GCU MGT640 All Assignments: Fundamental of Project Management

Week 1 Assignment  

Project Selection Problems

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. This assignment will help prepare you for this responsibility.

Respond to the Following Problems

A certain project has a project cost of $387,000 and the annual inflows resulting from the product created is $64,000. What is the Payback Period?

Assume that $654,980 is to be invested in a project whose annual projected cash flows are as follows: Year 1 = $135,678, Year 2 = $156,560, Year 3 = $233,980, and Year 4 = $298,000. Assume that the required rate of return is 6.50%.

Compute the NPV directly (i.e., without using the Microsoft Excel NPV or PV functions). Be sure to show your work.

Should the project be pursued? Why or why not?

Assume that $1,285,673 is to be invested in a project whose annual projected cash flows are as follows: Year 1 = $235,678, Year 2 = $267,854, Year 3 = $298,054, Year 4 = $314,567, and Year 5 = $325,678. Assume that the required rate of return is 5.25%.

Compute the NPV by using Microsoft Excel’s NPV function. Be sure to show your work.

Should the project be pursued? Why or why not?

A company has two projects that are under evaluation. The project investment costs, annual projected cash flows, and required rates of return are shown below:

	Project 1	Project 2
Rate of Return:	0.065	0.065
Project Cost:	-$1,397,654	-$1,619,835
Year 1	$245,367	$267,345
Year 2	$302,542	$343,563
Year 3	$316,543	$367,834
Year 4	$367,843	$432,098
Year 5	$450,425	$589,435

 

Compute the NPV for each project using Microsoft Excel NPV’s function. Be sure to show your work.

Which project should be pursued? Why?

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 2 Assignment  

Project Schedule Problems

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and projects running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

As the project manager, you have been asked to create an initial project schedule for a project known as the “Technology Refresh Project.” The prior project manager assembled the project information and put it onto a spreadsheet. Based on this information, you are to create an initial project schedule using Microsoft Project.

Open the attached document Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Excel file). You will notice a series of project tasks; optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic durations for each lowest-level task; and predecessor information. Do not alter this information.

In the “PERT Expected Duration (days)” column, calculate the PERT Expected Duration for each lowest-level task. Round the duration entries to the nearest integer.

Open the attached document Topic 2 Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Project file).

Enter the tasks shown in Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Excel file) into Topic 2, Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Project file).

Based on the task hierarchy in Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Excel file), demote the appropriate tasks using the green indent and outdent arrows in the TASK Ribbon, SCHEDULE group. Notice how the WBS field is automatically updated as tasks are indented and outdented. Be sure that your Microsoft Project task hierarchy exactly matches the task hierarchy in “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file).

Based on your computed PERT Expected Durations from above, enter these durations in the “Duration” field in the Microsoft Project file. Note the following:

Be sure that you do not directly enter durations into Microsoft Project summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks). Note that the Microsoft Project summary task durations and dates are automatically updated as durations are entered into the lowest-level tasks.

Be sure that lowest-level task durations are entered as whole numbers.

Based on the predecessor information in Topic 2, Project Durations TEMPLATE Microsoft Excel file, update the “Predecessor” column in Topic 2 Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Project file). Note the following:

The “Successor” column updates automatically, as predecessors are entered. Thus there is no need to enter any information in the Successor column.

Be sure that the summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks) do not contain predecessors or successors. Predecessors and successors are only entered at the lowest-level task level.

Ensure that lowest-level tasks have at least one predecessor (except the first task) and at least one successor (except the last task).

Display the critical path. Go to the FORMAT ribbon and check the “Critical Tasks” box in the BAR STYLES group. Note that the critical path task bars will turn red. Also, take note that the Total Slack column contains 0 days for the critical path tasks.

Submit the following completed files by the end of Week 2:

Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Excel file). Ensure that your last name is in the file name.

Topic 2, Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE (a Microsoft Project file). Ensure that your last name is in the file name.

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 3 Assignment  

Final Project Schedule

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

For this assignment, you are to build upon your completed Microsoft Project schedule for the “Technology Refresh Project” from Topic 2 by adding resources and resolving any resource overallocations. You will then determine the display project cost information and will also show the updated (if any) critical path.

Open the attached Topic 3 Project Resources Information (a Microsoft Excel file). You will notice in column H that resource names have been added. These resources were already included in the Resource Sheet in the Microsoft Project template file that you worked on during Week 2.

Open the Microsoft Project file that you completed during Week 2 and perform the following.

