Critical Analysis Report: Development of Project Monitoring Database

This report presents a critical analysis of the 'Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database' project, sponsored by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of the Maldives. The project aimed to replace a traditional information recording system with an integrated database. The analysis evaluates various project management practices, including work breakdown structure, project scope, timeline planning, communication, and risk management. The report examines the project's organizational structure, strategic alignment with organizational goals, and the evaluation of project attributes. It also highlights the project's deliverables, benefits, and areas where the project succeeded or faced challenges. The study concludes that the project team effectively utilized available project management practices and resources, while also acknowledging some shortcomings in human resource management that led to delays. Overall, the project's strategic alignment and successful implementation of project management practices contributed to its success.

Running Head: Critical Analysis
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Critical Analysis 1
Abstract
In today's scenario, the successful management of a project becomes a challenge for its project
manager as well as other team members. It happens because of unforeseen risks and diverse
nature of project team members. Hence, the paper satisfies the motive of critical evaluation of
one of the recognized project known as "Development of Project Monitoring and Control
Database". It is clarified from the project critical evaluation that the project sponsor and other
team members utilize different project management practices like work breakdown structure,
project scope evaluation, timeline plan, communication, and risk management planning to come
up with realistic expectations. The perfect collaboration of project management practices gives
the project team an opportunity to grasp the prevailing growth opportunity and successfully
replace the traditional information recording system with an integrated database. Also, the
project team becomes fail in the management of its human resources effectively. As a result, it
also becomes the victim of unnecessary delay in some project dependent activities. Hence, it is
concluded that the project team proceeds effectively through the use of available project
management practices and manpower as well.

Critical Analysis 2
Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Project Background Information.....................................................................................................2
Analysis of Project management practices and Standard followed in project.................................3
Analysis of Project Management Organizational structure.............................................................4
Evaluation of Project Strategic Alignment......................................................................................5
Evaluation of project Attributes Compassion..................................................................................7
Analysis of Project Deliverables.....................................................................................................8
Evaluation of gain benefit and opportunity exploited.....................................................................9
Evaluation of things that went right and wrong...............................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
Appendices....................................................................................................................................12

Critical Analysis 3
Introduction
This paper represents a critical analysis of a completed project. The critical analysis performed
through the effective use of modern project management techniques. The completed project
reviewed here is "Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database." It is a project
management plan sponsored by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury. On the other hand, the
project manager of the project is "Azim Ahmed." In order to provide a better understanding and
critical evaluation of the project, a wide range of project management phenomena and theories
used here. Apart from this, the secondary research sources also utilized to compare the existing
project standard with the framed project management practices. Apart from this, the viewpoint of
different researchers also considered analyzing the practices and standards followed for the
successful project completion. Therefore, the main motive of the paper is to evaluate the project
management practices and standards utilized by the project team of "Development of Project
Monitoring and Control Database."
Project Background Information
The project is related to the development of project monitoring and control database. The
government of Maldives decided to implement the project monitoring and control database to
resolve a lot of monitoring and evaluation problems. For example, the current status of project
monitoring and implementation in the public sector of Maldives lacks a proper method of
standardized way of evaluating progress. Hence, the absence of a standardized manner to
implement projects causes a lot of challenges in front of the public sector of Maldives.
Therefore, the implementation of project monitoring and control database gives the government
an opportunity to rectify all the project evaluation and implementation problems. Also, the
project will streamline the project management processes by the implementation of a project

Critical Analysis 4
information database. With the help of project information database, it will become easy for the
project management teams to standardize the project implementation procedure and make the
information up-to-date and more accurate than prior situations. Therefore, the project monitoring
and control database will come up with the backend project information database system with an
Application Programming Interface. Also, the system will support by the frontend web
application to access information on the backend database. Apart from this, an information
database unit, functional test reports, a main server for the system, and technical documentation
also delivered by the system to facilitate effective project management working to the public
sector of Maldives. The project will start on July 25, 2016. It will continue till October 16, 2016.
Moreover, the project team also determined that the project will consume the total cost of
approximately $92211.47. As a result, the project management team come up with Gantt chart
schedules, monthly progress report, and change control documents to come up with the required
project outcomes.
Analysis of Project management practices and Standard followed in the project
According to the viewpoint of Budu, (2018) management of a particular project can be daunting.
Therefore, the appropriate follow-up of project management practices and standards saves a
project to turn towards failure. Here, "The Development of Project Monitoring and Control
Database for Government of Maldives" also follows the project management practices and
standard effectively. The first and foremost interesting thing done by the project is a
determination of project scope and objectives at its initial stage. Hence, the project scope and
objective development serve as a guide for the whole project to complete it accordingly. In its
initial project plan, the project team uses project scope determination to describe project
deliverables, requirements, work breakdown structure, project constraints, and assumptions as

