Project Management Assignment: Module 2, University Name

This document presents a comprehensive solution to a Project Management assignment, addressing various aspects of project planning and execution. The assignment explores the concepts of elapsed time and effort, their differences, and their impact on project planning. It delves into factors affecting staff availability and strategies for mitigation, including the use of contract staff and user involvement. The solution further analyzes human factors in estimation and provides strategies to overcome them, emphasizing the importance of systematic research, multiple estimators, and risk assessment. It examines project dependencies, illustrating them with practical examples and exploring tools for analysis, such as PERT and Gantt charts. The assignment also covers the preparation and updating of business cases, highlighting the project manager's role in ensuring their effectiveness. Additionally, it addresses reporting procedures, categorizing written reports for different stakeholders and outlining the project manager's responsibilities in motivating team members and ensuring effective communication. The solution also touches upon the importance of understanding client organizations, utilizing analytical tools like SWOT analysis, and applying Maslow's hierarchy of needs for team motivation. Finally, it discusses the role of stress and conflicts in projects and strategies for managing them effectively.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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Module 2
1. (a) Elapsed time can be defined as the amount of time that is required to complete a work
(Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). In case a person takes 10 elapsed days to complete a work, for two
people it would take 5 days to complete the same work. Effort is the overall amount of work that
is done by a specific individual (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). The amount of effort and the speed
with which the work is accomplished maintains a positive relationship among them. For example
in case an individual puts in more effort for completing a work, the work will not consume more
time in completing. The difference among them has a vital role in the process of planning a
particular project (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). The rate of effort that would be put in by an
individual can never be controlled by a particular project manager. The overall work can be
divided among the individuals in order to accomplish a project by minimizing the elapsed time.
(b) Various factors including public holidays, long service leaves, sick leaves, annual leaves and
training have the chances of decreasing the availability of the amount of staffs (Braglia &
Frosolini, 2014). These factors should be considered by the project managers and carry out some
required adjustments such as hiring some more contract staffs, these staffs would be recruited in
replacement of the staffs that is in long holidays (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). Along with this
individuals are required to provide instructions and specifications on how the tasks are
performed; this is done by project managers for controlling the elapsed time (Braglia &
Frosolini, 2014). It is very important for allocate the individuals tasks for four days instead of
five days (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
2. (a) Human factors in estimation can be depicted as estimators that have some experience
with the used IS system, they consider that their estimate is realistic in nature (Braglia &

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Frosolini, 2014). Suppose an estimator is not much experienced with the IS project, they would
not be able to estimate properly and fail in providing trends that are up to date. Along with this,
the estimates are needed to be rechecked as well as justified by the project managers (Braglia &
Frosolini, 2014). Suppose if an estimator is not able to check his estimate, it would not be
realistic on the basis of the factors that have impacts on estimates. Self- confidence has an
important role that helps in estimating the resulting pressure (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
(b) Strategies that can be used in order to overcome human factors are as follows
• The estimated should be researched systematically.
• The estimates must be contributed by two or more people.
• Risk assessment requires must be carried out in order to attain the goals that have been
planned.
• Various methods must be adopted and results should be cross-checked.
• The estimates are needed to be documented which helps the comparing the outcomes of
numerous methods (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
3. Numerous practical experiences can be used in order to enhance the quality. At first, it is
very important to built metrics because it helps in improving the estimated accuracy (Braglia &
Frosolini, 2014). Applying previous metrics on the recent one provides many benefits because it
has similar approaches even though they have different environments (Braglia & Frosolini,
2014). Secondly, having more people for estimating because different methods of estimation will
be used by different people at the same time this provides benefits to an organization (Braglia &
Frosolini, 2014). No point will be missed in this case and the results can be compared ad better

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estimate can be chosen. It is important to document various estimates because it can be utilized
for comparing the results of numerous methods of estimation (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). This
can also be used as a reference when the results are different from the estimates. During issues in
a specific project, estimates can be reviewed and observed to check if there is any similar issue.
After this, the project manager compares the new results with the present estimates for
improving the quality of new results after the project is completed (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
4. (a) Project dependencies can be defined as the factor when a new activity cannot be
started after an activity has completed (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). The first activity depends on
the second activity. The tolls required to analyze them include PERT charts which uses activity-
on-arrow format for representing connection between the tasks (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). Bar
charts and Gantt charts are also used for this purpose in order to provide a detailed data on
dependency and this data can used for the purpose of analyzing.
(b) Some examples of dependencies include firstly, the phase of designing cannot be started
before interviewing various clients (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). The design phase can be
implemented after interviewing the participants is over. Similarly, it is not possible to start the
phase of testing before the phase of coding is complete (Methods & Tools, 2009). The coding
phase needs to be completed before the testing phase is implemented. As a result, there is a
certain rate of dependency among the stages of testing and coding.
5. (a) Before the starting of a project, business case needs to be prepared along with
specifying what has to be achieved after the project is over. Some necessities like time, cost,
recommendations and risks must be stated in the prepared business case (Braglia & Frosolini,
2014). Due to this, it is vital to update the prepared business case as soon as a specific stage

