Personal Evaluation

P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T

Student… Thana Bos

Field Expert… Pieter Hengel

Date… 24/01/2020
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Report organization ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
‘IT’ - nTShongweni 3D housing project ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Progression ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Plan effectiveness ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Next step ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
‘THEY’ - Stakeholders......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Product-market fit ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Professionals ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Project Sponsor .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
‘I’ - Personal reflection ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
What gave me the greatest satisfaction?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
What caused me to feel drained? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Were you able to contribute your personal qualities? .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
‘WE’ - Working in a team ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Workload .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Leadership ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Communication................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
What went well? .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Introduction
In this document, a reflection will be made on the process of creating the project
contract for the nTShongweni 3D housing project by BREVIC. The creation of this
contract was done through the collaborative efforts of Victor Melo da Silva Ferreira,
Brett Holing, and Thana Bos. Throughout the essay, an in-depth reflection will be
made on the process gone through. The main inspiration for the content comes from
the Lemniscate model (Figure 1) as portrayed in Project Driven Creation (Jo Bos,
2014). By connecting the theories used with the practical experience gained from the
project worked on, recommendations will be made for future projects. These will be
done by reflecting on the process and exploring the lessons learned. The specific focus
of these lessons learned will be on becoming a better entrepreneur.
Figure 1 – Lemniscate
model for evaluation.
Adapted from Project
Driven Creation (p. 156),
by J. bos, 2014. Utrecht:
Phaos. Copyright 2014
by Jo Bos, Ernst Harting,
Marlet Hesselink © 2014.
Report organization
The main section of this essay is divided into four sections. The first chapter is about
the project worked on and the project team assigned to it, which aligns with the ‘IT’
of the Lemniscate model. It specifically focuses on how creating the project contract
contributed to the project and what the critical future steps are. The next chapter is
on ‘THEY’. This section focuses on the stakeholders involved in the project discussed
and the learnings gained in terms of these stakeholders. Specifically, the implications
of the various stakeholders identified and the challenges arising in dealing with them
are explained.
The third chapter named ‘personal reflection’ is the ‘I’ dimension of the Lemniscate
model. In this section, a reflection is made on my role in the team and the creation of
the project contract. Besides, it explores learnings that I will take with me during
future projects and will help me to be effective in working in a team. The final chapter
of the main section focuses on the ‘WE’ dimension. Building on the previous chapter,
a reflection is made on the process of working with the other two team members. Since
the project discussed is a real project that the team would like to pursue in the future,
this chapter is important to ensure successful cooperation within the team when
moving forward. After this main section, the essay will be concluded by the
conclusion in which the main learnings are summarized.
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‘IT’ - nTShongweni 3D housing project
During the project management course, the nTShongweni 3D housing project team Plan effectiveness
created a project contract as proposed in Project Driven Creation (Jo Bos, 2014). This Since the project itself has not been executed yet, it is impossible to evaluate the
project contract contains the following elements: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), effectiveness of the risk analysis at this time. Likewise, no statements can be made on
SMART project objectives and boundaries, planning schedule, quality matrix, risk if the project will be conducted within the constraints of time, money, and quality.
matrix, GANTT chart, network diagram, and the critical path. Besides, a team contract Most of these factors have been specified at this point, which gives the team a goal to
was created and signed by each of the team members. The goal of the team going into work towards. They seem reasonable when looking at comparable construction
this planning stage was to get clarity on the scope, risks, implications, and specifics of projects, but the real test is yet to be faced.
the project. Through the creation of the project contract, significant progress was made
towards these goals.
Next step
Progression
The next major step in the project is to pitch the final project contract to Sean
Before the creation of the project contract, the project only consisted of a rough
Bergsma, who is a possible investor. He will need to see clear data, estimates, and
concept, some contacts, a potential investor, and a plot of land that we could use if the
numbers about what he can expect from the project. Therefore, all of this must be
investor were to agree with the project proposal. Furthermore, various suppliers of 3D
taken care of beforehand. To do so, more meetings with professionals in the
printers specifically designed for construction had been approached. But, since the
construction industry have been or will be planned. This includes a meeting with an
scale of the project is large it proved difficult for the project team to decide on what
architect, 3D printing companies identified, and local real estate agents. Combining
the next steps should be. The main factors contributing to this are the inexperience of
the data gathered from these professionals with the project plan created should give
the team members in the handling of such a project and the limited research that was
Mr. Bergsma a clear understanding of what to expect from the project.
done up till this point. I would say that the project team was ‘drifting around’ and
waiting for something to happen.

The main problem at this stage was that it is hard to be taken seriously by suppliers
and stakeholders when there was no concrete plan yet. Suppliers of 3D printers for
example asked for specifics of the project, which were not clearly defined and
specified. Therefore, the assignment of creating the project contract and learning
about project management came at the exact right time for this project. It provided
the team with valuable information on what needs to happen, what the risks are, what
our focus should be on, how to proceed, etc.

