An Introduction to Project Management : Assignment

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION
Project management may be defined as a process which contains initiation, planning,
monitoring, control and closure of work (Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer, 2017). The main
motive of project management (PM) is to achieve specific goals within the predetermined
criteria. However, in the context of project management manager faces challenge in relation to
meeting criteria under given constraints. PM facilitates successful completion of project by
placing emphasis on all the success criteria’s. It presents path which need to be followed by
project manager for the accomplishment of project. This report will present the success of the
project of QA Higher Educations (QAHE). This is higher education institution that has just
completed refurbishment of their teaching rooms and computing labs as well as installing the
latest technologies to ensure students and staff have excellent learning environment in London,
Manchester and Birmingham. Institute is going to launch an event in the week of Freshers. So,
this report will plan the event for institution.
MAIN BODY
1. Sample Project Initiation document (PID)
The most important artifacts in PM is project initiation document as it is also called as the
foundation of the project. PID is the base of the project. It makes clear what is the important of
project, what and when the project is to be delivered. Some important elements that project
management are information of budget, duration, time, stakeholders, objectives etc.
Budgetary Information:
Budget implies for the financial framework which in turn includes forecasted income and
expenses pertaining to the specific time frame. For successful competition of project, it is very
important that project manager should have to prepare budget so that proper resources are
available for project completion (Larson and Gray, 2017). In this present event, project manager
have decided and forecast the budget is £50,000. Professor of the project has assigned the cost of
each and every activities of the event like which task required what amount. Budget provides
road map for the entire project. The event of QA Higher Education will be successful with
effective formulation of budget.
Time Scale:

This is another most essential part of the project. Time scale are the schedule for carrying
the activities in estimated or set time period so that project does not face the issues regarding
delays or any other complications. In addition to this it is span of time within which certain
schedules to occur considered in relation to any wider period. This event of QA Higher
Education institute will take time approximately one year (Harrison and Lock, 2017).
Objectives:
Objectives are the aim or purpose of the particular event or anything on which entire
activities will be carried. There are some objectives which project management have expected
for the successful event of QA Higher Education Institute. Following are the some objectives
written below-
 To attract people across UK and make them aware about this institute of learning.
 To acquire maximum results with minimum efforts.
 To increase the number of admissions.
 To raises the standard of teaching and make people know about the quality of teaching
university is providing to students.
 To attract more and more investors for QA Higher Education Institute.
 To encourage the employee engagement.
 To make people know about the refurbishment of university.
 To encourage the involvement of other stakeholders like professors, lecturer, teachers,
sponsors and others.
Approaches:
Approaches are very important to achieve the objectives of the specific event or anything.
Project managers has undertaken some approaches in order to achieve the objectives. Following
are some approaches undertaken by project manager which are as following-
Key Performance Indicators: Key performance indicators is another an important
approach that is considered by project manager to measure the performance. KPI is an
instrument that helps in evaluating the performance on regular basis so that project manager can
take immediate actions on time (Turner, 2016).

Benchmarking: This is also one of the best approach to achieve the objectives as helps in
comparing the performance of the event in right way. Project manager have set the target level to
achieve the objective and by benchmarking the performance is measured in a time.
Key Staff:
Proper staffing is very important for successful implementation of the project because
alone project manager cannot do all the activities of events. Here are the key staff members of
the project are as follows-
Event Planner: They are the first person who are appointed by project manager for
completing the event (Kivilä, Martinsuo and Vuorinen, 2017). Event Planner will discuss each
and everything with client such as location, food, budget, sitting areas, number of participants
and others.
Food and Beverage Vendor: These are the staff members who will manage the food and
catering part of the event. They are accountable for food facilities, serving of water, drinks etc.
Sound System Vendor: They are staff members who will manage the sound system like
speakers, mike, stage, DJ sound and all other systems related to sound.
Stakeholder Analysis:
Stakeholders implies for the individuals having interest in concerned project either
directly or indirectly. Stakeholder analysis is very important for meeting the needs and
expectations of stakeholder. It is a tool that helps to define the stakeholders. Following are the
stakeholders of this present project:
Name of
Stakehold
er
Contact
Person
Impact Influence
d
What is
important
to the
stakehold
er?
How
could the
stakehold
er
contribut
e to the
project?
How
could the
stakehold
er block
the
project
Strategies
for
managing
Stakehold
er.
Event
Planner
High High Timely
payment
Event
planner is
Event
Cancellati
Person
who

