Principles of Project Management - Assignment Example

Project Management Introduction Project management has been an important factor for many businesses who want to manage the activities and operations for their projects. These projects may be small or big; simple or complex. The concept of project management outlines the fact that the size, complexity or the intensity of the project is not the factor on which the project management is based. Project management can be done for any project. There are certain principles of project management that the businesses follow in order to obtain successful results for the management of the project. Project management involves human resources, financial management, cost control techniques, structures and procedures of project coordination. A business needs to set up a department for the project management in order to control and monitor the management operations and activities. Without proper and successful project management, no business can carry out projects appropriately. Section 1 Background and principles of project management: Project management has a long history which goes back to the ancient times when major events and projects were managed by a group of people sitting together; planning and monitoring the processes. Project management in earlier civilizations had different forms and processes while the concept gained a modern sense in the 20th century. Eventually it gained greater importance and the project management has now evolved as a profession which will continue to develop in the coming years. Before the 1950s, project management consisted of informal techniques and procedures. After the 1950s, with the help of different fields in which project management was applied, the profession turned into a new face. Project management has many principles but the first principles are based on the assumptions that every person involved is working towards a single aim and have the appropriate skill to carry out the project and ensure its success. The commitment principle is the most important one which ensures that all people involved are committed to the plan, aim and resources of the project from the time the project started till it ends. The commitment principle also ensures the commitment between the providers of the resources and the executors. The success principle measures that the success of the project is defined since the beginning to the whole team. This helps in decision making and evaluation (Lock, 2007, p. 234). Another principle is that the most important variables involved in the project management should all be consistent and planned strategically. The strategy principle says that the process should be planned, designed and then applied. The management principle ensures that the procedures and policies are efficiently in place. When all the factors involved will be managed properly and will stay in control, the conduct and implementation of the project will become achievable and successful. The last principle is the culture and environment principle. The team must ensure that all people involved are providing a supportive environment and culture for all others so that they are able to work as a team. Thus, the project management principles cover many aspects from planning objectives, designing ways to understanding the project’s life cycle (Williams, 2008, p. 15). Viability of projects: Project viability is important in every small or big project. This viability plans and predicts the possible positive outcomes of the project. The viability decides whether the results of the project will be worth the cost and time which is spent on the project. The project viability is judged by various factors including cost, time, manpower and quality. A study and risk assessment process is carried out to measure whether the project is worth the cost, time, manpower and quality used for it or not. This is done by measuring the outcomes and positive impacts of the projects at various checkpoints. If at any point the project seems to fail to cover the time or cost being used on it, it will indicate a possible failure of the project. At different checkpoints, the costs associated with the project are monitored and a project is considered to be viable when its value has exceeded the costs. This cost viability changes over the time as the project develops. Time is another factor through which viability can be judged and the possible success or failure of the project can be predicted. The time put in the management of the project will be checked at different points. If the development and procedures related to the project are on time at every point, the project is indicated to have more viability. Delays in processes may regard the project as unviable. Manpower in a project indicates the members in the project and their efficiency towards the project at every stage. If the number of members and their efficiency rate decreases as the project develops, then the project is predicted to be a failure and less viable. Quality of the project has to be maintained at every level and if the quality is lost at any point, the project may loose its viability. Project management systems and procedures: Project management has many systems and procedures that are planned and designed to carry out projects successfully and viably. The principles behind these systems and procedures include the commitment principle, management principle, culture and environment principle and others. When a business is carrying out the systems which include the technological approaches, structures, control systems and other procedures, some principles should be considered. These principles are that projects are temporary, risks will be involved, cost, time and quality are codependent, resources are assigned and time is fixed (Lock, 2007, p. 234). Under these principles, there are many systems and processes that are carried out. The most important part of the system is the training. A training session is very important in the beginning of the project management system to ensure that all members understand the objectives and concepts related to the project management. The standard procedure for project management includes project initiating, planning, executing, controlling, monitoring, closing and reviewing. This system is also identified by the PRINCE2 research methodology which encompasses the organization, management and control of a project (Badiru, 2012, p. 288). To initiate a project, the stakeholders are decided, proposals are made and managers are chosen. Then the planning of the project includes making a project management plan, defining