project management managing complex projects unit II assignment and DQ Question

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Examine the roles and responsibilities of a project manager. 1.1 Explain a project proposal that includes the project scope, schedule, and ultimate deliverables

that will be executed by a project manager.

2. Analyze the elements of measures of performance in the context of the triple constraints. 2.1 Explain a project proposal that includes risks in the context of the triple constraints. 2.2 Explain a project proposal that includes deliverables through measures of performance.

3. Determine the scope of a project.

3.1 Determine a project proposal that provides an overview of the scope of a project.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

1.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 5: Management Functions, pp. 145-170 Chapter 7: Conflicts, pp. 237-246 Unit II Assignment

2.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 5: Management Functions, pp. 145-170 Chapter 7: Conflicts, pp. 237-246 Unit II Assignment

2.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 5: Management Functions, pp. 145-170 Chapter 7: Conflicts, pp. 237-246 Unit II Assignment

3.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 5: Management Functions, pp. 145-170 Unit II Assignment

Reading Assignment Chapter 5: Management Functions, pp. 145–170 Chapter 7: Conflicts, pp. 237–246

Unit Lesson Management responsibilities involve the planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, and directing of people and activities that will ultimately achieve the objectives parlayed within the organizational goals. Controlling is actually a measurement function, which allows for evaluation and ultimate corrections that lead to ongoing improvement and innovation within the organization. Directing suggests that the leader is actually implementing the plans and involves several steps. The interactive slide below explains the different steps in directing by the leader: Click here to access the interactive slide. Click here to access the interactive slide transcript.

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Managing Projects

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Once this structure has been established, managers must journey through the concepts of power, authority, and responsibility. The ideal situation is that a project manager would have both the responsibility and authority to complete the task, but many times, they have the authority but not necessarily the formal power. This creates a void in their effectiveness unless they can utilize other influences such as those indicated in the interactive slide below. The interactive slide below explains the different types of rewards and examples. Click here to access the interactive slide. Click here to access the interactive slide transcript. Another important area involved with the management of projects is that of conflict management. It is important to understand that as long as we are dealing with human beings with differing personalities, values, and objectives, conflict will occur. As a manager, understanding conflict and managing it toward an acceptable resolution with all parties involved is crucial. More often than not, conflicts arise because of a lack of resources whether it be staffing, equipment, capital expenditures, and/or equipment. The second most common theme is differences in priorities through scheduling. Finally, simple personality differences can create conflict. A variety of different resolution processes tend to be used beginning with a company-wide policy on how these resolutions will be solved or what processes will be developed specifically for this project. In addition, elevation of the conflict within the hierarchical chain is another method of resolution. At the end of the day, conflict resolution is established through collaboration, compromise, and accommodation. Collaboration is accomplished through the communication and discussion amongst team members, compromise is where all members of the team contribute and give up something, and, finally, accommodation

is where the emotions in the situation are smoothed over. Encouraging team members to focus on the end goal and final objective, which is the completion of the project, is a key factor in successfully managing through conflict. One of the first steps in the project management process is the development of the project proposal that is created by a contractor for the client (company). This unit’s assignment will provide you with the opportunity to complete a project proposal for a fictional project. A proposal can be defined as a document that outlines how the team will approach the project including a schedule, deliverables, and budget. From the perspective of the company (client) reviewing the proposal, the proposal should accomplish the objectives listed below.

 Demonstrate an understanding of exactly what the company is looking for.

 Communicate that it has the ability to fulfill the project and will provide the greatest value to the company.

 Clearly demonstrate that it will solve the problem as identified by the company and accomplish this within the timeframe and budget.

