Weekly Portfolio For Project Management Learning

Different ways of classifying projects, functional manager, Project Manager

This materials are taken from Kerzner Chapter and from week 5 lecture notes.

From this week learning, I have learnt that there are three different classification of projects and learnings about the project manager.

Projects are classified according to its complexity, source of capital, project content, those who are involved, and according to the objective of the project.

Actually it depends on the organization about the experience level of the project manager.  It almost takes several years of experience to become a project manager.

Functional manager is a person who controls a specific function in organizational unit. If the functional manager has a good experience with many organization teams, then the functional manager is capable of making a good project manager.

Project Sponsor or the CEO of the company can look over the shoulder of the project managers.

Baptista, A., Santos, F., Páscoa, J. and Sändig, N., 2016. Project management methodologies as main tool for current challenges in global economy driving historical changes. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 4(2).

Project Management Design, career path and career growth,

Kerzner Chapter 1.14-1.16, & 3

From this part, I have learnt about the project managers and the line managers in a project management design. The difference between the career growth and career path in project driven organization and non-project driven organization can be studied in this. This materials are taken from Kerzner Chapter and from week 5 lecture slides.

Yes, while dealing with a project management design, the power of line managers can be transferred to a project manager.

In project driven organizations, the career paths are flexible, while in non-project driven organization, the career paths are traditional where to get upwards in a company is very difficult. Career growth in a project driven organization is directly related to career path of the organization. Career path is faster than career growth.

Different organizational structures, advantages and disadvantages of organizational structures

PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 2

From this, I have learnt three types of organizational structures and their related advantages and disadvantages. The materials are taken from PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 2.

Three types of organizational structures are Functional organizational structure, matrix organization structure, and projectized organization structure. Functional Organizational Structure

Advantages

·         Operational Clarity

·         Operational speed

Disadvantages

·         Segregation

·         Co-ordination lack

·         Weakening of common bonds

Matrix Organizational Structure

Advantages

·         Flexible Resource Pool

·         Less Downtime of Resource

·         Consistent Methods

Disadvantages

·         Conflict

·         Inability to Access Resource

Projectized Organization Structure

Advantages

·         Full control over the team

·         Quick resolving problems

·         Motivates the team

Disadvantages

·         Outside accessing is not possible

·         Functional work can be isolating.

The project manager will have one boss. The functional team manager will have three bosses, and functional manger will have two bosses while dealing with a project.

Binder, J., 2016. Global project management: communication, collaboration and management across borders. Routledge.

Project Manager order to develop a project plan

Kerzner Chapter 1.8-1.10, & 10 & 11.25

From this section, the details of project plan is created that helps to create a project.

To create a project plan, the project manager should define the scope of the project first in order to start the project, then the project manager will identify the supporters of the project, then determine the resources that are available, then check the timeline of the project. For completing project successful, the project manager should list all the big steps that are included in the project, break down the whole project into smaller steps, and finally develop a draft plan. A project baseline is created, with refining the plan that is based on reality. The manager is to monitor the progress of the work and document everything and keep all the members up to date with the proceeding of the work.

No, age is not a bearing for an executive whether to accept or reject a project management.

Schwalbe, K., 2015. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

Results of inefficiency in functional lines, details of project manager

PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 3

The functional lines of a project can be made inefficient that may result in different results. All such results can be learnt from this.

In case of inefficiency of functional lines of a project, the project manager should look on the productivity of the company, keep a look on the unequal workload, team work lack, slow decision making, Innovation lacking and lack of communication.

Project Sponsor, Project Management Responsibility

PMI Managing Change Preface, Chapters 1, 2 & 3

The project sponsor is often a manager or an executive who is responsible for the team in project completion. The project sponsor has every right to remove an in house representative from the company.

The final responsibility of a project manager is to complete the project successfully with controlling the quality and realize the benefits of project.

Baptista, A., Santos, F., Páscoa, J. and Sändig, N., 2016. Project management methodologies as main tool for current challenges in global economy driving historical changes. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 4(2).

