PPMP20008 Initiating and Planning Projects Report 3 Part B Sample
Assignment Details
Following are the some conversation, your team must prepare a project plan and identify the activities needed to design, supply and build multi-units as per the provided “project brief”.
Steven Gerrard – senior project manager [your tutor], is your client representative. Steven supports you in clarifying the project requirements and guiding your team while preparing the project plan. During this time, Steven might bring new requirements for the project. You should be able to effectively engage the client representative in your project to ensure all requirements are clearly understood and incorporated into the project plan.
The project management plan must contain the following items:
1. Project description and justification
Provide a considered and concise description and background for the project. Justify the project and explain the expected outputs, outcomes and benefits of the project for its stakeholders.
2. Scope baseline
The baseline should contain a clear and concise scope statement, a well-thought project priority matrix, a well-crafted work breakdown structure (WBS) and a detailed WBS dictionary.
• Remember a good project scope statement will be derived from a good understanding of the project requirements and defining the value for the key stakeholders.
A proper scope should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-relate (SMART). Follow the provided scope statement checklist provided in the lecture slides.
• Develop a project priority matrix considering the information provided in this document and the project brief.
• A fully specified WBS depicts the major deliverables, sub-deliverables and work packages, while WBS codes and vertical relationships are clearly expressed.
• WBS dictionary provides descriptions relevant to each element of the WBS. Prepare a descriptive table containing WBS codes, work package names and descriptions, and work package start and finish dates.
3. Schedule baseline
Prepare a detailed project activity list that is consistent with scope, major deliverables, WBS and WBS Dictionary. Use any Software (Word, Excel, MS Project, Teamgantt etc.) to develop the project Gantt chart covering all activities that have been identified. The Gantt chart must clearly identify and show:
• WBS codes,
• Project timeline,
• Milestones to complete the project,
• Activities predecessors and successors,
• Activities start and finish dates,
• Project critical path
• Allocated resources
It is not enough to provide only software output, and a clear discussion of your scheduling logic, assumptions and key points of the schedule is essential. As a minimum, major milestones, completion dates, approval dates, critical activities and path durations must be discussed.
4. Resource management plan
In your project, resources could be direct labour, indirect labour, material and equipment. Assign resources to the required project activities, and show the workload of each resource. Moreover, ensure you use resource levelling and optimisation techniques to meet project priorities and develop an effective and efficient resource plan. Identify any additional expertise that may need to be brought in for the project (if any). Develop a responsibility matrix for the work packages. Here you can make a realistic assumption on what type of resources you need and what cost.
• Key assumptions made in developing resource planning must be explained. For example, you should explain your approach to resource estimation, optimisation and levelling.
5. Cost baseline
Cost estimation of the project is essential [Please pay attention to discussions in Section 4]. All the notes from the estimator in the [project brief] need to be addressed. You are required to specify the cost estimation method you use and justify it clearly. The budget table needs to be revisited, and a time-phased budget (cash flow) needs to be proposed and discussed. A funding requirement plan must be proposed based on the projected cash flow.
• Key assumptions made in developing the cost baseline must be explained. For example, you should explain your cost re-estimation approach, preparation of time-phased budget and funding requirements.
6. Stakeholder management and communication plan
Identify project stakeholders and develop a stakeholder register and communication plan. You are required to identify stakeholders, analyse and map (e.g. power/interest grid) them using an appropriate tool and design an engagement plan. Then, a communication plan must be developed as per the chosen stakeholder engagement strategies and discussed. Discuss your stakeholder management approach.
7. Risk management plan
You need to clearly explain your risk management approach (how you want to deal with your project’s risks). Then, develop a risk assessment form focusing on significant project risks and identify risk values. Then, develop a risk response matrix for the top five risks.
• You must identify at least 10 risk factors, rank them, and develop a risk response plan for the top 5 risks.
• Do not forget to explain the risk assessment form in terms of risks’ probability and impact.
• Do not forget to explain the selected risk response strategy and contingency plan for each one of the five risks.
8. Change management plan
Specify your change management approach for the project, ensuring all changes can be defined, reviewed, and agreed upon so they can be appropriately communicated and implemented to all stakeholders. Your change management plan should also include the type of changes you anticipate, a proposed change control board, a role/responsibility matrix for change, and a change management process (step-by-step guide for a change).
• The change management approach is not to be confused with the change management process.
