(memo action definition and control plan)
Status: Implementation plan and Control strategies. Pending.
Planning phase is completed.
Initiation phase is completed.
Project: Proposed Project Plan for Learning Management System: Part 2 - Implementation
Plan and Control Strategies
Start Date: August 15, 2012
Implementation Date: Winter Term 2012
Description: Upgrade and replace our current CDAD and CourseNet systems with the Desire2Learn® software package. The software is a Learning Management System which can be used in several types of departmental network and integrated for specific use per department. The software package offers ease in collaboration, tools for measurements and assessment to make grading easier, and customization choices to fit the needs of TUI.
IN PROGRESS. Implementation Phase. Putting the project into action. Monitor the successful reaching of task goals and keep them on target.
Completed. (A) Initiation Phase: Research software applications available, compare and choose best application for the needs of TUI. The Initiation phase has been completed. The software package Desire2Learn® has been chosen. (B) Team Formation Phase. Project Roles, responsibilities and staffing. Choosing team members, coordinating departments and work hours and coordinating resources for the project. The Team Formation Phase has been completed. (C)Planning Phase: The Planning Phase will (a) list all adjustments necessary to fit the specific needs of the faculty, students and departments of TUI, (b) is define the objectives which will provide the desired end goal use of the Desire2Learn® software application and (c) establish a written list for the best course of action to be taken considering all the known variables available at this time. The Planning Phase has been completed.
Implementation: WPS and CPM
The Team Members have been assigned for the twenty two member team.
Microsoft Project 2010 was chosen for tracking and monitoring the project.
The Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS) data has been input into the software.
The WBS automatically creates the Critical Path Management tool as a Gantt graph.
The Critical Path was not acceptable at first so several iterations were done by adjusting data
in the WBS until the CPM tool displayed an appropriate time schedule for the project.
Predecessor relationships were double checked for accuracy.
Resource use and delivery were planned out. The vendors require a 10 day window
for delivery so a lag time of 10 days was built into the WBS. This is displayed on the
CPM Gantt page.
On the View ribbon ‘Table’ was selected then ‘more tables.’ The ‘more tables’ gives
the project manager access to editing and organizing measurements such as Earned
Value, Earned Value Cost and Schedule Indicators plus edit and organize any changes
to Baseline. These tables will become essential as the project progresses. At the end
of tasks the Project Manager will use them to determine the status of the project.
Table 1
1 Desire2Learn
1.1 Requirements Analysis
1.1.1 Information gathering
1.1.2 Define Requirements
1.2 Disk Storage Upgrade
1.2.1Purchase
1.2.2 Install
1.3 Software Modifications
1.3.1 Database
1.3.1.1. Design DB Changes
1.3.1.2 Modify DB
1.3.2. Programs
1.3.2.1 Design Programs
1.3.2.1 Program
1.3.2.2.1 Code Programs
1.3.2.2.2 Unit Test
1.4 Integration
1.4.1 Integrate
1.4.2 Test
1.5 System ready
1.6 Final Report
1.7 Project Evaluation (for team members)
Table 2 Gantt Diagram. CPM.
The diagram on the left is a portion of the CPM I made. I had a lot of problems and needed to make a lot of adjustments so that the Gantt chart turned out with a reasonable timeline. I was unable to attach a copy because I could not make a copy from the software.
Internet Technology: Action Definition and Plan Design
The project manager is using Microsoft Project 2010 to track and monitor the project. The Implementation and Monitoring phase requires following the plan design while putting the project into action. First of all I input the data that I felt would best explain the steps of the process. I divided up the project into phases using the Microsoft Project 2010 as a guide. The phases and sub-phases of the WBS are in Table 2. The main phases used are the Requirements Management, the Disk Storage Update, Software Modifications, Integration, and the phase for making the System Ready, Final Report, and the Final Evaluation by Project Manager and the team members. Inputting this information made it necessary for me to think about how to order all the tasks so that I could input prerequisites. The purpose of doing this work was to enable better controls and allow me to review if the process was staying on track; the overall purpose being to get the Design2Learn online by the Winter Session deadline.
This portion of inputting the data into the software was confusing at first. I can tell that using the activity takes practice in order to feel comfortable with the software. Also the amount of detail that the software needs to work accurately requires a lot of time and thought. Breaking down the work tasks into step by step pieces can be challenging. At the same time the project manager should be thinking about what risks are inherent in the project. The start of the planning meant getting the project calendar set properly with the work week and holiday schedule. The scheduling to the tasks had to be integrated with the budget. The four big inputs are time, budget, relationships, and state of the deliverable (Microsoft, 2010).
The most difficult part of the software was making the Gantt Graph chart out the CPM. That is also linked to the data that is input. The data has to be approximate because adjustments will be made during the project. Still the data has to be accurate enough to make the critical path match the tasks to the deliverables date. I made a lot of adjustments to make the salaries fit to the budget. I was unable to get the team member meetings scheduled for example (on the software). The milestones were not set to the dates I was trying to set them. It was frustrating but I understand how projects work much better after the experience. I did not succeed in making a good CPM. The data was input under the general guidelines given by the Microsoft Project 2010 software instead of specific to the terminology of the Design2Learn software.
It is tricky to know how much detail to use although I am working with the assumption that the more detail the better. For example the campus has two types of computers that are going to have the Design2Learn software; both Windows operating system and MAC-OS-X. The appropriate terminology I should have used to match the Design2Learn installation project is explained next. The first line should read 1 Core Learning Platform. The subdivisions of the Core Learning Platform are (a) the Learning Environment and Repository, (b) the ePortfolio, (c) the ‘capture’ in order to make web videos, (d) the mobile applications used because of the off-campus networking, and (e) the analytics that are necessary for keeping track of the students’ progress.
Drinkwater (2011) describes the job of project manager saying “Our job as managers is to help remove obstacles and to allow the team to focus on the work, working towards an agreed upon target.” The project manager needs to be a leader. Instead of getting involved with the work of the experts who are writing code or installing networks, the project manager has to be concerned with the details of making the project as smoothly as possible until the final evaluation is made by the team members. That means that listening to team members is more important than trying to solve the problems they were hired to solve. By listening to the team leaders the adjustments made to the project tracking software will be more accurate.
References
Drinkwater, A. (2011) Proper methods for resource planning. ProjectConnections.com. Retrieved from http://blog.projectconnections.com/project_practitioners/2011/02/proper-methods-for-resource-planning.html Microsoft. (2010). Microsoft Project 2010 Practical Exercise Manual. 51 pp. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/create-a-new-project-RZ101831071.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA010355886§ion=2
Work Performance Information (WPI) v Work Performance Measurements (WPM). (2012 March 5) PM Study Circle (PMSC). Retrieved from http://pmstudycircle.com/2012/03/work-performance-information-wpi-vs-work-performance-measurements-wpm/#axzz1wQMObYD7
