Reflective Journal 1: Reflections on Project Management Concepts

This reflective journal explores the student's learning journey in a project management course, covering key concepts, elements, and methodologies. It details the project life cycle stages, including conceptualization, initiation, planning, implementation, and closure, and discusses the challenges faced by project managers, such as resource scarcity and stakeholder management. The journal highlights the importance of stakeholder management, project planning, and the use of different leadership styles. The student reflects on the sources of project ideas, the significance of organizational and environmental factors, and the application of tools and techniques like work breakdown structure. The journal also emphasizes the role of technology in enhancing project efficiency and concludes with a reflection on the student's preparedness to work as a project manager.

Reflective journal 1
REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ON PRINCIPLES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
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The learning in classroom brought an understanding of project management concepts, elements
and methodologies. It led to understand the tools, techniques and methodologies applied in
projects and project management (PMI., 2013). Project management involves a process of
applying skills, knowledge, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project
requirements. I learnt that there are several project life cycle stages in a project, and each stage
needs specific requirements and methodologies they include: conceptualization, initiation stage,
planning, implementation, and closure (Phillips, 2013). There are different types of project
categorized into sectors, agriculture, industrial, and education.
Projects, and project leaders are faced with several challenges that they need to take
considerations. Example of challenges facing project managers include: how do they manage
projects with scarce resources? Can project be managed with different stakeholder interests?
How is diversity in work force maintained? How can project be managed with changes in
technology and environment? Several project managers are employing different methodologies,
leadership styles and techniques in order to provide leadership in managing the challenges.
During conceptualization stage I was able to learn that a project idea is generated conceptualized.
There are several sources of project ideas they can come from market demand, organization
need, customer request, technological change, legal requirements, social need and ecological
impacts (Gido & Clements, 2014). A project manager will then need to understand the
environment surrounding the project. The two types of environment are organizational process
assets (factors within the project the project manager can control) and enterprise environmental
factors (external factors that a manager has no control over) (Andrew, 2014).
In initiation phase of the project the scope is define, resources committed, stakeholder identified,
project charter is created. The project charter created is a document that authorizes existence of a
project and provides a roadmap of project activities (Phillips, 2013). I learnt it is appropriate for
project managers to carryout stakeholder management. It is a process takes place to identify the
stakeholders affected by the project. Analysis is done using stakeholder power/interest matrix the
findings are used to classify them has primary or secondary stakeholders, and are maintained in
stakeholder register (Gido & Clements, 2014).

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The planning phase covers an important role in project. It involves establishing the scope,
redefining objectives, and creating a course of action. A project management plan is created that
constitutes several plans for quality, procurement, schedule, risk, communication and monitoring
& evaluation. Risk plan should constitute how risks are identified, analysis (qualitative and
quantitative analysis) and mitigate the risks (share, ignore, avoid, bear). All risks are then
reported and maintained in a risks register (Andrew, 2014). Scheduling can be performed by
using tools and techniques like work breakdown structure where time and resources are located
to activities. During implementation stage activities are performed materials are procured,
construction take place, and employees are involved in the activities.
There are different types of leadership styles they include: democratic, autocratic, and
participative. The choice of leadership style is important because it provides a means of
motivating employees to work hard. The democratic leadership provides sharing of decision
making between project teams, while autocratic decisions are done by the top management only.
The project manager can then develop the project team and maintain a participative approach to
the project to ensure sharing of ideas and reduction in conflicts (PMI., 2013). During closure all
activities are stopped, objective has been achieved, and project is handed over to the owners. The
learning has enabled me to work comfortably as a project manager in employing project tools,
techniques and methodologies. In future of project manager is expected to embrace technology in
all project operations to increase efficiency.

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References
Andrew, F. (2014). Effects of risk management in projects. New York: Mc Graw Hill.
Gido & Clements. (2014). Successful project management. Chicago: Nelson Education.
Phillips, J. (2013). PMP, project management professional (certification study guides). New
York: Mc Graw Hill.
PMI. (2013). A guide to project management body of knowledge . Newtown Square: PA: PMI.