UNILAK NYANZA CAMPUS

MODULE CODE: PMT6315

MBA/ PROJECT MANAGEMENT

COMPUTER APPLICATION FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Submitted by: Irene DUHUZUKULI

Reg:MO2603/2023

Lecturer:
1.a. The GANTT is tool used in project management that illustrate project intended deliverables
it shows tasks their duration, and time in which they are supposed to be completed.

b. From the above Gantt chat there are two main Task summaries, namely, develop and roll out
alliance strategy building business training network they help in organizing, monitoring, and
managing project workload effectively, task summaries group related tasks into manageable
sections, making it easier and simple to understand the project structure.

c. In a given project start to start, finish to start and start to finish both shows the relationship
between two activities means that for example for start to start means that on that the start of one
task depend on the start of another thus the second task can only begin once the first task has
started.

d. This project has three milestone which are 1.1.5,1.1.6, 1.1.7 of signing MOUs, their
implications in this project is that they mark the significant events throughout the project
timeline and they act as a reminder of reference points.

2.a. Essay: Information Collection Process Before Implementing a Project

Proper data collection both by precision and timing is crucial for the success of any projects to
make them successful when they are implemented. In this first phase, ensuring that all decision-
making, planning and general project management is well-informed and optimal as per the
project objective. Collecting Data: Determining what kind of information needed, identifying the
sources from where it is going to be used and putting in place solid data that allows you to get
and organize this information systematically (PM4DEV, n.d.). Before collecting any data for the
project, it is vital to define what information this system will need. Without fail, the answer will
be some combination of: what a donor or Government expects, how they are resourced,
contextual realities (ie environment and socio-economics), risk level, national
legislation/compliance needs plus goals from major third parties. The project approach to data
gathering will be informed by the clarity of its information demands so only relevant and
required information is collected for informed decision-making as well as the operational
procedures of the project (PM4DEV, n.d.)
With the project laid out, it then moves into what the next stages will be: figuring out where this
information can come from. Projects access data, and that data often comes from a variety of
internal and external sources. External sources could include government documents, statistics,
trade journals and community consultations whereas internal sources may be former project
reports, in-house specialists or decisions from inside the project team. Accuracy and efficiency
are important when choosing an information source. Use direct sources in your projects, as this
will ensure your information is accurate and up-to-date. For instance, it is often faster and
reduces the risk of information distortion or delays for a head office to directly inform several
project managers of key information rather than go through intermediaries (PM4DEV, n.d.), as
having multiple sources of the same data can cause inconsistencies and inefficiencies. Project
information management plan must give an Enhanced description of how information is to be
collected This might include interviewing people, surveys, document review or simply crunching
the numbers. Every way in with the aid of which information is being collected, must be
desirable as according to the type of information scraping. For example, surveys might be the
way to go for gathering quantitative data but focus groups or interviews may do a better job of
culling out qualitative insights Furthermore, it is also vital to assign specific roles for collection.
Different team members should be responsible for collecting different types of information,
which minimizes the chance of wheel-spinning or missed data. It also meant that the project team
knows came second in It thoracal. Timing to ensuring that the process of gathering data is not
stalled so as this could help in expediting project execution. The project must provide definite
deadlines for the collection and reporting of specific classes of data. The dates on these schedules
should correspond to those of government reporting, donor, and internal deadlines as well as
external reporting standards (PM4DEV, n.d.). Some dates have no flexibility, such as donor or
regulatory deadlines, while other may allow for some slippage. Sometimes we cannot even
control when the information has to be collected for a project as some data may be generated
from other sources. For example, a local government could release reports when it felt like it,
which would influence the project planning process. This enables that the project can perhaps
refocus their internal plans and still be completed in the same deadlines. Finally, establishing a
uniform format for gathering and storing this information will make it significantly easier when
recalling and processing this data. This process is more organized using templates, checklists and
flowcharts which make this a consistent practice between project phases. According to PM4DEV
(n.d.), a timeline illustrating important events, the periods for reporting progress and time limits
could serve as another visual tool that claims to measure development. These documents need to
be updated regularly, especially as new information requests and project modifications occur.

Project preparation & execution, where there is one of the first steps which is essential for
effective project planning and its further smooth implementation involves gathering the
information before going out for implementing a project. A project can therefore build a good
basis for success by defining information needs, selecting trustworthy and effective sources,
designing methods of collection establishing realistic timetables as well as choosing the way data
is to be managed. A clear data management structure will assist in making more informed
decisions, minimize duplication and ensure that the key content is available to all parties required
for their guidance of the project towards its desired outcomes.

