Project Management Performance And Success -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Project Management Performance And Success? Answer: Introduction Managing of information technology projects has different approaches. It helps in the understanding of different processes that are involved in the information and technical project management processes, the methods used in its analyzing, and approaches employed to identify critical roles and stakeholders in the project. The building blocks of a project master plan and its importance in improving the success of information technology is also looked. A project framework is adapted to write a project master plan, for a simulated real-world contemporary information project is shown. The application of process groups model to manage information technology projects of various complexities and scale is made. Decision-making process and other aspects of the information and management technology is analyzed. Managing information and technology projects The major stages in the traditional approach is a step-by-step approach (Mir and Pinnington, 2014). Its stages are the initiation, planning, production or execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The success of the project greatly depends on the initiating stage. Understanding of the business environment is crucial and any deficiencies taken note of and a recommendation made. Activities that take place at this juncture I analyzing requirements of the firm, current operations, finance including a budget, stakeholders, project charter and the strength and weakness of the firm, the available opportunities, and threats. Planning of the project follows the initiation with the aim of accomplishing the set goals of the project. Details are set out on how to plan and scope statement is developed, followed by the selection of a planning team. Doable goals are set out, and a breakdown of work structure created. Activities to take place to achieve the feasible is then identified and organized in a sequence. Estimation of resource required, time and cost are also done then the schedule and budget developed. The risk is planned for, quality assurance measures designed and the program is presented for formal approval. In the execution process, the project management plan doable is executed through allocation and management of the available resources and budgets. At the monitoring and controlling stage, ongoing activities are put to measure. The current development and performance of the project are also measured. Issues and risks are corrected using the formulated corrective action and only approved changes implemented. At the project controlling stage, the progress of the project is tracked. It is ensured to be within the time frame allocated, and the budget. Finally, the closing stage consists the formal acceptance of the project. The contract is closed together with the project. Agile approach The agile approach is flexible and efficient and has its framework. The first framework is scrum that is based upon systematic interactions. It involves roles, sprints, and artifacts. Any obstacle that may prevent the efficient working of the team is eliminated by scrum master who is one of the major systematic interaction functions (Schwalble, 2015). Another role is played by the product owner. He can either be a customer or stakeholder and has an active involvement in every stage of the project. He is expected to give feedback on every job done on the project. The scrum team plays the role of product implementation and consists of up to 7 team members. Sprint is the core unit of work in the scrum and should be a maximum of four weeks for easier planning and tracking of progress. The three top artifacts are the product backlog, sprint backlog and sprint burn down the chart. Extreme programming (XP) in agile approach practices test-driven developments where tests are used to capture any defect of codes in software thus ensuring high-quality products at the end of the project. Agile also uses continuous integration (CI) to eliminate integration issues in projects enabling a rapid deployment of the final products. Pair programming is another of agile practices that are considered controversial this practice spreads the knowledge of the project across team members. Lifecycles In the agile process flow consists of concept, inception, construction, release, production, and retirement. Concepts are first envisioned and prioritized. At beginning team members are then identified, funds allocated and a discussion on requirements made. Working software is delivered based on iteration requirements at the construction stage by developing team members. The final release of iteration into products then follows. Production continues to undergo