Reference no: EM133989206

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Description

Assessment #2: Group Project- Project Plan is a group assignment, and it is worth 40% of the final course mark. The assignment uses a scenario-based case that mimics real-world project activities, and it is expected to help students develop critical thinking and project planning skills. Students are expected work collaboratively in groups of approximately seven (7) members to develop selected project plans and documents for the "Recreational Park Project 2026". Students are required to do additional research, advance reading, and use critical thinking skills to satisfactorily complete this assignment.

The assignment requires a high level of collaborative work, research, and application of knowledge; therefore, groups are strongly encouraged to begin work on the assignment as soon as the groups are formed. The course instructor (CI) will publish a group listing by the end of Week 4 of the Semester.

The CI will provide support throughout the exercise. This assignment is comprehensive and covers all learning units.

Instructions
Group members should carefully read the case titled "Recreational Park Project 2026" (see below), then collaboratively develop selected project plans and documents to guide the further planning, implementation, monitoring and controlling, and closeout of the Recreational Park Project 2026.
The groups should compile and submit a single document of the project plans and documents. One student or group member (a group or team leader) should be appointed by the group to submit the response on behalf of the group.
The marker will evaluate one copy of the group's submission. Consequently, it is not necessary for each group member to submit individual responses or project plans. Each group member will receive the same or equal mark. A complaint received any time after the submission date concerning a group member poor or non-participation in the group's efforts will not be entertained. Groups should proactively and collaboratively work together starting from Week 4.

Where information is not expressly stated or is missing in the case, it is acceptable to make reasonable assumptions and inferences. Likewise, the use of implied information to complete this assignment is permitted.

CASE - RECREATIONAL PARK PROJECT 2026
The public has recognized the benefits of recreation and parks as essential to their health and quality of life. A recent survey carried out in 2025 revealed that increasing the number of recreational facilities was a primary concern for the residents of Lazarette Town on Fugit Island (a Caribbean island). Get authentic, AI-free assignment help online from top tutors.
Consequently, the town council of Lazarette, in collaboration with other significant stakeholders, has obtained and secured five (5) million dollars in grant funding from the Caribbean Wellness Community (CWC) for the establishment of an outdoor recreational park on five (5) acres of land generously donated by a charitable resident of the town.
The park will contain sporting facilities among other recreational facilities (e.g., walking trails, children playground, tennis court, basketball court, work-out stations, benches, shower facilities, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, restrooms etc.). All major key stakeholders and sponsors have unanimously agreed that the facility should cater for residents of all ages. Additionally, a group of minority stakeholders has expressed their requirements of having an eco-friendly and climate resilient facility with green spaces. The park should be completed and be ready for use by 2028, that is, the project duration should not exceed two years. The expected completion date has been intentionally selected to align with the celebrations of the country's fiftieth anniversary of political independence.
To ensure that the project is completed on time, within scope and on budget, the funding agency and the Lazarette Town Council require that a dedicated and knowledgeable project team is assigned to the project. CWC (the funding agency) has clearly expressed the need for the project deliverables to be of ‘high' quality to guarantee stakeholders' satisfaction and safety. Likewise, the CWC requires that ‘tight' procurement processes should be followed to ensure transparency, accountability, and economy. It is anticipated that most of the goods, work and services for building the park will be procured or sourced from local vendors, suppliers and contractors. Furthermore, CWC has emphasized the importance of effectively managing both positive and negative project risks during the entire project lifecycle to guarantee the success of the project.
In response to the implied and expressed requirements of CWC, the Lazarette Town Council, acting as the project sponsor, has chosen and appointed your team to lead the project management function of the Recreational Park Project. As a proactive group, your team has resolved to implement 'best practices' in project management to initiate, plan, execute, and finalize project activities. Your team aims to secure approval from the sponsor and key project stakeholders regarding the project management plan before commencing the construction of the facility. Considering the inherent nature of the project, the plan is to use a traditional/waterfall approach to project management activities, rather than the widely favored and modern agile methodology utilized in other sectors.
Overall, your team recognizes the importance of planning prior to execution, as well as the council's apprehensions regarding the potential loss of grant funding from CWC. Furthermore, your team is eager to establish a positive reputation within the community.

To commence and ensure a shared understanding of the project among key stakeholders, your team has decided to first complete the initiation processes (charter, stakeholder identification, agreements, etc.) and then create a Project Canvas. The team believes that the Project Canvas provides a clear and intuitive approach for planning and communicating the essential elements of the project. Based on past experiences, the team recognizes that this visual project management tool will help in simplifying and summarizing this complex project, thus establishing a framework for enhanced planning, project execution, and the overall success of the project. A project kickoff meeting will be scheduled with key stakeholders once the high-level plans have been finalized and accepted.

THIS CASE/ARTICLE MAY NOT BE FACTUAL

This exercise mimics a real-world situation and allows students to develop some useful project plans and documents for the Recreational Park Project 2026. The exercise requires the application of project management knowledge. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions but there are poor, good, and excellent answers. The best answers are based on ‘best practices' in the field of project management which align or integrate with the information expressly stated or implied in the case.
Good project managers always plan before doing! The effective use of planning processes and documents helps reduce the occurrences of ‘firefighting' during project execution. In a ‘real world' setting, the project management team begins planning project activities with the information that is available to them at the start of the project and progressively collects and updates project plans and documents as more information becomes available during the project.
You will be amazed to see how simple planning processes can bring tremendous clarity to the project. Good Luck!

QUESTIONS- ANSWER TO ALL QUESTIONS/STATEMENTS.
Use a suitable template to develop a Project Canvas for the Recreational Park Project, to facilitate the planning and communication of essential project elements.

Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in either a textual or graphical format to assist with various planning processes, such as scheduling and budgeting. The WBS should comprise three (3) levels.

General guidelines for presenting the WBS:
Level 1 Project/Program level
Level 2 Major deliverables
Level 3 20 Work packages
Include WBS Codes/Identifiers
The WBS dictionary is not required (the exclusion).

Create the following project documents to assist with project implementation activities:

A Project Risk Register to manage potential uncertainties that could impact project objectives - limit the risk register to five (5) risks and five (5) key components.

A Project Stakeholder Register to inform stakeholder engagement - limit the register to five (5) stakeholders and five (5) key components.

A RACI Matrix to clearly define and communicate the roles and responsibilities of team members and/or stakeholders- limit the matrix to five
(5) tasks/work packages and five (5) human resources or stakeholders.

A summary Procurement Strategy to direct procurement activities - focus on procurement roles and responsibilities, procurement phases, contract types, source selection methods/evaluation.

Considering best practices in project management, describe two (2) activities (for each process below) that the project management team will undertake to effectively:

Initiate the project
Close the project
Manage project quality
Mange project costs

Describe and illustrate how the project management team will manage all change requests on the project to prevent and/or mitigate gold plating/scope creep. A flowchart should be utilized to illustrate the change control process.