1
8
ProjectInitiation
Terrell McGhee
Project Management 22TW5
SNHU
6/26/2022
Project Initiation
Introduction
Fabricant Manufacturing is an American firm with headquarters in the northeast that manufactures and sells metal parts for various industries throughout the United States (Graded Case study part 1). The Company has experienced significant development and expansion over the years, and as a result, it has shifted its attention to sustainability and responsible business practices. The Chief Executive Officer has even outlined some goals for the Company to achieve regarding sustainability. The sustainability objectives of Fabricant Corporation are to reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent, generate a minimum rate on the project of 15%, and sensitize the community on environmental concerns. To achieve these goals, the company strategic planning manager has proposed three sustainability projects which the managers can choose to implement. One such investment includes industrial lighting retrofit; this report provides a critical feasibility analysis of the project to assess its viability and sustainability while evaluating how it is aligned with the Company’s strategic goals. This report will also design a project charter, create timelines, and provide a stakeholders’ analysis by evaluating the support level of various project stakeholders.
Project’s Feasibility Analysis
A feasibility study aims to determine the possibility of successfully executing a project by conducting an investigation that considers all of the essential aspects of the project, such as its scheduling, legal, economic and technical issues (Guo & Zhang,2022). The Company is responsible for ensuring that the project is aligned with its long-term objectives and has the necessary resources to run it. The corporation must decide how it will finance the project and choose between using its resources and taking out loans. In addition, they need to evaluate whether or not they have the human resources necessary to execute the project or if they will be required to enlist support from outside the organization.
The initial cost outlay for the industrial lighting retrofits is estimated to be $ 310,000, and it will reduce the Company’s operating costs by $ 145,000 annually (Graded case study, part 1, 2022). From the economic standpoint, the industrial lighting retrofit project is feasible because its return on investment is estimated to be 89 percent which is over and above the Company’s return on investment of 15 percent. Additionally
the project is also technically viable since Fabricant Manufacturing company has a highly technical team of employees with the requisite skills to manage the project a reality.
Alignment of the project to the Company’s strategic goals
The influence of the corporate strategy is what ultimately determines the designs of the project management plan. When the project design is precisely integrated with the organization’s processes, it increases the chances of success since the project-strategy synergy will accurately guide the project stakeholders. The traceability matrix will be used to understand the alignment of the solar panel project with the strategies of Fabricant Manufacturing. Traceability Matrix is a table that connects the project’s specifications to their source and traces them across the project’s life. This document is essential because it guarantees that each demand for the project can be related to a specific business goal. This is a necessary aspect of the project as it enables the project manager to effectively explain the project requirement to the stakeholders, hence increasing the likelihood that the project will be supported to its completion. The industrial lighting retrofit is essentially aligned with the strategic objectives of the Fabricant Manufacturing Corporation. For instance, the goal of the Company of reducing energy consumption by at least 20 percent is concisely aligned with the benefits of industrial lighting retrofit since the project will save the Company close to a 1.1million kWh of energy annually (Graded Case study part 1). Besides, the project is also in line with the CEO’s Objective of increasing community awareness about environmental sustainability. The benefits associated with the project will be produced in the Company’s publications and the website to enable members of the public to be updated. The Company’s economic strategy is also closely tied to the project since investing in industrial lighting retrofits will result in a return on investment of 89 percent in the first year of implementation.
Industrial Lighting Retrofit
Project Charter
Documentation of the project’s objectives, development, and scope is contained in a project charter, which also defines the roles and duties of stakeholders. In most cases, the project manager is the one who drafts the scope statement (Tri Mardiani, 2020). This document describes the project’s entirety, including any deliverables, their characteristics, and a profile of stakeholders the project will impact. In addition to that, it will detail any main project objectives, deliverables, and goals to assist in performance evaluation. Finishing off the project scope statement demands making a list of assumptions and risks. A project manager will better understand the project’s outcomes and develop a blueprint to execute the project successfully.