afterward and at the retirement comes to the end-of-life activities, customer migration and notification is included.The traditional life cycle is a step-by-step process and consists of initiation, planning, execution, performance, and closing of the project. Identifying critical roles and stakeholders In employing system thinking approach, the situation is first defined and consideration of whether the method is applicable. Behavioral patterns are then developed, and the underlying structure evolved then simulated. Leverage points are then identified and an alternative structure formed. Simulation of the alternative structure follows, and an adoption approach developed. Crucial roles In the information and technology projects, critical parts can be identified by employing a system thinking approach. The role of a project manager is one of these functions. The manager identifies projects and deals with them. He also analyzes the goals of the project and formulates ways to achieve the said goals. Project performance is also analyzed by the project manager and its day-to-day development. The project manager is the one to close the project and put into the record the lessons learned from the project. Another role is the role of a team leader. He is the one who initiates projections by actually putting words into action for goals to be achieved. The team leader acts as a model by using his behavior to shape others such as observing of time. Negotiations for the project provides is done by the team leader and serves as a listener to the employees. He coaches team members by encouraging them to maximize their potential. A team leader also partakes in work. A team member is a crucial role, and there is a criterion of one intending to be a team member (Fleming and Koppelman, 2016). Technical skills of the person are taken into consideration, their problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills. Stakeholders They are individuals who are actively involved in projects or have something to lose if the projects fail. The top management is a stakeholder and may consist of companys president, vice-president, directors and division managers. The project team is also a stakeholder. It consists of people working on the project on a part-time basis. Project management plan The first element is the scope management; it helps with the description of what is essential in the project and what should be out. The main products of the project are specified and stipulate a way to measure the performance of the project. Scheduling is the second component. Its contents include precedence diagrams, resource histograms, Gantt charts and project life cycle and they help in showing the key deliverables of a project. The third component is resource management. Every product should have an assignee who takes it responsibility. The project hierarchy is established, the delegation of authority done, and role descriptions made. Lastly, is the budgeting and cost management component. Estimation of cost and budgeting is done and agreed upon. Importance of improving IT project success Project master plan ensures that the end product is part of what was set out in the goals of the project as a method is defined and chaos organized. Delays and overrunning of costs are avoided by project plans as a schedule and plan are established. When people come together in projects, ideas are shared, and inspiration is offered to one another enforcing and encouraging teamwork. Resources are maximized as project plans ensure that resources are used efficiently and economically. Contemporary information technology project Project management plan using a Scrum framework, the project will be estimated to take one hundred and twenty days. A day is dedicated to planning the projects development begins. Meetings are then held daily to check on the progress and factors such as what is completed, what is yet to be completed and the challenges faced in the completion. Project schedule WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Resource Names 0 Implementation of technology building project 110 days Wed 6/7/17 Tue 11/7/17 1 Starting the project plan 21 days Wed 6/7/17 Wed 7/5/17 1.1 Formation of project steering committee 2 days Wed 6/7/17 Thu 6/8/17 Project Manager, Supporter 1.2 Communicate with other software developers 1 day Wed 6/7/17 Wed 6/7/17 Project Manager, Promoter, Supporter 1.3 Plan the business case 2 days Thu 6/8/17 Fri 6/9/17 Project Manager 1.4 Examine the business case 3 days Mon 6/12/17 Wed 6/14/17 Project Manager 1.5 Identify and meet with the stakeholders 4 days Thu 6/15/17 Tue 6/20/17 1.5.1 Create stakeholder register 4 days Thu 6/15/17 Tue 6/20/17 Marketing consultant, Project Manager 1.6 Define project deliverables 2 days Wed 6/21/17 