9. Team charter
A team charter is more concerned about your first team meeting when you kick off the project. Please briefly discuss the groups’ approach on how the team will accomplish the project. As with any new team, your team is required to do the followings:
1. Become acquainted with one another as individuals.
2. Develop a shared understanding of one another’s priorities or degree of commitment to group participation.
3. Share expectations regarding what the group should look like.
4. Establish a shared sense of group purpose.
Solution
1. Project Description and Justification
1.1 Description of the Project
This project involves knock down and construction of 3 units of townhouses at 8 Lynch Road, Brooklyn, Victoria 301. BCC has been awarded a design and build contract that includes the clauses to finish the project within 12 months from the start of the project and also within a specific budget. In this project, three existing buildings will be demolished on the site and in that place, three new units of townhouses will be built. The designs have already been approved and the project is set to move forward based on the requirements. However, before that, a comprehensive project plan needs to be developed.
The project will be a full scale construction project that will involve building foundation, developing structures and constructing the building according to the plan. Initially, the project was deemed to be started by 1st July 2022 but due to various issues (internal and external) have resulted in delaying the project beyond this date. Now, the project is confirmed to start on 1st March 2024 and will be completed by March 2025. The contract offered for the project also specifies various terms of quality requirements as well as other conditions that need to be fulfilled by BCC for university assignment help.
1.2 Justification for the Project
The project is being planned for execution for the benefit of the client. The client’s requirements will be fulfilled through the output of the project. Other than the client’s requirements, other stakeholders and parties associated will also be benefitted for the project. Hence, this project is important to be executed as per the plan and the terms of contract.
1.3 Outcomes and Benefits for the Stakeholders
The project outcome will effectively lead to the three new units of townhouses as specified in the plan. First, the client / owner of the project will be benefitted from the construction for the fulfilment of their requirements. Through the outcome of the project, all stakeholders from BCC will gather experience of working in a big scale construction project that will not only be added to the company’s CV but will also allow the company to learn from any mistakes encountered. Additionally, the contractor and the external stakeholders will be paid for their parts in the project and hence, they will be benefitted from the project.
2. Scope Baseline
2.1 Scope Statement
The scope of the project is to destroy and rebuild three townhouses within 12 months timeframe ensuring successful collaboration among stakeholders and team members and by aligning with the strategic goals of BCC.
2.2 Priority Matrix
The priority matrix for the project is as follows.
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Figure 1: Priority Matrix for the Project
(Source: Created by Author)
2.3 Work Breakdown Structure
.png)
Figure 2: Work Breakdown Structure of the Project
(Source: Created by Author)
2.4 WBS Dictionary
Based on the work breakdown structure, the WBS Dictionary is as follows.
3. Schedule Baseline
The schedule baseline for the project is shown in the following table.
.png)
This is followed by the project Gantt chart as shown below.
Figure 3: Project Gantt Chart
(Source: Created by Author)
4. Resource Management Plan
The main resources for the project are labour and materials. The labours will include construction and other workers who will be working in the project. They will be under the supervision of the site manager and also the junior project manager. They will report to the site manager, who will provide relevant updates to the junior project manager. Constant monitoring will be done to ensure the workers are fulfilling their roles and duties.
The material resources will be procured from verified suppliers on contract basis. The procurement of these resources will be done in a phased manner based on the requirements. In order to avoid issues like unavailability of resources and disruption in supply chain, BCC should keep in contact with multiple suppliers so that the flow of resources are continued even if there is a disruption in the main supplier’s supply chain.
5. Cost Baseline
The client provided an initial cost sheet based on the estimations on the market prices of resources required. However, the project has been delayed by several years and the market prices have changed significantly. Hence, the updated project costs are as follows.
The time phased budget of the project based on the costs is shown in the following diagram.
.png)
Figure 4: Time Phased Budget of the Project
(Source: Created by Author)
The time phased budget graph above shows the cumulative costs over the period of 12 months of the project and the monthly changes in costs. However, these costs are estimated values and may change in the actual project depending on various factors and situations.
6. Stakeholder Management and Communication Plan
6.1 Stakeholder Register
There are several stakeholders involved in this project with different levels of involvement and roles. Based on the analysis, the stakeholder register is developed as follows.
Each of the stakeholders mentioned above will have specific extent of engagement in the project that is aligned with their roles and responsibilities within the project. The engagement plan for each of the stakeholders is as follows.
James Gunn, Founder and Managing Director, BCC: This stakeholder will be involved in regular high level strategic discussions with the board and will conduct in person meetings for implementing major decisions. He will be involved in communication with the project director for receiving regular project updates.
