Introduction
This week we’ll be focusing our attention on project schedule management. Project schedule management is the process of defining, planning, tracking, and controlling the tasks and milestones that make up a project. It involves creating a timeline for the project and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be assigned to team members. Effective project schedule management helps ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget. It also helps to identify and resolve any potential issues or roadblocks that may arise during the project.
There are several tools and techniques that can be used to manage a project schedule, including:
Gantt charts: These are graphical representations of a project’s tasks and milestones, and their relationships to one another. They can be used to visualize the project timeline, assign tasks to team members, and track progress.
Critical path method (CPM): This is a mathematical algorithm that is used to determine the minimum amount of time required to complete a project. It involves breaking the project down into smaller tasks and identifying the dependencies between them.
PERT charts: Similar to Gantt charts, PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) charts are graphical representations of a project’s tasks and milestones. They are used to identify the critical path of a project and to analyze potential risks and issues that may arise.
Earned value management (EVM): This is a technique used to measure the progress of a project in terms of cost and schedule. It involves comparing the actual cost and schedule performance of the project to the planned values and using this information to forecast the future performance of the project.
Sources:
PMI. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute.
Gray, C. F., & Larson, E. W. (2014). Project Management: The Managerial Process (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (12th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Enabling Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the unit, the learner will be able to:
Apply network planning and replanning to eliminate the need for crisis management and shorten the critical path of a project. (CLO1 and 2)
Demonstrate the ability to create PERT/CPM charts that layout project tasks and milestones; illustrate interdependence between activities; and determine the minimum time necessary to complete a project. (CLO2)
Develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent bottlenecking in projects. (CLO2 and 5)
Requirements
The initial post should be prepared as a Word document, and then attached to the discussion thread. While the instructor is at liberty to prescribe the format for this assignment, in the absence of such guidance, you will be expected to use good professional judgment in the construction of this posting.
Peer responses should not be attached to a posting but should be typed directly into the discussion thread.
Should outside sources be used to support the content within the postings, proper in-text citations and correctly formatted references should be prepared consistent with the APA (6th edition).
The list of references should be physically positioned at the end of the postings.
Refer to the Discussion Rubric for grading criteria.
Quality of responses
You are expected to carefully read the assignment instructions, then thoroughly and explicitly address each and every component of the assignment.
Your responses should reflect cognitive processing at the knowledge, understanding/comprehension, and application levels, which are essential for someone being prepared to serve in a supervisory/first line management position within the healthcare and related industry.
Formatting
There are no minimum number of references being prescribed for the successful completion of this assignment; however, should outside sources be used in support the content within the PowerPoint slides, proper in-text citations and correctly formatted references should be prepared consistent with the American Psychological Association (APA) writing standards. Review the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) academic integrity policy located in the “Help” section of this page to determine when it is appropriate to cite sources.
The PowerPoint slides should be limited to 10 slides, including a title and references slide. Your slide deck should be prepared as a Microsoft PowerPoint document that is saved as a pdf file and attached in the Week 8 discussion thread. Resources to aid you in developing a PowerPoint slide deck are provided in the “Help” section on this page.
Formatting
There are no minimum number of references being prescribed for the successful completion of this assignment; however, should outside sources be used in support the content within the PowerPoint slides, proper in-text citations and correctly formatted references should be prepared consistent with the American Psychological Association (APA) writing standards. Review the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) academic integrity policy located in the “Help” section of this page to determine when it is appropriate to cite sources.
The PowerPoint slides should be limited to 10 slides, including a title and references slide. Your slide deck should be prepared as a Microsoft PowerPoint document that is saved as a pdf file and attached in the Week 8 discussion thread. Resources to aid you in developing a PowerPoint slide deck are provided in the “Help” section on this page.
Directions
Read the Case Study: ABC Museum. Once you have read the case, you will need to explicitly address the assignment requirements as presented in the boxed content below. To successfully meet the performance expectations associated with the case assignment, you will be assuming the persona of the Dr. Chase, Project Manager and Senior Museum Curator, and preparing a PowerPoint slide deck to be presented to your upcoming project meeting. During this meeting, you will go over the results from your PERT analysis and the critical pathway from the project. Before the slide deck is presented to the meeting, you plan to provide a copy of the draft document of the PowerPoint slides to a couple of your peers for review and constructive feedback. The draft slide deck will be attached to the Week 6 discussion thread.
After carefully reading the Case Study: ABC Museum, and performing a thorough review of relevant literature, you will be assuming the persona of Dr. Chase, Project Manager for the museum renovation project. Using the information provided in the case, you create a PERT chart and determine the critical path for the project. You also identify the tasks that have some slack time, meaning they could be delayed without affecting the overall project timeline.
Based on your analysis, you determine that you can meet the scope of the project; however, if any task takes longer than expected, it will likely delay the completion of the project. You will develop a PowerPoint slide deck that includes the PERT chart; the critical pathway for the project; identify potential bottlenecks or areas of risk; and, finally, your suggested contingency plans for address these issues.
To complete your slides, you will need to perform the following tasks and answer the following questions:
Create a PERT chart for the project using the information provided.
Determine the critical path for the project.
Based on your PERT analysis, do you feel that the team will be able to meet the deadline for the renovation project? Why or why not?
Based on the PERT analysis and critical pathway for the project, are there potential bottlenecks or areas of risk that may delay the project’s successful completion? Identify and describe any potential bottlenecks and areas of risk.
What suggestions do you have for the team to help prevent bottlenecking and areas of risk and ensure the project is successfully completed on time and the lowest possible costs?
The above tasks and questions should be completed as a minimum to meet the expectations of the assignment. This doesn’t preclude you from including additional content if you believe it aligns with the focus of this assignment and adds value. The instructor will need to see evidence that you understand relevant subject matter in the development of your recommendations, suggestions, and opinions. Resources to aid you in preparing the PowerPoint slides are contained in the “Help” section at the bottom of this page.
