Reference no: EM132312286 , Length: word count : 3000

Assessment : Group Project Plan

Word Limit: 3000 words

For this assignment you will form into groups of

Please post on the learnonline general discussion page, the names of the members of your group by no later than the end of week 3. If you have not formed your group by the remaining students will be formed into groups by the lecturer. No further adjustment of the group membership will be allowed.

Evidence of active participation in the group effort will be allocated marks for this assessment. To give you every chance of excelling in this assignment, early formation of, and engagement in the group is highly recommended to enable sufficient development of the team to achieve high performance.

You and the other members of the group have to develop a project proposal building on a "real project". The nature of the project (i.e. type, field area) is a group's choice. Your group are to demonstrate the ability to use the structures and processes of professional project management.

Prior to the commencement of Assignment 2, by week 5 you and/or your group are required to submit online (upload into the discussion forum) an executive brief outlining details of your project proposal. Try to find a real project and then prepare a brief proposal of this project. This proposal should include the following contents:

1. ProjectTitle

2. ProjectGoals

3. Brief Description of the Project (oneparagraph)

4. Members of ProjectTeam

Part A. Project Plan Report

It is the task of the project group to review the selected project proposal and develop a detail report that addresses the stated problems, develop a project plan and to provide some final recommendations.

The project plan should show all tasks required to be achieved up to and including completion of the working project. The group should complete the project plan with detailed estimates of costs and the duration of the tasks and indicate suitable resources required to complete tasks.

As part of the group project plan, clarification indicating any assumptions used in the preparation of the project plan and proposal should be included.

Instructions:

• Review a few topics proposed by each group member and choose only ONE project proposal to further develop into a detail project plan.

• Identify the Project Scope that clearly defines the boundary of theproject.

• Prepare a detailed Risk Analysis for the project, including how the key identified risks might be managed and incorporated into the projectplan.

• Prepare a detailed analysis of the stakeholders that need to be managed during the project implementation phase, and what their expectations might be and how they might befulfilled.

• Prepare a Work Breakdown Structure for the project. Your group may present this in either indented or graphic format. The discussion should also include a description of the group's rationale behind the level of detail in the workpackages.

• Identify the required resources associated with each of the tasks identified in theWBS.

• Produce a project budget showing how estimates areprepared.

• Produce a Gantt chart that incorporates the activities identified in the WBS. (The Gantt chart can be either manually prepared applying basic principles; or alternatively, it can be prepared using MS Excel, MS Project or simply, a table drawn inMSWord).

• Draft a network diagram for the project, with the critical path clearly illustrated and implicationsdiscussed.

Your group project plan should include referenced critical discussions organised in the following sections:

• ProjectTitle

• ExecutiveSummary

• Table ofContents

• Introduction to include project background and context; justification of the project and clear statement of the expected project benefits anddeliverables

• Project Scope that clearly defines the boundary of theproject

• Body of the project plan report (e.g. critical discussion of project stakeholders, constraints, risk management, life-cycle; project WBS, required resources, budget and estimates; planning schedules, Gantt Chart, Network diagram,etc)

• Conclusion and/orRecommendations

• Reference List (minimum 15 references, of which 8 are from the Coursee-Readings)

• Appendices (e.g. tables, charts, diagrams,etc.)

Only one member of the group should submit the report (with all group members' names identified) via learnonline. Additionally, each member of the group should individually submit to learnonline, a paragraph of statement identifying the portion of work they contributed to the group's effort, as well as what they believe other members of the group contributed.

Part B. Presentation of the Project Plan

To complement the report, each group will summarise their report on no more than 10 PowerPoint slides (maximum 10 minutes presentation per group).

In the final weeks of the Study Period (weeks 9 and 10), groups may have the opportunity to present their project plan and recommendations to the class. Feedback will be provided to the presenting groups immediately following the presentation to enable each group to improve and revise, as appropriate, their project plan report prior to final submission immediately after week 10.

Reading :

THE COST OF CHANGE-When scope expands, rennennber: Money talks. By BYGARYR. HEERKENS, MBA. CBM, PMP. CONTRlBUTiNG EDITOR.

How to master the new art of teaming by Amy C. Edmondson.

2004 project of the year finalist

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT BY MALCOLM WHEATLEY

The Business of Software By Phillip G. Armour

Risks Aren’t Always Negative By Christian Bisson, PMP