Questions: 1) What problems do you see emerging from a project such as SBInet where the government allows the contractor to determine scope, manage all contractor relations, and decide how to share project status information with oversight bodies? Oversight, particularly early in the project’s development, is critical. It is during the early phases of the
project that most technical decisions are made, that overall project scope is frozen, and that project capabilities and standards for evaluation are determined. Thus, when the government gave this power to the contractor without sufficient c hecks and balances, they opened the way for overruns, poor technical quality, and loss of accountability. In retrospect, it is actually surprising that the project was cancelled as early as it was. Under similar circumstances, federally funded projects have been much bigger black holes for budget and schedule overruns. 2) Consider the following two arguments: “The failure of SBInet was due to poor scope management,” versus “SBInet failed because of poor oversight and project controls.” Take one side or the other in this argument, and justify your response.
A case can be m ade for either position in this example. The project was poorly scoped, mainly due to an inadequate understanding of the technical requirements for developing and maintaining a virtual fence across a long border. Even the pilot projec t on the 28-miletest section of the border was not technically sound and demonstrated a number of flaws within the system. On the other hand, there was a continued lack of oversight of the proje ct through much of the early qualification phases, when Boeing was vetting suppliers, trying to determine the project’s scope, and creating a management structure that seemed designed to promote overruns and poor quality.
5.1 What are the principal principal benefits of developing a comprehensive comprehensive project scope scope analysis?
A comprehensive project scope analysis serves several benefits that permit a company to guide the dream of a project t o successful completion. One benefit is transforming the idea of the project into a working concept. Once the concept is developed, project details can be mapped out. Scope analysis outlines each step of the project in a detailed manner. The primary benefit is that it aligns the project so the final product will be consisted with the o riginal goals/objectives. By outlining each step, scope analysis increases the likelihood that the project will stay within budget and time constraints, and meet predetermined specifications and quality parameters.
5.2 What are the key characteristics characteristics of a work package? package?
A work package is a specific step of the project. Work packages are smaller pieces of the whole project, which are more manageable and definable than the whole. They create a chronological map from one
step to the next, detailing what needs to be completed at each stage. Each work package includes its own deadline, resource requirements, and supervisor/s. Work packages can be further broken down into subtasks that can be assigned to an individual worker or group. Collectively, all the work packages of a project combine to lead the project team from start to completion of the project.
5.3 Create a Work Breakdown Structure for a term paper project or another school-related project you are working on. What are the steps in the WBS? Can you identify any substeps for each step?
This assignment is designed to get students comfortable with deco nstructing the project into various levels, including Deliverables and Work Packages. The goal is identifying the relevant elements in the project, not the sequential nature of those steps. If instructors wish, they can ask students to create some idea of the sequentiality of these W BS elements as a second step.
5.4 What are the benefits of developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) for a project?
The RAM outlines the team members directly responsible for each task. It also includes a list of supporting organizational members. It is beneficial for following chain of command, solving interdepartmental issues, and receiving proper approval. Additionally, the RAM increases the flow of communication throughout the team. By knowing who is in charge of what, members can notify the necessary people of progress or completion of tasks. This keeps the group informed of potential problems and up-to- date on the project’s current status.
The process of creating the RAM is also beneficial to the project manager. It requires the identification of team members’ abiliti es, qualifications, strengths, and weaknesses. Tasks and assignments can then be better coordinated to create the highest level of efficiency.
5.5 Develop an argument for scope reporting mechanisms. At a minimum, what types of reports do you consider necessary for document control of a project? Why?
Two main concerns of project scope are seeing that the project meets time and budget constraints. Without some sort of limits (i.e., project scope), projects can quickly become expensive and long-term investments of a company’s time and resources. Scope reporting can help reduce the risk of such runaway projects. Reports that update on costs incurred using S-curves and variance updates are important for keeping the project within budget constraints. These reports may also serve as control mechanisms. If team members know they will have t o publish spending reports frequently to other members in the organization, they may be less likely to approve unscheduled expenditures. Reports related to adherence to the planned time schedule work in a similar fashion. If the project begins to lag behind, team members may have more incentive to look for the cause of t he delays if they are required to report variances from the planned timetable.
5.6 What is the chief purpose of configuration management? In your opinion, why has it become increasingly popular in recent years as part of the project management process?
The main purpose of configuration management is to manage and co ntrol change within projects. Those involved in the project agree upon a plan for execution of activities and tasks. Configuration management then monitors variations from this pre-established plan. Change is an anticipated factor of project management. Configuration management provides a way to deal with changes as they arise, so they do not cause more disruption than necessary. Changes are documented so that all involved in the project may be notified and modifications can be made universally. By identifying necessary changes as early as possible and handling the problem early on, configuration management decreases time delays related to unforeseen conditions, and helps reduce obstacles t hat may result from change later on in the project process.
5.7 What is the logic behind developing a plan for project closeout prior to even beginning the project?
Upon completion of the project, cer tain documentation will be required by management and/or the client involved. The documentation may be used for legal purposes, as tr aining material, or in auditing procedures; therefore, it is important that the closeout information be thorough and accurate. Creating a plan early on is important because proper documentation may need to be performed as the project progresses. By knowing what information will be required at the end of the project, the team can keep proper records at various stages as the project advances. Trying to create this documentation after the fact may be difficult or inaccurate.
