Project Management for Virtual Learning Delivery System

This report covers the evaluation of factors that could be helpful to attain success of the project and what benefits could be gained by this projects along with its stakeholders analysis. It includes the goals, scope, parameters, benefits, stakeholders, and critical success factors of the project.

Project Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Goal of the project..................................................................................................................1
Mapping out the scope and Objective of the Project..............................................................2
Project Parameters..................................................................................................................3
Expected Quality....................................................................................................................3
Expected Benefits from the Project........................................................................................4
Stakeholders .....................................................................................................................4
Delivery of Project Assumes..................................................................................................5
Critical Success Factors..........................................................................................................6
Critical Constraints for the Project that may lead to Failure..................................................6
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Project management can be demonstrated as the process of achieving predetermined
goals within the given constraints. This report will cover an evaluation of factors that could be
helpful to attain success of the project and what benefits could be gained by this projects along-
with its stakeholders analysis. Project is based on the development of virtual delivery system
(Virtual Learning) project. Moreover, this report also covers the project parameters developed
during this project and recommendation for development is also given. Further, this report covers
benefits that can be obtained from this project and specific assumptions required for delivering
this project. The report will cover critical success factors that would help to complete this
project.
MAIN BODY
Project is based on the development of virtual delivery system project. The case
overviews that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) London campus switched
from face to face (f2f) delivery of lectures to online delivery of lectures in February 2020, due to
outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic across UK, in order to continue delivering exceptional
teaching to students. Recently, The University switched to Hybrid delivery of lectures, which
involves some students joining online and others coming into the campus for face to face
delivery of lectures. This process aims to gradually return students and staff to full time face to
face delivery, as the UK slowly return to normality after the lock down. Therefore, this project
will create a plan for the traditional way of studying in university.
Goal of the project
Goals and objectives for the current project plan are such that this project aims to
gradually return students and staff to timely face to face delivery of lectures in University, as the
UK slowly return to normality after the lock down. Objective is to encourage the students to
again join the university for face to face lectures instead of virtually (Crooke, and et. al., 2020).
To fulfil all the needs and requirements of traditional way of studying with full safety and
security so that staff and students could get motivated to come back to university and study face
to face attending of the lectures. All the arrangement are being done in the entire project to again
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prepare all the people involved in the activities of teaching and studying (Nugroho and et. al.,
2020). Its main objective is to do arrangement for the physical delivery of lectures in the
university after COVID and lock down. Students and staff members are still not agree on the
same but the University have to create the interest so that the project can be completed
successfully.
Mapping out the scope and Objective of the Project
Scope of the project is to spread and create awareness about the importance of physical
learning over virtual learning and enhance the learning process through hybrid learning. The
scope is to make the place more effective in its activities of online teaching as well as making the
place more suitable for the face to face learning environment (Sadri, 2020). This is because it
will encourage and motivate the student to join the university back after the COVID-19
vaccinations. The reason being is that now it is safe to move out as vaccination is effective and
can cure the virus. Moreover, it is important for the student to interact physically with their
classmates and other friends so that communication can be more effective. This results in the
generation of new ideas and innovation if students participate more in management activities and
practical physical learning in their curriculum. In a research it has been found that the hybrid
learning is more effective than the virtual learning. It implies that the physically face to face
contact among the staff and students is must while delivering the lectures as the students can gain
knowledge in a more effective manner. That is why this project is being planned.
The objective of the Project can be better understood with the help of SMART objective
that means that the project is specific in its goals, have measured all requirements, attainable,
realistic (based on facts not assumption) and within a time bound duration. SMART Objective of
this project is as follows:
Specific The specific purpose of this project is to bring the students and staff of the
college towards the hybrid learning system in the colleges. Moreover, help
them to switch from online classes to face to face academic classes.
Measurable The project will cover hybrid classrooms for 500 students in the University
and will incur approximately £200,000 to complete the project.
Attainable The project will be attained by the proper planning and development of the
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project via the help of the project development team.
Realistic The project will be bound to the University campus to develop the capacity
of classrooms to handle post COVID situations.
Time bound The project is expected to be competed by the end of January, 2022.
