Transmittal Memo

To: GRD Corporation

From: JAPS Consulting

Date: November 15, 2021

Subject: Memorandum of Transmittal

This officially announces the release of the report “GRD Gap Analysis” to GRD Corporation.

This report was written with the intent to improve GRD Corporations project management

processes and through recommendations, resolve the issues of exceeding budgets and late

delivery. This report was authorized by GRD Corporation and is presented by JAPS for their

perusal.

As Business Analysist who have worked with various corporations throughout the years, we

were able to effectively evaluate the issues being experienced by GRD and provide practical

recommendations. JAPS Corporation is looking forward to working with GRD Corporation in

the future to implement these recommendations.

At this time, we would like to thank GRD Corporation for the opportunity to provide assistance

in improving their organizational output. If there are any further questions or a need for

clarification, please let us know as we would be happy to provide assistance. You can contact us

at (780) 257- 3298 or by email at japs@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your time and

attention.

Regards,

JAPS Consulting

1
GRD GAP ANALYSIS REPORT

JAPS Consulting
 GRD GAP ANALYSIS REPORT

GRD Corporation

JAPS Consulting

Jasmine Thistle, Amanpreet Singh, Patrickia Walker, Star Muamba

November 15, 2021

Executive Summary

Our organization, JAPS Consulting, has been hired by GRD Corporation to identify gaps in their

project management methodology. GRD Corporation employs over one hundred project managers

who work on a wide variety of projects including Construction, Event Planning, Retail Operations,

and Consulting. However, GRD has noticed some issues with past projects. Namely that twenty-

two percent of projects were behind schedule and twenty-two percent were overbudget. In order

to ascertain the reasons for this, JAPS consulting created a survey that was focused on areas such

as Position Profile, Human Resources, Project Planning, Team Management, and Project

Execution and Planning. Out of the one hundred project managers working at GRD Corporation,

we surveyed thirty-nine and tabulated the results. Through our Key Findings we have identified

the following issues. Not all GRD project managers are certified, and some have even stated that

they are not compensated enough. There is also a lack of project management standards and

communication- not only between GRD and their clients, but also among GRD employees who

are working on the project. We have also identified that there are sometimes no project charters

and no form of planning which includes plans such as budget plans and scheduling. It was also

noted through the survey that some project managers stated that they did not have the right staff

as well as the necessary tools to perform their tasks effectively. Although we have identified all

these issues, they can be consolidated into two categories: a lack of planning and a lack of

communication.

With these issues in mind, JAPS Consulting has prepared a few recommendations in order to

eliminate or reduce the issues and hence alleviate the risks. In terms of planning, we recommend

that GRD Corporation establishes a systematic approach in which all project managers will have

to follow. This means that once projects are given the green light, project managers need to develop

1
and use project charters, responsibility matrix, have a work breakdown structure, and a checklist.

There needs to be a budget plan, change management plan, risk management plan, scope

management plan, quality management plan, procurement plan, scheduling plan, human resources

plan, communication plan, and contingency plan. It also should be mandatory that all project

managers use the same approach and follow the same guidelines and policies and project managers

should be evaluated based on plan creation.

For communication, we recommend meeting at least once per week with clients and team members

to ensure that the client's needs are being met and any dissatisfaction or changes can be identified

early so that the project is not delayed and that there are no budget overruns. Agendas need to be

created as well as meeting minutes. Meetings with clients can be face to face or through Microsoft

Team, Zoom, Skype or other methods for communication that involve video conferencing. This

meeting should be scheduled at a specific day and time and any project changes and execution to

be discussed and expectations clarified. Where applicable, there needs to be a project manager on

site every day to ensure that the project deliverables are being executed according to plan and

establish penalties for protocol violation.

 Table of Contents
Introduction 1

Survey Results 2

Section 1: Position Profile 2

Q5: Do you have a Project Management Certificate? 2

Q6: Do you have your PMP? 3

Q8: What is your highest level of education? (Please select only one answer) 4

Summary 4

Section 2: Human Resources 5

Q1: How often do you receive a performance assessment? Please check only ONE answer. 6

Q6: Do you believe your salary and benefits are in accordance with your workload? 7

Summary 7

Section 3: Project Planning 8

Q3: Does your company have any specific Project Management standards to follow? 8

Q4: If you answered yes to Question 3, can you please describe the standards? 9

Q5: What plans did you develop for your current project? 10

Q7: Did you develop a Project Charter for your Project? 11

Q9: What Project Management tools are used to plan your project? 12

Q11: What are the potential constraints on your project? 13

Q13: How involved are your stakeholders in the planning process? 14

3
 Summary 15

Section 4: Team Management 16

Q2: How often does your project team meet? 17

Q3: How often does your project team receive progress reports? 18

Q5: Are team members evaluated at the end of the project? 19

Q6: If you answered YES to Question 5, how are team members evaluated? 20

Q7: What are the most difficult challenges working with your project team? 21

Summary 21

Section 5: Project Execution and Monitoring 22

Q1: What challenges do you face in executing the project? Please select all that apply. 22

Q2: What Project Management tools are used to monitor your project? Please select all that

apply. 24

Q4: If yes, what software are you using? Please select all that apply. 25

Q5: What plans do you use to monitor your project? Please select all that apply. 26

Q8: How often does your client receive progress reports? 27

Q11: How do you monitor risk during your project? 28

Summary 29

Key Findings 30

Recommendations 35

References 40

4
 Introduction

JAPS Consulting specializes in evaluating and teaching project management skills to businesses

and communities. We have been hired by GRD Corporation, who is currently experiencing

issues regarding project results. With twenty-two percent of their projects being late and

overbudget, it is our job at JAPS to find out why this has been happening. To ascertain why GRD

is currently experiencing gaps in their project management methodology, we will provide an in-

depth analysis through surveys.