2.b. Processes Required to Monitor a Project Management Information System (PMIS)

The monitoring of a Project Management Information System (PMIS) is essential to verify that
the system efficiently serves project management activities, thereby resulting in successful
execution of projects. A PMIS combines project management aspects such as scheduling,
resource allocation, communication and documentation. Structures to monitor the system is
required in order for it to operate optimally and provide information that is true and will be
available at any time if needed. The main processes needed to effectively monitor a PMIS:

It is important to realize exactly what needs to be monitored in the PMIS prior to monitoring can
be accomplished at all. It means that to determine the level of performance, they are all about
KPIs and metrics deep down in your system. There are many ways to measure the performance
of a solution; for example, system uptime, data accuracy and the extent of user uptake from end-
users, processing time for individual tasks and the freshness of project data. Creating these
metrics provides a baseline for evaluating system performance in the future. The usefulness of
the system is in the accuracy and consistency of its details. This ensures that there are periodic
checks on the quality of data during monitoring as needed to address errors, outdated information
and inconsistencies. For example, this requires consistent reviews to ensure the data that is
inputted in the PMIS are correct, current, and match with project needs. Once the data standards
are defined, you can create a series of automated validation rules and data entry protocols to
ensure that your database is protected from human error and that accuracy is maintained.

Monitoring the technical performance of a PMIS to ensure system functioning is optimal This
included monitoring system performance indicators, such as response time, processing speed and
system availability. Such as poor performance i.e. slow response times, system down time: which
can affect on the project management activities hence monitoring tools can help in identifying
such issues. By performing reviews regularly, we can identify these issues early and address as
them quickly before they have a detrimental effect on the project. It is important to keep an eye
on user activity within the PMIS to see how stakeholders and the project team are using the
system. Monitoring the frequency of logins, task changes, document uploads, and
communication activities are all included in this. Project managers can determine which areas
may require further training or assistance by examining user engagement data. Low user
engagement may be a sign of problems like unfamiliarity with the system or an inability of the
PMIS to adequately meet user needs.

A PMIS needs to be kept an eye out for any hazards or problems that might have an impact on
the project. To identify growing risks, such as delays in job completion, shortages of resources,
or budget overruns, this entails tracking and evaluating data6. Compliance and Security
Monitoring

Given that a PMIS often handles sensitive project information, it is vital to monitor the system
for compliance with organizational policies and security protocols. Regular audits should be
conducted to ensure that the PMIS complies with data protection regulations and internal
security standards. Monitoring user access and permissions is also crucial to prevent
unauthorized access and ensure that data within the PMIS is secure. Collecting feedback from
users is an essential part of monitoring a PMIS. Regularly soliciting input from project team
members and stakeholders can provide valuable insights into the system's usability, functionality,
and areas for improvement. This feedback can then be used to make necessary adjustments or
upgrades to the PMIS, ensuring that it continues to meet the evolving needs of the project and its
users. Continuous improvement is a key aspect of effective PMIS monitoring, as it fosters a
system that adapts to changes and enhances project management capabilities over time.
However, Monitoring results need to be communicated effectively to relevant stakeholders. This
involves generating regular reports on the PMIS performance, data quality, user engagement, and
identified risks or issues. Clear and concise reporting helps stakeholders understand the system's
status and make informed decisions. Effective communication ensures that everyone is aware of
any issues and the steps being taken to address them.

2.c. First off, it is important to understand how that occurs… This approach requires the most
fundamental step of identifying exact issues in a PMIS (e.g., data inaccuracies, user adoption
challenges or system performance issues) and conducting an analysis on the need for
amendments to bring about more reliability or agility to cater for such situations Discovering
these issues would then lead to the implementation of specific solutions. If this resides in data
quality, such as in the introduction of fields which involve a greater degree of human data input,
validation tools need to be tightened up (easier said than done), ideally at pre-production time; if
the weakness does indeed lie with train mapping officers rather than clicks on the website (and
that is still an IF until more detailed cause analysis is conducted), then additional training may be
required. This provides a great opportunity to collect feedback from the user base to understand
what it is about the SSTL2 that they use, but are hesitant or unable to embrace and then
supplemented with training sessions. You may have to upgrade the infrastructure, tune software
configurations, add regular maintenance schedules, etc for technical weaknesses like being slow
or down. Moreover, open communication encourages all the users and stakeholders to provide
feedback on how effective these solutions are and allows for a continuous improvement of PMIS
that best suits the project.