|
Project Title |
Industrial Lighting Retrofit |
|
Project description |
Replacement of the manufacturing facility and office lighting system |
|
Background |
The company’s Strategic objectives of reducing energy consumption, increasing community environmental awareness, and enhancing the return on investment. |
|
Project objectives |
Annual energy saving of close to a 1.1million Kwh. Reduction in the operating cost of close to $ 142,000 year |
|
Scope statement |
Fabricant Manufacturing Corporation to reduce energy consumption and increase community environmental sustainability awareness. |
|
Project budget |
Initial capital requirement of $ 310,000 |
|
Stakeholders |
The Company CEO, strategic manager, the financial analyst, project manager, communication officer, logistical manager, employees, and community |
|
Role and Responsibilities |
The CEO- Ensure the project is aligned with the organization’s goals Financial Analyst- Provide capital appraisal report Strategic manager – ensure the project is linked to the company objectives |
|
Milestones |
LED replacement completed T-8 Vaportite fixture completed |
|
Risk |
Disruption of production during installation affects the output The team does not possess all the possible skills and knowledge |
|
Measurement |
Energy-saving cost and energy-saving Kwh. |
|
Approval |
The company CEO and the project team |
|
Sources: |
Graded Case study parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
Project Timeline
A timeline for a project is a sequential description of all the activities that need to be accomplished to complete a task. The entire project is molded by these timeframes, keeping stakeholders abreast of each project step (Hande & Phillippi, 2018). The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the milestones are reached and that the project’s costs are kept low and within budget. The timelines of the industrial lighting retrofit are expected to be short, close to 3 months, to avoid disruption of the production process. The initial capital commitment is projected to be $ 310,000, which is anticipated to be offset by a rebate of $ 245,000.
The concern of Key project stakeholders
Depending on their level of involvement in the project, various stakeholders would have diverse issues. Internal stakeholders such as project managers and inventors may cite cost as their primary concern. On the other hand, external stakeholders such as the public may mention the environmental issues. The problem of the internal stakeholders about the project is associated with the potential risks of the project, such as budget overlaps, the disruption of the production process during project installation, the occupational health and safety concerns, and the possibility of the new technology failing to generate the required results (Graded Case study 1 part 4). It can also be noted from the email of the production foreman that some employees were repugnant to the replacement of the lighting, and they expressed their unwillingness to work overtime.
Support for the project
The CEO of Fabricant Manufacturing company enlisted the support of various think tanks in the Company to ensure the project’s success. Mr. Lee engaged stakeholders in all cadres for instance, in the list of implementers were the truck drivers to provide transportation support. To ensure that the project conforms to the environmental requirements, the CEO engaged
Trudy Noble
to provide an environmental assessment of the project. Additionally, Paul Callahan, a logistical expert, was enlisted to ensure that all project deliverables were acquired on time and within the budget (Graded Case study 1 part 2). The CEO also understood the importance of communication in the project’s success, especially in achieving the object of public awareness; he, therefore, called for the support of Jeff Salvatore, a public relations and communication guru.
Stakeholders Analysis
|
Name |
Role |
Interest |
Power |
Classification |
|||||
|
Lee Feinberg |
Chief Executive officer |
High |
Close Management |
||||||
|
Janice Scott |
Strategic manager |
Close management |
|||||||
|
Vivian Liu |
Leader of the project |
High |
|||||||
| Trudy Noble |
Environmental manager |
Close Management | |||||||
|
Perry Silverman |
Finance Analyst |
||||||||
|
Employees |
Implementers |
Moderate |
Monitored |
||||||
|
Community |
Supporters |
Low |
Conclusion
Implementing the industrial lighting retrofit project will help Fabricant Manufacturing Company achieve its three strategic objectives. The feasibility study of the project points to the close link of the project to the strategic plans of the Company; as such, it will be ideal for energy-saving and building the Company’s sustainability objectives.
References
Guo, K., & Zhang, L. (2022). Multi-objective optimization for improved project management: Current status and future directions. Automation in Construction, 139, 104256.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926580522001297
Hande, K., & Phillippi, J. (2018). Project Timeline Template: A Guide for Successful Completion. Nurse educator, 43(3), 115.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5908739/
Tri Mardiani, G. (2020). Template Project Charter.
https://repository.unikom.ac.id/64644/1/Template%20project-charter
1
8
ProjectPlanning & Project Executions
Terrell McGhee
QSO
6
4
0
SNHU
7
/17/
2
022
QSO 640 Milestone Two
Project Planning
ECO-Trans is a European firm that develops and manufactures “driver assist” technology that can be installed in public vehicles such as buses, trains, and other vehicles essential for mass transit. The ECO-Steam system examines the current path of a bus or train, taking into account the anticipated arrival time, and then provides the driver with recommendations for improving fuel efficiency (MindEdge, 2022). The technology works by providing instructions to drivers that assist in reducing traffic delays and unsafe driving conditions, thus making public transport effective and safer.