Critical Analysis 5
well. Hence, its project scope provides a complete overview of project feasibility and further
progress standards. Apart from this, “Azim Ahmed” who is project manager consumes sufficient
on utilizing project planning practice of project management. The project planning practice is
one of the important project management standards. In the absence of project planning, a project
cannot achieve its objectives. The main motive of the project behind the use of project planning
standards is to estimate accurately the project cost, timeline, communication structure, and
requirement of human resources. Moreover, the use of project planning practices enables the
project manager to determine the contingency plan for the project and avoid potential project
risks to get success (Lientz, 2016). Therefore, the project planning practices like Gantt chart,
communication, and risk register used by the project team to come up with an effective project
plan that represents a smooth way to satisfy final objectives. Another important project
management practice and standard utilized by the project team are "Change Management." The
project team carries out change management practices to manage stakeholder engagement.
Therefore, it can be said that the "Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database"
project plan utilizes project management practices effectively to satisfy the project aim and
objectives.
Analysis of Project Management Organizational structure
Project management organizational structure is considered very important for the success of a
project. It is because misaligned project management organizational structure comes with
negative influences that ultimately affect final project outcomes. On the basis of analysis of
"Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database", it can be said that the project team
utilizes a functional organizational structure to manage the flow of the project. Therefore, on the
basis of functional organizational structure, the project management team plans the job profile

Critical Analysis 6
and key responsible areas of each individual so that project can run as per the initial or
determined project schedule (Kerzner, 2017). The functional organizational structure utilizes by
the project team can understand through the given figure 1 in the Appendices section of the
paper. With the adoption of functional organizational structure, authority drive decisions on
budget, equipment, and schedule taken by the top management who is "Abdullah Jihad." But, it
can be said that the project management team of monitoring and controlling database project
should utilize projective organizational structure. The use of projective organizational structure
will benefit the project greater in comparison to functional organizational structure. It is because
the functional organizational structure does not offer decision making authority to project
managers. Hence, there was also some issues occurred due to the lack of decision making power
to project manager. For example, communication tool determination did not occur on a timely
basis. Hence, at a time the management feel burden and difficulty in the accomplishment of the
project on its determined timeline. Schwalbe (2015) said that the projected organizational
structure will give the project manager decision-making authority. Hence, the project manager
can take a decision as per the timeline and different project situations. But, the use of functional
organizational structure also benefits to the organization. It is because centralized decision
making enables the project team to avoid external interference and potential project conflicts. So,
it can be said that somehow the project management organizational structure of the project is
also good and proves effective for its success. But, it does not happen in all cases.
Evaluation of Project Strategic Alignment with Organizational Goals
According to the viewpoint of Laudon (2016), it is essential for a project management team to
align project strategies to achieve determined goals and objectives. Therefore, the project
“Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database for Government of Maldives”

Critical Analysis 7
performs a lot of initiatives to perform strategic alignment of project initiatives and strategies.
On the basis of the analysis of given case, it can be said that the project management team of the
control database project have a great understanding of its project overall and long-range strategy.
As a result, the knowledge and informed behavior help them to review all project practices
effectively and align with other project practices like project scheduling, decision making,
contracting and various others. Due to the perfect strategic alignment, the project team
successfully launch the project with online secure backup system, and information database unit
for monitoring and evaluation process. Also, the project team wants to use a JavaScript
framework for the development of its database system. Due to the effective understanding and
informed behavior of employees, the project team successfully confirm the project qualitative
requirements and standards. Moreover, Moeini (2018) said that the project strategic alignment
asks from a project management team to set realistic expectations. The "Development of
Monitoring and Control Database project" also set realistic expectations so that it will not face
any loss and risk in the coming time period.
Apart from this, it is also right to say that the project is strategically aligned with the goals and
objectives of the organization. The main motive of Ministry of Finance and Treasury is to
increase the efficiency of government products. The efficiency among government project
handling can bring through reducing the project report generation time, increase projects with
up-to-date information, decrease overrun in cost, decrease overrun in schedule. Hence, the
development of monitoring and control database will give the organization an opportunity to
achieve its strategic goals and objectives effectively. It is the “development of monitoring and
controlling database” that will enforce approximate 50% reduction in schedule overrun in all
tendered projects, 40% reduction in cost overrun, 50% increase in projects with weekly updated

