Assignment 3: Planning Considerations for the HR Project

Due Week 6 and worth 145 points

At this point, you’ve organized your HR project team and you are familiar with the importance of leading and managing the project and team. It is now time to plan your project, which happens to be a large and critical part of project management. Project planning tends to be collaborative and integrative in that many factors, such as scope, resourcing, budgeting, and risk need to be considered.

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

1. Define and discuss scope and scheduling as they each relate to project management and provide a “Statement of Importance” to your project team so they know the relevance of each task.
2. Review the behavioral skills associated with project resourcing listed in the textbook at Section 9.1. and select any four (4) of the skills you consider more critical. Be sure to explain why.
3. Explain to the management team and your project team how you have determined the budget associated with project costs. How are costs aggregated? How would you explain determining cash flow for separate activities? Be specific with your responses.
4. Discuss at least three (3) ways the project manager is able to identify possible project risks.
5. Go to https://research.strayer.edu to locate at least three (3) quality academic (peer-reviewed) resources in this assignment.

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• Discussion: Project Resources
• You have been asked to replace the project manager who was heading up a project to replace your firm’s compensation and benefits system with a newer C&B system. One of the reasons the project manager is being replaced is because the project schedule had the wrong resources assigned (e.g., resources who do not fully understand compensation and benefits). You have been asked to solve this problem quickly by either replacing the resources or getting the resources up-to-speed on compensation and benefits. Present your recommendation for solving this critical resource problem by reviewing the pros and cons of each option.
• Support comments with authoritative sources. 

   Discussion: Planning Your Project

• A potential client wants you to be the project manager for a project that involves moving to a new computerized human resource management system that supports the firm’s staffing, compensation, employee relations, and benefit functions. The client is very vague about what needs to be done, and all that they know is that they do not like the current system. Identify the types of questions that you could ask the client to gain a better understanding of the scope of the project. Other than having the client answer your questions, what other activities could you engage in to gain a better understanding? 
• Support your comments with citations from Quality Academic References (QARs) from recognized authorities in the field.   

Discussion: Stakeholder Involvement

• Strayer University is moving to a new HR/payroll system that is sponsored by a firm called Workday.com. You have been asked to oversee the stakeholder management aspects of this project. Identify some of the key stakeholders at Strayer and describe how you plan to keep them engaged during your year-long project. Be sure to include the appropriate methods since not all of your stakeholders are located at the HQ office in Herndon, VA.
• Support your comments with citations from Quality Academic References (QARs) from recognized authorities in the field.   

Assignment 2: Leading and Managing the HR Project

Due Week 4 and worth 145 points

Continuing from the previous assignment, it is now important to consider your approach to leading and managing your HR project. Tightly structured projects tend to restrict cross-organizational communication. As such, objectives originate at the top of the project, and are subdivided as they are passed down, resulting in little opportunity for creative contributions. Effective leadership and managing of the project can greatly improve communication and team contributions.

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

1. Review and understand the types of project manager power listed and defined in the textbook and select and define any two (2) you feel would be relevant to your current project and explain why. Be specific.
2. Identify and briefly discuss a minimum of four (4) outcomes (possible issues) resulting from managing projects and address how you might resolve the issues. Be clear with your rationale.
3. Discuss some increased challenges a project manager may face when leading virtual or global project teams. Recommend a few strategies to deal with the challenges.
4. Identify and explain your overall plan for communication management during the project. The plan must be comprehensive and at a minimum address (1) structure, (2) purpose, (3) method, and (4) timing.
5. Go to http://research.strayer.edu to locate at least three (3) quality academic (peer-reviewed) resources in this assignment.