GRD employs over one hundred project managers and as such, it was not possible to survey

everyone. We assessed thirty-nine project managers through a survey in order to accurately

assess where GRD is currently, and where they want to be in the future. We tabulated the all the

survey results which can be seen in Appendix A. From these results, we were able to generate

our key findings. We chose questions from each section that highlighted some of the issues we

discovered and created graphs to show comparisons. Through a systematic evaluation of our key

findings, we were able to identify some of the root causes of GRD’s issues. We have identified

two main reasons for the problems GRD is currently facing: lack of planning and lack of

communication. We have provided recommendations that are specific, measurable, action

oriented, realistic and time oriented. These recommendations are designed to improve GRD’s

project management processes and make GRD more efficient and profitable.

5
 Survey Results

Section 1: Position Profile

According to Jeffrey Pinto, the first stage in project team development is to conduct a realistic

assessment of the types of skills needed to perform their project duties as effectively as possible

(Pinto, 2019, p. 227). Section one discusses the qualifications of project managers at GRD. This

includes their education and certifications, as well as how long they have been working in project

management environments. Out of this section, there were three questions that concerned our

team. Below are the results of these questions as well as why these questions are concerning.

Q5: Do you have a Project Management Certificate?

We asked the project managers of GRD if they had a valid Project Management Certificate. In

this, we have discovered that fifty-nine percent of the project managers have not received a

Project Management Certificate. This can cause a divide in the level of knowledge between

project managers. In the pie chart below, you can see that only forty-one percent of the

respondents have this certificate.

Do You Have a Project

Management Certificate?

Yes
41%
59% No

6
Q6: Do you have your PMP?

Respondents were asked if they have their Project Management Professional Certification. Only

twenty-one percent of the project managers from GRD have this certificate. The remaining

seventy-nine percent have not completed their Project Management Professional Certification.

Although this certification may not be required for the job, GRD should be implementing a

program to promote this certification to enhance project management knowledge. The bar graph

below shows these results. This is also located on page twenty-nine of Appendix A.

Do You Have Your PMP?

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Yes No

Do You Have Your PMP?

7
 Q8: What is your highest level of education? (Please select only one answer)

Project Managers at GRD were asked to provide their highest level of education. This includes

education unrelated to their position. The majority of the project managers at GRD have their

bachelors (46%), while only three percent of the project manager stated they only had up to

grade ten education. In addition, there were twenty-eight percent that have completed their

masters. GRD should consider hiring project managers with a strong education as it can reduce

the risk of error in project planning. Below is a pie chart visualizing the percentages of each

category.

WHAT IS YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF

EDUCATION?
Certificate Diploma Bachelors Masters Other (Grade 10)

3% 8%

15%
28%

46%

Summary

After reviewing these questions regarding profile position, we can see that there is an extreme

difference in certifications. The project managers that have not received their Project

Management Certificate as well as their Project Management Professional Certification may not

have the knowledge needed to complete projects efficiently. It is also concerning that the amount

8
of project managers that have not received these certifications is greater than the amount that

have them. This gap can cause a miscommunication of guidelines between certain project

managers. On the other hand, the variety of education levels seems to be a safe amount. Out of

thirty-nine project managers, there is only one that has not completed their high school diploma.

GRD has hired numerous project managers with masters, which is very beneficial regarding

professionalism and knowledge. Section two will discuss project planning in GRD and questions

that may be linked to the ineffectiveness of the project managers.

Section 2: Human Resources

The availability of human resources is the most common type of project constraint. Without

sufficient human resources, project teams suffer through numerous assignments, long hours, and

insufficient training (Pinto, 2020, Project Management, p. 444). Ensuring that project teams are

satisfied with their workload and are rewarded for their efforts are key for a successful project.

This section discusses concerns regarding human resources in GRD Corporations project

management.

9
 Q1: How often do you receive a performance assessment? Please check only ONE

answer.

Project managers were asked how often they receive a performance assessment. Thirty-one

percent claimed they receive a performance assessment once per year, while eighteen percent

stated they never receive a performance assessment. Twenty-three percent also said that they

receive a performance assessment three or more times per year. Seeing as there may be more

than one project per year, GRD project managers that do not receive a performance assessment

may not know they are consistently going over budget and schedule.

How often do you recieve a performance assessment?

31%
28%

23%

18%

Only once per year Only twice per year Three or more times per Never
year

10
 Q6: Do you believe your salary and benefits are in accordance with your workload?

Project managers were asked if they believe their salary and benefits are in accordance with their
workload. While sixty-seven percent of project managers said yes, thirty-three percent said no.
Project managers that feel like they are not being rewards for their work can lack motivation to
complete their projects efficiently, ending in them being over budget and schedule.

Do you believe your salary and

benefits are in accordance with your
workload?

No
33%
Yes
67%

Yes No

Summary

While there were not many issues regarding GRD Corporations human resources, having

minimal performance assessments can increase the risk of underqualified project managers. In

addition, these project managers that are not being assessed may not know they are causing

issues regarding budgets and schedules. The thirty-three percent of project managers that feel

that their salary and benefits are not in accordance with their workload could be purposely

causing their projects to go over budget and over schedule as an act of spite. Ensuring that all

project managers at GRD feel as if their work is being acknowledged can prevent a lack of

motivation to complete their projects within the given budget and timeframe. Section three will

discuss issues regarding project planning in GRD Corporation.

Section 3: Project Planning

11
According to the Project Management textbook, project planning identifies what needs to be

done, who needs to do it and the time it needs to be completed. (Pinto, 2020, p. 158). For any

project to be successful, a comprehension plan needs to be outlined. In the Project Planning

section of the survey, GRD project managers were asked questions as it relates to execution of

the project and what tools were used to monitor the project from start to finish. This section

focuses on the project management standards, the plans that were used to develop the project, the

use of a project charter, the potential constraints associated with the project as well as how

involved the stakeholders are and how GRD communicated with them.

Q3: Does your company have any specific Project Management standards to follow?

The respondents were asked whether there were any specific Project Management standards that

were being followed. A majority of respondents, fifty-six percent, stated that they did not follow

any Project Management standards; forty-four percent stated that they do in face have specific

standards. Project Management standards highlight a set of guidelines that project managers need

to follow. If there is none, then this may be cause for concern.

Does your company have any specific Project

Management standards to follow?

44%
56%

Yes No

Q4: If you answered yes to Question 3, can you please describe the standards?

