MSc Management: Project Management Essentials Smart City OS Report

This report provides an analysis of a Smart City OS project, focusing on key project management essentials. It covers various aspects such as the role of the project manager, trouble resolution and decision-making, stakeholder identification and engagement, the project management triangle (time, cost, scope), financial management, risk management, and conflict negotiation. The report highlights the skills required for effective project management, including leadership, communication, risk management, and cost management. It also discusses the importance of identifying and engaging stakeholders, managing project constraints using the project management triangle, and addressing potential conflicts. The case study of Hull's journey to becoming a programmable city is used as a practical example throughout the report. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
COURSEWORK

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Task 1- The project manager.......................................................................................................3
Task 2- Trouble resolution and decision-making........................................................................5
Task 3- The Task Trilateral..........................................................................................................7
Task 4- Managing Finances.........................................................................................................9
Task 5: Risk management within the project.............................................................................10
Task 6: Conflicts and negotiation..............................................................................................15
Task 7.........................................................................................................................................17
Assessment self evaluation........................................................................................................19
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Project management is the procedure of handling a team that are working on certain
specific tasks in order to achieve all project goals within the given time frame. This is a kind of
unique information that is usually described within the project documentation that is generated at
the very beginning of the development procedure of the project. It has been analysed that each
and individual project are unique and different in their terms and operations which illustrates the
ongoing activities of the firm because each project reaches towards a conclusion once the goals
and objectives of the establishment achieved. Generally all project management has certain life
cycle which consists of five stages such as induction, preparation, executing, observation and
closing of the project (Meredith, Shafer and Mantel, 2017). All these activities combine all the
actions into collaborative manner in order to turn the project idea into a working final product.
This report is about the case study of the smart city operating system in which the journey of the
Hull has been described that has been followed in order to become a programmable city. The
study will highlight certain tasks related to the case study in which as a project consultant, the
development of project report for Smart City OS project will be made by leveraging certain
techniques and concepts.
MAIN BODY
Task 1- The project manager
Project administration is not an easy chore and can never be learned within one or two days of
working within any project. It requires a lot of skills in order to finish the tasks in most
appropriate manner. In order to finish the tasks appropriately, managers are taking help of project
management tools that enables them to achieve specific goals within pre-defined timeline for a
determined budget. The tools are highly effective enough to maximize their skills, execute their
work into functioning and thus manage the teams in effective manner. Just like that the project
manager of the Smart City OS project also definite quantity certain set of skills in order to
complete the task within stipulated time frame (Mohammed and Kasim, 2019). Below are the
explanations of skills through which the managers are able to fulfil their tasks:
 Leadership: As a project director, one must accountable for seeing the task through
flourishing culmination of the tasks along with leading a group of people generally
termed as team in order to achieve desired goals. This requires high amount of motivation

and mediation from the side of manager for the team members not always but as and
when required. Project leadership are of different styles and these are completely
dependent upon the personality of the leader. It is not actually management of people
within any firm but it more of like managing people in optimistic manner to fulfil the
assignment within proper limited time duration.
 Communication: Communication also plays a vital role in project management and goes
with hand in hand with the leadership style. One can never be an effective leader if they
are not able to express the ideas in front of their team members about the necessary tasks
(Mainga, 2017). The managers have to do clear communications with everyone that are
associated with the project whether they are contractors or vendors, stakeholders and
customers. The communication also acts as a tool that help connect people one-to-one
and in group settings for instance meetings as well as presentations.
 Risk management: Planning any project contains some amount of risk and it is the
primary part of the job of manager to see issues in advance before they become big
problems. Thus, before execution of the project, the work has been put out in the work to
recognize, measure and controls risk. The more the risks are managed, the more likely the
project is going to succeed.
 Cost management: The managers have to efficient enough to manage the budget in
appropriate manner because without money nobody is able to manage the project. It takes
a high amount of skill to figure out the ways through which the whole budget gets
squeezed out in a way that the project will finish with limited amount of funds and in
most suitable manner.
Project management does not always mean working more or hard but it means working smarter.
It can mean delivering projects within deadlines (Hysa and Spalek, 2019). All these actions are
also have been considered in the similar kind of smart city project of Smarter London Together
in which possible actions that have been taken by managers in order to develop those necessary
skills such as:
 Focusing on communication part
 Finding of correct project management tool
 Establishment of organizational objectives and goals