said to be
the starter
of the
event as
all the
activities
are
planned
and
scheduled
by event
planner.
on. organise
each and
everything
of the
event by
undertakin
g the
meeting
with
client.
Through
this event,
event
planner
will
generate
huge
amount of
profit and
gain
recognised
brand
image
Students High Medium Proper
Informatio
n and
maximisin
g the
engageme
nt.
They can
bring more
admission
to the
university
that
ultimately
Going on
Strike,
lack of
interest.
They are
the key
stakeholde
rs of the
cited
institute as
they are

bring food
result for
the event.
the main
reason for
refurbishm
ent of
university.
Through
this event
their
career
developme
nt will be
among the
greatest
level as
they will
now get
quality of
education
(Serra and
Kunc,
2015).
Employee
s
High High All the
informatio
n
regarding
the event
organisati
on should
be
communic
Employee
s can
mange all
the
activities
in desired
way.
Going on
strike.
Employee
s include
teachers,
professors,
lecturer
and all
other who
are
currently

ated. working in
the
university.
This
present
event will
raise the
opportunit
ies for
further
growth
and
developme
nt in
academic
sector.
Owner High Low Successful
implement
ation of
event
Communi
cate with
other
stakeholde
rs to
express
their
support for
reforms
Cancellati
on of
event.
The owner
of the
cited
university
will be
highly
benefited
from this
event as
they will
get more
and more
admission
s (Harris,

2017).

2. Work-break Down Structure
WBS is another significant aspect of PM that standout one of the crucial part of the
project. WBS helps in segregating the complex project into simpler as well as manageable task
(Li and Lu, 2016). In this present event, project manager have prepared WBS for the following
reasons:
 Readable and Accurate flow of project.
 To assign the roles and responsibilities in strategic manner.
 To forecast the risk, cost and time.
 To make better understand of project to stakeholders.
 To minimise the mistakes, duplication and errors during the activities.
Task
Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
1 Project planning (Event
requirement) 237 days Wed 7/3/19 Thu 5/28/20
2 Establishment Needs 5 days Wed 7/3/19 Tue 7/9/19
3 Integrating objectives of
event 4 days Wed 7/10/19 Mon 7/15/19 2
4 Location 8 days Tue 7/16/19 Thu 7/25/19 3
5 Amenities render for 9 days Fri 7/26/19 Wed 8/7/19 4
6
Checking of sound
system, stage, proper
sitting arrangement and
internet
5 days Thu 8/8/19 Wed 8/14/19 3,4,5
7 Services of Food &
Beverage 6 days Thu 8/8/19 Thu 8/15/19 5
8 Caretaker services 4 days Thu 8/15/19 Tue 8/20/19 6
9 Visitors services 8 days Fri 8/16/19 Tue 8/27/19 7
10 Visitor and attendance
count 4 days Wed 8/28/19 Mon 9/2/19 8,9
11 Date 3 days Wed 8/28/19 Fri 8/30/19 9
12 Budget 10 days Tue 9/3/19 Mon 9/16/19 10
13 Selection of Venue 12 days Tue 9/3/19 Wed 9/18/19 10,11
14 Visiting Site 5 days Thu 9/19/19 Wed 9/25/19 12,13
15 Finalising site 4 days Thu 9/26/19 Tue 10/1/19 14