12
The next question that was asked was if GRD project managers followed specific Project

Management Standards, to describe them. Twenty-six percent of respondent stated that they

followed the PMI Standard, while three percent stated that they either followed the standards

based on the government or their client. The other five percent stated that they followed the

standards based on the company. It appears that government standards were only followed when

the government was involved. Following multiple specific standards can cause confusion and

error.

If you answered yes to Question 3, can you

please describe the standards?
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
Response Percentage

PMI Company Client Provincial Government

13
 Q5: What plans did you develop for your current project?

Another important question was what plans were developed for their current projects. Seventy-

seven percent stated that they were using a budget plan while thirteen percent stated that they

were using some other sort of planning such as Execution Plan, Stakeholder Management Plan,

or smaller projects. Of note is the sixty-nine percent that stated that they were using a scheduling

plan. All of these plans are important to a successful project and should be implemented.

What plans did you develop for your current project?

100%
90%
Number of Responses

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Responses

Budget Plan Change Management Plan Risk Management Plan

Scope Management Plan Quality Management Plan Procurement Plan
Scheduling Plan Human Resources Plan Communication Plan
Contingency Plan Other

14
 Q7: Did you develop a Project Charter for your Project?

Respondents were asked if they developed a Project Charter. While forty-nine percent said yes,

fifty-one percent said no. A Project Charter is a document that “formally sanctions” the projects

and gives the project team authorization to use company resources. Without one, a lack of

resources can push back projects.

Did you develop a Project Charter for your project?

100%

80%

60% 51%
49%

40%

20%

0%

Yes No

15
 Q9: What Project Management tools are used to plan your project?

The project managers at GRD were also asked what tools they used to plan their projects.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents stated that they used a checklist, while only fifteen percent

of respondents used other tools such as Monday.com, Microsoft Project, Raid Logs, and Cost

Control Sheets. Of note, was the use of a Responsibility Matrix and Gantt Charts by forty-six

percent of respondents. All these tools are key to a successful project. Without them, projects can

run over schedule.

What Project Management tools are used to

plan your project?

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

16
 Q11: What are the potential constraints on your project?

Project constraints identify what factors will have a limiting effect on the execution of the

project. Ninety-five percent of respondents stated that the biggest constraint that they

experienced was time, while thirty-one percent stated that other factors such as external and

internal were also a constraint. Surprisingly, only fifty-nine percent stated that the budget was the

largest constraint.

What are the potential constraints on your project?

100%
90%
Number of Responses

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Responses

17
 Q13: How involved are your stakeholders in the planning process?

Another important question is the involvement of stakeholders in the actual planning of the

project. The responses were rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the lowest and five

being the highest. Thirty-eight percent stated that they rated stakeholder involvement as a four,

while five percent claimed they rate involvement as a one. Twenty-six percent rated stakeholder

involvement as a three. Stakeholders are the decision makers of projects; they should be involved

as much as possible to reduce the risk of miscommunication.

How involved are your stakeholders in the

planning process?
45%
40%
Number of Responses

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1 2 3 4 5
Scale of 1-5

18
 Q14: For your current project, how are you planning to communicate with your

stakeholders?

GRD project managers were asked how they communicated with stakeholders. Ninety-two

percent stated that that they communicated with stakeholders through meetings, while three

percent stated that they used a stakeholder’s portal or letters. The Client Portal is a great idea to

stay in contact compared to letters, as letters would take longer to receive. The second highest

form of communication is emails, which garnered a value of seventy-four percent. Stakeholders

need to be communicated with in an effective manner and communication needs to be frequent

in case of any changes or adjustments that needs to be done to the project.

For your current project, how are you planning to

communicate with your stakeholders?
100%
Number of Responses

80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Responses

Email Phone Site Visit

Video and Conference Calls Meetings Text Message
Letter Client Portal

Summary

The Project Planning section evaluated how GRD project managers planned, executed, and

communicated with stakeholders. Based on the survey results, not all project managers at GRD

follow specific Project Management standards. If they do, they are unsure of which standards to

follow. They also use a wide variety of project planning methods for project development,

19
however, not everyone uses a project charter. In addition, the tools used for project planning are

of a wide range and includes Checklists, Gantt Charts, Responsibility Matrix, and others. It was

also discovered that stakeholders are not always involved in the planning process. Next we will

be reviewing Team Management which assesses team selection and how communication

amongst members occurs.

Section 4: Team Management

Team management involves teamwork, communication, objective setting, and performance

appraisals. According to the Project Management textbook (2020), meeting with your team is

key to communicating project status, collectivizing the contributions of individual team

members, developing a sense of unity, and keeping everyone up to date concerning the project

status (Pinto, p. 148-149). To add, evaluation of team performance and techniques of project

management lay the groundwork for successful future projects (p. 537). Teams that do not meet

frequently and do not receive reliable evaluations cannot learn from their mistakes and further

their project management strategies. This section will briefly discuss GRD Corporations team

management strategies, and how often they meet to discuss them.

20
 Q2: How often does your project team meet?

Project managers were asked how often they meet with their teams. While fifty-one percent

stated they meet weekly, zero percent claimed they meet quarterly or any other time period. It is

also noted that thirteen percent of project managers at GRD Corporation meet twice a week.

Having frequent meetings with team members can reduce the risk of miscommunication and

confusion throughout the project. The teams that are only meeting monthly may be missing key

information over the past month if they are not carefully taking notes of achievements and

concerns.

How often does your project team meet?

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%
51%
20%
26%
10%
13% 10%
0% 0% 0%
Daily Weekly Twice a week Monthly Quarterly Other

21
 Q3: How often does your project team receive progress reports?

The survey also asked project managers how often their team receives progress reports. Forty-

eight percent of project managers claimed that they receive weekly reports, and twenty-six

percent claimed to have monthly progress reports. On the contrary, three percent stated that they

only meet twice a year. This drastic difference between how often teams receive progress reports

can affect the unity of GRD Corporation as a whole. In addition, only relying on monthly

progress reports can cause information to be forgotten, furthering the risk of projects being over

schedule.

HOW OFTEN DOES YOUR PROJECT TEAM RECEIVE

PROGRESS REPORTS?
Daily Weekly Twice a week Monthly Quarterly Other

3% 10%
10%

26%

48%

3%

22
 Q5: Are team members evaluated at the end of the project?

GRD Project managers were asked if team members were evaluated at the end of the project.

