Project Plan: Managing Operations and Projects - Graduation Ceremony

This project plan details the organization of a graduation ceremony for Bloomsbury Institute, scheduled for November 2021, within a budget of GBP 7000. The plan encompasses several key sections, including scope management, time management, cost management, communication management, and risk identification. The scope management plan defines the project description, objectives (including enhancing brand recognition), scope, assumptions, constraints, roles and responsibilities, and a work breakdown structure. The time management plan outlines project activities, a network diagram, and a Gantt chart to visualize the project timeline. The cost management plan provides a detailed budget, and the communication management plan identifies stakeholders and establishes a communication strategy. Finally, the risk identification plan assesses potential risks (technical, financial, strategic) and proposes mitigation strategies. The project aims to deliver a high-quality graduation experience, adhering to budget and time constraints, while improving team performance and the institute's reputation.

Project Plan

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
SECTION 1: SCOPE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN............................................................1
1.1 Project Description................................................................................................................1
1.2 Key project objectives...........................................................................................................1
1.3 Project Scope.........................................................................................................................1
1.4 Assumptions..........................................................................................................................1
1.5 Constraints.............................................................................................................................2
1.6 Roles and Responsibilities.....................................................................................................2
1.7 Work break down structure...................................................................................................3
SECTION 2: TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN................................................................................4
2.1 Project Activity......................................................................................................................4
2.2 Project Network diagram.......................................................................................................5
2.3 Project Gantt chart.................................................................................................................5
SECTION 3: COST MANAGEMENT PLAN................................................................................6
3.1 Cost Management Budget......................................................................................................6
3.2 Project Cost Baseline.............................................................................................................7
SECTION 4: COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN.......................................................8
4.1 Project stakeholders...............................................................................................................8
4.2 Stakeholder communication plan..........................................................................................8
SECTION 5: RISK IDENTIFICATION PLAN..............................................................................9
5.1 Risk identification and action plan........................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Project management is described as the process of application of different skills,
knowledge, process and the experience for achieving the specific project goals as per project
acceptance requirements within the agreed parameters. The PM has the final deliverables which
are constrained with limited budget and timescale. The Project manager is required to make
analysis for all the strategies that could be adopted for completing the project within given time
frame with required quality and standards. Project management becomes with collaboration and
coordination of all the team members and not of any single individual. The present report is
focused over Bloomsbury Institute which is planning to organize a graduation ceremony in
November.
SECTION 1: SCOPE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
1.1 Project Description
In the present project Bloomsbury is planning to organize the graduation ceremony for
the students. The ceremony has to be organised within the given time period of 3 months in the
month of November 2021. The institute has provided a fixed budget of 7000 in which the project
has to be completed. It would not provide costs above the given time limit. Project management
involves completing the project with available resources by making optimum utilization of the
resources.
1.2 Key project objectives
 To execute high impact graduation ceremony for the students
 Improving the performance and productivity of the team members
 To provide mesmerising experience within given time limit and budget
 To increase the brand recognition and reputation of the institute in market.
1.3 Project Scope
Project aims to provide the students with high quality experience to students through
graduation ceremony. The project will provide the students with their graduation degree and last
college experience (Demirkesen and Ozorhon, 2017). The graduation attended by others will
enhance the reputation of institute and will also help in marketing to others which will attract
new students.
1.4 Assumptions
 The project will have all the resources required for completing it successfully.
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 The labour and other costs will stay constant throughout project.
 All stakeholders agree with the decisions taken by project manager
 All the equipments and resources used for the project are in working condition.
 Productivity of the team members would not decrease.
1.5 Constraints
 The budget has to be completed within limited time frame which may affect the quality
 Increase in budget would affect the planning process
 The conflicts in the team members may lead to delay in project (Radujković and
Sjekavica, 2017).
 Ineffective decision-making may affect the project completion
1.6 Roles and Responsibilities
Project manager– Look after overall project from beginning to end. It has the responsibility to
manage all the processes carried out for the project. Project manager will ensure that there is
effective utilization of the resources. It has to check the progress at regular intervals to manage
the process and completing it within time.
Financial manager– It has the role of managing finance for completing project within given
budget of GBP 7000. It has to make budgets and make allocation of resources most effectively
and ensure that there is proper control over the costs and expenses (Nijhuis, Vrijhoef and
Kessels, 2018). It has to record all the transactions carried out by the business related to project.
