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Project Planning DUE DATE: 25 & 26 Jan 2018; DUE TIME: 15 & 18:00Hrs; TOTAL Budget: $20.00
This assignment is in 2 parts (1&2) while Part 2 is split in 2 smaller parts (A & B).
Part 1:  Topic 1  DUE DATE: 25 Jan 2018          DUE TIME: 15:00Hrs GMT
Time Scheduling Techniques Visit the Library and read the article below in preparation for your Discussion Board posting. Project teams repeatedly underestimate the time needed to complete project tasks. In this paper a strategy – known as backward planning – is examined that purports to counteract optimistic scheduling bias. Backward planning involves starting a plan at the end goal and then working through required steps in reverse-chronological order, and is commonly advocated by practitioners as a tool for developing realistic plans and projections. Your PMBOK® Guide refers to this as a backwards pass when building out your network diagram.
Wiese, J., Buehler, R., & Griffin, D. (2016). Backward planning: Effects of planning direction on predictions of task completion time. Judgment and Decision Making, 11(2), 147–167.
Taking into consideration what the paper promotes as backward planning and comparing this with what the PMBOK® Guide refers to as a backwards pass, can this time scheduling techniques be used as a viable means to eliminate task overruns and in at the project level, project overruns? As a result of reading the paper and drawing from your assigned readings take a position (state your premise) that addresses these scheduling methodologies and support your position showing the situation (knowledge), an understanding of the situation (comprehension), and how it applies professionally (application). Then, analyze your premise/position with a cited reference or example showing that you have considered all aspects relating to the implementation of your premise as advantages/disadvantages (analysis). Finally, conclude with a restatement of your supported premise or a recommended course of action drawn from your analysis (synthesis) and then validate your conclusion or recommended course of action using cited references or examples not used in your analysis to avoid circular logic (evaluation).
Part 2 :  DUE DATE: 26 Jan 2018          DUE TIME: 18:00Hrs GMT
You have two Assignments to submit in this part. – Assignments A & B
Assignment A:
Plan schedule management with associated resources.
This Assignment is designed to evaluate your ability to research, organize, and demonstrate project data and financial information pertaining to the development of the feasibility study within the project initiation phase. These exercises mimic actual situations one could expect to occur between the project manager and their sponsor or key stakeholders. Its assessments are directed toward measuring mastery in synthesis of information, proper classifications, critical thinking, and attention to detail, explanations, and professional acumen.   Given the information provided you for your assigned rocket assembly project (See Course Resources attached):
• Construct a Resource Allocation Matrix for the labor, equipment and material allocated to your assigned rocket project.
• Construct a Gantt schedule based on the WBS activities at the task level with associated deliverable milestones for your assigned rocket.
• Construct a project Network Diagram for your assigned rocket project.   You will need an evening for data collection. This will require about two hours to write up your findings. Download the appropriate templates from Course Resources to record the information found. Alternatively you can use recommended internet links in the appendix of your text for a similar template. The document you use must meet all criteria specified in the grading rubric. Fill in all sections completely using your assigned assignment scenario found in Course Resources.
1. Go to Course Resources or locate an appropriate template from the internet that meets the rubric criteria.
Using this worksheet and your assigned project, answer the sections on the worksheet.
If there are sections missing from the template for the assigned documents but required in the rubric, be sure to address them.
Upload all documents as separate files to the designated team members’ Dropbox.
2. Go to the internet and find a product description template that meets the rubric criteria. Using this worksheet and your assigned project, answer the sections on the worksheet. Upload this charter to the designated team members’ Dropbox.
3. Ensure that your project documents address the criteria of the rubric and follow the stated requirements.   You have three deliverables. Be sure to upload all deliverables into this Assignment Dropbox.
Assignment Points Possible Points Earned  Content (0-24 points)
1. Tool Development (Resource Allocation Matrix)
a) Contains all project WBS tasks?  8pts
b) Contains all requisite/identified labor resources?
c) Identifies method of cross-impacting labor resources to project WBS tasks?
2. Tool Development (Gantt schedule)
a) All WBS tasks depicted?  8pts
b) Each task level activity depicted with incremental bar(s)
c) Schedule relationships specified using Critical Path Method (CPM)  d) Critical path correctly identified according to CPM?
3. Tool Development (Network Diagram)
a) Utilizes activity-on-node format?  8pts
b) Project divided into all task level activities with task number, task name, and predecessors identified?
c) Task level activities correctly sequenced according to precedence (reflects Gantt schedule)?
d) Critical path correctly identified according to CPM?
e) Durations for all activities correctly entered (same as Gantt durations)?
f) Forward pass correctly performed?
g) Backward pass correctly performed?
h) Float correctly calculated?  i) Minimum project duration same as reflected on Gantt schedule?
