An Assignment on Project Management

Submitted to:
Nymatul Jannat Nipa
Assistant Professor
Dept. of MIS
University of Dhaka

Submitted by:
MD. Tahjibul Alam
ID: Re-admission (Not given yet)
Batch: 12th
Section: B
 Chapter 5

2. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the matrix form of

organization.

The matrixed project organization is a combination of the standalone project & the
functional project. The matrixed project approach has its own unique advantages
and disadvantages. Its strong points are:
1. The project is the point of emphasis. One individual, the PM, takes
responsibility for managing the project, for bringing it in on time, within
cost, and to specification. The matrix organization shares this virtue with the
standalone project organization.
2. 2. Because the project organization is overlaid on the functional divisions,
temporarily drawing labor and talent from them, the project has reasonable
access to the entire reservoir of technology in all functional divisions.
3. There is less anxiety about what happens when the project is completed than
is typical of the standalone project organization.
4. The matrix organization responds flexibly and rapidly to the demands made
by those inside the parent organization.
5. With matrix management, the project will have—or have access to—
representatives from the administrative units of the parent fi rm. As a result,
consistency with the policies, practices, and procedures of the parent firm
tends to be preserved.
The advantages accruing to the matrix structure are potent, but the
disadvantages are also serious. All of the following disadvantages involve
conflict—between the functional and project managers for the most part.
1. With matrix organizations, the power is more balanced. Often, the balance is
fairly delicate. When doubt exists about who is in charge, the work of the
project suffers. If the project is successful and highly visible, doubt about
who is in charge can foster political infighting for the credit and glory. If the
project is a failure, political infighting will be even more brutal to avoid
blame.
 2. 2. While the ability to balance time, cost, and scope between several projects
is an advantage of matrix organizations, that ability has its dark side. The set
of projects must be carefully monitored as a set, a tough job.
3. For strong matrices, problems associated with shutting down a project are
almost as severe as those in standalone project organizations. The projects,
having individual identities, resist death. Even in matrix organizations,
projectitis is still a serious disease.

3. Name the four basic types of project organization and list at least
one characteristic, advantage, and disadvantage of each.

FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION
One characteristic of a functional organization is that if the project needs resources
from some of the other functional areas, they are expected to support the project.
Advantage:
Individual experts can be utilized by many different projects. With the broad base
of technical personnel available in the functional divisions, people can be switched
back and forth between the different projects with relative ease.
Disadvantage:
One disadvantage of this arrangement is that the client is not the focus of activity
and concern. The functional unit has its own work to do, which usually takes
precedence over the work of the project, and hence over the interests of the client.
PROJECTIZED ORGANIZATION
The firms administrative support groups report to the president or CEO as staff
units.
Advantage:
The project manager has full line authority over the project. Though the PM must
report to a senior executive in the parent organization, there is a complete work force
devoted to the project. The PM is like the CEO of a fi rm that is dedicated to
carrying out the project.
Disadvantage:
When the parent organization takes on several projects, it is common for each one to
be fully staffed. This can lead to considerable duplication of effort in every area
from clerical staff to the most sophisticated (and expensive) technological support
units. If a project does not require a full-time personnel manager, for example, it
must have one none the less because personnel managers come in integers, not
fractions, and staff is usually not shared across projects.
MATRIXED ORGANIZATION
Matrixed organization is a combination of a projectized and functional organization
structure and can take a wide variety of specific forms depending on which of the
two extremes it most resembles i.e. functional or standalone
Advantage:
There is less anxiety about what happens when the project is completed than is
typical of the standalone project organization. Even though team members tend to
develop a strong attachment for the project, they also feel close to their functional
“home.”
Disadvantage:
For strong matrices, problems associated with shutting down a project are almost as
severe as those in standalone project organizations. The projects, having individual
identities, resist death. Even in matrix organizations, projectitis is still a serious
disease
COMPOSITE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
One characteristic of a composite organizational structure is that it leads to
flexibility It enables the firm to meet special problems by appropriate adaptation of
its organizational structure.
Advantage:
Composite organizational structures are very flexible
Disadvantage:
Dissimilar groupings within the same accountability center tend to encourage
overlap, duplication, and friction because of incompatibility of interests. Again, we
have the conditions that tend to result
 4. Give some major guidelines for choosing an organizational form
for a project.
We need to first consider the nature of the potential project, the characteristics of the
various organizational options, the advantages and disadvantages of each, the
cultural preferences of the parent organization, and make the best compromise we
can.
1. Define the project with a statement of the objective(s) that identifies the major
outcomes desired.
2. Determine the key tasks associated with each objective and locate the units in the
parent organization that serve as functional “homes” for these types of tasks.
3. Arrange the key tasks by sequence and decompose them into work packages.
4. Determine which organizational units are required to carry out the work packages
and which units will work particularly closely with which others.
5. List any special characteristics or assumptions associated with the project—for
example, level of technology needed, probable length and size of the project, any
potential problems with the individuals who may be assigned to the work, possible
political problems between different functions involved, and anything else that
seems relevant, including the parent firm’s previous experiences with different ways
of organizing projects.
6. In light of the above, and with full cognizance of the pros and cons associated
with each structural form, choose a structure.

