31 Jan The readings do not

Module 1 – Case

PROJECT SELECTION AND INITIATION

Case Assignment

The Apollo Project, which placed men on the Moon, began in 1963 and ended in 1972. Remarkably, no human being has set foot on Lunar soil since Apollo 17, which returned to Earth in December 1972. The project remains a unique chapter in human history; audacious, heroic, and so implausible, given the technology of its day, that some people still believe that it all took place on a Hollywood sound stage.

In this Case, we will examine the early days of the project. Please write an essay answering the following questions:

Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong on the Moon

Credit: NASA

Assignment Expectations

Q1. Where did the project come from? Give a brief description of the circumstances out of which the project arose.

Q2. Discuss the project constraints (cost, scope, etc.) in a rough, qualitative way. Since the project sponsor was the richest, most powerful country on Earth, it is clear that many of the constraints were largely irrelevant. However, which constraints could have been “show stoppers,” and under what conditions?

Q3. Barron and Barron (2012) discusses four major areas of expertise that are required for the successful completion of any project. Which of these was most crucial to the success of the Apollo project? Why?

Resources for this Case are listed on the Background Information page. These are starting points; feel free to search the Web for additional information, and use whatever you think is useful. Be sure to provide citations and references for everything you use, including materials linked to this course.

Module 1 – SLP

PROJECT SELECTION AND INITIATION

PART I.

Applying the criteria found in Chapter 4 of Barron & Barron, determine whether each of the following scenarios is, or is not, a project. Write a short paragraph for each scenario, explaining your logic.

Developing and bringing to production a vaccine targeting a newly-discovered variant of influenza. Following CDC guidance, it must be available no later than1 Octoberof this year.

Performing quality control testing of new vaccines.

Designing the Spring and Summer Collection of a major fashion house. A new collection is premiered every year in February, during New York Fashion Week.

Developing and fielding a new air defense system based on lasers. Some progress can be made, but the final design must await development of key technologies.

Write a novel. A publisher has paid an advance, and expects deliverywithin 180 days.

PART II.

Describe a project in which you have been involved. The project can be something you were involved in at work, at your church, in some other organization, or something you did for yourself and your family. Using the criteria above, explain why it was a project.

Choose carefully: you will be asked questions about this project as part of SLPs 2, 3, and 4.

SLP Assignment Expectations

Answer the above questions using short, well-constructed paragraphs. Feel free to use tables and bulleted lists, if appropriate.

The readings do not provide specific answers to every question. You will need to “fill in the gaps,” using your understanding of the questions, the Background Information, and whatever additional information you can find on the Web.

Style and format must comply with the Trident Writing Style Guide (TUI, 2014).

This is not an English course; however, errors in spelling, grammar, and style will be penalized.

Provide citations and references. Use of APA style (TUI, 2014)) is encouraged, but not required.

There is no page requirement. Write what you need to write.