Thu 6/22/17 Chief information officer, Marketing consultant, Project Manager 1.7 Creation of schedule and budget 3 days Fri 6/23/17 Tue 6/27/17 Chief information officer, Project Manager 1.8 Complete the project charter draft 1 day Wed 6/28/17 Wed 6/28/17 Project Manager 1.9 Finalize the project charter 3 days Thu 6/29/17 Mon 7/3/17 Chief information officer 1.10 Kick off meeting 2 days Tue 7/4/17 Wed 7/5/17 Project Manager 2 Organizing and preparing the project plan 31 days Thu 7/6/17 Thu 8/17/17 2.1 Identification of project risks 19 days Thu 7/6/17 Tue 8/1/17 2.1.1 Risk related meeting 10 days Thu 7/6/17 Wed 7/19/17 Project Manager 2.1.2 Discuss procedural, scope, schedule, cost and management issues 9 days Thu 7/20/17 Tue 8/1/17 Project Manager, technology consultant, 2.2 Recruitment of human resources 5 days Wed 8/2/17 Tue 8/8/17 2.2.1 Hiring of technology specialists and programmers 1 day Wed 8/2/17 Wed 8/2/17 technology consultant 2.2.2 Merger of technology specialists and programmers 1 day Thu 8/3/17 Thu 8/3/17 technology consultant, Marketing consultant 2.2.3 Hiring of information and technology consultant and advertising consultant 1 day Fri 8/4/17 Fri 8/4/17 Project Manager, Marketing consultant 2.2.4 Hiring of programing consultant 2 days Mon 8/7/17 Tue 8/8/17 Project Manager 2.3 Discussion of form of contract 7 days Wed 8/9/17 Thu 8/17/17 Consultant 3 Carrying out the project plan 50 days Fri 8/18/17 Thu 10/26/17 3.1 Identification of project methods 30 days Fri 8/18/17 Thu 9/28/17 3.1.1 Discuss the suitability of agile SCRUM 8 days Fri 8/18/17 Tue 8/29/17 Consultant, Developer ,Project Manager 3.1.2 SDLC based waterfall model 12 days Wed 8/30/17 Thu 9/14/17 Developer ,Project Manager 3.1.3 Problem solving strategy for conflict solution 10 days Fri 9/15/17 Thu 9/28/17 Chief information officer, Consultant, Developer ,Marketing consultant 3.2 Update charter 8 days Fri 9/29/17 Tue 10/10/17 Project Manager, Promoter, Supporter 3.3 Formalize of contract 5 days Wed 10/11/17 Tue 10/17/17 Project Manager 3.4 Hold meeting with manager and consultant 7 days Wed 10/18/17 Thu 10/26/17 Consultant, Project Manager 4 Finishing the project plan 8 days Fri 10/27/17 Tue 11/7/17 4.1 Acceptance of project deliverables 2 days Fri 10/27/17 Mon 10/30/17 Consultant, Project Manager 4.2 Finalizing the lessons learned 1 day Tue 10/31/17 Tue 10/31/17 Chief information officer, Consultant, Project Manager 4.3 Project report 2 days Wed 11/1/17 Thu 11/2/17 Project Manager 4.4 Update as well as archive of documents 1 day Fri 11/3/17 Fri 11/3/17 Project Manager 4.5 Project closure document 2 days Mon 11/6/17 Tue 11/7/17 Project Manager WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Resource Names 0 Implementation of information and technology project 110 days Wed 6/7/17 Tue 11/7/17 Project activities cost WBS Task Name Duration Resource Names Cost 0 Implementation of information and technology project 110 days $555,000.00 1 Starting the project plan 21 days $104,480.00 1.1 Formation of project steering committee 2 days Project Manager, Supporter $9,440.00 1.2 Communicate with other software developers 1 day Project Manager, Promoter, Supporter $5,920.00 1.3 Plan the business case 2 days Project Manager $6,400.00 1.4 Examine the business case 3 days Project Manager $9,600.00 1.5 Identify and meet with the stakeholders 4 days $17,600.00 1.5.1 Create stakeholder register 4 days Marketing consultant, Project Manager $17,600.00 1.6 Define project deliverables 2 days Chief information officer, Marketing consultant, Project Manager $15,680.00 1.7 Creation of schedule and budget 3 days Chief information officer, Project Manager $19,920.00 1.8 Complete the project charter draft 1 day Project Manager $3,200.00 1.9 Finalize the project charter 3 days Chief information officer $10,320.00 1.10 Kick off meeting 2 days Project Manager $6,400.00 2 Organizing and preparing the project plan 31 days $116,520.00 2.1 Identification of project risks 19 days $84,520.00 2.1.1 Risk related meeting 10 days Project Manager $32,000.00 2.1.2 Discuss procedural, scope, schedule, cost and management issues 9 days Project Manager, Architectural consultant, DBA consultant $52,520.00 2.2 Recruitment of human resources 5 days $20,800.00 2.2.1 Hiring of technology specialists and programmers 1 day Technology consultant, programming consultant $4,400.00 2.2.2 Merger of technology specialists and programmers 1 day Technology consultant, programming consultant, Marketing consultant $5,600.00 2.2.3 Hiring of technology consultant and advertising consultant 1 day Project Manager, Marketing consultant $4,400.00 2.2.4 Hiring of DBA 2 days Project Manager $6,400.00 2.3 Discussion of form of contract 7 days Consultant $11,200.00 3 Carrying out the project plan 50 days $300,160.00 3.1 Identification of project methods 30 days $203,200.00 3.1.1 Discuss the suitability of agile SCRUM 8 days Consultant, Developer ,Project Manager $51,200.00 3.1.2 SDLC based waterfall model 12 days Developer ,Project Manager $57,600.00 3.1.3 Problem solving strategy for conflict solution 10 days Chief information officer, Consultant, programming consultant, Developer ,Marketing consultant $94,400.00 3.2 Update charter 8 days Project Manager, Promoter, Supporter $47,360.00 3.3 Formalize of contract 5 days Project Manager $16,000.00 3.4 Hold meeting with Mick and Tim 7 days Consultant, Project Manager $33,600.00 4 Finishing the project plan 8 days $33,840.00 4.1 Acceptance of project deliverables 2 days Consultant, Project Manager $9,600.00 4.2 Finalizing the lessons learned 1 day Chief information officer, Consultant, Project Manager $8,240.00 4.3 Project report 2 days Project Manager $6,400.00 4.4 Update as well as archive of documents 1 day Project Manager $3,200.00 4.5 Project closure document 2 days Project Manager $6,400.00 WBS Task Name Duration Resource Names Cost 0 Implementation of information and technology project 110 days $555,000.00 Resource cost Resource Name Type Std. Rate Project Manager Work $400.00/hr. Developer Work $200.00/hr. Technology consultant Work $150.00/hr. Marketing consultant Work $150.00/hr. Programmer Work $200.00/hr. Promoter Work $150.00/hr. Supporter Work $190.00/hr. Chief information officer Work $430.00/hr. Consultant Work $200.00/hr. Application of process group models In the group types, possible performance plus process gains and losses result to actual performance. In considering the process increases, one establishes a new way to motivate workers; new technologies are developed, improvement of information systems resulting in improved coordination and communication. Information, ideas, direction, and opinion is also gained together with improved leadership. Process losses include problems in the coordination and reporting, the motivation of workers, lack of new information, ideas or opinions and a problematic system of administration. At the social facilitation in process group models, the presence of others leads to arousal which then determines the performance level. The performance level is said to be impaired if the task carried out is not familiar or is very difficult. On the other hand, performance level can be said to have improved if the function is similar or is very easy. The social loafing group is where there is a tendency of performance to put little or no effort while working in groups. A large number of people doing a task does not mean that the task is being done faster than one person. Conformity occurs when individuals are influenced by groups and end up changing their behavior to match that of the group for compliance to obtain a reward from the group or to avoid costs. High-performance teams are created by members. Resistant people are avoided in the team during placement by considering selecting people with skills and experience. Considering the situation is crucial, goals are clarified, and members undergo intense training. The individual reward is linked to team performance by use of appropriate measures. Members are influenced by the group by encouraged communication, cooperation, and participation. Decision-making process. In solving a range of information technology project issues, the first step is to identify the decision. In the identification of the decision, the technological problem is recognized and decided on addressing it. A determination is then made on why this decision will make a difference in the project. The next step is to gather information on the computer to enable the making of decisions based on facts and data. Only relevant information should be picked and value judgment made (Larson and Grey, 2013). After identifying the issue and its decision, a project manager may seek potential causes of the problem, the individuals involved in the matter not leaving the processes participating in the case. Constraints on the decision-making process are also determined. Identifying of various possible solutions to the issue established is done after one has a clear understanding of the problem. The consideration of alternatives at your disposal helps in the determination of the best cause of action to achieve your goals. The next step will be to weigh the evidence. This process contributes to determining which alternative is best by evaluating for feasibility, acceptability, and desirability. The pros and cons of the decision are considered, and the choice with the highest chance of success is considered. When a time to make a decision comes, the alternatives is where one of the options is chosen. One should be well informed of the