5. Why is the project management office so important?

While specific functions and responsibilities may vary by company, in general,
a PMO is a group or department within an organization that is responsible for the
centralized and coordinated management of all projects.
If you are considering setting up a PMO, you may be wondering if your company
really needs another department. It may be difficult to get buy-in and approval to
set up a PMO. Some stakeholders worry that having a PMO will initiate too many
processes and procedures that will slow things down. It doesn’t have to be that
complicated, and there are many benefits that you can share with your organization
when making the decision to build a PMO.
A successful PMO ensures your company is working on the right things by
prioritizing work based on corporate strategy. It also enables the transparency of
important data including employing capacity and availability. This ensures the
right projects are implemented within budget without overburdening employees.
The cost per project then decreases and fewer projects fail, which, in turn,
improves customer satisfaction. The value of high-functioning PMOs has been
confirmed by organizations around the world. Setting up a PMO doesn’t have to be
complex.

6. Identify three ways of dealing with a conflict associated with

projects.
1. Compromise
Compromise is one of the most popular ways to solve conflicts on projects.
Each party gets their interests satisfied to a degree if the compromise is
successful.

2. Appease

Much like power, appeasement can be misused as a conflict management

technique. Appeasement is most effective in situations when conceding a
point is inexpensive for you but beneficial to the other person or team

4. Delegate
As the project manager, you have a great deal of work and responsibility to
manage. By delegating conflict resolution to a trusted lieutenant, you give that
person a chance to grow.
 Chapter 6

2. Any successful project charter must contain nine key elements.

List these items and briefly describe the composition of each.

The process of developing the project charter varies from organization to

organization, but should contain the following elements
Purpose
This is a short summary directed to top management and those unfamiliar with the
project. It contains a statement of the general goals of the project and a brief
explanation of their relationship to the firm’s objectives (i.e., the Business Case).
Objectives
This contains a more detailed statement of the general goals of the project, what
constitutes success, and how the project will be terminated. The statement should
include profit and competitive aims from the Business Case as well as technical
goals based on the Statement of Work (SOW).
Overview
This section describes both the managerial and the technical approaches to the
work. The technical discussion describes the relationship of the project to available
technologies.
Schedules
This section outlines the various schedules and lists all milestone events and/or
phase-gates. Each summary (major) task is listed, with the estimated time obtained
from those who will do the work. The projected baseline schedule is constructed
from these inputs.
Resources
There are three primary aspects to this section. The first is the budget. Both capital
and expense requirements are detailed by task, which makes this a project budget,
with one-time costs separated from recurring project costs. Second, is a complete
list and description of all contractual items. Third, are the cost monitoring and
control procedures. In addition to the usual routine elements, the monitoring and
control procedures must also include any special resource requirements for the
project.
Personnel
This section lists the expected personnel requirements of the project, especially the
project manager and the sponsor/approver of the project. In addition, any special
skill requirements, training needed, possible recruiting problems, legal or policy
restrictions on work force composition, and security clearances, should be noted
here.

