Project Management a Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling - Essay Example

Project Management Part A PROJECT CHARTER Sponsor: Project Environmental conservation in Shenzen, China. Prepared By: Date: Problem/Opportunity Statement: Current trend in the usage of plastic bags has impacted on the environment adversely. This project is aimed at enhancing the quality of environment that will enhance the quality of life altogether. Key Deliverables: Educating the public on the importance of conserving and protecting the environment. Implementing a waste management plan for the community. Reduction in the usage and disposal of plastic bags. Key Requirements; Experts in waste management control. Financial support for the implementation. Community support for the project Exclusions; The project will not encompass all waste management control practices, but it will only focus on plastic bags control. Industrial waste will not be included, since its management is complex and industries are entitled in ensuring their waste (effluent) are managed. Benefits KPIs Clean environment Most people being engaged in the process of cleaning the environment. Quality living standard Less people becoming sick. Investors attraction or business generation Increased income level. Growth of businesses. Strategic Alignment The project will have to ensure it includes the demand of local people in the planning and implementation of this project. Objective of the project is cleaning the environment; in ensuring there is coordination among the project management team and the community the expectations from both sides should be aligned to eliminate any chance of conflict. Approximate Cost: USD 100,000 Approximate Timeframe Three months Key Risks Resistance from the local community. APPROVAL Yes / No Authority: ______________________________ Date:____________ Sponsor (2) Requirement traceability matrix REQUIREMENTS TRACEABILITY MATRIX Product Requirement Deliverable component Waste incineration chamber Reduction in the usage of plastic bags. Brochures and posters for training Educating the public on the importance of conserving and protecting the environment Survey of the community area Decision regarding Implementation of a waste management plan for the community Cleaning and safety equipment (wheelbarrows, brooms, gum boots, spades et cetera) Reduction in the usage of plastic bags. (3) Work Breakdown Structure (4) Scope change The sponsors for the project were amazed by the number of activities that were to be conducted on separate occasions. On their side some activities seemed duplicated, though the differences were minimal. They resorted that those activities ought to be merged. The cost of the project would have been reduced by twenty percent, in that process. Chronological flow of the task was also to be altered and environmental conservation sensitization to take centre stage. The following is the work breakdown structure as recommended by the sponsors. Task no. Task 1 Selection of area for the project and identification of environmental problem relating to plastic bags. 2 Setting of the goals and analysis of their feasibility as well as the impacts 3 Identification and analyzing the community priorities. 4 Holding discussion with the community to streamline the process (goals and expectations) 5 Creating awareness to the community on the onset of the project 6 Educating the community on the importance of clean environment 7 Training the public on different ways of protecting and conserving the environment accompanied with cleaning of the environment (mainly removing plastic bags) 8 Development of a waste management plan. 9 Implementation of the waste management plan 10 Monitoring and evaluating the project(goals realization) Part B (1) Key Deliverables: 1. Development of a competitive intelligence System (CIS) that will detect competitors in the field of tourism in Canada. 2. At the completion of the project opportunities and threat in the tourism sector of Canada should be identified on real time basis. Key Requirements; 1. Generating high quality information for the management. 2. The Competitive Intelligence System (CIS0 to be operational within the first two years. 3. To have two teams (internal and external). BENEFIT KPIs Detect threats from competitors Decreased level of competition and high degree of service and product creativity within the tourism sector. Detect opportunities in the tourism sector Being among the first countries in exploiting tourism opportunities. Creating new opportunities for local tourism sector. Enhance decision making process Sound decisions regarding tourism being made on regular interval. Reduction in challenges surrounding service delivery to tourists. Strategic Alignment The three divisions (marketing, product research and development, and policy) of the tourism agency will have to be aligned so as to meet the goal of developing the Competitive Intelligence System. The goal is to be met by both internal and external team. To iron out and difference for strategic alignment and coordination the teams will be meeting weekly. (2) Problem encountered The key problem encountered in this project was the evaporation of the goals and assumption set to guide the project. Project to run smoothly its goal and assumption ought to be realistic and print a picture of what is happening on the ground. The project management team that was head by the research and development did not do its homework when designing the goals and assumptions for this project. A project like this one whose impact is national, it is prudent for the concern party to incorporate all factors surrounding the project planning and implementation processes. One of the assumptions was that the “proven technology” will be imported without extensive modifications. This cannot be the case for technological projects like implementation of a Competitive Intelligence System. Modification of the system to fit in the tourism sector is inevitable. The planning stage was supposed to encompass all these elements, but it failed thus creating a loophole of the project to be unsuccessful. Preventing such issues from occurring in a similar project some times in the future it is vital for the a project management team to think comprehensively. For this case, the team would have identified all stakeholders that would have been influenced and affected by the project. After the identification of stakeholders it is when all assumptions can be drawn more vividly and realistic goals set. The project segmented tasks into internal and external one. This was a brilliant idea, but segmentation of the stakeholders would have made the approach robust. Stakeholders for such a project can be from financial sector (external) and their impact to tourism sector cannot be ignored, therefore, their opinion should be ignored. (3) Example of good project planning The idea to have the system have mini-projects was exemplary and indication of the project management team being liberal. This idea was generated after the first plan had failed due to conflict among the divisions and teams (internal and external). Ultimate goal for this project is the capability to harness not any information, but quality information that will impact positively to the tourism sector of Canada. Running mini-project within the main project creates a high probability level of accomplishing the ultimate goals and objectives of a project. Tourism is a dynamic field due to the creativity surrounding it. In addition to that, geographic endowment, make this field to be unbalanced favoring one nation at a one point and at different point it becomes an unfavorable. The mini-project will be operated with different team. This is beneficial for the Competitive Intelligence System because the team will harness relevant data that is required for the system. It is from the data that information is generated for sound decision making process. The ultimate goal for this project is to have quality information for sound decisions regarding tourism. Quality information is one that exhibits to be timely, relevant, accurate, and comprehensive. Development in the field of tourism occurs anywhere at any time, thus having mini projects will tap any development either a threat or opportunity for Canada tourism industry. References Blackwell, Sir Basil. "Tourism Destination." Omega: 135-37. Bolin, Aaron U. "Project Performance Indicator." Perf. Improv. Performance Improvement: 12-16. Bragg, Steven M. Financial Ratios and Formulas: A Comprehensive Guide. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2007. "Future Challenges." Incorporating Challenges in Project Management, 2002, 214-23. Kerzner, Harold. Project Management a Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 7th ed. New York: John Wiley, 2001. Rooij, Van Benjamin. "Regulating Land and Pollution in China." "Specific Preparations." Visualizing Objectives, Deliverables, Activities, and Schedules ESI International Project Management Series Building a Project Work Breakdown Structure: 15-19. Read More