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‘THEY’ - Stakeholders electricians, plumbers, local estate agents, et cetera. Communicating effectively with
this group and creating a team of reliable and trusted ‘professionals’ will be critical to
Before creating the project contract the team had not put much thought into the needs
the successful execution of the project. These third parties are the main source of
and wants of the various stakeholders involved. Therefore, the most overall progress was
information and expertise. The project team has a good network in the construction
made in this area. The main stakeholders identified in the project are the project
scene in South Africa through which most of these third parties will be reached.
sponsor, project team, ‘professionals’ (= third parties), target group, and the on-site
Managing all of the various professionals and making sure that they collaborate
manager/contractor. There are obviously some additional stakeholders, but the ones
effectively is going to be a major challenge for the project team moving forward. A
identified here are the most important.
comprehensive and effective strategy for doing so will need to be set up by the project
team before proceeding with the project. Another important factor is finding a reliable
on-site manager/contractor that will ensure that the project is executed properly on
Product-market fit
site. Clear and honest communication between the project team and this contractor
One of the main priorities during the creation of the Work Breakdown Structure
in South Africa is crucial to deal with the difference in location.
(WBS) was to identify the target group and to incorporate their wants and needs. As
a result, a testing phase has been incorporated into the WBS. During this phase,
various theories and frameworks of the customer development process (Pigneur,
Project Sponsor
2010) are combined with the creation of a Business Model Canvas (Dorf, 2012). The
The current project sponsor expressing interest in the project is Sean Bergsma.
crucial part of this phase is to find a product-market fit. This also addresses one of the
Getting him involved in the project is the single most important factor in the
main risks of the project which is that there could be no need for the project. At the
successful completion of the project. If the team manages to convince him of the
end of this phase, a decision must be made to either pivot or proceed. The biggest
viability of the project, he will finance the project and grant the project team the ability
challenge in finding this product-market fit is to do effective and representative
to purchase the land needed. As stated in the introduction, pitching the project
market research targeting the target group. The main challenge here is that the target
effectively to Mr. Bergsma is of great importance to the project. The challenge for the
segment resides in South Africa while the project team is currently in Amsterdam. By
team will be to provide Sean with accurate and representative facts and figures.
connecting with local real estate agents in the nTShongweni area a clear picture of the
Managing the identified risks and the profitability of the project will be on top of his
wants and needs of the customer segment will be formed. Besides, these agents will
list of concerns., Through contacting all of the ‘professional’ identified above and
provide additional information needed like the price customers are willing to pay.
asking them for help, all of these factors will be taken into careful consideration.

Professionals
Another important group of stakeholders are the ‘professionals’. This group includes
a structural engineer, architect, 3D designer, the nTShongweni estate management,
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‘I’ - Personal reflection
In this chapter, some of the observations made during the process of creating the team
contract and working within the team will be combined with relevant personality traits,
specialties, and tendencies. My personality will be explained by using the ‘big 5
personality model. ‘The goal of this reflection is to increase my effectiveness when
working in a team and to improves as an entrepreneur. This is done by answering some
key questions that are proposed in the ‘I’ section of the lemniscate model (Jo Bos, 2014).
What gave me the greatest satisfaction?
The greatest satisfaction during the process of working in the project team and
creating the project contract came from working on detailed and precise tasks that
require deep and thoughtful consideration. Examples of this were creating the Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS) and GANTT Chart. By nature, I am highly orderly,
industrious, and intellectually inclined. This explains why detailed tasks provide me
with the greatest satisfaction. Especially organizing complex tasks and visualizing
them was fulfilling to me. I find enjoyment in divergent thinking, which means that I
am generally well-suited for complex, rapidly changing tasks. This is also where my
strengths lie and what I should focus my efforts on in future projects and businesses.
What caused me to feel drained?
Although the execution of some detailed tasks as described above were intrinsically
satisfying, I was also forced to take on tasks that do not suit my personality and/or
skills. Although I am quite a generalist, I also need a certain amount of direction to
focus and work effectively. What I am most proud of in this project is the fact that I
managed to take on roles I have never taken on before. But this also caused me to feel
very drained. I find that I work most effectively when I am either able to focus on
specific tasks or when I take charge of the management and planning side of things.
During the nTShongweni 3D housing project I have been forced to do both, which
left me feeling drained.
The main learnings from this experience are that I need to work on aligning my tasks
more effectively with what I am naturally gifted at. Making a clear distinction between
tasks and organizing the team beforehand will ensure that I can do so. This will ensure
that I am more satisfied in the process. In the future, making sure that I do not take
on any extra tasks that get in the way or that are not executed properly is crucial.
During the project, I felt like I had to constantly make sure that everything was going
as planned by checking up on my teammates. I know that if I want something to be
done well I need to do it myself. This ties back to various elements of my personality
such as being perfectionistic, low in compassion, and high in neuroticism. I am rarely
satisfied with the work other people deliver. In combination with my highly neurotic
personality, at times this causes me to be a bit of a ‘control freak’.
It is fine when I offer my critique to my teammates if I do so in a constructive manner.
But, when I mindlessly take over their tasks because this seems ‘easier’, I become
drained very quickly. Like I said before, being in a managerial position or a precisely
defined position probably works best for me. Therefore, I am going to give these roles
a try in the future to see if this is where I am most effective. Finding this out will
require some trial and error, but this is the only way to find out what suits me best.
Were you able to contribute your personal qualities?
As described, my personal qualities were mostly contributed to the execution stage of
creating the elements contained in the project contract. Organizing the team and
keeping it on track was also where I added a lot of value to the team. Staying motivated
4
through all of this was difficult for me though. Especially when my teammates did not
seem to value the process of creating the team contract as much as I do. Pushing
through this and continually putting effort into the project and the team is what I
believe helped us to progress towards the final product(s) in the end. Overall I am
content with my contributions to the project contract and the team. But, as stated
before there are some things that I would like to change and do differently in the
future. Knowing and capitalizing on my strengths is the main point of improvement.

