The CIO wants to make sure that your project schedule is accurate, that the project does not bring big
surprises that are not planned for, and that he can be sure that what is needed gets accomplished. Your
presentation to the project staff on the PERT techniques was highly appraised. However, having reviewed your
WBS and the project time estimates, the CIO is now concerned about the project schedule and would like to
see if the schedule can be shortened. Review your project WBS and activity durations and estimates and
perform schedule compression techniques such as crashing, fast-tracking, and scope reduction. Then, write a
memo to him assuring him of how you have reviewed ways to shorten the schedule and how all these things
are controlled; explain the value of PERT estimating, critical path, schedule compression techniques, risk
matrices, and earned value management. In your write-up be sure to advise the CIO whether or not your
review techniques resulted in shortening the project duration, and indicate whether or not this will affect the
overall project cost and quality.
Using your course materials, the textbook, the library, and the academic quality resources, research the
following:
The value of Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) estimating
The value of Critical Path Method (CPM)
The value of schedule compression techniques
Risk matrices
The value of Earned Value Management (EVM)
In 700 words, address the following:
Explain how each of the above project management elements or concepts affect the scheduling and controlling
of a project.
Explain how the above project management elements or concepts affect a project manager's ability to make
project and segment trade-offs.