 Secure a solid relationship with the company. Contractors look to understand these objectives as they compile project proposals for their prospective clients. Project proposals take a great deal of thought and detail, some of which includes identification of the problem, vision, benefits of the project, deliverables, and success criteria. Look at the following video, which provides an overview on how to write a project proposal. Click the link below to view the video. Project Management Videos. (2014, May 19). Project proposal writing: How to write a winning project

proposal [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsGBuu88WE0 Click here to access the transcript of the video above. As a contractor compiles this project proposal, the first step consists of the statement of the customer’s needs. The contractor needs to understand fully the customer’s problem and needs to communicate that understanding to the client. This can be accomplished through a discussion of what is currently going on within the client’s business, industry, and competition. Utilization of flowcharts or other visuals demonstrating the problem/bottleneck within the organization is a good strategy. Researching and presenting competitor

Woman in a business setting (Wilson, 2010)

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strategies as well as an industry analysis are other strategic tactics. Assumptions need to be addressed through a brief explanation in an assumptions section. This section reflects all assumptions within the parameters of the project. This can include economic assumptions, budgetary considerations, and scheduling. This is important as it establishes client expectations and is critical when conducting measurement and evaluations later in the project. The project scope section is a detailed explanation of how the project will be conducted and the proposed solution. For instance, if research will be conducted, a contractor would describe the collection, evaluation, and analysis process. If analysis of solutions is necessary, a description of how the contractor would analyze and compare the different solutions toward recommendation. Through this explanation, it is important to rationalize the method(s) being used in order to communicate to the client that this process is in his or her best interest. At the end of the day, this section describes how you will accomplish the project and why your solution is the best for the client. The deliverables section explains the major tasks as well as an analysis of the measures of performance. Clients are looking for an organized, realistic approach to their project completion. Details and explanations are important within this section. The resources section should identify all resources necessary to complete the project. This includes both those provided by the contractor as well as those provided by the client. In some cases, specific equipment might be necessary in order to complete the project. The contractor needs to communicate to the client that they have acquired access to the equipment necessary to complete the project. The schedule provides the client with an understanding of exactly when the different components of the project will be completed. In many cases, these are negotiated dates. Quite frequently, a Gantt chart is used as a visual tool to communicate dates and the scheduled flow of the process (see suggested readings). The price section provides a detailed itemization of the costs associated with the project. The objective of this section is to convince the client that the contractor’s prices are realistic, reasonable, and reflect the best value for their dollar. Items that should be included are labor, materials, equipment, facilities, subcontractors/consultants, travel, overhead, escalation for projects taking several years, and the fees to be taken by the contractor. The risks section identifies the risks associated with the completion of the project. For instance, the contractor might have concerns about certain risks that could affect the project and/or client’s company. This section should include an explanation of these risks and the rationale for continuing with this project in spite of these risks. An analysis of the measures of performance through a look at the context of triple constraint should also be included in this section. While this section may cause concern to the client, it projects an image that the contractor understands the business, industry, and the project and would like to avoid surprises. The final section is the expected benefits section that describes the benefits that the client will receive as this project is completed. In a sense, this section serves the purpose of convincing the client that this project should be completed and this particular contractor is the best one for the job. Additionally, measures of performance should be included, which will provide additional reassurance to the client, as they understand the level of performance to be expected. This section should conclude on a positive note with a marketing tone throughout. The client’s request for proposal (RFP) will typically include dates on when the proposals should be submitted and the contact information to be included. Once the client has received all of the proposals, the evaluation process is varied. Some clients do an initial evaluation based on prices while others use a scorecard type of system to evaluate. Sometimes, the client will come back with a request for the best and final offer (BAFO), which usually means that the contractor is one of the top ones considered and the client is asking for any potential price breaks that might be offered. Once the client has selected a contractor, a contract is compiled. This represents an agreement between the contract and client communicating the deliverables, schedule, and pricing. While the process seems arduous, it is a systematic and industry-accepted approach to communicating how complicated projects will be completed.

Reference

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Wilson, S. (2010). Business woman [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/125303894@N06/14387367072

Suggested Reading Although not required, this textbook reading below covers the role of communication within leadership and problem-solving. Techniques such as active listening are covered. Chapter 6: Communications Management Reading the textbook chapter below will give you insight on unique topics such as partnerships, rewards, and virtual teams. Chapter 8: Special topics In order to access the following resources, click the links below:

The video below includes step-by-step procedures for creating a Gantt chart. Doug H. (2011). Create a basic Gantt Chart in Excel [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjxL_hQn5w0 Click here to access the transcript of the video above. The resource below shows steps toward building a Gantt chart within Excel. Gantt charts will be covered in more detail within Unit III. Esposito, E. (2013, July 8). How to create a Gantt chart in Excel [Blog post]. Retrieved from

https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/gantt-chart-excel