Managing Project: Key Characteristics, Stages, and Impacts on Project Goals

This document provides insights into managing a project, including the key characteristics of a project, the stages in project management, and the impacts of good and bad teams on project goals. It also explores the 9 knowledge areas in project management, the attributes of a project manager, the benefits of using a network diagram, and the activities required to manage a project. Additionally, it includes a case study on project management and the processes involved in completing a project.

Managing project
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Table of Contents
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
Case study....................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
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TASK 1
1. Key characteristic of any project
A project is a series of some tasks which are being completed by project manager in order to
accomplish specific pre determined project goals.
Every project has some characteristics and unique in their nature and all these characteristics
make project manager able to complete them in a successful manner. One of the main
effectiveness of any project is they have defined starting and end time. They are also temporary
in the nature. All projects have some objectives, specific cost and time in which they need to be
completed (Perkins, Jugdev and Mathur, 2018). An effective project creates capability to
perform a service. All projects required to be followed in a systematic manner for making them
successful.
1b. Reasons as why many projects fail and runs over budget
There are several reasons which lead to failure of projects. Sometimes projects take much
time and cost than estimated because of lack of effective planning. One of the other main reason
as why some projects runs over budget and fail is: lack of interest from management, Lack of
interest and ineffective planning de-motivate staff and they leave organization which leads
project failure. Lack of effective tools for risk management and performing all main areas of
project management also becomes reasons of project failure.
2. 5 Stages in project management along with benefits of managing projects in well structured
manner
There are mainly 5 stages of project management such as: initiation, planning, execution,
and performance monitoring and project closure. For managing project and making them
successful it is important to follow all steps in a systematic manner. By managing project is a
systematic manner, project manager can complete project in estimated time and budget, improve
image, minimizes risks and improve overall quality.
3. Impacts which good and bad team have in managing project goals
Project team plays an important role in managing and accomplishing project goals. In the
context of good and effective team it can be said that they support project manager in making
project successful. They have abilities of communicating, risk management and others by which
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they perform all activities and manage risks at their own, It saves time and allow project manager
in completing project in a estimated cost and timely manner.
On the other hand, ineffective and bad team become reason of failure of project and also create
barriers in managing goals. Ineffective team do not take interest in project success and due to
awful and ineffective mode of communication it leads miscommunication and conflicts. It
decreases image of the company and create barriers in managing project goals.
4. 9 knowledge key areas in project management along with importance of any 2
There are mainly 9 areas of project management which include:
Time management: All those processes which help project manager in completing activities in
a timely manner.
Quality management: It consists of all those activities which helps in improving quality y
reducing errors.
Cost management: All processes associated in planning and budgeting allows project manager
in managing cost.
Communication: It includes effective modes via which project manager interact with its
stakeholders.
HRM: It consists of all those activities which help HR in leading and motivating the whole team
(Gomes, Oliveira and Chaves, 2016).
Project integration management: All those activities which allow project manager in
coordination and identifying different processes are known as project integration management.
Scope management: It consists of activities which shows effectiveness of project to project
manager.
Risk management: All those activities which help in reducing risks.
Stakeholder management: All activities which allow project manager in identifying and
satisfying stakeholders needs.
Quality management plays an important role as it allows project manager in improving image
and making project successful.
Time management also one of the main key are which allows project manager in improving
image in eyes of stakeholders and reducing stress.
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5. 5 attributes of project manager along with importance of any 2 characteristics
Project managers have some characteristics on which basis they play all functions and
make project successful. Some common and important skills which are required including:
Ability to organize, flexibility or ability to adapt changes, communication, creativity and
integrity.
 Project manager have oral as well as written communication skill which makes them
able to interact with stakeholders and introducing main vision (Blaskovics, 2016)
 Project manager have flexibility skill which makes them able to make their project
successful without getting affected and also it reduces stress level.
6. Benefits of network using network diagram
Network diagram in project management plays an important role as it show interdependencies of
activities. It also helps project manager in identifying opportunities and accomplishing goals in
an effective manner.
