QSO 645 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is a postproject analysis paper.
In the final project, you are put in the role of a consultant to conduct a postproject assessment. You will act as the project manager, using your skills and expertise to provide a thorough analysis of a completed project. As a project manager preparing for the PMPⓇ Exam, you must be able to synthesize every area of a project through successful application of tools and techniques as advised through the PMBOKⓇ Guide. The goal of this project is for you to offer substantive feedback that provides insight into successful and unsuccessful practices in real-world scenarios. Furthermore, this project will allow you to demonstrate your mastery of the 10 knowledge areas and five process groups of project management and help you prepare for the critical thinking aspect of the PMPⓇ Exam.
You will select one project from the provided list of completed projects in order to complete a postproject analysis. Choose one of the following projects for your analysis:
The 2014 FIFA World Cup
The Wembley Stadium Project Airbus A380 Project
Manhattan Project
The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final submission is due in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Evaluate strategic management decisions based on application of project methodologies and practices
Synthesize the ten knowledge areas and five process groups of project management to complete projects that conform to generally accepted practices and policies, including ethical standards
Analyze project documents in order to identify project inputs and outputs
Determine feasibility of projects by assessing organizational factors, past projects, stakeholder requirements, and the risks, assumptions, and constraints in the process
Assess the progress of project work, utilizing quantitative and qualitative measurement tools to determine levels of both quality and performance Develop plans that meet diversified project needs for supporting collaboration with all stakeholders throughout the project life cycle
Prompt
You have been hired as a project manager consultant to conduct a thorough postproject analysis. You will use your knowledge and expertise to create and submit a report assessing the project as it was completed, and you will offer any recommendations based on actions you would have taken as the project manager during the project’s life cycle. Choose a project from the provided list and complete a detailed analysis paper. Your paper should use APA formatting.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Summarize the key project details. Be sure to include the appropriate project methodology/methods and practices.
II. Determine what was in-scope and out-of-scope for the project, including the success criteria for the project as expected by the sponsor.
III. Stakeholders
A. Discuss how the progress of the project impacted key stakeholders and the roles they played in the project. Be sure to include the stakeholders’ registry and category in your discussion.
B. Recommend solutions and their expected outcomes to staffing issues. Include the stakeholder collaboration and engagement plan in your solutions and outcomes.
A. Describe how the schedule was executed and managed, including specific planning measures that were utilized during the project.
B. Assess any discrepancies in the timeline, and explain how the project manager could have handled or avoided them.
V. Budget
A. Assess the budget of the project, including a description of efficiencies and inefficiencies in how the budget was managed.
B. Explain possible contingency allotments and limitations.
C. Recommend any adjustments to the budget that were necessary, providing reasoning.
A. Evaluate the risk response planning executed based on the major project risks and control tactics, and explain the missed and exploited opportunities in the project.
B. Summarize qualitative and quantitative measurements of major project risks.
A. Determine the quality auditing tools and techniques executed during control.
B. Recommend specific reporting metrics from which the project could have benefited, considering how elements of Earned Value Management were used to help control the project.
VIII.
In this section, you will break down the communication plan used during the project, including its elements (e.g., frequency of meetings, types of
meetings, and tools used), specifically:
A. Critique the communication tactics chosen for the project.
B. Propose communication strategies that would have been more appropriate for the project, providing reasoning for your proposal.
IX. Resource Management
A. Describe the resource conflict within the project and how it was handled.
B. Recommend best practices in resource management that could have been used in this project, including those related to staffing needs and ways to avoid resource conflict.
X. Procurement Options
A. Evaluate the procurement options selected for the project, and identify missed procurement opportunities.
B. Discuss the contract types used and why they were chosen.
C. Determine what modifications are needed to employ the best contract type options for this project, providing reasoning.
A. Analyze how well the project manager implemented project principles.
B. Determine how you would have handled the project differently as a project manager, providing reasoning, including any ethical or moral inefficiencies that should have been called out by the PM.
XII. Synthesize your findings in a conclusion through the evaluation of the overall success or failure of the project based on the application of the 10 knowledge areas and five process groups of project management.
Milestones
Milestone One: Project Vision, Scope, and Stakeholders
In Module Three, you will submit a draft of the project vision, scope, and stakeholders sections of your final project. In this milestone, you will have the opportunity to summarize the key details of the project, discuss the initial vision and scope, and assess the impact of the different levels and roles of various stakeholders. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Planning Measures, Budget, Project Risk
In Module Five, you will submit a draft of the planning measures, budget, and project risk sections of your final project. In this milestone, you will have the opportunity to examine the planning measures that were used in the project, assess the budget of the project, and identify major project risks and corresponding control tactics. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Project Control Techniques, Communication Plan, and Resource Management
In Module Seven, you will submit a draft of the project control techniques, communication plan, and resource management sections of the final project. In this milestone, you will consider your chosen project for the course and assess project control techniques, analyze the communication plan, and make recommendations regarding resource management. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Postproject Analysis Paper
In Module Nine, you will submit your analysis paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This final submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric.
