Project Management in Centrelink - Research Paper Example

CENTRELINK ORGANIZATION Student’s name Code & Course Professor’s name University City Date Contents Introduction 3 Organization Context 3 Business Problem 4 Potential Solutions 5 Proposed Solution 6 Action Research Proposal 7 Solution Trial 10 Assessing Trial 13 References 16 Appendix 17 Questionnaire Evaluations 17 Gantt Chart. 18 RACI Matrix Tool 18 Introduction The purpose of this research is to conduct an in-depth analysis of Centrelink organization project management level. The analysis identifies that Centrelink project management through P3M3 encounters business problems which include poor management of organization resources, unclear scope definition, poor verification analysis and poor competitive advantage. It is this context that this paper seeks to offer workable solution based on the identified challenges. To ascertain the solutions, the report firstly identifies potential solution for the company which includes precise scope definition, effective human resource management, and time management. Lastly, the report engages into action plan through pilot study purposefully to assess the proposed solution by using measurement tools such as Gantt chart, questionnaire, and RACI matrix tool. Organization Context Centerlink is a well renowned Australian governmental organization that focuses on services pertaining social security across the country (Mitchell 2008). The social security services are centered to the corporate institutions, Businesses, Community, and Health Professionals. Centerlink is a multi-national organization that has at least 25, 000 employees working across 25 Australian governmental offices. Additionally, the company meets the need of at least 6.5 million Australians (Mitchell 2008). Centerlink organization services are basically based on financial technological industry whereby more than 5 billion electronic transactions are made annually through product and service delivery. Statistically, between 2005 to 2006, Centerlink organization undertook 134 projects rated to a sum of $ 144.7 million (Australian National Audit Office 2007). Business Problem Firstly, Centerlink encounters challenges in organization resource management. Centerlink poor resource management arises because resource allocation to different projects are individually based and not geared towards organization objectives, and priorities. As such, the organization is drowned into poor identification and allocation of the resources. Secondly, the organization poor scope definition of a project position stakeholders to hijack projects and programmes of the organization without provisions for additional resource funding. The poor scope definition of the project spearheads project interference by the organization stakeholders due to personal interests and initiatives. Thirdly, project analysis and verifications for approvals in Centerlink are poorly conducted. The project committee fails to put into considerations the capacity and the workload needed for new projects and programmes. Due to ignorance and poor project analysis based on resources needed such as time, work-force, and funds, majority of Centerlink pose negative feedbacks during project completions. Lastly, the organization showcases weaker competitive advantage in comparison to other firms. The outcome is geared by unplanned projects and programmes directions at Centerlink. As such, Centerlink organization fails to plan for financial claims of the projects as per the strategic intents of the organization. Generally, Centerlink organization encounters mixed tension when it engages into projects and programmes activities. Potential Solutions Factors Potential Solution Scope Definition Centerlink organization need to more precise when it comes to scope definition which will inhibit the possibility of scope creep spearheaded by the stakeholders. As such, Centrelike project committee need to ensure that all participants understand and adhere to the project goals, objectives, and the project deliverables. In case of changes regarding the schedule project work, the Centerlink organization committee need to have a change control process that is geared towards managing any changes that are likely to change the project scope. Lastly, the Project officer need to make sure to incorporate some cushion and flexibility into the project phases Project Human Resource Management Project performance and success is highly determined by its people. Project human resource management becomes a potential solution by identifying the much needed the resources needed, roles and responsibilities of the project workers, core skills required, and the duration needed for the workers. The identification and understanding of the enlisted factors enables the project committee and project officers to acquire the needed resources to build the project team. Additionally, project schedules and resource loading arise as important aspects in human resource management during project phases. This is to ensure that project team members are at 100% performing as per the project schedule, filling up the time, and the costs that are available. Essentially, the project team members are expected to undergo project developments such as trainings, mentoring, and leadership so as positive results in project performances. For the project committee and officers, they need to be equipped with both soft and technical skills. The skills will enable the project official to resolve aspects such as work conflicts, meeting communication expectation, aligning workers as per the project plan, and motivating the project workers. The Myers-Briggs Indicator Tool is presumed to be one tool that spurs positive results when it comes to management of the entire project Time Management Project time management arises as a potential solution to projects that encounters poor management of the project schedules. Basically, project time management is to enable workers to use time available for completion of project phases on or before the deadline date of each phases of the project. As such, project organization need to employ tools such as To Do List or an Action Plan so as to stay focused on core activities as per the schedule of the project. Additionally, factors such as priority setting, communication expectations, taking breaks to refresh, collectively working across team members, validating project results earlier, and not over-committing will enable the project officials and workers adhere to project time management. According to Fasset, projects need to have