Planning of the Project - Assignment Example

Planning of the Project Abstract Planning of the project or project management is the core of the life cycle of the project and informs all the stakeholders the direction of the manager and means of attaining the project objectives. The stage of program planning involves the documentation of plans, the definition of needs and achievable and creation of plans. Project planning entails establishing a series of steps to aid to direct the group through implementation and completion program stages. The plans established during project planning stage will aid the manager to save time, resources, quality, challenges, transformations and other issues. Additionally, it helps the manager to manage team, members of staff and outside stakeholders to ensure project timely project deliverance and within schedule. Introduction Experts agree that project-planning stage is mainly the most problematic stage for human resource managers because they need to produce skilled staff, adequate resources and tools required to complete the project. They may also require organizing and communicating the plan, project scope, procurement activities and work breakdown structures for the success of the program. This paper explains my project charter for benefit and compensation package revamping, communication plan, the scope of the project and the work breakdown structure for my compensation and benefit package as a new appointed human resource manager in charge of small teams. Discussion Project Charter for Project Benefit and Compensation Package Revamping As a new human resource head appointee and now responsible for a small team management, I have a critical role ahead. The next project based on this new task is to revamp the benefit and employee compensation package that workers are receiving at the organization. Workforce benefits and compensation are intensively crucial and significant aspects in the process of new hire approval and workforce retention. Similarly, it is my responsibility to revamp, build and provide a valuable benefit and compensation products, that motivate and retain the most crucial and experienced workforce while making them accepted, proud and approved by the company members. The primary goal and purpose of workforce compensation is to offer effective and equal benefits to workforce at a level, which align their expertise, capabilities and contributions to the organization. Compensation is the role of human resource management, which handles all forms of rewards that people receive for their better performance – such as nonfinancial and economic benefits. My financial benefits plan will entail direct rewards like salary, time off pays, wages, any form of bonus and increases on merit basis as well as other plans for profit sharing. Indirect rewards like workforce benefits, (Armstrong & Cummins, 2011). Additionally, nonfinancial benefits involve anything in workstation, which promotes workforce’s self-esteem and self-respect sense by others. Therefore, as a new human resource manager, I will design packages for compensation and benefits for the entire workforce and perspective new recruits. I will design and implement the team’s expectations to prevent miscommunication concerning employees’ requirements. The project charter will include a policy concerning the number of work hours, overtime, time compensation and time off payments (such as Holidays, emergency leaves and personal holidays). In addition, the least or base grades of salary will be based on position or title of the job, job description, job qualification and educational qualification will be established to determined workforce salary. A compensation plan is what motivates long-term workforce that is rewarded without evaluating their jobs or establishing an entitlement sense. Therefore, as a new human resource leader, I will have to provide this material to higher management and right stakeholders for the project approval. The aim is to indicate where the dollars that workforce spends on after taxation by indicating their contributions. Communication Plan Kloppernborg (2012) defines a communication plan as a critical document, which explains the communication requirements and anticipations for the entire program, how, and the information communication format, when, where and to whom every communication will be directed and the people responsible for implementing and offering the communication type. As a human resource manager, I will draft a communication plan to offer an everyday project focus. Similarly, the communication plan will also prioritize the project requirements, offer as a form of order, management and control and prevent the group form being overwhelmed with project work, (Klein, 2008). In addition, as a human resource leader, I will have to organize and implement a way to have each employee - participating in the group - to interact directly for the initial time to ensure they all know and understand whom they communicate and interact with at all times. Therefore, I am certain that virtual communication strategy will be the most crucial way to ensure effective communication among team members, (Armstrong & Cummins, 2011). This also will reduce time spent in meeting rooms debating on critical ideas and will ensure crucial changes in the project. It will also forestall surprises; avoid effort duplication and aid reveal resources misallocations and possible omissions in time to allow corrections. My communication play will entail communication goals, audience