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your final submission should be 15 pages in length (not including title or reference pages) and use 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. It should follow the most recent APA guidelines for formatting and references.
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Project Details
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Summarizes the key project
Summarizes the project
Does not summarize key
5.28
and summary provides keen
details
details, but summary lacks
project details
insight into the details of the
specificity, misses key details,
project, including the
or contains inaccuracies
appropriate project
methodology and practices
Scope
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Determines what was in-scope
Determines what was in-scope
Does not determine what was
3.96
and determination
and out-of-scope for the
and out-of-scope for the
in-scope and out-of-scope for
demonstrates keen insight
project, including the success
project, but determination is
the project
into how the needs of the
criteria for the project as
missing elements of scope,
sponsor reflect on the
expected by the sponsor
lacks success criteria, or
project’s success criteria
contains inaccuracies
Stakeholders:
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Discusses how the progress of
Discusses how the progress of
Does not discuss how the
3.96
Progress
and discussion demonstrates
the project impacted key
the project impacted key
progress of the project
keen insight into how project
stakeholders and the roles
stakeholders and the roles
impacted key stakeholders
progress relates to
they play in the project
they play in the project, but
and the roles they play in the
stakeholders
discussion is cursory or
project
contains inaccuracies
Stakeholders:
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Recommends solutions and
Recommends solutions and
Does not recommend
2.64
Staffing Issues
and recommendations
their expected outcomes to
their expected outcomes to
solutions to staffing issues
demonstrate keen insight into
staffing issues
staffing issues, but
how to solve staffing issues
recommendations are
inappropriate or do not
address outcomes
Planning
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Describes how the schedule
Describes how the schedule
Does not describe how the
3.96
Measures:
and description demonstrates
was executed and managed,
was executed and managed,
schedule was executed and
Schedule
advanced knowledge of how
including specific planning
but description is lacking
managed
planning measures impact
measures that were utilized
detail or contains inaccuracies
scheduling
during the project
Planning
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Assesses any discrepancies in
Assesses any discrepancies in
Does not assess discrepancies
2.64
Measures:
and the assessment provides
the timeline, and explains how
the timeline, but assessment is
in the timeline
Discrepancies
keen insight into how timeline
the project manager could
cursory, lacks explanation of
discrepancies can be avoided
have handled or avoided them
how they could have been
by project managers
handled or avoided, or
contains inaccuracies
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Budget: Efficiencies
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Assesses the budget of the
Assesses the budget of the
Does not assess the budget of
5.28
and Inefficiencies
and the assessment
project, including a description
project, including a description
the project, including a
demonstrates advanced
of efficiencies and
of efficiencies and
description of efficiencies and
knowledge of budgeting
inefficiencies in how the
inefficiencies in how the
inefficiencies in how the
efficiency
budget was managed
budget was managed, but
budget was managed
assessment is cursory, or
description is incomplete or
contains inaccuracies
Budget: Allotments
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Explains possible contingency
Explains contingency
Does not explain contingency
3.96
and Limitations
and explanation provides keen
allotments and limitations
allotments and limitations, but
allotments and limitations
insight into the flexibility of
explanation is inappropriate or
the project’s budget
cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Budget:
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Recommends any adjustments
Recommends adjustments to
Does not recommend
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Adjustments
and recommendations
to the budget that were
the budget, but
adjustments to the budget
demonstrate keen reasoning
necessary, providing reasoning
recommendations are
into budgetary decisions
unnecessary or inappropriate,
incomplete, without reason,
or contain inaccuracies
Risk and Control
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Evaluates the risk response
Evaluates the risk response
Does not evaluate the risk
3.96
Tactics: Risk
and evaluation demonstrates
planning executed based on
planning executed, and
response planning executed
Response Planning
keen insight into the
the major project risks and
explains the missed and
and does not explain the
relationship between project
control tactics, and explains
exploited opportunities in the
missed and exploited
risks and control tactics for
the missed and exploited
project, but evaluation is
opportunities in the project
risk response
opportunities in the project
cursory, not based on project
risks or control tactics,
illogical, or contains
inaccuracies
Risk and Control
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Summarizes qualitative and
Summarizes qualitative and
Does not summarize
5.28
Tactics:
and summary demonstrates
quantitative measurements of
quantitative measurements of
qualitative and quantitative
Measurements
advanced knowledge of
major project risks
major project risks, but
measurements of major
measurements utilized for
summary is incomplete or
project risks
project risks
lacking detail or contains
inaccuracies
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Project Control
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Determines the quality
Determines the quality
Does not determine the
5.28
Techniques:
and determination
auditing tools and techniques
auditing tools and techniques
quality auditing tools and
Quality Auditing
demonstrates keen insight
executed during control
executed during control, but
techniques executed during
into the tools and techniques
determination is incomplete
control
required of the project during
or contains inaccuracies
control
Project Control
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Recommends specific
Recommends reporting