Risk Management Plans

This covers potential problems as well as potential lucky breaks that could affect
the project. One or more issues such as subcontractor default, unexpected technical
break-throughs, strikes, hurricanes, new markets for the technology, and sudden
moves by a competitor are certain to occur—the only uncertainties are which,
when, and their impact.
Evaluation Methods
Every project should be evaluated against standards and by methods established at
the project’s inception, allowing for both the direct and ancillary goals of the
project. This section contains a brief description of the procedures to be followed
in monitoring, collecting, storing, auditing, and evaluating the project, as well as in
the post-project evaluation following project termination.

3. What are the general steps for managing each work package
within a specific project?
Using a planning process oriented around the life-cycle events common for
software and hardware product developers, they divide the project into nine
segments:
• Concept evaluation
• Requirements identification
• Design
• Implementation
• Test
• Integration
• Validation
• Customer test and evaluation
• Operations and maintenance
Each segment is made up of activities and milestones.

4. Describe the “hierarchical planning process” and explain why it is

helpful.

Hierarchical planning system—a method of constructing a work breakdown

structure (WBS). In this hierarchical planning system, the objectives are taken
from the project charter. This aids the planner in identifying the set of required
activities for the objectives to be met, a critical part of the project plan. Each
activity has an outcome (event) associated with it, and these activities and events
are decomposed into sub activities and subevents, which, in turn, are subdivided
again.
Maintaining the “hierarchical planning” discipline will help keep the plan focused
on the project’s deliverables rather than on the work at a subsystem level.
Some project deliverables may be time sensitive in that they may be subject to
alteration at a later date when certain information becomes available. A political
campaign is an example of such a project. A speech may be rewritten in whole or
in part to deal with recently released data about the national economy, for instance.
This describes a planning process that must be reactive to information or demands
that change over time. This type of process is sometimes called “rolling wave
planning.” Nevertheless, the overall structure of the reactive planning process still
should be hierarchical.
Sometimes a problem arises because some managers tend to think of outcomes
when planning and others think of specific tasks (activities). Many mix the two.
The problem is to develop a list of both activities and outcomes that represents an
exhaustive, non-redundant set of results to be accomplished (outcomes) and the
work to be done (activities) in order to complete the project.
In this hierarchical planning system, the objectives are taken from the project
charter. This aids the planner in identifying the set of required activities for the
objectives to be met, a critical part of the project plan. Each activity has an
outcome (event) associated with it, and these activities and events are decomposed
into sub activities and subevents, which, in turn, are subdivided again.

5. What is shown on a RACI matrix? How is it useful to a PM?

6.
A RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consult, and Inform) matrix is often helpful
to illustrate the relationship of personnel to project tasks and to identify where
coordination is necessary. This type of chart is also known as a responsibility
matrix, a linear responsibility chart, an assignment matrix, a responsibility
assignment matrix, and similar such names. The matrix shows critical interfaces
between units that may require special managerial coordination. With it, the PM
can keep track of who must approve what, who must be notified, and other such
relationships.
It is the integration of the model with a specific PLC that ensures that the project is
structured for success. Without either component, problems with the structure of
the project management process may remain hidden until (or even while...) they
cause the project to bog down. Making the time and effort to create a customized
PLC/RACI for each significant project is an opportunity to design your project
management process for project success.
 8. What are the basic steps to design and use the Work Breakdown
Structure?

The WBS is the main tool for managing the project scope. The WBS is not one
thing. It can take a wide variety of forms that, in turn, serve a wide variety of
purposes. In many ways, the WBS is a simplified form of the project plan focused
on the actual tasks of the project. It often shows the organizational elements
associated with a project subdivided into hierarchical units of tasks, subtasks, work
packages, etc.
This process is iterative. Members of the project team who are assigned
responsibility for working out a second, third, or lower-level WBS generate a
tentative list of tasks, resource requirements, task durations, predecessors, etc., and
bring it to the delegator for discussion, amendment, and approval. This may require
several amendments and take several meetings before agreement is reached. The
result is that delegator and delegate both have the same idea about what is to be
done, when, and at what cost. Not uncommonly, the individuals and groups that
make commitments during the process of developing the WBS actually sign-off on
their commitments. The whole process involves negotiation and, of course, like
any managers, delegators can micromanage their delegates, but micromanagement
will not be mistaken for negotiation—especially by the delegates.

