Project Management Plan for Transitioning Students from Virtual Learning to Physical Learning

This report provides insight into the proper investigation of the project and constructing the project management plan for transitioning students from virtual learning to physical learning. It covers critical analysis of stakeholders, risks, budgets, time, quality, and human resource management for the project completion.

Project Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
PROJECT INVESTIGATION.........................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Investigation of the Goal of the Project..................................................................................1
Mapping Out The Scope of Project........................................................................................1
Developing an Outline or Plan...............................................................................................1
Sharing The Initial Idea With The Team................................................................................1
Finalizing The Plan.................................................................................................................2
Using a Gantt Chart to Keep Things Organised.....................................................................2
Distributing The Project management Plan............................................................................2
Holding a project Post Mortem..............................................................................................2
CRITICAL ANALAYSIS OF EACH ELEMNT WITHIN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PLAN...............................................................................................................................................2
Stakeholders Involved in The Project.....................................................................................2
Risk Associated With The Project..........................................................................................2
Budget Included in The Project..............................................................................................2
Time Frame of The Project.....................................................................................................2
Quality of The Project............................................................................................................2
Communication Used in The Project.....................................................................................3
Human Resource Management...............................................................................................3
Benefits...................................................................................................................................3
Realization..............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Project management can be explained as the process of achieving the goals of an project
within a limited time and with given amount of resources. A project management requires team
work and efforts of individuals in unison, with different skills, techniques and knowledge to
accomplish required tasks in collaboration to achieve the project aims and objectives. The
primary limitations or constraints are, scope, time and budget that are required for any project.
Management of project requires specific skills, methods, knowledge and practices, along with the
tools and techniques in order to deliver something valuable in the project. The following
discussion is based on the particular project plan regarding transition of students from virtual
learning to physical learning.. This report provides the insight of proper investigation of the
project and constructing the project management plan. The report will also cover an critical
analysis of stakeholders, risks, budgets, time , quality and human resource management for the
project completion.
PROJECT INVESTIGATION
This project is based on virtual delivery system project. The entire case involves the
overview of University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD London campus switched their
delivery from face to face lectures to online delivery of lectures in February 2020 due to
Coronavirus pandemic in UK. In order to continue teaching to students the University recently
switched to Hybrid delivery of lectures that allows students to join online and after the situation
gets better they can join the campus for face to face lectures delivery. This process aims to
gradually return students and full staff to full time face to face lectures delivery. As the country
slowly returns to normal after lockdown. Therefore, this project helps to create plan for
traditional way of studying in universities.
CONSTRUCT A PROJECT MANAGMENT PLAN
Project management is basically the integration of many components such as skilled
people, advanced technology, a good leader and an appropriate team management in order to
complete it. Each and every person is assigned the task as per the capabilities to accomplish the
project's aim and objectives (BRIZIARELLI and GUSSONI, 2020). This can be done through a
well developed project management plan, considering its goals, scope, planning, sharing idea
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with the team, finalising it and may more. Project management plan for developing this project
are given below:
Investigation of the Goal of the Project
The main goal and objective of the project is to help the students and staff members to
gradually transit from virtual medium of studies to the face to face studies. The declination of
pandemic effects has lead to the normalising of academic practices in University, as UK has
eliminated restrictions of lock-down. The objective of this project is to encourage teachers and
student iteration after the end of COVID scenario and make them shift towards physical learning
instead of virtual learning. In order to enact the traditional ways of academics, keeping in mind
the safety and security of staff, teachers and students and motivate them to adjust easily in
University's changed after pandemic environment. All the arrangements of the projects are done
keeping in mind to welcome the teachers and students in their regular academic sessions with
proper safety of their health and wellness.
Mapping Out The Scope of Project
The scope of the project is to create environment of learning through face to face contact
and enhance classroom learning over virtual learning (Dempsey and et. al., 2021). It is, to
motivate students and teachers to rejoin the university back after COVID pandemic. The reason
for this, is the vaccination drive that ensures safety of students, teachers and community to
involve in university activities in better ways. It is important important for students and teachers
to interact along each other to develop their academic performance and enhance communication.
This will enhance the management activities and practical knowledge in their curriculum. The
planning of this project is more vitally focused on these scopes.
Developing an Outline or Plan
The plan will include notifying and preparing the management of University regarding
the joining back and starting of physical academic sessions after the COVID-19 Pandemic. The
step will also focus on the due permission of parents regarding the reopening of the classes and
assuring them on student's safety in the University. The another step will require the strict
guidelines, keeping in mind the restrictions that must be followed religiously to keep in control
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the risks related to pandemic (Galli, 2020). The plan will elaborate the formation of study
patterns and classes for the students so every student comes to the University on such a basis that
they gain maximum integration with their teachers. The last stage of planning will involve the
arrangement of classes with new infrastructure and developing COVID proof classes and risk
evaluation to control the outbreak.