Project Director– It will look after all the activities being carried out related to the project. It will
provide the funds for completing the project within given time frame and complying with
required quality standards. It will check the progress of project processes and operations.
Resource Manager– It has the responsibility to provide resources required for carrying out
project. It has to manage the resources purchases for the project. Sufficient stocks and safety
margin has to be maintained by resource manager for avoiding any interruptions.
Technician- It has to manage all the technical processes related to project. The graduation
ceremony technical requirement has to be analysed and making arrangements for them. It has to
make arrangements for lighting, decoration, projectors and such other things in ceremony
(Sreedharan and Sunder 2018).
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Project Team– It will carry out the given works and tasks within given time frame. The success
of project is based on efficiency of project team. It has to work according to defined structure
and guidelines.
1.7 Work break down structure
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SECTION 2: TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN
2.1 Project Activity
Task
Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
1 Project Initiation 16 days Mon 3/1/21 Mon 3/22/21
1.1 Developing goal 2 days Mon 3/1/21 Tue 3/2/21
1.2 Identify deliverables 3 days Wed 3/3/21 Fri 3/5/21 2
1.3 Identified the key
resources 3 days Mon 3/8/21 Wed 3/10/21 2,3
1.4 Estimation of budget 3 days Thu 3/11/21 Mon 3/15/21 3,4
1.5 Assumption and
Constraints 2 days Tue 3/16/21 Wed 3/17/21 5
1.6 Seeking for a final
approval 3 days Thu 3/18/21 Mon 3/22/21 6
2 Project Planning 20 days Tue 3/23/21 Mon 4/19/21
2.1 Developing WBS 2 days Tue 3/23/21 Wed 3/24/21 7
2.2 Designing of invitation
cards 2 days Thu 3/25/21 Fri 3/26/21 7,9
2.3 Preparing the guest list 3 days Mon 3/29/21 Wed 3/31/21 10
2.4 Selection of food menu 4 days Thu 4/1/21 Tue 4/6/21 10,11
2.5 Refining of budget cost 1 day Wed 4/7/21 Wed 4/7/21 12
2.6 Development of formal
project plan 3 days Thu 4/8/21 Mon 4/12/21 13
2.7 Arranging of medals
and certificates 2 days Tue 4/13/21 Wed 4/14/21 11,14
2.8 Identify Risk 3 days Thu 4/15/21 Mon 4/19/21 15
3 Project executing 7 days Tue 4/20/21 Wed 4/28/21
3.1 Implementation of the
project plan 2 days Tue 4/20/21 Wed 4/21/21 16
3.2 Management of
progress 3 days Thu 4/22/21 Mon 4/26/21 16,18
3.3 Ensuring compliance
with quality control 2 days Tue 4/27/21 Wed 4/28/21 19
4 Project Monitoring 8 days Thu 4/29/21 Mon 5/10/21
4.1 Measurement of
performance 3 days Thu 4/29/21 Mon 5/3/21 20
4.2 Developing risk register 3 days Tue 5/4/21 Thu 5/6/21 22
4.3 Monitoring each phase 2 days Fri 5/7/21 Mon 5/10/21 23
5 Project Closure 7 days Tue 5/11/21 Wed 5/19/21
5.1 Obtaining final
acceptance 3 days Tue 5/11/21 Thu 5/13/21 24
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5.2 Releasing 4 days Fri 5/14/21 Wed 5/19/21 26
2.2 Project Network diagram
2.3 Project Gantt chart
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SECTION 3: COST MANAGEMENT PLAN
3.1 Cost Management Budget
Pre Budget Cost management plan for the resources and allocation of costs
Pre Project Cost Estimate
Particulars Units/Hrs
Cost/unit/
hr Subtotal Total
Project Management 2400
Project Manager 60 10 600
Project team members 100 8 800
Contractors 1000
Hardware 1850
Handheld Devices 20 24 480
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Computers 4 200 800
Prizes 120 4 480
Medals 60 1.5 90
Venue development 830
Testing of ceremony facilities 300
Training & support 880
Trainee Cost 60 8 480
Travel Cost 12 15 180
Technicians 20 11 220
Reserves 650
Total Project Cost estimate 6910
The above budget provides about the allocation of costs against different resources. The
budget is prepared based on the analysis of similar projects performed earlier. The above budget
shows that project management will cost 2400, hardware will cost 1850, venue development will
amount to 830, testing will cost 300 and training & support for the project will amount to 880.