targeted, main communication content and communication strategy and frequency. Virtual communication method will ensure effective two-way communication between the concerned stakeholders for the achievement of the project. My communication plan will include managers, sponsors and stakeholders of the project. Similarly, during the communication time, as a manager, I will design and implement within the group a sub team to handle the project’s compensation aspect and a sub team to handle the project’s benefit aspects. This will ensure that conflict of interests and possible challenges that may erupt - because some people feel suppressed or discriminated – are minimized. After dividing the group into sub group each handling a different aspect of the project, I will have two human resource managers to handle the pay scale, others to work on merit increase establishment, and yet others investigating on the downsizing aspects. For example, if the company has to downsize, how should it use additional reduction in aid that the organization does not have to repay, (Lewis, 2007). Some managers also will work of the company’s insurance to reduce the cost that both the company and the workforce will pay. Some and sponsors managers will also have to work on time of payments and reimbursement of tuition for the workforce. As an effective communication plan, this will ensure effective and equal duties delegations and role-play to reduce communication breakdown that may result to low productivity, stress and conflicts among team members. Project Scope The objective is to create and implement a precise program products and explanation, (Armstrong & Cummins, 2011). The project’s scope for the benefit and compensation package revamping in the company is to identify the deliverables that could involve starting with each worker’s reward contrast it to related rewards in the similar industry, this aims to reach at an average and basing it on the expertise and qualification for the department. In addition, project aim to set departmental boundaries by determining a maximum pay scale in the department by evaluating the rate of merit increase that the organization has implemented a percentage after some years in the company. Through this, company will be creating a long-term workforce for the organization. The project also aims to establish an effective communication strategy to inform employees of their jobs descriptions, responsibilities and expectation based on the company objectives and mission. Work Breakdown Structure Experts define work breakdown structure as a project view that indicates the work or goals of the projects. As a strategy, work breakdown structure aids managers to communicate the processes and jobs involved in the project implementation. The manager of the program and his team utilize the structure to develop the schedule of the program, required resources and the costs of the program, (Klein, 2008). Effective work breakdown structure will assist me to be comprehensive and certain in project management. There are various ways of presenting the work breakdown structure in for the project, therefore, the template below provide my layout of implementing WBS for the project. Total benefit and compensation project package Salary – this is the amount paid to a worker for his performance or service. The salary is subject to deductions and bonus based on salary amount and employee performance Salary components Bonus based on Benefits (Insurance) compensation Deductions Others Basic salary Individual performance and productivity Medical cover Overtime hours NHIF Pension plan Dearness allowances Profits of the company Life insurance (for both short and long-term disability Holidays Pension scheme Profit sharing House allowance Timely completion of the project Property insurance (car insurance) Working during annual leave Sacco loans and other loans Medical allowances commissions Emergency loans Vocational time Leave travel allowance Holidays (such as Christmas and others) Transport allowance Hardship allowance Education allowance The effectiveness of a WBS determines the achievements and progress of the project. This is because it offers all the required information and the basis for all the tasks of the project management such as planning estimation of cost, energy, allocation of scarce resources and project scheduling. Therefore, for me this work breakdown structure acts as a fundamental step in the project management process. Conclusion In conclusion, therefore, Project planning is increasingly crucial because it informs the direction, achievement and results of the project. It defines that goals, objectives, expectations and crucial steps to be implemented to achieve crucial outcome. In other words, project planning functions as crucial communication mechanisms and information strategy for members of team, managers, sponsors and other stakeholders to ensure the project attains its goals at scheduled time and cheaper cost. References Armstrong, M., & Cummins, A. (2011). The Reward Management Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Designing and Delivering Pay and Benefits. London: Kogan Page. Klein, H. (2008). Project planning. Basel [u.a.: Birkhäuser. Kloppenborg, T., Nkomo, S., Fottler, M.D., McAfee, R.B. (2012). Human resource project management. (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Lewis, J. P. (2007). The project manager's desk reference: Project planning, schedulding, evaluation, control, systems. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More