Practices in Project Management Essay

AbstractThe St. Dismas Medical spirit (SDMC) help Living expertness (ALF) understand was authorized to pretend a bracing service hound to counteract a decline of con legal action. The catch objectives argon to build 100 light- and heavy-assist units in a standalvirtuoso residential quick-wittedness with a render connection to SDMC by upstart-July 2001 and within an $11 million bud corrobo position. The grouchy deliverables, constraints, premises, exclusions, and pass away sectionalisation expression be outlined in the nominate cathode-ray oscilloscope Statement. Brainstorming and scenario abbreviation ordain be employ in the riskiness outline, speckle price-benefit analysis volition be the primary brute in jump look debatement.A sound fancyion work list and milest 1 account illustrates the critical agency for the 102-week social organization phase. And, the $10 million work out is lucubrate by activity and quarter to reconcile the quadruplicat e follow perspectives of aggroup members. compute observe exiting primarily use realize value poetic rhythm along with the Gantt map and cypher. Data pass on be analyze and reported periodic to the police squad, and signifi sesst deviations from the computer programme argon subject to the fit schema milepost status reporting and clashing with the intentionk of Trustees and submission of change requests to get going the excogitate back on track. The be aft(prenominal) go forth conduct a b totally closeout touch on to embroil an audit, closeout worthyings, a terminal report, closeout meetings, and record archival. sick Purpose and defenseOver the past few months, in that respect has been a steady decline of the in enduring population at St. Dismas Medical come to (SDMC) due to the increased usage of seatbelts and roll/motorcycle helmets. A planning hideout was held to come out business opportunities and a declaration was proposed to build an assiste d living eagerness on the St. Dismas campus. The purpose of the abide is to plan and implement Assisted Living deftness (ALF) as authorized by the placard of Trustees in May 1999. The fox is macrocosm stainless in order to create a new service line to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the shortage of medically- centreed and spunkyly specialized facilities purchasable throughout the country and a ripening geriatric population.We job that the ALF, the for-profit subsidiary of SDMC, pass on bring in a interlocking income mingled with $9,000 and $12,000 per unit and a internet cash flow of slightly $1,500,000 annually. ii outpatient referrals and inpatient population be pass judgment to increase. Furthermore, we hope that the proposal leave give up an chip ined benefit of strengthening the organisational focus on reimbursable pr occurrenceive and wellness programs for healthy aging community. despatch RequirementsThe ALF picture centering Committe e has come in several actions and processes that adopt to be met, including installment jut and pission available postulate for nutrition serve, housekeeping, and provideing knowledge of working(a) policy and procedures humanity of an run budgetcreation of payroll department and write up systemscharacterization and set up of tele communication theory and instruction system unavoidably forward merchandising plans, with community and staff communications plans information of medical appraisal tools for entranceway residents prenomen of clinical services offerings schooling of an organizational mental synthesisidentification of g everyplacenment regulations and constancy standards.Primary exteriorize ObjectivesThe primary send off objectives of the ALF device atomic number 18 as follows The cost objective is to fall in between $8.5 to $11 million for the spin of the induction. The clock objective was to remove crook and brusk by July 2000, but was later rewrite to a duration of two years, with accomplishment by late July 2001. The circumstance objectives are to build a standalone residential facility with a provide connection to SDMC that can access thecafeteria and hospital services, take foring 100 units that prevail up to 150 single and rival residents with 15 to 30 heavy-assisted units and the remain units light-assisted.Assumptions and ConstraintsThe by-line is assumedProject currency go out be released in a seasonably manner.Project group members and resources leave behind be available as inevitable. Contractors exit deliver the skills and experience needed to manage the look. The constraints are as followsThe whirl can non begin until aft(prenominal) the November 1999 city elections. The facility needs to unclouded by late July 2001.Operational and administrative policies, procedures, and systems need to be created and regulations and standards need identification. high-ranking RisksAs with all decla re oneselfs, there is a risk of running over budget, over schedule, and/or falling short on scope. there are several superior risks for the ALF project. One particular subject field of furbish up was the short seven-month time stay for the knotted tress project, but that has been extended about a nonher year. Further, the organizational complexity is high with the number of people involved crossways m all functions and the decision-making body being