While sixty-four percent stated they do, thirty-six percent stated they do not. Team members that

are not evaluated at the end of the project are not able to discuss what they could improve on.

This could cause team members to continue utilizing poor management strategies in future

projects.

Are team members evaluated at the end of

the project?

64%

36%

Yes No

23
 Q6: If you answered YES to Question 5, how are team members evaluated?

Project managers that were evaluated at the end of their project were also asked how they were

evaluated. Forty percent of project managers claimed that they were evaluated based on their

productivity. Only six percent claimed they are evaluated based on their results. To add, only ten

percent of project managers were evaluated based on their budget goals. GRD Corporations

projects could be going over budget simply because project managers are more concerned about

their productivity and efficiency.

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO QUESTION 5, HOW ARE

TEAM MEMBERS EVALUATED?
Productivity Budget Progress Results Efficiency

30%

40%

6%

14% 10%

24
 Q7: What are the most difficult challenges working with your project team?

GRD project managers were asked what the most difficult challenge was while working with

their project team. Forty-six percent stated that communication was the most difficult challenge,

while only eight percent stated that the scope and project timeline were the most difficult

challenge. There was also forty-four percent that claimed scheduling conflicts were the most

difficult challenge. Difficulty with communication and scheduling can cause projects to be over

schedule and over budget.

What are the most difficult challenges working

with your project team?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% 46% 44%
28% 28%
10% 10% 8%
0%
Category 1

Team cohesiveness Communication Personalities

Under qualified team members Scheduling conflicts Other

Summary

There are quite a few issues regarding team management. Managers that are only meeting once a

month with their team to discuss the project may be missing information or important deadlines

due to human error. This can push back projects and make them more costly. In addition, not

having enough progress reports throughout a project can lead to poor management habits that can

end in projects being overdue. With that not enough project managers are being evaluated at the

25
end of each project, furthering the chances of poor management habits. The project managers

that are being evaluated may have the wrong priorities in mind. Although it is important to be

productive and efficient, the budget should be a larger factor in the evaluations if GRD wants to

decrease the number of projects that are going over budget. Lastly, most of the project managers

claimed that communication and scheduling conflicts were the most difficult challenges. Lack of

communication and waiting for certain team members to contribute to the project can lead to

projects going over schedule. This can also result in said projects becoming over budget. Overall,

some improvements must be made regarding team management to reduce the risk of projects

going over budget and schedule. Section five will discuss project execution and monitoring

concerns in GRD Corporation.

Section 5: Project Execution and Monitoring

Project execution and monitoring involves the completion of procedures and workload

management that is required to achieve the project goals. This section is about finding suitable

ways of execution during a project and minimizing losses by implementing strategies to reduce

risk and ensure a smooth execution of the project. According to the Project Management textbook,

execution risk is a broad category that seeks to assess any unique circumstances or uncertainties

that could have a negative impact on the execution of a plan. (Pinto, 2020, p.247). We asked project

managers how they executed different tasks and certain challenges that they faced in said process.

In addition, they were asked how they monitored risks and what tools and software they used to

monitor those risks.

26
 Q1: What challenges do you face in executing the project? Please select all that

apply.

Project managers were asked what some of their main challenges were in executing their

projects. Fifty-nine percent found budgets and costs to be more challenging, while only three

percent selected other types of challenges which consisted of conflicting priorities. Only fifteen

percent found challenges in communication. Improving communication can reduce the

challenges of budgets and costs.

27
 Q2: What Project Management tools are used to monitor your project? Please select

all that apply.

Management tools have proved to be an effective way of monitoring projects. Project managers

were asked what tools are used to monitor their projects. Seventy-seven percent of managers

preferred using checklists, while thirteen percent had other tools such as Jira, Monday, Pivot

Chart, and Excel. We learned that forty-four percent of managers use a responsibility matrix. It is

important for all managers to know when sections of the project are to be completed, and who is

responsible.

28
 Q4: If yes, what software are you using? Please select all that apply.

Respondents were asked what software they use to monitor the project’s budget. Sixty-nine

percent of them used Excel software and only three percent used Primavera. We also figured that

thirty-five percent selected Microsoft Project. Given the complexity of software, it is important

for project managers to find the most suitable one to use.

29
 Q5: What plans do you use to monitor your project? Please select all that apply.

GRD project managers were asked what plans they use to monitor their projects. Although

seventy-four percent of respondents claimed they use a budget plan, only five percent stated that

they use an execution plan and/or tracking. To add, thirty percent of project managers used

contingency plans. There should be numerous plans in place to reduce the risk of

miscommunication and structure.

30
 Q8: How often does your client receive progress reports?

We asked respondents how often their clients receive progress reports. Thirty-three percent of

them stated they provide monthly progress reports while only five percent stated they provide

daily progress reports. In addition, just fifteen percent provide weekly reports. Progress reports

are a way for project managers and clients to ensure their project is to be completed on time and

on budget.

How often does your client receive progress reports?

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% 33%
30% 26%

20% 15% 13%

10% 5% 5%
0%

Daily Weekly Twice a week Monthly Quarterly Other

31
 Q11: How do you monitor risk during your project?

We asked project managers at GRD how they monitor risk during the project. We found that

thirty-nine percent of project managers develop responses and ten percent create audits or

meetings. We also learned that thirty-one percent of managers double check when monitoring.

Project managers should double check throughout the project to reduce risk.

How do you monitor risk during your project?

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
39%
30%
31%
20%
21%
10%
10%
0%

Double Check Risk register Audits/Meetings Develop responses

32
 Q15: How do you know your projects have been successful? Please explain.

Project managers were asked how they know their projects have been successful. We found that

forty-four percent of GRD project managers know through senior management satisfaction and

eight percent know through project sponsors. We also learned that thirteen percent of them look

at profits. Senior management should be looking at all factors, including efficiency and budget

accuracy to determine if a project has been successful.

Summary

This section exposed how GRD project managers behave and communicate with their clients.

