This Week You Will Be Developing A Project Status Report ✓ Solved

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This week you will be developing a project status report and

This week you will be developing a project status report and revising part of your initial plan to adapt to some unplanned events. Most IT projects do not reach completion without changes occurring along the way. Many of the changes are not planned, and the project manager must find a way to revise plans, budgets, and resources to compensate for such unplanned changes.

For this Assignment, you must analyze the impact of two unplanned changes on your project, and you must revise the budget and implementation plan to accommodate those changes. Consider which scenario you will apply in addition to the budget cuts. Download the project_statusReport file from Doc Sharing. Use the file to fill out all necessary content for the status report.

Read through the scenarios below. For this Assignment, you must choose Scenario A (Budget Cut), and one additional scenario.

Scenario A: Budget Cut (required) Your client has informed you that project costs must be reduced by 10%.

Scenario B: Change in Project Scope You have been informed that you need to add end-user training to the project scope. This training is for the end-users at the client’s location. You need to decide how this will be handled and negotiated with the client considering the required budget cut.

Scenario C: Loss of a Member of the Project Team One of your team members announces that he/she is leaving the company immediately to take a position with another company. The impact needs to be described and then shown how this will be handled.

Scenario D: Loss of Project Manager You are involved in an accident, are sick, or have a death in the family, and will not be able to work on the project for the next week. How would you handle this situation?

Scenario E: Delivery Date change You have been informed that the project must be complete one week earlier than expected, due to client business needs. Note: It needs to be complete before end of their fiscal year.

You need to prepare a revision to the design plan including a new timeline and budget for the project to show how you will accommodate these changes and still successfully deliver the project. Because everyone must accommodate Scenario A, in your revised plan, you must show what you will cut/change to accommodate the 10% budget reduction.

Consider whether there is planned, but unpurchased, equipment that can be eliminated or replaced with lower-cost equipment e.g., Can you negotiate a lower price with the vendor? Is there a different, but cheaper, product that can perform the same functions as the planned equipment? Is there a resource, travel, or training that can be eliminated?

If not, consider the following two options:

  • Have you subcontracted or assigned project work to a consultant or staff person? Can you do that work or assign it to another team member and reduce out-of-pocket personnel costs? Can you do that without impacting their on-time deliverables of already assigned work? Can you negotiate a 10% fee reduction from the subcontractor?
  • Will this cut require you to alter the scope of the project? How will you present, and gain acceptance of, the scope change by management? The client?

Show how you need to adjust your timelines, milestones, and resource assignments in light of these changes. You must pick one additional scenario and include the necessary revisions to resources, budget, and scope due to that change. Because this needs to be reviewed by your client, this will be presented in a Project Status Report for approval by your client. The file is available in Doc Sharing. Below are the main sections of the report you will be addressing.

  • Project Progress Summary
  • Milestones and General Information
  • Issues: Use this section to document the scenarios described above.
  • Project Risk Management Statement
  • Revised Budget
  • Recommendations: Include content for next steps in project or areas of concern.

Compose your Assignment in appropriate format and save it in a zip file as IT499_YourName_Unit_5 and submit it to the Dropbox for Unit 5. Answers or website materials contain sufficient information to adequately answer the questions and contain no spelling, grammar, or APA errors. Points deducted from grade for each writing, spelling, or grammar error are at your instructor’s discretion.

Paper For Above Instructions

The purpose of this project status report is to address the challenges presented by unplanned events occurring within the course of our current IT project. Specifically, we will analyze the impact of a ten percent budget cut—Scenario A—and a change in project scope requiring the integration of end-user training—Scenario B. Both scenarios are crucial to our project management process as they will inevitably affect our budget, timeline, and resource allocation.

Project Progress Summary

As of the date of this report, the project is approximately 70% complete. Key milestones achieved include the completion of system design and initiation of development processes. However, due to unforeseen challenges, including a required budget reduction and the need to add user training to the project scope, adjustments are essential.

Milestones and General Information

Major milestones include the finalization of project requirements and the completion of the design phase by the end of last month. While we initially planned for training to occur post-implementation, the recent scope change demands we integrate end-user training into our current timeline, which will potentially impact our completion date.

Issues

Budget Cut: The client has mandated a 10% reduction in our budget. To address this, the project team proposed the elimination of non-essential expenses, including travel costs and optional software tools. Negotiations with vendors are ongoing to secure discounts on necessary software, and tasks will be reassigned internally to minimize contractor fees.

Change in Project Scope: The addition of end-user training has significant implications for our resource allocation and training materials budget. To accommodate this change, training sessions will be held concurrently with the final system testing phase, possibly resulting in overtime for team members.

Project Risk Management Statement

With the budget cuts and scope change, several risks emerge, including project delays and potential loss of quality due to resource reallocation. Mitigation strategies involve regularly scheduled team meetings to monitor progress and ensure adherence to the new budget and timeline, as well as dedicated sessions for training content preparation to prevent last-minute rushes.

Revised Budget

The initial budget allocated $200,000 for the project, which included costs for software, personnel, and training materials. With the imposed 10% cut, the revised budget is $180,000, reflecting the elimination of certain non-critical expenses. We aim to use these adjustments to maintain overall project functionality without compromising deliverables.

Recommendations

The following recommendations serve as next steps in our project’s forward momentum:

  • Conduct an Advisory Session with Stakeholders: Ensure stakeholders are adequately informed about the budget cut's implications and obtain their input on prioritization, particularly related to scope changes.
  • Enhance Internal Training: Leverage internal expertise where possible to prepare training materials efficiently, reducing the need for external consultants.
  • Implement Agile Methodologies: Utilizing agile project management approaches may allow for more flexibility in quickly adapting to project changes and client needs.
  • Regular Status Reports: Establish a routine for project status updates to involve all stakeholders actively, maintaining transparency throughout the project cycle.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adapting to unplanned events in project management is critical for the successful delivery of IT projects. Through vigilant planning and proactive stakeholder engagement, we can navigate budget cuts and scope changes effectively, ensuring a robust project implementation.

References

  • Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
  • Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
  • PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
  • Serrador, P., & Pinto, J. K. (2015). Does Agile work? A quantitative analysis of agile project success. International Journal of Project Management, 33(5), 1040-1051.
  • Lock, D. (2017). Project Management. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
  • Schmidt, C. (2017). The role of project management in project success. Project Management Journal, 48(2), 43-58.
  • Verzuh, E. (2015). The fast forward MBA in project management. Wiley.
  • Brown, K. A., & Hyer, N. L. (2016). Project management for engineering and construction. McGraw Hill Professional.
  • Turner, J. R., & Keegan, A. (2015). Theories of project management. International Journal of Project Management, 33(8), 1934-1945.
  • Duncan, W. R. (2016). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). Project Management Institute.

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