the scope, analyzing resources, creating schedule plans, estimating cost, time and quality and also identify the risks and barriers and making action plans to overcome them. Execution includes the directing, training and managing of all duties and practices. Controlling and monitoring includes quality control, managing risks and controlling the structures and approaches involved. Closing and reviewing is the final schedule which consists of final reviews and evaluations. Motivation, teamwork and healthy environment are the basic need for a successful project management task. Following these principles, the systems and procedures of project management can be successful and viable (Badiru, 2012, p. 288). Key elements involved in terminating projects and conducting post-project appraisals: Project closure is the stage which indicates the final review of the project and the closedown. Roughly this stage comprises of delivering the project to the customer, closing down all documentation, terminating the contracts associated and communicating the closedown to all the stakeholders. There is also a post project review which identifies the level of the project viability and its success. This is the final stage of a project but most of the times it is skipped or missed by managers and the team. By the end of the project, the managers are keen to set up new goals and challenges and feel the closure process is time wasting. However, it is the responsibility and duty of the manager to ensure that the project is closed down properly. The major responsibility is to ensure that the project is successful and the objectives have been met. In the end, all the issues and risks should be outlined and a lesson must be given to the team members about how to improve the performance for the future projects. The review is important as it summarizes the procedures and systems which were chosen for this project and the things that went good along with the ones that weren’t good. This is an opportunity to review the performance and be prepared for the other projects. A report is also prepared and communicated to all stakeholders involved (Williams, 2008, p. 15). There are some important steps which must be taken before the project is closed down. All the audit reports and deliverables should be given out to the customers and involved stakeholders. Reports and measurements should be prepared to show the completion and the success. If a project is being terminated, the report should consist of the problems and issues with the project and the reasons for its closedown. Checklists must be made and completed by the end of the project defining every stage clearly. Approval must be taken from the customers and feedback must be communicated to all stakeholders. Lessons learnt should be used for further improvement and important lessons and experiences should be communicated to all members of the business whether in the project management team or not (Lock, 2007, p. 234). Section 2 Identify the most appropriate organizational structure, roles and responsibilities of participants within a project: Businesses are different in sizes and types but their organizational structures may be the same. The organizational structures indicate the relations between the workers and owners of the company. The structure may be the same but how it functions depends on the organization’s size and type. A functional organization is the one which is divided by specialty of the workers. In such an organization the departments for accounts, marketing and sales would be functioning differently. The roles and responsibilities of the workers in this organization varied according to the size and type. In large organizations where there are more workers and more projects taking place at the same time, this type of structure endures that workers are dedicated only to their expert skills. But in some organizations, this type of structure may bore the workers for doing the same type of work over and over again. At times, communication conflicts may also occur between departments due to the lack of understanding of other’s functions (Craig, 2009, p. 101). Divisional organizational structures are those which divide the companies according to the projects. This type of structure is applied in organizations where the projects are entirely independent of one another and several projects are carrying out at the same time. The roles and responsibilities of the employees vary as the organization’s size and type changes. Divisional structure motivates team work and communication becomes easier. A matrix organizational structure is one which combines functional and divisional structures and forms teams which are based on projects bringing the similar skilled workers at one place. The employees who are experts in finances are responsible for the cost viability of all the projects. The employee would be answerable to the division manager as well as the project manager. In this structure, the roles of the managers become complicated and the organizations with strong ties among the workers and the departments will be able to carry out this structure successfully. The best functions will be performed by the experts and in this way each project can gain the same level of expertise (Craig, 2009, p. 101). Control and coordinate a project: There are many people who are involved in a project management life cycle. All the people come together to form a project team which is responsible for the activities that take place in the project. The roles and responsibilities of these members are defined in the schedules designed by the manager. The manager is the most important person who is responsible for the viability of the project. The manager is the person who develops and plans with the team and manages the meetings and schedules. The manager not only actively communicates with the team members but also with the sponsors and stakeholders involved in the project. The manager communicates with every member and assesses the risks to assure project viability (Williams, 2008, p. 15). The team members are the ones responsible to execute the plans and schedules given by the manager. They have to follow and report to the manager for any unplanned issues or problems. If projects are on a big scale then the workers may also act as leaders who are responsible for providing technical leadership. The executive sponsor of the project is the manager who is responsible for the provision of resources for the project. He is interested in the outcome of the project and if the project will not be viable at any point, he may step back unless bound