 Setting oneself for success with small wins
 Understand the concept of minimum amount of work that are required to get a product or
service sell-able and out the door.
 Getting things in written format on paper
 Examination of current productivity
 Choose right people for right job positions
 Having clear and accessible schedules
 Setting of realistic expectations
 Address problems in early manner
 Organize resources at one place
Task 2- Trouble resolution and decision-making
Determination of significant stakeholders of a smart city OS project is highly beneficial and
crucial step in order to complete the tasks in most appropriate manner. The stakeholders are the
ones who contribute and influence over the project. Stakeholders’ investigation helps to play
administration in handling with stakeholder economic process and enhanced the contribution
from the stakeholders (Nicholas and Steyn, 2020). They are the ones who help in achieving the
goals of implementation of smart cities. Thus, it originates the concern on the designation of
stakeholders of this smart city project to accomplish goal of attainment. The stakeholders
according to the case study of this Smart city OS project are:
 Localized and territorial administrators: It is extremely significant to have local and
regional administrations to be passively participating in beginner, advance and
encouraging smart city projects because this project requires improving and innovative
public services. Administrations are able to impart for smart city project with negotiating
with the resources.
 Fiscal provider or capitalist: Smart cities are very much high-ticket to utilize and also to
direct. Therefore, it has been identified that they are highly dependent upon the financial
suppliers or large amount of money investors to fulfil the project requirements in
effectual manner. Obtaining funds are the key for the improvement of smart city projects
and the capitalist majorly consider the return on investment of the project.

 Energy suppliers: Sustainability is the major concern for any of the smart city project
and thus sustainable energy supply is mandatory for the business activity of the smart
city. In such projects, sustainable force policies play a vital role in smart city such as
Hull.
 Information and communication technology sphere representatives: In the
installation and functional stage of astute cities, technological factors are considered as
important requirements for the smart cities (Bredillet, Tywoniak and Tootoonchy, 2018).
ICT sectors are extremely able to contribute their part for the improvement of the sharp
city and fulfil the goals at stipulated time duration.
 Citizens: Citizens are identified as the most important kind of stakeholders because they
are the ones through whom the managers collect the positive as well as negative
feedbacks while initiating for smart city. It plays a key role in urban planning as at
initiating stage; the creativity of citizens and their cognition level are important
stakeholders in smart city initiation.
 Government: Smart city offers various solutions for the challenges that have been faced
by the government due to rapid urbanization. Government is the sole in charge for
knowledge creation and capitalization which is required for initiation of the concept
related to smart city operating system.
 Non profit organizations: Social organizations are extremely interested in the results
which arise due to the implementation of smart city project.
 Policy makers: policy making is the key procedure that leads better transparent and
answer-ability in smart city project. Policy makers are responsible for preparing policies
that leads a city to be smart.
 Governmental establishment: the conflict of semi political establishments in
transferability is key because sharing their experiences can be an asset for present and
future smart city projects.
 Media: Media influences the smart city project through covering the problems and the
vantage of smart city. It influences in both ways i.e. positive and negative.
After the identification of correct stakeholders, this is also necessary to engage them into the
project requirements such as:

 Identification of stakeholders in early manner enables the project managers to effectively
create a stakeholders register.
 Get all the stakeholders involved with each other in order to avoid any conflicts and
misunderstandings.
 Seek to understand them before being understood by them by hearing their perspective
primarily.
 Lead with full integrity and trust
 Work in collaborative manner with the teams.
 Manage expectations if each stakeholder in complete manner and remove any kind of
false expectations (Ogunde and et.al., 2017).
 Communicate appropriately with each of them to avoid confusions.
Task 3- The Task Trilateral
The project management triangle is utilized my managers of the Smart City OS project in order
to evaluate and realize the difficulty that may arises due to instrumentality and corporal
punishment the project. All projects whether they are small or big will have certain restrictions or
limitations. The three major mutualist restraint for each and every project i.e. time period,
expenditure and reach which has been explained below in detail:
Project management triangle
 Time: The activities that are involved in completion of project take some amount of time
whether it is shorter or longer. Completion of assignment are dependent upon the huge

figure of component such as the number of citizenry involved in working of the project,
experience level of employees, skills and talents they have within them, etc. This is most
crucial and important factor as it can never be controlled by anybody. On a contrary note,
it has been identified that failure to meet the deadlines into any project can able to create
negative impacts and become a major reason for project failure. Sometimes it is due to
lack of resources as well that employees are unable to fulfil the task within determined
time duration (Gordon and Pollack, 2018).
 Cost: It is imperative for the project managers as well as the firm to have an estimated
cost when initiating any project. Preparation of effective budget will ensure that project
is developed or implemented below a certain level of cost. Sometimes it has been
identified that project managers have to allocate additional resources in order to meet the
deadlines with even giving certain penalties through the medium of paying extra amount
of money or cost for the task.
 Scope: Scope lookout the final result of the project that has been undertaken by the
managers. This includes a large list of deliverables which needs to be fulfilled by the
project team of Smart City OS. A successful and highly skilled project manager will
fully able to manage the scope of the project along with any kind of changes which
impacts time and cost both.
Quality is also an element which although does not a part of the project management triangle but
it is the ultimate goal of each and every delivery. Project managers are easily identified that high
quality comes with high cost. By utilising low quality of resources in order to finish the project
within stipulated deadlines, the success of the project will never gets ensured. The project
managers required to create a balance among the three constraints so that the quality of the
project will never gets compromised (Zhitlukhina and et.al., 2018). Possible changes that need to
be done by managers for the project are:
 Splitting the tasks amongst team members.
 Needs to renovate objectives and work in order to meet company goals.
 Keep stakeholders informed about the necessary changes that have been adopted
according to the success of the project.
 They have to carefully monitor risks of the project and work accordingly.