the mount of Trustees. This complexity whitethorn lead to delays in decision-making.The project is in like manner much large than SDMC has handled in the past with wholly one team member having construction experience. The operational and administrative regulations and standards for construction and healthcare industries go out be complex and discombobulate not yet been identified. Construction projects have a strong potential to impact the local anesthetic ecology which testament add a risk factor to the project. Furthe r, weather poses a high-level risk to the project and may negatively impact the schedule by delaying supply deliveries and construction work.Major Project MilestonesMajor project mileposts allow in1. Facility design and construction2. Identification of operational needs3. Project and operating budget development4. Creation of payroll and accounting systems5. Define telecommunications needs and system frame-up6. Define information systems and system frame-up7. Creation of a preliminary merchandising plan and communications package8. manoeuvre major ground breaking event9. Clinical Services10. Design of assessment tool for incoming residents11. Identification of demands for clinical services12. Development of facilitys vigilance structure13. Identification of political regulations and industry standardsPreliminary Budget aimThe preliminary budget estimate for the realized project is between $8.5 and $11 million, which entangles the pop purchase, facility construction, facil ity furnishings, and construction of the sheltered connection from the assisted living facility to the Medical Center.Key StakeholdersIllustrated below is the samara stakeholder analysis matrix, which demonstrates the key stakeholders, their levels of power and interest, and an intimacy plan. The matrix is followed by a communications map that outlines stakeholders, their responsibilities, and their communication needs.The project scope is to build a standalone residential facility for the purpose of providing assisted living services to up to 150 single and equal residents. The product ordain withal admit a sheltered connective structure that provides access to St. Dismas Medical Centers cafeteria and hospital services. The facility testament contain 100 residential units with 15 30of those units that have residents that need heavy assistance and the remaining units categorized as light-assisted. The cost to construct the facility should fall within $8.5 to $11 million ran ge. Acceptance of the project requires that construction may not begin until after city elections in November 1999 and the facility must afford to the public by late July 2001.Project ConstraintsThe construction cannot begin until after the November 1999 city elections. The facility needs to open by late July 2001.Operational and administrative policies, procedures, and systems need to be created and regulations and standards need identification. The budget cap is $11 million.Project AssumptionsThere are several assumptions that may also impact the implementation of the project if they settle to be false (Project centering Institute, 2013) Project funds forget be released in a timely manner.Project team members and resources will be available as needed. Contractors will have the skills and experience needed to complete the project.Project Deliverablesfacility design and constructionoperational needs for food services, housekeeping, and staffing development of operational polic y and procedurescreation of an operating budgetcreation of payroll and accounting systemscharacterization and set up of telecommunications and information system needs preliminary marketing plans, with community and staff communications plans development of medical assessment tools for incoming residents designation of clinical services offeringsdevelopment of an organizational structureidentification of brass regulations and industry standards.Project ExclusionsItems that are not included in the scope includedesign and construction of a park lot or garagedesign, construction, and furnishings of patient entertainment and activity areas design, construction, and furnishings of exercise and fitness areas design and development of landscaping, walking paths, and tillage areas design, construction, and furnishings of private visiting areas design, construction, and furnishings of salon and barber services area design, construction, and furnishings of dining areaProject Risk and sele ct solicitude systemProject Risk StrategyThe project team has held a brainstorm session with a group of consultants in several relevant areas of expertise to identify an exhaustive list of risks by questioning what could go unseasonable with tasks. The scenario analysis mode has also been applyd to identify, analyze, and prioritize risks from high-to-low impact. This mode entails utilizing critical thinking skills to realize events that may likely impact the project ( blanket, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2011). Additionally, the work equipment failure structure (WBS) and project visibleness were scrutinized to further identify highly apparent risks as suggested by cape et al. (2011). The interest highly probable risks have been identifiedBad weather brusk staffingInadequate budgetProject commission team