Paul Rudd, Project Director: He will take part in weekly progress meetings with Gunn and the entire project team to determine the project progress, identify any issues that have occurred or provide valuable inputs to improve the overall quality of the project.
Steven Gerrard, Project Manager: He will also take part in weekly progress meetings with Gunn and the entire project team to determine the project progress, identify any issues that have occurred or provide valuable inputs to improve the overall quality of the project.
Ahmed: He will collaborate with Rudd, Gerrard and other board members to provide valuable inputs regarding the project financials and the budget estimation that he has done during the project planning process.
Client Representative: The client representative will keep in touch with direct communication with Gunn to receive project progress updates. Additionally, they will also take part in board meetings involving the needs for any changes and implementing critical decisions related to the project.
Construction Team: The construction team will have to participate in weekly team meetings providing updates on project progress and also discuss if any issue has been encountered. The team should also collaborate with the project manager during the project planning phase.
Local Government: Local government will not be engaged too much in the project but will be responsible for sending compliance related guidelines and documents to the management.
Suppliers: The suppliers will have to keep open communication channels with the management and the project team and will also have to ensure continuous delivery of supplies as per requirement.
6.2 Communication Plan
Based on the stakeholder engagement plan above, the communication plan can be further developed. The aspects of the communication are discussed as follows.
Communication Channels – For the entire project, especially for meetings, face to face communication among the relevant parties are recommended. Higher board members can communicate with the team through mails and video calls. Project progress based communications can be done through project progress report documents.
Communication Frequency – Team meetings and project progress updates need to be done once every week. Direct communications can be done on daily basis. Communication with the higher management can be done on monthly basis.
Communication Content – Communication contents can include issues discussion, progress reporting, funding and resource requirements, implementation of critical decisions and others.
Communication Responsibility – Each team member and stakeholder is responsible for their own involvement in respective communication modes.
6.3 Stakeholder Management Approach
A collaborative and transparent is to be followed in the project for stakeholder management. Each stakeholder must fulfill their own duties and responsibilities that include taking part in suitable communication modes with the relevant authority. The higher management must be kept updated about the project progress and important decisions at all times. The higher management should also monitor the roles of the stakeholders constantly to ensure they are fulfilling their requirements and responsibilities.
7. Risk Management Plan
Risk management is essential in any project and it is of even more importance in large scale projects like this one. There are various possible risks that can occur throughout a project and higher the project complexity and scale, more the number and chances of risks that can occur at any stage of the project. The risks can have varied impact on the project ranging from minor negative impacts to disastrous consequences. However, there are also some risks that can open new windows of opportunity for improvement in the project and hence, these risks are known as positive risks. Nevertheless, it is important to identify these risks early and take active initiative to implement specific actions that will help to avoid the occurrence of such risks. However, the risks can still occur at any time and in order to combat that, it is required to prepare suitable contingency plan to minimise the impacts of the risks on the project.
The same concept will be implemented in this project – the risks will be identified early during the planning phase and they will be rated based on their estimated chances of occurrence and impact on the project. The rating system will help to prioritise the risks that need to be addressed. In addition to the risks identified, suitable management plan will be developed for the risks along with contingency plans in case the risk still occurs during the project. Additionally, awareness must be raised among all the team members to be aware of the risks so that they are less likely to perform actions that can lead to the risks in the project.
In this project, there are a number of various risks associated with construction and other aspects. Among all the possible risks, 10 risks are identified and discussed as follows.
In the above table, the risks have been rated with the help of probability and impact ratings. These numbers are within the scale of 1 to 5 where 1 signifies the lowest probability / impact and 5 signifies the highest probability impact. If the probability and impact numbers are multiplied, they will provide the risk rating that can be used to prioritize the risks.
As discussed earlier, there will be two types of risk response planning – risk response and contingency. The response plan will look to plan a proper response to avoid the risks and the contingency plan will look to develop actions that will be required if the risk has already occurred. From the 10 risks that have been identified above, 5 main risks are chosen and their response and contingency plans are as follows.
Risk 1: Supply Chain Disruption
Response Plan – The main response is to diversify the suppliers so that if supplies are not available from one supplier, another supplier can be asked to provide the necessary resources. Additionally, it is required to maintain buffer stock in the inventory that can be used when supplies are temporarily unavailable.
Contingency Plan – If a disruption in supply chain occurs, the team should contact alterative suppliers to initiate the supplies for a specific period of time.
Risk 2: Shortage of Skilled Labour
Response Plan – The main response is to contact reliable and experienced agencies that will be able to provide skilled workers. Workshops and training programs should also be conducted before the actual construction work starts. Furthermore, offering competitive wages will attract more skilled workers to join the project.