Ensure that the “Type” field contains “Fixed Duration” for all tasks.

For each lowest-level task, enter the resource names from Topic 3, Project Resources Information (a Microsoft Excel file) into the Resources Names field in the your Microsoft Project file. Note that you can simply select the resource(s) using the pull-down menu.

You will notice in the “i” column (i.e., the column with white “i” and blue circle) that certain tasks have a red person displayed. That means that the task has resources that are overallocated (a resource is assigned more than 8 hours per day on one or more days for that task). These resource overallocations need to be resolved. To resolve these overallocations, perform the following:

Again, ensure that the “Type” field contains “Fixed Duration” for all tasks. This ensures when you change the assigned hours for the tasks, the task durations and associated dates will not change.

In the VIEW ribbon, check the “Details” box in the “Split View” group.

In the right bottom of the screen (in the gray area), right click and select “Work.”

Go to the first task that has the resource overallocation. Reduce the hours in the “Work” field and/or assign a different applicable resource in order to resolve the resource overallocation. Be sure to not alter task durations, start, or finish dates. Also, ensure that your project end date does not change.

You may optionally go to the VIEW ribbon, and select “Resource Graph” in the “Other Views” pull-down menu. This will provide a graph that will specifically show what days a resource is overallocated.

Repeat item (4) for each task that has a resource overallocation. Your final Microsoft Project schedule should have no tasks with overallocated resources. Be sure to take notes that summarize the changes you made.

Display the project cost information and critical path:

Remove the split task screen by double-clicking on the split-task border.

Display cost information by left-clicking on the “Add New Column” field. Select the “Cost” field. Note that since a WBS hierarchy exists, you can see cost information for each summary task, along with the total project cost at the top of the schedule.

Display the critical path: Go to the FORMAT ribbon and check the “Critical Tasks” box in the BAR STYLES group. Note that the critical path task bars will turn red. Also, take note that the Total Slack column contains 0 days for the critical path tasks.

Submit your updated Microsoft Project file by the end of Week 3. Ensure that your last name is in the file name.

Submit your updated Word document by the end of Week 3 (ensure that your last name is in the file name) that includes responses to the following:

In summary, what steps did you take to resolve the resource overallocations?

Did your critical path change? If so, how?

What series of tasks represent the highest cost (as indicated by their summary task)?

What is the total project cost?

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 4 Assignment  

Project Procurement Contract Type Problems

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

Respond to the Following Questions/Problems

A certain project is being negotiated between a buyer and a seller. The project is a research project that has unknown deliverables. The buyer and seller are discussing the type of contract that should be agreed (fixed price or cost reimbursable). The buyer wants the seller to engage in a fixed price contract. What should the seller do? Why?

A certain project operating under a CPIF contract has been negotiated and formally agreed-upon between a buyer and a seller. The following information has been included in the contract:

Target Price: $223,096

Target Cost: $215,000

Target Fee: $8,000

Buyer’s Share Ratio: 0.70

Seller’s Share Ratio: 0.30

The project has finished and the actual cost that the seller incurred was $207,643.

What incentive fee does the buyer pay the seller?

What is the total contract price (i.e., what the buyer has to pay the seller in total)?

A certain project operating under a FPIF contract has been negotiated and formally agreed-upon between a buyer and a seller. The following information has been included in the contract:

Price Ceiling: $531,000

Target Cost: $505,000

Target Fee: $20,000

Buyer’s Share Ratio: 0.90

Seller’s Share Ratio: 0.10

The project has finished and the actual cost the seller incurred was $510,954.

What incentive fee does the buyer pay the seller?

What is the total contract price (i.e., what the buyer has to pay the seller in total)?

What is the point of total assumption for the seller?

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 4 Assignment  

Project Risk Assessment Problems

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

You are a project manager and you successfully completed the project from Weeks 2 and 3. A program manager from another division is aware of your familiarity and success with the Technology Refresh Project. He has asked you to perform a schedule risk analysis on a different Technology Refresh Project, i.e., the Technology Refresh (Version B) Project, which is based on your project from Weeks 2 and 3. In fact, the project tasks are the same, only the durations and the critical paths are different (note: your project files from Week 2 and Week 3 are not relevant to this assignment).

Perform a schedule risk analysis for the Technology Refresh (Version B) Project by completing the following:

Open “Topic 4 Project Assessment Problems TEMPLATE.” Take note of the project information, including the expected durations and the tasks that are on the critical path.

