MNG00785
Project management
Weeks 4 – 10: Assessment 2
Contents
4 Topic 4: Communication plan, WBS, and RACI 2
4.1 Project selection exercise (pp.32-41) 2
4.2 Stakeholder Prioritization Matrix (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 3
4.3 Project Communications Matrix (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 3
4.4 Work Breakdown Structure (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 4
4.5 The RACI chart (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 5
5 Topic 5: Scheduling projects 6
5.1 AoN (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 6
5.2 Time estimation (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 7
5.2.1 Time estimation – Enumeration method (p. 189) 7
5.2.2 Time estimation – Two Pass method (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 8
5.3 Critical path 8
5.4 Gantt chart (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 8
6 Topic 6: Resources and budgeting 9
6.1 Resource Loading (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 9
6.2 Budget (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 9
6.3 Reporting 9
6.3.1 Earned Value Management (EVM) 9
6.3.2 Timeline reporting 11
7 Topic 7: Risk management (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 12
7.1 Risk identification I 12
8 Topic 8: Quality management & project closure 13
8.1 Quality tools 13
8.2 Change management 14
9 Project close 15
9.1 Transition plan (Chapter 15) 16
9.2 Close procurements (pp XXXXXXXXXX) 17
9.3 Knowledge management 17
9.4 Lesson learned 17
9.5 Customer feedback 18
Topic 4: Communication plan, WBS, and RACI
Project selection exercise (pp.32-41)
Using the projects from your group, undertake a project selection process. Score each of the projects in the table below. Based on the score, which project will you choose?
Project/Selection Criteria
Weight:
Total
The project our group has chosen is: _______________________________________________
The reasons for this are:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Stakeholder Prioritization Matrix (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Based on your selected project, examples from the book and your own interpretation, please identify as many stakeholders as possible. Rank their power, Interest, Influence, Impact, Urgency and legitimacy on a scale of 1 to 3 (1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = high) and add them in column ‘Total’.
Stakeholder:
What is the stakeholder’s main issue?
Powe
Interest
Influence
Impact
Urgency
Legitimacy
Total
Priority (a score of 1-6 = low, 7 to 12 = medium, 13 to 18 = high))
Example: Stakeholder A
A clean, quiet environment
1
3
1
1
3
2
11
Medium
Project Communications Matrix (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Based on your project, examples from the book and your own interpretation, complete the communication matrix below. (It is possible that certain cells might be left open)
Stakeholde
Learn From Stakeholde
Share With Stakeholde
Timing
Method
Owne
Work Breakdown Structure (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Based on your selected project, examples from the book and your own interpretation, complete the WBS. Use activity 1.3, the milestones, to guide you. Start with the first milestone after ‘Charter signoff’ and finish with the ‘Project completion’. The number of sub-packages needed per milestone is up to your discretion and the context of the project.
While you are working on the WBS you might start to indicate which parts depend on the completion of a previous part. This dependency will be needed later in topic 3.
[Project Name]
1. Charter signed off
2. [First milestone]
2.1. [First work package needed to complete the first milestone]
2.2. [second]
2.3. Etc
3. [Second milestone]
3.1. [First work package needed to complete the first milestone]
3.2. [second]
3.3. Etc
4. etc
Project name: ________________________
#
Work package
Duration
Start date
Finish date
The RACI chart (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Based on the project
ief and the WBS, as well as example from the book, finish the RACI chart below. You decide how many persons should be added to the table, this could be more or less.
WBS Code
Activity Name
Sponso
Project Manager (you)
Person A
Person B
1
Charter signed off
A
R
I
I
RACI Key: (R) Responsible, (A) Accountable, (C) Consult, (I) Inform
Topic 5: Scheduling projects
AoN (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Using a computer program such as MS PowerPoint or MS Visio, create an Activity on Node diagram based on your WBS. Make sure you save your work as it will change as we advance through the activities.
Time estimation (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Based on the information provided, give a best estimate of the duration of each activity. Make sure you mention which unit you use (i.e., months weeks or days). Not each activity will have a clear answer, so use your best educated guess. Give a short explanation to each activity why you think it will take as long as you’ve estimated. Keep your explanation[footnoteRef:1] as short and succinct as possible. [1: There is not a right or wrong answer in this section on the time you’ve estimated, it is designed to stimulate your estimation skills]
WBS Code
Activity Name
Predecessor(s)
Duration (unit)
Explanation on duration
Time estimation – Enumeration method (p. 189)
You can now update the AoN diagram with the time estimates. This is your basic project schedule.
Time estimation – Two Pass method (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Now use Exhibits 7.12, 7.13 and 7.14 (Pages XXXXXXXXXXto create a Two-Pass schedule for your project
Critical path
Identify the critical path in your project:
The critical path in my project is________________________________________, and takes
___________ (hours, days, weeks)
Gantt chart (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
Decide what tools you will use for your Gantt chart development:
· Microsoft Project is available on all University lab computers. The downside of this is that you need to be on-campus to access it.
· Project Li
e is a free, open-source software that can be set up on your computer. It is not as powerful as MS Project, but is sufficient for this assignment.
· There are many other tools and Excel templates available to use.
Now use your WBS, AoN and the durations identified to create the Gantt chart.
Topic 6: Resources and budgeting
You will need to assign resources to your Gantt chart, whether in Excel or in MS Project or Project Li
e. Don’t forget that resources are not only human and financial – is there specialised equipment that you need to use on your project that may have conflicting demands?
Resource Loading (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
In your project, assign your resources to the activities and optimise the project schedule as best as possible. For the assignment, you should first construct your project so that at least one resource is overloaded. You should then demonstrate your understanding of loading resolution strategies by co
ecting the overloading. You will thus need to provide an adjusted Gantt.
Budget (pp XXXXXXXXXX)
By now you should have some idea of the budget for your project. You will need to use Project, Li
e or Excel to calculate this. It needs to be detailed against each WBS work package, and include human resources as well as equipment, services, and materials. Pages XXXXXXXXXXprovide a tutorial on using MS Project for budgeting.
Note the table in exhibit 9.9, p. 257. You are required to insert such a table in your second assessment task. If you are receiving staggered finance for your project, you will also need the table in exhibit 9.11 p. 259, in order to demonstrate your understanding of cash flow on your project.
The “Project Budget Aggregation” will be a useful tool for this exercise.
Reporting
Earned Value Management (EVM)
Using the information in pages XXXXXXXXXX, develop an Earned Value Management table for your project. Note, you may also one of the use the templates found under Week 8 resources.
Planned value (PV) is “the authorized budget assigned to scheduled work.”
Earned value (EV) is “the measure of work performed expressed in terms of budget authorized for that work.”
Actual cost (AC) is the “the realized cost incu
ed for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period.”
Budget at completion (BAC) is “the sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed.”
Schedule variance (SV) is “a measure of schedule performance expressed as the difference between the earned value (EV) and the planned value (PV).
Cost variance (CV) is “the amount of budget deficit or surplus as a given point in time, expressed as the difference between earned value (EV) and actual cost (AC).”
Schedule performance index (SPI) is “a measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value (EV) to planned value (PV).”
Cost performance index (CPI) is “a measure of cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value (EV) to actual cost (AC).”
Estimate to complete (ETC) is “the expected cost needed to finish all the remaining project work.”
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Timeline reporting
Based upon pages XXXXXXXXXX, develop a report for your project.
Project name: _______________________________ Date: ___________________________________
Past time period
Milestones
Approved plan
Actual progress
Variances
Causes
Cu
ent time period
Plan until next report
Risks before next report
Issues before next report
Changes to