by contract. The executive sponsor is the manager with the highest risk in the project. He has the authority to approve the final scope of the project for any changes or improvements. The steering committee is the group of representatives who monitor and approve any changes and provide guidance to the managers. Customers are the people who make the project worth by indirectly being involved in it. They may also act as decision makers or impose changes as per their expectations. Stakeholders are all other groups, organizations or individuals who would benefit or impact by the project. These stakeholders may be internal or external and they are directly and indirectly related to the project management activities and systems. Key stakeholders are the important members without the support of who the project will fail (Craig, 2009, p. 101). Assess project leadership requirements and qualities: The qualities of the project manager and leader are the most important factor which affects the viability of the project. The project leader should be influential and ideal to create a winning team. A project manager will be different than a business manager because of the type and nature of work that they have to perform. Project management is temporary and usually involves a smaller group of team members than a whole business organization. The project manager must be able to communicate effectively with his team members. This is important at all stages and checkpoints during the project management. The manager is critically responsible for the changes, planning, implementing and performing of the project which is hwy he should ensure that he is communicating with all the members from the very beginning till the closure stage. An effective project manager will always have a shared vision so that he can coordinate and relate with each member (Lock, 2007, p. 234). He needs to have a friendly and cooperative nature so he can plan and train the members to believe in him and his ways. The manager should also have integrity and should know that his actions are important than his words. He should set an example for other members and gain their trust in him. There should be certain ethics and values under which the manager will operate and all the members will be bound to follow those. The manager should be enthusiastic and lively to motivate the workers towards the project viability and positive outcome. The manager should have competence and should be smart enough to judge his own actions as well. The manager has a greater responsibility to perform all his tasks responsibly and correctly. Any mistake can lead to an ineffective leadership and challenges. The manager should be just and fair and should have the abilities to solve conflicts effectively and create a healthy environment for all workers. Lastly, the manager should have team building skills. The manager should be strong who is capable of building a strong and dedicated team who know the importance of values and respect. At no point should the manager be impatient or under pressure because that causes the team workers to be unconfident and nervous (Stern, 2005, p. 82). Plan and specify human resources and requirements for a project: In different projects, there is different planning done regarding the human resources. Every project has a different type of requirement according to the size and type of project. Planning and managing the human resources is a difficult job in bigger organizations where projects are at larger scopes. The human resources in bigger projects are planned in a longer course of time than smaller projects. This is because bigger projects need to specify the managers, sponsors, stakeholders, customers and employees at a large scale. The resources will be more and the system will be at a larger scale. However, in small organizations where the projects are smaller, the managers and committee can sit together and plan the human resource requirements. For such businesses one manager or two managers may also be enough for one project. Human resource planning is done through a process which includes planning and assigning the roles and responsibilities of each member involved in the project. The members are also trained and prepared for the project before it starts. In some organizations where project management is frequent, training and preparations for every member is not necessary. Thus, human resources are planned through detailed recommendations, suggestions and decision making processes between managers, committees, stakeholders and team members (Martin, 2006, p. 140). Section 3 Prepare project plans and establish the project organization: The project for my organization is creating a website for the businesses. This project is important for the businesses as the business is a tourism company and creating a website would help the business to grow and reach the tourists who are abroad before they arrive to the country. This was not done before because the business was new and small but now as the business is growing, the need for a website is also increasing. The main purpose of this website would be to communicate with the tourists and take their reservations online through simple procedures. The manager will have to prepare and plan the costs, human resources, budgets and duration of the project. As the business is still on a growth stage, the manager will call a meeting to discuss the project with all the members of the organization. The project manager will be the current manager of the business who deals with all the projects and operations. In the meeting, the manager will set the objectives of this project and the usefulness of the project to the organization. The manager will prepare and assemble the documents which outline the objectives and aims of this project. This project will help the business to grow and reach a large number of customers. The objectives are to carry out all the operations step by step and form a website which is attractive, helpful and reasonable for the business stakeholders and the customers. Apply project scheduling, estimating and cost control techniques: This project needs many steps to be carried out systematically thus the line manager needs to set a schedule which would define the estimated cost, time, tools and techniques which are going to be used. The manager has to plan the human resources as members will have to be appointed who are skilled and have expert knowledge. The financial advisors will be called to estimate the costs and the sponsors will be decided. There is also the need of a creative work team which will design the layout and look