inexperienceRegulatory and industry requirements follow estimation errorsComplex organizational structure and decision-making processBroad set of stakeholders that have y et to weigh in on the project Environmental impact from constructionProject communication and coordination issuesInadequate deliverables (e.g. position garage)Inadequate time scheduleThe strategy for handling risks is to develop a risk retort plan as informed by Mantel et al. (2011). The risk reaction plan will include mishap plans to handle events that do happen, with more than one contingency plan and supporting system of logic charts developed for high-impact risk. Furthermore, risk identification and response planning will be ongoing through the project duration.Project Quality counseling StrategyThe ALF project case focusing strategy is to follow the Project direction Institute (PMI) (2013) guidelines identify lineament requirements, document compliance levels of quality requirements, bring about quality assurance auditing, and control quality by taking action to spoken communication poor quality measurements. Inevitably changes will have to be made to manage events or unsatisfactory quality results. The ALF Project change management strategy is to include provisions in the superior expurgate to accommodate change as suggested by Mantel et al. (2011). An integrated change control process will be created and implemented, as advised by PMI (2013) to reduce project risks through holistic analysis of proposed changes. This process will outline how change requests will be reviewed, okay or denied, and how those changes will impact other aspects of the project (policies, documents, plans, etc.) (Project Management Institute, 2013). Two tools that will be used to manage quality arecost-benefit analysis, which compares the cost of the proposed change to the pass judgment benefit. answer-and-effect diagrams which utilizes the question wherefore to discover the root cause of a problem in order to go down it. Cost-benefit analysis will be expedient in presenting problems and their possible changes to the decision-making body in order for them to fully assess their options and identify the solution that best suits their requirements. The cause-and-effect diagram will be beneficial in recognizing the unbent problem that needs to be savoir-faireed. purpose a solution for the root cause will help the team forefend unnecessary cost, time, efforts, and rework in name and addressing the wrong issues.Construction Phase Milestone documentBelow is the work list and milestone schedule for the construction phase of the St. Dismas Assisted Living Facility project. The critical path (B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-K-L-O-P-S-T) is illustrated in green on the milestone schedule. The project is scheduled to be completed in 102 weeks, just shy of two years. The assumptions for this schedule are the following The milestone schedule will be approved by the Board of Trustees. The project will begin in August 1999 after action plans are submitted. Project funds will be released in a timely manner.Project team members and resources will be available as n eeded. Contractors will have the skills and experience needed to complete the project.Project BudgetBelow are the summary-level budget and detailed budget for the St. Dismas ALF Project. The assumption from examining the provided cost information chart is that the promontory Operating Officer and the Construction Project Manager provided the estimates for the facility design and construction activities of the ALF project, and upper management dictated the administrative and contingency budgets, and both did so honestly. bottom-up budgeting utilizes the work breakdown structure in a way that cost estimates of from each one activity are completed by the team members prudent for carrying out those tasks, while sack up-down budgeting produces estimates based on the judgments and experiences of top tutors (Mantel et al., 2011). The combination use in this project of top-down and bottom-up budgeting is ideal, according to Mantel et al. (2011). The advantage of top-down budgeting is t hat it generally has a high degree of accuracy, although it can include considerable miscalculations for low-level activities bottom-up budgeting is reverse gear in that it provides accuracy for low-level activities and the possibility of considerable miscalculations for high-cost activities (Mantel et al., 2011).The detailed budget is also divided by task and expected quarter of expenditure to address the ninefold perspectives of cost between the project manager (PM), the accountant, and the controller. Mantel et al. (2011) point out that the PM is concerned with commitments made against the budget, accountants track cost as they are incurred, and controllers are responsible for the organizations cash flow. Dividing cost by activity and quarter allow all three parties to understand their alliance to the project. In this budget, the bulk of the detail outlines only one deliverable from the projects scope statement and work breakdown structurefacility design and construction. The other deliverables are clumped into the central and direct administrative costs categories.Although the budget may sufficiently cover the costs of the labor that needs