ITSU2006 Project Management Assignment 1

Assignment 1 – 15% (Due Session 9)

This is an individual assessment. Objective(s)

Students are required to identify key project parameters during the phases of the project life cycle, which could accurately estimate the project flow and stages, project milestones and detailed work breakdown and scheduling. Students are required to employ project risk assessment techniques, which lead to a successful project quality assessment.

The following LOs are assessed in this assessment.

LO1	Describe the systems and process approach to project management and project life cycle phases.
LO2	Apply standard project management techniques and demonstrate use of associated software tools models using visual tools.
LO3	Critically analyse project quality, including risks and project issues.
LO4	Demonstrate effective communication and team management skills, techniques and strategies required of a project manager.

INSTRUCTIONS

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a well-analysed and well-researched project management report based on analysing and identifying the overall parameters of a project and establish the appropriate project management standards required to complete the project. A project case scenario is given that must be used to analyse and identify project issues, different project management tools and techniques to manage the project and conduct project risk assessment. Assumptions can be made where required. But the assumptions must be reasonable and documented.

The assessment is based on the realistic nature of the project and how well it is presented. Make sure that the breakdown of the tasks, timeline, and the quality of the work is realistic, justifiable and sufficiently attractive to win a tender for a real project.

Task 1: Your first task is to prepare a project charter that includes, background of the project, project objectives, main project success criteria, roles and responsibility of project stakeholders, and risk and dependencies.

Task 2: Design a Gantt Chart schedule that includes, work break-down structure (WBS), start and end date of each task, responsible person to perform the task and proceeding task/s. It is important to mention that WBS is required for all the stages (i.e., Integration and Request, Project Planning, Project

Execution, and Implementation and Support) mentioned in the case scenario. Moreover, you must include the relevant sub-stages necessary to complete the project. It is compulsory that students use Microsoft Project to complete WBS, allocate time and resources.

Task 3: Discuss a risk assessment plan. This must include identifying possible risks, performing qualitative and quantitative risk analysis and planning for risk responses. To identify risks, you must apply common risk identifying techniques (for example, brainstorming, Delphi technique, interview, SWOT analysis, fish bone diagram etc.). For detail understanding, you might conduct a brief research on common methods and techniques on project risk identification and risk analysis. For the simplicity, you need to apply risk assessment plan at only one stage of the project (i.e., Integration and Request, Project Planning, Project Execution, and Implementation and Support).

The report should be prepared in Microsoft word and uploaded on to the LMS. The word limit of the report is 1500 words. The report must use Times New Roman, 12-point font size and single line spacing with appropriate section headings.

Submission Guidelines:

All submissions are to be submitted through turn-it-in. Drop-boxes linked to turn-it-in on the LMS. Assignments not submitted through these drop-boxes will not be considered.

Submissions must be made by the due date and time and determined by your Unit facilitator. Submissions made after the due date and time will be penalized at a rate of 10% per day.

The turn-it-in similarity score will be used in determining the level if any of plagiarism. Turn-it-in will check conference web sites, Journal articles, the Web and your own class member submissions for plagiarism. You can see your turn-it-in similarity score when you submit your assignment to the appropriate drop-box. If this is a concern you will have a chance to change your assignment and re- submit. However, re-submission is only allowed prior to the submission due date and time. After the due date and time have elapsed you cannot make re-submissions and you will have to live with the similarity score as there will be no chance for changing. Thus, plan early and submit early to take advantage of this feature. You can make multiple submissions, but please remember we only see the last submission, and the date and time you submitted will be taken from that submission.