Project Parameters
University of Wales Trinity Saint David London has been planning to do the set up of 8
lecture halls with the advancement of technology which also provide the services of capturing
the lectures. A MS team is going to handle all these asks related to the capturing of lectures in
the physical halls. The entire students are classified in the groups so that they can attained the
lectures by given proper attention. This parameter followed by the University result in the
involvement of use of several technological products such as camera, speaker, microphone,
computer and may more (Fewings and Henjewele 2019). The MS team is responsible for
handling all these devices by the use of control panel with HDMI and USB. Capturing of lectures
in the offline classes bring the smartness in the Hybrid teaching at UWTSD London. There are
almost 224 students which are classified in 8 groups. As a result approx 28 students attend the
class at once so that the University can also follow the rule of social distancing which work as
the act of protection for students and staff from COVID-19. Each classroom include not more
than 30 students which also leads to the effective capture of lectures.
Expected Quality
For the academic year of Feb 2022, In order to capturing the delivered lectures, UWTSD
is using computers. The MS team will work for testing the quality of computers by the use of
PAT. It will be th MS team e responsibility of MS team to collect all the equipments related to
the teaching and learning from the suppliers who provide good quality of products (Kerzner
2019).
Cost
The total cost for undertaking this project to the University is estimated to the £300,000
which will include the cost related to the staff and equipments which are being used in this
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project of delivering the lectures to the learner offline. The management of organisation is
required to spent more money on bringing the advancement of technology. They are also
required finance for the MS team which is going to mange the systems in the university
(Harrison and Lock 2017). The management of university have to make available all the
resources which are essential for delivering the lectures offline which include the classrooms,
establishment of advance systems in the classroom along with the regular day to day expenses.
Time
The University have to prepare themselves for the academic of February 2022 and this
project take the time duration of 2 weeks. The UWTSD London have to allocate the resources for
the purpose of delivering the lectures. They are required to start their project in the starting of
January 2022. it will take the time duration of 2 weeks (Picciotto, R., 2020). Hence the project
will be completed in the January only. It will provide the extra time to the management for
allocation of tasks in the WBS along with allocation of budget.
Expected Benefits from the Project
This project has been undertaken for the purpose of enhancing the higher attendance of
students in attending the lectures which are being provided in the university. The management is
majorly focusing on inviting the staff members and students in the University in order to
delivering the lectures face to face as the situation of COVID-19 has been improved (Jugdev, K.,
Mathur, G. and Cook, C., 2018). This project result in several benefits such as improvement in
the attendance of students, students satisfaction, successful engagement of external practitioners
and many more. It has been found that the students were not satisfied with the online lectures as
the ace to face procedure is found more effective. There are almost 500 students and it was not
possible to ensure their engagement online. The students were not able to do the practices
because of no physical presence of their mentors or teachers (Filippetto and et. al., 2021). This
project has been undertaken for the purpose of inviting both staff members as well the students in
the university and again start all the lectures offline. So that the result of students can be
improved. The students can better understand their lectures in offline classes which also enhance
the satisfaction level of students as they can learn the lectures in an effective and efficient
manner. This project also leads to the enhancement of engagement of external practitioners.
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Stakeholders
Stakeholders refers to the those parties which are related with the organisation and effect
the operations either internally or externally. Below mentioned are the stakeholders of project
management of University of Wales Trinity Saint David:
 Students: The students of University are the major stakeholders as the students
are invited to the campus for attending the offline lectures. The presence of
students in the university is the major objective of this project. The management
of university is conducting this management only for the purpose of providing
offline (face to face) lectures to the students.
 Staff Members: In the University, the lectures have been delivered by the teachers
and it is necessary for them to deliver the lectures in such a way which leads to
the increment in the knowledge of students (Sadri, A.H., 2020). Along with this,
the staff members have to develop all the resources which are necessary for the
effective delivery of lectures which include classroom, computers and many
more.
 IT Services: The university is planning to capture the lectures delivered in the
classroom. For the same purpose, they are required to use several of technological
products such as camera, speaker, microphone, computer and may more. MS
team is responsible for managing all the technical equipments which are going to
be used by the university in order to deliver and capturing the lectures in the
classrooms. They are also the stakeholders of the organisation as their work can
also influence the entire work performance of organisation. IT services are going
to handle all these tasks related to the capturing of lectures in the physical halls.
