Very Easy Assignment: Please Just Put Answers Below

Very Easy Assignment Please Just Put Answers Below Into Your Own Word

1) Identify and define the management functions discussed this week. It’s to plan, execute, and monitor the project.

The essential management functions involved in a project are planning, executing, and monitoring. Planning involves setting goals, defining scope, and outlining activities needed for the project. Execution is the process of carrying out the planned activities, coordinating resources, and ensuring work progresses as intended. Monitoring involves tracking progress, measuring performance, and making adjustments as necessary to keep the project on track and meet objectives.

2) Discuss the difference between organizational policies and procedures. The policies of a company are a set of rules that you have to abide by while the procedures are a step by step outline of how something gets done.

Organizational policies are formal guidelines established by a company to dictate overall rules and principles that employees must follow. They set the framework for behavior and decision-making. Procedures, on the other hand, are detailed, step-by-step instructions that describe exactly how to perform specific tasks or processes within the organization. Policies provide the "what" and "why," while procedures explain the "how."

3) List and briefly define the phases of a generic project life cycle. Conceptual Phase – The initial planning phase where the point it to get the ideas flowing. Definition Phase – This part defines the project explicitly and assigns roles and tasks. Production Phase - This is where the work begins. Operational Phase – This is where KPIs and other measurements are kept up with and tracked. Divestment Phase – Project closure.

• Conceptual Phase: The early stage focused on brainstorming and developing initial ideas for the project.
• Definition Phase: Clearly outlining the project’s scope, objectives, and distributing responsibilities.
• Production Phase: The phase where the actual work is executed, and deliverables are created.
• Operational Phase: Ongoing monitoring of performance metrics and ensuring operational efficiency.
• Divestment Phase: The formal closure of the project, including evaluation and documentation.

4) During the definition phase of a project, it is important for management to design and develop a management system to support the project. Discuss the importance of each system. You need a strategic alignment to help with the project. It’s leadership from the top. This will help you have clear focus on what needs to be done and achieve those objectives. Also, it can keep a realistic approach as to what’s possible and real budgets. This can also act as risk management due to the planning and will help with quality control.

Implementing a management system during the definition phase is crucial for aligning the project with organizational goals through strategic planning. Leadership involvement ensures clarity of purpose and direction, which fosters commitment and coordination among team members. A well-designed system helps establish realistic objectives and budgets, preventing scope creep and resource wastage. Additionally, it facilitates risk management by identifying potential issues early through structured planning, and promotes quality control by setting standards and monitoring compliance throughout the project lifecycle.

5) Discuss the importance of the divestment phase as a tool for avoiding technological obsolescence. It’s important for an organization to have short and long-term planning to respond to immediate needs and anticipate future requirements. Enabling good technological decisions to avoid or recover from obsolescence requires the active and ongoing tracking of the technology used by the organization. It’s a lifecycle that has to be tracked, budgeted for, and dealt with.

The divestment phase plays a vital role in preventing technological obsolescence by ensuring that organizations regularly review and update their technological assets. Strategic planning over both short and long terms allows organizations to respond swiftly to changing needs and avoid falling behind industry standards. Continuous tracking and assessment of existing technological investments facilitate timely upgrades or replacements, ultimately extending the useful life of assets and maintaining competitive advantages. Proper lifecycle management—including budgeting and scheduled updates—helps organizations adapt and stay technologically current.

6) How can a project manager, by understanding the project life cycle, use the concepts of this chapter to help direct and control projects? It’s a great layout to give you direction on how to lead the projects. The generic life cycle approach shows how the use of such an approach can bring about added order and improved protocol for the management of a project. This approach can improve the efficiency and effectiveness with which product, service, or process development conceptualized and carried out. You still have to do the hard work, but having a guide like this you can help put the pieces into place.

A project manager can leverage the knowledge of the project life cycle to provide structure and guidance throughout the project. This framework offers a clear sequence of phases that helps organize tasks, allocate resources effectively, and establish timetables for deliverables. Applying this approach enhances project control by enabling better monitoring, risk assessment, and adjustments at each stage. It ensures more consistent communication, aligns team efforts with project goals, and improves overall efficiency and quality. Ultimately, understanding the life cycle allows managers to anticipate challenges and systematically navigate each phase towards successful project completion.

References

• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
• PMI (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). Project Management Institute.
• Schwalbe, K. (2018). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
• Lock, D. (2013). Project management. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
• Davis, K. (2014). Successful project management. Routledge.
• Wysocki, R. K. (2014). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme. Wiley.
• Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of Project Management. AMACOM.
• Leach, L. P. (2014). Critical Chain Project Management. Artech House.
• Express, M. (2015). Managing and Leading Software Projects. CRC Press.