Bus 611 Week 1 Assignment Article Review

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Bus 611 Week 1 Assignment Article Review

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Article Review. Write a 2-3 page, APA-style article review of the Rosenwinkel article (found in
the reading section). Provide an overall review of the article and compare it to a project you have been a team member or project manager on. Choose two “People Variables” and two “Project Variables” from the article and describe the overall complexity of your project. Provide a summary of how you would change the management of the project based on the items in this article.

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Bus 611 Week 2 Assignment Project Risk

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Week 2
Project Risk. Risk is often described as the event that “might” happen during the course of a
project. Explain how risk has impacted a project that you have been associated with as a team member or project leader. Provide at least two examples where surprise events impacted the project, and how the issue was resolved. Comment on the importance of risk to the overall schedule, and if there were any lessons learned in terms of identifying the risk in the future. You may use a home improvement project or charity project as an example. Submit a 2-3 page, APA-style paper.

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Bus 611 Week 3 Assignment WBS

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Week 3
WBS. Create a work breakdown structure (WBS) for a project you have
involved in professionally, or a common activity around the house that would span more than one month.
This particular WBS can be in outline form, with more than two but no more than five high level work
packages with no more than 3 tasks in each work package. Assign resources to each task, and provide an
appendix for the high level skills required for the task. Identify one work package that could use a
contingency plan, and write describe that plan in one hundred words or less. Use an APA cover page and
formatting to satisfy University requirements.
Example WBS: Project Name – New Swimming Pool
a. Create Budget – 2 weeks
i. Task 1- Accountant
ii. Task 2- Accountant
b. Design Pool – 2 weeks
i. Task 1- Designer
ii. Task 2- Designer
c. Build Pool - 6 Weeks
i. Task 1- Construction
ii. Task 2- Construction

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Bus 611 Week 4 Assignment Integrated Project Management Tools

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Week 4
Integrated Project Management Tools. Choose a project where you were a team member or
Project Manager that lasted more than three months. Write a three page paper that identifies the importance of integrated project management tools. The introduction should describe the industry involved, high level deliverables of the project, and the number of resources assigned to the project. The body of the paper needs to describe at least three of the following tools that were used for building an integrated project management system, and if these tools were effective or not.
a. Generic WBS
b. Scheduling System
c. Work Authorization System
d. Decision making process
e. Integrated cost or scheduling system
f. Project Status Reports
Your conclusion should be a summary of your essay and should repeat the main ideas. In academic writing, a conclusion serves to remind the reader of what the paper is about and allows you to make a final point without introducing new information.

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Bus 611 Week 5 Assignment Monthly Status Reports

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Week 5
Monthly Status Reports. Assume you are the project manager for a software company, and
your team is in charge of delivering an update to tax preparation software for the next tax season. The project team has ten software developers working together, but located across the country. You have the following information about the project, and need to provide a status to the sponsors. Please write a one page status report to the sponsors, providing a clear indication of status of the project. (suggestion Red, Yellow, or Green for status). The sponsors also like to only know the two most important risks, and what could be done to mitigate the risk if it happens. The conclusion of the status report must describe any requests for additional resources, if they are necessary.
New items you learned this month about the project:
a. There is a three day weekend in the coming month
b. Nine of the developers are on track to finish their tasks 2 weeks early.
c. One software developer took the recently announced “early retirement” package, and is leaving in one
week. He is confident he will be able to finish his piece of the work before he leaves.
d. It is hurricane season in Florida, where three of the developers are located.
e. The developer who is retiring is the only person who knows how to get approval for the final product
from the IRS.
f. The project costs are under budget and there has been no need for overtime.
g. Provide a one page monthly status to the sponsors, in APA format.

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Bus 611 Week 6 Final Research Paper

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Week 6
Focus of the Final Paper
The final paper will be a comprehensive research review of the significant principles of project management and how to use project management as a discipline to successfully achieve organizational objectives. This is an assignment with a minimum of eight pages that should integrate the reading, multi-media and class discussion boards, and also reflect on professional experience where possible. It is mandatory to have research from the classroom text, as well as three sources from the internet or online library to support your views. Consider the validity of your resources carefully before using
them in academic papers. Use at least one project you have been a team member or a project management as an example to describe the topics below:
The following topics must be reviewed in order for the paper to be complete:
a. Project life-cycle management and the benefits of project management to an organization.
b. Project organizations and the importance of leadership and sponsorship
c. Project team building, including techniques of successful team building
d. Techniques for project scope definition and the importance of managing scope throughout a project.
e. Creation of a work breakdown structure, and how and project manager breaks down the overall project into packages.
f. Comment on the need for contingency planning and why it can help keep a project on schedule.
g. Concept of a phase review and why it is important to sponsors.
h. The need for PM software in large integrated programs and the benefits to the overall project management organization.
Include examples from projects in which you were a team member, project manager or from the examples from class readings and discussion boards.
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.
7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

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ASHFORD BUS 611 Entire Course *Project Planning and Management*

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Article Review. Write a 2-3 page, APA-style article review of the Rosenwinkel article (found in
the reading section). Provide an overall review of the article and compare it to a project you have been a team member or project manager on. Choose two “People Variables” and two “Project Variables” from the article and describe the overall complexity of your project. Provide a summary of how you would change the management of the project based on the items in this article.

