Active Being Project Management - Essay Example

Project Management As part of the work, we were required to complete two project tasks. The first element involved group work. In a team of four, we developed a presentation on our project planning approach for the Active Being Project. The second element of the coursework requires each one to write an individual essay, which is presented here. The purpose of this essay is to reflect on the project management process in element one based on published theory and commentary. This will provide the fit between project management theory and practical experience from the Active Being project. Every project requires a plan. A project plan provides a detailed conception of a project from the beginning to the end. Project planning is important because it increases the chances of successfully implementing a project (Morris & Pinto, 2010: 71). With an effective project planning approach, project managers can have a blueprint for implementing the project after addressing the potential risks involved (Schwalbe, 2009: 156). Without an elaborate project planning process, it may be difficult to establish the potential project risks, anticipated project cost, and anticipated timelines. The importance of project planning came out clearly in our Active Being project work. Prior to undertaking the project, we had difficulty understanding the way forward. Personally, I understood the project management cycle. However, understanding where the project planning element fitted within the project management cycle was controversial. Although I was convinced that the planning phase comes second, some team members held the view that it came first. According to Westland (2007: 3-4), the project management life cycle comprises of four steps including project initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Based on this life cycle approach, the element of project planning appears as the second step. It entails creating a project plan that outlines the specific resources, activities, and timeframes. It also includes other elements such as the project risk plan, communication plan, financial plan, and quality plan. While all these factors seem simple, they were actually not simple in actual sense. To overcome the challenges, we selected a team leader. This was based on the information we gathered from project management literature, which emphasized the importance of having a team leader when the project planning phase involves team work. For example, Kanda (2011: 11) asserts that selecting a project leader is one of the most important elements of project planning. Selecting a team/project leader was an effective strategy. It provided us with the much necessary direction in coming up with the project planning approach. Yet, even after selecting the project leader, we found the project to be too complex. This perception was not misplaced. Project management has become more complex as the methodologies and technologies continue to evolve (McKinnie, 2007: 4). The complexity of the project that we initially thought was actually because we viewed the entire project as one whole piece. Yet, a project is a combination of multiple parts. The project planning process is actually a systematic process. To help us in breaking down the process into parts, we used the project management model below (see diagram 1). This model actually follows the same sequence as the project life cycle. For example, the project planning is the second step in the project management process. However, it breaks down the planning phase into two elements including defining the work/project and scheduling the work/project and resources. Diagram 1: Project Management Model Source: (Haugan, 2002: 5) Our first attempt in breaking down the project was based on the model above. Therefore, we had the first part, which involved defining the work. I found this part quite similar to the project initiation phase. The project initiation phase entails developing the business case, setting up the project team, conducting a feasibility study, and seeking project approval (Westland, 2007: 16). This had already been done with the leisure complex project because the project had already been approved by the company. However, some of the tasks that I thought would have been completed in the initiation stage were also featuring in our planning stage. According to Kanda (2011: 11), the project planning phase, especially the part of defining the work entails identifying the project goals and scope. Therefore, I was concerned that we were going to repeat some of the tasks that had already been completed. Having not been part of the original project team set up by the company that dealt with the project conception/initiation, my worry was that we would set our own project goals that did not tally with the original ones. Thanks to the team work, one of the team members brought to our attention a different model that made things clearer. The new model is also a project life cycle. However, it had three phases rather than four. They included conception phase, definition phase, and execution phase. Based on this new model, the project planning phase coincided with the project definition phase. This definition phase entailed defining the requirements to meet the specifications of the client (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008: 77). Our client in this case was Mode Santé. Therefore, we reviewed the project requirements from Mode Santé and realized that our role was actually to come up with a plan of how those requirements were to be met. This formed our object in the project planning process. Having defined our objective, our second step, following the model on figure 1, was to schedule the work and resources. This meant that we had to break down the project into different parts and identify the resources needs. Breaking down the project into parts was necessary to ensure that we