Objectives
This assignment is designed to encourage the development of ability to apply project management concepts, methodologies, standards and frameworks to new situations, the ability to explain reasons why organisations adopt project methodology, the ability to critically analyse the impact of project management methodologies upon stakeholders, the ability to compare and contrast how different domains might apply project management methodologies and finally the ability to explain and justify the major elements of a project management methodology that might meet the needs of an organisation.
Assignment Tasks
Group/Individual assignment. This assignment is a group assignment for all students. Each group consists of 2 or 3 students. The Group formation and registration guidelines are provided in this document.
Instructions. You are required to address a number of tasks given in the case study. You need to first read the following case.
The case. You are working in a leading project management consulting firm. This week is one of your busiest week - four of your clients are pressing you for solutions to their long standing issues:
Client A is a leading software development firm, specialised in website and mobile software development. They provide customised web solutions to local and established businesses, for example, they developed an online ordering and delivering system for a local fish and chips store, a website for a local realestate agency and a learning content management system for a high school. Most of their customers know exactly what functionalities they need for their website. Most of them would also provide a reference point for their website in mind. For example, the owner of that fish and chips store has instructed that they wanted a website similar to Pizzahut/Domino's website that allows their customers to place order online, process payment online and track food delivery. Most of them understand their business model and would be able to give clear instructions about their requirement. For web development, Client A are dealing with customers in traditional industry where the business model is well established. They found that their website requirement are stable and not prone to changing.
Their mobile development section, however, are dealing primarily with start-up companies. Most of them wanted to develop small-ish apps to test the market so that they can turn their ideas into cash flow as quickly as possible. Their ideas are immature and constantly changing and your team is snowed under their change requests.
Adam is the Chief Technology Officer for your Client A, and he believes Agile Methodology is the only choice for IT projects. Whenever you have an IT project, the answer must be Agile Methodology. All other traditional methodologies are age-old and less effective. In a private meeting you had earlier with Adam, he said: "I am planning to roll out Agile Methodology to the entire firm. Agile Methodology is specifically designed for IT projects to replace traditional methodologies, e.g. waterfall, and therefore all IT projects must adopt Agile Methodology."
Client B operates in engineering and construction domain. Since 1998, they have been creating innovative designs and building quality homes for Australians. The founder started with the burning desire to build homes for Australians where they would truely love to live. "Our commitment to quality and excellence in home design has helped us become Australia's market leader in new home design and construction", their Chief Operations Officer, Barbara, said, "we offer the biggest range of new home designs in Australia. With hundred of floor plans, we build new homes for every budget and lifestyle."
Barbara has always wanted to incorporate PMBoK into construction projects in her company, but she never understood how PMBoK is a project management methodology.
"I mean, there are 10 knowledge areas and 47 processes, each belongs to one of the 5 process groups. But it does not tell you which process I need to start with. These processes all seem interrelated, but nowhere in PMBoK does it indicate the chronological sequence of the processes I need to follow.", Barbara asked.
"No, it doesn't. PMBoK does not specify any order for these processes. But it gives you the flexibility of arranging and tailoring them into a step-wise methodology that suits your projects", you answered.
"This is where I need your help with. Tailor PMBoK into a step-wise methodology that suits the projects in our company."
"Well, how about telling me more about a typical project in your company".
"That's easy. This is what I do day in and day out: after our customer decides to build their dream home with us, the entire process is divided into two stages: pre-construction and construction. Pre- construction involves our customer selection of floor plans and details of their home, signing contracts, obtaining approvals and permits from city council, and preparing the site to ensure everything it is ready for construction. The first step in the construction stage, known as base, involves excavation, site drainage installation and pouring the slab for the building. Then comes the frame stage where the builder erect the wall frame and roof trusses. Next is the exterior. The key activities that occur during this stage include the installation of all windows, of the fascia and gutter, the roof covering, the completion of brickwork, and external cladding and fitting of external doors. After the exterior is completed, we move on to the interior steps where we hang the plaster, complete architraves and skirting, install stairs in double storey homes, install baths, basins, troughs and sinks, fix internal doors, cabinets, shelves and cupboards. The next step is the final touches where we finalise the interior and exterior details of the house, for example, floor and wall tiling, internal and external painting, installing tap ware, shower screens, mirrors, electrical, light points and switches, heating and cooling vents and garage doors. Then it will be ready for our customers' inspection. If they are happy with it, then we will book a settlement day to hand over their new home to them."