Sunshine Rail Transit is a good example of a company that has utilized the ECO-Trans “driver assist” technology. The company provides light-rail commuter transport as it has signed a contract with ECO-Transit to install a tailor-made ECO Steam system in its
5
3
locomotives. The deal will see Sunshine Rail Transit increasing efficiency in its operations concentrated in the major cities and towns of the Southeast.
Business Requirements
The primary
goal of a project is to fix a problem or improve existing business operations. To achieve this objective, it is critical to understand the business requirements, which aids in properly planning and Implementing the project. The Sunshine Rail Transit ECO Steam System project implementation has six core business requirements that must be implemented to guarantee the project’s success. The project is scheduled to take one year and three months and is primarily focused on reducing fuel costs and environmental sustainability through a reduction in pollution ( MindEdge 2022). To effectively implement the project, the rail operators will need to be trained on the system’s operation to eliminate the impact of delays on customer schedules by ensuring that operations are done within the schedule.
|
Requirement Number |
Requirement Description |
Priority |
||||||
|
|
Installation of ECO steam System to take one year and three months |
High |
||||||
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 |
Training of the company employees on the operation of the project |
|||||||
|
Reduction in cost of Fuel |
||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Environmental sustainability through a reduction in carbon emission |
Medium |
||||||
|
Reduction of impact on commuter schedule |
||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||
|
Increased efficiency through operating within the schedule |
||||||||
| 6 |
Subject Matter Experts in the Implementation of ECO Steam System Project
Subject matter experts are individuals with high knowledge and skills, which are prerequisites for successfully implementing the project. The Sunshine Rail Transit, ECO- Steam System’s project will require highly skilled individuals to ensure that the project meets the business requirements. As such, subject matter experts in this project will include project sponsors and various departmental managers of the company who will guide employees such as engineers. The project sponsor Mr. John Shaller will ensure that the project is operated and completed within the budget and schedule. The training manager of the transport department, Mr. Mark Osborne, will be instrumental in offering training to the employees on the operations and Implementation of the project. Besides, Ed Hallman and Bennie Hays, the company’s mechanical department communication gurus, will coordinate the system implementation by ensuring the operations changes are timely communicated to the stakeholders, and the project review results are also communicated (MindEdge, 2022). On the other hand, Linda Lindstrom, the transport operations head, will provide operations guidelines to ensure that project schedules are met, while the front line experts will be the company engineers will be in charge of operations of the locomotives under the new dispensation.
Significance of format for capturing requirements
Capturing and documenting specific information about the project requirements is critical in ensuring consistency and helping the project manager effectively implement the project. To ensure the project’s success, the project development team will have to collect and rank the business requirements to ensure that the project’s scope covers all project needs. Since the project aims to impact various stakeholders, capturing project requirements guarantees that all stakeholders’ interests are captured and implemented (Tereso et al., 201
9
). Additionally, project traceability will be possible if project requirements are captured, which helps to minimize risks of budget overrun and delays in project completion. Project requirements can be captured using focused group discussions, surveys, and interviews.
Project Budget and Schedule
The ECO- Steam System project is expected to take one year and three months, and considering 8 hours, each month will have 25 days. This means that the entire project period will be 3000 working hours. The project estimates indicate that the Sunshine Rail Transit will spend approximately $ 45000 per month. This will translate to the total project cost of $45,000*15 = $ 675,000.
