PM DQ Week 9 Assignment

QSO 640 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview Organizations continue to struggle with successful project implementations that support business goals. Strides in project management have been achieved through a consistent approach to project management as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI)® A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide), Fifth Edition, 2013. Specifically, the five phases of project management—consisting of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing—provide a framework for achieving business goals through successful project implementations. At the completion of the course, you will understand the key deliverables and activities within each phase of this framework in order to achieve business goals. Your final project will be a complete project management plan. The plan will be comprised of standard templates used by organizations across all industries. For milestones one and two, you will use two different case studies from your Mindedge resource. For your final project, you will be using a third case study from Mindedge, the HighTower Global Solutions case study, as the foundation for your plan. Each week you will move through the phases of the project management life cycle and develop components of the project management plan to address the organizational need within each of these different case studies. You will consider stakeholder perspectives and communication needs as well as typical project risks and issues. At the end of the course, you will have a complete project management plan that supports a typical project for an organization. The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. Please note that you will use different case studies for each Milestone and for your final project in this course, all of which can be found in your Mindedge resource.

 Milestone One utilizes the Fabricant Manufacturing Project case study and will be submitted in Module Three.

 Milestone Two utilizes the ECO-Trans case study and will be submitted in Module Six.

 The final project utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study and will be submitted in Module Nine. In your final project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Develop project charters that illustrate the high-level scope of the project as it aligns to organizational strategic needs

 Analyze internal and external stakeholder needs for efficiently navigating organizational structures

 Determine proper approaches to defining business requirements for aligning with business strategies

 Utilize project management software for effectively developing project management plans

 Develop key project management control documents for ensuring effective management plan scope descriptions

 Evaluate agile and waterfall methods for successful project execution

 Determine approaches for project closure that inform ongoing best practices in project management planning

Prompt Throughout the course, you have been working through the phases of the project management life cycle to develop components for a project management plan that addresses the organizational needs of the organization highlighted in two case studies: the Fabricant Manufacturing Project (Milestone One) and the ECO- Trans case study (Milestone Two). Your instructor and peers have provided feedback for you to consider along the way. Now, you have the background knowledge and the information necessary to complete your project management plan, which utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study, available in MindEdge. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Project Initiation A. Identify the economic, technical, and organizational feasibility of the project. For instance, how is the project a viable fit within the organization? B. Explain how the project aligns to the organization’s strategic goals utilizing the traceability matrix (in Mindedge). C. Develop a project charter that includes a high-level scope of what is to be accomplished. D. Create a high-level timeline and cost estimate to complete the project. E. Identify the concerns of the internal and external key project stakeholders. F. Compare the level of support from all key project stakeholders to inform the course of action resulting in success of the project. G. Complete the stakeholder analysis template.

II. Project Planning

A. Determine the business requirements for the successful development of the project. Justify your choices. B. Establish who will provide the business requirements. What approach will be used to solicit the requirements from the subject matter experts? C. Categorize and organize the business requirements in a standard requirements template. D. Explain why the format for capturing requirements is important to the overall success of the project. Why would we consider requirements’

traceability? E. Leveraging the business requirements, translate these requirements into a project schedule using project management software through the

provided template. F. Estimate the duration of project tasks using common business knowledge, and assign resources to complete each task. G. Refine your estimate of the project cost based on the duration of tasks and resources needed.

III. Project Execution

A. Determine the best implementation approach—agile or waterfall project—for the organization based on its organizational structure. Provide examples to support your rationale.

B. Explain how the project schedule can be resource leveled, fast-tracked, or crashed if needed based upon execution results. C. Propose communication approaches and the frequency that should be used to keep leadership apprised of the project execution. Include

examples to support your claims.

IV. Project Control A. Describe how you will handle changes in scope to your project management plan. What change management process will be used? What key

information will be required for change requests? B. Describe the risk management process that is the best fit for effective project control over your plan. C. Explain how you will document issues and what process will be used to manage the issue to completion. Include examples to support your

claims.