Sharing This Initial Idea With The Team
This plan is the creation of one mind and without consulting to others, implementing this
idea could lead to clashes and hinders working of the group (Goto and Murray, 2020)(Kamau,
2020). Sharing this idea with the team will help to delegate tasks to different people so that
appropriate management can be done. The means of communicating this idea would be including
non-verbal and verbal communication. Initially the idea would be shared through non-verbal
digital mediums like E-mails or from the internal website of the University. Information would
consider entire document of the plan which will mention the time, budget, scope, goals and every
other essentials which are required to be assessed by entire project management team.
Finalizing The Plan
After formulation, communication and approval of entire plan by the team mates and
leaders, their valuable feedback and requirements of the project plan and its management should
be assessed. With the help of all the team members in decision making, listening to their opinion
about the plan so it could be finalised. The team members could be helpful in creating the whole
plan and their suggestions may prove to be crucial in completing the project by dropping costs
and wastages. Before finalising the plan,discussion with the team members would help to bring
out the strengths and shortcomings of the plan and where the changes maybe needed
(MacFarlane, 2020). After this long evaluation, discussion and communication would conclude
to a finalised optimum plan for completing the project.
Using a Gantt Chart to Keep Things Organised
A Gantt chart is a project management tools to assist in the planning, scheduling, of the
projects of all sizes, although they are particularly useful for simplifying complex projects. It is a
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chart, with a series of horizontal lines that relates the amount of actual work done or production
completed with the preplanned/forecasted one for certain planned duration.
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Distributing The Project management Plan
The completion of final plan and sorting out its constraints and strengths, it becomes
important to distribute the plan to key players, whose consult would be mandatory to start the
project. It will clarify action plan in the eyes of stakeholders who are involved in the projects and
will require a complete fortified plan. This plan will help the stakeholders to analyse the timeline,
budget and the quality of project plan, accordingly stakeholders will analyse roles,
responsibilities of members in execution of the plan. The plan will go under complete evaluation
of the stakeholders and they will review the contribution of current project and how would it be
executed. The distribution of the project management plan to all the crucial stakeholders will
satisfy their views and approval from them will help to work on the project further (Martins And
et. al., 2020).
Holding a project Post Mortem
This phase is performed after the implementation of the project. It can be said as the
compete evaluation of entire project, considering its performance in fulfilling aim, objectives and
requirements of the project. It will cover in-depth research on how the project could determine
the progressive nature of the undertaken plan so that the improvements can be made for future. It
will asses the impact of the project and how its performance would be and what would be its
results. It will uncover the views of teachers and students on their experiences on adjusting
according to the changes made in the campus keeping in mind about the COVID scenario
(Winch, Maytorena and Sergeeva, 2022). The project post mortem will be important in order to
get an advantage of experience and knowledge to be better and how the plan is successful in
transitioning of students and teachers in normal academics after COVID scenario.
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CRITICAL ANALAYSIS OF EACH ELEMNT WITHIN THE PROJECT
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Stakeholders Involved in The Project
Stakeholders are the people who are indirectly or directly involved in all activities of
project management. These are basically stakeholders divided into two types who are involved in
current project management. Internal stakeholders are the people who operate within the
university and are the team members or managers along with executives and other people.
External stakeholders involves the people who operate outside the University which includes
parents, students along with investors and others. Other stakeholders involves resource managers
and project managers along with university owners and senior management followed by
financiers and sponsors. Moreover it involves clients and consultants(Dykstra, 2018).
Risk Associated With The Project
It involves the risk associated with implementation of entire project based on
participation and involvement of students in order to join back the university. There are less
number of students involves in the arrangement and due to pandemic scenario University cannot
force students to join back because of government guidelines. Moreover, there are large number
of students who participate but this will result in virus attack due to carelessness and crowd by
the students (Galli, 2019).All these risks plays an important role and this lead to mitigation
through making plans of arrangements according to final number of students who participate to
join back by following strict rules and protocols of Covid and maintaining social distance. Along
with these arrangements, there is also a requirement of hybrid environment that need to be
managed by students. Therefore, proper way of management need to applied in the entire
university.
Budget Included in The Project
Several resources are required to restart the functions and operations of University in the
form of face to face classroom sessions and attending lectures by students. Resources such as
teachers, furniture cost, maintenance cost and many more according to the requirements and
needs of University. The total cost incurred by University and its budget need to be under the
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4009.31 Pound Sterling. This cost and budget is an average cost which is the minimum cost that
can be 3500 Pound Sterling and the maximum it can be 4500 Pound Sterling.
Time Frame of The Project
It involves the time frame that is chosen for entire project completion and process that
can be divided into short term time horizon or cross sectional time horizon(Han and Wang,
2017).This is because project is not only for few months but it need to execute this current
project. November,2021 to April 2021 is the time frame for entire project which is considered
under the cross sectional methodology of project management.
