Description
In this assignment, each student will choose one of two described projects (or one of their own) and generate a complete project plan using the many skills learned in the course. The final project plan will be a combination of written overview and conclusion, with most technical elements developed using a project or spreadsheet software. The written component will conform to APA style and the Project or Excel spreadsheet components will be clearly identified and numbered accordingly for clarity and ease of use. The written components will not be longer than two pages each. The spreadsheet and project software will make full use of imbedded notes to make the plans clear as for potential team use by others. Instructions
The students will choose one of the following three options:
Consider the construction of a $500,000 single family house in your city or region. Develop the project plan that would see this completed.
Develop a project plan for the rebranding of a university like York ville University. Start with the Board of Governors’ decision to develop a new name and brand and have it ready for a fall recruitment drive.
Propose a project in your own company or volunteer organization. The proposal would be a brief charter document for approval by the professor. If in your organization you do not need access to complete corporate financials, ensure that you are not violating any disclosure rules within your company. If you are unsure, get permission to use non-public company information. If there is some information you cannot access, write it with reasonable assumptions of what would be involved.
Significant portions of your project will be developed or tracked in some sort of project management software. There are a variety of software options for you to use. In each case, it will be the student’s responsibility to learn how to obtain and use the software, save files, and properly upload their work to the course for evaluation.
The industry gold standard is Microsoft Project, but it is expensive, has a high learning curve, and is not supported by Tech Support at YU should you run into problems. Moreover, it is far more sophisticated than you will need for this overall project.
A good cloud-based option is SmartSheet, for which a base account is free. There are excellent tutorials. Numerous collaboration and team-servicing software are also available online, but only select those that give the option to work in some sort of spreadsheet mode, and that generate Gantt chart-like timelines, as these will be part of what you will need to submit for various sections of the project (such as the WBS mentioned above).
Microsoft Excel has numerous spreadsheet templates catering to project management application.
Whichever software you intend to use, communicate this with your professor, to ensure you are using something consistent with the requirements of this project.
As the course cannot predetermine which software each student will use, all subsequent sections described below will simply refer to the working project file that you will add to and modify with each section, in whatever application you use, as the “project software document.”
This is a key learning outcome for the course. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the software and use any tutorials supplied.
Also, the video in Unit 3 on developing a Work Breakdown Structure adds to the learning on the importance of process in this activity.
All additions to the Project software document should have an accompanying text document containing:
An introduction of the addition and the decisions that impacted on the results.
A summary of the conclusions and key points in the addition. This summary would be used to inform the project managers who would take the plan to delivery or implementation.
It must be 1-2 pages and in APA format.
The individual term project will have eleven sections to be delivered and revised over four deliverable submissions, to be submitted per the following schedule:
Part 1: Selection of Project and Scope Statement
Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 1
Worth 10% of project grade
Late Submission Policy
This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.
This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.
In the event of an emergency situation preventing you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.
Please do not email your submissions to your professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through the online course (Moodle).
Instructions
Students will select the project option they will work on. (Option 3 will be subject to the professor’s approval or amendment.)
The option selected may be submitted in a Scope Statement format. You may use your own format, as long as the key information is included.
Brevity is important along with concise writing.
If you are not sure of some details, which will be developed later, include logical estimates. For instance, the cost may be difficult to determine, but indicate the general magnitude.
Identify the project management software you intend to use to ensure its compatibility with this project.
Evaluation
Part 1 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final Grade
1. The Project Charter contains the six elements as indicated in the example /40
2. The charter is concise and contains specific deliverables and responsibilities /30
The charter confirms the authorization to proceed /20
3. Attention to Detail (10%)
Accompanying text has correct APA referencing and formatting (title, headings, and references) /5
Spelling and grammar /5
Total /100
Part 2: Refined Scope Statement and WBS
Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 3
Worth 20% of project grade
Late Submission Policy
This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.
This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.
In the event of an emergency preventing you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.
Please do not email your submissions to your professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through the online course (Moodle).
Instructions
Students will submit the first two sections of the project plan.
Refine the Scope for the project. After the student chooses a project from the three choices provided, s/he will refine the scope statement to conform with the 6th Edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide. Submit as a 1-2 page MS Word document.
Develop the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). This will be submitted as your base project document in a software format that will allow you to add other components. This will be referred to as your “project software document.”
Evaluation
Part 2 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final Grade
1. Section 1 (Project Scope Refinement) (35%)
Topic appropriately described and focused /35
2. Section 2 (WBS) (50%)
WBS effectively covers scope of project /20
WBS structured to PM industry standard /30
3. Attention to Detail (15%)
The project software document is useable and professional /5
Accompanying text has correct APA referencing and formatting (title, headings & references) /5
Spelling and grammar /5
Total /100
PMBOK® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Part 3: Project Schedule and Budget
Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 6
Worth 15% of project grade
Late Submission Policy
This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.
