Project Management Report: Phoenix IT Workforce Expansion, Phase 2

This report presents a project management plan developed for Phoenix IT, focusing on workforce expansion to enhance service quality. The project aims to create job opportunities, improve productivity, and meet customer requirements. The report includes a detailed work breakdown structure (WBS), a bottom-up estimation approach, a project network diagram with the critical path identified, and a Gantt chart illustrating the project schedule. A resource plan is also provided, along with strategies to reduce project duration. Furthermore, the report addresses risk management, outlining potential risks such as schedule slippage and budget shortfalls, alongside a risk response plan. Recommendations are offered for successful project implementation, including discussions on causes of project success and failure, supported by concepts like project communication and managing project teams. The student has created this project management plan based on the assignment brief provided, and it is being made available on Desklib.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Executive summary
The paper mainly reflects on a project that aims to extend the job chances in the market for
hiring a greater number of workforces for Phoenix IT company so that the company can be able
to deliver quality services to its customers. The main aim of the project is to create a project plan
which conceptualizes details related with project schedule, resources as well as project risks. In
addition to this, the paper discusses the reasons that can cause failure of the project and also
identifies ways with the help of which project failure can be effectively resolved.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
2. Project context.............................................................................................................................3
2.1 Project title, purpose and objectives......................................................................................3
2.2 Project priorities.....................................................................................................................4
2.3 Scope for the capstone assessment........................................................................................5
3. Project management plan and analysis........................................................................................5
3.1 Work breakdown structure....................................................................................................5
3.2 Preferred estimation approach for the project.......................................................................6
3.3 Project network and critical path...........................................................................................6
3.3.1 Project network diagram.................................................................................................6
3.3.2 Critical path....................................................................................................................7
3.4 Project schedule and analysis................................................................................................8
3.4.1 Gantt chart......................................................................................................................8
3.4.2 Resource plan and analysis.............................................................................................9
3.4.3 Strategies for reducing the project duration..................................................................10
3.5 Risk management plan.........................................................................................................11
3.5.1 Reflection on learning from phase 1.............................................................................11
3.5.2 Risk response plan........................................................................................................11
4. Recommendation for successful project implementation..........................................................15
4.1 Causes of project success/failure.........................................................................................15
4.2 Recommendation 1..............................................................................................................17
4.3 Recommendation 2..............................................................................................................17
5. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................18
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................19

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1. Introduction
The paper generally reflects on the development of project management plan for
extending job opportunities so that more workforce within Phoenix IT company can be hired
such that the company can be able to give appropriate service quality to the customers. In
addition to this, it is found that the undertaken project will generally be helpful in increasing
productivity which further assists in creating greater return on investment. The paper helps in
providing proper contextual details that are related with the project and the PM plan which is
developed generally contains information about WBS, preferred estimation approach, network
plan, project schedule as well as project risks. Moreover, the project also provides
recommendation for avoiding the reasons of project failure.
2. Project context
2.1 Project title, purpose and objectives
Project title
The title of the project is to expand the areas of job in order to hire more workforce for
successfully improving the quality of service in Phoenix IT.
Project purpose
The main purpose is to properly create different types of job opportunities in the market
so that the company can be able to hire a greater number of efficient workforce and further can
be able to give proper quality service to its customers in order to keep them happy and satisfied.

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Project objectives
The project objectives are listed below:
 To maintain the service quality by enhancing company’s productivity
 To satisfy the requirements of the customers
 To expand the entire business within the competitive market
2.2 Project priorities
The priorities while extending the job opportunities for hiring more workforce for the
company are mainly listed below:
Priority 1 (Proper planning): It is found that in order to undertake the project, proper
planning is needed that involves proper selection as well as installation of needed technology as
well as recruitment of skilled employees (Kerzner, 2017). In addition to this, various types of
strategies are framed for conducting the meeting with the stakeholders.
Priority 2 (Good leadership): In order to prevent different types of disruption within the
project, it is very much necessary to have good leadership style (Binder, 2016). The leaders who
are associated within the project are present on a single line and they generally act with
appropriate integrity which further help the various team so that they can behave effectively.
Priority 3 (Risk management): This is considered as one of the significant factors that
is necessary for analyzing the project risks (Kerzner, 2017). The risks including lack of
resources, improper budget estimation, schedule slippage needs to be managed effectively by
undertaking proper risk mitigation plan so that the project risks can be resolved effectively.

