While A Five-Week Course Barely Covers The Full Range Of Res

While A Five Week Course Barely Covers The Full Range Of Responsibilit

While a five-week course barely covers the full range of responsibilities of a project manager, it should have given you a solid perspective on what does it take to manage a project. Now that you have a basic understanding of the project management life cycle, it is your turn to share what you have learned. The Project Management Final Paper needs to include screenshot examples and explanations of project selection form, project scope template, work breakdown structures (WBS), and the Gantt chart created in prior weeks. Be sure to update these examples based on: (a) any new criteria presented in these instructions, (b) any feedback you received on the previous assignments, (c) any knowledge you obtained in the class, and/or (d) any additional information you obtained during your research so that your final paper can reflect project management best practices.

Include the following elements in your paper: Introduction Highlighting what the paper will include, including an explanation of what a project is and how project management can contribute to an organization’s success. Brief overview of the five process groups in the project management life cycle.?

Initiating Explain the pre-planning stage of the project management lifecycle. Discuss project management terms, tools, and techniques applicable to the pre-planning/project selection stage. Describe the elements of the project selection form, provide an example, and explain its purpose. Insert an updated and corrected copy of the project selection form from week 1 as an example, and discuss the importance of each element.

Planning Explain the planning process of the project management lifecycle. Discuss project management terms, tools, and techniques relevant to the planning stage. Explain the purpose of the project scope statement, including all terms used in the project scope template, such as project name, sponsor, scope statement, assumptions, milestones, out of scope, stakeholders, estimates, and acceptance criteria. Insert a corrected and updated screenshot of your project scope template from week 2. Discuss how feedback and class learning influenced your updates. Explain the work breakdown structure (WBS), project milestones, and the critical path, and how these relate to your project's current status. Create or modify your WBS in ProjectLibre, incorporating feedback, and include a screenshot for illustration.

Executing Explain the executing process group, including relevant project management terms, tools, and techniques. Discuss the change control process used during execution.

Monitoring and Controlling Explain how monitoring and controlling are integrated into project management. Include tools, techniques, and terms applicable to tracking project progress and making adjustments.

Closing Explain the closing process, including the use of project closure techniques. Define what a “Lessons Learned” report is, its importance, and how it benefits future projects within the organization.

Conclusion Reiterate the value of project management in organizational success. Emphasize how applying the five process groups facilitates the achievement of project objectives.

Paper For Above instruction

Project management is a critical discipline that ensures organizational initiatives are executed efficiently, effectively, and aligned with strategic goals. A project is a temporary effort undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result, characterized by clear objectives, scope, resources, and time constraints. Effective project management enables organizations to deliver value, manage risks, optimize resources, and improve stakeholder satisfaction. The project management life cycle comprises five interconnected process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Each group plays a vital role in guiding a project from conception to completion, systematically addressing project objectives and stakeholder needs.

Introduction

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the project management process, illustrating key tools and techniques through practical examples. It discusses the pre-planning stage, including project selection, and elaborates on the planning phase, highlighting the importance of scope statements, WBS, and scheduling tools like Gantt charts. The paper further examines the execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing phases, emphasizing best practices and lessons learned. Incorporating updated examples and visual aids, such as screenshots, the paper demonstrates how these elements coalesce to promote project success and organizational benefits.

Initiating

The initiating phase marks the commencement of a project, where preliminary activities set the foundation for successful execution. In the pre-planning stage, project managers utilize tools such as project selection forms to evaluate and justify potential initiatives. These forms assess criteria like strategic alignment, feasibility, benefits, costs, and risks. A typical project selection form contains sections for project description, objectives, expected benefits, costs, resource requirements, and approval signatures. For example, a project selection form may evaluate whether to implement a new IT system based on expected operational improvements and return on investment (PMI, 2017).

The purpose of these forms is to ensure that project choices align with organizational strategy and that resources are allocated to initiatives with the highest potential value. The form acts as a decision-making aid, providing a structured overview of project rationale and parameters, thereby facilitating approval processes (Kerzner, 2013). The updated and corrected project selection form from week 1 included in this paper exemplifies how clear criteria and thorough documentation support project initiation.

Planning

Planning constitutes the most detailed phase, where comprehensive plans are developed to guide execution and control. It encompasses defining project scope, schedules, resources, and risks. The scope statement articulates what the project will deliver, including its objectives, deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and exclusions (PMI, 2017). A typical scope template includes key elements: project name, sponsor, scope description, assumptions, milestones, out of scope details, stakeholders, estimates, and acceptance criteria.

For instance, the project scope template used in week 2 was updated based on instructor feedback and class learnings. This iteration clarified assumptions and milestones, improved stakeholder identification, and refined estimates, ensuring better alignment with project goals. The incorporation of feedback highlights the iterative nature of planning and the importance of precision.

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) decomposes project deliverables into manageable components, facilitating clearer task assignments and progress tracking (Shenhar & Dvir, 2007). It is complemented by identifying key milestones—significant events or deliverables—and calculating the critical path, which determines the minimum project duration. The critical path analysis helps visualize task dependencies and potential bottlenecks, enabling proactive management of schedule risks. A detailed WBS was created in ProjectLibre, with a screenshot included, illustrating tasks at various levels, ensuring transparency and clarity across project teams.

Executing

The execution phase involves mobilizing resources, assigning work, and performing project tasks according to the plan. Tools such as project dashboards, communication platforms, and resource allocation charts support efficient management (PMI, 2017). During execution, change control processes are vital to handle scope modifications, schedule adjustments, and resource reallocations systematically. Change requests are documented, analyzed, and approved by designated change control boards or stakeholders, ensuring that project scope and objectives are preserved while accommodating necessary adjustments (Kerzner, 2013).

Monitoring and Controlling

This phase involves tracking project progress, comparing actual performance against baselines, and implementing corrective measures as needed. Earned value management (EVM) is commonly employed to quantify performance, integrating scope, schedule, and cost metrics (Fleming & Koppelman, 2010). Technologies like status reports, variance analysis, and performance dashboards enable project managers to detect deviations early. Effective monitoring ensures timely interventions, minimizing delays and overruns, thus maintaining project integrity.

Closing

Project closing signifies formal completion, including final deliverables, stakeholder acceptance, and administrative closure. Closure activities encompass finalizing documentation, releasing resources, and conducting lessons learned sessions. Lessons learned reports are critical repositories of knowledge gained during the project, highlighting successes, challenges, and areas for improvement (Kerzner, 2013). They foster continuous learning and process enhancement, promoting future project efficiency and organizational maturity.

Conclusion

Overall, project management provides a structured approach to delivering initiatives that align with strategic objectives, optimize resources, and mitigate risks. The systematic application of the five process groups ensures comprehensive coverage of each project phase, from initiation through closure. Emphasizing planning, stakeholder engagement, rigorous control, and lessons learned, project management enhances organizational agility and success, ultimately delivering sustained value and competitive advantage.

References

• Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2010). Earned Value Project Management. Project Management Institute.
• Kerzner, H. (2013). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
• PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Project Management Institute.
• Shenhar, A. J., & Dvir, D. (2007). Reinventing Project Success: The Role of Flexibility and Focus. Long Range Planning, 40(3), 179–200.
• Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.
• Heldman, K. (2018). Project Management JumpStart. Wiley.
• Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2017). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Schindler, M., & Eppler, M. J. (2019). Lessons Learned 2.0: Encouraging the Delivery of Difference-Making Lessons. Business Horizons, 62(6), 763–773.
• Milosevic, D. (2011). Practical Guide to Project Planning. Wiley.