16 Project iniation (Event
attendance) 56 days Wed 10/2/19 Wed
12/18/19 15
17 Materials of
Marketing 7 days Wed 10/2/19 Thu 10/10/19 14,15
18 Advertisements of
Print 5 days Wed 10/2/19 Tue 10/8/19 15
19 Media promotion 7 days Fri 10/11/19 Mon 10/21/19 17,18
20 Invitations 12 days Tue 10/22/19 Wed 11/6/19 19
21 Designing 9 days Tue 10/22/19 Fri 11/1/19 18,19
22 Assessing 8 days Mon 11/4/19 Wed 11/13/19 21
23 Printing 10 days Thu 11/14/19 Wed 11/27/19 21,22
24 Distribution 15 days Thu 11/28/19 Wed 12/18/19 23
25 Project execution
(RSVP) 116 days Thu 12/19/19 Thu 5/28/20 22,23
26 Management and
process of RSVP 4 days Thu 12/19/19 Tue 12/24/19 24
27 Online RSVP 8 days Wed 12/25/19 Fri 1/3/20 24,26
28 Paper RSVP 7 days Mon 1/6/20 Tue 1/14/20 26,27
29 Materials 6 days Wed 1/15/20 Wed 1/22/20 28
30 Processing of
payment 5 days Thu 1/23/20 Wed 1/29/20 29
31 Imparting Brochure 4 days Thu 1/30/20 Tue 2/4/20 29,30
32 Event Planning 5 days Wed 2/5/20 Tue 2/11/20 30,31
33 Staffing plan 15 days Wed 2/5/20 Tue 2/25/20 31
34 Guest Speakers 12 days Wed 2/26/20 Thu 3/12/20 33
35 Project Identification 10 days Fri 3/13/20 Thu 3/26/20 33,34
36 Communications 8 days Fri 3/27/20 Tue 4/7/20 35
37 Scheduling activities 13 days Wed 4/8/20 Fri 4/24/20 35,36
38 Project closure
(Technology) 24 days Mon 4/27/20 Thu 5/28/20 37
39 Events Setup 7 days Mon 4/27/20 Tue 5/5/20 36,37
40 Meal Planning 7 days Mon 4/27/20 Tue 5/5/20 37
41 Refreshments 5 days Wed 5/6/20 Tue 5/12/20 39
42 Catering services 6 days Wed 5/13/20 Wed 5/20/20 39,41
43 Lunch 6 days Thu 5/21/20 Thu 5/28/20 42
Table 1: WBS in Tabular Format
Gantt Chart

Gantt Chart is a chart in which series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done
or production completed in certain periods of time in respect to the amount planned for those
periods. This present Gantt Chart is showing those activities which will be carried out in the
event of QA High Education University.

13

14

15

3. Risk Register
Risk Registers is another element of project management that helps in analysing the risk involved in task
(Mace and et.al., 2015). It helps in listing all the hazards associated with the project, its probability and actions to be
taken to overcome the risk.
Severity prior to
mitigation
Severity after
mitigation
RISK Likelih
ood
Impa
ct
Ratin
g
Mitigations Lik
elih
ood
Imp
act Rating
Contingen
cy Plans
Status Owner
1 Poor Time
Management
3 2 4
Scheduling of all the
activities and task in
time scale. 3 3 9
By taking
help from
other
department
regarding
fund.
Analyse
and
observation
of the
information
an figures
Project manager
2 Break Down of
Server
4 2 8
Should have back-
up plans and
alternative
management for
controlling.
3 3 9
By
checking
the system
effeciency.
secure all
such
information
for future
use.
Project manager
and Electricians
or Technicians
Likelih
ood
Impa
ct
Ratin
g
Mitigations Lik
elih
ood
Imp
act Rating
Contingen
cy Plans
Status Owner
3 Health Risk or
Food Safety
Concern
3 2 6
Food Quality should
be ensure by project
management before
cooking. 4 2 8
The
ingredient
of Food
items are
checked
by project
handler.
Actions in
progress
Project Team
members and
Food Checker.
4 Damage of
Facilities (Fire)
2 2 4
Should have
installation of fire
extinguisher. 3 2 6
Checking
of fire
extinguish
er .
In process Project
management team
l Likelih
ood
Impa
ct
Ratin
g
Mitigations Lik
elih
ood
Imp
act Rating
Contingen
cy Plans
Status Owner
5 Loss of
Equipments
2 3 6
Project manager
should assigned
roles to each staff
member and make
them accountable. 3 3 9
Proper
Checking
and
Monitorin
g.
In process project manager
16

6 Security Issues
2 3 6
Project manager
should have security
representative so
that they are aware
of schedule, logistic
ad personnel
involved.
2 4 8
System
were
Checked
and
insured by
technicians
.
Actions to
be
preprepared
in
advanceme
nt
Project Manager
7 Severe
Weather
Conditions
Event manager
should carried in
hall or auditoriums
so that the risk of
rain fall and strong
winds cannot affect
the event.
Space in
auditorium
,.
In process Project Manger
and Weather
control
department.
8 System Failure Event manager
should have
generator or
inverters for battery
back ups.
Furthermore, their
should be
technicians and
electricians.
System
were
Checked
and
insured by
technicians
.
Actions to
be
preprepared
in
advanceme
nt
Project manager
9 Mismanageme
nt of
Resources
There should be
proper allocation of
resources and there
must be resource
handler.
Proper
check of
resources.
Actions in
process
Project manager
4.a. Importance of Strong Leadership
Leadership plays an important role in driving the project to the success. Strong leadership
is essential for project of organization because they provide direction for workers to do work
with efficiently and effectively. Following quality are essential for strong leadership :-
Communication :- This quality is very important for strong leadership because they have to give
different types of answers to their staff and also listen to them (Blasch and Phoha, 2017). Leaders
use effective and strong communication for moving the event forward and achieving next levels
of success.
Cooperation :- leadership is also important to establish coordination among members that they
include in the event of QA higher education university. Through this cooperation, members do
work together effectively and efficiently.
17

