Assignment 2
Answer the following questions:
Q1. Who can initiate changes to a project schedule?
Project schedules are a vital aspect of management. The project manager is overall in the initiation process of changes to project schedules. On the other hand, any stakeholder is eligible for this task too. It is proper schedules that ensure the effective running of a specific system. Since time is an expensive and precious commodity, it has to be well utilized. This can only be affected during the project cycle by having a proper project schedule. The apprehension taken in project schedules includes: Noting the deadlines, resource requirements, identifying activities and tasks, and noting the duration of the set tasks. With this in mind, the initiation of changes to a project schedule thus becomes a critical aspect.
Being a complicated process to develop and implement project management schedules, the task is thus entrusted with the project manager. Likewise, should there be a need to initiate changes, the project manager is set to spearhead it. Critical aspects of focus are to ensure that both human, time, and material resources are not wasted in the process. In initiating the initiation of the project management plan, several tools can be employed depending on the needs and the size of the organization. This includes the employment of the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), the Gantt Chart, and the Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) or the Critical Path Method (CPM).
Q2. Describe why and when changes would occur in a project?
Project plan changes are necessary for running projects. These changes are bound to occur on a daily basis, except when an organization is hit by bigger challenges that need significant changes too. To be able to meet the challenges of the task, these changes are a necessary evil. The factor that determines when changes are bound to occur in a project includes: First when the stakeholder changes their mind. This often happens, and it would call for an urgent change in the project running to be able to accommodate the situation at hand. Such incidences would result from the need to incorporate new ideas or to format the quality of output.
Secondly, a change to the project scope would be as a result of regulatory changes. This happens in the event of having new legislation that ought to be incorporated. Thirdly, another reason why a project change would occur is in the fact of having poorly defined requirements. Changes in regard to poorly defined requirements would be effected anytime. This would help cab assumptions and encourage teamwork. Fourthly, changes would be due to “change in sponsorship.” New sponsors are bound to bringing in new ideas and thus call for changes to have them incorporated. Other reasons for this effect would also be business change strategy, updated technology, and the fact that the organization may lack enough resources. The inadequacy of resources would propagate project change to enable the management to work within the boundaries of limited resources.
Q3. How are the network diagram and schedules updated to reflect the changes?
Project networks, being a graphical representation of all the responsibilities, tasks, and work-flow of a project, need to be updated on a regular basis. The schedule and network diagrams need to be updated I such a way that they reflect changes. This could be achieved through clearly illustrating the scope of the project using either the Critical Path Method (CPM) or the Arrow Diagram Method (ADM). On updating the network diagrams, the four relationships of “start to finish,” start to start,” start to finish” and finish to finish are effectively employed.