Project Management Assignment: Reflection on PMBoK Methodology

Question

Task: Prepare a project management assignment reflecting on the ten knowledge areas under PMBoK methodology.

Answer

1 Introduction
1.1 Outline
I am going to explain the use of reflective practice to describe the learnings on the 10 knowledge management areas under PMBoK. The paper includes the learnings and reflection on the ten knowledge areas that come under the PMBoK methodology. The aspect of the process improvement is followed by carrying out the reflection on the PMBoK methodology, the learnings, and the knowledge areas. The use of Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is done in the paper to determine the various improvements that may be made in the future.

1.2 Version Control

2 What have you learnt
2.1 Overview of what you have learnt
The course had various elements and some of these were easier and a few were harder than I had expected. I could learn about the PMBoK areas, such as risk management, communication management properly and was successful in executing the associated assignments. There were also a few complexities that were involved. The aspects around scope management and estimations were not easier to execute and I believe that I can carry out certain improvements in the same.

I would advise the students to refer to the additional literature to understand the course and the topics in an effective manner. I also recommend the students to carry out self-reflection and reviews right from the beginning of the course.

2.2 Reflections on Project Integration Management
Integration management is an important area under the domain of project management. I could learn about the significance of integration management in the course. I could also determine the need for integrating all of the project areas. This is because there is a lot of dependency of one project area on the other(Brioso, 2015). I could understand the need for integration and could also determine the various ways in which the project aspects and areas could be integrated and synced with each other.

Individual work
I carried out step by step methods to cover the different sections that come under the domain of integration management. I first read through the course material that was provided to me. I then referred to the additional PMI guidelines and literature to gain more information and complete the assignments.

I am pretty confident on passing the subject as I could cover the entire course and the topic in detail. There were certain issues in the availability of the guides that could have been improved. The methodology that I have followed is the same that I have used in the other subjects. I could have used self-reflection more effectively.

Group work
I integrated the group work by compiling all the assessments and activities and also made sure that the effective communication strategy was followed. The group was chosen after a rigorous set of correspondence. This not only helped in choosing the right group, but also we had a good headstart. The group work can be improved by using digital collaboration tools and a simple project management tool in the future.

2.3 Reflections on Project Stakeholder Management
I could learn about the different techniques and mechanisms that are involved in the stakeholder management. For example, I could analyse the stakeholders and could determine the aspects around their involvement and interest in the project. I could also understand the difference between the internal and external stakeholders(Burke, 2018). I could identify these stakeholders and could make sure that the aspects around stakeholder management were properly synced with the other project areas.

I also got the opportunity to interact with some of the stakeholders that I had listed. I made use of emails and reports as the communication modes to interact with the stakeholders. I could not interact with a few external stakeholders, such as the third-party vendors and the business partners due to the communication gaps and issues. I have learnt that stakeholder management must be introduced right from the beginning of the project. I could also learn about the various analytical techniques that can be used to gather the details on the stakeholders. I could determine the information on the stakeholder maps. The project sponsor was supportive and assistive all throughout the project timeline.

2.4 Reflections on Project Scope Management
One of the most important aspects in the project management is the scope management. I could learn a number of lessons associated with the project scope management through the course information and assessments. I was able to learn about the mechanisms that are adopted in defining the project scope. It is important to define the items and activities that must be included in the project scope. At the same time, it is also necessary to determine the activities and items that must not be part of the scope(Freitas, Araujo and Franca, 2019).

I could learn about the relationship between the project scope and its management with the other areas of the project, such as schedule, budget, risks, and others. I made use of the project scope to develop the work breakdown structure and determine the deliverables that were associated with the project. Another aspect that I could learn about is project scope control. There are risks that are associated with the project scope and may result in the scope creep and requirements inflation. I could learn about these risks and issues and could also understand the various techniques that I may use in scope management and control processes.