baseline dates that entails date for starting and completion of project tasks (Fasset 2013). It is important to employ baseline date tool because it enables both project officials and workers to ensure that all project phases are completed as per the schedule. As such, the organization will have attained a workable project time management. Proposed Solution Centrelink organization requires the implementation of project management maturity model so as to eradicate the challenges experienced during the operative process across projects and programmes. The tool will play pivotal role when it comes to identyfing the underlying drivers inhibiting project maturity and how to attain project maturity through project, portfolio and program. By implementing the project management maturity model, Centrelink organization will be able to minimize scope changes within projects by committing to realistic objectives of the project. Secondly, the model will enable the organization to identify the existing project challenges and solve the problems easier and faster at a cost effective. Importantly, the implementation of the model will foster the organization to cultivate effective communication, cooperation, and trust across workers which will enable the organization to attain rapid project management maturity. The management maturity will deal with challenges such as poor scope definition across projects, poor resource management, and poor competitive advantage. The core purpose of selecting project model maturity model is because the model deals with more than 16 challenges that highly affect project work. As such, the model proves to be super-efficient and cost effective in comparison to implementing strategies and tools that are single based for specific project challenge. Action Research Proposal The main purpose of undertaking action research is to facilitate the project practitioners to study aspects of practice (Koshy 2005). For Centerlink organization, the action research is to facilitate the project participants in reflecting the effectiveness of the project and programmes management and coming up with innovative ideas on how to improve on project on project management practices. Centrelink organization requires an action plan purposefully to realize the organization development. Based on propose solution by implementation of project management maturity model in Centrelink, this implies that the needed action plan model for Centrelink organization has to be practical. As such, the Kurt Lewin model known as systems model of action-research process pose greater chances for the realization of project management maturity model for Centerlink organization. Kurt Lewin systems model of action- research is renowned for spearheading organization positive change, knowledge, and theory development (Smith 2001). This is because the model will position the researcher as a project management expert who helps and encourage project workers to change and attain positive attitudes that are alluded towards project activities. Additionally, Centerlink organization will attain positive results from the model because Lewin model advocates for cooperation between the researcher and the practitioners. This is to imply that all the project activities will be collectively based and not on personal interest, or individualistic. During intervention purposes, the System Model of Action-Research intend to solve the Centerlink project and programmes problems so as to bring about positive changes in project management. the outcome will be attained whereby the qualified project officers need to actively participate in all project activities hence grasp the showcased challenges and intervene faster and better so as to bring better change. Below is an image presentation of Lewin action research model. Theoretically, the model is presumed to work perfectly and attain positive results to research that are problem oriented, workers are the core foundation cause of the problems, and inclusion of the current status quo of the organization. Such enlisted factors are openly showcased in Centerlink organization challenges. In the contemporary society, the Lewin model is of much significance. For example, the Lewin model is highly renowned for enabling the continental airline to move from poorest name airline to award winning airline of the year (Change Management Consultants 2015). The outcome is attributed to the ability of the top organization officials survey the attitude of employees across the organization, educating of the employees regarding change, and breaking down the existing systems before implementation of the new way of operations. As such, Centrelink organization need to conduct survey the attitude of employees especially to previous projects and programmes, educate the employees regarding project management so as to spur organization change, and break down the existing approaches before the implementation of project management maturity model. Generally, Lewin’s model poses huge advantages to Centrelink organization because the model basically entails practice activities and its approach is goal oriented. The goal oriented approach can be embedded to Centrelink organization activities because it adheres to planning, action, and fact finding. As such, the model will showcase satisfactory results for Centerlink organization. Solution Trial The Centerlink organization pilot study intends to conduct experimental, explanatory, test, preliminary, and try out the investigation. For Centrelink organization the case study will be conducted into phases. This is because majority of its project are conducted in phase, while it is important to note that each phase creates a foundation for the next phase hence ensuring that the project is completed effectively. The rational for Centrelink pilot study is to identify processes, resources, management, and scientific outcomes that will pose a reflection for the main study. For example, the rationale behind management is to understand and cover core human resource information and data management problems affecting the operative processes in the organization. Consequently, for investigative rational, the pilot study is to investigate the safety of the model towards organization, employees, stakeholders, and customers. Regarding resources, the pilot study focuses on assessing time and budget challenges that are most likely to arise during the main study. The independent variable for the project is the P3M3 Maturity model that tend to determine the success of the project implementation. The dependent variable is the