Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation - Assignment Example

PROJECT MANAGEMENT al Affiliation PROJECT MANAGEMENT A project manager in the simplest and common sense is always tasked with the simple duty of ensuring that a project is successful in absolute terms and aspects. This is so because the organization aspects and spectrum of the planned undertaking lays squarely on the shoulders of the planner and in this case it is the project manager who will receive the praise or blame for anything that happens forthwith. Hypothetically, I will posit myself as a project manager tasked with the role and duty of planning an event for a company. The specific requirements or the project under my tutelage is to send ten of the internal employees of our organization for a single day learning or training seminar. This is to say that the logistics and all the things that the people will use and use while at the training solely relies on my planning. Thus, this paper will give a detailed and principled analysis and approach on the topic of sending the ten internal employees for a training seminar. Firstly, given the nature of work environment in the world today, there are certain things or dynamics that change in the work place. Thus, it becomes imperative and critical for all the people within the workforce who wish to remain competitively relevant and active to learn newer things through refresher courses and learning seminars (Duncan, 1996). Intuitively, this is to imply that the logistics in terms of what they will eat, their mode of transport and the writing materials that they will use to note down the points. Thus, as a project manager, I would examine and analyze all the available means and avenues that would be optimum for the travel of the members of our organization. Project Scope statement Project objective Given that in this current day and age, the dynamics and the changes in the information technology sector, it becomes imperative that each and every living person ought to be fully involved and be in the know zone. Thus, the main and primary objective of this project is to ensure that the workers or employees who will attend this seminar in the name of a workshop would be expected to advance their knowledge base and skills. The number of ten was arrived at because it would be very costly to take all the employees for the seminar. Thus, it would be beneficial if the ten which is a sufficient sample would be taken for the seminar so that when they come back they would train and share with the others. The principle aim is to ensure that whole workforce is abreast with the technological and technical change that happen in the world. This would ensure that the employees of our organization would be at par with the workforce of the whole world. Deliverables The basic and principle benefits that are expected at the end of this training seminar for the workers would come in the form of abstract profit. It is important and imperative to note and mention that abstract profit in this case refers to the knowledge and the expertise that the employees would earn. By and large, when they share the knowledge and the information with the other staff members, then the whole work place would enjoy the abstract profit that would have originated from the one day seminar. Milestone This is a major step and move because the training would open insights and new path ways into the technological world of the modern day and age. This stems from the fact that the technology is the in thing, in that al the actions and activities of the human life revolves around advanced information technology. For instance, there are mobile phones which are virtually an extension of the human being, there are emails, which are a mark of communication. Thus, all the normal actions of the human beings are pegged on the echelons of technology. Implying that the seminar will be critical because it will equip the employees with the necessary skills and impetus to survive in the world of today. Given the competitive nature of the working environments in the world today, there cannot be a better seminar for the employees to attend. Technical requirements This is an information technology upgrade program in the name of refresher course, require that the ten people who will attend at the very minimum should have their computers with them. Secondly, there is the notion of availing themselves which is to imply that they have to be physical present. Limits and Exclusion The attendants of the seminar are exclusively limited for the single day of the training. This is to say that expenses and the logistics of the seminar would only be covered in the stipulated day. An extension by an employee in the seminar beyond the borderlines and frames of time and budget are out of bounds and limits. Review with Customers During the seminar and exposition, the people who will attend will give their input and opinion. This is to imply that in the course of the planning process, the employees who shall have attended the seminar will give their reviews concerning the whole process. This is to say whether they felt the process was worth attending and if they feel the resources of the company were used in a right and proper way. Similarly, given that the employees will use and spend resources from the company repertoire, therefore the benefits that the seminar will accrue to the business must exceed the cost that the company would incur (Cleland & Ireland, 1999). It is my guided view and respectful opinion that the benefits of a refresher course in information technology is by far and large beneficial and higher than the cost we would incur. This is to say that the abstract profit that the company and the society at large would be high. Once the seminar is over, the company would benefit because the staff general productivity and output of the workers would be increased. In comparative terms, this seminar is critically important for the company in line of the thoughts, logic and arguments articulated herein above. Project Priorities In all aspects and fairness, as a project manager my biggest priority would be ensure that the ten employees attend the seminar and return back to their homes safely and soundly. However, this notion and concept is narrow and it might not serve the bigger goal and vison of the company in this line of thought and respect. Thus, it is a priority that the staff members who will attend the seminar ought to learn, come back to the organization to share the knowledge with the other members and in the long run translate that similar line of knowledge into their productivity at the place of work. From definition, there are three basic and principle parameters namely the scope, cost and schedule stated in the outline of priority (Morris & Hough, 1987). This is to imply that a matrix with a tradeoff between the parameters (scope, schedule and cost), one of them must supersede all the others. In order of preference, it is virtually impossible for me as a project manager or the company as a whole to shift the scope of content coverage that would be covered. This is so because the things that would be learnt are contemporary and beneficial in the current work conditions and spectrums. The schedule may be altered because it not a matter of urgency, notwithstanding the fact that the employees ought to visit and learn the dynamics sooner rather than later. Given the set budgetary standards it is untenable to reduce the cost any further. However, if need be, the cost may be increased so that the welfare of the employees would be bettered, such that they would learn in a more comfortable atmosphere and space. Consequently, if a careful consideration and analysis of the trade payoffs between scope, cost and schedules in a matrix imply that it is the proper and safe to prioritize low cost, proper scope and content coverage over and above the schedule of the seminar. Work Breakdown Structure As outlined above, there are ten employees, thus, it is prudent that one them would be appointed as the head of the unit to coordinate the activities on the ground. This is to say that as much as each one of the different employees are equal there must be some sort of hierarchy and command structure where the different participants would contribute to the tour relative to the seminar and training session. Thus, all the ten employees would each be assigned a miniature role during the training session, for instance, some of them may write down and record the whole project. Cost estimation The whole project or training seminar is expected to cost approximately $ 500. This is because the company will hire a transport company to transport the employees to and from the venue of training. The meals and the registration fees for each and every one of the ten people would cover up to $200. This stems from the fact that the participants would be given snacks and refreshments during the seminar. However, if there are no refreshments then the $250 will serve as a caution against such an eventuality. The transport cost would cover $150 while the stationery will be $50. The remaining amount of $ 50 will serve as miscellaneous or caution money that will cover any cost that might not have been captured during the planning process. Conclusion The above essay has outlined and stipulated the chronology of events that would be adhered to by the ten internal employees during the training and seminar program. Thus, as a project planner and manager, it is my assumption and input that the outline ought to be followed to the latter. This would be beneficial and critical since it would minimize any prospects of failure of whichever kind or aspect. Thus, each and every possible eventuality that might have hindered the smooth progress of the project are covered in this outline. References Cleland, D. I., & Ireland, L. R. (1999). Project management: strategic design and implementation (Vol. 4). New York: McGraw-Hill. Duncan, W. R. (1996). A guide to the project management body of knowledge. Morris, P. W., & Hough, G. H. (1987). The anatomy of major projects: A study of the reality of project management. Read More