of the website. The manager will use the PERT technique to create a graphical representation of the network. The chart will define the different steps which are included in the project and the time taken to cover those steps. At each step there will be a check of quality, cost and time. Gantt charts can also be used since there are many activities that have to be covered and Gantt charts summarize the activities and the estimated time. This chart will help the manager to evaluate and check the progress of the project at each step. For the estimation of the budget and the overall costs, the manager will have to assess the tasks, enter the fixed costs, research the market values and then assign the resources estimated for each task separately. Then the overall value of the project can be measured. Limits will also be set for time and cost which will be mentioned in every chart so that the team members remember their limits and boundaries (Stern, 2005, p. 82). Analyze the methods used to measure project performance: There are many methods that businesses use to measure the performance of projects. The managers have to keep a check at all the processes and systems until the project is completed. In this project, some tasks are time taking and thus the time estimated for them is longer than a week. Hence, in these gaps, it is the manager’s duty to evaluate and check the progress of the project and the work being done on it. This can be shown through the Gantt charts which will have to be updated on a daily basis. At any point if the charts show lacking, there will be immediate action and small issues will be covered. However, major time issues may cause the failure of the project. The CPA process can be used by the manager to evaluate and check the activities of all individual team members. It shows the activities and operations being carried out and the check of the resources which are being utilized. Good measures and control systems are used in projects to ensure smooth and successful progress. Budget reports and other reports are created on daily basis which are given to the manager who then evaluates and ensures that the project is running smoothly and successfully. These reports have to be updated and any fault in the preparations of these reports may cause hindrance in the overall project progress. Explain project change control procedures: Change control is an approach which systemizes and manages the changes which are made to the project after it has started. The change control is necessary because it ensures that there are no unimportant changes made to the project once it has been started and if there are important changes, those changes are documented and efficiently applied. There are certain steps that are important to conduct a change. These steps include communication of the change to all stakeholders, stating the reason and need of the change and implementing the change under the objectives and principles of project management (Morris, 1997, p. 345). An example of a change for this project is the change in the matter which is to be put on the website. One of the steps in the project will be to update the website with the company’s deals and offers. These might change frequently and may require updates frequently. So in the first phase, the matter to be updated might need a change by the end of the project. This change will be because of the market conditions, position of competitors and tourism season. At any point of time, the manager may realize that there is a change needed before the website is updated. Thus the manager will document the change, communicate it, implement it and then monitor that the change has been implemented successfully without affecting the viability of the project. Evaluate the completed project: The review and evaluation stage of the process is the last step which evaluates and summarizes the operations taken place in a project. This stage is an important stage which is often ignored. The stage evaluates the project success and the lessons learnt from the project. Every project has a number of lessons in the end whether it was successful or unsuccessful. Successful projects help the members to gain confidence and a sense of achievement to perform the same or better in the future projects and unsuccessful projects allow the members to learn from the mistakes and errors to perform better in the future. At this stage all the activities of the project are summarized and a report is created which is communicated to all the members. The report consists of all activities and issues that were a part of the project and any changes that occurred. In this project, the evaluation and review will be carried out by the manager and the manager will determine whether the website launch was successful or not. The manager will also outline the changes, risks and issues which were involved in the project and the independent evaluation of all the members. This would be beneficial for the members too as it will enhance their personal development. The manager will highlight the achievements, failures and lessons learnt in this project as well as the financial summary of the overall project. Conclusion Hence, the concept of project management has evolved over the years and today project management holds a unique place in businesses. Projects are managed through various systems and procedures. Project management involves human resource planning, technological approaches, tools and techniques and several other factors which businesses have to consider before starting a project. Different organizations have different structures and these structures define the project management systems. The procedures of project management will depend on the types, sizes and shapes of the organizations and projects. However, the principles behind project management will remain same for all businesses. If the projects are managed with effective and efficient management and dedication, they will always be viable and success will be guaranteed. References Badiru, A. 2012. Project Management: Systems, Principles, and Applications. USA: CRC Press Craig, M. 2009. Managing Projects, Managing People. Malaysia: Macmillan Education AU Lock, D. 2007. Project Management. USA: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Martin, V. 2006. Managing Projects in Human Resources, Training and Development. USA: Kogan Page Publishers Morris, P. 1997. The Management of Projects. UK: Thomas Telford Stern, T. 2005. HR Concepts for Project Managers. USA: Fultus Corporation Williams, M. 2008. The Principles of Project Management. Canada: SitePoint Pty. Ltd. Read More