successful realization of the project and programme deliveries. As such, the dependent variable for the trials is the project management. The dependent need to showcase positive results such as improvements on project decision-making process, attaining effective communication, increased collaborations, increased project accountability, roles, transparency, management approach, and attaining effective work cultures. Since Centrelink is an Australian governmental organization, various entities need to participate in trailing the intervention. Firstly, the Portfolio, Programme, and Project Offices (P3O) need to participate into trailing the intervention. The P3O plays a pivotal role in providing guidance and advice which is geared towards enforcing positive recommendations on how to improve on the P3M3 model based on the pilot data. Another relevant entity during trailing intervention is the governance entity that plays a major role through sponsorship and executive oversight. The inclusivity of programme sponsoring group and oversighting from all-of-government intends to represent, promote, and support the improvements of the P3M3 model. Lastly, quality assurance department plays a pivotal role in ensuring government projects are of effective quality through planning and application. It is important for quality assurance department to participate in pilot study because quality assurance is an import factor towards successful deliveries of pilot studies and projects, provision of independent challenge, provision of external expertise project, and assisting in identifying possible challenges likely to arise from the pilot study. Essentially, quality assurance will provide comfort to the pilot study by ensuring the pilot study is on the right tract up to delivery, while identifying major remedy action needed and offer recommendations experienced from the pilot study. As such, the quality assurance department will perform technical audit of the pilot processes and to process project quality-checks. The pilot study intends to be undertaken for 12 months in a row. This implies that the pilot study will run for 1 year, inclusive of the closure date. As such, each phases of pilot study in project initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Technically, each phases of pilot study are to be completed within 3 months. Additionally, limiting the case study for 1 year ensures that Centrerlink organization save resources such as time, and costs. Essentially, this will enable the organization to roll out its new assigned projects as soon as possible so as to ensure its beneficiaries get quality deliveries. lastly, 1year duration will enable the case study committee to collect the needed data and information that can position the organization to roll out its new assigned projects. Varied equipment are applicable for the Centrelink Organization pilot study. Firstly, the pilot study intends to apply the use of lean scan purposefully to realize opportunities presented to the P3M3 model in ensuring successful project deliveries. Essentially, lean scan will be applied as a scoping tool effort for the pilot study. Secondly, the pilot study intends to apply the use of pink zone tool where the red tape is lightened especially when activities are most likely to go overboard against the protocols of the pilot study. The purpose of the pink zone tool will adhere to analysis of the existing thresholds, exemptions and discretionary which will foresee Centrelink organization attain 80% solution to the existing organization project management challenges. Lastly, the pilot study will apply the use of toolkit that pertains governing techniques and strategies for the pilot study, developer for key risk stages, financials, and regulatory, and the threshold tool. Critically, varied outcomes are most likely to arise from the pilot studies. The pilot study is expected to showcase new information that can enable the organization to improve on the P3M3 model through effective management of projects. As such, Centrelink organization will showcase outstanding project deliveries hence improve on its competitive advantage across Australia. Generally, the organization will grow due to the expected outstanding performance after grasping vast information from the pilot study. Contrarily, the pilot study is most likely to affect the main project if the pilot study is contaminated with the main project. Contamination arises if the case study data is fused into the main study results, and where the pilot study participants are included in the main project to collect data. Such an aspect negatively affects the validity of the project. Assessing Trial The completion of pilot study basically showcases how services and products are most likely to operate once implanted through main project. The report seeks to apply the use of operational definition to ascertain the successfulness of the piloting trials. The operational definition measurement tool is important for Centrelink Organization because the tool pose varied opportunities regarding measurement of the dependent variable, piloting committee will determine on how to measure the dependent variable. Lastly, the operational definition creates a platform whereby the interested parties to evaluate and build of the just completed piloting studies. The justifications of the trial success will be conducted through qualitative and qualitative analysis. The qualitative and quantitative approaches implies that the conducted trials will be based on observation and scientific calculations. Through qualitative operational definition, the dependent variable of the trial study thus P3M3 in model project delivery will be ascertained by independent variable thus project management. As such, the qualitative operational definition implies that P3M3 model in project delivery is realized through project management. Regarding qualitative operational definition, the dependent and the independent variable success will be ascertained through the effectiveness, the efficiency, and the approaches applied purposefully to realize the needed operational definition. Secondly, the report intends to apply the use of questionnaire to analyze the success of intervention. The use of questionnaire plays an important role in gathering important data about knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior (ETA Evaluation 2008). The data entails factors related dependent and independent variable through project decision-making process, effective communication, increased collaborations, increased project