RALS 2017: Globex Riverina Agriculture and Lifestyle Show Project

The RALS 2017 project, a collaboration between Globex and Virtucon, aims to computerize the volunteer management system for the annual Riverina Agriculture and Lifestyle Show (RALS). The project overview details the team, including their skills, roles, and responsibilities. It outlines the project's scope, the social and communication architecture, meeting protocols, team norms, and code of conduct. The document includes an annotated bibliography, closure checklist, and reflection on the project's learning cycles. It also presents the necessary skill set for a project manager and references. The project focuses on improving volunteer management, enhancing the event's efficiency, and providing valuable insights into volunteer behavior and project management best practices. The project's success is measured by improvements in volunteer management, benefits to Globex, and the impact on the RALS event.

Globex
Riverina Agriculture and Lifestyle Show (RALS)
Overview and Team Charter
8/24/2017

RALS 2017
Project Name and Overview........................................................................................................................3
Project Team...............................................................................................................................................3
Project Overview.........................................................................................................................................4
Team Charter for RROSY...........................................................................................................................5
Skills, Knowledge Inventory, Roles and Responsibilities........................................................................5
RROSY Social and Communications Architecture.....................................................................................5
Meeting Times and Locations..................................................................................................................5
Meeting Process......................................................................................................................................6
Team norms and values...........................................................................................................................6
Code of Conduct......................................................................................................................................6
Rules and Expectations............................................................................................................................6
Learning Cycles...........................................................................................................................................6
Organizer.................................................................................................................................................6
Communication Plan...................................................................................................................................7
Annotated Bibliography..............................................................................................................................7
Closure Checklist........................................................................................................................................8
Reflection....................................................................................................................................................8
Necessary Skill Set for the Project Manager................................................................................................9
References...................................................................................................................................................9
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Project Name and Overview
RALS Roster Systems (RROSY) is the project to computerize the volunteer management system for the
annual event of Globex i.e. Riverina Agricultural and Lifestyle Show (RALS) in collaboration with
Virtucon.
Project Team
The following members from Virtucon constitute the RROSY project participants.
Team Name Contact Details
Email Phone
Business Analyst [e-mail] 9080604010
Project Manager [e-mail] 9080604010
Project Coordinator [e-mail] 9080604010
Project Implementer [e-mail]
HR [e-mail] 9080604010
Customer care [e-mail] 9080604010
Administration [e-mail] 9080604010
Project Overview
The Globex is an organization that focuses on a single annual event that promotes farming sector. The
annual gathering, which began in the year 2000, is termed as Riverina Agriculture and Lifestyle Show
(RALS) and happens every November. During this month long event, the farmers of the region,
agricultural equipment suppliers, life style product dealers and other local businesses show case their
products, achievements, projects, etc, to the public. The entry for the event is chargeable and the event
generates revenue from several streams. One of the key features of this show is that the gate fee collection
is completely donated to a social service organization called ICV (Indigenous Community volunteers).
Because the Globex absolutely rely on the volunteers, to make every RALS successful, it expects the ICV
to provide volunteers.
The roles and jobs of volunteers participating in the RALS are varied and challenging. The requirement
for large number of volunteers RALS and allocating work to them has become complex. Previously
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Globex staff managed the volunteers, but the need for a computerized system has emerged. Globex being
a valuable client of Virtucon, the knowledge institution has agreed to develop an information system to
manage the volunteers.
Team Charter for RROSY
Skills, Knowledge Inventory, Roles and Responsibilities
Team Member Name Skills Responsibility
Larry Baker Project management Project leadership
Monisha Veroski Programming Specialist (Coding
and database)
Development of applications and information system
McFasten Hallwood Human Resource Coordinator Managing human resources and development
John Smith Programming of User Interface Developing user friendly applications and customer
response system
Michael Rappaport Software and system testing Testing and debugging
Paul Evens System analysis and architecture
development
System study, planning and integration
Al Burq Kanoo Customer Support Customer care and maintenance of the system
Cecily Alport Data base management and back
end support
Back end set up and data base management
Fiona Vialleta Accounts and Administration Managing project resources and control of budgets
RROSY Social and Communications Architecture
The project team is free to contact any members of the team any time of the day and through any
medium. The common communication tools are email groups, facebook pages with members
only restrictions and a watsapp group. By following the email, facebook and watsapp group, all
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team members can observe the conversations and participate in the threads. In order to resolve
conflicts, difficulties and decision making team meetings are held.
Meeting Times and Locations
Meetings will be held on special occasions as mist members are connected through various
communication channels. If at all meetings are held, it will be on Wednesdays afternoon 2’ O
clock @ David Hall in the amenities centre.
Meeting Process