2.5 Reflections on Project Resource Management
The resources are extremely significant entities that are associated with the project. Prior to the course, I used to believe that the resource management is only concerned with the management of the human resources. However, during the course, I could learn that resource management includes the management and handling of the human and non-human resources. I could learn about the different techniques that are used in the process of resource management. For the human resources, I could learn about the RACI matrix that is used to assign and inform the resources about their roles and responsibilities. I could also learn about the mechanism of carrying out resource tagging and optimization for the non-human resources, such as material, tools, facilities, and likewise. I could learn about the application of the PMBoK guidelines to the aspect of resource management to make sure that the effective resource management could be done. I could also learn about the various risks that are associated with the project resources. I could learn about the use of guidelines and mechanisms to manage and control these risks and issues(Nasir et al., 2015).

2.6 Reflections on Project Time Management
I could learn about the various aspects on the schedule management in the project. I learned about the MS Project tool and the use of the tool to develop the Gantt chart and timeline of the project. I also learnt about the aspects as critical path and network diagram in the project. There are various techniques that are used for the estimation of the project schedule. I made use of these techniques and guidelines, such as bottom-up estimation, top-down estimation, etc. I learned about the relationship of project schedule management with the other areas in the project. I considered the aspects, such as costs, resources, scope, etc. while determining the schedule(Pmi, 2018). Apart from estimations, I could also learn the lessons on the mechanisms to monitor and control the schedule. There are several risks associated with the project schedule and I could determine the measures to control these risks.

I carried out the QA for the assignment 2 and could determine the various improvements that I could make.

2.7 Reflections on Project Cost Management
One of the important aspects of project management is the cost management. I could learn several lessons in the area of cost management. Similarly as schedule estimations, there are various techniques that are available for cost/budget estimations in the project. I could learn about these techniques and one of the important techniques that I could learn is the time-phased budget estimations. I could determine the budget for the project using the technique. I could also learn about the cost-benefit analysis in the project(Marion, 2018). There are different costs that are associated with the project and the project can have a number of benefits associated with them. I could learn about the details of the mapping of costs with the benefits to understand the project outcomes, such as net present value, internal rate of return, etc. These aspects also assisted me in carrying out the feasibility study for the project.

I was able to keep the project within the budget and made use of the earned value analysis technique that I learned during the course.

2.8 Reflections on Project Risk Management
Project risk management is an important aspect of project management. I could learn about the various aspects of risk management in the course. I could learn the PMBoK guidelines that have been developed towards the management of the risks. I could learn the defined methodology that must be used towards the management of the risks(Kloppenborg, 2015). There are various phases that are included in risk management. It begins with the initiation and identification of the risks. There is significant information that is collected to identify the risks. The information is analysed to present the list of the risks. The risks are then analysed and are mapped with their levels. The evaluation is done followed by the treatment, control, and closure of the risks.

I could also learn about the various risk treatment strategies that have been developed. The mapping of the risks shall be done with these treatment strategies as per the learnings. There were issues with some of the risks that emerged in the project. I could not learn about the risk mitigation mechanisms that could be mapped with the risks.There were a few risks around schedule overrun that came but could be managed well.

2.9 Reflections on Project Quality Management
Quality management is an important aspect of project management and I could learn about the different techniques that are associated with the quality management in the project. There are various standards that have been developed to manage and streamline the quality of a project. I could learn about the quality management planning as per these aspects and could also understand the various assurance and control techniques that are used under quality management.

I have learnt about the compliance levels that are involved in the quality management process. I could learn about the risks and issues that are associated with the project quality. There are risks around non-compliance that can emerge. There are also risks that may arise in terms of the violation of the quality controls and measures. The gaps in quality, reporting of the defects, improvements and changes are some of the aspects that I could learn towards quality management in the project.

I got the marks that I hoped for as I attended all the lectures and tutorials. It enabled me to gain an in-depth understanding of the information on the quality handling and management(Jamali and Oveisi, 2016).

2.10 Reflections on Project Procurement Management
Procurement management is one area under project management that I had the least information about prior to the course. I was familiar with the terms, such as procurements and contracts but did not have any idea on the management of these aspects. I could learn about the techniques to manage and plan the project procurements. I could also learn about the ways in which I could manage and improve the supplier relationships. I learnt about the different contracts that have been developed and could determine the criteria for the selection of these contracts in the project. I could also determine the numerous procurement risks that are present and the mechanisms that can be used to put a check on the same(Schwalbe, 2019).

I could purchase all the tools and materials that I required for the project. I had also purchased the laptop and the decision proved to be accurate. This is because there were virtual lessons that continued for longer periods of time and I could not have attended the same without a laptop. The storage of the information also became easier with the use of the laptop.