10. Contrast the Project Plan, the Project Charter, and the WBS.

Project Plan is the nominal plan for the entire project to which deviations will be
compared. The purpose of planning is to facilitate later accomplishment. The world
is full of plans that never become deeds. The planning techniques covered here are
intended to smooth the path from idea to accomplishment. It is a complicated
process to manage a project, and plans act as a map of this process. The map must
have sufficient detail to determine what must be done next but be simple enough
that workers are not lost in a welter of minutiae.
Project Charter is a proposal for a project that summarizes the main aspects of the
project for approval.Common elements of the project charter are the overview,
statement of objectives/scope, general approach, contractual requirements,
schedules, resources, personnel, risk management plans, and evaluation procedures

The WBS is the main tool for managing the project scope. The WBS is not one
thing. It can take a wide variety of forms that, in turn, serve a wide variety of
purposes. In many ways, the WBS is a simplified form of the project plan focused
on the actual tasks of the project. It often shows the organizational elements
associated with a project subdivided into hierarchical units of tasks, subtasks, work
packages, etc.

Chapter 8

9. Define “late start time,” “early start time,” and “early finish
time.”
Late start Time is the latest time the activity can begin and still allow the project to
be completed on time
Early start Time is the earliest time the activity can begin.
Early finish Time is the earliest time the activity can end.

10. How is the critical path determined?

The critical path method (CPM) is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project

activities. .CPM was designed for construction projects and has been generally
embraced by the construction industry. It is commonly used in conjunction with
the program evaluation and review technique . A critical path is determined by
identifying the longest stretch of dependent activities and measuring the time
required to complete them from start to finish
 15. Why is AOA or AON of significant value to the project
manager?
Activity-on-node is a project management term that refers to a precedence
diagramming method which uses boxes to denote schedule activities. These
various boxes or “nodes” are connected from beginning to end with arrows to
depict a logical progression of the dependencies between the schedule activities.
In an activity-on-arrow network, activities are represented by a line between two
circles. The second circle represents the finish of the activity and is known as the
finish event (sometimes called the j-node). Space is allowed in the circles for
calculation results from critical path analysis.
An activity-on-node diagram can be used to provide a visual representation of
the network logic of an entire project schedule. Or, it can be used for any smaller
section of the schedule that lends itself to being represented as having a defined
beginning and end. To keep the logic in the diagram simple, it may be most
effective to include only critical path schedule activities. 
Activity-on-Arrow (AOA) is significant values to the network diagram because it
illustrates the start to finish dependencies in nodes or circles and
represents activities with arrows.

21. What are the common problems encountered during planning

and scheduling?

Executives and other plan sponsors often have difficulty gauging how well a
project is faring. From their somewhat removed vantage point, they likely don’t
know if everything is on track at any given time. They don’t typically have detailed
insight into how each of the critical paths is being managed from day to day, for
example. Funding issues may not hit executives’ radar until the budget is in danger
of being blown wide open, let alone other common project plan problems. Creating
a realistic project schedule is one of the biggest challenges a project manager
faces. There are some common problems with project planning & scheduling:
Estimating Task Duration

The most basic and common problem with project scheduling is estimating the
duration of each project task. Most people underestimate how long something
will take them to do, resulting in a schedule that reflects only a best-case
scenario.

Assigning Resource

Most project schedules are based on the assumption that the right resource
person will be available exactly when needed. But unless your organization has a
good method for assigning people to projects, that may not happen. 

Setting the Implementation Date

In many cases, management or some outside factor has set the project
implementation date before you develop a schedule. You may be asked to reduce
the time planned for some tasks to meet the needed end date.

Managing the Unknown

Unknown events, such as changes in the business environment or problems with

a new technology, may result in project tasks taking longer than scheduled.

Managing Change

Changes to the scope of the project, requirements to be accomplished or

technology being used may disrupt your project schedule.

Estimating Large Projects

A large project has more interdependencies between tasks and between work
groups or individuals. This level of complexity makes it harder to predict the
schedule, which will need to include time for such coordination.