Free «Project Management» Essay Paper

Overview of the project

After raising HK$ 100 million via Alumina, this project management plan aims as strategizing how the money will be used to convert the top most three floor of Chan Tai Building into a high tech micro-biochemical research centre with the aim of tying in with the University’s future development. The plan also aims at accomplishing project construction goals and objectives within a defined budget along with time parameters. It also tries to craft the most favorable and secure agreement between the universities along with the selected vendors. The successful completion of this project will depend on the allocation of both human and physical resources towards the completion of the same.

Abstract

The University of Hong Kong has received HK$ 100 million from the university’s alumni program. This money is aimed at funding the conversion of the topmost three floors of the Chan Tai building into a high tech biochemical research centre. This is part of the ongoing University campaign to tie itself with the future developments of the institution. Under the current time and scope constraints, the project is set to cover a period of one year before its completion and will require an additional HK$ 10 million for its completion.

 

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Introduction

Purpose of the plan

The Hong Kong Hi-tech Bio-chemical Research Centre Project Plan will provide a definition of the project as well as the project’s goal and objectives. In addition, the plan will act as an agreement between the various stakeholders in the project inclusive of the project sponsor which is the alumni program of Hong Kong University, the steering committee, the project manager, the project team as well as the other personnel directly or indirectly involved in the project.

The project plan defines:

• Purpose of the project
• The goals and objectives of the project
• The scopes and expectations of the project
• Roles and responsibilities among the key stakeholders
• The assumptions and constraints
• The project management approach
• The project’s ground rules.
• The budget of the project
• Project timeline
• The conceptual design of the new project

Background information/available alternatives

So far, the education sector has had the greatest impact in terms of technological advances and innovation. This is one of the key reasons why major institutions globally are aiming to become the best in the field of research and developments through the useful incorporation of modern technology. With respect to this, it is not surprising that millions and millions are being spent every day to finance expansion programs of the existing facilities while at the same time trying to develop new facilities in the field of scientific research and development. This is with an overall goal of improving the competitiveness of major institutions in the field of research as well as aligns the strategy of the institution in line with key future demands.

Project approach

• Phase I: secure agreement among the key stakeholders (sponsors and project team)
• Phase II: Architectural design of the project
• Phase III: Conduct project operations
• Phase IV. Project completion and implementation

Goals and Objectives

• Improve the position of the institution in the field of research and development.
• Enhance institution based programs in scientific innovations and programs.
• Improve the resource disposal to the students hence improve the utilization of the same in learning.
• Eliminate the key strains on the existing facilities of the institutions
• Facilitate the incorporation of high quality research projects through the use of ultra-modern equipments in bio-chemical research.
• Improve the social status of the institution in both the academic field as well as the field of research and development.

Scope

Scope definition

The project will introduce new technologies among them;

• finger print solutions                                
• biometric solution
• automatic systems
• control systems
• Uninterruptable power supply systems
• computer rooms
• control rooms
• emergency lighting
• drive controls and automation
• turnstiles
• hand scanners
• smart card biometrics
• Biometric IT security systems
• time and attendance biometric solutions

Items beyond scope

The project does not include

• The upgrade of the existing facilities in the research field of the institution
• Replacement of the existing facilities in research and development

Projected budget

The estimated cost of the project is HK$ 1050 million. This is inclusive of the entire project requirement as well as the project service plan after the completion of the project which is to be undertaken within a period not less than one year. The initial funding from the alumni program was HK$ 100 million. The rest of the funding will come from both the institution’s set aside financial allocation which is to be approved by the chairman of the board as well as the general sponsorship form the various key stakeholders and interest parties in the project. Resource allocation in the project is to be based on merit thus preference is to be given to the most calling task. The architectural designing of the project is to undertaken by the Shanghai Inc. at an estimate cost of HK$ 10 million. This is inclusive of the initial stages of the transformation process a process which will set the projected pace of the project.

Risk Assessment

The initial risk assessment is aimed at identifying, characterizing and prioritizing a mitigating approach relative to those risks that can be identified prior to the start of the project. The process of risk assessment is to be closely monitored throughout the various phases of the project inclusive of monthly assessment which will be open to amendments by the project manager. The overall task of the project manager is to convey amendments and recommendations to the steering committee through the set time frame or any other recommended frequency when the situation warrants such.