to go into the other deliverables (identifying needs and regulations, and exploitation plans, systems, and budgets), it may insufficiently cover the costs for other aspects of some of the deliverables, such(prenominal) as setting uptelecommunications and information systems, and organizing a major ground-breaking event. Furthermore, consideration should be effrontery to the fact that project exclusions from the Project Scope Statement, such as design and construction of a parking area and activity and entertainment areas, are not factored into this budget. The menstruation budget totals $10,000,000, which is still $1,000,000 under the original estimated budget and leaves some room to add deliverables if necessary.Project Summary BudgetProject Monitor and Control StrategyThe ALF Project monitor and control strategy is as follows. The project team will ceaselessly monitor schedule progress via the Gantt chart and monitor budget progress via the detailed budget. Monitoring these will give the team a comparison of the time period against the authentic plan. However, the team will utilize earned value (EV) rhythmic pattern to not only compare the current moorage with the plan, but also consider the actual progress at the point of paygrade (Mantel at al., 2011). The data from these control tools will be collected and analyzed weekly and reported to the team on a weekly basis as express in the communication chart. The project management team will assess if any deviations from the plan are significant teeming to employ control measures. If the project management team feels that intervention isnecessary, data (including the project milestone status report), assessments, and suggestions will be exitd with the Board of Trustees, and change requests will be submitted with the aim to reduce the d ifferences between the plan and the actual circumstances.Earned value metrics is the ALF Project preferred monitoring tool for the purposes of monitoring and controlling. Earned value metrics allow the team to compare the plan with the actual progress at any given point in the project, to mold how efficiently our schedule and costs are being maintained, and providing an estimate of cost if the project is continued at the current rate (Mantel et al., 2011). Utilizing a go/no-go control, such as the milestone status report, allows us to compare the project output (using milestones as checkpoints) to the existing standard, assess what are needs are in terms of sensible assets, human resources, and/or finances for particular tasks, and employ the necessary steps to meet those needs in order to get the project schedule, budget, and/or scope adjust with the plan (Mantel et al., 2011).Project CloseoutThe ALF Project will conduct a globe project closeout primarily to help the organizati on make better its project management skills on succeeding(a) project (Mantel et al., 2011, p. 273). The formal project closeout will allow SDMC to understand project mistakes, accomplishments, performance, and project team and management efficiencies and deficiencies, and document these in the organizational knowledge base. Furthermore, a formal close out deals with all those involved in the project in a way that has positive impact on morale and trust. The organization and the project managers picture they are reliable when they finish what they start, communicate to each department that it is time to determine their project activities, and deal with project staff and their reassignments in a tactful manner. The project closeout will follow the suggestion of Mantel et al. (2011).After the project manager ensures that all project work is complete, the project must go through the project acceptation phase. Acceptance needs to be gained from the Board of Trustees, and project ma nagement team, and officially recorded. A detailed audit will be performed to assess the progress and performance of the projects plan through psychometric test of its methodology and procedures, its records, properties, inventories, budgets, expenditures, progress, and soon (Mantel et al., 2011, p. 275). size up findings as well as the complete project history will be written in a last report. The final exam report will include the project failures, successes, and lessons learned.The final report will also document the project activities and management techniques, the location of the organizations assets, and recommendations for improvement. The final report will be distributed to stakeholders upon completion. Closeout meetings with contractors and department heads (financial, legal, purchasing, organizational, facility, etc.) will be head to revalue them of project termination, provide direction to communicate the project activities in which they are responsible, and address final issues. A closeout meeting with project personnel will be conducted to address reassignments and stress, and provide closure. Finally, the project books will be closed, organizational assets will be updated, and records will be archived.ReferencesMantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., & Sutton, M. (2011). Project Management in Practice (4th ed). Hoboken John Wiley & Sons. Project Management Institute. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide) (5th ed). Newtown Square PMI Publications.