"Also," Barbara added, "the plan for the construction stage cannot be fixed because there are a lot of variables only determined by the customers and their city council in the pre-construction stage."
"I think I have something for you", you replied confidently, "we will work out an implementation plan for you."
Client C is one of the major accounting firms in Australia, specialised in tax services for businesses. They offer efficient, cost-effective tax compliance services, including co-sourcing and outsourcing options. For each reporting cycle, a customer's income tax reporting or their Business Activity Statement (BAS) lodgement can be viewed as a project. For large businesses, they normally assign as many as 8 - 15 accountants working on the project. "The work is not hard once you get into it, " Catherine, the CEO of the firm, says, "it normally does not take more than 3 weeks, but it requires an immense amount of cooperation and involvement of our customers. We constantly need their clarifications on transactions".
"We would like to have a documented approach to our project, and communicate it to all stakeholders including our customers," Catherine requested, "now everyone is busy with everything, customers do not cooperate as much as we would like them to. There seems a lack of a systematic methodology for our projects".
"Our team will work out something for you." You replied assuringly.
Client D sends David, their Director of Teaching of Learning Support Division, to you. Client D is a reputable high school with over 1000 enrolled students and over 50 full time teachers. Most recently, David noticed that students are not preforming as well as they used to in their end of semester test, and it is statistically significant that students are not doing as well as their peers from last year. David worried that if this situation becomes worse, it could put the reputation of the School in jeopardy.
"What do you think where the problems are?" You asked curiously.
"I really don't know," David answered anxiously, "it's like a black box, I only see the average grade coming out of the blackbox, and it doesn't look good. I have zero ideas about what went wrong inside of the black box."
"Well, I think we will need to first figure out the cause to the problem. Hmmm...How motivated are teachers in improving student's marks. Do you have any measurement for teaching quality?"
"Well, we rely completely on students' evaluations. At the end of each term, students provide evaluations to their teachers."
"Do you think students' evaluations are always a true reflection of teaching quality?" You asked
"hmmm...I am not sure, but we have always been using it, no one has ever thought about changing it" David replied honestly.
"That process may need to be improved. How about students' attendance?" "Well...I'm not sure. We have not been collecting attendance information".
"David!" You shout out, "I think I know what the problems are. I think your School needs a continuous improvement plan".
"A continuous improvement plan?", David asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes! A continuous improvement plan is a set of activities designed to bring gradual, ongoing improvement to product, services or processes through constant review, measurement and action. In your case, you will need a continuous improvement plan for ongoing improvement of teaching and learning activities. But first you will need to find out what the causes to the problems are. There are a number of tools and techniques to help. I will also work out a plan for you to monitor key performance indicators and purpose a continuous improvement plan for you".
"That would be awesome!" David replied cheerfully.
Assignment tasks.
You need to address ALL the following tasks.
Task A. Do you agree or disagree with Adam's statement that Agile Methodology is specifically designed for IT projects to replace traditional methodologies, e.g. waterfall, and therefore all IT projects must adopt Agile Methodology.
Write an essay of 500-600 words. Your essay should be argumentative not descriptive. The essay SHOULD NOT focus on educating the reader what is Agile Methodology or what is Waterfall Methodology. Introduce your thesis statement (your standing on the topic) and summarise your key argument in the introduction. You should undertake extensive research for this tasks, and you are required to include a minimum of 5 references in the Reference list.