|
Activity |
Activity name |
Duration |
Start |
Finish |
Allocation |
||
|
Identify business requirements and Milestones |
Ten days |
7/15/2022 |
7/25/2022 |
$ 15,000 |
|||
|
Reviewing budget requirements with sponsor |
15 days |
7/26/2022 |
8/ 10 /2022 |
$ 10,000 |
|||
|
Staff training |
One month |
8/ 11 /2022 |
11/11/2022 |
$ 45,000 |
|||
|
Project Launch |
Two months |
11/12/2022 |
1/12/2023 |
$ 70,000 |
|||
|
Purchase of equipment |
1/13/2023 |
2/13/2023 |
$ 200,000 |
||||
|
The pilot project, installation of technology |
Three months |
1/14/2023 |
4/14/2023 |
$ 80,000 |
|||
| 7 |
System testing and review |
3months |
4/15/2023 |
8/15/2023 |
|||
| 8 |
Phase 2 installation of technology |
8/16/2023 |
10/16/2023 |
$ 90,000 |
|||
| 9 |
Staff training review |
10/17/2023 |
11/17/2023 |
$ 60,000 |
|||
| 10 |
Final project review |
11/18/2023 |
12/18/2023 |
$ 25,000 |
|||
| 11 |
Completion |
Five days |
12/19/2023 |
12/24/2023 |
|||
|
Total Project cost |
$ 675,000 |
Project Execution
Projection Implementation Approach
The waterfall method is the most suitable technique for implementing the ECO Steam Systems project. This method works best in this case because it provides precise project implementation steps, which begin by providing the statement of customers’ requirements. In its most basic form, the waterfall approach makes it possible for the project to flow logically from conception to conclusion, following the project milestones (Thesing et al., 2021). Considering the departmental organizational structure of Sunshine Rail Transit company, the Waterfall approach will be critical in assigning various project milestones to different departments of the organization. Departments will coordinate with other departments to ensure all project steps are effectively and timely implemented. The approach is extremely well-organized, which ensures that the attention is laid to finishing deliverables within the budget and schedule, thereby reducing impacts on the existing Sunshine Rail Transit system, which will be completely redesigned and brought up to date by utilizing ECO- Steam System technology.
Project Schedule Review
The Implementation of the project is often affected by some factors, which may result in budget overruns and delayed completion. As such project schedule will need to be reviewed consistently to capture emerging aspects that influence the project. Addressing changes in the project schedule involves using project compression approaches. Compression strategies are procedures that are regularly utilized to decrease the time of a project without harming the project’s scope. Crashing is one way that can be used, and it refers to the process of adding resources to assist in the completion of essential project operations. These resources can include more workers, equipment, or other project requirements.
Communication Approach
The project manager’s ability to effectively communicate with project team members and stakeholders is a key responsibility. The project manager must find a way to keep all project stakeholders updated on its development to avoid nasty consequences and guarantee that the project runs smoothly. Communication is essential in ensuring that all stakeholders know their role in the project and that the project deadlines are observed (Rajhans, 2018). The ECO Steam System will take 15 months to be completed as such communication will help to ensure that objectives are achieved since each stage of development will be communicated to the shareholders and any adjustments made.
The effectiveness of communication depends on various factors, which include the target audience, the frequency, the mode of communication, and deliverables, among others. The project manager will be instrumental in ensuring adequate planning and execution by working with the project implementation team. The communication approach of this project is summarized in the following table.
|
Type of meeting |
The goal of the meeting |
Frequency of the meeting |
Mode of communication |
Target audience |
Owner |
Deliverable |
||
|
To inform stakeholders about the project objectives |
Once at the start of the project |
Face to Face |
All Project stakeholders |
Project manager |
Project scope documents, agendas, and minutes |
|||
|
Project implementation meeting |
To review project progress |
Monthly |
Face to face |
Project development team |
minutes and update reports |
|||
|
Project review meeting with management |
Project status review and adjustment |
Monthly |
Company management |
Minutes and progress reports. |
References
Tereso, A., Ribeiro, P., Fernandes, G., Loureiro, I., & Ferreira, M. (2019). Project management practices in private organizations. Project Management Journal, 50(1), 6-22.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/8756972818810966
Thesing, T., Feldmann, C., & Burchardt, M. (2021). Agile versus Waterfall project management: decision model for selecting the appropriate approach to a project. Procedia Computer Science, 181, 746-756.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050921002702
Rajhans, K. (2018). Effective communication management: A key to stakeholder relationship management in project-based organizations. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 12(4), 47-66.
https://www.projektassistenz-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Effective_Communication_with_Stakeholders
Final Graded Case Study: Project Management Plan, Hightower Global Solutions
Project Selection and Initiation
After having been recently laid off from his job of 35 years as a Sales Manager at Hightower Global Solutions, Tony DiBello got a
call from his former boss Peter McKenzie asking him to return to the organization to help get a new initiative off the ground.
