Reflection and Lessons Learned Presentation in Week 12

This module was mainly based on project management techniques and using them to develop project plans.
I gathered a lot of project management knowledge while working on this module

Project Case Study

Firstly, I learnt to analyze the provided case study that helps to chalk out a plan for the project.
I learnt that each and every detail of the case study must be analyzed in order to find suitable information.
I learnt to apply analytic knowledge to develop a project plan from the case study.

Project Plan

After case study analysis, I learnt to develop a rough project plan.

I learnt all the attributes and variables of a project plan that needed to be estimated and documented.
I learnt to link the attributes as per the requirements of the case study.
For developing project plan, I learnt to use some specific techniques like SMART, PESTEL and SWOT Analysis that helped me understand the organizational environments and other business related attributes.

Project Scope

While developing a project plan, I first learnt to develop the project scope.
I learnt the project scope is used to define a list of achievable targets that is possible through the course of the project.
I followed a systematic way to define the project scope.?Following estimating the scope, I planned management processes for controlling the project scope.
I collected the project requirements that helped me determine scope more precisely.
I used work breakdown structure in order to divide the deliverables in a sequence following defining the scope.
I also learnt to validate the scope and control it so that scope creep does not occur during the project.

Project Objectives

Next, I learnt to define project objectives.
Project objectives are developed from the case study requirements and the end products needed from the project.
I learnt that the project objectives must be within the scope of the project.
After developing the objectives, they need to verified using feasibility study.
The project objectives also need to be aligned with the organizational business strategies so that no extra expenses are encountered for developing out of scope objectives.

Stakeholder Analysis

Next, I learnt to perform stakeholder analysis of the project.
I learnt to analyse the required number of stakeholders of the project.
I also learnt to assign suitable roles to the stakeholders.
Stakeholders are identified on the basis of project requirements. E.g. a software project requires technical officer, database programmer, etc. whereas a construction project requires construction contractor, architect and others.
I learnt to define stakeholder expectations and their performance benchmarks.
I also learnt to develop a communication plan for these stakeholders from the project requirements and reporting needs.

Application of Techniques for Developing Project Plan

Communication Plan

After developing stakeholder analysis plan, I learnt to develop a communication plan.
The communication plan is needed so that the stakeholders communicate with each other during the course of the project.
Based on the communication plan, the stakeholders of the project should interact with each other.

 Project Schedule

I learnt to estimate the time required to complete various activities in the project.
I learnt the use of project management software (MS Project) to develop a project schedule.
I learnt to develop Gantt chart that helps in developing an accurate project schedule.

Project Budget

I learnt to estimate project budget based on the project plan.
I learnt to assign resources to each of the stakeholders as well as estimate resource prices in order to develop an accurate project budget.
I learnt to assign the estimated budget to the project.
I also learnt to determine cost baseline and funding requirements for determining the final budget plan for the project.

Risk Analysis

I learnt to analyse risks associated with the projects.
I learnt to develop a plan that helped me to identify risks.
I also learnt to develop a plan for mitigating the identified risks.
I used specific risk mitigation techniques including determination of inputs for risk mitigation, tools and techniques to mitigate the risks and prepare final output i.e. risk register matrix as a part of the risk management plan.
?I learnt to analyse the effects of the risks on the project.

Positive and Negative Experiences

In this course, I had both positive and negative experiences.

The positive experiences were as follows.

I gathered sufficient knowledge regarding project management that I previously did not have.
I developed significant team coordination while working in groups.
I learnt the use of various project management tools and techniques in solving various project related problems.
I developed risk management skills that helped me prepare a project risk management plan efficiently.

The negative experiences were as follows.

In the initial phase of the module, I got negative responses from my tutors due to my performances in the module.
I faced some problems regarding stakeholder identification for a project as I did not have a clear idea regarding the project structure. However, I analyzed the case studies of the projects to better understand the plan and then identified the stakeholders accurately.
I also had a hard time to prioritize the stakeholders. I used the critical path diagram and work breakdown structure to develop the critical tasks that must be done on high priority than the others and assigned stakeholder roles accordingly.
I also faced some difficulties during project scheduling but this problem was solved when I learnt the use of project management softwares.

Conclusion

I learnt to develop a suitable project plan along with its scope, objectives, SMART objectives, SWOT analysis of the organization, stakeholder analysis, communication plan, budget, schedule and other relevant parts of the project plan.
During the course, I had both positive and negative experiences that helped me learn from mistakes and build self confidence in addressing challenges.
I also had the lesson of executing a certain task in suitable steps and order in order to achieve success.
This module will greatly help me become a good project manager in the near future.

References

Axelos (2009). Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2® 2009 Edition. Axelos Global Best Practice, 100-120.

Project Management Institute. (1987). Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Project Management Institute.

Rose, K. H. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fifth Edition. Project management journal, 44(3).

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.