Although communication with clients is not directly linked with the execution, if poorly done, it

causes the project to miss the objectives intended by clients. The challenge that most managers

faced was budgeting and cost. Since most changes in the projects involve costs, it is crucial for

GRD project managers to find a way to stabilize their budget to improve the overall execution of

the project. As far as risk monitoring, most managers were on the same page as to what software

and tools they used to monitor during project and schedules.

33
 Key Findings

We have discovered that project managers at GRD do not have enough education to complete

projects efficiently. Based on Section One of Appendix A, only forty-one percent of project

managers have a valid Project Management Certificate. In addition, only twenty-one percent of

project managers have their Project Management Professional Certification. Although these are

not mandatory to become a project manager, it is an asset. GRD needs to have project managers

that are educated in their field to make sure projects are completed efficiently. Project managers

that do not have their certifications may not have the skills needed to stay on budget and on time.

This issue could also stem from their hiring process. It was discovered that three percent of

project managers only have grade ten education and eight percent only have a certificate. GRD

should make education a priority while hiring to ensure that candidates have the knowledge and

emotional intelligence needed to stay within the budget and time frame.

To add, they also stated that they do not feel like they are being compensated for their workload.

It was noted in Section Two of Appendix A that thirty-one percent of project managers feel as if

their salary and benefits are not in accordance with their workload. This can cause project

managers to the lose motivation to complete their projects to the best of their ability.

Another finding was the lack of project management standards. Found in Section Three of

Appendix A, fifty-six percent of project managers stated that they do not follow any specific

standards. Having poorly defined project team roles and interdependencies are just one of the

reasons why teams fail. Inconsistencies regarding standards can not only confuse teams running

projects, but it also enhances the opportunity for failure. Project managers need standards to

follow to ensure the team is unified and knows their roles within the organization. Since most of

34
the project managers have no standards to follow, they do not know what is expected of them,

which can cause projects to be late and over budget.

It is also noted that there is a lack of plans being developed for each project. Section Three of

Appendix A shows that there are minimal plans in place during GRDs projects. Although the fact

that seventy-seven percent use a budget plan is promising, the remaining twenty-three percent

that do not have one in place could be the cause of projects going over budget. In addition, only

forty-four percent of project managers implement a risk management plan, and only forty-six

percent implement a scope management plan. Without these plans, GRD put themselves in

greater financial and execution risk. Lack of scope management through conceptual development

could be the cause of projects going over schedule. It was also shocking to see only forty-four

percent of project managers at GRD use a communication plan. Having a communication plan

not only with clients, but with the team as well is crucial to ensure everyone is on the right track

and knows what to do. With that, there should always be a contingency plan in place when

dealing with clients. Having a plan in case clients decide to change their expectations, or when

someone cannot complete the job accordingly, will reduce the odds of going over schedule.

Although all plans should be in place, it is time consuming to create and implement these plans.

However, not putting in the time to create these plans can be costly in the end.

In addition to project plans, only fifty-one percent of project managers create a project charter.

Project charters provide a shared understanding of the project, its goals, and the stakeholders

involved. Without this, there can be a lack of unity and understanding of what needs to be done

and can result in projects being over schedule and budget.

The issues regarding budgets and schedules should be reflected in team members evaluations. As

of right now, only thirteen percent of team members are evaluated by the budget and thirty-eight

35
percent are evaluated on efficiency. Evaluations show team members where they can improve in

future projects. Focusing on if they made the budget and if they worked efficiently enough to be

on time will show team members the importance of these subjects. Not evaluating team members

on these criteria could be a factor in projects being over budget and over schedule.

Section Four of Appendix A also discusses challenges regarding communication and scheduling.

Forty-six percent of project managers claimed that communication was the most difficult

challenge, while forty-four percent claimed that scheduling conflicts was the most difficult. Lack

of communication can cause errors and delays in projects that can prolong the timeline, causing

these projects to go over their time budget. In addition, having to wait for certain team members

to be available due to their schedule can also cause project to run over their time budget. This

can be the main cause of GRD projects running over time. Projects that go over their time budget

can also mean extra costs through resources, such as wages. Although the project must wait for

certain team members to be available, someone may have to be always observing the project.

The longer it runs, the more expensive manpower becomes.

We have also discovered that there are not enough management tools in place to control a

project. According to Section Five of Appendix A, seventy-seven percent of project managers

use a checklist to monitor their project. This is a great way to visualize everything that needs to

get done; however, there should be other tools in place to reduce confusion and further express

what needs to be done, in what time frame, and order. Forty-four percent claimed that they

implement a responsibility matrix as well. This is a great way of showing who needs to complete

which sections of the project, and who they can ask for assistance when needed. Having no

responsibility matrix can cause confusion regarding roles on the project. This combined with

their lack of communication can be the cause of projects being over budget and time. In addition,

36
only thirty-three percent of project managers use a Gantt chart. Every project manager that

creates a responsibility matrix should be making a Gantt chart as well to visualize when sections

of the project need to be completed. This adds certainty and reduces risk throughout a project.

GRDs issue of projects being over schedule could be caused my lack of management tools to

control them.

Another factor that could be influencing GRDs issues could be the numerous software in place to

monitor projects schedules and budgets. Fifty-four percent of project managers use Excel and

thirty-five percent use Microsoft Project to monitor project schedules. Sixty-nine percent use

excel and only thirteen percent use Microsoft Project to monitor project budget. Although these

are great resources for monitoring projects, having various software for projects can increases the

risk of confusion between team members.

GRD also has sixteen percent of their project managers not implementing a budget plan for their

projects. This is one of our main concerns. Without a budget plan, project managers do not have

an idea of how much they should be spending and how much they have left to spend. This can be

a large factor in twenty-two percent of their projects being over budget. To add, only fifty-six

percent of their project managers utilize a scheduling plan. With this, it is shocking that only

twenty-two percent of project are going over schedule. Not having a scheduling plan can cause

certain sections of a project to run over the time available, pushing other sections behind.

According to section five of appendix A, thirty-five percent of project managers choose to

provide progress report to their clients monthly. Seeing as one of their challenges was clients

changing their ideas on projects, only providing them with monthly updates can cause clients to

ask for numerous changes all at once. Scope changes can further push back a project, making it

over schedule. On that note, fifteen percent of managers claimed they provided clients with

37
weekly progress reports. This would reduce the amount of change requested by a client;

however, there are more project managers providing monthly or quarterly progress reports.

