Business Project Scenario

These assignments are based on a fictitious case study that presents students with a business project scenario. You are free to choose the case study from the four options provided. You must take the role of Project Manager and are required to analyse the case study, research the best approach to managing it and develop the following items of project planning documentation, to be submitted as two separate component assignments at various points through the semester: Assignments are individually marked.

Assignment 1 – ( 40% of module mark)

A. Sample Project Initiation Document (PID) including simple budgetary information (max 10 line items), timescales, objectives, approach, key staff and stakeholder analysis (approx. 750 words plus diagrams, etc.). Note: a full, detailed breakdown of how the budget may be used is not required, although you are free to put such information in an appendix if you feel it will help explain your summary position. Refer to the lecture slides for a typical example of a PID

B. Work breakdown Structure containing at least 20 items in the WBS. The WBS should be presented in the form of a suitably referenced diagram that must include dependencies, milestones and a hierarchy of tasks. You are free to deliver this as a Gantt chart (use MS Project to develop this) but it is not required. All diagrams should be embedded into your report as images. In addition include with this table a referenced paragraph explaining how a WBS can be used to help manage the tasks on a project and give a further paragraph briefly explaining the importance of critical path analysis;

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) with at least 20 items. The WBS should be presented in the form of a table that includes dependencies, milestones, and summary tasks.

You are free to deliver this as a Gantt chart (use GanttProject to develop this), but it is not required. Include with this table a referenced paragraph explaining how a WBS can be used to help manage the tasks on a project and give a further paragraph briefly explaining the importance of critical path analysis

Project’s timetable, consisting of

sequenced activities and

milestones that have to be delivered under a given deadline.

Scheduling techniques help to align the timeline, the scope and your resources.

There are a many scheduling techniques like Network diagrams (AON and AOA), Work Breakdown structure and Gantt charts which are used in a project.

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical description of the work that must be done to complete the project.

The WBS terms

Activity: An activity is simply a chunk of work.

Milestone: a task of zero duration. Usually an external event. Can be used to mark completion of an activity or phase.

Work Breakdown Structure Example

Don’t forget the numbering conventions when you’re ‘exploding’ or decomposing your diagram! Assignment!!

See Attached word file – WBS is based on the activities from PMBOK, namely Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing at Level 1.

In assignment samples and previous assignments (seminar session), you will also view WBS in a table format

Assignment 2 – to be submitted in week (60% of module mark)

You must produce a short report written directly to the project sponsor (approx. 2,000 words plus the contents of the risk register) containing the following three items:

A. A suggested risk register containing at least 10 fully documented risks, including owner, mitigation and contingency actions, pre-and post- action weighting and scores and a (referenced) paragraph to the sponsor explaining why such a register is important

B. An explanation of the need for careful, correctly managed completion of a project. Using theory and suitable examples, tell your sponsor how best you believe the project completion should be structured and managed for your specific case study so as to maximise the benefits available.

C. An analysis and critique of methodologies that might be used to run the project case study, principally comparing Agile, Waterfall and PRINCE2 methodologies. Explain their strengths and weaknesses and give your recommendation to the sponsor as to which methodology you believe would be best to use. There is no right or wrong answer for this and hence marks will be given on the basis of how well you have explained and justified your decision. As with the other assignment elements, reference examples and reference to theory is very important.

Note: Submit copies of your first assignment as appendix to this second piece of work so that the marker will be able to see continuity between the earlier assignment and this final one. Simply paste them in at the end and submit as one large document. If you did not submit assignment 1 but do wish to submit assignment 2 then simply note at the end that you do not have anything to submit for 1