PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting

Trimester 1/2021

National Project Management Symposium

Planning and implementing a national symposium for a society that will draw about 1350
attendees is a major project. As the event is not for profit, the registration fee is $2,500
per attendee for a 3-day symposium with free access to all arranged workshops. The tasks
involved in hosting such an event are considerable and involve selecting a program
committee, choosing a theme, contacting exhibitors, making local arrangements, planning
the program, and on and on. Melbourne is selected as host city/chapter for the 2022
Annual December Symposium. The objectives for the event are three: (1) to deliver a
high-quality, value added program that would be useful and last for years to come, (2) to
offer a social and guest program that would reflect well on the host city, and (3) to meet
strict financial criteria. The first task after selecting the city and hotel facilities is to put
together the project team and chairperson. This includes managers in charge of each of
the tracks, the social program, the local arrangements, and all the other details.
The project team needs to organize this event using a functional approach. The Australian
officers have most of the primary responsibilities, with members from five other business
partners assisting in other duties. Next is the development of the work breakdown
structure and the Gantt chart of activity schedules. As shown in Table 1, scheduling all the
work for a major event such as this is an overwhelming effort. For the 2022 Symposium,
the technical program offered 20 workshops composed of 80 technical papers, special
panel discussions, and case studies.
The technical tracks include engineering and construction, pharmaceuticals, utilities,
software, automotive, R&D, defence, education, and manufacturing. The workshops
include sessions on preparing for professional certifications, learning about Taguchi
concepts of statistical quality control, and future practices. All of these also require
careful scheduling. The vendor program includes exhibits by dozens of vendors and a
large number of showcase sessions for in-depth demonstrations of their wares. The social
program includes a golf tournament, numerous social activities to meet with colleagues,
tours of Melbourne’s attractions, and a wide variety of entertainment opportunities. All
in all, a symposium is as difficult a project as many firms face in their competitive markets.

Your tasks:
This case study provides you with an opportunity of drawing on your acquired project
planning, scheduling, budgeting and quality management skills and materials covered in
this course. Overall, you are responsible for developing a project scope statement
document, a project schedule, a cost management plan and a quality management plan
for the case study.
 PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting
Trimester 1/2021

Assessment 1-Part B

1-1) Scope management planning

 Describe the entire scope of the work including project background, a list of
specific project goals, deliverables, constraints and assumptions, and milestones.
 Create Work Breakdown Structure (at least three levels) for the project.

1-2) Project scheduling

 Construct an original Gantt chart (Scenario 1) for the project using project
activities given in Table 1.
 Conduct a critical path analysis and carefully apply the 3-point estimate technique
on identified critical activities to develop an estimated project schedule. It is
assumed that the critical activities will remain unchanged in a low risk-free
environment. On the other hand, without an appropriate risk management, the
durations of critical activities creep by 85%. Present the changed schedule
(Scenario 2).
 Perform a final, technical schedule analysis using the results obtained from project
scheduling conducted in the previous stages. A comparative analysis of the
developed scenarios must be clearly demonstrated.

Table 1 – The Symposium Project Activities

ID Description Duration Predecessor
A Symposium Project Management
AA Recruit project team 26 days -
AB Establish organisational procedures 40 days AA(ss+1)
AC Establish CAO support levels and budget 40 days AA(ss+1)
AD Develop symposium goals and objectives 36 days AC(ss+6)
AE Issue reports to VP-Tech and Board of Directors 30 days AA(ss+1)
B Technical Program
BA Develop symposium theme 20 days AD(ss)
BB Recruit technical program team 28 days BA(ss+6)
BC Strategize tracks and special interest groups 23 days BB(ss+6)
BD Develop selection process procedures 12 days BC(ss+6)
BE Interface with Education Committee on workshops 20 days BD(ss)
BF Plan and issue call for papers/panel discussion 17 days BE(ss)
BG Recruit invited papers/panel discussions 11 days BF(ff)
BH Recruit moderators 10 days BG(ff)
BI Select printer 7 days BD(fs-1)
BJ Plan and issue abstract books and proceedings 4 days BI(ff)
BK Develop and issue master schedule for presentations 10 days AE(fs+5),BJ(ff)
BL Organise awards for Speakers’ Breakfasts 4 days BH,BK(ff)
BM Identify audio/visual requirements 5 days BL(ss)
BN Develop and issue post-symposium technical report 7 days FA(ss)
 PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting
Trimester 1/2021

Table 1 – Continued
ID Description Duration Predecessor
C Finance
CA Develop cash flow estimates/projections 38 days AB(ss+8)
CB Develop procedures of financial operation 13 days CA(ss+12)
CC Initiate code of accounts 3 days CB(ss+2)
CD Initiate separate banking account 5 days CC
CE Develop independent auditing procedure 5 days CD(ss+5)
CF Develop and issue standard reports 13 days CE(ss+1)
CG Interact with CAO on account reconciliation 9 days CF(ss+2)
CH Develop and issue post-symposium financial report 7 days CG
D Corporate Sponsorship
DA Establish participation philosophy 22 days BC(ss)
DB Target prime corporations 22 days DA(ss)
DC Solicit participation 9 days DB(fs-4)
DE Recognition 13 days DC(ss)
E Facilities Vendor/CAO Support
EA Contract with host and backup hotels 6 days AB(ss+4)
EB Organise workshop venues 29 days BC(ss),BM(ff)
EC Identify and schedule details with Executive 24 days DB(ss)
Director and Events Manager
F Social Guest Program
FA Establish objectives 17 days EA(fs+2)
FB Identify available activities 26 days FA(ss),FE(ff)
FC Analyse cost-benefit 13 days FA(fs-1)
FD Identify recommendations 13 days FC(ss)
FE Complete contracts 11 days FD(ss+4)
G Speakers
GA Identify candidates and related benefits and costs 29 days CA(ss+1)
GB Make recommendations and obtain approval 10 days GA(fs-9)
GC Complete contracts 11 days GB(ss+2)
GD Maintain periodic contact 9 days GC(ss+6)
GE Host speakers 3 days GC
H Publicity/Promotion
HA Theme establishment and approval 20 days BA(ss)
HB Logo development and approval 10 days HA(ff)
HC Advertising - public and trade media releases 31 days HB(ss+2)
HD Video production 13 days HC(ss+6)
HE Promotional materials – Identification and approval 19 days HD(ss)
HF Regional newsletter articles 13 days HE(fs-7)
I Symposium
IA Host Symposium 3 days GE(ss)
IB Assemble and issue post-symposium report 6 days IA(ss),BN,CH,HF