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comes to an end. It is also important to check the business case to make changes and improve the
performance of the future projects (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
(b) Project manager of a project plays a vital role in the business case because they provide
substantial input (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014). It is also important to understand what has to be
included in the business case for checking if the business case attains its objectives. Hence the
business case must be reviewed for examining the time, scope and cost of the project and verify
if the project is running smoothly (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
6 (a). Every Information System project needs reporting procedures for their team
members to know about the progress of the project they are working for. The reports can go
downwards and upwards according to the mechanism and the working principle of the project
(Laudon & Laudon, 2016). Reporting is a very important project aspect for the group members
of the project to find out the role of the project members in the project and the efforts which are
expected from the team members. Reporting is also very much required by the team members of
the project as it can motivate them according to their careers (Sligo et al., 2017). The progress
reports are very much important for the project managers as it will help them to find whether the
project is being scheduled according to the time or not. Every project has a different type of
issues associated with them which can be minimized if the project managers gets to know about
the details of the project from the reports (Joosten, Basten & Mellis, 2016). Elimination of the
doubts associated with the project is possible with the help of reporting. The reporting also helps
in preparing the specification requirements of the IS projects.
6 (b). The different categories of written reports for an IS project are as following:

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 Reports which are dedicated to look after the issues and challenges of the external
stakeholders such as customers and sponsors (Ahlan, Kartiwi & Sukmana, 2015). The
business processes and changes required in the services are managed with this category
of report.
 Reports which are dedicated to the users of the information systems highlighting their
commitments and interest in the IS project (Putra, Ahlan & Kartiwi, 2016). This kind of
report should be designed professionally.
 Reports which are used by the IT department and the business management are the other
category of the report, it is used for effective communication between different levels of
management within an organization. The project managers also get the access to this
kinds of report so that they can provide the solutions of the existing problems.
 Reports to the quality assurance team is the other category of report which helps in
maintaining the quality of service provided by the organization. Reviewing the quality
issues are the other business perspective of this category of report.
 Informal reports for the project team members is the final category of reports used in this
project where the overall progress of the project can be tracked. Personal compliments
coming from the concerned stakeholders is included in this report, the appraisal process
of the employees is the other essential aspect of this report.
6 (c). The role of the project managers of this project is to motivate the project members
according to the performance reports, project managers should be understanding the value of the
efforts given by the project team members. The project team members should be updating
themselves according to the progress of the project, their impact can be understood with the help
of the project managers. Effective communication between all the concerned individuals are

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necessary so that the issues associated with the projects are eliminated. Sticking to the scope of
the project is necessary for all the project members.
7. Understanding of the organization of the client where the IS will be installed needs to
be understood by the project managers of this project. How the new IS will be operated into the
new organizations also needs to be evaluated by the project managers in that way effective
strategies are needed to be framed and implemented by the project managers. The use of the
analytical tools may be useful for the managers to implement the strategy. SWOT analysis can be
considered by the project managers to understand the different external and the internal factors
associated with the organization of the client (Liu & Wang, 2016). The results obtained from
SWOT analysis can be altered by the project managers according to the requirements and the
functionality of the client’s organization.
8. Maslow’s hierarchy of need also known as the Theory of human motivation are
sometimes used by the project managers to understand the need of the human motivation in
complicated projects like this one. There are 5 levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of need, the lowest
level is the physiological level helps in providing good environment in the project environment.
Healthy working environment is as aspired in most business organizations. Then comes the
safety level which considers the safety of the project members. Long term employment is
considered in this level in a software development country such as these one (MacWhinney,
2014). The social level considers the professional relationship between all the stakeholders of the
organization. The following level is the esteem level which is required for recognition and status
of the employees which works dedicatedly in the project. Self-actualization is the top most level
in the pyramid which considers the challenges associated with the project which restricts the
progress of the organization.

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9. Stress and conflicts in projects can be useful from a different perspective. Every
project team have conflicts and stress which are useful to motivating the group members aw well
as the project managers. But the amount of conflict and stress should be limited as increasing
amount of conflict and stress may have a significant impact on the project team along with the
project managers. The different levels of conflicts are needed to be mitigated by the project
managers. Identification of the source of the problems us a considerable challenge for the project
managers as it will help them to find the solution of the problems (Harrison & Lock, 2017).
Emotional support needs to be provided by the project managers to the team members. Effective
face to face communication between the group members and the project managers are required to
understand the concerns and pressure faced by the group members (Braglia & Frosolini, 2014).
Motivation of the employees by the project managers is important for maintaining the quality of
services provided by them.

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Reference
Ahlan, A. R., Kartiwi, M., & Sukmana, H. T. (2015). Measurement of information system
project success based on perceptions of the internal stakeholders. International Journal
of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE), 5(2), 271-279.
Braglia, M., & Frosolini, M. (2014). An integrated approach to implement project management
information systems within the extended enterprise. International Journal of Project
Management, 32(1), 18-29.
Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Joosten, D., Basten, D., & Mellis, W. (2016). Measurement of information system project
success in German organizations. In Project Management: Concepts, Methodologies,
Tools, and Applications (pp. 1175-1196). IGI Global.
Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2016). Management information system. Pearson Education
India.
Liu, S., & Wang, L. (2016). Influence of managerial control on performance in medical
information system projects: the moderating role of organizational environment and team
risks. International Journal of Project Management, 34(1), 102-116.
MacWhinney, B. (2014). The CHILDES project: Tools for analyzing talk, Volume II: The
database. Psychology Press.

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Putra, S. J., Ahlan, A. R., & Kartiwi, M. (2016). A Coherent Framework for Understanding the
Success of an Information System Project. TELKOMNIKA (Telecommunication
Computing Electronics and Control), 14(1), 302-308.
Sligo, J., Gauld, R., Roberts, V., & Villa, L. (2017). A literature review for large-scale health
information system project planning, implementation and evaluation. International
journal of medical informatics, 97, 86-97.