Calculate the following;

The expected project finish time.

The variances for the applicable tasks.

The total critical path variance.

The total critical path standard deviation.

The customer has seen the Technology Refresh (Version B) project schedule and the expected project finish time. However, the customer is concerned about the schedule risk of the project. Therefore, he wishes to know the following (i.e., determine the following):

The probability of finishing the project in 287 days.

The probability of finishing the project in 273 days.

Hints:

If you wish to solve part 3 using the Z-value approach, refer to the Standard Normal Cumulative Probability Table at math.bgu.ac, (2014).

Note also that Microsoft Excel’s NORM.DIST function can be used to determine the probabilities in part 3, which does require use of the Z-Table.

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week.

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 5 Assignment  

Benchmark – Project Execution Case Paper

For this assignment, you are to evaluate a sample project. The project involves implementation of an ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. In case you are not familiar with ERP systems, the ERP Definition and Solutions page at the CIO website, located in the study materials for this topic, may be helpful.

Read the following case: “The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System in a Small and Medium Enterprise – A Teaching Case of ERP Project Management”, located in study materials for this topic.

In a 2,000-2,250-word paper, analyze the case from a project management perspective by responding to the questions below. Be sure to formulate your responses based on the project management concepts that you have learned from experience and on the content thus far in the course:

Provide a brief introduction (short paragraph) outlining your paper. Do not summarize the case.

What specific issues occurred on the project that led to the poor execution of the project?

What were the specific consequences to the project’s poor execution?

In the case, “The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System in a Small and Medium Enterprise – A Teaching Case of ERP Project Management”, locate and respond to question 3 in the “Questions for Discussion” section on page 295. In your discussion of the PMO, detail steps that would help monitor progress and mitigate risks. In case you are not familiar with a PMO, the “What is PMO in Project Management” page at the Wrike website, located in the study materials for this topic, provides an overview.

Provide a brief conclusion (short paragraph) summarizing your paper.

Provide a References List and cite each reference at least once in your paper. Provide at least six citations, excluding the citations listed in this assignment (no Wikipedia citations allowed).

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Word file by the end of this week.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:

MBA Project Management

5.2: Implement project plans and tasks using techniques for monitoring progress and mitigating risk.

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 6 Assignment  

Project Monitoring and Control (Earned Value) Problems

As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

Respond to the Following Problems

Reference pages 527-539 in the textbook: Data Analysis -Earned Value Analysis

You are a project manager on a project that uses earned value management. The project has the following budget and status:

 

Project Duration (months):	14
Current Reporting Period (month):	6
BAC:	$387,000
Cumulative PV:	$68,345
Cumulative AC:	$78,379
% of the project completed through the reporting period:	19%
Estimate to Complete:	$294,677

Based on this information, determine the following:

 

Cumulative EV

Schedule Variance (SV)

Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

Cost Variance (CV)

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

EAC (bottom-up)

VAC (bottom-up)

TCPI

Based on your calculations in Question 1 above, respond to the following:

What is the status of project accomplishment performance through the current reporting period? Why?

What is the status of project cost performance through the current reporting period? Why?

Is the project projected to complete over- or underbudget? Why?

Interpret the TCPI metric.

Based on your calculations in Question 1 above, an inexperienced and arrogant project analyst from the project management office has computed an additional metric: Cost Schedule Index, which equals SPI * CPI. He wants you to report this metric to the customer, instead of SPI and CPI separately. What should you do and why?

The Program Manager doubts your numbers. In particular, he does not believe your EAC number and requests that you calculate the EAC NOT assuming future performance will behave like past performance.

Compute EAC when cost performance is negative and schedule dates must be met: EAC = AC + [(BAC – EV) / (CPI × SPI)]

Compute EAC using actual costs to date and assuming ETC uses budgeted rate: EAC = AC + (BAC – EV)

Interpret the results of the EAC in a.

Interpret the results of the EAC in b.

Based on items a-d above, what do you think the Program Manager will request from you regarding the bottom-up EAC?

You are having a hallway conversation with the same project analyst from Question 3 who is realizing that he may not know as much about earned value management as he thought when he joined the company. Still, he is convinced that the following statements below are correct. How would you respond to him based on each statement (i.e., formulate a specific response and supporting rationale for each statement below)?

EAC becomes Cumulative AC at project completion.

Cumulative EV can be greater than BAC at project completion.

EAC can be smaller than BAC at project completion.