Assessment 2-Part B

2-1) Cost management planning

 Apply a diverse set of cost estimating tools to justify the cost of activities
 PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting
Trimester 1/2021

 Develop and aggregate the cost of resources needed to complete each activity and
determine the detailed budget of the project. Your cost estimate must incorporate
at least two appropriate resources given in Table 3 for each group of the given
activities. Both cost estimate and a budget baseline must be produced in alignment
with the estimated project schedule.
 Develop and clearly demonstrate the resource loading and cost management
planning components in your Cost Management Plan.
 The cost management plan must include Earn Value Analysis (EVA) as a
compulsory cost control tool to be utilised along with other cost control tools in
this project. The application of EVA must be clearly demonstrated.
Table 2 - Project Budget
ID Description Duration Budget
Allocation (%)
A Symposium Project Management 5
AA Recruit project team 26 days
AB Establish organisational procedures 40 days
AC Establish CAO support levels and budget 40 days
AD Develop symposium goals and objectives 36 days
AE Issue reports to VP-Tech and Board of Directors 30 days
B Technical Program 20
BA Develop symposium theme 20 days
BB Recruit technical program team 28 days
BC Strategize tracks and special interest groups 23 days
BD Develop selection process procedures 12 days
BE Interface with Education Committee on workshops 20 days
BF Plan and issue call for papers/panel discussion 17 days
BG Recruit invited papers/panel discussions 11 days
BH Recruit moderators 10 days
BI Select printer 7 days
BJ Plan and issue abstract books and proceedings 4 days
BK Develop and issue master schedule for presentations 10 days
BL Organise awards for Speakers’ Breakfasts 4 days
BM Identify audio/visual requirements 5 days
BN Develop and issue post-symposium technical report 7 days
C Finance 10
CA Develop cash flow estimates/projections 38 days
CB Develop procedures of financial operation 13 days
CC Initiate code of accounts 3 days
CD Initiate separate banking account 5 days
CE Develop independent auditing procedure 5 days
CF Develop and issue standard reports 13 days
CG Interact with CAO on account reconciliation 9 days
CH Develop and issue post-symposium financial report 7 days
D Corporate Sponsorship 5
DA Establish participation philosophy 22 days
DB Target prime corporations 22 days
DC Solicit participation 9 days
DE Recognition 13 days
 PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting
Trimester 1/2021

Table 2 - Continued
ID Description Duration Budget
Allocation (%)
E Facilities Vendor/CAO Support 20
EA Contract with host and backup hotels 6 days
EB Organise workshop venues 29 days
EC Identify and schedule details with Executive 24 days
Director and Events Manager
F Social Guest Program 10
FA Establish objectives 17 days
FB Identify available activities 26 days
FC Analyse cost-benefit 13 days
FD Identify recommendations 13 days
FE Complete contracts 11 days
G Speakers 10
GA Identify candidates and related benefits and costs 29 days
GB Make recommendations and obtain approval 10 days
GC Complete contracts 11 days
GD Maintain periodic contact 9 days
GE Host speakers 3 days
H Publicity/Promotion 15
HA Theme establishment and approval 20 days
HB Logo development and approval 10 days
HC Advertising - public and trade media releases 31 days
HD Video production 13 days
HE Promotional materials – Identification and approval 19 days
HF Regional newsletter articles 13 days
I Symposium 5
IA Host Symposium 3 days
IB Assemble and issue post-symposium report 6 days

Table 3 - The available human resources for the project

Hours
Name Resource Type Title
Rate ($)
Carol Hoskins Project Management Project Manager 95
Bob Thomas Technical Electronic Engineer 75
Sheila Egan Technical Assistant Engineer 65
Randy Hall Facility Facility and Assets Manager 65
Stu Berg Facility Assets Management Officer 50
Susan Green Accounting and Finance Senior Finance Officer 55
Marty Pittman Marketing Events Manager 65
John Reid Marketing Advertising Agent 50
Sally Adams Human Resources Recruitment Agent 50
Lanny Abele Contract Legal and Contract Manager 65
Kristin Johnson Procurement Purchasing Agent 50
 PROJ6002 – Project Planning and Budgeting
Trimester 1/2021

2-2) Quality management planning

 Develop the quality management planning components of your Quality
Management Plan.
 Apply a quality management framework to ensure the project performance is
consistent with the quality management plan.
Deliverables:
Two management reports (one for Assessment 1- Part B and one for Assessment 2- Part
B) that are reflective of the key tasks as provided above including a thorough explanation
of key results and a comprehensive interpretation of findings.

Sub-tasks:
You are required to participate in various classroom activities in relation to the case
study, which will be provided by your learning facilitator.