Your document should be a single word or pdf document containing your report. Your report must include:

• Title Page: The title of the assignment.
• Introduction: A statement of the purpose for your report and a brief outline of project (one or two paragraphs).
• Body of Report: Describe the tasks you performed as mentioned in the instruction. The report must discuss about the project plan including WBS and Gantt chart, findings and the elements that are mentioned in preparing and developing project plan. Comment on problems or issues you have faced during the analysis. You must report on project charter and discussion on risk assessment plan.
• Conclusion: A summary of the points you have made in the body of the paper. The conclusion should not introduce any ‘new’ material that was not discussed in the body of the paper. (One or two paragraphs)
• References: A list of sources used in your text. They should be listed alphabetically by (first) author’s family name. Follow the IEEE style.
• The footer must include your name, student ID, and page number

CASE SCENARIO

The IT organization for Mankind Hospital (MH) took the lead in championing the time keeping system (TKS) project that provides various types of services and solutions for both internal (doctors, nurses, students) and external (patients) customers. Some of those services and solutions include the registration system, employees’ clock in/out system, payment system for patients, and computing power for medical research. TKS is a formal project which has a project manager and a team of skilled and knowledgeable members. All the members are motivated and committed to the project.

Project Scope

It had been emphasized since the beginning of the project that the objective of TKS was to implement a new time keeping system for MH. The system’s replacement represented an operating necessity. It was a $1 million project and was anticipated to take 18 months to complete. The motivation for the project came from the fact that the vendor which provided services for the current time keeping system had sold its system to another company. As a result, MH was forced to make a change because the support for the current time keeping system would be discontinued by the new vendor.

Management was faced with two options: (1) purchase a new system from the new vendor, or (2) seek other vendors for time keeping systems. The first option appeared to offer fewer risks (familiarity with the previous generation of the system) and enabled MH to keep the front-end system for its employees (e.g., tax system, clock in, clock out).

Furthermore, it is required to add a new transaction inquiry feature of the TKS system, which will make the system much more user friendly, a feature that currently is not in the project plan. However, the new feature imposes more technical difficulty than what the team had expected and will cause an increase in the project cost and schedule.

Project Strategy

It primarily focuses on maintaining a stable, limited line of products or services; it offers best quality with low cost; and it delivers what its customers want. Influenced by the business strategy, project management elements are directed to satisfy customer needs through the delivery of quality products and services. The first priority of the TKS project is to install the system and make it work correctly with all other existing systems. The major constraints are cost and schedule, since the project has limited resources and a strict go – live date, previously announced to all employees.

Objective: The objective of the TKS project is to implement a new time keeping system to the organization. The target customers are payroll specialists and the users of the new system.

Product Details: The product is a time keeping system that stores all employee – related transactions. More precisely, TKS has to integrate employee data, leave accrual balances, labor

schedules, and modified pay rules into a new system. This includes developing new interfaces, training 500 timekeepers, and deploying the application to all personal computing devices. Even though it is an off – the – shelf product, the team had to work on the details with the vendor, especially the product interfaces with the existing hardware which required some modifications by the vendor. The inputs from payroll specialists are vital for getting initial set – up and configuration of the system. Resources are required from the Payroll office, Field Technical Services, Network Applications, Unix Administration and Database Administration, and a focus group consisting of timekeepers and managers from a cross – section of the hospital.

Success Criteria: The primary success measure of the project was the accuracy of the system.

Other success criteria include the following: user – friendly interface, July go – live, and $1 million total cost.

Project Process: TKS has four major phases (with addition to some sub-phases) to complete

— Integration and Request (New IT requests, Initial analysis), Project Planning (Requirements documents, Planning), Project Execution (Execution), and Implementation and Support (Go-Live, Project Retrospective, Close-out)— and three major decision checkpoints: functional review, baseline review, and customer approval.

Marking Guide: 50 Marks

Task	Description	Marks
Introduction	Write an introduction for the report	5
Report Layout	Report layout, language and style should be good	5
Task 1	Design a project charter that includes, background of the project, project objectives, main project success criteria, roles and responsibility of project stakeholders, and risk and dependencies.	8
Task 2	Construct a Gantt Chart schedule that includes, work break-down structure (WBS), start and end date of each task, responsible person to perform the task and proceeding task/s.	12
Task 3	Discuss a risk assessment and management plan. This should include identifying possible risks, performing qualitative and quantitative risk analysis and planning for risk responses.	10
Conclusion	A summary of the report	5
References	Follow the IEEE style	5

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