Assumptions

The following are some of the assumptions that were made in the preparation of this of this project plan:

• The university management will ensure that the project team members are always available whenever needed to ensure that the projects task and objective is completed.
• The steering committee will participate in the timely execution of the project plan; this will include things like timely approval cycles as well as meeting whenever required.
• Whenever there is a failure to identify changes in drafting deliverables within the time specified in the project time line, the end results will be a delay in project completion.
• project team members will always adhere to the communication plans
• Both upper and mid management will always be fostering support and even ‘buy in’ of project goals as well as goals.
• The University and education ministry will ensure technological infrastructure that will support the new a high-tech micro-biochemical research center            the project team structure.
• All project participants will adhere to the guidelines that are identified in this plan.
• The project plan might change as new information and issues are revealed.

Constraints

This project will be faced by the following constraints:

• Time constraint: The projected time frame for the completion of the project is one year inclusive of the outstanding factors that may limit the completion of the same within the specified time.
• Budget constraint: The institution has no valid alternatives on the limited budget available to finance the project. However as set by the budget team in the absence of other miscellaneous expenses, the allocated budget is capable of funding the project to its completion.

Critical Barriers

This includes insurmountable issues that in one way or the other might destruct the initiatives of the project. They include:

• Funding of the project: The key stakeholders included in the budget plan for of the project may at any one time withdraw the funding of the project a situation that will greatly affect the achievement of the project’s goals and objectives.
• Miscellaneous emergencies: Throughout the various phases of the project, there is the likelihood of the project being affected by negative externalities and natural calamities this affecting the normal execution of the project plan. Such occurrences would entail more funding of the project to cover for the damages as well as an extension of the period set for the completion of the project.

Project management approach

Project timeline

The set time frame for the completion of this project is a period not exceeding 12 months.

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Project roles and responsibilities

Project sponsor:

• He is the ultimate decision maker as well as the tie breaker for the project
• Provides the project’s guidance and oversight throughout the various phases of the project
• Reviews and approves occurring issues throughout the project period

Steering committee

• This is responsible for the commitment of departmental resources.
• Responsible for the approval of major funding for the project as well as other resource allocation strategies significant to the completion of the project
• Mandated to resolve conflicts as well as other miscellaneous issues in the project
• Give directions to the project manager and review the project deliverables

Project manager

• Manage the entire project as per the guidelines provided in the project plan
• Serve as a liaison to the steering committee as well as between the upper management and the project team.
• Receive guidance from the steering team with regards t project changes.
• Supervise consultants and vendors throughout the project.
• Act as the leader and head by directing the project team towards the achievements of the project’s goals and objectives.
• Manage the budget of the project while at the same time handling problem resolution within the project.

Project participants

• Act as consumer advocates in the project.
• Communicate the goals and objectives of the project to the personnel in the area of operation.
• Review and approve project deliverables.
• Coordinate the internal process within the various phases of the project to stakeholders, individuals and work groups.
• Provide skills and recommendations in the completion of the project.
• Ensure that the project achieves the long term quality output that it is designated to achieve.

Team Structure

The team will employ decentralized structure which will shave several individuals who will be responsible for making team decisions as well as running the team. It will entirely depend on team environment at different levels in the structure. People placed at different levels of the structure will be having some sought of autonomy in making business decisions. The three hierarchical levels will be headed by sponsors, steering committee and project managers.   this structure will be chosen based on the fact that, it will provide the opportunity of utilizing indi9viduals’ with diversified expertise as well as knowledge in the process of running various team operations. A very board team structure will be much essential in the process of ensuring that the company has knowledgeable directors or managers in handling team’s operations.

On the other hand, this structure will make the team to keep on struggling with multiple individuals whom in one way or the other will be having different opinions concerning the project. As such, this team will be facing the difficulty in the process of trying to get everyone on the same page when decisions are being made.

However, information contained in this project plan will likely change during project implementation; due to the fact that changes will be certain and much required, it is much important to note that, any changes that will occur in one way or the other will affect time availability, resource availability as well as project quality. Decisions concerning project modification will be coordinated through the following process.

After identification of change that impacts project scope, schedule or even staffing or spending, it will be the responsibility of the manager to document the issue. At this point, it will be his responsibility to review the issue of change and determine the impacts that will be associated with the change on the project, who will then forward the issue plus recommendations to the steering committee to make some reviews and make decisions. After receiving this document, it will be the responsibility of the committee to reach at a consensus on whether the report will be approved, reject, or modified depending on the information contained in the team website or manager’s recommendation alongside their own judgment. In case the steering committee is unable to reach at a conclusive consensus on the approval, denial or modification, the issue will then be moved to the project sponsors, accompanied with a written summation of the issues for ultimate resolution.

