Reflective Essay: Project Management in Gym Construction

This reflective essay critically examines the experience of undertaking a gym construction project at the Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University. The student reflects on personal experiences, collaborative learning, and project management theories. The essay details the project's context, including its purpose (to enhance student and staff well-being), budget, and timeline. It links practical experiences with project management concepts such as task decomposition, risk management, and communication. The student, acting as a project manager, describes their role in initiating, planning, executing, and monitoring the project. The essay highlights lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of effective time and budget estimation, clear scope definition, regular meetings, and phase-by-phase project reviews. The conclusion underscores the significance of project management principles, communication, and risk management in achieving project success, and how these experiences will inform future project endeavors. The essay includes a bibliography of relevant academic sources.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Project: Gym construction within fitness centre at the Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross
University
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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REFLECTIVE ESSAY
1. Introduction
The paper critically reviews the experience of undertaking the project of gym
construction within a fitness centre at the Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University. In
this paper, I have reflected on my personal experiences, collaborative learning procedures as well
as theories that have helped me in making this project successful. It is identified that in this
essay, proper linkage of experience with the project management theory is made in order to
illustrate the contribution that is made by me. In addition to this, I have illustrated my learning
experience that I have gained after undertaking the project of gym construction.
2. Discussion
2.1 Description of the situation
The project of gym construction is mainly undertaken within the fitness center at the
Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University. It is identified that the university wants gym
construction within the campus in order to engage both staffs as well as students of the university
in various physical activities for controlling body weight, for reducing mental stress as well as
for minimizing illness. The project was mainly sponsored by GB Finance company with the
budget of around AU $ 520,000 in order to complete the entire project within the time-period of
8 months.
2.2 Linkage of the experience with the theory
It is identified that while undertaking the project of gym construction within the fitness
centre at the Gold Coast campus of Southern Cross University, I have analyzed from my
experience that an ability of analyzing as well as delimiting various components of project in

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REFLECTIVE ESSAY
different hierarchies as well as levels are significant for the project managers. It is identified that
proper relation with the project team members helps in completing the project successfully
within proper time and budget as communication is quite significant for tracking the status of the
project. Proper experience of the project managers in context to planning, scheduling, resource
leveling as well as monitoring is quite necessary in order to execute the project successfully.
In context to the theory of project management, I have analyzed that it is quite necessary
to decompose the total work effort in various smaller chunks of work in order to manage them
effectively. Furthermore, I have experienced that the concept of decomposing task helps in
managing project activities, avoiding team confusion as well as eliminating the feeling of
overwhelmed. In addition to this, I have experienced the risks that are associated with the project
can be managed by developing proper options as well as actions as per theory in order to
increase the opportunities and for reducing threats to project objectives.
2.3 Description of the insight that is provided for engaging in the situation
I work as a project manager in the project of gym construction within the Gold coast
campus of southern hemisphere in order to provide proper facility of physical activities to the
students as well as staffs of the university so that they can quickly workout as well as can be able
to get relieve from stress. I mainly contributed in initiating, planning, executing as well as
monitoring the project so that the entire project can be successfully completed within the budget
of around AU $520,000 in 8 months.
I organized as well as motivated the team members of the project so that they can be able
to develop clear, straightforward plans that helps in stimulating team for reaching their entire
potential. I also contributed in managing the time of the project for meeting deadline of the

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REFLECTIVE ESSAY
project and for contributing within the project I maintained the project schedule quite effectively.
Furthermore, I engaged in analyzing the risk of the project, monitoring project progress and
engage in managing reports as well as necessary documents in order to make the project
successful.
2.4 Description of the experience that is learned
I have achieved lot of experiences by undertaking this project and as a result I will utilize
my experience and will perform differently the next time I will undertake any project. My
learning as well as experiences from this project suggests that I must estimate the time as well as
budget of the project quite effectively by undertaking a research on the needs as well as
requirements of the project so that the project will be successfully executed within the estimated
budget as well as time. Next time whenever I will engage in the project, I will clearly define the
scope of the project so that I can fight against scope creep or any other unrealistic deadline issue
occurs within the project.
I have analyzed that it is quite necessary to schedule regular meetings in order to get
proper information about the project. Meetings not only keep project managers updated about the
project but it also assists in ensuring that the project is on the right track. In addition to this, I
have identified that whenever I will undergo in a project, I will review the project after
completion of each phase in order to ensure that the project is executing successfully and if any
risks associated with project occurs then it will be mitigated in that phase so that the progress of
the project will not get obstructed and as result the project can be easily completed within the
assumed time and budget.

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REFLECTIVE ESSAY
3. Conclusion
It can be concluded that proper critical discussion on the various principles of project
management as well on the basis of experiences that is achieved while undertaking the project of
gym construction that proper monitoring as well as management within the project is necessary
to complete the project within the estimated budget as well as time. I have analyzed that
communication between team members as well as project manager is necessary in order to track
the project progress on a weekly basis. Effective risk management, project planning, as well as
proper controlling of project time and budget plays also plays a significant role in making the
project successful. Furthermore, I have experienced as well as learned few things from this
project which I can apply while working in any other project and the experiences that I have
gained will help me in guiding to do the work little bit differently so that I can be able to make it
much more appropriate as well as effective.

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REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Bibliography
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management. International journal of project management, 34(2), pp.328-338.
Fleming, Q.W. and Koppelman, J.M., 2016, December. Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.
Javed, S.A., Ahmed, F., Nawaz, M. and Sajid, A., 2016. Identification of the Organizational and
Managerial Characteristics of Organizations Operating in Project Conducive Environment–A
Preliminary Study. Durreesamin Journal, 2(1).
Leach, L.P., 2014. Critical chain project management. Artech House.
Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking
project management performance and project success. International journal of project
management, 32(2), pp.202-217.
Svejvig, P. and Andersen, P., 2015. Rethinking project management: A structured literature
review with a critical look at the brave new world. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), pp.278-290.
Too, E.G. and Weaver, P., 2014. The management of project management: A conceptual
framework for project governance. International Journal of Project Management, 32(8),
pp.1382-1394.
Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.