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Priority 4 (Stakeholder management): This is one of the key priorities which can be
achieved by keeping both the employees as well as investors at the hart of planning and delivery.
The project leaders must take proper initiative for engaging the stakeholders quite effectively.
2.3 Scope for the capstone assessment
The project scope is listed below:
 Development of job description
 Conduction of proper interviews
 Researching various types of technologies for recruitment
 Implementation of new technology
 Engaging recruitment agencies
 Outsourcing workforce
3. Project management plan and analysis
3.1 Work breakdown structure
Figure 1: Work breakdown structure
(Source: Created by Author)

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3.2 Preferred estimation approach for the project
The project uses bottom-up estimation approach for extending the job opportunities so
that efficient workforce can be hired which further helps in providing improved quality service to
the customers of the organization (Rehfeldt, Fleiter & Toro, 2018). In addition to this bottom-up
estimation method is mainly utilized within the project because with the help of this particular
approach, the project manager can be able to properly estimate the values for each of the
activities of the project so that total sum that is needed for project execution can be easily
determined. It is considered as one of the most accurate approach that helps in estimating the
entire cost for extending job opportunities for hiring more efficient workforce for the company.
This particular technique helps in giving the entire team an opportunity to develop the estimates
for measuring the work progress.
3.3 Project network and critical path
3.3.1 Project network diagram
Figure 2: Network diagram
(Source: Created by Author)

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3.3.2 Critical path
The critical path is showcased below in red for reflecting the longest sequence of project
activities within the project plan (Dumay, Guthrie & Rooney, 2017). It is found that the activities
that are present on the critical path cannot get started until the next predecessor-based activity
gets completed.
Figure 3: Critical path
(Source: Created by Author)

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3.4 Project schedule and analysis
3.4.1 Gantt chart
Gantt chart which is given below is a timeline which is mainly utilized for completing
the work of the project within the estimated time-period (Ong et al., 2016). The various activities
which are undertaken within 46 days for completing project includes providing job description,
advertisement about the job opportunities, hiring employees, improving recruitment technology
as well as engagement of the organization with the different recruitment agencies.
Figure 4: Gantt chart
(Source: Created by Author)

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3.4.2 Resource plan and analysis
The project resource plan which is created in order to effectively extend the
opportunities in the market for hiring a number of efficient workforce reflects that the resources
which are assigned in each of the activities of the project as per their job criteria and therefore
they can be able to complete each of the project activities successfully within the assumed
budget and time (Martens & Carvalho, 2017). In addition to this, the resource plan assists in
reflecting such that none of the project resources are overallocated and therefore the problems
associated with overallocation does not arises.
Figure 5: Resource plan
(Source: Created by Author)

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3.4.3 Strategies for reducing the project duration
The strategies that are helpful in reducing the duration of the project quite effectively are
elaborated below:
Shave days: While managing long projects, it is necessary to shave days from longer
project tasks. It is found that both task as well as phase duration is estimated in round which
generally can be reduced (Kivila, Martinsuo & Vuorinen, 2017). Additionally, in most of the
software projects, there is room within the schedule which can be eliminated for reducing time.
Task Splitting: With the help of this method, a large task is generally taken and then
they are splited into two or more number of project tasks such that each of those can generally
start ahead of the completion of previous task. It is found that splitting of project tasks generally
helps in reducing duration of the project.
Crashing: It is one of the techniques that generally involves incorporation of resources
for a particular activity of the project as this is mainly done so that the entire project gets
completed seamlessly as well as effectively. It further helps in reducing the duration of the
project (Badewi, 2016).
Fast tracking: It generally involves changing of the string of activities such that some of
the activities are performed effectively. It further helps in enhancing the risks that helps in
ignoring discretionary and helps in performing a number of activities in parallel which helps in
minimizing the duration of the project.

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3.5 Risk management plan
3.5.1 Reflection on learning from phase 1
After analyzing phase 1, it is found that a number of risks are identified while extending
the job opportunities in the market so that more effective workforce can be hired which further
can be helpful in improving the quality of the service that is offered by the company. After
effective analysis of phase 1, it is analyzed that problems related with schedule slippage, budget
shortfall, improper management as well as due to presence of inexperienced members in the HR
department can occur. Furthermore, it is found that the goals and objectives of the project are not
properly discussed with the project team which further can create issue in extending the job
opportunities. Furthermore, lack of proper IT technology can also cause obstruction in hiring
employees for the company.
3.5.2 Risk response plan
Risk
Id
Risk Description Impact Probability Responsible Mitigation