3. A. Understanding Project Scope and the Role of PMIS

Project scope is the foundation of any successful project. It refers to the detailed planning and
identification of all the work necessary to achieve the It implies the detailed pre-work and lining
up of every step needed to meet project goals. It basically outlines the rules of the project what is
and isn't allowed. Having a project scope allows everyone working on the project to understand
what needs lie ahead, strategies involved and resources available. The project scope is a
document that consists of the main deliverables, goals and specific tasks they need to complete.
This could include for example major project tasks and also side-activities like stakeholder
management, team building, other meetings and presentations. Defining the scope correctly is
very important because it guides your project team, helps in managing expectations (PM4DEV).

PMIS role on the Project Scope Management:

 Resource Allocation: When the project scope is defined, it becomes easy for PMIS to
allocate resources like manpower, budget and time to each task. Makes sure every piece
of the project is well-resourced, so it can be successfully delivered.
 Monitoring & Control: PMIS is a software used to track the project progress and get the
related information. It monitors that the tasks and deliverables which are listed in scope
document of project, are on track or going out of budget. And if any piece of the project
slips from the original scope, an alert is fired to the project manager and a course
correction can be made.
 Stakeholder Communication: The PMIS platforms enables transparent communication
to stakeholders about the progress of the project, scope changes, and any other updates.
Additionally, everybody stays on the current page, and only those with authority get to
decide that change is good.

B. Essay Project Scope: Definition, Assignment, Verification, and Adaptation

The project scope is an integral part of project management, it includes all the work required to
complete a project. Verifies that the project delivers what it was created to deliver and that its
expected outcomes are realized. There are four primary components of managing project scope:
definition, assignment, verification and adaptation. Learning these are most important thing for
the successful of the project in which you implement. Project scope defines everything that needs
to get done and ensures that the work remains focused on the outcomes of the project. This
involves both activities listed in the project logical framework (Log frame) and other tasks like
team development, stakeholder communication, presentations on the project etc. Scope definition
describes in clear terms the reasoning behind undertaking a project, the objectives of the project,
its deliverables (including specific features and desired performances for each deliverable),
constraints within which it will operate (such as hardware, materials or human resources) when
completed goals are pursued, assumptions: defined scenarios that must occur for goal to be
reached exploration: specified dependencies; any pre-requisite traditional requirements on
subsequent work preferred items in order that evaluation shall take place role definitions/specific
roles activities and plans used to accomplish an end overall success criteria with measurable
outcomes. It establishes a definitive idea of what the project is designed to achieve and delineates
the scope within which its deliverables can be quantified.

The Project Scope Statement is a key document in this step. It creates a shared understanding
between stakeholders about what the project will be and puts together statements of why, outputs
(functional requirements), constraints, assumptions, dependencies and success criteria. For
example, the justification of a project may consider to raise the economical income of a
population target; beneficiary communities and geographical scope of work are all features
present in this category. The scope statement spells out constraints, such as donor-imposed
deadlines, and assumptions, such as requirement for beneficiary labor contributions. It serves as
a means for communication between all stake holders on what they consider are the goals and
bounds of this project. Project Scope Should Be Decomposed into Tasks and Activities These
activities are organized in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and they are then allocated to
project team members who would be given certain skills, or roles. This means producing a Work
Assignment Sheet which contains each task, its person or persons responsible

Assignments are tailored to the team's skills and authority levels. A technical professional might
be tasked with achieving an objective using specific approaches, while a field worker might
collect baseline data using detailed instructions. The assignment sheet provides clear instructions
or approaches for each activity, ensuring that team members understand their responsibilities and
how their work contributes to the overall project.

Scope verification involves obtaining formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables
from stakeholders, ensuring that the project meets its objectives. This process includes reviewing
deliverables to ensure they are completed satisfactorily and align with the project's scope
statement. Verification may involve activities such as inspections, measurements, examinations,
and reviews to confirm that the work meets requirements and acceptance criteria. Verification
differs from quality control in that it focuses on the acceptance of deliverables, while quality
control ensures they meet specific quality standards. Verification can include input from various
sources, including the project manager, project beneficiaries, and donors. For example,
beneficiaries may verify that equipment delivered to a community health center matches the
agreed-upon specifications. This step is crucial for confirming that the project has fulfilled its
intended purpose and delivered the expected value to stakeholders.

