Exam (elaborations)
P1 P2 P3 P4 M1 M2
- Institution
- PEARSON (PEARSON)
Fully written A+/D* version of Unit 28
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Task 1What constitutes a project
Projects are pieces of work that are time-bound (have an end), produce a unique output, and are
executed under constraints (timeline, budget/resource). Projects can be either conducted in
groups of people or individually. They are usually a collective group of tasks that contribute to
one outcome and need an extended amount of time to complete. The use of group or individual
intelligence, expertise and methods to carry out a project successfully and efficiently. Projects
can be either short-term or long-term and the result should be a product, service or plans for a
circumstance or event.
Product life cycle:
Initiation:
During this stage, the problem is identified, and the team can begin gathering resources for the
start of the project. If this stage is not carefully managed this can set the objectives completely of
course for the entire project. This has the largest impact on the entire process. One of the main
failures in this stage is the inability to identify the scope of the project which misleads teams of
people. In this beginning stage the project team must identify:
● Objectives of the project
● Identification of the problem
● Scope of project
● Identification of the deliverables
● Stakeholders identification
● Timetable workloads
In order to develop the project into the planning phase, teams must detail the essential; criteria
so they can begin brainstorming ideas for the project. The initiation stage is used to construct
methodologies to how they deliver the project plan, coming up with the most effective, efficient
and successful plan to broadcast the project.
Planning:
During this stage is when the team can identify the total budget they may need to use for the
project to be completed, if these calculations are incorrect due to poor management they could
over spend and waste valuable money or they may not have enough and the project cannot be
completed to the best standard. The planning stage consists of the team being divided and
assigned sections of the tasks to complete, this affects the speed that the project is completed in,
as each member of the group has their own responsibilities. Once the tasks have been
acknowledged and divided, they can create the essential goals that need to be met as a team,
common goals that every member of the group can work towards like a frame of time to complete
tasks. It is important to carefully administer each aspect of the plan as the proposal builds the
foundations of the entire project. If it is poorly managed by the leader and group members then it
can destroy the entire process, which wastes valuable time for the business. Aspects that are
considered in the planning process are:
, ● Identification of teams
● Assigning tasks/Goals constructed
● Creation of workflow
● Gathering necessary resources
● Risk anticipation
● Project timelines
● Estimating budgets
When estimating the budget for the project it is vital that the business analyse this factor deeply
as they do not wish to run into complications later. These complications could be a shortcoming
of funds when attempting to purchase items for the project, it is unprofessional to then ask for
more funds from the business, this makes the team look poor and sluggish, they should have
done the right calculations first time round. Additionally, this is the same response they would
have if they had overspent the budget and required more capital, the organization could refuse
the funding and then the team is left with an incomplete project.
Execution:
When the team manager is splitting up the workload between group members, they must take
into consideration the team’s individual strengths. If the team manager does not identify the
strengths of certain members it could waste good time when they could be doing other activities.
Completion of the planning phase is then turned into action as the team disperse into their own
set tasks and get working on meeting project deliverable targets. Once the team has finalized the
planning points they must execute the proposal to the desirable standard, the leader of the team
has a role to administer all other group members. By monitoring their performance and being the
leader by making sure all members are aware of the plans. Throughout the process of the project
there can be timescales set for certain sections depending on the content and complexity, this
can take place in one phase or in numerous phases varying on the needs and complication of
the tasks being assigned. After all the tasks have been completed and all planned deliverables
have been achieved, this is when it can move onto the final closing stage of the project. It is
important to maintain control and communicate as needed during implementation. Progress is
continuously monitored, and appropriate adjustments are made and recorded as variances from
the original plan. All Through the project implementation, people are carrying out the tasks, and
progress information is being reported through regular team meetings. The project manager uses
this information to maintain control over the direction of the project by comparing the progress
reports with the project plan to measure the performance of the project activities and take
corrective action as needed.
When the construction company is putting the implementation phase into action for the
redevelopment project, they will be setting up the necessary contacts and documents that grants
them permission to conduct such activities. The company will have all the contacts already and
regulates/manages all operations behind the scenes and provides the funding for these projects.
The construction business will need to set up information online on their website to inform
potential customers of progress and processes. Otherwise if they do not post the information the
customer may be disappointed when they wish to see other projects they have worked on and
how it looks and the time taken to construct.
Closing stage:
, at this stage is when the final deliveries are presented to the project manager and it is their task
to organize the entire project and make sure all the goals and tasks have been achieved. If say
the team leader treats this aspect of the project poorly, they may miss deliverable tasks and
therefore could miss an important part and may miss deadlines. In this final phase of a project's
life the demobilisation of tasks and goals commences, and the post-project review is carried out
by the team. When running a post project meeting, they discuss the tasks they each were
assigned and showcase what they did to reach the goals they were set. This is to ensure that all
deliverables were achieved, and essential task criteria was met so the project does not fail to
impress managers. The last remaining step in closing the project is to conduct lessons-learned
studies to examine what went well and what did not in the group. Through this type of analysis,
the wisdom of experience is transferred back to the project teams organization, which will help
future project teams be drafted. After evaluation, the project can then be launched at the
permission of the organization, normally this is when teams divide and move onto other individual
work or people are set new project teams. For the construction of a new property/house the
closing stage is when the finalizations of the project are in commence and workers for each
aspect finish off. They are in the perfection process and make sure the job has been done, this is
so they make the client happy.
Examine the impact of poor management on each of the stages of the life cycle
What would happen if there was a failure at each stage
What is project management?
Project management can be described in many ways, my interpretation of it is the use of
intelligence, expertise and methods to carry out a project successfully and efficiently.
Projects are a strategic capability for organizations and small groups which allows them to
meet their goals and compete amongst their rivals, the poor management of the project will
result in the fall of every member and the failure of the project as a whole. Project management
is a job for the manager or leader of a team, they are put in control of the teams tasks and
workloads they receive. It is a vital necessity that a project is maintained and overseen at all
times to guarantee that tasks are being completed to the standard that is required, submitted
to the schedule and timeframes and objectives are reached. When a project is poorly
managed, that is when things go wrong and causes complications, which then disrupts the
flow and natural order of how things should be done. There are many reasons for why a
project could easily collapse and fail due to poor supervision, aspects like not
highlighting/assigning a distinct leadership role, not planning for the project effectively, use of
impractical tools/shortage of resources and ineffective communication. Of course there are
simple processes that can fix these shortcomings that then influences the success of the
project and teams can see the project thrive. Each section of the project life cycle has its
risks and each is prone to/exposed to being poorly administered and causes projects
foundations to fall and fail. The intention and purpose of avoiding poor management is to
ensure the brand does not attain a bad reputation from the failure of work, people will view
the business as lazy and underachieving against competitors. For the construction of a
house project management is vital, they have time frames to stick to and expectations to
meet according to the briefing from the client. They must obey the wishes of the client and
make sure all requirements are met before the designated time. Seeing as this form of
project management is practically conducted it implies that its more crucial work is
completed to the standard being demanded and for the project to be overseen appropriately.
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