pros and cons of the preferred option and its potential risks. The next step is taking action. Here, a plan is created for implementation (Kerzner, 2013). Required resources are identified, and the support of employees and stakeholders sought so that the scheme can be efficiently executed. Arising questions and concerns from the staff and interested parties are then addressed. Reviewing of the decision is done as the last step in the decision-making process. It involves evaluating the effectiveness of the decision and recommending on what can be done in future to improve on the decision. Current issues in IT project management. Firstly is the lack of project mandate in the information and technology project management. The lack of missions and objectives makes the recovering of an at-risk project to improve. Providing an order in a blueprint form for your program is advisable. The mandate should contain business case, project justification, and high-level requirement and success criteria. It should be communicated to every person who is concerned about the project and put into writing with an approved budget as it affects every critical decision on the project. Secondly, unclear expectations is an issue. Even with a mandate at hand, when there is no detail gathering and expectations of stakeholders in an IT project, it becomes an issue. Such details should be put into writing for further references (Fryer, Antony and Douglas, 2015). Thirdly, poor communication between IT and the business. Managing projects is challenging, managers should ensure that miscommunication in the project does not end up derailing their efforts. Both internal and external communications should be well established. Lastly, lack of user input is an issue. Many IT projects are involved with the transformation of business processes (Barke, 2013). Managers should aim to update users on the progress of the project to make the process smoother as end users work with project deliverables. Importance in solving IT problems Adequate disclosure in information and technology management plan is necessary for solving problems because it is through communication that the goals of a project are articulated. Without goals, a project will have problems associated with poor performance and time wastage. After articulation of project goals, better expectations are set on how the goals will be met through communication (Alias, Zawawi, Yousouf and Aris, 2014). When this is done, then the problem of poor performing projects is avoided. Communication also helps in the formulation of a project process that works for everybody. The problem of underperformance and unproductivity of workers is solved. It is through communication that task dependencies and how they will be met are discussed. Effective communication also helps in the communication of risks and issues and how they can be solved (Wilhinson, 2016). In projects, communication helps in the understanding of one anothers roles and everyones impact on the project. It further helps in the building of a strong bond within the team members of a project. Furthermore, communication promotes individuals working on projects to enjoy their jobs. Significance of Software quality in projects Ensuring high software quality in projects is important (Srimath, Dinesh and Suthuraman, 2017). Defective software in projects causes an effect to the bottom-line and leads to financial losses. Defective software can also delay the launching of projects because work on the product will be repeated. Fixing a faulty software is costly and causes incurring of unplanned for excessive costs to the project. Conclusion In conclusion, many aspects need to be considered in information and technology project management. Every aspect of the project is crucial for the project to achieve the goals it has set out. Proper procedures and systems should be adhered to when carrying out of projects. The planning of the project is the key essential to achieving desired results in a project. Lastly, communication should be effective in the project to improve on the results of the project. References Alias, Z., Zawawi, E. M. A., Yusof, K., Aris, N. M. (2014). Determining critical success factors of project management practice: A conceptual framework. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 61 Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA. Fleming, Q. W., Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management. Project Management Institute. Fryer, K. J., Antony, J., Douglas, A. (2015). Critical Success Factors of Continuous Improvement in the Public Sector: A review of literature and some key findings.-69. Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Larson, E. W., Gray, C. 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