Practices in Project Management Essay Example

the Board of Trustees in May 1999, aims to plan and implement an Assisted Living Facility (ALF). The objective is to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the shortage of medically-focused and specialized facilities nationwide, along with the growing older adult population. We expect that the ALF, a for-profit subsidiary of SDMC, will be successful.

It is expected that the net income for each unit will range from $9,000 to $12,000, with a net cash flow of approximately $1,500.

Both outpatient referrals and the inpatient population are expected to increase. Additionally, the project aims to strengthen the organizational focus on reimbursable preventative and wellness plans for a healthier aging community.

Project Requirements

• The ALF Project Steering Committee has identified various actions and processes that must be met, including: installation design and construction;
• operational requirements for food services, housekeeping, and staffing;
• development of operational policies and procedures;
• creation of an operating budget;
• creation of payroll and accounting systems;
• description and establishment of telecommunications and information system needs;
• preliminary marketing plans, including community and staff communication programs;
• development of medical assessment tools for incoming residents;
• designation of clinical services offerings;
• development of an organizational structure; designation of government regulations and industry standards.

Primary Project Objectives

The primary goals of the ALF Project are as follows: The cost objective is to range between $8.5 to $11 million for the facility's construction. The timeline objective was initially set for completion and opening by July 2000 but was later revised to a duration of two years.The completion is expected by the end of July 2001.

The objective of the project is to create a self-contained

residential facility that is connected to SDMC and provides access to cafeteria and medical services. The facility will consist of 100 units, accommodating up to 150 individuals and couples. Among these units, there will be 15 to 30 "heavy-assisted" units, with the remaining units being "light-assisted".

The following assumptions are made: project funds will be released on time and the necessary project team members and resources will be available as required.

Contractors must possess the required qualifications and expertise to successfully finish the project. The restrictions are as follows: Construction cannot commence until after the city elections in November 1999. The facility needs to be accessible by late July 2001. Additionally, operational and administrative policies and procedures must be established.

A need for creation and designation of systems, ordinances, and criterions arises.

High-level Hazards

As with any project, there is a risk of exceeding budget, schedule, and/or failing to meet the required scope.

Despite the presence of several high-ranking hazards in the ALF undertaking, one specific concern is the short seven-month time frame for the complex construction project. Fortunately, this period has been extended by approximately another year.

The organization is intricate, with a multitude of individuals fulfilling various roles. The Board of Trustees supervises the decision-making process, but this complexity often causes delays in reaching decisions. Additionally, this project is larger than previous ones managed by SDMC and only one team member has construction expertise. Currently, the regulations and standards for both the construction and healthcare sectors are complex and undetermined. Construction projects have the potential to impact the surrounding environment, adding an extra risk factor to this endeavor.

Additionally, adverse weather conditions present a

significant risk to the project and may have a detrimental effect on the schedule by causing delays in deliveries and construction work.

Key Project Milestones

Key project milestones consist of: 1. Designing and constructing the facility 2.

Operational demands designation, budget development undertaking and running, paysheet and accounting systems creation, telecommunications demands and system apparatus definition, information systems and system apparatus definition, preliminary selling program and communications bundle creation.

Form major land interrupting event 9. Clinical Services 10. Design of assessment tool for incoming occupants 11. Designation of demands for clinical services 12. Development of facility’s direction construction 13. Designation of governmental ordinances and industry criterions

Preliminary Budget Estimate

The preliminary budget estimation for the completed undertaking is between $8.

The total cost of the project is between $5 and $11 million, including expenses for land purchase, building installation, trapping installation, and the construction of a sheltered connection from the assisted living facility to the Medical Center.

Key Stakeholders

Below is the illustrated cardinal stakeholder analysis matrix.

The text below provides an overview of the cardinal stakeholders, their levels of power and involvement, and a battle program. It is followed by a communications chart that outlines the stakeholders and their respective duties.

The project involves constructing a separate residential facility that will provide assisted living services for approximately 150 individuals and couples. Additionally, there will be a covered link building connecting the facility to St. Dismas Medical Center's cafeteria and hospital services. The residential units will be divided into 100 units, with 15-30 units specifically designed for occupants

who need significant assistance, while the remaining units will be classified as "light-assisted".

The cost of the installation must be within the range of $8.5 to $11 million. Construction cannot commence until after the city elections in November 1999, and it is mandatory for the installation to be available to the public by late July 2001.

Project Constraints

The construction start date depends on the outcome of the November 1999 city elections. It is crucial that the installation can be accessed by late July 2001.

Operational and administrative policies, processes, and systems must be established, along with the identification of ordinances and standards. The budget limit is set at $ 11 million.