Does not recommend
2.64
Techniques:
and recommendations
reporting metrics from which
metrics from which the
reporting metrics from which
Reporting Metrics
demonstrate keen insight into
the project could have
project could have benefited,
the project could have
the use of Earned Value
benefited, considering how
but recommendations are
benefited
Management in the project
elements of Earned Value
inappropriate, lack specificity,
Management were used to
or do not consider how Earned
help control the project
Value Management was used,
or submission contain
inaccuracies
Communication
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Critiques the communication
Critiques the communication
Does not critique the
5.28
Plan: Critique
and the critique demonstrates
tactics chosen for the project
tactics chosen for the project,
communication tactics chosen
keen insight into the project’s
but critique is inappropriate or
for the project
communication plan
cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Communication
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Proposes communication
Proposes alternate
Does not propose alternate
2.64
Plan: Strategies
and proposal provides
strategies that would have
communication strategies for
communication strategies for
advanced reasoning that
been more appropriate for the
the project, but the proposal is
the project
demonstrates keen insight
project, providing reasoning
inappropriate, without reason,
into appropriate
for proposal
or contains inaccuracies
communication strategies
Resource
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Describes the resource conflict
Describes the resource conflict
Does not describe the
3.96
Management:
and description demonstrates
within the project and how it
within the project, but
resource conflict and how it
Resource Conflict
keen insight into the handling
was handled
description is cursory, does
was handled
of the project’s resource
not address how conflict was
conflict
handled, or contains
inaccuracies
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Resource
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Recommends best practices in
Recommends best practices in
Does not recommend best
2.64
Management: Best
and recommendations provide
resource management that
resource management that
practices in resource
Practices
keen insight into the needs of
could have been used in this
could have been used in this
management that could have
the project regarding resource
project, including those
project, but recommendations
been used in this project
management
related to staffing needs and
are inappropriate, ignore
ways to avoid resource
issues of staffing or resource
conflict
conflict, or contain
inaccuracies
Procurement
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Evaluates the procurement
Evaluates the procurement
Does not evaluate the
5.28
Options: Evaluate
and evaluation demonstrates
options selected for the
options for the project, but
procurement options for the
keen insight into the project’s
project and identifies missed
evaluation is cursory, lacks
project
procurement options through
procurement opportunities
identification of missed
identification of specific
opportunities, or contains
missed opportunities
inaccuracies
Procurement
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Discusses the contract types
Discusses the contract types
Does not discuss the contract
3.96
Options: Contract
and discussion demonstrates
used and why they were
used, but discussion is cursory,
types used
Types
keen insight into the reasoning
chosen
does not provide reasons for
behind the contract type
choice, or contains
choice
inaccuracies
Procurement
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Determines what
Determines what
Does not determine what
2.64
Options:
and determination provides
modifications are needed to
modifications are needed to
modifications are needed to
Modifications
advanced reasoning to
employ the best contract type
employ contract type options
employ contract type options
support modifications that
options for the project,
for the project, but
for the project
show keen insight into
providing reasoning
determination is not
contract type decisions for the
appropriate, lacks reasoning,
project
or contains inaccuracies
Project
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Analyzes how well the project
Analyzes how the project
Does not analyze how the
3.96
Management
and analysis demonstrates
manager implemented project
manager implemented project
project manager implemented
Practices: Project
keen insight into the use of
principles
principles, but analysis is
project principles
Principles
project principles
cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Project
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Determines how one could
Determines how one could
Does not determine how one
5.28
Management
and determination provides
have handled the project
have handled the project
could have handled the
Practices: Project
advanced reasoning that
differently, providing
differently, but determination
project differently
Manager
demonstrates keen insight
reasoning, including any
is inappropriate, lacks
into the project manager’s
ethical or moral inefficiencies
reasoning, does not consider
role and responsibilities for
that should have been called
ethical or moral inefficiencies,
this project
out by the PM
or contains inaccuracies
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Conclusion
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
Synthesizes findings in a
Synthesizes findings in a
Does not synthesize findings in
5.28
and synthesis demonstrates
conclusion through the
conclusion, but synthesis is
a conclusion
advanced knowledge of the
evaluation of the overall
cursory, does not completely
relationship of the 10
success or failure of the
take into account the 10
knowledge areas and five
project based on the
knowledge areas and five
process groups with the
application of the 10
process groups, or contains
overall success or failure of
knowledge areas and five
inaccuracies
projects
process groups of project
management
Articulation of
Submission is free of errors
Submission has no major
Submission has major errors
Submission has critical errors
4.96
Response
related to citations, grammar,
errors related to citations,
related to citations, grammar,
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
grammar, spelling, syntax, or
spelling, syntax, or
spelling, syntax, or
organization and is presented
organization
organization that negatively
organization that prevent
in a professional and easy-to-
impact readability and
understanding of ideas
read format
articulation of main ideas
Total
100%
