30 Dec Create a guide to project

Unit 1 discussion

Discuss the organizational culture of the place where you work or a place where you have worked. Would you characterize the culture as being strong or weak? Please use examples to illustrate why it is considered strong or weak. Is the organization conducive to being project-based? What role does culture play in introducing project teams?

Unit 2 discussion

Thinking back to a recent group project in which you participated, how effective were you as a team member? What behaviors did you engage in that contributed to your effectiveness and the group’s effectiveness? What were sources of conflict within the group, and how were they resolved? Please be specific.

Unit 3 discussion

Your boss has just come to you with a great idea. He wants to develop a three-day camping trip that focuses on team building and conflict resolution. Other than that goal, he really does not provide any details. Based on the ambiguity of the request, what do you need to consider when it comes to the selection process and scope management of your new project?

Unit 4 discussion

How has the global economy affected the importance of cost estimation and cost control for many project organizations? Please be specific, and offer examples. Feel free to use your own organization if possible.

Unit 5 discussion

Why are traditional project planning methods insufficient when project deliverables are subject to changing requirements or continuous input from the project client? Feel free to use your own organization if possible, and offer examples.

Unit 6 discussion

Assume that your organization is implementing a new employee orientation training, and you are responsible for organizing it. How could the critical path method (CPM) and the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) assist you?

Unit 7 discussion

Consider the following statements: The problem with risk analysis is that it is possible to imagine virtually anything going wrong on a project. Where do you draw the line? In other words, how far do you take risk analysis before it becomes overkill?

How would you respond to this observation? Please use examples to support your opinion.

Unit 8 discussion

What is your opinion of this course? Did it meet your expectations? What suggestions can you offer for improvement of this course for future students?

The seven steps of the formal project closeout are (1) finishing the work, (2) handing over the project, (3) gaining acceptance of the project, (4) harvesting the benefits, (5) reviewing how it all went, (6) putting it all to bed, and (7) disbanding the team.

Which step do you view as being most important, and why?

Unit I Essay

Compose an essay using at least three CSU Online Library sources. Your essay should meet the following criteria:

Define a project. Describe at least three characteristics that help differentiate projects from other functions carried out in the daily operations of the organization.

Explain why project management is often used to train future senior executives.

Discuss at least two detriments to project success.

Discuss the importance of project implementation to strategic planning and the project manager (PM).

Your paper should be no less than two pages in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations and be cited per APA guidelines.

Unit 2 assessment

Question 1 Corporations have downsized over the last 25 to 30 years and, as a result, have eliminated layers of management—particularly middle management. To what degree, if any, does this change the role of the leader?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 2 What steps should project managers take in order to ensure that the work of the project team is distributed equally among the members of the team? What can team members do to support the project manager in this effort?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 3 Project teams often experience conflict in various forms. Describe at least three approaches to dealing with and resolving conflict between individual team members. Identify which, if any, should be considered as the optimal approach.

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 4 The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that teams eventually gel and begin to perform once time constraints become a pressing concern. In your experience, does this model reflect actual team development and performance, or does the five-stage model of team development offer a more realistic approach?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 5 Can virtual teams be as successful as onsite teams? Why, or why not?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Unit III Project

This assignment consists of five parts that must be saved and submitted as one document. Click here to access the template for this assignment.

Part 1

Please read Case Study 3.1: Keflavik Paper Company on pages 111–113 of the textbook, and respond to the questions for discussion. Please make sure that each question is answered thoroughly using a minimum of 200 words for each case study question.

Part 2

Please read Case Study 3.2: Project Selection at Nova Western, Inc. on pages 112–113 of the textbook, and respond to the questions for discussion. Please make sure that each question is answered thoroughly using a minimum of 200 words for each case study question.

Part 3

Prepare a fictional group project. You may use one of the following for your model:

enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation,

website development project,

a marketing plan for a new product,

a process improvement project, or

an information system development project.

Develop a statement of work for the project using the following format:

1. background,

2. objectives,

3. scope,

4. tasks or requirements,

5. selection criteria,

6. deliverables or delivery schedule,

7. security,

8. place of performance, and

9. period of performance.

You may refer to the statement of work section in the textbook on pages 150–151; you can also refer to the template in Table 5.2 on page 152 for an example.

Part 4

Next, create a work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. What are the key steps, including work packages, tasks, and any related subtasks for the project? You may refer to the Integrated Project in Chapter 5 on page 182 of the textbook for an example.

