The Role of a Project Manager in All Atages of a New Computer Game Development Project - Assignment Example

Abstract In today’s world, project management is as important a skill as business management. Projects are crucial to every organization that exists today as they are used for the realization of short term goals and long term goals alike. The management of a project has far reaching effects in its financial, social and even political dimensions. An example of a project with political consequences is an election campaign project for a new presidential candidate. The manager of such a project will definitely have to bring to use a set of tried and tested methods whether mathematical or strictly administrative which are most likely to emerge as successful in relevance to the task at hand which is to win the elections. In the first part his paper shall thus set out to analyse the roles of a project manager in the all stages of a new computer game development project and assess the best method he can use to manage the stakeholders of the project. In the second part we shall assess a set of data that pertains to a t-shirt production project. We shall then chart out a network diagram that will give a clear and statistically derived evaluation of the feasibility of the project’s feasibility and time scope. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Table of Contents 2 1.0Introduction 3 2.0Literature Review 4 3.0Part A: The Project 5 3.1Development of an Educational Computer Game 5 a)Initiation 5 b)Planning 6 c)Execution 8 d)Evaluation and Closure 10 3.2Managing Stakeholders 11 a)Identifying stakeholders 11 b)Dealing with Requirements 12 c)Including expectations into the project 13 d)Communication 14 4.0Part B: Quantitative Analysis 14 5.0Conclusion 17 List of References 18 List of Figures Figure 1: Network diagram 16 1.0 Introduction A project is a unique attempt at bringing through a certain set of outcomes or items within well specified parameters on time, costs and quality. Given this definition a project is therefore a set of operations aimed at a certain goal. This set of operations can be considered to be a singular event with distinct selection of activities that lead to a specific result. The planning, organization, coordination and control of these activities are what are hence termed as project management. There are various kinds of projects that organizations and teams can undertake. The most common classification for business organizations places all projects under two categories; business process and information technology projects. (Software Education Group, 2008) Business process projects are intended to change or introduce a new business process into the organization with little adjustment the information technology or systems in place while an information technology project may seek to overhaul the existing information technology and replace or upgrade it while still maintaining the structure of business operations that are already running. The ideal purpose of projects is to achieve a measurable goal. As such a project manager is put in charge of this role. He is thus responsible for planning the course of the project, organizing the various resources and activities across the project scope, directing the people who will be in charge of the activities and finally controlling the progress of the project towards its desired end result. It is argued that a project is only taken to be successful if it accomplishes its goals within the allocated resources of money, time and personnel while meeting the required project quality standards (Lock, 2007, pp. 245-301). 2.0 Literature Review Project management models have not been used from a long while back in history. The first statistical model was the PERT model which was developed by the U.S. Department of Defence to improve their project efficiencies. Albert Kelley (1998, p.5) notes that peoples’ understanding of project management in the past was confined to simple implementation. This is greater contrast to the modern model that takes a project through different phases before completion. Various scholarly works on project management have developed the easy to follow guidelines which project managers now follow. There are certain concepts that are universally accepted within the study of project management and they encompass aspects such as the phases of a project, the dimensions of a projects, stakeholders and project manager roles (which have been described above in the introduction) Contemporary writers however have extended existing ideologies on project management practice and have advanced new theories and principles with the intention of improving today’s project management processes. An example of such writers are Have, Wouter, Frans, among others who describe the capability maturity model, change quadrants model and the Berenschot model amongst other project management models (Have, 2003, pp.97-107). We shall go through the step by step construction of a computer game for children. In this project we shall outline the four common phases of the project while describing what happens in each stage. The phases shall be outlined in the following part of this paper which gives an illustration of a project design to create an educational computer game for children. 