Course Project
Objectives | Guidelines | Milestones | Grading Rubrics
Objectives
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This Course Project will provide you with practical experience in applying the skills, tools, and methodologies contained in the coursework for PROJ592. You will be generating a detailed project plan, including a project scope statement, work breakdown structure, schedule, cost estimates, and corrective action plans. In Part 1 (CP-1), you will select a project that requires sufficient detail to demonstrate your understanding of course concepts and provide a scope statement and WBS for this project. In Part 2 (CP-2), you will be provided other details for a new project. In Part 3 (CP-3), you will create corrective actions plans for a project.
The Course Project requires modest use of Microsoft Project software that is available from the Student Software Store under Course Home. You may use either the 2010 or the 2013 version of MS Project–the differences are minor and do not impact the assignment. See also the Project Management Highlight Videos and tutorials rom the Student Resources tab to help you with the Course Project assignment.
Guidelines
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Course Project Part 1—Due Week 2 (Which you did in Order ID: 660479)
For Part 1 of the Course Project, assume you have been appointed project manager of a new project for your organization. Your first assignment is to create a scope statement and WBS for this project.
For this part of the Course Project, you select a project of your choosing. This selected project will be used in Project Part 1 and Project Part 2. I suggest you verify with your instructor the suitability of your selected project by the end of Week 1.
Select a project of personal interest. For example, select a project where you can identify realistic cost and scheduling concerns. Opening a small retail storefront or a franchise is one example. When selecting your project, keep in mind the goal of CP-1 is to create a scope statement and WBS. In Project Part 2, you will need to create a budget and schedule for this project. Choose something relatively straightforward. For example, simple start-ups, such as pizza or fast-food franchises, work well because information is readily available. It is preferred that you do NOT pick remodeling a house, but building a house or flipping a house is acceptable.
The CP-1 Project Proposal will be structured with the following sections.
- Cover page including assignment, project title, course, and student contact information
- Executive summary that summarizes the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights, such as overall cost, duration, and so on
- Project scope statement describing the project
- Resource loaded WBS and schedule with proper grouping, indenting, and coding for approximately 25 to 40 line items
Submission Requirements
- The scope statement should be written following guidelines for writing a scope as found in the PMBOK® Guide in Chapter 5.
- The WBS should be created in MS Projects following standard indent and outdent practices used in WBS creation.
- The assignment should be submitted as two files: one MS Word file for the scope statement and one MS Project file containing the project WBS.
Course Project Part 2—Due Week 4 (Which you have to do now Order ID: 660875)
In project Part 2, we create a schedule and accurate budget for your project. You need to focus on detailed cost estimating, scheduling, and cost justification. Estimating includes specific assumptions made during the estimating process, as well as quantities, unit prices, hourly rates for tasks, and accumulated totals. You must justify all of your costs; this includes direct, indirect, variable, fixed, and overhead.
The CP-2 Project Proposal will be structured with the following sections.
- Cover page including assignment, project title, course, and student contact information
- Executive summary summarizing the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights, such as overall cost, duration, and so on
- Project scope statement describing the project
- Resource loaded WBS and schedule with proper grouping, indenting, and coding for approximately 25 to 40 line items. This also needs to include a work package, deliverables, and activities, activity relationships, activity durations, and activity resources.
- Cost estimates for each activity. Capital cost estimates should include building, franchise fees, equipment, and so on, if required for your project.
- Cost assumptions including a list of assumptions made when deriving your estimates
NOTE: Each section should include the detail as described above, along with a proper discussion about the included data as well as the project manager’s analysis and interpretation of the information.
Submission Requirements
- The assignment should be submitted as two files: one MS Word file for the scope statement and documentation except for the WBS; and one MS Project file containing the project WBS, schedule, resource loading, and budget information.
- CP-2 must include a cover page.
- As a guide, the body of CP-2 should be between five and 10 pages in length (i.e., not including cover page, appendix, and MS Project file).
- Submit the Word document to theWeek 4: Course Project, Part 2Dropbox.
Course Project Part 3—Due Week 7(Which you have to do Next week)
For CP-3, we will leave CP-2 behind and start fresh. CP-3 is a performance review of a new indoor theme park project. You will utilize the provided project information and data to create a new project schedule, which will represent your project at a specific point during implementation. You will load the information and data into Microsoft Project where the data will serve as the basis for project monitoring and control and earned value analysis. The output of the analysis, combined with a control plan, will be used to support the continuation of your project.
The CP-3 Project Performance Report will be structured with the following sections.