completed the project on schedule. The planned launch of the pilot project is on 1st May, which meant we had limited time. After analysing the project summary, we found an effective strategy for breaking down the project for easy scheduling of tasks and resources. The facility for renovation had three floors. This formed the basis of our project scheduling. We broke down the project into three parts based on the three floors. Each floor was assigned to an individual. Therefore, three of the team members, me included, would develop the project plan for each floor. Personally, I handled the second floor, which composed of offices and staff quarters. This breakdown of the project simplified everything. The complexity that we had initially seen vanished. Breaking down a project into manageable parts is an effective way of reducing the complexity and ambiguity in the project (Project Management Professional, 2010: 18-19). Without breaking down the project into the manageable parts (three floors), it would have been impossible to complete the project on time. Another important element of project planning is resource planning. Every project requires resources including labour, financial resources, and non-financial resources. One of the main concerns regarding resource planning is the limited nature of resources. Often, there available resources will not be enough or would be too costly. Therefore, one of the most important factors to consider when allocating resources is efficiency (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996: 83). With regard to the Active Being project, we had to work with a maximum project capital of £300,000. On the other hand, Mode Santéwanted to have quality in the leisure complex. Therefore, it was quite a challenge balancing the two to ensure that we provided the client with the best quality but without exceeding the limited budget. To achieve this, we conducted extensive secondary research on the best deals for the resources we needed. As for my part (second floor), I also engaged in bulk buying to keep the resource costs down. I realized that many vendors offered discounts when you bought items in bulk. Moreover, I minimized on labour costs by being part of the labour force. Therefore, rather than employ an extra person, I would be one of the deputy managers if the project were to receive approval from Mode Santé. One of the elements that struck me most during the project was risk management. Although I had known that risk management was part of project management, I had not realized how important it is especially in the project planning phase. As Saladis and Kerzner (2011:129), risk management is an essential element of project planning yet project managers often overlook it. This also happened to us in the Active Being project. We had initially forgotten to include the risk management plan for the project. However, as we went on with the project, it emerged later that there could be potential risks to the project management plan. For example, while scheduling the project, I realized that some of vendors could delay or fail to supply the ordered materials. If such a thing was to happen during the project implementation phase, it would have a major impact on the implementation process. It could actually stall the project such that the scheduled timeline is exceeded, which would affect the planned launch date. Based on this realization, I developed a risk management plan. First, I identified all the potential risks factors. I then ranked them according to their severity based on the magnitude of impact on the project. Finally, I developed risk management strategies for each risk. For example, I identified multiple vendors for different resources such that when some delayed or failed, I could easily replace them with another.I actually realized that every project needs a risk management plan. In conclusion, the Active Being project helped me in gaining a practical insight into some of the theories of project management I had read. In fact, my practical experience was so much in line with the theories I had encountered. The project emphasized the fundamental principles and elements of project management theory. It would have been almost impossible for me to appreciate how these theories were applicable in real life situation if I did not get the opportunity to participate in the project. I can confidently say that there was a strong fit between project management theory and the practical experience I had. Word Count: 1659 References Haugan, GT 2002.Project planning and scheduling. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts Inc. Kanda, A 2011. Project management: A life cycle approach. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. McKinnie, RM. 2007. The application of complexity theory to the field of project management.ProQuest. Morris, P. & Pinto, JK 2010.The Wiley guide to project, program, and portfolio management. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Munns, AK, & Bjeirmi, BF 1996, ‘The role of project management in achieving project success’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 81-87. Nicholas, JM, & Steyn, H 2008.Project management for business, engineering, and technology: Principles and practice. Burlington, MA: Elsevier. Project Management Professional. 2010, ‘Chapter 5:Managing the project scope’, [Online] Available at: http://www.euroi.ktu.lt/lt/images/stories/Paskaitos/ch05.pdf [Accessed 16 March, 2015]. Schwalbe, K 2009.Information technology project management. 6th Ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Sladis, FP, & Kerzner, HR 2011.Bringing the PMBOK guide to life: A companion for the practicing project manager. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Westland, J. 2007. The Project Management Life Cycle: A Complete Step-by-step Methodology for Initiating, Planning, Executing & Closing a Project Successfully. Kogan Page Publishers. Read More