Week 2
Project Risk. Risk is often described as the event that “might” happen during the course of a
project. Explain how risk has impacted a project that you have been associated with as a team member or project leader. Provide at least two examples where surprise events impacted the project, and how the issue was resolved. Comment on the importance of risk to the overall schedule, and if there were any lessons learned in terms of identifying the risk in the future. You may use a home improvement project or charity project as an example. Submit a 2-3 page, APA-style paper.

Week 3
WBS. Create a work breakdown structure (WBS) for a project you have
involved in professionally, or a common activity around the house that would span more than one month.
This particular WBS can be in outline form, with more than two but no more than five high level work
packages with no more than 3 tasks in each work package. Assign resources to each task, and provide an
appendix for the high level skills required for the task. Identify one work package that could use a
contingency plan, and write describe that plan in one hundred words or less. Use an APA cover page and
formatting to satisfy University requirements.
Example WBS: Project Name – New Swimming Pool
a. Create Budget – 2 weeks
i. Task 1- Accountant
ii. Task 2- Accountant
b. Design Pool – 2 weeks
i. Task 1- Designer
ii. Task 2- Designer
c. Build Pool - 6 Weeks
i. Task 1- Construction
ii. Task 2- Construction

Week 4
Integrated Project Management Tools. Choose a project where you were a team member or
Project Manager that lasted more than three months. Write a three page paper that identifies the importance of integrated project management tools. The introduction should describe the industry involved, high level deliverables of the project, and the number of resources assigned to the project. The body of the paper needs to describe at least three of the following tools that were used for building an integrated project management system, and if these tools were effective or not.
a. Generic WBS
b. Scheduling System
c. Work Authorization System
d. Decision making process
e. Integrated cost or scheduling system
f. Project Status Reports
Your conclusion should be a summary of your essay and should repeat the main ideas. In academic writing, a conclusion serves to remind the reader of what the paper is about and allows you to make a final point without introducing new information.

Week 5
Monthly Status Reports. Assume you are the project manager for a software company, and
your team is in charge of delivering an update to tax preparation software for the next tax season. The project team has ten software developers working together, but located across the country. You have the following information about the project, and need to provide a status to the sponsors. Please write a one page status report to the sponsors, providing a clear indication of status of the project. (suggestion Red, Yellow, or Green for status). The sponsors also like to only know the two most important risks, and what could be done to mitigate the risk if it happens. The conclusion of the status report must describe any requests for additional resources, if they are necessary.
New items you learned this month about the project:
a. There is a three day weekend in the coming month
b. Nine of the developers are on track to finish their tasks 2 weeks early.
c. One software developer took the recently announced “early retirement” package, and is leaving in one
week. He is confident he will be able to finish his piece of the work before he leaves.
d. It is hurricane season in Florida, where three of the developers are located.
e. The developer who is retiring is the only person who knows how to get approval for the final product
from the IRS.
f. The project costs are under budget and there has been no need for overtime.
g. Provide a one page monthly status to the sponsors, in APA format.


Week 6
Focus of the Final Paper
The final paper will be a comprehensive research review of the significant principles of project management and how to use project management as a discipline to successfully achieve organizational objectives. This is an assignment with a minimum of eight pages that should integrate the reading, multi-media and class discussion boards, and also reflect on professional experience where possible. It is mandatory to have research from the classroom text, as well as three sources from the internet or online library to support your views. Consider the validity of your resources carefully before using
them in academic papers. Use at least one project you have been a team member or a project management as an example to describe the topics below:
The following topics must be reviewed in order for the paper to be complete:
a. Project life-cycle management and the benefits of project management to an organization.
b. Project organizations and the importance of leadership and sponsorship
c. Project team building, including techniques of successful team building
d. Techniques for project scope definition and the importance of managing scope throughout a project.
e. Creation of a work breakdown structure, and how and project manager breaks down the overall project into packages.
f. Comment on the need for contingency planning and why it can help keep a project on schedule.
g. Concept of a phase review and why it is important to sponsors.
h. The need for PM software in large integrated programs and the benefits to the overall project management organization.
Include examples from projects in which you were a team member, project manager or from the examples from class readings and discussion boards.
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least five scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.
7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.