3.0 Part A: The Project 3.1 Development of an Educational Computer Game a) Initiation In the initiation stage it is the project manager’s responsibility to ensure that a good project is selected. This implies a process of qualification for the proposed project. The organization for which the project manager is carrying out the project has access to funds that it is willing to use for the project but it would not like to risk using these funds on a project whose outcome they are not sure of. At this stage it is the project manager’s duty to outline the goals, objectives, scope, risks, issues, budget, methods and time range of the project. This may be done by first selecting a planning committee which can brainstorm on this issue (Birkinshaw, 2010, pp. 67-89). Let us take for example that the proposed project is the construction of a computer games for children. What would the objectives of this project be? To be able to define this and other fundamental concerns, we could set up a planning committee that adequately represents different stakeholders of the project. A planning committee of five members would possibly include a chairman, who in this case should be the project manager, a vice chairman, who could be a representative of the sponsoring organization, a finance controller, a risk manager, a technical manager, a secretary and a market representative who would help in guiding the project’s goals to fit the needs of its beneficiaries. The goals of this project will be to create an educational computer game that targets the 5 to 12 age group in line with our organization’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy. The cost shall be 200000 dollars and the project will run within a time scale of 7 weeks commencing from the committee meeting date. The computer game will function to enhance the user’s comprehension of a two subjects, i.e., mathematics and science. The title of the game is Counting Kittens. The game shall be developed upon a mission game that gives the user a number of puzzles for him/her to be able to proceed to the next stage or level of the game. There is little risk for the project given that other math based children computer games do not exist in the market b) Planning Having defined what the game is, we have to plan for the resources to be spent on it. This will require us to plan the activities needed to turn our objectives into a reality, identify the resources needed for these activities, and choose the people responsible for taking on the defined activities. In our case we may make create a project activity schedule over the given time range. This stage should see the manager fulfil his duties of planning and organizing. The activities that the project team shall be involved are as follows; first, the game will need a certain set of software and hardware to be developed on. This stage can be termed as software and hardware acquisition. The most suitable software may be Adobe flash, which is suitable for creating simple animated three dimensional game designs. A number of computer units and graphic design equipment shall also need to be brought in for the project, the least costly method of acquisition that can provide reliable equipment that will be of adequate quality should be considered. After the software has been acquired, the committee will need to select and gather a team of qualified game developers who are familiar with this particular class of computer games. The financial controller shall be a central figure in determining the feasibility of both the equipment acquisition processes and recruitment. He should all the same seek assistance from the technical manager. After the recruitment process has been sufficiently completed the next step should be briefing the team selected on the goals of the games and its basic outlay (Gray & Larson, 2008, pp. 240-309). The team shall then be provided with the necessary resources in terms of space, equipment, time limits and other forms of auxiliary support for each activity. This stage will obviously be followed on by actual game development which should be monitored and coordinated by the project manager in liaison with the technical manager. Upon completion of the development stage, the product will need to be packaged and presented to all the stakeholders of the project. The stakeholders overall opinion can factor in when establishing the success of the project. After presentation, the game shall be tested for a specific period on a consumer sample. The results of this market test should mark the end of the project and determine conclusively whether it has achieved its intended goals. These are a total of five activities which the project manager has a vital role in overseeing to completion within set time intervals and budgetary allocations. The equipment acquisition could take place in a span of two weeks. Recruitment can commence at the end of the first week of the project and run side by side with the equipment acquisition process but proceed till the end of the third week of the project. The briefing of the project team could happen in one day after the recruitment process is complete which will be on a Monday thus giving the project committee time to plan the development phase of the project and hence give the game developers a solid briefing at the start of the fourth week. The development stage can run for an expected period of two weeks as well, with the game framework and general draft being designed during the fourth week of the project and final detaining and editing taking place within the fifth week. This should be possible with a competent, experienced and motivated team of developers. When the game is complete, a launch event