All the stated costs is overall cost related to different activities which is further broken into
different activities. The project manager has made budget for completing the project in GBP
6910 meeting all the costs and expenses and taking for emergency reserves for any contingencies
that might occur in the project.
3.2 Project Cost Baseline
The project cost baseline refers to approved time phased plan. Once the budget related to
project management is approved and developed, project manager uses this baseline for
comparing the actual performance programmes and their progress (Abyad, 2018). Baseline
provides how the changes in project would be considered by the management for completing it
successfully and given budget.
The manager has made estimates for completing the project within GBP 6910. A high
degree of control and monitoring over the project operations and activities has to be maintained.
This is essential for controlling costs and expenditures of the project and keeping them within the
budget. Finance manager will provide the required funds as the activities reaches the progress
levels determined.
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SECTION 4: COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
4.1 Project stakeholders
By using stakeholder matrix, it has been analyzed that stakeholders are an important key
element for organizing graduation ceremony for students (Raum, 2018). The interest of the
stakeholder are as mentioned below:
Keep satisfied Manage Closely
 Project team members
 parents
 Resource manager
 Students
 Sponsors
 Project manager
 Technician
Monitor Keep informed
 Government  Media
 Competitors
High power, high interest (Manage closely): They are highly interested towards a
project and also makes great efforts to meet the deadline of a project. For the present project,
students, sponsors, project manager are considered under this category.
High power, less interest (Keep satisfied): They manager the work using many
strategies, but they are least interested towards a project. That is why, team members, resource
manager are fall under this category.
Low power, high interest (keep informed): They have no power in this project, but
shows high interest as well. Therefore, media and competitor fall in this because they have high
interest, but make changes as per the project (Eskerod and Larsen, 2018).
Low power, less interest (Monitor): One of the least interested stakeholder who only
monitor the project but it is the duty of University to take approval for the same. As per the
project, only Government fall under this category.
4.2 Stakeholder communication plan
There are different channels through which stakeholder communicate and also assists to
complete the defined project on time (Woerner, and Egger, 2019). Therefore, these channels are
meeting, formal paper, through Email and noticeboard etc. Hence, the communication plan for a
stakeholder is as mentioned below:
Stakeholder Medium of
communication
Frequency and
schedule
Engagement
action
Responsibility
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Sponsor Meeting Early stage and
starting of the
project
Manage closely Project manager
and team
Resource
manager
Meeting and
Formal paper
As required and
defined by project
manager i.e.
weekly
Keep satisfied Project manager
Technician Meeting Monthly and
middle stage of a
project
Manage closely Project manager
Government Email Starting of the
project. Once in a
while.
Monitor Project manager
Students Email, survey and
noticeboard
After Finalizing a
date of project.
Manage closely University and
Sponsor
Media Email End of all phases Keep informed Sponsor and
Project manager
SECTION 5: RISK IDENTIFICATION PLAN
5.1 Risk identification and action plan
Risk
description
Likelihood Impact Severity Owner Mitigation
action
Technical risk,
happens when
the sound
system gets
fail and this
affect entire
project.
Medium High High Project
manager
Prior testing
should be
done that
helps to avoid
such risk. Or
else, project
manager may
have substitute
that helps to
solve problem
immediately.
Financial risk,
is related to
over or under
financing.
Also,
escalation of a
project cost
due to poor
High High high Project
Sponsor
To avoid such
risk, Project
manager must
conduct daily
meetings and
evaluate the
budget spend
during each
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cost estimating
accuracy is
leads to
financial risk.
phase (Addo,
Guegan and
Hassani,
2018). This
helps to
analyse
whether the
budget is
utilized
accurately.
Strategic risk,
poor strategy
development
that affect the
project. It also
includes
choosing
wrong
technology
etc.
Low Medium Medium Project
manager
Before
implementing
any strategy,
project
manager must
consult the
same with
other
stakeholder so
that accurate
results will be
derived. This
in turn helps to
prevent from
such risk.
Legal risk,
mainly arise
from legal and
regulatory
obligation i.e.
contract risk,
credit risk that
affect the
project in
opposite
manner
Medium Medium Medium Project
manager and
sponsor
To avoid legal
risk, it is
suggested to
use risk
register in
which all laws
and regulation
will be
complied in
order to make
valid results
(Lathrop and
Ezell, 2017).
Schedule risk,
involves due
to poor
implementatio
n and process,
project
manager is not
Medium High High Project
manager
To minimize
such risk, it is
suggested to
the project
manager that
they can use
benchmarking
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