Description
The executive management of an engineering company has assigned your group to develop a project plan for a project (either an existing project or one created by your group) and to write a comprehensive report detailing this plan.
This is a group assessment. In your group you will need to do the following:
Select an engineering-based project (either an existing one or one created by you). You will need to provide a detailed description of project, so ensure you spend time researching adequate projects before choosing or creating one. Refer to the project charter document to gain an idea of the level of detail required.
Prepare the following relating to your project:
A full scope (use the project charter document below as a starting point).
A complete Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) including cost and duration estimates for all work packages.
A Gantt chart identifying task interdependencies and milestones.
A complete PERT chart with a clear indication of the critical path and possible slack/float times.
Research and Evaluate best practice, and new and innovative engineering and project management approaches as they relate to organisational and project management in medium and large-scale engineering companies.
Relate these practices back to your chosen project.
Provide recommendations for this case study as informed by your research into best practices (in particular, using project management tools/processes).
Write a 15 to 20 page (4,000 word) report addressed to the executive management of the engineering company according to the following structure:
Executive Summary
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Description of the project
Clear description should include: project overview, purpose and need, business drivers and significance, benefits and costs, implementation method, timeline, requirements and expected outcomes.
Section 3: Description and analysis of charts
This should include full explanations of the created charts.
WBS: All task steps clearly decomposed to their work packages with appropriate resource allocation (time, money, responsibility) for each. Major Milestones shown for each phase/component of the WBS. Schedule can be costed.
Gantt: All interdependencies clearly identified, and milestones highlighted.
PERT: Critical path and all possible slack/float times are clearly identified.
Section 4: Discussion of engineering and project management approaches
Section 5: Conclusion and recommendations
Section 6: Challenges faced in preparing this report.
Including producing the required information, strategies for overcoming the challenges and lessons learnt
Section 7: Demonstrated competencies (according to Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Competencies)
Competencies that, as a group, you believe you have further developed in preparing this report
References
Appendices
Unformatted Attachment Preview
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
Document Management
Distribution List
Record the details of all project stakeholders accessing this document.
Name
Position
Signature
Date
Version Control
Record all approved changes to this document.
Revision #
Change Description
Approval
Date
Author
Project Registration
Project Name Record the project name in a way that clearly communicates what it is about.
Project # Record a unique identifier for the project that enables appropriate referencing.
Creation Date Record the date the project was proposed.
Sponsor/Client Record the name and contact details of the project sponsor/client.
Project Manager Record the name and contact details of the project manager.
Executive Summary
1 Rationale Record a summary of the history and justification for the project.
Hartley © 2008
Page 1
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
2 Business Drivers Record the organisational driver/context for the project.
3 Justification Criteria
Record which of the following investment criteria are being used to support the project. More than
one may be applicable.
Customer
Value
Regulated
Compliance
Improved
Capacity
Efficiency
Improvement
Investment
Return
Organisational
Impact
Strategic
Alignment
Operating
Necessity
Executive
Directive
Profit
Growth
Product
Extension
Other
4 Proposed Solution Record what the sponsor/client and or other stakeholders have
agreed to.
5 Options Evaluated Record all other proposals, options and or alternatives considered,
but discarded. Include any criteria used in making these decisions.
6 Key Objectives Please record the measurable SMART objectives that have been identified
with this project.
Hartley © 2008
Page 2
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
7 Priority Status
Record the priority status for the project.
Critical
Urgent
Important
On-hold
8 Benefits Record the identified benefits that will be measured throughout and or after the
project.
9 Impacts Record how the project will impact business activity, organisational capability and or
processes.
10 Stakeholders Record the details (role, responsibility, information needs, communication
strategies …) of all stakeholders either influencing and/or being impacted by the project.
Project Scope
11 Deliverables Record the key process and/or output (as built) deliverables required
throughout the project.
Hartley © 2008
Page 3
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
12 Inclusions Record what will be (explicitly) included in the specification for the project.
13 Exclusions Record what will be (explicitly) excluded in the specification for the project.
14 Milestones Record all key milestones and or deadlines due throughout the project
15 Indicative Schedule Record the information supporting the start and finish timeline for
the project.
16 Indicative Budget Record the information supporting the budget.
Hartley © 2008
Page 4
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
17 Indicative Resource Capability Record the information supporting the resources
(including calculations, confidence, constraints and contingencies) for the project.
Issues and Obstacles
18 Constraints Record all constraints that will restrict the performance and delivery of the
project.
19 Assumptions Record all assumptions (accepted as correct) that will impact the
performance and delivery of the project.
20 Potential Issues Record all potential issues impacting the performance and delivery of the
project.
Hartley © 2008
Page 5
(Sample) Project Charter
Project Management: Principles, Processes and Practice
21 Dependencies Record all related and or inter-dependent projects impacting the
performance and delivery of the project.
22 Risk Record all internal and external sources of risk impacting the performance and delivery of
the project.
Authorisation
23 Recommendation Record the recommendation being presented for approval.
24 Approval
Record the decision that has been made on the project.
Approved
Postponed
Cancelled
Review
25 Sign off Record the name, signature and date of all appropriate stakeholders
(sponsor/client, project manager, project steering group …) signing this document.
26 Appendices Record the details of any other information and or documentation supporting
the project.
Hartley © 2008
Page 6
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