Scope change due to a lack of information to the client can be the cause of projects being over

budget and time.

GRD is also not monitoring risk during their project effectively. Only thirty-one percent of project

managers are double checking their work, and only thirty-nine percent develop responses to risks

found in projects. That means that sixty-nine percent of project managers are not double checking

their work to reduce the risk of error. In addition, sixty-one percent of project managers are not

developing responses to the risks found in projects. This lack of risk management can cause major

scope changes that effect the budgets and timelines of projects. To conclude, this can be a major

reason why projects are being completed over budget and over schedule.

After reviewing all the survey results, one of the main themes present is the lack of planning. The

main concern is the lack of budget and schedule planning; however, a change management plan,

communication plan, scope management plan, contingency plan, and a risk management plan are

keys for successful project execution. Another key theme was an issue with communication. This

includes a gap in education levels between project managers, how often they communicate, and

how they communicate. This also includes how often they communicate with their clients. GRD

Corporation should be hiring project managers with roughly the same education levels so there is

a common knowledge regarding best practices. They should know the importance of planning the

projects before execution. Project managers should also be communicating with everyone involved

as much as possible to reduce the risk of errors and major scope changes from clients. These two

themes are present throughout the entire survey.

38
 Recommendations
The first recommendation we have is to create clear and specific project management standards.

This should include the mandatory implementation of a project charter, responsibility matrix,

work breakdown structure, checklist, budget plan, risk management plan, scope management

plan, communication plan, contingency plan, and scheduling plan. This will be measured by

ensuring project managers that they will be evaluated on how many plans are created to reduce

any risk. Senior management will create a Specific Project Management Standards Guide that

states what needs to be completed before a project begins. This will be more time-consuming,

however in the long run GRD projects should be more efficient and organized. This can be

completed within a six-month time frame. This will include the time it takes to meet with all

senior management, look at what plans and tools they would like to implement, and create a

guide for all project managers. This will ensure project managers at GRD know what they need

to complete. The second recommendation is to schedule more frequent meetings with team

members and clients. This includes mandatory weekly meetings with clients as well as team

members. This will be measured through meeting agendas and meeting minutes. These

documents will be submitted to senior management as documentation of said meetings and

project managers will be evaluated on how many meetings were conducted. In addition, this can

be added to GRD Corporations Specific Project Management Standards Guide to ensure project

managers know that these documents are mandatory. This will also be quite time-consuming but

ensures everyone knows what their tasks are, and any necessary changes made by the client are

documented. This recommendation can be added to the six-month period given to the creation of

the Specific Project Management Standards Guide, as it should be included in the guide.

39
Our third recommendation is that GRD Corporation implement a certification program. Through

a course provided by GRD, project managers can complete their Project Management

Professional Certification and Project Management Certification for free. The objective is to aid

project managers to further their knowledge and increase their capabilities. GRD Corporation

will measure the success of this program through participation and successful certification rates.

This will be costly and time consuming as this program will be company funded; however,

having unified abilities throughout the company and making sure all project managers have

amplified skill sets will promote successful projects. Each project manager will have six months

to complete both programs and must be completed out of business hours. GRD Corporation has

full discretion on where they should direct their project managers to complete their certification.

This program will take one year for GRD to implement. They will have to find the necessary

funding, where they want to find the courses, and someone to run the program. In addition, they

will also have to promote and advertise these programs to their project managers. The goal of

this program is to have all of GRD Corporation’s project managers complete at least one

certification.

As a consulting firm, we take a profound interest in helping our clients to restore and reach their

maximum potential. With the application of these recommendations, we are confident that the

GRD corporation will benefit from them in the future and find satisfaction in their endeavors.

Recommendations are suggestions for future action(s). What should GRD do to reduce or eliminate the

problems your team has discovered in your analysis? To help you develop your recommendations, think

40
about them as mini projects. What’s the scope? Objectives? Deliverables? Risks? Milestones? Who needs

to do what?

At least two separate alternative recommendations or complementary recommendations are

required. These recommendations are to help GRD Corporation become more competitive and
improve their project management processes. I.e. how can they resolve the problems that you
identified?
Your recommendations need to be Specific, Measurable, Action oriented, Realistic and Time
oriented. We need details!

Each recommendation requires a minimum of five supporting explanations. These five

explanations will direct the company on how to implement your recommendations. Specific
dollar amounts are not required. You want to provide a detailed list of steps/activities that
GRD will have to perform to achieve their goals. Include a high-level timeline for your
implementation plan. Think of your recommendation/implementation plan as a way to pitch to
your client your consulting service for the next engagement without turning it into a 100% sales
pitch. You aim to convince your client that you know how to implement the proposed
recommendation and you will generate results to fix their problems. Be specific. Always keep in
mind what you are trying to solve at GRD.
♦ Prioritize your recommendations. What is most important? What needs to be done first? Why?
You can prioritize based on cost (the least expensive first?), time (the quickest first?) or
whatever other way you choose. Chapter 3 can give you some ideas on how to prioritize your
recommendations.
♦ Your goal is not to provide a breadth of recommendations but to look at your
recommendations in depth.

41
 References

Pinto, J. K. (2020). Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage (Fifth Edition).

Pearson Education.

42
 APPENDIX

43
 A. If you answered NO, how do you monitor your project’s schedule?

Number of Responses Response Percentage

No strict schedule 1/39 3%

Deadline/Calendar 5/39 13%
Scope document 1/39 3%
Meetings 1/39 3%

1. Do you use software to monitor your project’s budget?

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Yes 32/39 82%

No 6/39 15%

B. If yes, what software are you using? Please select all that apply.

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Excel 27/39 69%

Access 2/39 5%Appendix A – Survey

Tabulation
SECTION 1: POSITION

PROFILE

1. How long have you

worked in your current

position?

Number of Responses Response Per

Less than 1 year 6/39 15%

44
 1 to 5 years 22/39 56%

6 to 10 years 3/39 8%

10+ years 8/39 21%

2. Did you have project

management experience

prior to getting your

current position?