This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.
In the event of an emergency preventing you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.
Please do not email your submissions to your professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through the online course (Moodle).
Instructions
Students will revise as required their previous submission based on instructor feedback, and then add the following two sections. This submission will include all four sections.
Design the Project Schedule. (Add to the base Project software document).
A key addition to the WBS
Generate the Budget. (Add to the base Project software document).
Evaluation
Part 3 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final Grade
1. Appropriate revisions on previous sections based on feedback (5%) /5
2 Section 3 (Project Schedule) (40%)
Schedule effectively covers scope of project /20
Schedule structured to PM industry standard /20
3. Section 4 (Budget) (35%)
Budget effectively covers scope of project /15
Budget structured to PM industry standard /20
4. Attention to Detail (20%)
The project software document is updated correctly /10
Accompanying text has correct APA referencing and formatting (title, headings & references) /5
Spelling and grammar /5
Total /100
Part 4: Quality and Communications Management Plan
Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 9
Worth 15% of project grade
Late Submission Policy
This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.
This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.
In the event of an emergency situation preventing you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.
Please do not email your submissions to your professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through the online course (Moodle).
Instructions
Students will revise as required their previous submission based on instructor feedback, and then add the following three sections. The resulting submission will include all seven sections to date.
Develop the Quality Management Plan. This anticipates who in the organization will take responsibilities for aspects of the project and their role. This will be used when the project implementation begins.
This should be a spreadsheet or grid format
Assign Resources to the Project software document.
Create a Communication Plan. Submit as a 1-2 page MS Word document or MS Excel document, using a grid plus text) See the example in Figure 4:10, page 122 of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide.
PMBOK® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Evaluation
Part 4 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final Grade
1. Appropriate revisions on previous sections based on feedback (5%) /5
2 Section 5 (Quality Management Plan) (20%)
QMP effectively covers scope of project /10
QMP structured to PM industry standard /10
3. Section 6 (Resource Assignment) (30%)
Resources correctly identified /15
Resources appropriately allocated /15
4. Section 7 (Communication Plan) (25%)
Plan effectively covers scope of project /10
Plan structured to PM industry standard /15
5. Attention to Detail (20%)
The project software document is updated correctly /10
Accompanying text has correct APA referencing and formatting (title, headings & references) /5
Spelling and grammar /5
Total /100
Part 5: Final Paper including Risk, Procurement Plan and Stakeholder Register
Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 11
Worth 40% of project grade
Late Submission Policy
This assignment is subject to the Late Submission penalty policy, namely 5% per day for three days.
This page will close and will not allow further submissions after this Late Submission period has expired.
In the event of an emergency situation preventing you from submitting within this time frame, special permission must be obtained from your instructor. Documentation substantiating emergency is required. In such a circumstance, if the extension is granted, the professor will reopen the submission function for you on an individual basis.
Please do not email your submissions to your professor, either before or after the due date; all coursework should be submitted through the online course (Moodle).
Instructions
The student will revise the previous submissions based on instructor feedback, and then add the following final four sections. This final submission will include all eleven sections.
Assess Risk and Plan Risk Responses. This requires two matrices. The first is a Risk Assessment Plan as found on page 212, Figure 7.6. (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide.) The second is the Risk Response Matrix, Figure 7.8 as found on page 217.
Create the Procurement Management Plan. See the outline of the six elements of such a plan on page 451 of our textbook. Create a grid and explanation of the goods or services required and whose responsibility and time lines for obtaining. This as noted would typically be picked up by the project implementation team. There should be a one to two page summary of the grid and the planning and decisions that created that. (Document)
Create the Stakeholder Register. (Grid format using Word or Excel) There are ten groupings of stakeholders as defined on page 341-343, (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide). Create a grid by choosing those stakeholders that would be involved in your project. Identify the stakeholders’ interest in the project and the impact that each bring to planning or project delivery.
The final submission will have a written Overview, Introduction and Summary of the project plan. These as per practice will be more than one page, but less than three. Business writing needs to be precise and succinct, allowing the reader to quickly understand the issue and expected action.
PMBOK® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Evaluation
Part 5 will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final Grade
1. Appropriate revisions on previous sections based on feedback (10%) /10
2 Section 8 (Risk Assessment and Response) (20%)
Risk Assessment Matrix /10
Risk Response Matrix /10
3. Section 9 (Update PMP) (20%)
Effectively covers scope of project /10
All six elements appropriately used /10
4. Section 10 (Stakeholder Register) (20%)
Effectively covers scope of project /10
Stakeholders appropriately identified /10
5. Section 11 (Overview, Introduction and Summary) (10%)
Effectively covers scope of project /10
6. Attention to Detail (20%)
The project software document is updated correctly /10
Accompanying text has correct APA referencing and formatting (title, headings & references) /5
Spelling and grammar /5
Total /100