Undertaking Premises

The success of the project depends on specific premises, which, if proven false, could lead to consequences (Project Management Institute, 2013):

• The finances for the project will be provided in a timely manner.
• The necessary team members and resources will be available for the project.
• The contractors responsible for completing the project have the necessary skills and experience.

Undertaking Deliverables

• The design and construction of installation;
• Meeting the operational demands for nutrient services housekeeping and staffing;
• Developing operational policy and processes;
• Creating the operating budget; creating payroll and accounting systems;
• Representing and setting up telecommunications and information system needs;
• Creating preliminary marketing plans, including community and staff communications programs;
• Developing medical assessment tools for incoming occupants;
• Designating

clinical services offerings;

Undertaking Exclusions

Items that are not included in the scope include: design and construction of a parking lot or garage. Design, construction, and amenities of patient amusement and activity areas.

Exercise and fitness countries involve the design and development of landscaping, walking paths, and gardening areas. Private homes also have their own design, construction, and facilities for personal use.

Building and trappings of salon and barber services in a country design. Building and trappings of dining country.

Undertaking Risk and Quality Management Strategy Undertaking Risk Strategy

The undertaking squad has conducted a brainstorming session with a group of advisors from various relevant areas of expertise to identify a comprehensive list of hazards. This was achieved by questioning what could potentially go wrong with undertakings.

The utilization of the scenario analysis method involves employing critical thinking skills to identify potential events that may impact the project. This method has been used to identify, analyze, and prioritize hazards based on their level of impact (Mantel).

Meredith, Shafer, and Sutton (2011) also examined the work breakdown structure (WBS) and project profile to identify potential risks, as suggested by Mantel et al. (2011).

The following likely hazards have been identified:

Bad conditions

• Inadequate staffingInadequate budget
• Project management team inexperience
• Regulatory and industry demands
• Cost estimation errors
• Complex organizational structure and decision-making process

Broad set of stakeholders that have yet to weigh in on the project

The strategy for managing hazards is to develop a risk response plan as advised by Mantel et Al. (2011). The risk response plan will include contingency plans to handle events that do occur.

With multiple contingencies and supporting logic charts developed for high-impact hazards, hazard identification and response planning will be ongoing throughout the project duration.

Project Quality Management Strategy

The ALF project quality management strategy is to adhere to the guidelines provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI) (2013): identify quality requirements, document levels of compliance with quality requirements, perform quality assurance audits, and control quality by taking action to address subpar quality measurements.

The ALF Project follows the approach of including provisions in the original contract to handle suggested changes, as recommended by Mantel et al. (2011). To minimize project risks and thoroughly analyze proposed changes, PMI (2013) advises implementing an integrated change control process. This process will cover the review, approval or denial of change requests, as well as their impact on other project aspects such as policies and documents.

The Project Management Institute (2013) states that there are several options for project management programs.

Two tools that will be utilized to achieve quality are:

1. Cost-benefit analysis, which compares the cost of the proposed alteration to the expected benefit.
2. Cause-and-effect diagrams, which utilize the inquiry “why” to detect the root
   

cause of a problem in order to rectify it.

Cost-benefit analysis will be beneficial in presenting problems and their potential solutions to the decision-making structure, allowing them to thoroughly evaluate their options and identify the solution that best meets their needs.

The cause-and-effect diagram is useful for determining the exact problem that requires attention, and resolving the underlying cause will prevent excessive expenses, exertion, and redoing tasks related to addressing incorrect issues.

Construction Phase Milestone Schedule

The milestone schedule for the construction phase of the St. Dismas Assisted Living Facility project, along with the work list and agenda, is presented below. The critical path (B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-K-L-O-P-S-T) is indicated in green on the milestone agenda. The estimated duration for completing the project is 102 weeks, which is approximately two years. Please note that approval from the Board of Trustees will be necessary for this milestone schedule.

The project will begin in August 1999 once action plans are submitted. Funding for the project will be released promptly. The project team will have access to necessary resources and members as required. Contractors will possess the necessary skills and experience to successfully complete the project.

Budget Summary for St. Dismas ALF Project

The budget for the St. Dismas ALF Project consists of a summary-level budget and an elaborate budget. The estimations for the installation design and building activities were provided by the Chief Operating Officer and the Construction Project Manager. The administrative and eventuality budgets were determined by upper direction.

Both bottom-up budgeting and top-down budgeting are used candidly. Bottom-up budgeting involves cost estimations for each activity being completed by the squad members responsible for those tasks, utilizing the work dislocation construction. On

the other hand, top-down budgeting produces estimations based on the judgements and experiences of top directors (Mantel et al.).