- Cover page including assignment, project title, course, and student contact information
- Executive summary summarizing the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights, such as overall project cost and schedule performance and estimate to completion, and making the pitch to project stakeholders to continue the project
- Schedule 1 an MSP Gantt chart schedule (required) that incorporates the provided project data, established baseline, and proper review date representing the anticipated 50% completion date
- Performance analysis utilizing earned value data to analyze the project cost and schedule performance
- Estimate at completion including a forward-looking estimate of the project completion date and the final project costs
- Cost and schedule control plan providing a corrective action plan to bring the project back in line with your project baseline
- Revised estimate at completion including the corrective actions from the control plan along with the resulting cost impact and schedule impact
- Schedule 2 including revised MSP Gantt chart schedule (required) that reflects the impact of your corrective actions
NOTE: Each section should include the detail as described above, along with a proper discussion about the included data as well as the project manager’s analysis and interpretation of the information.
Background data for the CP-3 project can be found in Doc Sharing under the Course Project category or from this link: PROJ592_CourseHome_CP3_Start_Data.docx.
Submission Requirements
- CP-3 must be submitted as a single document in MS Word. Information or details created with other tools like Excel or MS Project, such as tables, charts, or graphs, must be incorporated into the MS Word file submittal as an inserted object, such as a JPEG. (For help with MS Project, see the Video Tutorial link below.) Failure to follow this requirement will result in the return of the proposal for re-formatting to the requested MS Word format.
- You may insert objects into the body of your paper to support your discussion if they are half a page or less. Larger items should be included in an appendix with appropriate references to this information.
- CP-3 must include a cover page.
- As a guide, the body of CP-3 should be between five and 10 pages in length (i.e., not including cover page, appendix, etc.).
- Submit the Word document to the Week 7: Course Project, Part 3 Dropbox.
Milestones
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Project Part 1 due Week 2
Project Part 2 due Week 4
Project Part 3 due Week 7
Grading Rubrics
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Assignment title: Project Part 1
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Category
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Points
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%
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Description
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|
Scope Statement
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20
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40
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The scope statement should be written following the guidelines for writing a scope as found in the PMBOK® Guide in Chapter 5.
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|
Resource Loaded WBS and Schedule
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20
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40
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- The WBS should be created in MS Project following standard indent and outdent practices used in WBS creation.
- The WBS and schedule must have proper grouping, indenting, and coding for approximately 25 to 40 line items.
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|
Cover Page and Summary
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10
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20
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Summarizes the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights
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Total
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50
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100
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A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
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Assignment title: Project Part 2
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Category
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Points
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%
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Description
|
|
Scope Statement
|
10
|
8
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The scope statement should be written following the guidelines for writing a scope as found in the PMBOK® Guide in Chapter 5.
|
|
WBS and Schedule
|
30
|
25
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- The WBS should be created in MS Project following standard indent and outdent practices used in WBS creation.
- The WBS and schedule must have proper grouping, indenting, and coding for approximately 25 to 40 line items.
- This also needs to include work package, deliverables and activities, activity relationships, activity durations, and activity resources.
|
|
Cover page and Summary
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10
|
8
|
Summarizes the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights
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|
Cost Estimates
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40
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34
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Cost estimates for each activity. Capital cost estimates should include building, franchise fees, equipment, and so on, if required for your project. All costs must be accounted for.
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|
Cost Assumptions
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30
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25
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Cost assumptions including a list of assumptions made when deriving your estimates.
|
|
Total
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120
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100
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A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
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Assignment title: Project Part 3
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Category
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Points
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%
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Description
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|
General Business Presentation and Format
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10
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8
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A professional, well-worded paper with cover page that meets requirements and maintains continuity from start to finish. The paper uses proper references to important information, including items contained in the appendix. It uses appropriate citing and notation.
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Executive Summary
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10
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8
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Summarizes the content from the entire document with quantifiable highlights, such as overall project cost and schedule performance, estimate to completion, and makes the pitch to project stakeholders to continue the project. This is where you have to act as a project manager and a business person.
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|
Schedule 1
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10
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8
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Demonstrates proper use of Microsoft Project and ability to correctly incorporate the provided data and establish a schedule with established baseline and review date at the planned 40% completion date
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|
Performance Analysis
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30
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25
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Utilizes earned value data to analyze and provide proper interpretation of the project cost and schedule performance to date. It includes analysis of poorly performing tasks, critical path, and total project performance using earned value indicators such as PV, EV, AC, CV, SV, CPI, and SPI.
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EAC
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15
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13
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Includes a forward-looking estimate of the project completion date and the final project costs based on the performance analysis
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Cost and Schedule Control Plan
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20
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17
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Proposes appropriate corrective action(s) that should be taken at this point to put the project back on track based on the performance analysis
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|
Revised EAC
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15
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13
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Includes the corrective actions from the control plan, along with the resulting cost impact and schedule impact; uses a cost versus benefit approach
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|
Schedule 2
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10
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8
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Includes a revised MSP Gantt chart schedule (required) that reflects the impact of your corrective actions
|
|
Total
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120
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100
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A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
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