Task Name Duration Start Finish
a 3 wks Mon 10/5/20 Fri 10/23/20
b 7 wks Mon 10/26/20 Fri 12/11/20
c 6 wks Mon 12/14/20 Fri 1/22/21
d 9 wks Mon 12/14/20 Fri 2/12/21
e 6 wks Mon 1/25/21 Fri 3/5/21
f 8 wks Mon 2/15/21 Fri 4/9/21
g 10 wks Mon 4/12/21 Fri 6/18/21
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TASK 2
Case study
Project management is not an easy task as project manager have to perform several
functions in a systematic manner. They have to lead their team in a manner by which they can
focus on their work and help project manager in accomplishing their goals. This is a project of
developing a new pandemic center by making sure all IT infrastructure and communicational
tools. Communication is one of the main key area among all 9 knowledge areas of project
management as it allows project manager to interact and communicate with all internal and
external stakeholders (Young, 2016).
So, selecting appropriate mode and tools of communication is the main key of success of
developing of pandemic center because an effective communication can inform all members as
what they are expected to do and in which manner they have to work. One of the other main
element on which project manager is required to focus on is proper IT infrastructure for
marketing and booking for people in need and require an effective pandemic center. By making
sure proper IT infrastructure, project manager can grow their business in the future and ca also
takes several opportunities. In addition, risk management and analysis is other main key of
successful project management as during planning, it is important for project manager to analyse
or identify risk which may occur like climate change, lack of resources and having back up or
solution for minimizing risks.
Activities required to manage project
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In every project there are various activities which is needed to be carried out in order to
complete it. The activities depend on nature and type of project. This is because on basis of
project the activities differ. Also, it is necessary to identify and describe activities so that
accordingly planning is done. Alongside, the activity shows that what is to be performed in next
step. Thus, it enables in completing project on time and in budget. However, project management
is process of planning and executing of specific goals in limited time. It is important to analyse
and identify activity (Bathallath, Smedberg, and Kjellin, 2016). This is the first stage in project
completion. So, here project of new conference center is to be constructed in London. Within the
center there are different IT tools and techniques are to be installed in it. Moreover, the project
will also consist of various IT facilities such as marketing, booking, CCTV, conference hall, etc.
Therefore, it is a large project which require proper monitoring and control. The budget of
project is 1500,000 Euros and time is 20 months. Thus, activities required for project is defined
below
Design – It is the first activity in which entire designing of project is done. So, project manager is
responsible for it. This enables in setting a framework and base that how project is to be initiated.
In this thee are sub stages as well which is as follows
Concept- In this stage it will be identified needs, objectives and goals of project. Project manager
take decision based on size, site and actual design of entire building. It contains hall size, garden
area, parking, etc. Likewise, in The Pandemic Center as well the goals is set and concept is build.
Schematic design- This is second stage as here overall floor plan is developed. It includes site
plan, design, texture, color etc. to be considered in it. In The Pandemic Center project floor plan
is developed (Fernando, Yudi, and et.al., 2018).
Develop design – here, it is researched about what material is to be used, tools and equipment’s
needed, etc. besides that, it is identified how much quantity is needed and on basis of that
decision is taken. For The Pandemic Center project IT system, tools, chair, CCTV etc. will be
required.
Get contract document together- This is final drawing of project in which construction design of
project is made. The design contains specs, drawing, etc. Hence, The Pandemic Center project
design will be made in it.
Preconstruction – Here, it is second stage in which there are 3 steps which is defined as
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Assign project manager- this is first step in which project manager is assigned for entire project.
The person is selected on basis of his skills and knowledge and is responsible for completion of
entire project. Therefore, in The Pandemic center project a manager will be assigned for it (Hass,
2017).
Identify rest personnel- In this rest of personnel is hired by project manager. Then, according to
skill roles are assigned to them. Besides that, construction activities are performed in effective
way. However, team members are given brief detail about what they have to do. The PM of The
Pandemic center project will hire and recruit rest personnel who are capable of doing this project.