Critical Analysis 8
information, and 75% reduction in project report generation time. Therefore, it can be said that
the project is effectively aligned with the goals and objectives of the organization and it will give
the firm an opportunity to improve the GDP rate of the economy as well. In order to set realistic
expectations, the top members of a project like executives and portfolio manager come with
appropriate strategies to work in a team. As a result, high-team collaboration results in an
improved level of strategic planning which ultimately enhance the level of project strategic
alignment with its other core process aspects.
Evaluation of project Attributes Compassion
The project attributes compassion is perfectly fine. It is because the project utilizes a wide
number of attributes and effective strategies to complete the project aim. The use of high-level
and effective project attributes enable the project team to come up with realistic expectations and
planning so that project can proceed accordingly (Marchewka, 2014). It was the effective
compassion of project attributes for which the project becomes successful in accomplishing its
objectives and satisfying the project sponsor or ultimate client. For example, the project team
members formulate project scope which gives them an opportunity to plan project deliverable,
and requirements effectively to carry out the project in the right direction. Another important
attribute use by the project management team is the work breakdown structure. It proves a
foremost equipment for the whole team to proceed ahead and complete project aim. It is because
the determination of project work breakdown structure inform them about project activities
which they need to complete within the framed timeline.
Also, it can be said that the effective compassion of work breakdown structure enhances the
project team able to come up with right plans and deadlines so that an activity can finish
accordingly to avoid any delay. Another important project attribute covered in the project is cost

Critical Analysis 9
management. The cost management performs by the team members by conducting in-depth
analysis and evaluation. Each project aspect judged effectively to predict accurate cost so that the
project can complete within the framed cost structure (Nicholas, 2017). Also, the project cost
management performs through the use of effective cost management planning approaches like
development, control, and monitoring. The use of project attributes gives the project team an
opportunity to utilize tools and techniques effectively to draw the required outcomes.
Analysis of Project Deliverables
Fuller (2017) explained project deliverables as something offered and produced as an outcome of
a particular procedure. The input for the project deliverable process can anything like equipment,
money, documents, and information as well. After analysis of "Development of Project
Monitoring and Control Database" project, it is identified that its project management team put
high efforts towards the evaluation of project deliverables. It is because the team understands the
importance of identifying key performance indicators and project deliverables. Moreover, the
evaluation of project deliverables states that the project team comes with specific and unique
outcomes as per project needs and objectives as well. For example, the efficiency and efforts of
project team member’s results in 75% reduction in project report generation time within 2 year
of operations. Also, it is identified that the understanding of key performance indicators and key
project outcome deliverables results in 40% reduction in cost overrun in all tendered projects
within the next 3 years of operation. Apart from this, Kerzner (2017) said that the project
deliverables of a project should in tangible form because it represents the overall outcomes of a
particular project. In a similar context, the project management team of "Database" project also
express its need and purpose effectively in tangible form. For example, in the project it is clearly
explained that the new database should have an effective control list to insert and modify

Critical Analysis 10
different parts of the database. The project team considers its project needs to effectively plan the
project deliverables and come out with specific outcomes. Also, it can be said that the project
team uses process deliverables through which the project team planned, executed and managed
its project. Moreover, the project team utilizes the project business case, governance plan,
budget, and project schedule to produce specific and effective deliverables for the project
(Müller, 2015). For example, the project team clearly explained that it will come up with a
backend project information database system with an Application Programming Interface. Also,
the project deliverables state that the project team will use technical documentation and user
manual to satisfy project objectives. As a result, the project team successfully decreases the
project report generation time, cost, and schedule overrun also. Hence, it can be said that the
project team also designed its project deliverables appropriately to complete predetermined
project aim.
Evaluation of gain benefit and opportunity exploited
The project management team of "Development of Project Monitoring and Control Database"
project gain a lot of benefits through appropriate exploitation of prevailing opportunities. The
sponsor team of the project identified that the Maldives government facing a huge problem in
monitoring and controlling status of different projects (Lientz, 2016). Hence, the identification of
the prevailing problem gives the sponsor a feeling of opportunity that the government requires a
central database to store important project information. Therefore, it can be said that the project
sponsor team exploited the prevailing opportunity effectively through conducting feasibility and
requirement analysis of the project. The project feasibility and requirement analysis enable them
to get sure about the database and its use which they want to introduce to the government of

Critical Analysis 11
Maldives (Laudon, 2016). The below-mentioned are some benefits that the Ministry of Trade
and Finance will generate through the project deliverables:
 At first, the project will result in backend project information database system with an
Application Programming Interface. Hence, this deliverable enable the organization to
come up with a main server for the system that will facilitate an effective and secure
online backup system. Hence, it would become easy for the Ministry of Trade and
Finance and other project team members to perform secure transactions with effective
records.
 Secondly, the project will come up with a fronted web application. With the help of web
application, it will become easy for the organization to access information on the backend
database and provide necessary training for personnel involved in implementing projects.
 Also, the project will come with up effective user manual, technical documentation,
information database unit, and functional test reports that will help the organization in
generating up-to date-report for different projects and maintain a portfolio page for
different project consultants and contractors.
Project Timeline Evaluation
The timeline evaluation performed by the project management team is very effective and
efficient. It is because the project management team covers each important element like
predecessors, day schedule, and others to represent an effective project time plan to carry out the
project. It is clear from the figures 3, 4, and 5 that the project will finish on 1st November 2016. It
will consume the total time period of approximate 72 days.