ETC can be greater than 0 at project completion.

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 6 Assignment  

CLC – Project Monitoring and Controlling

This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment

Collaborate with your team to complete the Monitoring and Controlling exercise for the Technology Refresh Project. Utilize Topic 2 CLC and your Topic 3 individual MS Project assignment collateral. Remember, you have been asked to refresh the GCU campus technology to include 300 desktop computers, 100 laptop computers, and 20 printers. Refer to the attached Topic 6 Project Resources Information document for assistance with the project.

Part 1:

Updated all initiation and planning tasks as being 100% complete and to Planned Values.

Part 2:

Review the Topic 6 project information file for Execution Actual durations and use the Mark on Track (Update Task) function.

procure hardware from suppliers

obtain software OS licenses

obtain software application licenses

setup test area

load software onto pilot machines

validate functionality

configure production hardware

deploy production hardware

load software to deployed hardware

validate startup on deployed hardware

perform OS testing

perform application testing

obtain formal sign-off from users

Accounting mistakes must be corrected

Project Manager: $85 per hour

Software Engineer: $65 per hour

What is the cost variance, schedule variance, cost performance index (CPI), and schedule performance index (SPI) and (TCPI) for the project?

Is the project ahead of schedule or behind schedule? Is the project under budget or over budget?

Use the CPI to calculate the estimate at completion (EAC) for this project. Is the project performing better or worse than planned?

Use the SPI to estimate how long it will take to finish this project.

Part 3:

As the project management team, you need to analyze the data from Parts 1 and 2 of the assignment to assess the following.

Are there issues that need to be escalated?

Is it acceptable to do nothing and simply proceed?

Should the project be terminated?

Based on your evaluation of the threats to the project, how should you proceed?

Based upon the results of the data review, develop a status report for your project sponsor.

This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 6 Assignment  

Group Contribution to CLC Assignments

Fill out the CLC Peer Evaluation Form for your group members (including yourself). This is intended to assess how well you and your CLC group collaborated over the duration of the course. The responses given by you and your group members will dictate your points earned on the collaborative component of the CLC assignments.

Team Member: _______________________________________ (First and Last Name)	Team Member: _______________________________________ (First and Last Name)
Group Contributions Score:_____________ (0-5)	Group Contributions Score:_____________ (0-5)
Taking Ownership Score:_____________ (0-5)	Taking Ownership Score:_____________ (0-5)
Valuing Group Members Score:   _____________ (0-5)	Valuing Group Members Score:   _____________ (0-5)
Total Score:                                             _______ / 15	Total Score:                                             _______ / 15

 

Team Member: _______________________________________ (First and Last Name)	Team Member: _______________________________________ (First and Last Name)
Group Contributions Score:_____________ (0-5)	Group Contributions Score:_____________ (0-5)
Taking Ownership Score:_____________ (0-5)	Taking Ownership Score:_____________ (0-5)
Valuing Group Members Score:   _____________ (0-5)	Valuing Group Members Score:   _____________ (0-5)
Total Score:                                             _______ / 15	Total Score:                                             _______ / 15

 

 

MGT640 Fundamental of Project Management

Week 7 Assignment  

Benchmark – Project Manager Skills Paper

For this assignment, you are to evaluate the challenges of use of project management tools within a particular project-based organization. You will create an outline of an integrated project plan to submit as an Appendix at the end of your paper.

Refer to “Teradyne Corporation: The Jaguar Project” case in the study materials for this topic.In a 2,000-2,250-word paper, analyze the case from a project management perspective by responding to the following questions below. Be sure to formulate your responses based the project management concepts you have learned from experience and on the content thus far in the course:

Provide a brief introduction (short paragraph) outlining your paper. Do not summarize the case.

Prior to implementation of the new strategy and structure at Teradyne, what specific product development challenges existed?

Referring to the issues facing the software development team (see third paragraph from the bottom on page 9 on the case), how would you as a project manager address the situation?

Create an integrated project plan outline as an appendix to your paper. Address ideas that would have prevented the situation in the case.

Referring to “Reflections on the Project,” provide three key challenges moving forward for the organization and how you, as project manager, would attempt to address them.

Provide a brief conclusion (short paragraph) summarizing your paper.

Provide a references list and cite each reference at least once in your paper. Provide at least six citations, excluding the citations listed in this assignment (no Wikipedia citations allowed).

Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Word file by the end of this week.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:

MBA Project Management

5.1: Create project plans using appropriate project management techniques.

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