should be arranged for during the sixth week by the committee with the assistance of event organizing staff that was sourced during the recruitment stage. This stage is vital because it creates an atmosphere that enhances the possibility of the game being embraced by all stakeholders that shall be present during the launch. After a successful launch, the committee shall need to address stakeholders on plans to get the product tested by its intended users. This shall then signal the beginning of the product testing stage in the final week, the results of which shall also need to be verified by the stakeholders. c) Execution The next phase the project manager shall need to oversee is the execution of the project. Given a detailed and comprehensive layout of what activities the project shall incorporate for its implementation, execution should be less of a challenge. The project manager’s role here is to direct and organize the smaller details of each activity. These tasks can be made easier for him if delegated to other managers and supervisors. In the acquisition stage the technical director and the financial controller can form part of a sub-committee which will be charged with procurement responsibilities should ensure that the right equipment and material is acquired for the project. This procurement process may require a budget allocation of around 10000 dollars whereby an evaluation of available equipment, software, and office space and workstations costs can be included. If any additions need to be made they can be sort for from suppliers. The details of price rates can be sourced online since most computer software and hardware vending companies tend to have websites which provide a more effective portal for reaching out to most of their regular clients. Due to limited time constraints the supplier who will deliver the needed items within the affordable budget limits at the earliest date will have to be given prior consideration. Also, the committee should note suppliers who stock most of items that are needed so as to have all items delivered at once which hedges the project from the risk of starting the project without certain materials. It goes without saying that despite one company having all the desired items for the project in stock their delivery period should not exceed the set two week period for acquisition as per the project schedule. After the order has been sent to this supplier, the shortlisted applicants for the project team should be taken through the screening process to determining their suitability for each of the different positions that members of the team will hold. This may entail both an aptitude test and an oral interview session that can be conducted by a recruitment sub-committee form the main project committee. As a way of familiarizing himself enough with the development team, it would be advisable that the project manager forms a part of this team. The technical director has a core function during this phase because has full knowledge of the game on an in depth level which will encompass the game’s synopsis, the data structure of the supporting program files, the codes needed, the animation methods and characterization. He should hence divide the development process by aspects of the game and charge each team member position with the role that arises from the different divisions. By the end of the third week all successful candidates should be notified of their inclusion to the team and his/her respective position. The development phase should begin with a briefing of the task at hand and the expectations for each team member as per the assigned position. After this the technical director and the project manager will be responsible for directing harmonized team work during the game development activities. The project manager and technical director should be able to coordinate members and resolve issues that arise amongst them. This is a vital role to undertake for the project manager if the project is to be finished in time. d) Evaluation and Closure The evaluation stage is important when the project manager is taking control measures for the project. After a successful game design process, the technical manager needs to test its operability early enough before forwarding it to the project manager for approval. This can be an easy task if the project manager has consistently been receiving reports on project progress from the technical director otherwise he will not have a clue of what to do in case the final product of the development phase comes through with a number of defects. For instance if the game ends up appearing too complex for children within the targeted age group to play or even enjoy, it will mean the development phase has failed in its task. At that point in time he might only be able to accomplish too little to alter the repercussions of the flaws. Consistent report making is hence very important for a proper evaluation of the project. After the game has been approved the team needs to be informed that their task is done and that they shall be compensated promptly for their involvement. 