The Project
Based on McKenzie’s brief description over the phone, DiBello understood that the project was to develop a “sales training
intranet” (code named HighLEARN) for Hightower’s 350 geographically dispersed sales associates. A Fortune 500 firm
specializing in financial services technology and outsourcing solutions, Hightower had more than 100 complex products and
services to offer its diverse client base of banks, mutual fund complexes and insurance companies. In addition, Hightower’s
executive leadership was pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy, buying small companies and further expanding the
product portfolio. As a result, both new and experienced sales associates were struggling to get up to speed on all of the
Hightower offerings, and sales leadership was concerned that they were missing opportunities to pitch new products to clients.
McKenzie, the Head of Hightower’s Sales organization, had become an evangelist for what he called “Blended Learning”—
combining traditional classroom training with online learning opportunities—and he was determined to develop a highly
interactive “portal” to help improve sales performance. He envisioned a custom intranet where Hightower sales associates
across the globe could log on to get comprehensive product information and presentations, access webinars and videos with
product specialists, and share tips and feedback through blogs, forums and social features.
McKenzie’s enthusiasm for the intranet project was infectious. Even Carol Bailey, Hightower’s CEO, had come to believe that
connecting people in this way was critical to ensuring Hightower’s success and sustainability in the global market. Due to the
breadth and diversity of the company’s product offerings—and the rate at which they were acquiring new products—there was
immense pressure on everyone in the sales organization to become experts on as many products and services as possible in
order to meet aggressive sales targets.
To support the CEO’s strategic agenda, the following project elements, team members, and constraints were provided.
Project Budget and Roll-out Date
Project Budget $1.5 million
Project Scheduled to
Start
June 1, 2019
HighLEARN Roll-out January 1,
2020
Project Team Members
Name Role
Ricardo Contin Director of Learning and
Development
Steve Quan Hightower IT Operations Specialist
Shannon Valley Hightower IT Systems and Security
Monica Ianucci Content Specialist
Jonathan Brant Content Specialist
Initial Project Risks
1 Website does not meet user requirements or functionality.
2 Shannon Valley and Steve Quan are not available to contribute to the project until July 15, 2019.
QSO 640: Project Management
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Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
3 Marketing department has not endorsed the approach; believes they should go with Microsoft
® SharePoint®
system.
4 Security of intranet/portal: no external access beyond firewall.
Project Activity Duration
Portal Development
User Interface Design Complete and Tested 2 days
Style Sheets for Portal 3 weeks
Theme Design for Website 8 weeks
Portal Administration Complete and Accepted 2 days
Administrative Page Groups 10
weeks
Administrative Access Control Design 7 weeks
Content Management & Coding Complete and Tested 2 days
Content Display from Repository 28 days
Content Upload and Functionality 8 weeks
Configure/Code Indexing and Functionality 13
weeks
Infrastructure and Security
Architecture Approved for Implementation 1 day
Servers for Development, Staging, and Production 13
weeks
Configure Firewalls 4 weeks
Integrate Infrastructure and Security Systems 8 weeks
Log-in/Registration System Complete and Tested 3 days
Create Log-in/User Profiles 4 weeks
Content Creation and Editing
Product Content Modules Completed and Accepted 5 days
Interviews with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Sales
Representatives
2 weeks
Product Sales Summaries 4 weeks
Sales Case Studies for Content Modules 7 weeks
Edit/Film SME Videos 1 week
Upload Presentations, Demos, and Webinars for Content Modules 2 weeks
Documentation
Development and Document Coding Standards and Procedures 15
weeks
Develop Test Acceptance Plans and Procedures 15
weeks
HighLEARN Database Test and Acceptance 1 week
HighLEARN Roll-out
Hightower Global Solutions Organizational Chart
QSO 640: Project Management
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PMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMBOK, and the PMI
Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Hightower Global Solutions Staffing List
IT Systems and Security
Cyber Security
Harold Williams
Dennis Callahan
Beth Stroller
Systems Engineering
Juan Felipe
Susan Xiao
Cheryl Bolden
Business Operations
John Petrel
Steven Johnson
Steve Quan
Learning and Development
Human Resources
Christina Alston
Elizabeth Carol
Judy Wilson
Terrence Holober
Frederick Concern
QSO 640: Project Management
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Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Training Department
Kimberly Contos
Nicholas Bergh
Tyler Burns
Dianne Harrison
Content Development
Jonathan Brant
Monica Ianucci
Henry Stephenson
Sales, Marketing, and Budgeting
Domestic Sales
James Youngster
William Feller
International Sales
Tracy Woodster
Andrew Levitt
Marketing/Advertising
Sasha Fiercer
Jason Holdmeer
Acquisitions and Product
Portfolios
Product Management
Meagan Golden
Melvin Simpson
Acquisitions Management
Nicole Smith
Evelyn Lovelace
Strategic Management
Richard Mattingly
Teresa Berry-Van
Helbing
Please use the information above to complete your final Graded Case Study. Return to your learning environment to submit
your work.