Investigate site- the site is checked and investigated so that if it requires any changes then it is
done. Also, environment issues are identified and measure is taken to mitigate it. The site will be
investigated where IT center is to be build. Besides that, site analysis will be done to ensure is
there is any environmental hazard can occur or not.
Procurement- it is a stage where raw materials which is required for project is purchased. For
that vendors and suppliers are contacted. The project manager make deal between buyer and
seller. Also, quality of raw material is ensured in it. for The Pandemic center project there is need
to various resources such as IT system, furniture, CCTV, construction material, etc. hence,
vendors and supplier will be selected for it.
Construction- After procurement construction stage begins. It is most crucial as entire project is
constructed in it. So, schedule is prepared and activities are developed. All data and info is
shared and on basis of that construction begins. Furthermore, it is a long process as overall
construction is done in it. The PM has to ensure that quality of project is met and all goals are
attained. Thus, construction of IT center will be built in which and time period given for it is 20
months (Marnewick, and Marnewick, 2019).
There are various project management processes which is available and followed by
manager in completion of project. The use of process depends on nature and type of project.
Alongside, success of project entirely depends on what type of process. So, in construction of IT
center there are different process which can be followed in it. similarly, in present project there
are various process which can be followed by manager. They are defined as below
Project life cycle- this is framework which is useful for project manager in starting and finishing
of project. Through that, it allows in following of a systematic way of completion of project. In
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this there are 4 stages which is defined. Each stage consists of various elements. Likewise, in
The Pandemic center project PLC will be followed that is described as
Project initiation- It is the first stage in which project aim, objectives, goals, etc. are identified.
The manager gather data from stakeholder which help in analyzing project constraints, priorities,
scope, etc. in addition, the other areas which is included in it are feasibility study. Therefore, for
present project goal is to construct a new IT center in London. It will contain all essential
facilities such as conference halls, CCTV, computers, etc. so, a new IT infrastructure is to be
build in it (Sundararajan, and Tseng, 2017).
Project planning – this is most vital stage as overall project success is dependent on it. so, here
entire schedule is prepared, construction design is developed, etc. thus, the plan gives direction to
team members that how project is to be undertaken, what roles they are to perform, etc. similarly,
in The Pandemic center it will be broken down into sub project so that it becomes easy to
complete in effective way. Alongside, there are many other elements as well which is included
such as scope, cost, risk, etc. therefore, on basis of that planning is done.
Scope – It is a written statement that state need of project.
Tasks- In this task is evaluated to identify deliverables. In addition, it is figured out whether task
is dependent on other or not.
Schedule – On basis of task their duration is determined. Furthermore, start and end date of each
task is identified.
Cost – Here, cost of each task is estimated and accordingly a budget is prepared. The budget of
The Pandemic center is 1500,000 Euro
Staff- the manager assign roles of staff on basis of their skills and knowledge. Alongside, tasks
are allocated to them (van Dokkum, and Ravesteijn, 2016).
Communication- In this stage it is decided that how information will be communicated, to
whom it is informed.
Risk – This is main stage in planning as risk are identified. Along with it, how risk will impact
on project, what measures can be taken to mitigate its impact. For this a risk register is developed
for The Pandemic center project and hazards are determined in it.
Procurement – It is related with allocation of materials and resources in each task and also of
buying it from vendors.
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Project execution- in this stage project is executed in systematic way. It is done on basis of
activities which is defined in planning stage. basically, execution stage takes a lot of time and
require high focus. This is because overall project success is dependent on it. here, in The
Pandemic center project construction of IT center is done. So, it will include installing of IT
infra, CCTV etc. (Wen and Qiang, 2019).
Project monitoring- this is also important stage where proper monitoring is done to ensure that
project is going in right direction. It is necessary to monitor so that any change identified it in
can be made. The controlling enables in maintaining of quality in it. So, in present project as well
monitoring is necessary as construction of IT center is complex task. Moreover, the risk is to be
controlled and mitigated. In addition, it must be ensured that project is within budget specified
and resources are utilized in efficient way or not. Besides that, monitoring is done to complete
project within time allocated.
