(WEEKLY STUDY ASSIGNMENT 1)
Week 1: Introduction to project managementBook
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This introductory topic provides an overview of the way in which projects are managed at all levels. We will look at the specific characteristics of a project and how a project is defined as a life cycle. Then, we look at the work undertaken by a project manager and cover role responsibilities and techniques of project management and control. Finally, we review organisation structure and strategy for project portfolio management.
What you will learn this week:
Define a project and the project life cycle
Understand the role of the project manager
Describe the importance of project management
Describe a project portfolio management system
Identify project success and failure criteria
Identify organisation structures for project management.
What you need to do this week:
1. Work through Week 1: Introduction to project management.
As you go through the module take notes and list anything that you need further help with. You can ask your questions on the Class Forum and/or attend the weekly webinar.
2. Complete the non-assessed activities:
3. Attend the webinar and bring your questions about anything you did not understand.
This week’s textbook readings are from Chapters 1, 2 and 3. Key sections are signposted in the module.
Week 2: Defining the project
Your progress
Week 2: Defining the projectBook
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We have already discussed how inaccurate determination of stakeholders’ requirements and poor project definition can both significantly contribute to a project’s failure. Incomplete requirements and poor project definition are two causes of project failure which are related to the initiation-related causes of project failure (Stretton 2018). In this topic, we learn how to identify the key stakeholders of a project and how to analyse their requirements to be able to define the project scope as clearly as possible. While a project can take many forms, a good project is well defined and takes into account the multitude of variables by identifying the scope, priorities, work breakdown structure, organisation structure and costs. Smaller projects may not require an elaborate work breakdown structure or organisation structure, but should still identify all of the relevant tasks and responsibilities. Once defined, the project deliverables should be clearly communicated through a robust communication plan in order to track progress and inform stakeholders.
What you will learn this week:
Identify and analyse stakeholders’ requirements
Describe the 5 steps in defining a project
Prepare a responsibility matrix
Establish a project communication plan
Prepare the project charter.
What you need to do this week:
1. Work through Week 2: Defining the project.
Whist going through the module take notes and list anything that you need further help with. you can ask your questions on the Class Forum and/or attend the weekly webinar.
2. Complete the non-assessed activities:
Activity 2.1: Stakeholder analysis
Activity 2.2: Scope statements
3. Attend the webinar and bring your questions about anything you did not understand.
This week’s textbook readings are from chapter 4. Key sections are signposted in the module.
Week 3: Estimation and developing a project network
Your progress
Week 3: Estimation and developing a project networkBook
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Estimating project time and costs is both an art and a science. In this topic, we compare top-down and bottom-up estimating and the factors that influence the quality of each. We investigate guidelines and methods for estimating times, costs and resources and look at ways to better refine these estimates through project interactions and change of scope. We also learn to develop a project network diagram and identify the critical path. The ‘activity on node’ method is introduced and describes the way in which activities and dependencies are constructed. We discuss practical considerations in network analysis and extended techniques used to identify lags and methods to compress a work schedule. At the end of this topic, we review project management software.
At the completion of this topic you will be able to:
Discuss factors that influence the quality of estimates
Compare and contrast top-down vs. bottom-up estimating
Explain methods and guidelines for estimating project times and costs
Explain a project network diagram
Explain the fundamentals of ‘activity on node’ and network computation process
Assess practical considerations and techniques in network analysis
Review different project management software.
What you need to do this week:
1. Work through Week 3: Estimation and developing a project network.
As you go through the module take notes and list anything that you need further help with. You can ask your questions on the Class Forum and/or attend the weekly webinar.
2. Complete the non-assessed activities:
Activity 3.1: Project network
Activity 3.2: Knowledge check: Submitting oral presentations
3. Attend the webinar and bring your questions about anything you did not understand.
This week’s textbook readings are from chapters 5 and 6. Key sections are signposted in the module.
Week 4: Project scheduling and Reducing project duration
Assessment 1 submission is due on Tuesday!
Your progress
Week 4: Project schedulingBook
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In this topic, we start by looking at project scheduling. We discuss the core constraints of project resourcing and the process of resource demand smoothing. We look at how resources can be allocated using models and relevant scenario examples, methods used for multi-project resource schedules and approaches to setting time-phased project budgets. Then we examine reducing project duration. We look at ways and means of reducing project duration based on reasons such as imposed duration dates, time-to-market considerations, incentives or unforeseen delays. We discuss cost-time trade-off decisions and consider the formal process for assessing the implications of crashing the project duration.
What you will learn this week:
Compare and contrast resource allocation methods
Develop a project cost baseline
Apply critical chain approach to scheduling resources and costs
Describe the rationale for reducing project duration
Analyse options for accelerating project completion
Construct a project cost-duration graph
Discuss practical considerations in reducing project duration.
What you need to do this week:
1. Work through Week 4: Project scheduling.
As you go through the module take notes and list anything that you need further help with. You can ask your questions on the Class Forum and/or attend the weekly webinar.
2. Complete the non-assessed activities:
Activity 4.1: The Project schedule
3. Attend the webinar and bring your questions about anything you did not understand.
This week’s textbook readings are from chapters 8 and 9. Key sections are signposted in the module.