V. Project Closeout A. Identify what needs to be done to close your project management plan. Include examples supporting how you will minimize the chances of

overlooking a step in the project process. B. Justify the need for a warranty period and how the project will transition to business C. Complete a lessons-learned template for the case study project.

Milestones Milestone One: Project Initiation In Module Three, you will submit the Project Initiation portion of your final project. Milestone One utilizes the Fabricant Manufacturing Project case study. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Project Planning and Project Execution In Module Six, you will submit the Project Planning and Project Execution portions of your final project. Milestone Two utilizes the ECO-Trans case study. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Final Submission: Project Management Plan In Module Nine, you will submit your final project, which utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your project management plan should be between 10 and 12 pages, double-spaced, have one-inch margins, and use 12-point Times New Roman font and the most recent version of APA format.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value Project Initiation:

Feasibility

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates nuanced understanding of the specific organizational parameters of feasibility

Identifies the economic, technical, and organizational feasibility of the project and how the project is a viable fit within the organization

Identifies the economic, technical, and organizational feasibility of the project, but does not discuss how the project is a viable fit within the organization or is inaccurate or cursory

Does not identify the economic, technical, and organizational feasibility of the project

3.46

Project Initiation: Strategic Goals

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into project alignment with strategic goals

Explains how the project aligns to the organization’s strategic goals

Explains how the project aligns to the organization’s strategic goals, but explanation is inaccurate or cursory

Does not describe how the project aligns to the organization’s strategic goals

4.62

Project Initiation: Project Charter

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates nuanced understanding of what is to be accomplished

Develops a project charter that includes a high-level scope of what is to be accomplished and is detailed appropriately

Develops a project charter, but does not include a high-level scope of what is to be accomplished

Does not develop a project charter

4.62

Project Initiation: High-Level Timeline

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into the complexity of project

Creates a high-level timeline and estimate of cost to complete the project

Creates a high-level timeline and estimate of cost to complete the project, but response contains inaccuracies

Does not create a high-level timeline or estimate of cost to complete the project

4.62

Project Initiation: Key Project Stakeholders

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into the different stakeholder concerns

Identifies the concerns of key project internal and external stakeholders

Identifies the concerns of key project internal and external stakeholders, but response either contains inaccuracies or is overgeneralized

Does not identify the concerns of key project stakeholders

3.46

Project Initiation: Support

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows a deep understanding of how to leverage stakeholders for the success of a project

Compares the level of support from all key stakeholders to inform the course of action of the project

Compares the level of support from all key stakeholders, but discussion contains gaps or inaccuracies

Does not compare the level of support from all key stakeholders

3.46

Project Initiation: Stakeholder Analysis

Template

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and level of detail shows keen insight into the scope and scale of the project

Completes the stakeholder analysis template

Completes the stakeholder analysis template, but template contains inaccuracies

Does not complete the stakeholder analysis template

3.46

Project Planning: Business

Requirements

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into the business requirements necessary for the successful development of a project

Determines the business requirements for the successful development of the case study project and justifies choices

Determines the business requirements for the successful development of the case study project, but does not justify choices, or determination contains inaccuracies

Does not determine the business requirements for the successful development of the case study project

3.46

Project Planning: Subject Matter

Experts

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into solicitation approaches for subject matter experts

Establishes who will provide the requirements and what approach will be used to solicit the requirements from the subject matter experts

Establishes who will provide the requirements, but does not establish what approach will be used or selection is illogical

Does not establish who will provide the requirements

3.46

Project Planning: Standard

Requirements Template

Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides level of detail and organization that streamlines project development

Categorizes and organizes the business requirements in a standard requirements template

Categorizes and organizes the business requirements in a standard requirements template, but approach is illogical or lacks detail

Does not categorize and organize the business requirements in a standard requirements template

3.46

Project Planning: Format

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into the connection of traceability throughout project development

Explains why the format for capturing requirements is important to the overall success of the project, including traceability

