The primary objective of the course project is to help you familiarize yourself with project management skills relevant to the process groups of planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closing. If you choose this option, you will prepare a portfolio of documents that represent your understanding of core components and competencies of IT project management, including project charter, project scope statement, work breakdown structure, change management processes, communication management, quality management, and project closure plan.
On this project, you will assume the role of a project management consultant retained by a company, either your current employer or a company with which you are familiar. Your mission is to evaluate the company’s existing project management practices, recommend a desired framework for managing projects, and create a plan to transition the company from the current state to the desired state.
In this project, you will create and submit a comprehensive set of findings reports which constitutes a “gap analysis,” i.e., the gap between the current state of project management and the desired state. The findings reports will cover the following project management competencies: project startup and planning, scope management, communication management, risk management, change management, quality management, and project closure. The final Portfolio Project deliverable for Module 8 is a document containing all of the findings reports and a presentation to the company’s executives. The presentation will contain your proposed transition plan for transitioning the company to the desired project management framework.
To begin, review the weekly Portfolio reminders and milestones. The Portfolio reminders in Module 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 will guide you through the steps you need to take to complete the assignment. In Module 3 and 6 you will complete a Portfolio Milestone Assignment. Your instructor will grade these assignments. You may apply the work you did in the milestone assignments to your final portfolio, but you will not be graded on these milestones twice.
During Module 8, develop a findings report on the company’s capability to close a project effectively and efficiently. The findings report will provide a gap analysis to project managers and company management on the areas of their project management framework that require development.
You should include in the findings report a listing and description of the deliverables and work products project managers will use in Project Closure Management.
To complete your final Portfolio Project, revise and edit your findings reports, if necessary, and then compile them into a single report for final submission.
Craft an executive summary and a conclusion. The executive summary must offer a high-level description of your consulting effort and a summary of your findings. The conclusion should focus on the organizational changes necessary to implement your recommendations.
Finally, create an executive level presentation for the purpose of communicating your proposed plan for transitioning the company to the new project management framework. The presentation should be approximately 10 to 12 slides and should include summary points on each slide and details in the speaker notes.
In addition to your presentation, your final finding reports should include gap analysis and recommendations about the following components:
Project preparation and project charter (Remember that this part of the project will not be graded again.)
Project scope management plan and WBS
Communication management plan
Project risk and change management
Quality management plan
Project closure plan.
Your well-written project should meet the following requirements:
Project length: 10 to 12 pages, with an additional title or cover page and a reference page.
Any tables and figures must have appropriate captions.
Include at least three references in addition to the course textbook. The CSU Global Library is a good place to find these references.