QSO 640: Project Management
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PMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMBOK, and the PMI
Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
QSO 640 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Organizations continue to struggle with successful project implementations that support business goals. Strides in project management have been achieved
through a consistent approach to project management as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI)® A Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide), Fifth Edition, 2013. Specifically, the five phases of project management—consisting of initiating, planning, executing, controlling,
and closing—provide a framework for achieving business goals through successful project implementations. At the completion of the course, you will
understand the key deliverables and activities within each phase of this framework in order to achieve business goals.
Your final project will be a complete project management plan. The plan will be comprised of standard templates used by organizations across all industries. For
milestones one and two, you will use two different case studies from your Mindedge resource. For your final project, you will be using a third case study from
Mindedge, the HighTower Global Solutions case study, as the foundation for your plan. Each week you will move through the phases of the project management
life cycle and develop components of the project management plan to address the organizational need within each of these different case studies. You will
consider stakeholder perspectives and communication needs as well as typical project risks and issues. At the end of the course, you will have a complete project
management plan that supports a typical project for an organization.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. Please note that you will use different case studies for each Milestone and for your final project in this course, all of which can be found in your
Mindedge resource.
Milestone One utilizes the Fabricant Manufacturing Project case study and will be submitted in Module Three.
Milestone Two utilizes the ECO-Trans case study and will be submitted in Module Six.
The final project utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study and will be submitted in Module Nine.
In your final project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Develop project charters that illustrate the high-level scope of the project as it aligns to organizational strategic needs
Analyze internal and external stakeholder needs for efficiently navigating organizational structures
Determine proper approaches to defining business requirements for aligning with business strategies
Utilize project management software for effectively developing project management plans
Develop key project management control documents for ensuring effective management plan scope descriptions
Evaluate agile and waterfall methods for successful project execution
Determine approaches for project closure that inform ongoing best practices in project management planning
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Prompt
Throughout the course, you have been working through the phases of the project management life cycle to develop components for a project management plan
that addresses the organizational needs of the organization highlighted in two case studies: the Fabricant Manufacturing Project (Milestone One) and the ECO-
Trans case study (Milestone Two). Your instructor and peers have provided feedback for you to consider along the way. Now, you have the background
knowledge and the information necessary to complete your project management plan, which utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study, available in
MindEdge.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Project Initiation
A. Identify the economic, technical, and organizational feasibility of the project. For instance, how is the project a viable fit within the organization?
B. Explain how the project aligns to the organization’s strategic goals utilizing the traceability matrix (in Mindedge).
C. Develop a project charter that includes a high-level scope of what is to be accomplished.
D. Create a high-level timeline and cost estimate to complete the project.
E. Identify the concerns of the internal and external key project stakeholders.
F. Compare the level of support from all key project stakeholders to inform the course of action resulting in success of the project.
G. Complete the stakeholder analysis template.
II. Project Planning
A. Determine the business requirements for the successful development of the project. Justify your choices.
B. Establish who will provide the business requirements. What approach will be used to solicit the requirements from the subject matter experts?
C. Categorize and organize the business requirements in a standard requirements template.
D. Explain why the format for capturing requirements is important to the overall success of the project. Why would we consider requirements’
traceability?
E. Leveraging the business requirements, translate these requirements into a project schedule using project management software through the
provided template.
F. Estimate the duration of project tasks using common business knowledge, and assign resources to complete each task.
G. Refine your estimate of the project cost based on the duration of tasks and resources needed.
III. Project Execution
A. Determine the best implementation approach—agile or waterfall project—for the organization based on its organizational structure. Provide
examples to support your rationale.
B. Explain how the project schedule can be resource leveled, fast-tracked, or crashed if needed based upon execution results.
C. Propose communication approaches and the frequency that should be used to keep leadership apprised of the project execution. Include
examples to support your claims.
IV. Project Control
A. Describe how you will handle changes in scope to your project management plan. What change management process will be used? What key
information will be required for change requests?