Project closure- this final stage of PLC in which project is closed as all activities are completed
and goals are attained. Thus, construction of The Pandemic center is done and all facilities in it
are installed and equipped. Apart from that, there are other things which is considered in it.
However, there are certain knowledge areas as well that needs to be considered in project
management. It ensures that project is carried out in efficient way and is completed on time.
Within that, main is leadership administration and control problem. They are defined as
Leadership- it is necessary for project manager to effectively lead and guide team members in
order to carry out task properly. Along with that, it is essential that manager possess relevant
leadership skills so that it is applied in it. this will lead to attaining of goals within time. In
addition, manager must be creative enough so that tasks are completed in time. Also, in case of
any conflict manager must be solved (Yusof and et.al., 2016). The leader is required to maintain
progress of project and continuous communicate with team member to take report from them and
analyse how well project is being progressing. Thus, if required changes are made into it.
Administration- this an element in which administrating is done regarding how to manage
project. In addition, tools and sponsor is identified and then used in it. the standards and elements
of project is determined and maintained. Besides that, tracking and reporting of overall project is
done in order to identify whether project is going on right track or not. When construction is
done properly then it should be evaluated its overall quality, testing of equipment, etc.
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Control problems- these are included in project monitoring stage. here, it is found that what
problems are being occurred in project and then strategy and measure is taken to solve it. also, it
is important to identify problems as it can highly impact on entire project. Moreover, there are
other ways to find out problem and solve it (Sundararajan, and Tseng, 2017).
Thus, it is said that in The Pandemic center project the manager is needed to select proper
project process. This is because it will be useful in initiating and completion of project in
effective way. Furthermore, in construction and installing of all IT facilities entire progress can
be maintained. As timeline of project is 20 months thus is needs to finished within that. This will
enable in making things easy to get it done within deadline. Leadership style allows in guiding
team and supporting them in completion of tasks. The new ways are identified and on basis of
that activities in done. Also, manager assign role of them as per their knowledge.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bathallath, S., Smedberg, Å. and Kjellin, H., 2016. Managing project interdependencies in IT/IS
project portfolios: a review of managerial issues. International journal of information
systems and project management, 4(1), pp.67-82.
Blaskovics, B., 2016. The impact of project manager on project success—The case of ICT
sector. Society and Economy in Central and Eastern Europe. 38(2). pp.261-281.
Fernando, Yudi and et.al., 2018 Managing project success using project risk and green supply
chain management." International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
Gomes, F., Oliveira, M. and Chaves, M.S., 2016, September. Knowledge sharing in project
management process groups. In European Conference on Knowledge Management (p.
307). Academic Conferences International Limited.
Hass, K.B., 2017. Living on the edge: Managing project complexity. In Handbook of Research
on Leveraging Risk and Uncertainties for Effective Project Management (pp. 177-201).
IGI Global.
Marnewick, C. and Marnewick, A., 2019. Insights into managing project teams for Industry 4.0.
In Agile Approaches for Successfully Managing and Executing Projects in the Fourth
Industrial Revolution (pp. 99-118). IGI Global.
Perkins, D., Jugdev, K. and Mathur, G., 2018. Characteristics of project management assets and
project management process outcomes: an exploratory factor analysis. International
Journal of Information Technology Project Management (IJITPM). 9(1). pp.59-77.
Sundararajan, S.K. and Tseng, C.L., 2017. Managing project performance risks under
uncertainty: Using a dynamic capital structure approach in infrastructure project
financing. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(8), p.04017046.
van Dokkum, E. and Ravesteijn, P., 2016. Managing project communication: Using social media
for communication in projects. In Project Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools,
and Applications (pp. 461-475). IGI Global.
Wen, Q. and Qiang, M., 2019. Project managers’ competences in managing project
closing. Project Management Journal, 50(3), pp.361-375.
Young, T.L., 2016. Successful project management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Yusof, S.A.M. and et.al., 2016, August. A study on the effectiveness of task manager board
game as a training tool in managing project. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1761,
No. 1, p. 020074). AIP Publishing LLC.
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