CHAPTER 1 ASSIGNMENT
Modern Project Management
JUNE 23, 2018
Question 1
How effectively do you think Rachel spent her day?
Rachel spent her day effectively, this is so because she spent more than half of her day
performing activities that was in some way linked to the monitoring, controlling, and planning of
her project. These key project management responsivities are important to the success of any
project.
Monitoring: This is the routine observation of project activities throughout the life of the
project. To monitor is to check on the progress of project activities.
Rachel accomplishes this by:
Going over project reports and preparing for status meeting (25mins).
Conducting and participating in weekly status meeting which surfaced project issues to
be addressed and assigned for action (45mins).
Reviewing project documents after updating her boss on daily activities (30mins).
Total time spent monitoring her project: 25+45+30 = 100mins
Controlling: Controlling is centered around keeping the project on track and putting
measures in place to ensure activities are executed in accordance with project schedule. This
typically entails, checking progress of the project toward meeting its objectives, determining
the cause of deviations, if any, from the plan and taking corrective actions to address
deviations.
Rachel accomplishes this by:
Meeting with team members to follow up on issues raised in their status report meeting
(20mins).
Communicating with client firm in order to go over problem raised in status meeting.
(30mins)
Conversing with purchasing agent assigned to her project to explore ways of getting
necessary equipment to the project sight earlier than originally planned. (30mins).
Meets with senior marketing manager to discuss miscommunication between her client
and a marketing rep at her firm, regarding features her system would provide. (40mins).
Total time spent controlling her project: 20+30+30+40 = 120mins
Planning: Planning is determining what needs to be done, who is going to do it, and when it
needs to be done.
Rachel accomplishes this by:
Reviewing project assignments with another project manager (Victoria) at her firm, with
whom she shares project personnel. (30mins).
Reviewing the impact that the client’s request could have on the project schedule.
(30mins)
Reviewing what if scenarios (30mins).
Total time spent planning her project: 30+30+30 =90mins
Conclusion:
Rachel spent 57% of her day doing activities that are dedicated to the planning, monitoring and
controlling of her project. Most of the issues faced by Rachel are typical challenges faced by
project managers. Rachel used her time well and appropriately manage all the challenges faced
on the day Therefore, her day was very effective.
Table 1.0: Time breakdown of all activities Rachel was involved for the day.
Activity Time taken (mins)
Socializing with Neil 10
Commute to office after talking with Neil 10
Reviewing schedule & to-do list for the day 15
Status meeting delay 15
Lunch and gossiping with Eddie 30
Non Project
Checking emails while awaiting conference call commencement 15
Related
Conference Call 60
Waits to meet with senior marketing manager, Mary 10
Udating boss onkey events throughout the day 20
Discussig the project with her boss 20
Commute Home 30
Total Time (mins) 235
Going over status reports and preparing for status meeting 25
Progress review meeting 45
Review project assignments with Victoria 30
Discussion with team regarding issues that arrised in the progress meeting 20
Project Converses with John (client) over the phone going over project issues 30
Related Talking to purchasing agent assigned to her project and approves express delivery 30
Discussion with Mary regarding miscommunication with client 40
Reviewing impact of client's request on project schedule 30
Reviewing emails and project documents 30
Working on what if scenarios 30
Total Time (mins) 310
Total Time Accounted For On The Day 235 + 310 = 545
Percentage of Time not Dedicated to her Project (235/545)*100 = 43%
Percentage of Time Dedicated to her Project (310/545)*100 = 57%
Question 2
What does the case tell you about what it is like to be a project manager?
Being a project manager entails managing projects from technical and socio-cultural
perspective. This case reveals that it is not sufficient to just be good at one aspect, but that both
dimensions of project management pose their own challenges that must be adequately managed
to ensure the smooth execution of project objectives and consequently the successful completion
of projects.
Technical
This dimension governs the systematic, logical and scientific aspects of project management
such as scheduling, planning, coordinating, monitoring etc.
From a technical aspect Project Managers must:
Ensure that appropriate trade-offs are made among the time, cost, and performance
requirements of the project. This was illustrated when Rachel was reviewing her project’s
progress report in preparation for her weekly status report meeting. A project progress
report should say whether or not the project is on schedule, within budget and if the
performance requirements are being met. Reviewing a progress report is a means of
monitoring projects.
Socio-Cultural
This dimension speaks to the political, emotional, interpersonal aspects of project
management. This is usually where strong leadership and communication skills are base
requirements.
From a socio-culture aspect Project Managers must:
Work with diverse troupe of characters to complete projects. This is illustrated when the
commencement of Rachel’s status report meeting was delayed by fifteen minutes due to
the inability of her teammates to show up to the meeting on time. Teammates were
engaged activities such as, prioritizing the completion of a job not related to the project,
going to cafeteria to get coffee and doughnuts, while others discussed sporting fixtures.
Provide direction, coordination and integration to the project team. This was depicted in
three different instances in the case. Firstly, When Rachel conducted her status report
meeting. This meeting brought the team together to discuss matters relating to the project
and hence supported the integration of the team. Secondly, when Rachel visited members
of her project team to follow up on an issue that was raised in the status meeting, and
after listening to her teammates she realized that among other things several of the
client’s managers were beginning to request features that were not in the original project
scope statement. Acquiring this information prompted Rachel devise a corrective action
to provide the direction required to lead the team. When Rachel updated her team on
what is happening regarding the issues that were highlighted in the project meeting. They
spent thirty minutes reviewing the impact the clients request could have on the project
schedule. She also shares with them the schedule changes she and Victoria had agreed to.
This also supports team integration.
Negotiate with functional counterparts and other project managers to ensure that things
run smoothly. This was illustrated in two instances Firstly, when Rachel met with
Victoria, another IS project manager to review project assignments since the two of them
share personnel. Victoria’s project is behind schedule and in need of help. They broker a
deal to get Victoria’s project back on track. Secondly, When Rachel met with senior a
marketing manager to discuss miscommunication between her client and a marketing rep
at her firm, regarding features her system would provide.
Serve as a direct link to the customer. Returning to her office after conversing with team
members, Rachel tries to call a client representative to discuss problems that had
stemmed from additional client requests.
They must orchestrate the completion of the project by including the rite people, at the
right time to address the right issues and make the right decisions. Rachel talks to the
purchasing agent assigned to her project. They spend 30mins exploring ways of getting
necessary equipment to the project site earlier than planned. She then authorizes express
delivery.