In this project, the combination usage of top-down and bottom-up budgeting is ideal, as stated by Mantel et al. (2011).

The advantage of top-down budgeting is its high degree of accuracy, although it can have significant errors for low-level activities. On the other hand, bottom-up budgeting provides accuracy for low-level activities but has the potential for significant errors for high-cost activities (Mantel et al., 2011). The detailed budget is also divided by project and expected quarter of expenses to address the different cost perspectives between the project manager (PM), the accountant, and the controller.

According to Mantel et Al. (2011), the project manager (PM) is focused on monitoring commitments made against the budget. Comptrollers track costs as they occur, while accountants are accountable for the organization's cash flow. The division of costs by activity and quarter enables all three parties to comprehend their association with the project.

The majority of the items in this budget pertain to the facility design and building deliverable as outlined in the project's scope statement and work breakdown structure. Other deliverables are grouped together under the cardinal and direct administrative costs category. While the budget may adequately cover the labor costs associated with these other deliverables, such as identifying requirements and regulations and developing plans, systems, and budgets, it may not adequately cover the costs for certain aspects of those deliverables, such as setting up telecommunications and information systems and organizing a large groundbreaking event. Additionally,

The current budget does not include exclusions from the Project Scope Statement, such as the design and construction of a

parking lot and recreational areas. The total budget amount is $10.

000. 000. which is still $ 1. 000. 000 under the original estimated budget and leaves some room to add deliverables if necessary.

Project Summary Budget

Project Monitor and Control Strategy

The ALF Project proctor and control scheme is as follows.

The project team will consistently monitor schedule progress using the Gantt chart and monitor budget progress using the detailed budget. Monitoring these will provide the team with a comparison of the time period against the actual plan. However, the team will utilize earned value (EV) metrics to not only compare the current situation with the plan, but also assess the actual progress at the evaluation point (Mantel et al.).

In 2011, the information collected and analyzed by control tools will be reported weekly to the team, following the communication chart. The project management team will determine if any deviations from the plan are significant enough to require control measures. If intervention is deemed necessary, data, including the project milestone status report, assessments, and recommendations, will be communicated to the Board of Trustees. Change requests will also be submitted with the goal of reducing discrepancies between the plan and actual circumstances. Earned value metrics is the preferred monitoring and controlling tool for the ALF Project.

Earned value prosodies enable the team to assess the progress and efficiency of the project by comparing it to the current status. This assessment provides an estimation of costs if the project continues at the same pace. To determine if the project meets the required criteria in terms of physical assets, human resources, and funds, a go/no-go control, such as the milestone position report, can be

used. This control allows for comparing the project outcomes to the existing standards and taking necessary steps to align the project's schedule, budget, and scope with the plan (Mantel et al., 2011).

. 2011 ).

Undertaking Closeout

The ALF Project will continue with a formal undertaking closeout primarily to assist the organization improve its project management skills on future projects ( Mantel et al. . 2011. p.

273). The formal project closeout will allow SDMC to comprehend project mistakes, accomplishments, performance, and project team and management effectiveness and deficiencies, and record them in the organizational knowledge base. Additionally, a formal closeout interacts with all individuals involved in the project in a manner that boosts morale and trust.

The organization and project managers demonstrate reliability by completing their tasks and effectively communicating to each department that it is time to complete their project activities and handle project staff and reassignments with sensitivity. The project closeout process will follow the recommendation of Mantel et al. (2011) once the project manager ensures all project work is finished.

The project must go through the project acceptance stage, where acceptance needs to be obtained from the Board of Trustees and project management team, and officially documented.

An in-depth audit will be conducted to assess the progress and performance of the project's program. This will involve examining its methodology, processes, records, assets, inventories, budgets, expenditures, and overall progress (Mantel et al., 2011, p. 275).

The final report will encompass both the audit findings and the complete project history, which will include details of project failures, successes, and lessons learned. In addition, the final report will document the various project activities and management techniques employed,

as well as the location of the organization's assets. Recommendations for improvement will also be included.

The completed study will be given to stakeholders when finished. Closeout meetings will be held with contractors and section caputs, including those in fiscal, legal, buying, organisational and installation.

Notification will be sent to project teams about the expiration of supplies to help manage their responsibilities and resolve any outstanding issues. A meeting will be held with project forces to discuss reassignments, emphasize important matters, and bring the project to a close. Finally, the project records will be closed, organizational assets will be updated, and all records will be archived.

Mentions:

1. Mantel. S., Meredith. J., Shafer. S., ; Sutton.

M. (2011).