Part 5

Please use at least four fictional group members, and create a responsibility matrix. You may refer to the Integrated Project in Chapter 5 on page 183 of the textbook for an example.

Your paper should be no less than five pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations and must be formatted according to APA guidelines.

Unit 4 assessment

Question 1 What is the difference between direct and indirect costs? What is the difference between fixed and variable costs? Define, compare, and contrast each within the context of a project.

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 2 Calculate the direct cost of labor for the project team using the following data. What are the costs for the individual project team members? What is the overall direct cost of labor?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Name Hours Needed Overhead Charge Personal Time Rate Hourly Rate Total Direct Labor Cost

Johnathan 40 1.25 1.12 15/hr

Susan 100 1.75 1.12 21/hr

Debra 80 1.35 0 11/hr

Bobby 55 1.8 1.13 44/hr

Question 3 Bottom-up project budgets are said to provide more detail and, as a result, be more accurate; therefore, why are top-down budgets used in projects? When, if at all, would you recommend using such an approach?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 4 Calculate the direct cost of labor for a project team member using the following data: hourly rate: $75/hour; hours needed: 180; and overhead rate: 45%

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Question 5 Calculate the direct cost of labor for the project team using the following data. What are the costs for the individual project team members? What is the overall direct cost of labor?

Your response should be at least 75 words in length.

Name Hours Needed Overhead Charge Personal Time Rate Hourly Rate Total Direct Labor Cost

Jonathan 60 1.35 1.12 17/hr

Susan 120 1.8 1.12 31/hr

Debra 40 1.35 0 9/hr

Bobby 65 1.8 1.13 34/hr

Unit V Essay

Compare and contrast agile project management (agile PM) and critical chain project management (CCPM) scheduling, including advantages and disadvantages of each methodology.

Your paper should be no less than two pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. Be sure to use at least three references from the CSU Online Library. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.

Unit VI Project

This assignment consists of four parts that must be saved and submitted as one document. Click here to access the template for this assignment.

Note: This assignment may require the use of Microsoft Project or similar software. If you do not have MS Project or similar

software, please click the following link to access a free trial version of MS Project: https://products.office.com/en-us/Project/project-pro-for-office-365

Part 1

Develop an in-depth schedule for the project you selected and used to develop the statement of work and work breakdown structure (WBS) in Unit III. Please refer to the Integrated Project in Chapter 10 on page 363 (Developing the Project Schedule) of the textbook for more information. Be sure to include the following components: an activity precedence diagram, an activity duration table, and a network diagram and Gantt charts.

Part 2

Please complete Case Study 10.1: Project Scheduling at Blanque Check Construction on page 360 of the textbook, and answer the three questions at the end. Please make sure that each question is answered thoroughly using a minimum of 200 words for each case study question.

Part 3

Develop a network activity chart, and identify the critical path for a project based on the information provided in the Gantt chart below. Draw the activity network as a Gantt chart. What is the expected duration of the project?

Activity Expected Duration Predecessor

A 5 days —-

B 10 days A

C 8 days A

D 1 day A

E 5 days B, C

F 10 days D, E

G 14 days F

H 3 days G

I 12 days F

J 6 days H, I

Part 4

Using the information provided in the Gantt chart below, construct the project activity network using the activity-on-node (AON) methodology, and label each node. Identify the critical path and other paths through the network.

Your paper should be no less than four pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations and be formatted according to APA guidelines.

Unit VII Essay

Use the projects you completed in Units III and VI to conduct a preliminary risk analysis. Use a qualitative and a quantitative technique to evaluate project risk. The total assignment is worth 100 points. Please submit as one document.

See the sample risk analysis on pages 253–254 in the textbook. Your essay should include the following components:

1. Generate a set of likely risk factors, and discuss them in terms of probability and consequences.

2. Use a qualitative technique to evaluate project risk.

3. Use a quantitative technique to evaluate project risk.

4. Develop preliminary strategies for risk mitigation.

5. Create a resource-leveling table for your project. For more information on resource leveling, refer to pages 407–416 in the textbook.

Your essay should be at least three pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced. Paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Your document must be formatted and references cited following APA guidelines.

Unit VIII Essay

Create a guide to project closure. Discuss the key steps that project managers and teams must carry out in the course of closing the project, and, in addition, identify and describe the categories of project termination.

Your essay must be at least three pages in length, not counting your title and reference pages. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced. Paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.