2.11 Reflections on Project Communication Management
Communications management is one area that I wanted to learn about through the course. This is because I am aware of the significance of communications in the project and the drawbacks that may arise if there are communication gaps in the project. I learnt about the various push and pull methods that are used in communication. I could also effectively manage the project communications using the lessons that I had acquired. I developed the communication plan right in the beginning that was used to streamline the project communications. I could also develop the schedule for the meetings that proved to be an essential tool for managing the project communications(Snyder, 2017).

I could also learn about the significance of information security in the communication processes. I could use the secure measures, such as SharePoint to share the information with the stakeholders. The group communications were organized through web conferences. It was pretty difficult due to the availability issues of the members in the group. The sharing of the communication schedule in advance could have helped in this situation.

3 In hindsight
I have been able to successfully complete the subject. There were weekly lessons and learnings that were used in the subject and it assisted in the step by step learning. The weekly lessons and assignments enabled me to acquire the lessons and also assisted me in determining the details of various areas under the domain of project management. I could also refer to the additional literature and readings that were recommended for each week. These readings and resources provided me with the ability to acquire the lessons on the various areas under PMBoK(Tavan and Hosseini, 2016). These lessons and learnings provided me with the ability to achieve the objectives of the subject. I could assess me learnings in each week using the assessments that were involved with each of these weeks. I could also carry out the self-reflective exercises to make sure that I could learn about the aspects on PMBoK and project management.

There were a few aspects that I wished were better. There were guides and mentors that were involved but there were communications issues and gaps that were present. This was because of the lack of availability of these entities. I could have also improved these aspects from my end and could have scheduled these communications in advance(Thomas, 2019).

Another area that I believe could have been improved is the organization of the access to the online databases and digital libraries. There was issue around the access that were identified and these could have been managed better.

The lessons and learnings that I have acquired are very relevant and useful. I will be able to utilize these in my future professional tasks and responsibilities.

4 Conclusions
Thank you for reading the document. I was able to learn significantly on the different areas and aspects associated with project management. There are various knowledge areas that are present under project management. I could learn about these aspects and could learn about the various applications of these knowledge areas in the professional projects and activities.

5 References
Brioso, X. (2015). Integrating ISO 21500 Guidance on Project Management, Lean Construction and PMBOK. Procedia Engineering, 123, pp.76–84.

Burke, R. (2018). Fundamentals of project management?: planning and control techniques using the latest PMBOK 6ed and APM BoK 6ed. United States? Burke Publishing.

Freitas, M.D., Araujo, F.C.C. and Franca, S.L.B. (2019). COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES PMBOK AND AGILE – A CASE STUDY WITH COMPANIES OF THE BRAZILIAN ENERGETIC SECTOR. RevistaGestãoInovação e Tecnologias, 9(3).

Jamali, G. and Oveisi, M. (2016). A Study on Project Management Based on PMBOK and PRINCE2. Modern Applied Science, 10(6), p.142.

Kloppenborg, T.J. (2015). Contemporary project management?: organize, plan, perform. Stamford, Ct: Cengage Learning.

Marion, J.W. (2018). Project Management?: a Common-sense Guide to the PMBOK Program. Part 1, Framework and Schedule. New York: Momentum Press.

Nasir, M., Sahibuddin, S., Ahmad, R. and SanimMohdFauzi, S. (2015). How the PMBOK Addresses Critical Success Factors for Software Projects: A Multi-round Delphi Study. Journal of Software, 10(11), pp.1283–1300.

Pmi (2018). The standard for portfolio management. Newtown Square, Pa: Project Management Institute.

Schwalbe, K. (2019). Information technology project management. 9th ed. Boston, Ma: Cengage.

Snyder, C. (2017). A project manager’s book of forms?: a companion to the PMBOK guide, sixth edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tavan, F. and Hosseini, M. (2016). Comparison and analysis of PMBOK 2013 and ISO 21500. Journal of Project Management, (10), pp.27–34.

Thomas, A. (2019). Application of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) in an Interdisciplinary Capstone: The AISC Steel Bridge Competition. International Journal of Engineering Management, 3(1), p.17.