Project Management Case Study: Beyond Teaching Engagement Strategies

This case study analyzes the 'Beyond Teaching' organization's need to minimize teacher dropout by improving engagement on their platform. The project focuses on developing strategies to keep teachers active, utilizing methods like questionnaires, videos, and surveys. The study details the project requirements, including the need for effective investigation, gap analysis, and feasibility studies, all prioritized for optimal system development. Agile methodology is selected for its collaborative approach, alongside tools like Gantt charts and Work Breakdown Structures. The project planning includes milestones, resource allocation, and a critical path analysis. Progress is demonstrated through SWOT and gap analyses, along with process modeling. The solution covers project phases from initiation to closure, including resource allocation, Gantt chart, and critical path analysis, offering a detailed view of the project's execution and progress. This case study provides insights into project management strategies and teacher engagement, highlighting the application of various methodologies and tools.

Running head: CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Case Study- Beyond Teaching
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Table of Contents
1. Detailed analysis of clients requirement......................................................................................2
1.1 Definition of project requirement with priority.....................................................................2
1.2 Definition, recording as well as communicating requirement traceability............................3
2. Methodologies/Standards/Tools..................................................................................................5
2.1 Selection of appropriate methodology tools and standards for the project...........................5
2.1.1 Methodology...................................................................................................................5
2.1.2 Tools...............................................................................................................................6
2.1.3 Standard..........................................................................................................................7
3. Project Planning...........................................................................................................................7
3.1 Milestone...............................................................................................................................7
3.2 Work breakdown Structure....................................................................................................9
3.3 Resource allocation..............................................................................................................10
3.4 Gantt chart...........................................................................................................................10
3.5 Critical path.........................................................................................................................11
3.6 Management of critical activities.........................................................................................11
4. Project progress.........................................................................................................................12
4.1 Demonstration of satisfactory progress in the project work................................................12
4.1.1 SWOT analysis.............................................................................................................12
4.1.2 Gap Analysis.................................................................................................................12
4.1.3 Process modeling..........................................................................................................13

2CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
1. Detailed analysis of clients requirement
1.1 Definition of project requirement with priority
It is identified that in the organization “beyond teaching”, there are times when there is
no interesting or large projects for the teachers and as a result the engagement of the teachers
drops on the platform. The organization is mainly looking to minimize drop out by keeping the
customers active on the platform (Larson & Gray, 2013). The organization is generally looking
for appropriate engagement methods, models so that the organization can keep their teachers
engaged by utilizing the model. The organization wants to develop proper engagement platform
so that the teachers can get proper amount of benefit when the number of tasks are less. The
organization mainly requires proper IT team that assist in devising solution that further engage
the teachers by sending proper questionnaires, videos, tasks as well as surveys (Fleming &
Koppelman, 2016). The solution also requires teacher in order to interact properly with the
organization and with each other, therefore the organization is generally looking for proper
solution that further assist in addressing the immediate need. The needs of the project team are
generally elaborated according to their priority.
Proper investigation: The team must engage in effective investigation for optimizing
the processes of business and for investigating different strategies for engaging the teachers
when the number of task in the website is low.
Gap analysis: The organization must engage in proper gap analysis in order to identify
the sections that are missing on the strategy (Walker, 2015). The gap analysis also assists in
reflecting the sections, which can be incorporated for developing the entire system.

3CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Feasibility study: Proper feasibility study must be conducted on the engagement model
that is mainly developed for the platform of “Beyond teaching” organization.
Development of proper system: The organization must conceptualize, design as well as
develop system so that the problem of drop down by the teachers reduces (Verzuh, 2015).
Proper business analysis: The organization must engage in proper business analysis for
developing proper functional specification for both the software as well as product development.
1.2 Definition, recording as well as communicating requirement traceability
Requirement Justification Test strategy Status Active/Inactive
Flag
Proper
investigation
The team
generally wants to
engage in proper
investigation for
optimizing
different
procedures of
business and for
integrating
strategies that are
quite helpful in
engaging teachers
(Mir &
The team must
engage in
proper
investigation
method
In progress Active

4CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Pinnington, 2014).
Gap analysis The organization
should engage in
proper gap
analysis for
identifying
strategies that are
missing on the
strategies.
The team
engages in gap
analysis
effectively.
In progress Active
Feasibility
study
Effective
feasibility study
must be properly
conducted in order
to analyze
whether the
developed
engagement
model is feasible
or not
Feasibility
study must be
undertaken
properly
In progress Active
Development
of proper
system
The organization
must properly
conceptualize,
design as well
System must
be developed
by the team
properly
In progress Active

5CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
develop the
system for
reducing drop
down in the
number of
teachers
(Flyvbjerg, 2013).
Proper
business
analysis
The organization
must engage in
proper business
analysis for
developing proper
functional
specification for
both the software
as well as product
development
The team
members must
effectively
engage in
business
analysis.
In progress Active
2. Methodologies/Standards/Tools
2.1 Selection of appropriate methodology tools and standards for the project
2.1.1 Methodology
It is identified that in this project, agile methodology is mainly selected for this project. It
is found that agile methodology helps in providing number of opportunities for stakeholders as

6CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
well as team engagement. After proper involvement, it is identified that in each of the project
step, there is very much high degree of collaboration between the various project team members
as well as clients (Turner, 2016). It is analyzed that delivering proper system by the organization
will reduce the problem of teachers drop down and also assists encouraging other team members
within the project. This methodology helps in providing effective as well as unique opportunities
to the organization for getting involved so that different features of the project can be easily
developed. In addition to this, it is found that agile development assists in accelerating the
delivery of different business value by utilizing proper procedures of continuous planning as well
as feedback for ensuring that the value can be easily maximized throughout the procedure of
development (Kerzner, 2017). The methodology also helps in allowing the organization for
determining different priority features so that the business can easily understand the importance
of client’s business value.
2.1.2 Tools
The tools that are selected for this project are Gantt chart as well as work breakdown
structure. The significance of Gantt chart as well as WBS is elaborated below:
Gantt chart: This is considered as one of the easy way that helps in scheduling tasks as
well as tracking the progress of the project against the deadline. It generally assists in monitoring
the project progress and for setting priorities. One of the biggest benefits that the project
manager achieves by utilizing the Gantt chart is that the tool assists the reflecting effective
clarity of the tasks (Martinelli and Milosevic, 2016). Most of the project managers considers
scheduling as one of the major benefits of gnat chart as is assist in understanding the entire
impact of project delays which helps in fostering stronger collaboration for encouraging proper
organization.

7CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
WBS: Work breakdown structure is mainly utilized for breaking down the project into
number of components. It is generally represented as one of the hierarchical subdivision of the
project into number of different work area with the lowest work package. WBS provides proper
foundations for the entire project management work that include cost estimation, planning,
resource allocation as well as scheduling (Heldman, 2015). It is identified that WBS generally
assists in enabling proper definition of entire project scope. In addition to this, it also helps in
measuring accomplishment when the activities or project work completes.
2.1.3 Standard
Standard is defined as one of the document that is mainly established by consensus that
helps in reflecting common as well as repeated rules, guidelines, or characteristics that mainly
aims at achieving optimum degree of order in the given context (Hwang & Ng, 2013). This
standard generally helps in providing proper foundations for the knowledge of project
management and assists in representing important areas of profession that generally include
program, project, portfolio as well as organizational approach to project management.
3. Project Planning
3.1 Milestone
Task
Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
Auto
Scheduled
Developing solution for
reducing drop down
within " Beyond
Teaching"
organization
92 days Tue 9/19/17 Wed 1/24/18
Auto
Scheduled Initiation phase 31 days Tue 9/19/17 Tue
10/31/17

8CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Auto
Scheduled
Developing
business case 2 days Tue 9/19/17 Wed 9/20/17
Auto
Scheduled
Undertaking
feasibility study 22 days Thu 9/21/17 Fri 10/20/17 2
Auto
Scheduled
Establishing project
charter 1 day Mon
10/23/17
Mon
10/23/17 3
Auto
Scheduled
Appointing project
team 3 days Tue 10/24/17 Thu 10/26/17 4
Auto
Scheduled
Requirement
gathering 2 days Fri 10/27/17 Mon
10/30/17 5
Auto
Scheduled
Technical
specification 1 day Tue 10/31/17 Tue 10/31/17 6
Auto
Scheduled
Completion of
initiation phase 0 days Tue 10/31/17 Tue 10/31/17 7
Manually
Scheduled Planning phase Fri 11/3/17
Auto
Scheduled
Creating project
plan 3 days Fri 11/3/17 Tue 11/7/17 8
Auto
Scheduled
Creating resource
plan 2 days Wed 11/8/17 Thu 11/9/17 10
Auto
Scheduled
Creating financial
plan 4 days Fri 11/10/17 Wed
11/15/17 11
Auto
Scheduled
Creating quality
plan 3 days Thu 11/16/17 Mon
11/20/17 12
Auto
Scheduled Creating risk plan 2 days Tue 11/21/17 Wed
11/22/17 13
Auto
Scheduled
Creating acceptance
plan 3 days Thu 11/23/17 Mon
11/27/17 14
Auto
Scheduled
Creating
communication plan 4 days Tue 11/28/17 Fri 12/1/17 15
Auto
Scheduled
Creating
procurement plan 3 days Mon 12/4/17 Wed 12/6/17 16
Auto
Scheduled
Completion of
planning phase 0 days Wed 12/6/17 Wed 12/6/17 17
Auto
Scheduled Execution phase 31 days Thu 12/7/17 Thu 1/18/18
Auto
Scheduled Proper investigation 6 days Thu 12/7/17 Thu 12/14/17 18
Auto
Scheduled Gap analysis 7 days Fri 12/15/17 Mon
12/25/17 20
Auto
Scheduled Feasibility study 5 days Tue 12/26/17 Mon 1/1/18 21
Auto Development of 7 days Tue 1/2/18 Wed 1/10/18 22

9CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
Scheduled proper system
Auto
Scheduled
Proper business
analysis 6 days Thu 1/11/18 Thu 1/18/18 23
Auto
Scheduled
Completion of
execution phase 0 days Thu 1/18/18 Thu 1/18/18 24
Auto
Scheduled Closure phase 4 days Fri 1/19/18 Wed 1/24/18
Auto
Scheduled Go live support 1 day Fri 1/19/18 Fri 1/19/18 25
Auto
Scheduled Project review 2 days Mon 1/22/18 Tue 1/23/18 27
Auto
Scheduled
Completion of
closure phase 1 day Wed 1/24/18 Wed 1/24/18 28
3.2 Work breakdown Structure
Figure 1: Work breakdown Structure

10CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
(Source: Created by Author)
3.3 Resource allocation
Resource
Name Type Material
Label Initials Group Max.
Units
Std.
Rate
Ovt.
Rate Cost/Use Accrue
At
Base
Calendar
Project
manager Work 100% $35.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard
Project
planner Work P 100% $30.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard
Business
analyst Work B 100% $20.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard
Technical
analyst Work T 100% $25.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard
Web
developer Work W 100% $20.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard

11CASE STUDY: BEYOND TEACHING
3.4 Gantt chart
Figure 1: Gantt chart
(Source: Created by Author)