Explains why the format for capturing requirements is important to the overall success of the project, but response lacks traceability, contains inaccuracies, or is cursory

Does not explain why the format for capturing requirements is important to the overall success of the project

3.46

Project Planning: Project Schedule

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a complex grasp of predecessor relationships

Translates the requirements into a project schedule that contains appropriate and logical predecessor relationships using project management software through the provided template

Translates the requirements into a project schedule using project management software through the provided template, but relationships are inappropriate or illogical

Does not translate the requirements into a project schedule using project management software through the provided template

4.62

Project Planning: Estimate

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates nuanced understanding of business knowledge and resources in project management

Estimates the duration of the project tasks using common business knowledge and assigns resources to complete each task

Estimates the duration of the project tasks using common business knowledge and assigns resources to complete each task, but estimation is inaccurate or overgeneralized

Does not estimate the duration of the project tasks

4.62

Project Planning: Refine Estimate

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates deep understanding of project costs

Refines estimate of the project based on the duration of the tasks and resources needed

Refines estimate of the project, but estimate is inaccurate

Does not refine estimate of the project

4.62

Project Execution: Implementation

Approach

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates deep understanding of how the selected implementation approach supports organizational structure

Determines which implementation approach is the best for the organization, using examples to support rationale

Determines an implementation approach for the organization, but response lacks examples that support rationale or is cursory

Does not determine an implementation approach

4.62

Project Execution: Project Schedule

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates deep understanding of relationship between schedule techniques and project execution

Explains how the project schedule can be resource leveled, fast-tracked, or crashed if needed based upon execution results

Explains how the project schedule can be resource leveled, fast-tracked, or crashed, but response is inaccurate or overgeneralized

Does not explain how the project schedule can be resource leveled, fast-tracked, or crashed

4.62

Project Execution: Keep Leadership

Apprised

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into the appropriate communication needed to keep leadership apprised

Proposes communication approaches and frequency to keep leadership apprised of the project execution, using examples to support claims

Proposes communication approaches and frequency to keep leadership apprised of the project execution, but response lacks examples that support claims or is inappropriate

Does not propose communication approaches and frequency to keep leadership apprised

4.62

Project Control: Change Management

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates nuanced understanding of the change management process

Describes a change management process that is the best fit for the project, including key information required

Describes a change management process that is the best fit for the project, but response lacks key information or process contains inaccuracies or gaps

Does not describe a change management process that is the best fit for the project

4.62

Project Control: Risk Management

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates insight into how risk management positively impacts project control

Describes the risk management process that is the best fit for effective project control over the plan

Describes the risk management plan, but description has gaps or inaccuracies

Does not describe the risk management plan

4.62

Project Control: Issues

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and process is exceptionally detailed

Explains how issues will be documented and what process will be used to manage the issue to completion, including examples that support claims

Explains how issues will be documented and the process to manage the issue, but response contains inaccuracies or is cursory

Does not explain how issues will be documented and the process to manage the issue

4.62

Project Closeout: Close

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a deep understanding of project plan closure

Identifies what needs to be done to close the project plan, including examples to support how to minimize the chances of overlooking steps

Identifies what needs to be done to close the project plan, but response contains inaccuracies, is cursory, or does not include examples

Does not identify what needs to be done to close the project plan

4.62

Project Closeout: Warranty Period

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates nuanced understanding of the project transition

Justifies the need for a warranty period and process for transitioning project to business

Justifies the need for a warranty period and process for transitioning project to business, but response contains inaccuracies or is cursory

Does not justify the need for a warranty period and process for transitioning project to business as usual

4.62

Project Closeout: Lessons-Learned

Template

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates nuanced understanding of using a lessons-learned template for continuous improvement

Completes a lessons-learned template for the project plan

Completes a lessons-learned template for the project plan, but template contains inaccuracies

Does not complete a lessons- learned template

4.62

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

3.02

Total 100%