources to each sub-task (but not Summary Tasks) at each level of the WBS. When you finish assigning resources, go to the resource graph to see if any resource is over-allocated (working more than 8 hours a day on assigned tasks shows as a red bar). Try to resolve the over- allocations.

Make sure that all the sub-tasks have at least one resource assigned. If team members work on different portions of this assignment, be sure to combine them so that the entire project and all its work will be covered.

Part 2. Adding costs to the WBS in Microsoft Excel

Replicate the WBS, including resource assignments, in Microsoft Excel. This is a method of cross- validating totals costs shown in Microsoft project. Assign costs to all resources, remembering to include equipment you might need (copiers, printers, carts to transport equipment), maybe facilities (such as a storage unit for staging equipment), and, of course the people who are doing the work. If you include a vendor/contractor on a contract or purchase order that has one price for the entire effort, you will include one contractor @ $xx,xxx.xx (contract price). Think about how you will address this contractor in the Resource Sheet. Remember that the contractor is not likely to charge by the hour. You must include everything it takes to do every task at every level.

The spreadsheet must include a clear bottom line total of all project costs so that you and your stakeholders can tell whether your plan is within the project budget or not. Use Excel formulas to do the necessary math. You may want to determine subtotals by cost type (labor, supplies, equipment, etc.); and/or by person if a person is assigned to work on than one task. But you still must show the cost of each major task plus the total cost of the project.

The Word document should include the sources of your costs. For example, if you used a Department of Labor category, the discussion should include why you used this source and the appropriate citations.

Now return to Microsoft Project and enter all the resource costs. Compare the Excel cost totals to the

Project cost totals. If possible, reconcile any differences. Don't try to force-fit (add or subtract more

costs) adjustments into Project. If you entered them according to the processes described in the Week 5

readings, those numbers should be ok because Project's scheduling engine calculates all cost totals. The

first place to check would be the Excel formulas. The weekly reading document, How to Enter Resource

Costs in Microsoft Project, also has troubleshooting tips on cost totals.

Check the Project Fields to Include in ITP Deliverables document to ensure you have all the needed

columns showing in the Gantt view(s) and Resource view(s).

Part 3. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word

Include an APA format Cover Sheet and Executive Summary with appropriate changes in a Word document that answers the following questions:

1. How did the team determine the appropriate resources? Were other similar projects used to help determine resources that might be needed?

2. Was a salary website or the Department of Labor website used to help determine the hourly rate of the labor resources? If not, how were hourly rates determined?

3. Were other credible sources used to help the team determine what non-labor resources might be required?

4. Did the team revisit the project charter to ensure resources were consistent with the SCOPE of the project? This is particularly important in the case of non-project team resources. For example, if a server or telecom closet is to be built, do the resources include construction types of resources? And did the team consider appropriate mountings or furniture for the IT equipment in the bakery areas?

5. Was some work was contracted out? Why or why not?

6. What contractors or vendors might be involved in the project and what products or services would they provide?

7. Were the totals by task in Excel and the MS Project (.mpp) file the same? Was the total cost of the project the same? If not, why not?

Have one person on the team Submit the Microsoft Project (.mpp) file, the Excel file (.xlsx), and the

Word file (.docx) to your Assignment Folder.

Approximate breakdown by areas include:

o General: Structure, Format, Mechanics, Style (~2%)

o Tasks (~15%)

o Resources (~15%)

o Non-labor costs (~35%)

o Labor / human resources costs (~17%)

o Vendor / contractor costs (~4%)

o Roll up (~5%)

o Other (~3%)

o Questions and rationale (~4%)

Rubrics and Grading for the TTP-4 Project Deliverable

To earn 90-100% of the points available for this assignment -

The TEAM WBS should have corrections made to durations and predecessors as a result of sharing and

looking at fellow classmates' MS Project team efforts and in response to comments from the instructor.

Durations, predecessors and resources are assigned for all tasks. Resources include all people, facilities,

supplies, materials, facilities, and contractors, etc. required to accomplish each sub-task. Anything that

will be needed to accomplish the task is included as a resource for that task. The Resource Sheet View

shows labor and non-labor. Non-labor resources are properly categorized as expendable material

resources and supplies, or as non-expendable equipment and other costs. The Resources Graph shows

no red bars for over-allocations. The accompanying Word document or text answers all questions,

explaining how the team determined the appropriate resources, whether or not some work was

contracted out and why, what vendors might be involved in the project and what products or services

they would provide, and at least two academically credible resources plus the textbook are used in the

text and included in a Reference page.