Task 4- Managing Finances
In order to manage the finance of the Smart City OS project, certain resources are required such
as:
Touchable communicator and abilities
Fiscal - Knowledge to create interior money.
- Quality to rise outside assets.
Sensual - Placement of business office along
with their magnetic locations
- Entree to natural substantial and
arrangement transmission
Scientific - Ownership of apparent, hallmark,
legal right and trade concealed.
Structural - Ceremonial preparation, bidding and
control scheme
- Incorporate directional message
scheme.
Impalpable root-age and capacity
Manlike - Social control endowment
- Structure civilization
Invention - Investigation and improvement ability
to introduce new products, procedure
and services
- Susceptibility for organizational
invention and alteration
Reputational - Percept of merchandize quality,
enduringness and reliableness among
customers
- Booming merchandize stigmatization
and aligning

In order to comprehend the effective cost benefit techniques, it has been identified that in
order to complete the Smart City OS project, out of all the techniques, the managers utilizes
bottom up estimation techniques as it starts costs calculation procedure with the identification
and evaluation of separate project mechanisms. The expenditures for each and every individual
project task or a series of tasks or assignments that are added in order to arrive at the total project
cost. This technique is highly effective and extremely accurate as it thoroughly breaks down the
overall structure that is applied in order to complete the assignment or tasks. The team members
are having complete knowledge of their work package and it is highly (accurate) than top down
technique. Estimation of errors balances the complete components that are related to the project.
This technique can be utilized in the simultaneity with other skillfulness as the activity duration
could be acquire through invariable or homologous figuring (Alothaimeen and Arditi, 2019).
However, it has also been identified that the complete break-down of structure requires high
amount of time duration and requires much more efforts especially at the situation if the project
is under consideration which is a complex one. Thus, it has been summarized that bottom up
estimating can be very accurate method in order to determine the exact estimate of the project. It
requires certain amount of resources and an established work breakdown structure. Apart from
estimating time, cost and resources, this technique is also used to assess change request for
instance in order to achieve cost benefit analysis of such changes. The similar kind of project i.e.
Smart Energy Master project also utilizes similar bottom up technique and extremely successful
in their functioning is the greatest example for the managers who are doing the Smart City OS
project in Hull.
Task 5: Risk management within the project
Risk Management Register
No. Risk
Event
Cause Effect Prob
abilit
y
Strate
gy
Action Respon
sible
Person
Pre
Action
Pre
Actio
n
Score
Post
Action
Post
Action
Score
1 External
Environme
Changes
in
Project
failure
2 Accept The
appropriate
Project
manage
Regular
evaluati
5 Develop
those
3

ntal risk governm
ent rules
and
regulatio
ns
actions that
can be
adopted
must
ensure that
the effect
of volatile
movement
in rules and
regulations
by
governmen
ts is tried to
minimized
so that the
losses that
are
incurred
can also be
minimized.
r on of
the
current
regulati
ons
governe
d by the
govern
ment.
kinds of
strategies
that can
minimize
the losses
incurred
2 Executive
support
risk
The
project
manager
can fall
ill,
become
incompet
ent
Project
delay
3 Reduc
e or
control
The project
leader
should be
selected
after
soundly
investigate
his
endowment
and
capabilities
so that
later, the
competenc
y of the
leader
cannot be
Core
team
member
s
Develo
p
certain
knowle
dge
based
tests
that can
be
utilized
to select
a
compet
ent
person.
4 Either
select
new
candidate
as soon as
possible
or train
the new
person.
2

questioned
(Naidoo,
2018).
3 Defined
range
The
horizon
of the
impresse
d
political
party
was not
formulat
ed
decently
Project
delay
1 Avoid The scope
of the task
or plans
need to be
developed
after
careful
scrutiny of
all the
affected
parties and
the
stakeholder
s so that
the scope is
well
developed
and the
team leader
is well
cognizant.
Project
manage
r
Conduc
t
exhausti
ve
research
before
finalizin
g the
scope.
3 Developm
ent of
new
scope by
taking
better
perceptio
n.
4
4 Inappropri
ate budget
manageme
nt
Expendit
ure in
more
than
estimate
d cost
Increase
project
cost
5 Mitigat
e
The
expenditur
e must be
done
according
the budget
in order to
mitigate
extra
expenses.
Project
manage
r\
Finance
manage
r or
team
Inflatio
n rate
and the
expecte
d price
rise
must be
evaluate
d
criticall
y before
getting
2 Get a new
budget
sanctione
d by
relevant
person
3