Addis Ababa University School of Commerce

Supported Distance Education Program

Tutor’s comments and score form (TCS)

NOTE: Attach two copies that are eligible

SECTION 1: To be completed by the student.

Name: Mesfin Zeleke Hunegnaw Course Title: Project Planning & Scheduling

ID. No: GSD/7763/15 TMA No:2

Tel: +2510921401454 Tutor’s Name:

SECTION 2: Marks for Each Part of the TMA

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Total Score

TUTOR’S GENERAL COMMENTS AND ADVICE TO STUDENT:

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Project time management is one of the core areas of concern for project managers. It is
concerned with developing and managing project schedule. Clearly identify and discuss
activities (steps) involved in project schedule development. (10 points)

Below are the main steps or activities that need to be followed.

Step 1: Review all information relating to time management that serves as a basis of
defining each activity.

This can be done by breaking down the project into smaller components or work packages. Each
work package should represent a specific deliverable or outcome that needs to be achieved. Once
all work packages have been identified, they can be further broken down into individual tasks.

Step 2: Support each element of the project scope, as defined in the WBS, by an activity or
activities.

This means that every deliverable or outcome identified in the work breakdown structure (WBS)
should have a corresponding task or set of tasks that need to be completed to achieve it. For
example, if one of the deliverables in the WBS is to create a new website for a company, the
tasks required to achieve this deliverable may include designing the website layout, developing
the website functionality, and testing the website for usability and functionality

Step 3: Define activities uniquely; include a verb, at least one object, and useful clarifying
objectives.

For example, instead of simply stating "create website layout," a more unique definition could be
"design website layout using Adobe Photoshop software to create a visually appealing and user-
friendly interface that meets client specifications

Step 4: Define the activity list.

An activity list is a document that includes all the scheduled activities that are part of a project.
Each activity includes one or more tasks that, once completed, allows everyone working on the
project to move on to the next stage. Each activity has a clearly defined start date and deadline.

Step 5: Determine and record the order in which the activities will be performed.

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This involves creating a sequence of tasks that logically follows from one to the next, taking into
account any dependencies or constraints that may exist. For example, if one activity cannot be
started until another is completed, this must be reflected in the sequence of tasks.

Step 6: Develop initial activity sequence independent of resource availability.

The purpose of developing an initial activity sequence is to establish a framework for the project
plan that can be refined and adjusted as more information becomes available. This initial
sequence helps identify the critical path of the project and provides a starting point for
scheduling and resource allocation.

Step 7: Apply discretionary dependencies to address resource availability.

Applying discretionary dependencies involves identifying tasks that can be rearranged or

rescheduled to optimize the use of available resources. For example, if a particular resource is
only available during certain times of the day, tasks that require that resource can be scheduled
during those times.

Another way to address resource availability is to identify tasks that can be done in parallel or
that have some flexibility in their start and end dates. This can help reduce the impact of resource
constraints on the overall project timeline.

Step 8: In order to determine duration of each activity consider availability and

productivity of each resource.

Availability refers to the amount of time that a resource is available to work on the project. For
example, if a team member is only available to work on the project part-time, their availability
will impact the duration of any activities that they are involved in. Similarly, if a piece of
equipment is only available for a certain number of hours per day, this will need to be taken into
account when estimating the duration of activities that require that equipment.

Productivity refers to the efficiency and effectiveness of a resource in completing the task. For
example, if a team member is highly skilled and experienced in a particular area, they may be
able to complete tasks more quickly than someone who is less experienced. Similarly, if a piece
of equipment is older and less efficient, it may take longer to complete tasks that require that
equipment.

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Step 9: Include two mandatory milestones: Project Start & Project Finish.

The Project Start milestone represents the official start of the project. This may be the date that
the project team is assembled, the kickoff meeting is held, or the project charter is signed. It is
important to clearly define the Project Start milestone to ensure that everyone involved in the
project understands when the project officially begins.

The Project Finish milestone represents the official end of the project. This may be the date that
the final deliverables are submitted, the project is launched, or the project is closed out. Like the
Project Start milestone, it is important to clearly define the Project Finish milestone to ensure
that everyone involved in the project understands when the project is expected to be completed.

Step 10: Link each activity in the schedule and calculate early and late start and finish
dates

Once we've linked all the activities in this way, we’ll be able to determine the early and late start
and finish dates for each activity in our schedule.

The early start date (ES) is the earliest possible date that an activity can begin based on the start
and finish dates of the activities that precede it. To calculate the ES for an activity, you need to
look at the ES of the activity that comes before it and add the duration of that activity.

The late start date (LS) is the latest possible date that an activity can begin without delaying the
entire project. To calculate the LS for an activity, you need to subtract the duration of the activity
from the LS of the activity that follows it.

The early finish date (EF) is the earliest possible date that an activity can be completed, based on
the ES and duration of the activity. To calculate the EF for an activity, you need to add the
duration of the activity to the ES of that activity.

The late finish date (LF) is the latest possible date that an activity can be completed without
delaying the entire project. To calculate the LF for an activity, you need to subtract the duration
of the activity from the LF of the activity that follows i

1. You are a newly appointed project manager with a project

management consultancy. Your first assignment is to manage project of
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 the programmed replacement of a production line in a local factory.
The production line assembles electronic components. In order to
minimize disruption to production, the upgrading works are to take
place in several phases (work packages). Each phase of the work
involves closing down the production line, stripping out parts of the
line and replacing that section with new equipment. The main people
involved in the project management process are:

 the project manager;

 the production manager (responsible for production output)
 external electrical and mechanical engineers, as design consultants;
 external specialist contractors, as installers and commissioners;
 external specialist domestic and nominated engineering subcontractors;
 external specialist suppliers (of all equipment);
 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE);
 local authority inspectors (LAIs).

