PRJM6000: Beneficial Change - Project Links to the Organisation’s Goals | Project Management Assignment Help

Project Management Assignment

Task 1:

1. Select and describe ONE project that is presently or recently in the news. A project has numerous characteristics. Justify why you consider your selected example is a project 
2. Go to ONE organisation’s website (but not your employer) and identify and describe ONE project it has or will be undertaking (Not the same project as I above). Explain:

• The beneficial change (note: not the deliverable!) this project will bring about by using the deliverable.
• how the project links to the organisation’s goals

Task 2:

There is extensive literature on the desirable abilities/characteristics/skills for an effective project manager.

• Describe THREE abilities/characteristic/skills, based on academic references. You must have at least 3 references for each answer (NOTE: you CANNOT chose LEADERSHIP as this is an assignment in the unit Project & People)
• You are arranging a big overseas holiday with 30 relatives and friends celebrating a major birthday milestone and you are the project manager. Reflect on how each of these abilities/characteristics/personalities will help you be successful in completing your project.

Part A: Characteristics of Projects

The International Student Spring Festival, which has been organized in order to bring international students is an example of a project. The festival provides an opportunity for students across all nations to showcase their talent as well as their knowledge in various topics. In as much as this festival takes place every year, each of the festivals has a unique theme that dictates the kind of activities that ought to be carried out during that period of time. This event features a number of characteristics that qualify it as a project rather than a social event.

Any project has a start date and end date meaning that it is not an endless process. The festival is expected to last 3 days and has set dates and time within which it is supposed to be carried out. This is based on the fact that the project requires an input of resources of different kinds hence setting a timeline helps in making sure that the assigned resources are not overused, underused or misused. Projects also include the use of resources that are relevant to the project and allocation of finances as well as manpower in the use of these resources. This makes it easier to budget and identify any expenses that may be incurred during the running of the project.

In addition to that, a project must have a goal or vision which defines the kinds of strategies that need to be set up in order for the goal to be achieved. In the festival, the goal is based on the theme set for each year. For example, a previous theme was about the cultures of the world. This meant that the students would get exposed to a wide range of information concerning various cultures of the world and get to appreciate them. This then would play an important role in achieving the vision of the Festival in general which is to bring together international students and give them an opportunity to share the knowledge they have in different fields.

Projects are unique meaning that there is no way a project can be repeated in terms of the goals of the project, the expected outcome or the resources put in among other things that are unique to projects. This the same case with the festival, which is unique based on the fact that the theme is different. This means that resources that will be used will be different as well as the program of the festival. The activities that will be done in the festival are also different making it unique to all the previous projects or those to come. The uniqueness of a project brings a level of uncertainty since the strategies have not been tested before to see the kind of impact they would have. The activities of the festival, which are new, may not receive the kind of response that other strategies in other projects may have received. This brings a level of uncertainty but encourages the organizers to set up strategies based on the interests of the participants.

In addition to being unique, project are not run using the structure of the formal organization. This is because the formal structure is not as relevant during a project as the skills and talents that would be put into the project. For the festival, the organization is divided in accordance to the abilities and talents of the organizations rather than their formal qualifications. This is because through the various sections, the best results are achieved by putting in the efforts of the most skilled or talented in the section.

Major projects, in as much as they are run over a short time can be divided into sub projects with sub-goals that lead to the achievement of the major goal. This is very important in ensuring that all the goals have been achieved and also ensuring that there is organization during the project. This is the same case within the festival. The program has been set up in such a way that the different days have a part of the festival that needs participation from all the students. This is effective in having all the students attend all the programs regardless of their preferences hence giving them an opportunity to know much more than they limit themselves to. In addition to that, dividing the program based on the different activities enhances organization in such a way that some activities will not be left out and every one of them will be given the attention it is expected to get.

Organizational Project

Beneficial Change

Nestlé’s Project WET is one of the many projects that the organization is involved in which focus on the society and the needs of the society in general. The project is set to educate the society in general about water, hydration, conservation and importance of water to nature. The project has been carried out for the last 20 years and is still ongoing based on the fact that it is targeted on quite a number of countries all over the world. The beneficial change of this project is mainly based on the society. Through the project, society has been exposed to some major facts concerning water and some of the problems people all over the world face in regards to water.

It has helped in making learning about conservation of water fun for children hence contributing to creating awareness on water as is the goal of the project. One of the main activities that the organization uses is having events in the various factories all over the world which are focused in increasing awareness on issues concerning water and how water conservation could be promoted all over the world. Such events give opportunities to the participants to interact with people across all backgrounds who have the same focus in mind and desire to achieve a common goal.

Link to organizational goals

Nestle, as an organization focuses on the society and how they would make an impact in terms of nutrition, wellness, health, financial performance and to be the reference for all stakeholders. The goals of the organization are based on the society and making the society a better place to live by promoting major aspects of the society. The project also takes the same approach since it aims at societal rather than organizational benefits. This helps in understanding the basis of the vision of the organization which is also inclined in providing the best health options for the society. The main link between the goals of the organization and the stated project is the fact that it is all focused on achieving results in society rather than within the organization.

