Project management concepts and practices

Project Management

Scope management for any project refers to the total work that needs to be done. Scope includes the resources (inputs) and desired results (outputs). Scope reflects the end product and all of its features. Scope management refers to the process of managing the project in respect to the project's original intended scope. In this case, the scope of the project is poorly defined by the singular goal statement. Phrasing such as "at least as good as the best ones in the private sector" indicates a major potential scope management problem. The scope of the project in this instance could expand rapidly as the nature of the goal becomes more clear. More specific articulation of the project's goals will ultimately serve to restrict the scope. The one-sentence goal leaves the scope open-ended and difficult to manage.

Originally, there were two teams, one internal and one external. The internal team managed the data gathering and analysis functions while the external team designed the system. One head presided over the two different teams. There are several potential problems with this structure. One is that the teams only meet every two weeks to discuss their progress, meaning that there is little coordination between the activities of the two teams. Another problem is that the external team may design a system that does not meet the needs of the internal team. Another problem is that the internal team is working on the project before the external team has established performance criteria, criteria to which the internal team will presumably be held accountable.

3) Several problems emerged. The project had been underplanned. Consensus had not been built, so the project met with resistance from internal stakeholders. External stakeholders (CIS customers) showed little interest in the proposed service. Many of the assumptions were revealed to be flawed, such as the assumption that an ideal model existed in the corporate world. There was little congruence between the new project and the organization's prior mandate, therefore the project represented a shift in CIS' mandate.

4) the keys to success for the project were identified as: meeting needs felt at lower levels; designed for and perceived as allowing improvement in job performance with the appropriate rewards; be inspired by best practices and fit into the organization's culture and mandate; and be "owned" by the people who would run and use it. Other factors that would influence success include the communication process, especially as the internal team would transmit feedback to the external team; setting more clear definitions for the terminology and objectives; and the ability of management to transition the project's perception from being a power grab to being a new way of doing things.