B. Describe the risk management process that is the best fit for effective project control over your plan.
C. Explain how you will document issues and what process will be used to manage the issue to completion. Include examples to support your
claims.
V. Project Closeout
A. Identify what needs to be done to close your project management plan. Include examples supporting how you will minimize the chances of
overlooking a step in the project process.
B. Justify the need for a warranty period and how the project will transition to business
C. Complete a lessons-learned template for the case study project.
Milestones
Milestone One: Project Initiation
In Module Three, you will submit the Project Initiation portion of your final project. Milestone One utilizes the Fabricant Manufacturing Project case study. This
milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Project Planning and Project Execution
In Module Six, you will submit the Project Planning and Project Execution portions of your final project. Milestone Two utilizes the ECO-Trans case study. This
milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Final Submission: Project Management Plan
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project, which utilizes the HighTower Global Solutions case study. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing
all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with
the Final Project Rubric.
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Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your project management plan should be between 10 and 12 pages, double-spaced, have one-inch margins, and use 12-point Times
New Roman font and the most recent version of APA format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Project Initiation:
Feasibility
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of the specific
organizational parameters of
feasibility
Identifies the economic,
technical, and organizational
feasibility of the project and
how the project is a viable fit
within the organization
Identifies the economic,
technical, and organizational
feasibility of the project, but
does not discuss how the
project is a viable fit within the
organization or is inaccurate or
cursory
Does not identify the
economic, technical, and
organizational feasibility of the
project
3.46
Project Initiation:
Strategic Goals
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into
project alignment with
strategic goals
Explains how the project aligns
to the organization’s strategic
goals
Explains how the project aligns
to the organization’s strategic
goals, but explanation is
inaccurate or cursory
Does not describe how the
project aligns to the
organization’s strategic goals
4.62
Project Initiation:
Project Charter
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of what is to be
accomplished
Develops a project charter that
includes a high-level scope of
what is to be accomplished and
is detailed appropriately
Develops a project charter, but
does not include a high-level
scope of what is to be
accomplished
Does not develop a project
charter
4.62
Project Initiation:
High-Level Timeline
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into the
complexity of project
Creates a high-level timeline
and estimate of cost to
complete the project
Creates a high-level timeline
and estimate of cost to
complete the project, but
response contains inaccuracies
Does not create a high-level
timeline or estimate of cost to
complete the project
4.62
Project Initiation: Key
Project Stakeholders
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into the
different stakeholder concerns
Identifies the concerns of key
project internal and external
stakeholders
Identifies the concerns of key
project internal and external
stakeholders, but response
either contains inaccuracies or
is overgeneralized
Does not identify the concerns
of key project stakeholders
3.46
Project Initiation:
Support
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
shows a deep understanding of
how to leverage stakeholders
for the success of a project
Compares the level of support
from all key stakeholders to
inform the course of action of
the project
Compares the level of support
from all key stakeholders, but
discussion contains gaps or
inaccuracies
Does not compare the level of
support from all key
stakeholders
3.46
Project Initiation:
Stakeholder Analysis
Template
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
level of detail shows keen
insight into the scope and scale
of the project
Completes the stakeholder
analysis template
Completes the stakeholder
analysis template, but template
contains inaccuracies
Does not complete the
stakeholder analysis template
3.46
Project Planning:
Business
Requirements
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into the
business requirements
necessary for the successful
development of a project
Determines the business
requirements for the successful
development of the case study
project and justifies choices
Determines the business
requirements for the successful
development of the case study
project, but does not justify
choices, or determination
contains inaccuracies
Does not determine the
business requirements for the
successful development of the
case study project
3.46
Project Planning:
Subject Matter
Experts
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into
solicitation approaches for
subject matter experts
Establishes who will provide
the requirements and what
approach will be used to solicit
the requirements from the
subject matter experts
Establishes who will provide
the requirements, but does not
establish what approach will be
used or selection is illogical
Does not establish who will
provide the requirements
3.46
Project Planning:
Standard
Requirements
Template
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides level of detail and
organization that streamlines
project development
Categorizes and organizes the
business requirements in a
standard requirements
template
Categorizes and organizes the
business requirements in a
standard requirements
template, but approach is
illogical or lacks detail
Does not categorize and
organize the business
requirements in a standard
requirements template
3.46
Project Planning:
Format
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into the