accountability, roles, transparency, management approach, and effective work cultures. Additionally, the use of questionnaire creates a confidentiality for the participants responses (Taylor 2015). As such, the participants will give sensitive information simply because of the anonymous and confidentiality created by the use of questionnaire. Both the pilot study and main project are conducted into five phases. The phases include project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure. The listed 5 phases create foundation for each other and determines the success of the project. To comply with the completion of the pilot study within 12 months, the project timing will start at the project initiation stage and completed on the closure date of the pilot study. Additionally, each phases of the study need to be completed as per the time allocated so as to ensure the pilot study adheres to the allocated time. By completing the piloting at the right time showcases success in piloting delivery. Essentially, effective timing ensures that the pilot study is not exposed to additional resources such as labor force, costs, and resources which will be expensive to the organization. The trials will apply the use of Gantt chart to enable the trials adhere to the time allocated for each schedule and the completion of all schedules for the pilot study. The quality assurance department will participate in measuring the data that was collected. The department will measure the data and determine its relevance towards the intended purpose of the main project. Additionally, the analyzed data will determine if the project will be rolled out soon or further consultation are needed. The piloting measurement will begin at the first phase of the piloting to the entire completion of the study to ensure that all activities are of validity and reliability. The measurement of the validity and reliability results will be conducted to ascertain the quality of the results. Essentially, the quality department office can apply the use of project management triangle to determine the quality measurement by examining project schedules, project, and the cost of the project (Baymout 2015). Additionally, the quality assurance department will apply the use a risk register so as to identify possible risks that are likely to affect piloting delivery. The provision of the identified risks is to enable the project officials inhibit the possibility of the main project being submerged to the showcased risks. Lastly, the quality assurance department will apply the use of RACI matrix purposefully to identify if the assigned roles are showcased by the work delivered. The tools give feedback regarding after conducting root cause analysis will determine the quality of the outcome measurement and some of the corrective and preventive action to ensure the main projects delivery will be of quality (Trivedi 2007). Generally, it can be argued that RACI matrix will enable the entire project committee to solve issues especially regarding roles, conflicts, and the quality of deliverables. This will ensure that Centrelink organization attains quality project deliverables. References Australian National Audit Office 2007, ‘Project Management in Centrelink.’ Available at https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/project-management-centrelink. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Baymout, M 2015, ‘Measuring Results of Project Management Triangle Constraints.’ The Case of Engineering Building at Effat University, p. 30. Available at http://library.effatuniversity.edu.sa/finalprojects/Business/Measuring-results-of-project-management-triangle-constraints-2014.pdf. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Change Management Consultants 2015, ‘Kurt Lewin 3 Phases Change Theory Universally Accepted Change Management. Available at http://www.change-management-consultant.com/kurt-lewin.html. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. ETA Evaluation 2008, ‘Data Collection Methods for Program Evaluation: Questionnaires.’ Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief14.pdf. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Fasset 2013, ‘Fundamental Project Management.’ Available at http://www.fasset.org.za/downloads/Project_Management_Learner_Guide_Final_2013.06.21.pdf. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Koshy, V 2005, ‘Action Research for Improving Practice.’ A Practical Guide. A SAGE Publication Company, London. Available at http://admin.umt.edu.pk/Media/Site/SSH/SubSites/cp/FileManager/Ebooks/DCPe-19.pdf. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Mitchell, S 2008, ‘The benefits of project management maturity assessments—an analysis of OPM3 cases from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Paper presented at PMI.’ Global Congress 2008—Asia Pacific, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. Smith, M 2001, ‘Kurt Lewin: Groups, Experiential Learning and Action Research.’ Available at http://infed.org/mobi/kurt-lewin-groups-experiential-learning-and-action-research/. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Taylor, P 2015, ‘Questionnaires Design: Asking Questions with a Purpose.’ Available at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Questionnaire-Design-Asking-Questions-with-a-Purpose-P1028C0.aspx. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Trivedi, A 2017, ‘RACI Matrix a Tool for Project Managers.’ Available at http://www.techjini.com/blog/raci-matrix-a-tool-for-project-managers/. [Accessed 23th/May/2017]. Appendix Questionnaire Evaluations 1. Was the pilot study completed as per the allocated time Yes_____ No_____ 2. Were enough resources allocated for the implementation of pilot study? Yes____ No___ 3. Did the pilot study achieve goals stated for the project improvements? Yes___ No____ 4. Should the Pilot Study be terminated? Yes___ No____ 5. Do you want to further test the trials? Yes___ No____ 6. Is the attained solution acceptable for the organization? Yes___ No____ Gantt Chart. The measurement tool was developed by Henry Gantt in the year 1917. The Gannt chart plays a pivotal role in measurement of deliverables through planning, coordination, and tracking all activities in an organization. RACI Matrix Tool RACI matrix tool plays an important role in identifying the assigned roles and responsibilities across project work purposefully to prevent confusion during project progress. Step Project Initiation Project Executive Project Manager Business Analyst Technical Architect Application Developers 1 Task 1 2 Task 2 3 Task 3 4 Task 4 Read More