3.2 Managing Stakeholders According to Kantor there are four main steps when managing stakeholders. These steps are identifying stakeholders, ranking stakeholders, understanding their needs and understanding their relationships. In my take I have adapted a system that make use of some of the steps proposed by Cantor such as identification of stakeholders while fusing some steps such as understanding stakeholder needs and relationships. This has resulted in the following model (Kantor, 2006). a) Identifying stakeholders We can identify six major types of stakeholders to any project. They are creators, funders, customers, dependents, sustainers, auditors and high interest parties. In our case the creators of the computer game were the developers who were hired at the recruitment stage and the committee members. The funders could be sponsors of the events and the organization itself. Customers in our case could be the parents, elder siblings, guardian and even relatives of the children that the game targets. The game could also be purchased by elementary learning institutions such as kindergartens, Montessori centres or elementary schools. The dependents of the projects are needless to say all children within the age group 5 – 12. Sustainers of the project would be interested developers who like to work on an improved design of the game. The first developers of the game and especially the technical director may also count as sustains since they are able to provide after sale service policies to purchasers of the product. Auditors of a project represent external and sometimes internal parties who are able to determine whether the project conforms to applicable standards. Two good examples of such auditors are the game reviewers from the press and an internal quality assurance official within the project team. b) Dealing with Requirements So now that we know the stakeholders we need to find out what exactly they require from the project. We shall have to determine all of their requirements before the actual work begin. This will help the team concert all its efforts towards realising these requirements and hence creating a balance between their own expectations from the projects and those of the stakeholders who might be directly involved in bringing the project to realization. The requirements of each group of stakeholders can be quite typical depending on their interest I the project. For instance the creators of the project may need good an adequate pay package that will be delivered in the agreed upon amount and at the agreed upon time. They may also want some recognition from their contribution to the project. Another need they may have is the need to be challenged in their respective task scope. They may not feel motivated to give their full attention to the project activities if they feel underutilized and may quickly lose interest. The committee itself will want to see the project succeed since this will boost their reputation within the organization and particularly to their superiors. They may also have a desire to be put into a leadership position during the project. One could refer to this as a search for power (Gray & Larson, 2008, pp. 240-309). The funders of the projects will expect their financial contributions to go towards meeting the initially stated objectives of the project since these objectives were what initially convinced them to participate in the project. They could also expect good financial returns especially if their contribution came in the form of loans or investment vehicles. The customers would expect the game to function correctly, to be of good quality and to make economic sense. It is very often the case that a product may be developed into high calibre performance specification only to be marker up with a very high retail price upon its release into the market. If this becomes the case, then even these sustainers would not see a point in supporting the project. The parents would expect the game to promote educational advancement since this is the value they seek to add to their children by purchasing the game. The same case would apply to learning institutions which may intend to use the game as a learning aid that can be used by teachers in lessons. The dependents of the game would likewise expect it to function properly but primarily their main objective would be to get entertained from the game. The auditors may expect the game to live up to the existent quality standards of such games worldwide. They may also want the project to be aggressively promoted in order for the project to illustrate a certain level of marketability in a real world scenario. This may in effect create a chance for future developers to see the need to invest in such kinds of computer games (Gray & Larson, 2008, pp. 240-309). c) Including expectations into the project In line with all the above requirements practical measures should be considered and appropriately implemented right from the project initiation to its closure upon market testing. To be able to manage the creator’s expectations of good remuneration the project manager will have to assess the feasibility of such a demand against the costs of the project. The sponsors of the project will definitely not expect the budget to be entirely allocated to satisfying creators pay scale demands furthermore such a move would compromise the success of the entire project at large since it may limit acquisition of resources needed to pull the various stages through e.g. the critical launch event. A compromise can be found between an affordable pay package, work challenge and talent recognition. What are the main requirements of the creators? The committee members can also be given positions of leadership in accordance to their areas of expertise. The delegation of duties amongst committee members though should be in a design that will create confidence in the project