Quality of The Project
Quality of project management is determined through measurement of objectives and
goals of entire project if its fulfilled or not met as per the desired expectations till the end of
project. It can be also checked by performing gap analysis which measures actual and expected
results of whole project outcomes(Kerzner and Saladis, 2017). It can be done by satisfaction
level of students, teachers and parents in terms of safety measures in the University. It also
analyse the requirement of budget set that need not to be exceed the expenses. Everything is done
within time frame and budget.
Communication Used in The Project
It is used in the current project which involves electronic mailing system and feedback
system and then discussion and final meetings in conference hall. It initially involves conducting
final plan and execution of project rather then physical face to face meeting which is conducted
for better interaction at last stage of planning so there is no confusion left in implementation of
plans in strategic manner(Siegel, 2020).
Human Resource Management
Role of human resource management is to motivate teachers as these are the employees
of organisation. They are guided and directed in order to handle students in tough scenarios. It is
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very important to boost their energies as this will motivate students to join back the University
with more safety and following all the protocols(Lee and Yoon, 2019).
Benefits Realized Out of The Project
The entire projects has various benefits for students, teachers and entire university. It can
benefit students to gain physical experience with experience and learning and this will add
growth prospects in students. Teachers can also get benefit through physical management of
students which will develop their career. Moreover, the university will get proper infrastructure
in order to manage students with better revenue and earnings(Maley, 2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that project management is an important
concept to learn and study so that its applications can be help in the real world organizations.
This is because there are several campaigns which are planned and executed without any
strategies so there is a need of proper plan and strategies to implement which can be done by the
methodology of project management. Therefore, the above information is based on the case
study of particular project management in which an appropriate plan is made to complete the
project successfully. Moreover, it is important to analyse the entire brief of the project and
perform investigation in depth for better understanding of the further activities of the plan which
gives direction of execution. It is essential to examine the identification of objective of the
project, mapping out the scope, developing an outline or plan, sharing this initial idea with the
team, finalizing the plan. Using a Gantt chart to keep things organized, distributing the project
management plan and holding a project post mortem. It is necessary to determine the
stakeholders, risks, budget, time, quality, communication, human resource management and
benefits realisation. Hence, this report covers all such areas in order to better understand the
conception of project management.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
BRIZIARELLI, M. and GUSSONI, M., 2020. How to face turbulent times? The role of cognitive
dimensions and project management methodologies.
Dempsey, M. and et. al., 2021. Thought-Piece on the Effectiveness of Contemporary Project
Management and Its Top Performing Enablers. IEEE Engineering Management
Review, 49(3). pp.147-153.
Galli, B. J., 2020. Economic Decision Making and Risk Management in a Project Management
Environment: A Reflection of Practice. International Journal of Applied Logistics
(IJAL), 10(2). pp.1-24.
Goto, H. and Murray, A. T., 2020. Exact and flexible solution approach to a critical chain project
management problem. Constraints, 25(3). pp.280-297.
Kamau, S., 2020. School Infrastructure Policy Implementation, Community Participation, Project
Management Practices, and the Performance of Construction Projects in Primary Schools
in Somaliland (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
MacFarlane, M. E., 2020. A Case for the Use of Project Management Methodology to Implement
Data Collection for a Nationwide Case-Control Study Investigating Sudden Unexpected
Death in Infancy. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Martins, J.P. And et. al., 2020. ITER robots: introducing school students to robotics and project
management. Physics Education, 55(2). p.024001.
Dykstra, A., 2018. Construction project management: A complete introduction. Kirshner
Publishing Company.
Galli, B. J., 2019. Application of System Engineering to Project Management: How They Relate
and Overlap. International Journal of System Dynamics Applications (IJSDA), 8(1).
pp.79-93.
Han, Z. and Wang, Y., 2017. The applied exploration of big data technology in prefabricated
construction project management. In ICCREM 2017 (pp. 71-78).
Kerzner, H. and Saladis, F. P., 2017. Project management workbook and PMP/CAPM exam
study guide. John Wiley & Sons.
Lee, E. and Yoon, Y. I., 2019, May. Project management model based on consistency strategy
for blockchain platform. In 2019 IEEE 17th International Conference on Software
Engineering Research, Management and Applications (SERA) (pp. 38-44). IEEE.
Maley, C. H., 2019. Project management concepts, methods, and techniques. Auerbach
Publications.
Siegel, N. G., 2020. Engineering Project Management. John Wiley & Sons.
Vaz-Serra, P. and Mitcheltree, H., 2021. Understanding the key master of construction project
management graduate competencies required to meet industry needs in
Australia. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 17(3). pp.222-
241.
Winch, G., Maytorena, E. and Sergeeva, N., 2022. Strategic project organizing.
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