 Government: The tasks of project management can also get effected by the
protocols of government as the change in the guidelines of COVID-19, the
University also have to make the relevant changes in their project management.
Hence, the government is also consider as the stakeholder of this project.
 Managers: The managers of University have to take all the decisions related to
the offline classes. Along with this, they are also responsible for ensuring the
applicability of rules and regulation of government.
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Delivery of Project Assumes
While planning this project, it has been assumed that University of Wales Trinity Saint
David (UWTSD) London campus have 800 students and it is getting difficult to deliver the
lectures which result in the success of organisation. The management of university assumes that
the they have sufficient resources which will support the university in bringing the hybrid
teaching as well as learning in the university (Bjorvatn and Wald, 2018). Along with this, it has
been also assumed by the management that they have the full capacity for improving the virtual
learning classrooms which can be fulfilled by the June 2022. after updating their learning
classrooms, they can deliver the lectures online as well as offline. For the purpose of covering
overall 800 students, the management have to develop the ways of delivering the lectures to the
students. It is assumed that the management can cover all the students by applying this project
which also result in the satisfaction of students.
Critical Success Factors
There are several critical factors which support the completion of this project which
include clarity in the goals of project, urgency and many more. It is necessary for the
management to clearly establish the goals and objectives of project so that the effective and
relevant practices have been undertaken which leads to the successful completion of project. The
university is also require to have top level management who will mange the whole tasks which
plays an important role in making decisions as well (Picciotto, R., 2020).
Critical Constraints for the Project that may lead to Failure
 Time constraint: The time constraint refers to the project’s schedule for completion,
including the deadlines for each phase of the project, as well as the date for rollout of the
final deliverable. It is necessary for the University to properly schedule all the activities.
As per the Project management body of knowledge the University is required to follow
the specified steps for managing the time such as planning, scheduling, monitoring, and
controlling.
 Cost constraint: The cost of the often dubbed the project’s budget, comprises all of the
financial resources needed to complete the project on time, in its predetermined scope.
Keep in mind that cost does not just mean money for materials — it encompasses costs
for labor, vendors, quality control, and other factors, as well (Jugdev and et. al., 2018).
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The University of Wales Trinity Saint David is required to prepare the budget including
the fixed and variable costs so that they can get the estimate of the expenses which are
going to be done by them.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bjorvatn, T. and Wald, A., 2018. Project complexity and team-level absorptive capacity as
drivers of project management performance. International Journal of Project
Management, 36(6), pp.876-888.
Crooke, J. A., and et. al., 2020, January. LUVOIR Project Management: Overcoming Challenges
to Improve Cost and Schedule Performance. In American Astronomical Society Meeting
Abstracts# 235 (Vol. 235. pp. 171-19).
Fewings, P. and Henjewele, C., 2019. Construction project management: an integrated
approach. Routledge.
Filippetto, A.S., Lima, R. and Barbosa, J.L.V., 2021. A risk prediction model for software
project management based on similarity analysis of context histories. Information and
Software Technology, 131, p.106497.
Harrison, F. and Lock, D., 2017. Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Jugdev, K., Mathur, G. and Cook, C., 2018. Linking workplace burnout theories to the project
management discipline. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business.
Kerzner, H., 2019. Innovation project management: Methods, case studies, and tools for
managing innovation projects. John Wiley & Sons.
Nugroho, W. and et. al., 2020, March. Evaluation of Fabrication Concrete Wave Breaker Project
Scheduling with the Critical Chain Project Management Method. In 1st International
Multidisciplinary Conference on Education, Technology, and Engineering (IMCETE
2019) (pp. 170-173). Atlantis Press.
Picciotto, R., 2020. Towards a ‘New Project Management’movement? An international
development perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 38(8), pp.474-
485.
Sadri, A.H., 2020. Using Value Engineering to Improving Performance of Project Management
Information Systems (PMIS) with Fuzzy AHP Approach (Case Study: Tehran District 5
Municipality).
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