Program Scheduling, Planning Process of a project management, complexity of the project plan

Kerzner Chapter 11.0-11.8

PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 4

From this mainly program scheduling and the planning process of a project management is described.

There are many complexity while doing a project plan, all such complexities are learnt from this portfolio.

The steps that are included in program scheduling are as follows:

·         Define the activities of scheduling

·         Sequencing the activities

·         Estimating the resources that are needed for activity

·         Estimating duration for each of activities

·         Schedule Development

·         Controlling and monitoring the schedule.

The steps of project planning that can be learned are:

·         Defining problem that is to be solved in the project.

·         Develop mission statement

·         Developing project strategy to meet the project objectives.

·         Scope statements for defining the project boundaries.

·         Developing a WBS (work breakdown structure).

·         Preparing a project master scheduling and budgeting

Work Breakdown Structure makes the resource allocation easy to identify the resource allocation.

Joslin, R. and Müller, R., 2015. Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of Project Management, 33(6), pp.1377-1392.

Work Breakdown Structure, role of functional manager in WBS, conflicts in planning cycles and their mitigation technique

PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 4

PMI Managing Change Preface, Chapter 4

There are many types of conflict that can happen in the project life cycle. There are many conflict categories and there are certain patterns of conflict that are involved in project management.

The work breakdown structure is system engineering that is basically deliverable oriented structure with smaller components. The work breakdown structure is a project deliverable, which organizes the work of a team in manageable section.

Baptista, A., Santos, F., Páscoa, J. and Sändig, N., 2016. Project management methodologies as main tool for current challenges in global economy driving historical changes. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 4(2).

WBS and program plan, use of social media to help in communication

Egelstaff (2013) Academic assignments: Critical thinking and writing critically

There are many social media advantages that helps to create a good communication within the system.

Social media helps in communication with interaction among people that creates, sharing, exchange information, and the ideas that are used in virtual communications.

For accomplishing a WBS, the steps that are to be followed are:

·         High level tasks are to be identified.

·         After identifying high level tasks, sub task are identified.

·         Then all the tasks are described

Kerzner, H. (2018). Project management best practices: Achieving global excellence. John Wiley & Sons.

Specifications of a project, steps of developing WBS, problems of making WBS

Kerzner Chapter 1

PMI Implementing Organizational PM Chapter 5

The specifications that are needed for project development are as follows:

·         Introduction

·         Project Objectives

·         Site user roles

·         Functional Requirements

·         Design Specifications

·         Logic Diagrams

·         Success Criteria

·         Site Map

·         Content Plan

·         Project Timeline, and

·         Budget

Many steps are to be followed for building a Work Breakdown Structure. The steps are:

·         All the functions are to be designed

·         The functions are o be broken down initially.

·         More functions or process are to be created.

·         Implementation is to be done.

Difficulties in making a WBS are:

·         No fixed position to stop.

·         Dealing with some group dynamics.

·         Sequence discussion

·         Discussing the deliverables.

·         Not grouping of activities.

Schwalbe, K., 2015. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

Role of senior manager, role of executive during project planning

PMI Managing Change Chapter 5

Similar to all the managers, the senior manager is also responsible for planning as well as directing work for a group of individuals. A senior manager monitors the work of the team and takes correct actions that are to be taken while running a project. Senior managers are allowed to guide the workers directly or might be indirectly. They provides guidelines to the report the project.

There are many roles that the project executives plays while dealing project. Project executive helps to communicate with the upper management for developing a strategic program and manages and creates the operations of the organization. They also recommend and approves the funding of levels and spending of plans.

Hornstein, H.A., 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.291-298.

Project plan, types of plans in project management, project charter

Egelstaff (2013) Academic assignments: Critical thinking and writing critically

Project Charter is basically a statement consisting of objective in project. The statement that is involved in project charter contains different goals, responsibilities, and roles, and identifies the main stakeholders, as well as authority level of project manager.

Binder, J., 2016. Global project management: communication, collaboration and management across borders. Routledge.