Prepare a Project Management Report as you work through the Project in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

Phase One: (25 marks)

Complete a project profile for a change initiative in the organisation you are placed in. You will need to use appropriate project profiling models for this purpose.

Organisational change initiatives may include, for instance, launching, implementing or integrating new products, services or processes, or any other initiative depending on the workplace organisation

Project profile must include the following:

A project profile provides a snapshot look at a project and provides valuable information in the development of the project execution plan and the assignment of resources to the project. An analysis of the project environment, including the internal and external environment, provides information that allows the project’s parent organization to allocate the organizational resources and assign the appropriate organizational leadership to the project.

– Project plan

A project plan, according to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), is: “..a formal, approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among project stakeholders, and document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines. A project plan may be summarized or detailed. Project planning is the process of establishing the scope and defining the objectives and steps to obtain them. It is most commonly represented in the form of a gantt chart to make it easy to communicate to stakeholders.

The objective of a project plan is to define the approach to be used by the project team to deliver the intended project management scope of the project. At a minimum, a project plan answers basic questions about the project:

Why? – What is the problem or value proposition addressed by the project? Why is it being sponsored?

What? – What is the work that will be performed on the project? What are the major products/deliverables?

Who? – Who will be involved and what will be their responsibilities within the project? How will they be organized?

After answering these set of questions, build the work break down structure, using the tool below

Make sure you understand your project and all the processes you would go through to complete.

You can use the tool below to schedule project team roles and responsibilities. A project team can be two, three four or more people.

– Resources

What are the resources needed to execute this project? Resources include money, time, project team, marketing tools, salespersons, trucks, others.

– Cost

Example: The cost of the entire project is about ($87,000)

– Budget

Make a budget to indicate the cost of each component of the total cost of the project.

BUDGET FOR THE PURCHASE OF A NEW TRACTOR FOR …….

BUDGET FOR THE DELIVERY OF A CAR FOR ……

BUDGET FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW PRODUCT INTO THE PRODUCT LINE OF ………..

ITEM $

Cost of Tractor 80,000

Project team expenses 1,000

Delivery 1,000

Training of staff to use tractor 2,000

Others 3,000

TOTAL 87,000

– Timescale.

When? – What is the project timeline and when will it be completed, particularly the meaningful points, referred to as milestones, be complete?

Use the Gantt chart to illustrate the beginning and ending of the project (example two weeks, one month etc)

– Implementation strategy

The strategic implementation process is the concrete steps that you take to turn your strategic plan into the actions that help you accomplish your goals and objectives. By nature, there is no single, “correct” implementation process for any project or initiative; rather, the actual implementation steps you take will depend on the specific undertaking. Implementation tactics also vary based on the specific organization and goals.

A strategic implementation plan (SIP) is the document that you use to define your implementation strategy. Typically, it outlines the resources, assumptions, short- and long-term outcomes, roles and responsibilities, and budget.

Components of an Implementation Plan

The following are the key components of and questions that drive a successful implementation plan:

• Define Goals/Objectives: What do you want to accomplish? The scope of these goals will depend on the size of your undertaking.

• Schedule Milestones: While task deadlines and project timelines will be formally set in the execution plan, it’s a good idea to outline your schedule in the implementation phase.

• Allocate Resources: One of the core purposes of an implementation plan is to ensure that you have adequate resources (time, money, and personnel) to successfully execute. So, gather all the data and information you need to determine whether or not you have sufficient resources, and decide how you will procure what’s missing.

• Designate Team Member Responsibilities: Assign roles. This doesn’t necessarily mean you must define who will execute each individual task, but you should create a general team plan with overall roles that each team member will play.

• Define Metrics for Success: How will you determine whether or not you are successful? What data (whether quantitative or qualitative) will you use to measure your results, and how will you accrue the necessary data?

• Define How You Will Adapt: Make a plan for how you will adapt, if necessary, to changes in your plan. Be sure to consider factors outside your control that could significantly alter theschedule or success of your project, and create emergent strategies ahead of time, so you don’t get derailed down the road — doing so helps build a culture of flexibility, agility, and fast action.

• Evaluate Success: In addition to defining your metrics for success, decide how often you will evaluate your progress (e.g., quarterly reviews).

Phase Two: (50 marks)

In the second phase, you are required to first develop an Action Plan using Kotter’s change model.

The Action Plan must include the following: (25 marks)

– Business systems needed including hardware, software, and network

These include all the resources needed to implement and execute the project. These resources may include trucks, computers, marketing plan, flyers, data, delivery van, movement plan etc

– Project team and their individual role, tasks and activities

The project and other individuals involved in the project, their roles, tasks, responsibilities, and activities that they are supposed to do in order to execute the project successfully. The project team include the team leader (project manager), and all the team members depending on the project objectives and the types of people who can execute the project.

– Communication plan and activities

The communication plan deals with communicating about the project from start to finish including status meeting (monitoring and evaluation)

Simple communication plan can set up as below

What? Status meetings

Who? Project team

Where? Whirlwind Room, Fourth Floor

When? Every Monday at 9 a.m.

Why? To report issues encountered last week and upcoming tasks for this week

How? In-person

– Training plan

A training plan describes the key decisions, tasks, and resources needed to develop a strategy for delivering training for a project. The purpose of the training program is to develop knowledge and skills so individuals can perform their roles efficiently and effectively.

TIME SUBJECT LOCATION MATERIAL NEEDED

8.00 AM The new login system Training room Pencil

9.00AM Using finger to login Training room Clean finger

TIME SUBJECT LOCATION MATERIAL NEEDED

8.00 AM How to operate new machine Field A3 Pencil / notepad

9.00AM Demonstrate how to harrow Field A3 In-person

– Resistance management plan

A Change Resistance Management Plan is a method that can be utilized if and when your team encounters resistance to its change management efforts. Individuals within the organization can be change-averse because uncertainty associated with change creates fear and anxiety, which people typically try to avoid.

Method 1 – Listen and understand objections

Method 2 – Focus on the “what” and let go of the “how”

Method 3 – Remove barriers

Method 4 – Provide simple, clear choices and consequences

Method 5 – Create hope

Method 6 – Show the benefits in a real and tangible way

Method 7 – Make a personal appeal

Method 8 – Convert the strongest dissenters

Method 9 – Create a sacrifice

Method 10 – Use money or power

Next, implement the change according to the project profile and specifications agreed by the organisation (25 marks)

Phase Three: (25 marks)

In this final phase of the project, evaluate the project outcomes of the change against the organisation’s goal.

Write a Memorandum to the Organisation making recommendations for continuous improvement. Justify your recommendations.

This is a statement of purpose that points out the suggestions that you deem reasonably best for the continues improvement of the project. This recommendation is tailored to the specific project you have undertaken and the key lessons learnt which are foundations for continuous improvement.

Submit your Project Report along with the Memorandum and any other supporting material to your paper facilitator.

Also ensure that the Verification Form at the end of this Assessment is completed and signed by your Manager assigned to you by the Organisation for this work-based project and assessment. Submit this as well to your paper facilitator.