connection of traceability
throughout project
development
Explains why the format for
capturing requirements is
important to the overall
success of the project,
including traceability
Explains why the format for
capturing requirements is
important to the overall
success of the project, but
response lacks traceability,
contains inaccuracies, or is
cursory
Does not explain why the
format for capturing
requirements is important to
the overall success of the
project
3.46
Project Planning:
Project Schedule
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a complex grasp
of predecessor relationships
Translates the requirements
into a project schedule that
contains appropriate and
logical predecessor
relationships using project
management software through
the provided template
Translates the requirements
into a project schedule using
project management software
through the provided template,
but relationships are
inappropriate or illogical
Does not translate the
requirements into a project
schedule using project
management software through
the provided template
4.62
Project Planning:
Estimate
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of business
knowledge and resources in
project management
Estimates the duration of the
project tasks using common
business knowledge and
assigns resources to complete
each task
Estimates the duration of the
project tasks using common
business knowledge and
assigns resources to complete
each task, but estimation is
inaccurate or overgeneralized
Does not estimate the duration
of the project tasks
4.62
Project Planning:
Refine Estimate
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates deep
understanding of project costs
Refines estimate of the project
based on the duration of the
tasks and resources needed
Refines estimate of the project,
but estimate is inaccurate
Does not refine estimate of the
project
4.62
Project Execution:
Implementation
Approach
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates deep
understanding of how the
selected implementation
approach supports
organizational structure
Determines which
implementation approach is
the best for the organization,
using examples to support
rationale
Determines an implementation
approach for the organization,
but response lacks examples
that support rationale or is
cursory
Does not determine an
implementation approach
4.62
Project Execution:
Project Schedule
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates deep
understanding of relationship
between schedule techniques
and project execution
Explains how the project
schedule can be resource
leveled, fast-tracked, or
crashed if needed based upon
execution results
Explains how the project
schedule can be resource
leveled, fast-tracked, or
crashed, but response is
inaccurate or overgeneralized
Does not explain how the
project schedule can be
resource leveled, fast-tracked,
or crashed
4.62
Project Execution:
Keep Leadership
Apprised
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into the
appropriate communication
needed to keep leadership
apprised
Proposes communication
approaches and frequency to
keep leadership apprised of the
project execution, using
examples to support claims
Proposes communication
approaches and frequency to
keep leadership apprised of the
project execution, but
response lacks examples that
support claims or is
inappropriate
Does not propose
communication approaches
and frequency to keep
leadership apprised
4.62
Project Control:
Change Management
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of the change
management process
Describes a change
management process that is
the best fit for the project,
including key information
required
Describes a change
management process that is
the best fit for the project, but
response lacks key information
or process contains
inaccuracies or gaps
Does not describe a change
management process that is
the best fit for the project
4.62
Project Control: Risk
Management
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates insight into how
risk management positively
impacts project control
Describes the risk management
process that is the best fit for
effective project control over
the plan
Describes the risk management
plan, but description has gaps
or inaccuracies
Does not describe the risk
management plan
4.62
Project Control:
Issues
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
process is exceptionally
detailed
Explains how issues will be
documented and what process
will be used to manage the
issue to completion, including
examples that support claims
Explains how issues will be
documented and the process
to manage the issue, but
response contains inaccuracies
or is cursory
Does not explain how issues
will be documented and the
process to manage the issue
4.62
Project Closeout:
Close
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a deep
understanding of project plan
closure
Identifies what needs to be
done to close the project plan,
including examples to support
how to minimize the chances
of overlooking steps
Identifies what needs to be
done to close the project plan,
but response contains
inaccuracies, is cursory, or does
not include examples
Does not identify what needs
to be done to close the project
plan
4.62
Project Closeout:
Warranty Period
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
discussion demonstrates
nuanced understanding of the
project transition
Justifies the need for a
warranty period and process
for transitioning project to
business
Justifies the need for a
warranty period and process
for transitioning project to
business, but response
contains inaccuracies or is
cursory
Does not justify the need for a
warranty period and process
for transitioning project to
business as usual
4.62
Project Closeout:
Lessons-Learned
Template
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of using a
lessons-learned template for
continuous improvement
Completes a lessons-learned
template for the project plan
Completes a lessons-learned
template for the project plan,
but template contains
inaccuracies
Does not complete a lessons-
learned template
4.62
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-to-
read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
3.02
Total 100%
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