The Excel worksheet should include all costs for expendable materials and supplies, non-expendable

equipment, facilities, and contractors or vendors. All people assigned to do the work of the sub-tasks are

identified, along with their labor rates, hours, and costs per person. Include everything it takes to do

every task at every level. Make sure that there is a clear bottom line total of all project costs. Include

costs for each lowest level task. Add them up for higher level roll-up summary tasks. Do not assess costs

against such summary tasks individually except by adding up the costs of the lower level sub-tasks.

Include subtotals by cost type (labor, supplies, equipment, etc.).

To earn 80-89% of the points available for this assignment -

The TEAM WBS should have corrections made to durations and predecessors as a result of sharing and

looking at fellow classmates' MS Project team efforts and in response to comments from the instructor.

Durations, predecessors and resources are assigned for all tasks. Resources include the majority of

people, facilities, supplies, materials, facilities, and contractors, etc. required to accomplish EACH task at

EVERY level. Things that will be needed to accomplish the task are included as resources for that task.

The RESOURCE SHEET View shows labor and non-labor. The RESOURCES GRAPH shows no more than 3

red bars for over-allocations. The accompanying Word document or text answers most questions, with

some discussion related to how the team determined the appropriate resources, whether or not some

work was contracted out and why, what vendors might be involved in the project and what products or

services they would provide, and at some reference sources are used in the text and included in a

Reference page.

The Excel worksheet should include the majority of costs for expendable materials and supplies, non-

expendable equipment, facilities, and contractors or vendors. Most people assigned to do the work of

the tasks are identified, along with their labor rates, hours, and costs per person. Include everything it

takes to do every task at every level. Make sure that there is a clear bottom line total of all project costs.

Include costs for each sub-task. Add them up for higher level summary tasks. Do not assess costs against

summary tasks individually except by adding up the costs of the lower level sub-tasks.

To earn 70-79% of the points available for this assignment -

The TEAM WBS should have most corrections made to durations and predecessors as a result of sharing

and looking at fellow classmates' MS Project team efforts and in response to comments from the

instructor. Durations, predecessors and resources are assigned for all tasks. Resources include people,

facilities, supplies, materials, facilities, and contractors, etc. required to accomplish most tasks. Things

that will be needed to accomplish the task are included as resources for that task. The RESOURCE SHEET

View shows labor and non-labor. The RESOURCES GRAPH shows no more than 5 red bars for over-

allocations. Some of the questions are addressed.

The Excel worksheet should include the majority of costs for several categories such as expendable

materials and supplies, non-expendable equipment, facilities, and contractors or vendors. Most people

assigned to do the work of the tasks are identified, along with their labor rates, hours, and costs per

person. Include most of what it takes to do every sub-task at every level. Make sure that there is a clear

bottom line total of all project costs. Include costs for each lowest level sub-task. Add them up for higher

level summary tasks. Do not assess costs against summary tasks individually except by adding up the

costs of the lower level sub-tasks.

To earn 60-69% of the points available for this assignment -

Durations, predecessors and resources are assigned for most sub-tasks. Resources include people,

facilities, supplies, materials, facilities, and contractors, etc. The Resource Sheet View shows labor and

non-labor. The Resources Graph shows no more than 7 red bars for over-allocations.

The Excel worksheet should include the majority of costs for categories such as expendable materials

and supplies, non-expendable equipment, facilities, and contractors or vendors. Most people assigned

to do the work of the tasks are identified, along with their labor rates, hours, and costs per person.

Make sure that there is a clear bottom line total of all project costs. Include costs for each lowest level

sub-task. Add them up for higher level roll-up summary tasks. Do not assess costs against summary tasks

individually except by adding up the costs of the lower level sub-tasks.

Less than 60% -

Team efforts that do not meet the requirements will earn a zero. Team efforts that are not original work

will earn a zero. Team efforts that do not have proper APA references and citations to any included or

quoted work will earn at most 50%.

Please notice that there is a STRONG incentive for ALL team members to carefully proofread team

documents before submitting. This incentive will continue through the semester.