Analysis (0-9 points)
Response exhibits strong higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g., evaluation). Paper shows original thought.  3 pts
Analysis includes proper classifications, explanations, comparisons and inferences.   3pts
Critical thinking includes appropriate judgments, conclusions and assessment based on evaluation and synthesis of information.   3pts
Writing (0-7 points)
Grammatical skills are strong with typically less than one error per page. Correct use of APA when assigned.  3pts
Appropriate to the assignment, fresh (interesting to read), accurate, (no far-fetched, unsupported comments), precise (say what you mean), and concise (not wordy).  2pts
Project is in 12-point font.
Narrative sections are double-spaced with a double space between. Project is free of serious errors; grammar, punctuation, and spelling help to clarify the meaning by following accepted conventions.    2pts
Total 40
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Assignment B:
Team Assignment:
This Assignment is designed to evaluate your ability to research, organize, and demonstrate project data and financial information pertaining to the development of the schedule baseline within the project planning phase. These exercises mimic actual situations one could expect to occur between the project manager and the sponsor or key stakeholders. Its assessments are directed toward measuring mastery in synthesis of information, proper classifications, critical thinking, attention to detail, explanations, and professional acumen.  In this Assignment, you and your team will develop a Definitive Duration Estimate and a Schedule Management Plan for your assigned rocket project.  You and your team have received word that your company, Space Systems Technologies (SST) does not employ the “Fitter” labor resource you will need in assembling the rocket. As a corporate policy, this skill set is outsourced as part of an agreement with the local Fitters Union to keep an open shop. All Fitter labor needs are required to be outsourced to the Fitters Union Local #1234 for all new rocket assembly projects. The SST human resources department will coordinate with the procurement office and provide the assigned rocket assembly project with the necessary Union Fitters once they receive the estimated number of labor hours required for this project.  Identify your group members develop the following from your assigned Ansari “X-Prize” project entry:
• Develop a Definitive Duration Estimate for your assigned rocket project down to the work package level.
• Develop a Schedule Management Plan for your assigned rocket project.
Your team will need an evening for data collection. This will require about two hours per group member to write up your findings. Download the appropriate templates in Course Resources to record the information found. Alternatively you can use recommended internet links in the appendix of your text for a similar template. The document you use must meet all criteria specified in the grading rubric. Fill in all sections completely using your assigned assignment scenario found in Course Resources.
1. Go to Course Resources or locate an appropriate template from the internet that meets the rubric criteria. Using this worksheet and your assigned project, answer the sections on the worksheet. If there are sections missing from the template for the assigned documents but required in the rubric, be sure to address them. Upload all documents as separate files to the designated team members’ Dropbox.
2. Go to the internet and find a product description template that meets the rubric criteria. Using this worksheet and your assigned project, answer the sections on the worksheet. Upload this charter to the designated team members’ Dropbox.
3. Ensure that your project documents address the criteria of the rubric below and follows the stated requirements.
Team Assignment Rubric:
Points Possible Points Earned  Content (0-30 points)
1. Tool Development (Definitive Duration Estimate)
a) Project scope (WBS) correctly entered down to work package level? 15pts
b) All labor skill sets accounted for with own column?
c) Levels of effort correctly entered at the work package levels?
d) Level of effort (in hours) correctly rolled-up (totaled) to each requisite sub-task level?
e) Sub-task totals correctly rolled-up (totaled) to each requisite task level?
f) Task level totals for each labor skill set totals to reflect total task labor hours?
g) Each labor skill set task totals tallied at bottom of each skill set column to reflect each skill set total labor for the project?
h) All labor total hours tallied to show total labor hours for the project.
i) All labor levels of effort calculated to show total labor for each increment by task?
2. Tool Development (Schedule Management Plan)
a) Scheduling methodology/Tool to be used for project schedule specified?15points
b) Level of accuracy specified to determine activity duration estimates (round up to the next 1 hour/day/month)?
c) Units of measure (hours/days/weeks/months)?  d) Organizational procedures links (WBS numbering mapped to accounting numbering mapped to general ledger/budget line, etc.)?
e) Process identified for updating the status and recording of progress in the schedule tool and defined?
f) Control thresholds specified for schedule variances between planned value and actual costs (EVM variances thresholds)?
g) Rules for performance measures specified (SV, SPI, etc.) with definitions?
h) Reporting formats and frequency for schedule reports defined?
i) Process descriptions documented?
Analysis (0-11 points)
Response exhibits strong higher-order critical thinking and analysis (e.g., evaluation). Paper shows original thought. 3points
Analysis includes proper classifications, explanations, comparisons and inferences.  4points
Critical thinking includes appropriate judgments, conclusions and assessment based on evaluation and synthesis of information. 4 points
Writing (0-9 points)
Grammatical skills are strong with typically less than one error per page. Correct use of APA when assigned.   3 points
Appropriate to the assignment, fresh (interesting to read), accurate, (no far-fetched, unsupported comments), precise (say what you mean), and concise (not wordy). 3points
Project is in 12-point font. Narrative sections are double-spaced with a double space between. Project is free of serious errors; grammar, punctuation, and spelling help to clarify the meaning by following accepted conventions. 3