Contingency Plan – It is required to discuss with subcontractors who can help to secure additional skilled workers if necessary.
Risk 3: Client’s Financial Issues
Response Plan – Before initiation of the project, the client’s financial status should be verified and open communication must be established. The cash flow system can be done in a phased manner throughout the project so that the client does not need to invest the entire amount at one time.
Contingency Plan – In the event that the financial issues arise, potential investors might be identified who will be able to fund the project. Additionally, some lines of credit can also be considered for funding and continuing the cash flow.
Risk 4: Regulatory Approval Delays
Response Plan – The first response is to ensure regulatory approvals are secured before the project is even started. Communication chains need to be established with the regulatory authority along with the design and the plan for the project so that approval delays do not affect the project later.
Contingency Plan – Some buffer time needs to be incorporated within the project timeline to keep space for regulatory approval delays as it is an unavoidable risk and out of control of the client or the project team.
Risk 5: Unforeseen Site Conditions
Response Plan – Before the construction works are initiated, proper groundwork is needed including soil testing, environmental conditions analysis and conversations with an environmental expert. Some contingency funds should also be considered within the budget in case some unforeseen issues occur related to the project site.
Contingency Plan – Deploy a rapid response team to assess the conditions and take active mitigating actions so that the construction work can resume after encountering the issues.
8. Change Management Plan
During the project, several changes may be anticipated some of which are as follows.
- Scope Changes
- Schedule Changes
- Budget Changes
- Design Changes
However, none of the changes can be implemented abruptly without the approval of the change control board and suitable reason for the change. The change control board will include the following members:
- Project Director (Paul Rudd)
- Experienced Project Manager (Steven Gerrard)
- Junior Project Manager (Student 1)
- Estimator (Ahmed)
Rudd will have the ultimate authority to approve or reject a requested change whereas Gerrard will be responsible for analysing the impact of the change on the project. Ahmed will be involved in estimating the financial aspects of the change whereas the Junior Project Manager will review the change request and forward it to Gerrard.
The role / responsibility matrix for the change is as follows.
The change management process is to be implemented through the following steps.
Change Request – The team forwards a change request form to the junior project manager.
Review the Change – The junior project manager reviews the request form and if he deems necessary, he forwards it to the senior project manager.
Analyse the Change – The senior project manager analyses the need and impact of the change on the project whereas the estimator analyses the financial aspects.
Approval / Rejection – The change request form is forwarded to the project director who consults with the higher management and sends approval or rejection of the change request.
9. Team Charter
Brief Biography
Junior Project Manager – Student 1 (PLEASE FILL BIOGRAPHY)
Project Planning / Risk Expert – Student 2 (PLEASE FILL BIOGRAPHY)
Purchasing Expert – Student 3 (PLEASE FILL BIOGRAPHY)
Supplier Relations Expert – Student 4 (PLEASE FILL BIOGRAPHY)
Team Goal Statement
Our team is completely committed to the client’s needs using each of our members’ strengths and expertise to ensure project’s quality, financial success and timely delivery.
Team Ground Rules
There are several ground rules for the team which are as follows.
All team members will work professionally fulfilling the codes of conduct.
All team members will establish open and transparent communication with all parties involved.
All team members should keep deadlines in mind and ensure timely delivery of work.
All team members will be accountable for their tasks and they will also have to collaborate with the others throughout the project.
Conflict Resolution Processes
Conflicts must be avoided during the course of the project. In case a conflict occurs, the root cause will be identified and the project manager will sit to discuss with the conflicting individuals or parties. The discussion will include constructive talks on the perspectives of the two parties until an intermediate ground is reached. Mediation of a higher member of the management may be required if an intermediate ground is not reached. The conflict resolution process will include the following steps:
Face to Face Talk – The junior project manager will meet each of the conflicting members separately and ask for the reason of conflict with valid explanations. If one of the conflicting members is the junior project manager himself, the senior project manager will do the role of mediation.
Meeting – Once the project manager has heard from both sides, he will organise a meeting between the two under his mediation. In this meeting, both the conflicting members will exchange their viewpoints and the project manager will try to form a common ground for both to agree upon. If the conflict is resolved, the case is closed and the team members will go back to work. If it is not resolved, the case will be escalated to the next line of hierarchy.
Penalty and Suspension – If there are no solid grounds for conflict and the conflicting members keep continuing the conflict despite mediation from the project manager, they may be penalised financially or even suspended from working in the project, depending on the nature and extent of the conflict.
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