Number of Responses Response Percen

Yes 26/39 67%

No 13/39 33%

3. If answered yes to

question 2, how much

PM experience do you

have?

Number of Responses Response Per

Less than 1 year 2/39 5%

1 to 5 years 11/39 28%

6 to 10 years 6/39 15%

Over 10 years 7/39 18%

45
 4. How did you get into

project management?

Number of Resp

Natural Progression 13/39

Education 11/39

Promotion 3/39

General Interest 14/39

Other 5/39
(Opportunity
(Run own busin
(Had to appl
(Worked with fri

5. Do you have a Project

Management

Certificate?

Number of Responses

Yes 16/39

No 23/39

6. Do you have your PMP?

Number of Responses

Yes 8/39

No 31/39

46
 7. Is there a promotional

opportunity from your

current position to that

of a higher level?

Number of Responses

Yes 27/39

No 11/39

8. What is your highest

level of education?

(Please select only one

answer)

Number of Respon

Certificate 3/39

Diploma 6/39

Bachelors 18/39

Masters 11/39

Other 1/39
(Grade 10)

SECTION 2: HUMAN

RESOURCES

47
 1. How often do you

receive a performance

assessment? Please

check only ONE answer.

Number of

Only once per year 12

Only twice per year 11

Three or more times per year 9/

Never 7/

2. Does your company pay

for training

opportunities?

Number of Responses

Yes 34/39

No 2/39

3. Do you intend to pursue

further studies to

increase your

opportunities for

advancement?

Number of Responses

Yes 23/39

48
 No 16/39

4. If the answer to question

number 3 is “yes”,

when?

Number of Responses Response Perce

6 Months 5/39 13%

1 year 11/39 28%

2 years 7/39 18%

5 years 0/39 0%

5. Are you satisfied with

your salary and benefits

package?

Number of Responses

Yes 30/39

No 8/39

49
 6. Do you believe your

salary and benefits are

in accordance with your

workload?

Number of Responses

Yes 25/39

No 12/39

7. Do you feel your salary

and benefits are

comparable with similar

positions in other

organizations?

Number of Responses

Yes 29/39

No 6/39

8. What is your salary

range? (optional)

50
 Number of Resp

$40 000-$55 000 2/39

$55 000-$70 000 5/39

$70 000-$85 000 2/39

$85 000-$100 000 3/39

Over $100 000 14/39

SECTION 3: PROJECT

PLANNING

1. What types of projects

do you work on? Please

select all that apply.

Num

Commercial/Industrial Construction

Residential Construction

Government

Information Technology

Engineering

Human Resources

Operations

Event Planning

Consulting

Other

51
 (Clinic
(Busi
Digit

(Civ
(Intern
and stud
(Po
(T
(
(Oi
(Re
(Banq

2. How many people are

involved in a current

single project? Please

select only one answer.

Number of Respo

1-20 people 22/39

20-50 people 9/39

50-100 people 6/39

100-500 people 1/39

500-1000 people 0/39

1000-2000 people 1/39

2000-5000 people 0/39

Over 5000 people 0/39

52
 3. Does your company have

any specific Project

Management standards

to follow?

Number of Responses

Yes 17/39

No 22/39

4. If you answered yes to

Question 3, can you

please describe the

standards? For example,

are they based on PMI,

Prince, other?

Number of R

PMI 10/3
Company 2/3
Client 1/3
Provincial Government 1/3

5. What plans did you

develop for your current

53
 project? Please select all

that apply.

Numb

Budget Plan

Change Management Plan

Risk Management Plan

Scope Management Plan

Quality Management Plan

Procurement Plan

Scheduling Plan

Human Resources Plan

Communication Plan

Contingency Plan

Other
(Ex
(Stakeho

(Sm
(Did
(Was no

6. Do you have a Project

Sponsor for your

project?

Number of Responses

Yes 21/39

No 18/39

54
 7. Did you develop a

Project Charter for your

project?

Number of Responses

Yes 19/39

No 20/39

8. Did you develop a

critical path for your

project?

Number of Responses

Yes 29/39

No 10/39

9. What Project

Management tools are

used to plan your

project? Please select all

that apply.

Number of Resp

Checklists 30/39

55
 Responsibility Matrix 18/39

WBS 14/39

Flowcharts 17/39

Gantt Charts 18/39

Other 6/39
(Did not speci
(Monday.com
(Raid Logs
(Cost Control sprea
(MS Project

10. What software are you

using to plan your

project? Please select all

that apply.

Number of Resp

Excel 30/39

Access 2/39

None 1/39

MS Project 15/39

Primavera 3/39

Other 10/39
(Industry spec
application-i.e. Paso

56
 (Microsoft Wo
(PowerPoin
(Monday.com
(PowerBI)
(Apple Page
(Tableau, Figm
(Pason EDR
(Jonas Club Manag
(Custom)
(Phone, Daytim
(Sage 100)

11. What are the potential

constraints on your

project? Please select all

that apply.

Number of R

Time 37/3

Scope 18/3

Environmental 13/3

Limited by material resources 14/3

Government Legislation 9/3

Budget limitations 23/3

Market impact 9/3

Quality requirements 10/3

Labour shortage 13/3

Other internal/external factors 12/3

57
 12. How are risks identified

for your projects? Please

select all that apply.

Please explain other.

Number of Responses Response

Brainstorming 30/39 7

Expert Opinion 24/39 6

Lessons learned documents 18/39 4

Other 9/39 2
(Third Party Validation)
(No risk)
(Risk analysis)
(At launch)
(Operational Constraints)
(Manager/Team Meeting)
(Time and Quality Control)

13. How involved are your

stakeholders in the

planning process?

Number of Resp

1 2/39

2 3/39

3 10/39

4 15/39

58
 5 9/39

14. For your current

project, how are you

planning to

communicate with your

stakeholders? For

example, meetings email

or texting?

Number of R

Email 29/3

Phone 3/3

Site Visit 5/3

Video and Conference Calls 8/3

Meetings 36/3

Text Message 6/3

Letter 1/3

Client Portal 1/3

SECTION 4: TEAM

MANAGEMENT

59
 1. Did you select the people

on your current project

team?