PART B: Characteristics of a Project Manager

In the selection of a project manager, there is need for as much keenness as is put when choosing a project to run. A project should be an individual who can successfully oversee a project up to the end and within the set time. In as much as there are different types of projects with different goals and areas of focus, the project managers have common roles that they need to play when overseeing the projects. It is important to note that project managers cannot be chosen randomly from a group of people but require a set of skills or abilities that make them qualified enough to oversee a project and all the people involved in it.

Technical Knowledge of the Project

A project manager should have sound technical knowledge when it comes to the project and its requirements. Sound technical knowledge means that the project manager should have adequate knowledge concerning the project. This is inclusive of the vision of the project as well as the strategies that need to be followed up (Harrison, 2004). The project manager should also know a surmountable amount of details when it comes to the sub projects. This makes it possible for them to follow up on the progress of the project and also deal with issues that may come up during the project (Tracy, 2010).

A project manager who has adequate knowledge with regards to the project makes them the source of information whenever clarification needs to be done within the project. This is unlike the case where the project manager has inadequate knowledge of the project making them irrelevant during the project. In addition to that, knowledge in the project makes it possible for the project manager to come up with back up strategies whenever the ones that had been set before fail or do not give the required outcome (Uher, 2003). This is based on the fact that projects are associated with unfamiliarity due to the fact that they use new methods and techniques whose effectiveness has never been tested before.

Goal oriented

In addition to having sufficient skills on the project, it is important for the project manager to have a clear understanding of the vision of the project as well as the resulted anticipated (Taylor, 2006). Without this in mind, it will be impossible for the manager to influence the team in seeing the same vision as well as mobilizing them towards achievement of the goal. Goal orientation is evident when an individual is able to run with the goals and influence the people working with him or her without imposing it on them (Dyett, 2012). In addition to that, a project manager without an understanding of the vision may lose track of the timeline and may not know the kind of resources needed to run the project.

A goal oriented project manager has the ability to influence his team to catching the vision and running with it. This is because an understanding of the vision ensures that all the efforts and resources are focused primarily in the right direction. Goal orientation is also important when it comes to staying on schedule. This is based on the concept that the different segments of a project have a definite timeline which is defined by the goals expected to be achieved at that point. Not knowing the goals means that the timeline will not be followed hence the project may take longer than expected or may fail (Staples, 2010). This in turn would lead to the demand of more resources or the loss of resources.

Team builder

A team builder is a person who is able to influence a group of people working together towards the same goal. A team builder keeps the team motivated and focused on the goal. He or she gives directions on what should be done and who should do what. This means that the responsibility of a team builder is a mix of being a leader and also being a member of the team (Barker, 2007). This is because the leadership qualities are seen in the fact that the team builder makes most of the important decisions while the team qualities are seen in the fact that he or she is able to work in a team with the rest of the members involved in the organization of the project.

A project manager who has this kind of impact with his team is able to achieve a lot when it comes to overseeing a project. The fact that the team stays motivated and focused on the goal ensures that every person in the team plays their role and understands their significance in the whole project (Knapp, 2010). A good team builder helps promote unison by bringing out the significance of each one of the members in the team and pointing out that each of the roles played by each of the parties are relevant and there is no way the project could be successfully run without any of them. This is also a strategy for ensuring that the team members remain motivated based on the fact that their role in the project is recognized and appreciated (Griffin, 2010).

Overseas Holiday Project Manager

Being the project manager in organization of a family oversees holiday requires the above named qualities of a project management. First, it is important to have an idea on why the project is being carried out and the resources that would be needed to make it a success. In this case, as a project manager, it is important to have background knowledge on possible places for holiday that would be most appropriate for a birthday party. In addition to that, it is important to know the amount of resources that would be needed and to what extent each of these resources would be relevant in organizing the holiday. Other than that, it is important to have sufficient knowledge concerning the 30 people required to attend the party in order to ensure that the options chosen are convenient for the majority if not everybody in the team.

Staying goal oriented is also very important especially when dealing with a huge number of people. This is because the different people have different opinions and all need to be heard and implemented. The best way to avoid giving in to irrelevant suggestions would be to stay oriented to the purpose of the project. Orientation to the goal also helps in ensuring that I do not give in to pressure especially based on the fact that family is involved hence the need to stay informal with them. It is important to understand that deviation from the goal may lead to incurrence of additional costs on the holiday in general.

Team building, especially in a group of 30 people is important in ensuring that all the ideas are centralized and agreed upon. Since there would be many suggestions on where and how to spend the holiday, it would be important to have the team building skill which helps the team stay united and easily agree with any suggestions brought forward or to politely decline any of the ideas that may come up and may not be satisfactory.