“Project Management”

Using the Project Scope Document:

Review the deliverables and technical requirements in the scope statement and use these to create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Enter your WBS in MsProject. The WBS should be at least 2 levels for most of the deliverables; indent the deliverables as appropriate and then turn on outline numbering in MsProject. Add “Project Management” as another deliverable in your plan to allow for all of the management tasks, including planning, monitoring and controlling that we’ll be adding later in this course. (Please note: we are creating deliverables, not activities at this point; deliverables should follow the adjective / noun format).
The WBS should capture the entire scope of your project in deliverables, as noted above. Points will be deducted if activities are included or if the scope is not fully captured.

You may not use a template or a past WBS file to create this assignment; it must be your team’s original work.

Part 1 Assignment Instructions:


Break down the Work Packages into the Activities necessary to create the project deliverables. (You should have enough activities to accomplish the deliverables; also, remember to use the Verb / Adj. / Noun format in naming activities; all activities must begin with an action verb (Examples: create, order, schedule, build, code, etcCreate an estimate for each activity. Consider the scope of the work and deliverable(s) for each activity, and assign/estimate resources and duration. In order to do this, create a resource pool with the availability and cost information for each resource. Also be sure to note if each activity is Work, Duration or Units driven (generally the activities will be work or duration driven). Refer to the demos on MS Project for more detail on how it handles these. A meeting may be duration driven (i.e. kick off meeting is 2 days long – resources assigned/ duration does not change based on resources assigned). Writing a report may be effort driven (i.e. effort = 24 hours. If availability is 3 hours a day, the duration is 8 hours. If availability is 6 hours a day, duration is 4 days).
Create a resource pool that reflects the team members and the vendors and resources to be used
Input rates and availability of resources (remember to view Scope document for information on how project team is constrained); some will be hourly rates, while others will be per use costs.
Assign at least one resource to each activity (note: do not assign resources to summary tasks or deliverables, only to activities)
Effort and duration ARE VERY DIFFERENT – duration is the number of work days over which the activity occurs (does not include non-work days); work is the amount of effort – in this case person hours – that will be consumed in meeting the deliverable; if you do not make this distinction appropriately, then you will lose credit
Create at least 12 activity notes that contain the following information: 1) Basis of estimate (past experience, SME, vendor quote, etc.), and 2) if past experience, how was the estimate determined as well as why it is effort or duration driven; if notes do not contain sufficient detail, then points will be deducted. For instance, do not simply say SME or vendor quote, tell me what type of SME you would have contacted. Include assumptions that are the basis of the estimate – how would you justify this if asked.
Add milestones to your project (make milestones ‘green’ to show where they are); if milestone points differ than those provided in scope statement, then be sure to update them and provide an explanation in your integrated project plan assignment.

If resources are necessary beyond those stated in the Case Study, reach out to your Sponsor through the DB “Ask the Sponsor” link.

Part 2 Assignment Instructions:
Set your project start date
*Add task relationships where needed to all of your activities (not summary tasks or deliverables); you should create a closed diagram (if you are unsure how to do this, contact me as soon as possible)
*Add lead time, lag time, and use non-FS task relationships where appropriate (FF, SS, etc.); add explanatory note to each of these instances
Add task constraints as appropriate and provide a note explaining why the task is constrained (make certain that the constraint does not create a conflict in the project schedule). As appropriate is key – when these are added it constrains the critical path calculations – be sure there is an excellent reason for why a date constraint is used.
Work to ensure the schedule meets the date constraints of the schedule. What actions needed to be taken for the date to be met? Note your concerns with this (good input to risk work).
Highlight tasks on the critical path in red.
Create a note in line 1 of your MsProject file and tell me the duration of the critical path of your project.
Display your project in Network Diagram view and save it so that it opens automatically in this view
Be sure to insert your team number in the name of the MsProject file (for instance, Team4_Week2.mpp)

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