Number of Responses

Yes 30/39

No 9/39

A. If you answered

YES to Question

1, how did you

determine who

was going to be

on your team?

Number of

Interviewing 22/3
Experience 8/3
Recommendations 5/3
Skills sets 16/3

B. If you answered

NO to Question 1,

a. Who

selected

60
 your

team?

Number

PMO

Management/Supervisor

Project team member volunteered

Functional managers

Project Manager

Project Sponsor

Other

b. How did

they select

the team?

Number of R

Experience 5/3
Work availability 4/3
Expertise 2/3

2. How often does your

project team meet?

Number of Respons

Daily 10/39

Weekly 20/39

61
 Twice a month 5/39

Monthly 4/39

Quarterly 0/39

Other 0/39

3. How often does your

project team receive

progress reports?

Number of Respons

Daily 4/39

Weekly 19/39

Twice a month 1/39

Monthly 10/39

Quarterly 4/39

Other 1/39
(Twice a year)

4. How are the team

assignments broken

down?

Number of Respon

Expertise 20/39

62
 By time 2/39

By job description 15/39

By task (WBS) 11/39

Management decides 3/39

Other 1/39
(Capacity to tackle
problem)

5. Are team members

evaluated at the end

of the project?

Number of Responses

Yes 25/39

No 14/39

6. If you answered YES

to Question 5, how

are team members

evaluated? Please

explain.

Number of Responses Response

Productivity 20/39 5
Budget 5/39 1
Progress 7/39 1
Results 3/39 8

63
 Efficiency 15/39 3

7. What are the most

difficult challenges

working with your

project team? Please

select all that apply.

Number o

Team cohesiveness 11

Communication 18
Personalities 11

Under qualified team members 4

Scheduling conflicts 17

Other 3
(Scope and p

SECTION 5: PROJECT

EXECUTION AND

MONITORING

64
 2. What challenges do you

face in executing the

project? Please select all

that apply.

Number of

Resource change 13/

Budget/costs changes 23/

Scope changes 18/

Team issues 6/3

Environment 11/

Scheduling 20/

Client expectations change 11/

Communication 6/3

Technical problems 17/

Other 1/3
(Conflicting

65
 3. What Project

Management tools are

used to monitor your

project? Please select all

that apply.

Number of Resp

Checklists 30/39

Responsibility Matrix 17/39

WBS 11/39

Flowcharts 11/39

Gantt Charts 13/39

Other 5/39
(Jira)
(Excel)
(Pivot chart
(Monday)

4. Do you use software to

monitor your project’s

schedule?

Number of Responses

Yes 31/39

No 8/39

66
 B. If yes, what

software are

you using?

Please select

all that apply.

Number of Resp

Excel 21/39

Access 3/39

MS Project 14/39

Primavera 1/39

Other 2/39
(Monday)

MS Project 5/39 13%

Primavera 1/39 3%

Other 6/39 15%

(Podio)
(QuickBooks)
(SAP Bariba)
(Epicor)
(Custom Software)

C. If you answered NO, how do you monitor your project’s budget?

67
 Number of Responses Response Percentage

Extension of time 2/39 5%

Maintenance 3/39 8%

Notebook 1/39 3%

5. What plans do you use to monitor your project? Please select all that apply.

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Budget Plan 29/39 74%

Change Management Plan 20/39 51%

Risk Management Plan 20/39 51%

Scope Management Plan 21/39 54%

Quality Management Plan 17/39 44%

Procurement Plan 6/39 15%

Scheduling Plan 22/39 56%

Human Resources Plan 6/39 15%

Communication Plan 12/39 31%

Contingency Plan 12/39 31%

Other 2/39 5%
(Execution plan)
(Tracking)

68
 6. How often do you meet with your client?

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Daily 2/39 5%

Weekly 6/39 15%

Twice a month 2/39 5%

Monthly 12/39 31%

Quarterly 11/39 28%

Other 6/39 15%

(Beginning)
(End)
(Duration)
(Public)
(Never)

7. How often do you meet with your project sponsor?

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Daily 2/39 5%

Weekly 3/39 8%

Twice a month 4/39 10%

Monthly 7/39 18%

Quarterly 21/39 54%

Other 2/39 5%
(Biweekly)
(Never)

69
 8. How often does your client receive progress reports?

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Daily 2/39 5%

Weekly 6/39 15%

Twice a month 2/39 5%

Monthly 13/39 33%

Quarterly 10/39 26%

Other 5/39 13%

(N/A)
(Upon request)
(Never)
(2-3 times a week)
(Randomly)

9. How often does your project sponsor receive progress reports?

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Daily 1/39 3%

Weekly 4/39 10%

Twice a month 5/39 13%

Monthly 14/39 36%

Quarterly 13/39 33%

Other 2/39 5%
(Never)

70
 10. How do you handle changes to your project scope?

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Plan ahead 6/39 15%

Budget of client 2/39 5%

Understand need for change 54%

21/39

RFI 2/39 5%

Contingencies 8/39 21%

11. How do you monitor risk during your project?

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Double check 12/39 31%

Risk register 8/39 21%

Audits/meetings 4/39 10%

Develop responses 15/39 39%

12. Is there a post-project assessment for your projects?

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Yes 31/39 80%

No 8/39 21%

71
 13. What does your company do with the assessment? Please select all that apply.

Number of Responses Response Percentages

Filed away/never used 1/39 3%

Used when planning new projects 27/39 69%

Given to client 6/39 15%

Used for future training 1/39 3%

Placed with the PMO 20/39 51%

Given to project team 5/39 13%

Don’t know 8/39 21%

Other 1/39 3%
(Reviewed with project
team)

14. Describe closing out processes used for your projects.

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Senior management 2/39 5%

Functionality 8/39 21%

Close out package 10/39 24%

72
 Management approval 17/39 44%

Document updated 2/39 5%

15. How do you know your projects have been successful? Please explain.

Number of Responses Response Percentage

Senior management satisfaction 17/39 44%

Project sponsors 3/39 8%

On budget/Schedule 6/39 15%

Objective accomplished 8/39 21%

Profit 5/39 13%

73