The meeting follows informal, open and energetic discussions on the challenges of the business.
The meeting can be called by any member of the team with the responsibility that the agenda
must be worthy of the time spent together. Meeting on trivial issues are discouraged and vital
project issues are debated with energy. The meeting continues till a solution to the challenge is
identified and an action is planned.
Team norms and values
All members are expected to participate in the project groups and in the team meetings. The
norms include being open, issue based discussion and avoiding personal attacks. All have equal
rights to express their opinions and ideas and the team maintains an informal culture (Izam,
Costello, & Wilkinson, 2013) However, completion of committed tasks is considered as critical
to the team performance/
Code of Conduct
Honesty, integrity and quality are the guiding principles of every project undertaken by the
Virtucon. Though a team member can discuss openly project matters with any team members,
the team members are expected to be cordial with each other and respect the personal space of all
members.
Rules and Expectations
All agreed actions must be carried out without negligence and delay. Those who have performed
only have the right to speak in the meetings. The team meetings are conversations and are not
platforms for monotonous lectures. During meetings only one person speak at a time.
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Learning Cycles
Organizer
 The team will maintain a log of insights and learning from the projects and the
interactions.
 Apart from discussing the project issues, the team also would review the learning posted
on the log.
 Issue based conflicts are welcome to enhance the learning but personal conflicts are
discouraged.
 All breakthroughs and innovations are celebrated by the team members together
Communication Plan
The primary modes of communication shall be through the emails, facebook group and watsapp group.
However, the external stakeholders are contacted through emails and face to face meetings.
The internal communication includes the following:
 Formal Meetings
 Informal Meetings and discussions
 Phone Conversations, watsapp messages and facebook postings
 E-mails
Annotated Bibliography
Marshall, D., & Priestner, A. (2016). Snapshot project report. Available at
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/263794, [Accessed on 24th Aug 2017]
The unique study has produced several insights regarding information search and research
behaviors of research students of a popular higher education institution in the UK i.e. University
of Cambridge. In order to study the students in natural settings the study used a special technique
called cultural probe. The study brought into light how the researchers are accessing
information, the behavioral and mental routines they follow, the choices they make regarding the
worth of the information, and how they communicate the newly found information to their peers.
This study is useful in designing the annual agriculture event RALS and also in training the
volunteers to improve their roles.
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Studer, S. (2016). Volunteer management: Responding to the uniqueness of Volunteers.
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 45(4), 688-714.
Volunteer management (VM) has been traditionally undertaken by the HR departments in the
organizations. This study distinguishes how the volunteers differ from the paid staff. Managing
volunteers require different orientation. Through complex statistical analysis this study provides
critical insights regarding the nature of volunteer work. Interest in the work, varied job roles, role
clarity, team spirit and enhancement of self respect are the attractors of the volunteer work. This
information is critical in developing volunteer management software, its user interface, volunteer
profile building, etc.
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Closure Checklist
 Ensuring that all require volunteer module are completed
 A test report by the tester as well as the representative from the Globex is checked and
submitted to the project sponsor.
 Training to the users of the system is completed
 The debugging of the system is completed and is made ready for the installation
 Post installation testing is completed and the client has signed the completion report
 The system is handed to the representative of the Globex
 The project learning and insights are documented
 Final completion report is submitted to the project manager
Outline of Project Evaluation
The Management of Value (MOV) of the project will be confirmed through the following steps.
 Assessment of the impact will be measured through the improvements in volunteer mangemnt
functions such as faster retrieval of volunteer data, effective allocation of work, real time
information regarding volunteer on the job, etc.
 Assessment of the benefits achieved by the Globex such as number of staff required for the
volunteer management, the operational problems solved by the system and the overall
improvement in the system.
 Assessing the impact on the event such as the number of satisfied Globex staff and volunteers in
participating in RALS and the visitors’ reactions and responses regarding the volunteers and the
event are vital information for Globex.
Reflection
The project has helped the team members to manage an unpaid venture with effectiveness and in
managing the volunteers. Interacting with stakeholders has helped the project implementers to learn about
the farm sector and the volunteering jobs. The criticality of principles mentioned in the PMBOK (Project
Management body of Knowledge) is found to be vital in controlling and driving the progress of a project.
Working enthusiastically in a team and managing the time effectively is achieved.
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Necessary Skill Set for the Project Manager
Based on experience in the project management, it is clear that a project manager fundamentally needs
knowledge of the project, have a track record of proven experience, and a personality to manage a varied
set of people (Hwang, & Ng, 2013).. Each of these factors is built upon specific “pillars”. For example
the knowledge component has pillars such as leadership, negotiation, industry specific knowledge,
communication, decision making, etc (Reich, Gemino, , & Sauer, 2014). The personality component
of the project manager includes personal characteristics such as can-do attitude, self confidence,
enthusiasm, integrity, open mindedness, etc. The proven track record of successful completion projects
speak for itself.
References
Hwang, B. G., & Ng, W. J. (2013). Project management knowledge and skills for green
construction: Overcoming challenges. International Journal of Project
Management, 31(2), 272-284.
Izam Ibrahim, K., Costello, S. B., & Wilkinson, S. (2013). Key practice indicators of team
integration in construction projects: a review. Team Performance Management: An
International Journal, 19(3/4), 132-152.
Marshall, D., & Priestner, A. (2016). Snapshot project report. Available at
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/263794, [Accessed on 24th Aug 2017]
Reich, B. H., Gemino, A., & Sauer, C. (2014). How knowledge management impacts
performance in projects: An empirical study. International Journal of Project
Management, 32(4), 590-602.
Studer, S. (2016). Volunteer management: Responding to the uniqueness of
volunteers. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 45(4), 688-714.
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