Critically Discuss Project Management Experience: Reflective Essay

This reflective essay examines the application of project management principles in a real-world scenario, specifically focusing on a beach house repair project. The essay begins by introducing the project, detailing its objectives and constraints, including budget limitations and stakeholder involvement. It then connects the practical experiences to relevant project management theories, such as stakeholder prioritization, communication matrices, work breakdown structures, and RACI charts, highlighting how these were utilized in the project's planning and execution. The author reflects on the use of various project scheduling techniques, like AoN diagrams, time estimation methods, and Gantt charts, to ensure efficient project management. The essay also analyzes the project's risk management, quality management, and project closure processes. The author concludes by identifying areas where different approaches could have been used to optimize project outcomes, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive planning and understanding the responsibilities of each team member. The essay draws from project management literature to support its arguments and offers insights into practical application of theoretical knowledge for project success.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Reflective Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Introduction
The development of a project is dependent on various factors right from the project
initiation phase to the project closure phase. The plan for repairing the beach house project is
also dependent on various factors for this reason where numerous project constraints and
project aspects are dependent on. This is why I have analysed the entire project dependent on
the aspects that have been addressed in the report to create the repair plan for the Beach
House Cottage. The following would be a reflective essay that would describe the context of
the project and the learnings that I have gathered according to the learnings of the project. I
have also represented the learning that I have gathered along with the identification of the
challenges in the project and the way that these have been handled in the project.
Brief Description of the situation in discussion
I have learnt that the project was based on the repairing of the Beachside Cottage that
was old and dilapidated. There were certain works that were required for the repairing works
to be done on the old beach house and also there were requirements of the renovation works
in the old cottage to be done to make the beach house a place that can be lived again as well. I
have learnt that the project was once used for the purpose of serving the people who would
come for spending their vacations in the beach and the old cottage was put under rent again.
The purpose of the project was to make sure that other organizations like Airbnb could again
make the Beach House Cottage be able to be rented again with the renovation and repairing
project.
The project was taken to the sponsors and the evaluators, after which the project was
approved a loan of about 20,000 AUD. The project was approved so that the cottage can be
used again for serving the people coming for vacations and looking for a cottage in the beach

2REFLECTIVE ESSAY
to be rented. Thus, within this estimated budget, the project planning needed to be done to
make sure that the approved money would suffice the repairing and renovation process. I
would analyse and present how this process was culminated step by step and justify all the
stages that have been formulated to make sure that the project reaches its completion.
Experience to the theory discussed in this session
The theories that have been developed to proceed with the project has been dependent
on the step by step procedure that has been adopted to renovate and repair the project. I found
that before jumping into the initial making of the plan, the project constraints have been taken
into consideration, including the people associated with the sponsoring of the project.
Another main concern of the project was the approved price of the loan that initiated the
project and I also think that the Project Managers took this as the final budget to include all
the project planning within this budget.
In addition, the project also contributed to the utilization of the various theories of
applying the Stakeholder Prioritization Matrix, Project Communications Matrix, Work
Breakdown Structure and the RACI chart within the project. These made sure that the project
has the proper implementation of the communication plan and a responsibility division and
definition system for the project. I also noticed, that the Project Managers abided by the clear
definition of the responsibilities of the team members of the project so that there would be no
confusion against which person would be delivering which set of work. The other theories
applied for this work also made me analyse the practical utilization of the theories. I found
that the project used AoN diagram to represent the project plan as a network diagram, time
estimation as the enumeration method and the two-pass method, defined the critical path and
Gantt Chart. I believe that all of these methods would ensure the scheduling of the project so
that none of the project procedure would be clashing with each other. The project also

3REFLECTIVE ESSAY
contributed to the utilization of proper reporting of the project, risk management, ways to
ensure quality management and project closure and even the closure of the project defining
all of the project steps in a gradual and effective manner.
Insight into the engagement or contribution to the system
The renovation project for the Beach House has been conducted in such a way that the
project constituted all the theoretical knowledge and used them to formulate the real-life
implementations. I have found that the project has been contributed feasibly and effectively
to the system and also contributed to the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the
people associated in the project team.
Insight, in light of the experience and learning for doing something different
according to the project
I analysed the project and gained the experience to find out that for having a feasible
plan for a project, it is required that the project should initially be implemented within the
project before the beginning of the project. This should also include the project closure phase
and the phases that are in between making the project team have all the knowledge about the
project including their own responsibilities and the work that needs to be done.
Conclusion
Therefore, analysing the entire project, I have realized that the beach house project
had considered including all the theories described in the standardized forms as defined in the
PMBOK and approved by the PMI. These stages have utilized the theories that have been
described and understood how the procedures should be utilized in making the planning for a
feasible project. The ways by which the different project phases are handled, makes it easy to

4REFLECTIVE ESSAY
understand that the project has a feasible planning to understand the responsibilities of each
member associated with the project and how the project should also include the time and
budget constraints. I also noticed that the budget of the project was kept under the initial loan
that was allowed for the project, thus making it feasible for the project to value the utility of
theory for managing a project and implement them feasibly in a project in the real life.

5REFLECTIVE ESSAY
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