A total of 50 employees work on the production line. These people will

be temporarily laid off on full pay while the line is closed down for
upgrading. The contractor and design engineers have indicated that it
should be possible to complete the works in nine phases (work packages),
each requiring a one-week shut down.
For each phase, the main work elements will be the following:

 Shut down production line (production manager).

 Remove old section (main contractor).
 Upgrade and test electrical supplies (engineering
subcontractors).
 Install new production line section (main
contrakctor).
 Commission and test (main contractor
 Approvals and acceptance (HSE, LAI, production
manager).

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The factory owners clearly wish to keep downtime to a minimum. It is
therefore very important that good quality-management systems are
put in place in order to avoid any errors or problems that may lead to
delays or interruptions that could have been avoided. Another early
requirement is the development of a schedule in order to allow time
estimates to be made for each work package and for the project as a
whole. Schedules can typically be based on either the critical path
method (CPM) or the program evaluation and review technique (PERT).
Table below shows PERT values for the various work packages that are
involved in the project.

Work Optimistic Most likely Pessimistic

package estimate estimate estimate
(Months) (Months) (Months)
A-B 4 8 12
B-C 4 12 20
B-D 8 12 16
B-E 8 16 24
C-F 4 20 32
D-F 8 16 24
E-F 8 16 24
F-G 4 12 20
G-H 8 12 16

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 a . Develop a precedence (network) diagram for the project. (2 points)

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) is a visual project management tool used to create
project schedules. It is also known as Activity On Node (AON) diagramming method. PDM
represents tasks and their dependencies through nodes and arrows, allowing project managers to
easily visualize task relationships, durations, and critical paths. PDM can help project managers to
identify the critical path of a project and adjust schedules accordingly to ensure timely
completion.

b . Identify the critical path and determine the expected completion time for the
project (2 points)

Critical Path: The sequence of critical activities in a network is called

critical
path. The critical path is the longest path in the network from the
starting
event to ending event and defines the minimum time required to

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 complete
the project.

In PERT calculation, all values are used to obtain the percent expected value.
1. Expected time (te)– It is the average time an activity will take if it were to be repeated
on large number of times and is based on the assumption that the activity time follows
Beta distribution, this is given by

te = (to + 4 tm + tp) / 6

to - Optimistic estimate (Months), tm - Most likely estimate (Months), tp – Pessimistic

estimate (Months)

Using this following formula for expected time we can calculate and find the following
result.

Optimistic Most likely Pessimistic

Activity(work Expected
estimate estimate estimate
package) Time (Months)
(Months) (Months) (Months)
A-B 4 8 12 8
B-C 4 12 20 12
B-D 8 12 16 12
B-E 8 16 24 16
C-F 4 20 32 19.33333333
D-F 8 16 24 16
E-F 8 16 24 16
F-G 4 12 20 12
G-H 8 12 16 12

The longest or critical path would be A  B EFGH

(which is 99.33 months)

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 C. Compute ES, EF, LS, and LF and slack time for each activity (or work package) (4
points)

The ES, EF, LS, and LF as well as the slack time are summarized in the table below.
Activity Optimistic Most Pessimistic Expected Earliest Latest Time Slack time
(work estimate likely estimate time Time
package) (Months) estimate (Months)
(Months)
Start Finish Start Finish
(ES) (EF) (LS) (LF)
A-B 4 8 12 8 0 8 0 8 0
B-C 4 12 20 12 8 20 8.68 20.68 0.68
B-D 8 12 16 12 8 20 12 24 4
B-E 8 16 24 16 8 24 8 24 0
C-F 4 20 32 19.3333333 20 39.3 20.68 40 0.68
D-F 8 16 24 16 20 44 24 40 4
E-F 8 16 24 16 24 40 24 40 0
F-G 4 12 20 12 40 52 40 52 0
G-H 8 12 16 12 52 64 52 64 0

d. Compute variances for each path. (4 points)

The variance is summarized in the table below.

Optimistic Most likely Pessimistic

Variance
Activity (work package) estimate (To) estimate estimate (Tp)
σ2 = [(tp – to)/6]2
(Months) (Months) (Months)
A-B 1 2 3 0.111111111
B-C 1 3 5 0.444444444
B-D 2 3 4 0.111111111
B-E 2 4 6 0.444444444
C-F 1 5 8 1.361111111
D-F 2 4 6 0.444444444
E-F 2 4 6 0.444444444
F-G 1 3 5 0.444444444

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G-H 2 3 4 0.111111111

The company board has indicated that the production line upgrade must be completed
and fully operational within 54 months. Determine the probability of completing a project
within this time framework. (Hint: You can make normal distribution assumption). (3 points)

To determine the probability of completing a project within a 54 months, we use the

following steps
Determine length of critical path
i)
In this project the length of critical path is 64 months
Determine standard deviation for the critical path
ii)
Variance for the critical path for this project is 3.91
Standard deviation for the critical path of this project will be =√3.91=1.98
iii)
Determine Z-SCORE assuming normal distribution
Z-score= X-µ/ SD

=54-64/1.98 = -5.05

Calculating this from the z table, the probability of completing the project
in 54 months is 98.1%.

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