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Module 1: SHORT PAPER

Module 1: Short Paper

Katrina Descaro

Arizona State University

OGL 320

August 22, 2021

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SHORT PAPER
Part 1 – Project Management Skillset

Project management is a fundamental aspect of any organization and something I had not

put much thought into until we began this course. I work in education and I strive to facilitate

connections of my coursework to my current profession, which is also where I intend on having

a future career. Upon beginning this course, the principal of the school I work for and myself

discussed how I can apply project management to the education system. It was interesting to find

that it can relate to so many aspects of our work, because if you think about it, schools are a

business/organization. In fact, we can think of a school as a business (although non-profit) and

our customers being the families and students we serve. According to Public Policy Institute of

California, schools receive $97.2 billion in funding from three sources: the state (58%), property

taxes and other local sources (32%), and the federal government (9%) (Murphy & Paluch, 2019).

We can see what seems as two seemingly unconnected things, being very connected.

Due to my current inexperience in managing large projects for schools outside my current

entry-level position, I have chosen to observe the project management skills in a recent project

we had at the current school I work for. By law, schools are obligated to provide a certain

number of services to a student, and we want to make sure students are receiving those services.

Recently, our governor made some changes in requirements for charter schools. In July, right

before school will be starting for district schools, the California Department of Education

released a statement informing charter schools that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed

Assembly Bill (AB) 130. In short, the AB 130 was implemented to help facilitate those who

wanted in-person instruction and others to have the option to attend school through Independent

Studies. In a statement released by the California Department of Education, this bill requires

those who attend school for the 2021-2022 school year and have chosen to attend independent
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study be offered a provision for waivers of the offering requirements, as well as required parent

notification, pupil-parent-educator conferences, and additions to board policies and written

agreements (2021). We were now tasked with bringing a whole school up to compliance and

produce a system to put this requirement into place in under a month.

Whether knowingly or unknowingly our Principal or Project Manager implemented the

four phases of project management outlined in the HBR guide to Project Management. There

was frustration expressed from staff members when informed of the new bill. Each new school

year we are tasked with getting parents, guardians, and students to sign the new school year

enrollment paperwork. Because we are already an independent study, our school years look a

little different than the traditional California starting months. These schools generally start

sometime in August, in comparison to our charter, which starts new school year July 1st. This bill

was passed July 15th of 2021 resulting in all our enrollment paperwork being incompliant now

for the new school year. In reference to the four phases of project management, we were back to

the drawing board, or also known as revision.

We identified our new tasks and used the “Work Breakdown Structure” explained in the

book, “HBR Guide to Project Management”. The Work Breakdown Structure aims to determine

job scope and tasks required to complete the job, including an estimated time frame in order to

conceptualize complex activities into manageable units (p.8). Our schools administrative

Principal took into consideration the demand for the time schedule that was now required of us.

A tip offered in our textbook reading was implemented to remedy this situation of time schedule

and avoid delay. The book, “HBR Guide to Project Management”, discusses offering an

incentive as a tip for controlling project slowdowns (p. 21). The incentive was a two-thousand-
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dollar bonus awarded to the individuals at sites that made a hundred percent of their signatures.

Our school site successfully met our quota and received our incentive.

Part 2 – Reflection

In reflection of our school’s recent project, I would like to discuss a few significant things

I learned about project management through this recent experience in relation to some

fundamental skills discussed in the first chapter of the required reading in “Managing Projects

Large and Small”. Project management can be dated back to the 1930’s where the Navy used in

methodologies used to navigate complexities such as developing and creating nuclear

submarines (p. xii). In similarity to the “HBR Guide’, this book also outlines a four-phase

execution of project management. “Managing Projects Large and Small” refers to this process

as the “The Project Management Model”.

After reading the first chapter, and looking back on my experience, a significant aspect I

learned about project management was the need to monitor projects as things come along.

Managing project execution is one phase of the model presented in the text to ensure issues do

not arise. It was expressed by some staff members that they felt the principal was giving off a

laissez-faire style of leadership rather than motivating, redirecting goals, and mediating. I believe

this made the staff feel alienated in their project work resulting in tensions being high and

disgruntled employees. I learned this phase proves to be crucial in the facilitation and completion

of group projects. With the lack of traditional skills for sound management, execution was made

to be a much more of a difficult process. In leadership roles, it is important to meet all standards

required of you as a leader, which in this scenario, could have been implemented more

traditional skills.
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Knowledge of tools and areas of consideration within project management I was aware of

prior to Module One, were a general idea of what is expected of a leader in their role and that all

projects require a process for completion. I had a rudimentary understanding of what it takes to

complete a project. The newness came from the specific methodology of systems used to

complete a group project. It is always beneficial to have a set and approved outline to put into

place. Project success in organizations equate and relate to business successes. But the truthful

aspect of any project, whether successful or unsuccessful, is that improvements can always be

made. Although we met our quotas, it would have been beneficial to the school/company to sit

down and discuss where we could have improved. It provides closure for the group project. In

future project management leadership roles, it is important I have full intention to emphasize this

aspect when projects have reached completion. Group feedback was one aspect of this project I

would have liked to improve.

“Characteristics of Project Managers”, a topic listed in the slideshow presentation in the

required reading for module one, listed characteristics of project managers who have shown to be

successful in their roles. Those who hold some of the characteristics can ensure success in their

roles as well in turn resulting in business success. This might be a good guide for who to

consider as the leader or project manager. I can relate two of the characteristics to myself

personally. I can describe myself as a very organized and methodical person. When at work or in

my personal life, having things organized is like a second nature and provides a sense of comfort.

It is not often that you do not hear me saying, “Everything has a place and that is where it should

be.” Another characteristic I resonated with was the ability to prosper even in ambiguity.

Positivity is my first name. Well, not actually, but it could be. I have noticed others in the face of

uncertainty chose to give up. Giving up when things become ambiguous, does not allow for you
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to even have a chance in the first place. While attempting to update our compliance to the new

assembly bill, there was much uncertainty that we would meet our deadline. You could see the

room divide into those who held the characteristic of prospering through doubt. I have shared the

end of the story, which was that we met our quota. One main characteristic of successful

management I would like to work on is, being a self-starter. In my opinion, I can equate this

characteristic to someone who is confident and takes initiative without care of negative thoughts

or discouragement from others. Basically, the difference of being a leader or follower. In

pursuing my current career and degree, my future will entail me holding leadership roles where

this facet of my characteristics will be crucial to success. It will be something I work on a

develop over the course of my next few semesters.

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References

Harvard Business School Press. (2004). Managing projects large and small: The fundamental
skills for delivering on budget and on time.

Harvard Business Review Press. (2012). Hbr's guide to project management.

Murphy, P., & Paluch, J. (2019, March 12). Financing California's public schools. Public Policy
Institute of California. https://www.ppic.org/publication/financing-californias-public-
schools/.

Thurmond, T. (2021, July 15). Changes to independent study requirements. AB 130 Changes to
Independent Study - Changes to Independent Study Requirements.
https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo/is/changesisab130.asp.