University Project Planning and Budgeting: Scope and Time Management

This assignment delves into project planning and budgeting, focusing on scope and time management within the context of a vehicle maintenance facility project. The student explores change control processes, communication strategies with stakeholders, and the impact of scope changes on project schedules and budgets. The assignment includes a discussion post analyzing the effects of project scope changes on schedule management and offers insights on effective communication methods. It highlights the importance of structured communication models, stakeholder meetings, and project summary reports. The student also references key project management texts to support the analysis. The assignment also includes a response to a fellow student's discussion, offering additional perspectives on formal communication, screen-to-screen meetings, and the impact of scope creep on project outcomes.

Running head: PROJECT PLANNING AND BUDGETING
PROJECT PLANNING AND BUDGETING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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Changes in project scope affecting project's schedule
Proper change control processes need to be in place, which helps in minimizing the effect
of scope change of project. Poorly managed or even any un-controlled changes in the project can
easily harm the project. Some of severe conditions are missed deadlines, overrunning budget and
failure of project. Whenever the changes are taking place, there is a tight control process which
can help in keeping track of project (Kerzner, 2017). As soon as changes are made, there are
generally various ways for increasing the overall budget and deadline extension. The point
should be noted that changes need to access with respect to dimension of budget, resource and
project schedule. When extra work is being added to project, then it is not completely self-
funding, and there is need for extra budget to cover the increase in workload. In this vehicle
maintenance facility project, scope changes merely come from either internal or external
resources. Any request for change are stand out to be frequent and numerous, then it stand out to
be clear indictor of the poorly-defined project scope. There is a contract which needs to be
assumed for fixed-price, fixed-scope arrangement in between two that is owner and general
contractor (Meredith, Mantel Jr & Shafer, 2017). Various aspects like code and zoning approval
has been approved, and construction just started. The present slope of the site stand out to be
minimum which brings the finish grade and does not require much extra amount of excavation.
Communicating with project stakeholders
Project manager needs to have a structured approach for communicating. Communication
models comprises of three parts that are sender, message and receiver. For effective
communication, the sender needs to decode the message in careful and identify the
communication method used for sending message (Heagney, 2016). There is need for creating
ground rules for stakeholders for communication which will help in saving time and removing

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any kind of obstacles. It is mainly done so that project is completed within time and budget.
Planning communication for stakeholders require the way for communicating with them. To
communicate with stakeholders regarding this kind of variance, project manager can make
schedule a meeting. Stakeholder meeting stand out to be most common communication method
which is used by corporations. It stand out to be bit time-saving with respect to conveying
message to people. There is a list of ways for communicating message like PowerPoint, Prezi or
any kind mind mapping tool.
In addition, the project manager can make use of conference call for giving the project
summary report. The point should be noted that project summary report can be sent in predefined
periods (Turner, 2016). The protocol is completely agreed if the project as per the schedule and
budget. By making use of statistics and data, an individual can focus on the top-performing
aspects of project. Project manager can make use of conference calls as the best way for
communicating with stakeholders.
Comment on one fellow Student Discussion
Hi Friend,
I have gone through post on schedule management which is part of module 2. It
completely highlights changes in project scope which completely affects project schedule. This
merely focus on how the project manager need to communicate with variance. You have clearly
explained the method of development, maintenance, communication and schedule for both
resources and time. Schedule is known to be timetable for the given project and programme. I
agreed to viewpoint that scope creep which happens when required changes are completely
included in the project scope of work. All the things take place without any kind of change in

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control process. There is need for setting up proper change in the control process. It merely aims
in ensuring different resource requirements and schedule impact which has been accessed. All
the required improvement is inclusive of new activities in the given schedule.
In the section of formal communication done by project manager regarding the
stakeholders, there are some few points I would like to add. Project manager can go for screen to
screen meeting as meeting face to face is found to be bit time-consuming. Face to face to
meeting stand out to be best way for managing across most of the stakeholders. Not everyone
make respone to presentation in equal way, meeting with different stakeholders, an individual
can easily add concern with much details. The point should be noted that “screen to screen” is
found to new way of communication.
[Name of the Student]

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References
Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Meredith, J. R., Mantel Jr, S. J., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Turner, R. (2016). Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.