manager in terms of accountability. The technical director cannot be fully given financial control powers even though he has better knowledge of what equipment s needed for the project. If he overspends on certain items he may not be able to account for the deficit that will emerge in the same way that the financial controller would. The other measure that can be put into place is getting reviews from external stakeholders of what features may be expected in the final game produced. d) Communication Despite the generalized classification of stakeholder needs and expectations it is always a mandatory requirement for the project manager to consistently communicate with them in order to stay in tune with their demands while comparing how they are being as the project continues (Murch, 2001, pp.201-24). For example, the needs of the creator can be easily monitored as was mentioned above by having the project manager as a member of the recruitment sub-committee. Meeting the sponsor’s needs can be achieved by establishing a relationship of trust which is attainable by giving regular briefs on the project’s progress which is easily assessable from the event planners’ and technical directors’ reports (Kemp, 2004, pp.45-67). In a scenario where different stakeholders needs seem to conflict Mendelow’s power-interest chart can be used to group the various stakeholders and help give a general scope within which to prioritize on meeting stakeholder demands (Mendelow, 1991, pp.12-28). 4.0 Part B: Quantitative Analysis Using the PERT approach, Expected time of completion of an activity is calculated via the following formula (to + 4tm + tp)/ 6 while Standard Deviation is calculated using the formula- (tp – to)/6 Slack is calculated as Latest finish time (L.F) – Earliest start time (E.S). (Jessop, n.d) For Activity A Expected duration = [2 + 4(3) + 4]/6 = 3 Slack = 4 – 0 = 4 Standard Deviation = [4-2]/6 = 0.3333 For activity B Expected duration = [4 + 4(5) + 7]/6 = 5.1667 Slack = 11 – 2 = 9 Standard Deviation = [7-4]/6 = 0.5 For activity C Expected Duration = [4 + 4(5) + 6]/6 = 5 Slack = 10 – 2 = 8 Standard Deviation = [6-4]/6 = 0.3333 For Activity D Expected Duration = [5 + 4(6) + 7]/6 = 6 Slack = 18 – 6 = 12 Standard Deviation = [7-5]/6 = 0.3333 For Activity E Expected duration = [3 +4(4) + 6]/6 = 4.1667 Slack = 24 – 11 = 13 Standard Deviation = [6-3]/6 = 0.5 For Activity F Expected duration = [6 +4(7) + 8]/6 = 7 Slack = 18 – 6 = 12 Standard Deviation = [8-6]/ 6 = 0.3333 For Activity G Expected duration = [12 + 4(15) + 17]/6 = 14.833 Slack = 17 – 0 = 17 Standard Deviation = [17-12]/6 = 0.8333 For Activity H Expected duration = [1 + 4(2) + 4]/6 = 2.1667 Slack = 28 – 12 = 16 Standard Deviation = [4-1]/6 = 0.5 Network Diagram Figure 1: Network diagram The Critical path for the project is A – B – D – E – H because it gives the longest possible period for completion of the project. The expected project duration is equal to the sum of expected durations of activities along the critical path Hence our project’s expected duration = 3 + 5.1667 + 6 + 4.1667 + 2.1667 = 20.5 weeks The variance of the critical path is equal to the sum of the variances of all activities within the critical path which equates to 0.333 2 + 0.5 2 + 0.333 2 + 0.5 2 + 0.5 2 = 0.9721 and thus its standard deviation = 0.986 Assuming that the critical path follows a normal distribution, the probability that the project will be competed in 21 weeks we need to standardize 21 weeks using a mean of 20.5 and a standard deviation of 0.986. this gives us z = (21 – 20.5)/0.986 = 0.5071. Hence in accordance to the standard normal distribution table the probability of the project being completed in 21 days is approximately 0.194 and probability of it being completed in at most 21 days is 0.694. The probability that the project will be complete in 19 days is calculated by standardizing 19 days into z = (20.5 – 19)/0.986 = 1.521 The probability of z = 1.521 = 0.936 Thus the chance that the project will be done in 19 days is equal to 0.436 and the chance it will be completed in 19 days or less is 0.936. 5.0 Conclusion The project if managed within the critical path has a 69.4% chance to face completion within 21 days or less but a 93.6% chance of being completed within 19 days or less. It is thus more likely that not that the project will be completed. The findings of this statistical analysis also prove that it is less likely that the project may go beyond the maximum set period inclusive of slack time. The t-shirt production team can hence prove that they are almost fully certain that the project will be completed regardless of the path of production chosen (Heerkens, 2007, pp. 48-57). List of References Ahmadi, A. n.d, Project Management, viewed 03 June 2011, Birkinshaw, J. 2010. Reinventing Management: Smarter Choices for Getting Work Done. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 67-89 Gray, C. F., & Larson, E. W. 2008. Project management: the managerial process. Pennsylvania: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. pp. 240-309 Have, Steven, ten, Wouter ten, & Frans, Stevens, 2003, Key Management Models, 5th edn, pp.97-107, viewed 03 June 2011, Heerkens, G. R. 2007. Project Management: 24 Steps to Help You Master Any Project. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 48-57 Jessop, A. n.d, Performing Critical Path Analysis, viewed 03 June 2011, Kantor, M. 2006, The Key to a Successful HR Management process: Stakeholder analysis, viewed 03 June 2011, Read More