Assessment 3: schedule, cost, & integrated change

Using software of your choice and the PMBOK Guide, develop a schedule and integrated-change plan for your project. Using a provided template, also develop the project cost estimate (budget).

Introduction

This assessment is the next portfolio work project in this course. You may choose to base your assessment on the Cosmo, Inc. case study or choose your own project.

Project Integration Management is “the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups” (Project Management Institute, 2017, p. 569).

Throughout a project life cycle, processes and activities involved in project integration management include identifying, defining, combining, and unifying processes and activities that are implemented throughout the entirety of the project. Project schedule, costs, and change control are components of an integrated approach to successful project outcome. Change management is considered integrated, because it considers the impact of any change in cost, schedule, scope, quality, risk, resources, or customer satisfaction on all the other factors.

Reference

Project Management Institute. Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Sixth Edition and Agile Practice Guide. Newtown Square. PA. 2017.

Scenario

For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Faculty will grade both options using the same scoring guide.

• Option A: Based on the analysis completed by a task force at Cosmo, Inc., the marketing department must develop, implement, and test a new marketing campaign focused on maintaining current customer levels and increasing their customer base through the utilization of new technology. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Case Study [DOC] document for more information.
• Option B: You may choose a business of your own. It must include (but is not limited to) the following criteria:
  • Clear business objective and a specific completion outcome.
  • Project team with at least three members in addition to yourself. Each member must have defined roles and responsibilities
  • Completion window of 180 days.
  • Cost estimates that serve as the basis for a budget used as part of the plan development process.

Your Role

For both Options A and B, you are the project manager.

Requirements

Microsoft Project is the recommended software tool for this course due to its wide industry acceptance and its use in many project management professional roles. If you have not already done so, follow the instructions provided through the links below to download and install software or register for an account, as required.

1. If you have a Capella MS Imagine account, go to Step 2. Otherwise, see the instructions for registering an account at MS Imagine – Registration.
2. Log into the Capella Microsoft Imagine WebStore.
3. Identify the version of MS Project that is compatible with your operating system.
4. Download and install.

If you encounter any difficulties in the download and installation process, post a detailed question in the Ask Your Faculty Discussion in the menu dropdown when you click the image of your faculty. They should be able to help you or point you in the right direction for the answers you need.

Using Project in this course helps prepare you for future professional PM roles and responsibilities. Please use Project for tasks the software supports. If you have access to other tools such as Microsoft Visio, PowerPoint, and Word, or other project management software you believe may still meet the requirements of this course, please discuss your selected alternative with faculty.

Use the PMBOK® Guide as the model for developing the deliverables.

Part 1: Project Schedule Activity Sequencing

Create a diagram using software of your choice that shows the logical relationships among the schedule activities that your project involves. Note that finish-to-start is the most commonly used precedence relationship in activity sequencing.

In your activity-sequencing diagram, show logical relationships and consider the following types:

• Finish-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can start.
• Finish-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can finish.
• Start-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can start.
• Start-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can finish.

Part 2: Project Cost Estimate

Prepare a cost estimate or budget for your selected project:

• Identify the costs of each task and create categories (Labor, Materials, Contractor, Equipment, Misc., et cetera) to prioritize project expenditures.
• Identify and quantify:
  • Constraints: Activities or elements that affect the execution of a project and impact time, costs, or performance.
  • Dependencies: Activities or elements that have either a negative or positive dependency on costs, time, or performance.
  • Assumptions: Factors considered to be certain, without proof, that impact project time, costs, or performance.
  • Provide graphical representation or representations of budget.

Part 3: Integrated Change Control Plan

Design your team’s integrated-change-control-plan document for the project. Include the following items (at minimum):

• Instructions for setting up a change-control board and scheduling recurring meetings.
• Procedures for reviewing and approving requested changes.
• Procedures for managing approved changes.
• Areas that need to be updated after approved changes are implemented.

Preparation

Use the software of your choice to develop the deliverables for this assessment.

This assessment has three deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: Develop an Activity Sequencing document using your choice of word-processing applications, including Microsoft Word.
• Deliverable 2: Using the Cost Estimate Template [XLS], include the following in the Project Cost Estimate or Budget.
• Deliverable 3: Develop an Integrated Change Control Plan document using your choice of word-processing applications, including Microsoft Word.

Deliverable Format

• References: There is no set number of references required for this assessment. Use scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
• Format:
  • Deliverable 2: Use the Cost Estimate Template [XLS] provided.
  • Deliverables 1 and 3: Use your choice of Microsoft Word, Visio, or PowerPoint to develop the Activity Sequencing document and the Integrated Change Control Plan
  • All assessments are professional documents and should therefore follow the corresponding Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs.
  • Use APA style and format for any references or in-text citations.
• Length: Utilize the template for the Cost Estimate (Budget). There is no length requirement for the Activity Sequencing document or the Integrated Change Control Plan document.

Evaluation

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Create a project plan, including all subsidiary plans, to deliver project outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations.
  • Create a diagram that shows the logical relationships among the schedule activities.
  • Develop a cost estimate document that identifies constraints, dependencies, and assumptions.
• Competency 2: Lead and manage teams, users, stakeholders, and sponsors.
  • Assign appropriate activities to each team member.
• Competency 4: Establish change-control processes and use tools and techniques to assure approvals.
  • Create a plan to set up a change-control board; create schedule of recurring meetings to review and approve requested changes and to manage approved change procedures.