In case required under matrix or due to lack of consensus, the project sponsors shall be charged with the responsibility of reviewing the concerned issues. At this level, they are the once in a position of rendering the final decision on the approval or deny the changes.  Following an approval or denial, by either steering committee or the sponsors, the project manager will then notify the original change requestor about the actions taken. In one way or the other, it is a no appeal process.

Communication Methodology

For effective communication within the team, the methodology utilizes three directions for effective and efficient communication. It will involve:

• Top down Communication: it is much crucial to all participants in such project sense the support of the executive as well as guidance for such effort. University Alumina needs to speak out in a unified, enthusiastic voice about the project and what it holds for every one that is involve. In case it becomes successful, this will be hands on change management. The executive will not only be speaking to all levels, of the team, it will at a time also need to listen directly to all other levels of the team as well.
• Bottom-Up: in the process of ensuring buy-in as well confidence of all personnel involved in bring proposed changes to reality; it will hold more water to communicate the way through which solutions were reached upon. If the team’s perception is that only the steering committee or sponsored created the proposed changes, there will be some sort of resistance. However, if it is understood that participants were all engaged in decision making process, accepting will be more promising.
• Middle Out: “Full support at all levels, where the changes will have to be implemented, is important to sustainable improvement. At this level (as with all levels), there must be an effort to find and communicate the specific benefits of the changes. People need a personal stake in the success of the project management practices.”

Work Breakdown Structure

• project management and Quality Assurance: this will involve the creation of project management along with support office; coming up with control, reporting and monitoring strategies; providing support to the project steering committee by putting in place review group, quality cell, along with quality assurance. This step will also involve risk along with configuration management and planning for future phases.
• Initial work: this will involve initial activities in the process of collecting and preparing input documents before starting the main project. this will involve cleaning up phase one deliverables, comparing other consolidated architecture, as well as identifying institutional constrains to target architecture.
• Operational Scenarios and Use Cases: entails elaborating operational scenarios for target dates that are represented in the architecture. Along with production of related use cases.
• Logical Architecture Development: this will start with logical architecture that is delivered in phase 1, and meets the need of developing operational scenarios and use cases. In this process, on-going architectural works as well as the legacy systems of stakeholders ought to be taken into consideration. This includes production of module interaction diagrams module definition refinement, elaboration of module services which are under non-nominal situations, determination of required standards of service, identifying and agreeing on services interface among other things.
• Non-Functional Requirements: this will be much helpful in the process of determining required service quality to be applied in the research center. 
• Distributed system support: involves identifying requirements that supports the process of distributing systems. It entails cross-domain synchronization principles, as well as demonstration of their feasibility.
•  Evolution & Transition: this entails “Mapping between Operational Improvements) and Architecture’s modules and services; refinement of System Enablers descriptions to reflect the Architecture; delivery of the Architecture Evolution Plan for research center reflecting the Alumina Strategy Roadmap”
• Validation: this will be the initial validation of the resulting architecture which involves validation methodology development, as well as validation of typical engineering model, via use case application, along with experimentation by the use of prototyping the cross-domain synchronization of the proposed mechanism.
• Safety implications: it involves policy, methodological and safety plane development, which will be applied in the project implementation, along with safety implication of architectural assessment through engineering model assessment.

Communications outreach

Monthly status report:

It is the duty of the project managers to provide monthly written status reports regarding the various operations taking place in the project while at the same time providing recommendations for the best possible course of action. These monthly reports will b provided to the steering committee and will include the following;

• Summary of tasks completed in previous month
• Summary of tasks scheduled for completion in the next month
• Summary of issue status and resolutions

Monthly meeting of the steering committee

This meeting will be coordinated by the project manager and will take place at least once per month. It is the duty of every steering committee member to participate and ensure attendance to these meeting. The project manager will send status reports to each and every member of the steering committee prior to the meeting so that each member is fully aware of the current situation with respect to the project.

Bi-monthly project team status meeting

This meeting will take place at least twice a month and will include all the team members involved in the project. It is the duty of the project manager to send the status report of the project every team member so that they can review it in advance.