The scope of a project is dynamic and subject to vary in reaction to external circumstances,
stakeholder needs, or project conditions. Managing changes to the project scope and making sure
they are properly assessed, recorded, and shared are all part of adaptation. Requests for changes
are evaluated in relation to the project scope statement to ascertain how they will affect the goals,
schedule, and available resources. This procedure guarantees that modifications are in line with
the overarching objectives and aids in keeping control over the project's direction.
In order to keep all parties informed and on the same page, adaptation also entails amending the
scope statement to reflect authorized modifications. To avoid scope creep and keep the project's
goals front and center, it is imperative to make the project's boundaries clear.

Use of Project Management Information System (PMIS) in Scope Management

A Project Management Information System (PMIS) plays a crucial role in implementing

effective scope management. PMIS provides tools and processes for managing project scope,
including:

a. Defining Scope: PMIS helps document the scope statement, including justification,
objectives, deliverables, constraints, and success criteria. It provides templates and
repositories for storing and accessing scope-related documents.

b. Assignment of Work: PMIS facilitates the assignment of tasks by allowing project

managers to create and track work assignment sheets. It enables team members to access
their assignments, understand their responsibilities, and report progress.
 c. Verification: PMIS supports scope verification by providing tools for inspections,
reviews, and approvals. It allows project managers to document verification processes,
track stakeholder acceptance, and ensure that deliverables meet the specified criteria.

d. Adaptation: PMIS helps manage scope changes by providing change control processes.
It allows for the submission, evaluation, approval, and tracking of change requests. PMIS
ensures that changes are communicated to all stakeholders and that the scope statement is
updated accordingly.

4. A. Project quality management is the processes necessary to ensure that the project will
satisfy the need for which it was undertaken, namely Project Quality Management is a set of
activities for ensuring quality in products by identifying the quality requirements and addressing
them. It focuses on developing strong relationships with the relevant stakeholders, identifying
their requirements and continuing improvements in activities to increase satisfaction. Quality
management is not just about measuring or correcting defects; quality management deals with
error prevention, improving the quality of products and services, and eliminating unnecessary
activities. It is not a question about the most expensive material you use, it is how we as Building
team deliver zero defect and stakeholder aligned outputs and ensure that an incident, failure free
Project delivery just happens because of what all sides do again proactively & continuously.

B. Project Quality Control is an essential aspect of project management that ensures project
deliverables meet established standards and stakeholder expectations. It involves systematic
monitoring, assessment, and corrective actions to identify and address discrepancies in project
outcomes. Unlike quality assurance, which is proactive and process-oriented, quality control is
more reactive, focusing on verifying that the project's outputs conform to quality standards. The
primary purpose of quality control is to identify defects or deviations, enabling corrective
measures to be implemented swiftly. By doing so, quality control safeguards the project’s
integrity and ensures that the final products align with the intended objectives (PM4DEV).

Quality control plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with both internal and external
quality requirements. By systematically measuring project outcomes against predefined
standards, it guarantees adherence to regulatory standards and stakeholder expectations.
Furthermore, quality control is integral in preventing rework, which can be both costly and time-
consuming. By detecting quality issues early in the process, it minimizes the need for extensive
rework, thereby reducing costs and avoiding delays. Enhancing stakeholder satisfaction is
another core objective of quality control. By delivering outputs that meet or exceed stakeholder
expectations, quality control helps build trust and credibility in the project's outcomes.

The first part of quality control is inspection and testing examining project deliverables to ensure
they meet the appropriate standards. This can be tested in the form of product testing,
performance testing, and function performance testing to track and record any bug or deviation
that could affect the final output quality. Inspection also ensures that the deliverables meet
quality constructs of the project and not just about searching defects. In the acceptance phase,
stakeholders judge in a more qualitative way if the product/service delivered is of high quality.
Deliverables are accepted only if they meet the quality standards and expectations of
stakeholders. Failure to do so means the product or service may be rejected and require
rework/adjustments. When deliverables do not meet quality standards or are rejected by
stakeholders, rework is necessary. This involves correcting the identified defects to bring the
product or service into compliance with the project’s quality requirements. Rework, however,
can be expensive and time-consuming, highlighting the importance of effective quality planning
and assurance to minimize its occurrence. Organizations often incur substantial costs for rework,
which may not be refundable by donors, potentially leading to financial losses. Therefore, quality
control must be proactive, emphasizing thorough inspections and adherence to quality standards
throughout the project to avoid the pitfalls of rework.