Task B. Examine the following statement
PMBoK with its five process group, namely initiating, planning, executing, monitions and controlling and closing, dictates a Waterfall methodology. PMBoK suggests project managers to walk through these Groups in a neat and linear order. PMBoK is a standardised waterfall approach. With PMBoK, you plan for the entire project once and only once.
Write an essay of 1000 - 1100 words, including:
(1) To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement above?
(2) Based on your position on the statement above, customise and tailor (if necessary) the PMBoK approach for Client B and provide, in specific terms, how PMBoK processes should be arranged into a step-wise methodology for typical projects in Client B's company.
(3) Provide, in the appendix, a pictorial illustration of your suggested methodology.
(4) Analyse what impact of your proposed methodology have on various stakeholders (discuss at least three stakeholders, including the customer and suppliers).
You should undertake extensive research for this tasks, and you are required to include a minimum of 5 references in the Reference list.
Your essay should NOT:
(1) only focus on educating the reader what is PMBoK or what is Waterfall methodology. Assume that your reader have a basic understanding of PMBoK and Waterfall methodology. Your essay should be argumentative and analytical rather than descriptive in nature; and
(2) discuss PMBoK in broad and general terms. Note that this is a case study, and your writing needs to be closely related to the case; and
(3) provide or simply download from the Internet a generic illustration of PMBoK. You are tasked to create your own customised PMBoK-based methodology for Client B by arranging the processes into a step-wise methodology.
Task C. Write an essay of 1000 - 1100 words that advises both Client A and Client C a suitable project management methodology or methodologies. Your essay should
(1) propose a methodology or methodologies for both Client A and Client C;
(2) comment in particular on whether you think the methodology needs to be tailored to suits either client. If so, what customisation have you made?
(3) critically argue why you believe the selected methodolog(ies) are the most suitable;
(4) provide an implementation plan for both Client A and C under your proposed methodology.
In your essay, make sure your logic is sound. In the past, many students have written their argument like the following:
"I choose waterfall methodology because waterfall methodology is a sequential method."
That is not a sound reason for your choice. "I like apples because apples are sweet" does not complete the logic. "I like apples because they are sweet and I like to eat sweet fruits." would be better. Similarly, just stating waterfall methodology is a sequential method is not enough - it begs the question why sequential method should be used for this particular kind of project? Make sure you link your argument with factual information given in the case study.
You should undertake extensive research for this tasks, and you are required to include a minimum of 5 references in the Reference list.
Task D. Write a 2000 - 2200 words report, providing a continuous improvement plan solution for Client D.
Specifically your report should include the following.
1. Title page: (each) student name (in your group), (each) student number (in your group), (each) student email address (in your group, use CQU email), title of your report, local lecturer/tutor, and unit coordinator. Not counted towards the word count.
2. Executive summary.
3. Table of Contents (ToC): should list the report (sub)sections in decimal notation. Create the ToC using MS Word's ToC auto-generator rather than manually typing out the ToC.
4. Introduction.
5. Body of the report (use appropriate headings in the body of the report) should include: (1) tools and techniques available to David to locate the cause of the problem; (2) discuss in relation to the 7 basic quality control tools how David can keep track of key performance measures. Out of the 7 QC tools, provide 2 specific examples how these 2 tools can be used to achieve the intended goal. Suggest any other tools, besides the basic 7 QC tools, can be used to the same effect; (3) provide a high-level continuous improvement plan and a detailed implementation plan for David and his School; (4) anticipate difficulties (from various stakeholders, e.g. parents, students, teachers) that may arise when implementing the proposed plan, identify at least two issues and propose solutions to each of them; and lastly (5) what are the long-term benefit of your proposed continuous improvement plan.
6. Conclusion.
7. Reference list: all references must be in Harvard Referencing Style. Not counted towards the word count.
You should undertake extensive research for this tasks, and you are required to include a minimum of 5 references in the Reference list.