Motivation :- large number of workers and members that includes in event of university, so they
need strong leadership because leaders motivate them to complete task and achieve goal and
meet objective related to project.
If leadership is missing from organization so many types of risk create after starting the
event of QA higher education university because if worker can not get proper guidance and
leading support, so they do work with their own wish and many risk may be raise like poor time
management. Break down of server is also created because workers do not manage and set
proper server of electric. They also do not set and install proper safety equipments and these all
risk may create due to lack of leadership.
4.b. Methodologies
METHODOLOGIES DESCRIPTION STRENGTH WEAKNESS
Prince 2 This approach use by
management of
organization for proper
schedule of task and
activities of
operations.
Its main strength is
that it is useful in
quality management
for control to quality
of project (Tomanek
and Juricek, 2015).
This approach has
weakness that it
consume more time
and it creates very
complexities.
Waterfall This approach refers
that after completion
of one tasks than
management can start
to next task of project.
Waterfall approach has
strength that it help to
easily understand and
also prevent and detect
confusion because
everything clear in
mind of members of
project about task.
This approach does not
allow for much
reflection and revision
(Mahadevan,
Kettinger and
Meservy, 2015). Due
to this approach risk
and uncertainty
increase in project
management.
Agile This method This methodology has Agile has weakness
18

anticipates change and
allows for much more
flexibility (Edwards Jr,
2017). This method is
widely used in project
management.
strength that it focus
on customer
satisfaction and
adoption of changes
by management on
regular basis.
that it do not establish
proper coordination
between workflow
because it does not
plan easily and
coordinate to team.
Recommendation :-
Agile is the best methodologies in project management because through this approach
management majorly focus on customer satisfaction and allows for much more flexibility. It also
allows changing frequently. It is also the best methodologies because it helps in implement
changes. Project manager for QA Higher education university event use this methodology and
focus on quality of event. So it focuses majorly on quality compare than other methods.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that proper management is very important
for successful implementation of the project or event. Project initiation document is very
essential for project completion as it helps to manage the budget, stakeholders, resources, time
taken and all other elements of the project. Further, report also discussed the importance of
work-break down structure as it aids in simplifying the complex task in simple one. Project has
also concluded the risk register that identify the risk involved in the event and further actions was
also taken for mitigating the risk. Leadership plays an important role in driving the project to the
success of the event.
19

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Blasch, E. and Phoha, S., 2017. Dynamic Data-Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS)
Concepts in Signal Processing. Journal of Signal Processing Systems. 88(2). pp.203-204.
Edwards Jr, T.V., 2017. APPLICATION OF AGILE METHODOLOGY TO
ELECTROMECHANICAL DESIGN: A CASE STUDY. In Proceedings of the
International Annual Conference of the American Society for Engineering
Management. (pp. 1-5). American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM).
Harris, E., 2017. Strategic project risk appraisal and management. Routledge.
Harrison, F. and Lock, D., 2017. Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Kivilä, J., Martinsuo, M. and Vuorinen, L., 2017. Sustainable project management through
project control in infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project
Management, 35(6), pp.1167-1183.
Larson, E.W. and Gray, C.F., 2017. Project management: The managerial process. McGraw-Hill
Education.
Li, D. and Lu, M., 2016. Automated generation of work breakdown structure and project network
model for earthworks project planning: a flow network-based optimization
approach. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(1), p.04016086.
Mace, G.M and et.al., 2015. Towards a risk register for natural capital. Journal of Applied
Ecology, 52(3), pp.641-653.
Mahadevan, L., Kettinger, W.J. and Meservy, T.O., 2015. Running on Hybrid: Control Changes
when Introducing an Agile Methodology in a Traditional" Waterfall" System Development
Environment. CAIS. 36. p.5.
Meredith, J.R., Mantel Jr, S.J. and Shafer, S.M., 2017. Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
20

Serra, C.E.M. and Kunc, M., 2015. Benefits realisation management and its influence on project
success and on the execution of business strategies. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(1), pp.53-66.
Tomanek, M. and Juricek, J., 2015. Project risk management model based on PRINCE2 and
SCRUM frameworks. arXiv preprint arXiv:1502.03595.
Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.
21