This process also includes taking corrective actions and making adjustments. Using the
measurements and analysis, that you can attack the root causes of quality issues. They really
need to prevent that kind of stuff from happening, and these measures are supposed to prevent it.
It includes more than the straightforward repair of identified common causes but also changing
project practices, methodologies, or materials to reduce future defects. These adjustments are
rooted in the principle of continuous improvement, guaranteeing that the project grows to offer
quality efficiently. One more is documenting, and reporting which is very essential part of the
quality control process. These are useful for understanding the quality performance of a project,
including deviations and corrective actions in the form of detailed reports on inspections, tests,
and evaluations. It is a basis of continuous improvement and directs the other projects to follow
suit.

Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) significantly enhance the effectiveness of

quality control. PMIS is a comprehensive set of tools and techniques used to gather, process,
store, and disseminate project information, serving as a central repository for all project-related
data. It enables project managers and stakeholders to make informed decisions based on real-
time insights. By providing a centralized platform for data collection related to quality metrics,
inspection results, and defect rates, PMIS allows for detailed analysis and identification of
deviations from quality standards. This data-driven approach supports informed decision-making
to enhance the quality of project outputs. Real-time tracking of project activities and thus
continuous quality control is one of the major benefits that PMIS offers. With real-time
monitoring, it can set the alarms as soon as any deviation is detected which helps to take
immediate response against and without wasting a fraction of time whenever anything goes
wrong in your project. This capability is vital to keep the projects from producing project
deliverables that meet stakeholder expectations throughout the lifecycle of the project.
Furthermore, PMIS supports process standardization by means of templates, checklists and
workflows that are used to conduct QC activities in a consistent manner. This helps lowering the
chances of mistakes and control inconsistencies so that observations in project remain consistent
across all the standards.

Change control management is another area where PMIS proves invaluable. Quality control
often leads to the identification of necessary adjustments or changes to project processes. PMIS
facilitates the submission, review, and approval of change requests, ensuring that any
adjustments to improve quality are documented and systematically implemented. This integrated
change control system ensures that changes made to address quality issues are aligned with the
project's overall objectives and do not negatively impact other project elements. Additionally,
PMIS provides robust reporting tools that generate comprehensive quality reports, including
quality metrics, inspection results, and corrective actions. These reports can be shared with
stakeholders, promoting transparency and facilitating informed decision-making. By offering
collaborative communication platforms, PMIS ensures that stakeholders are actively involved in
the quality control process, providing feedback and participating in quality-related discussions.
Even though PMIS greatly improves quality control, organizations still have to deal with issues
including data accuracy, stakeholder participation, and PMIS integration with other project
management tools. Since reliable data is the cornerstone of efficient quality control, ensuring
data integrity is essential. To guarantee that the data entered into the PMIS is accurate,
organizations should set up data validation procedures. Since quality control involves
collaboration, involving stakeholders is equally crucial. PMIS can encourage active stakeholder
participation by giving access to pertinent, high-quality data and by offering constructive
criticism.

C. The same project associated with mismanagement can be turned around greatly just by
changing to a quality minded approach. It starts with establishing a set of well-defined quality
criteria that are in line with stakeholder expectations to give a reference point for high quality
deliverables, as well as how work is to be done. It is essential to have a comprehensive quality
management plan which will specify the objectives and procedures for ensuring and maintaining
quality. By establishing quality assurance strategies: process checks and balances, as well as
team training, to make sure the workflows are correct and it helps in minimizing the errors. Run
Quality control on regular basis. Work products of a project are continuously inspecting &
testing to identify if there are any deviations from the standards set, when running quality control
these deviations should be corrected as soon as possible within time and cost range. Involve
stakeholders from start to finish of this approach so that the project stays true, yet emphasizes
continuous improvement within your team allowing them to tweak and keep issues from
becoming repeated. These quality management techniques when used implant those
opportunities into the project they will be poorly managed and end up with achieving their
targets and health-care service outcomes.
References

Project Scope Management - PM4DEV

Project information Management - PM4DEV 2016

Project quality management - PM4DEV, 2016