PROJ 6002: Project Planning and Budgeting: Scope and Time Report

This report examines the critical aspects of project management, specifically focusing on project planning, scope management, and the communication strategies necessary for informing stakeholders of project variances. The report begins by highlighting the importance of defining project scope early in the project lifecycle and how changes to this scope can directly impact project schedules. It references the need for a well-defined scope statement, including requirements, business drivers, and financial priorities, to effectively manage timelines and potential modifications. Furthermore, the report provides a hypothetical conversation between a project manager and a stakeholder to illustrate how variances are formally communicated, including budget limitations and the resulting adjustments to project timelines. The report underscores the importance of transparency, effective communication, and proactive management of scope changes to ensure project success.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Planning and Budgeting
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Table of Content
How might changes to project scope affect the project's schedule?..........................................3
Figure No 1: Impact of Scope on Project Schedule...............................................................3
How would a project manager formally communicate such variances to project stakeholders?
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References..................................................................................................................................5

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
How might changes to project scope affect the project's schedule?
According to, de Carvalho, Patah & de Souza Bido, (2015) the management of a
project and the delivery of the project are both important for the organizations as because the
effective implementation of these both project elements can ensure the success of the project.
The project scope is thus one of the most important activities that is practiced during the
implementation of the project in an effective manner. The scope of the project is important as
it helps to define the scope of the statement of work (Meredith, Mantel & Shafer, 2017). The
scope must be defined in early by the manager of the project in order to ensure the
transparency of the work in a proper manner. The scope will include the requirements,
business drivers of the project, the main needs of the project and the financial priorities of the
project. The decision on the scope of the project thus is necessary to fix the dates.
The fixation of the scope before the start of the date helps the management to fix and
schedule the start and end of the different tasks of the project in a proper manner. The start
and the expiry date thus will get enough time to make the different modifications (Lock,
2017). The modifications may be done at the time of the change in the scope of the projects.
There are different type of project modifications that has a direct effect on the changes in the
time schedule of the project.
Figure No 1: Impact of Scope on Project Schedule
Source: (www.orangescrum.com, 2019)

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How would a project manager formally communicate such variances to project
stakeholders?
The following question can be best answered by means of a hypothetical conversation
in between the project manager and the project stakeholder. The conversation has been
provided below;
A meeting has been arranged by the Project manager of a project being carried out by
Company ABC Limited to brief out the project stakeholder about a number of changes being
implemented in the project.
Project Manager (PM) - This meeting has been arranged to make you aware of a number of
decisions that has been taken recently by me to implement some changes in the project scope.
Project Stakeholder (PS) - Will you please detail out the changes that are being made?
PM- Yes sure. The first question that has been arranged involves some changes to be bought
in the second phase of the project due to a limitation of the budget. This includes the use of
less labour and the increase in the work hours.
PS- Well will this have an impact on the work schedule?
PM- Well that is for sure, the second phase will now be completed within 20 days instead of
the earlier 15 days given the changed circumstances
PS- Do you think the budget needs to be increased to ensure the maintenance of the earlier
fixed schedule of 15 days?
PM- No in such a case we will have to increase the budget by quite a few times which may
have an effect on the 3rd phase of the project. We will be ok with the small increase in such a
case
PS- Ok then you better go ahead with the project. You are granted the permission to do so

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References
de Carvalho, M. M., Patah, L. A., & de Souza Bido, D. (2015). Project management and its
effects on project success: Cross-country and cross-industry
comparisons. International Journal of Project Management, 33(7), 1509-1522.
Lock, D. (2017). The essentials of project management. Routledge.
Meredith, J. R., Mantel Jr, S. J., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Scope | Scope Creep and Its Impact on Project Delivery. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.orangescrum.com/tutorial/real-world-element-of-project-management/
scope-creep-and-its-impact-on-project-delivery