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‘WE’ - Working in a team
In this chapter, the focus is on the various struggles and difficulties that arose when
working in the project team. Since the team had not worked together before this project,
the arising of these difficulties is not surprising. The challenge moving forward will be
in dealing with these ‘problems’ and addressing them within the team. Therefore, a
reflection of internal matters is made and various strategies that will improve the
workings of the team will be explored.
Workload
Overall, the workload was not shared equally across the team. The fact that I
constantly had to take on tasks others did not finish caused a lot of frustration in me.
One of the reasons for this was that one of the team members resided in South Africa
during the creation of the project contract. This made it more difficult to check up on
each other, but this is not a valid reason to not finish the work agreed upon. The
communication was far from optimal and it was hard to get him to finish the work
required. As for my collaboration with the other team member, the communication
went fine. Throughout the project, the two of us had several meetings together
discussing relevancies and helping each other with problems run into.
Furthermore, the priorities of the team members were not aligned in my view.
Generally, I took the creation of the project contract and the successful passing of the
project management course more seriously. This lead to me feeling as if I was pulling
a dead horse. Organizing the team and getting anything done costed me a lot of
energy. In the future, I need to make sure that every team member is on the same page
in terms of the priority of the project and the amount of effort put in. This is will be
especially the case when working on real-life projects that will run for a longer period
of time. After the project management course has concluded, an internal team
evaluation will take place to sort all of the issues described out.
Leadership
One of the major problems looking back was that there was no leadership within the
team. This lead to no-one feeling accountable and responsible for their tasks. For me,
this was not a big problem because I am easily motivated, but for the others it was.
From experience, I know that a lot of project teams are striving for equality, but I do
not think that this is effective. It often seems like something ‘good’ or important that
there is no leader that imposes on the others. But, I think that appointing a leader is
important. Every project needs a person that organizes the team, makes sure everyone
is on track, and ensures that there are no underlying issues. In future collaborative
efforts, I am going to bring up the conversation of appointing a ‘leader’. Even though
the team did not appoint a clear ‘leader’ in the project discussed, the tasks included in
that role still needed to be fulfilled. I ended up taking on most of these tasks which
contributed to some of the issues described in the personal reflection chapter.
Communication
Communication was another struggle point within the team. A possible future
solution to this problem is to plan in one or two regular meetings per week. During
these meetings, any updates, concerns, questions, etc. can be discussed. This
regularity also allows team members to work towards a goal each week instead of
having a completely open schedule. Setting clear goals has turned out to be very
important to the success of the project team. Both common goals and personal goals
must be clearly defined to get the feeling of making progress. Programs such as
‘ClickUp’ or ‘Notion’ are incredibly useful in this area. Although we set out to divide
tasks using ‘ClickUp’, we failed to do so in the end. This contributed to many of the
issues in communication. In the future using software to divide tasks and
communicate effectively in project teams should be a top priority.
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Over the course of the creation of the team contract for the nTShongweni project, the
team met on average two times per week. Each of these meetings was on average one
hour long. This frequency of meetings seems sufficient, although the effectiveness of
these meetings was not as high as I would have liked. Again, this was due to poor
communication which resulted in people not holding up to their promises. All of the
meetings taking place online also made it difficult to stay focused. It is hard to stay
caught up on each other during times of lockdown which results in informal- and
formal talk getting mixed up. Therefore the nature of the team discussions was not
optimally aligned with the tasks at hand and goals set out.

What went well?

In terms of the internal workings of the team the only thing that went well was my
communication and collaboration with one of the team members. We were able to
catch up multiple times per week and helped each other out where necessary.
Knowing what he was working on was helpful considering the tight schedule we had
to adhere to. Furthermore, our different points of view on the intricacies of the project
resulted in better results than I would have been able to achieve on my own.
Discussing these areas was both interesting and helpful in the advancement of the
project.