Description
ABET Assessment
Using Project Management Methods in the Creation of an Effective IT Project Plan
The Problem:
Assume that you are working for a large accounting firm. You are in the Human Resources Division and you have just been given the responsibility to manage an IT project to install a new system to process everything related to your company’s payroll, payroll tax records, and vacation and health benefits. The system maintains records on insurance, state and federal taxes, social security, and the like – everything that you would find on a typical pay stub. You pay employees both hourly wages and annual salaries. The system is called PAYMASTER.
As part of your work you have decided to develop an outline of your planning process using the structure of a knowledge areas/process groups matrix as a basis for your outline’s first two levels. Then you want to prepare a 2000 word summary of the plan. The following information is designed to take you through that work. In your response you will be providing either sample or full answers, depending on the nature of the planning element that you are describing. In many cases you will need to invent a number of the specifics as you develop your plan – just use a little imagination because there are literally thousands of elements that would go into an actual plan or system.
Where specificity is required you will need to invent it. For example, in your written plan it is inappropriate to say something like “update the scope statement.” However, “Modify the scope statement to reflect new tax codes for PAYMASTER” is acceptable and correct (sorry, you may not use this example as part of your response.)
Prepare a single document as your response. The first part of your document is your outline and the second part is your written plan.
First, Your Complete Outline:
Begin this section with the title: “PAYMASTER Project Plan Outline,” and outline your plan from beginning to end. Your outline must have four levels. Remember, you are preparing an outline of how you would go about planning the implementation of the PAYMASTER payroll and associated records system using the knowledge areas/process groups matrix as a basis for your outline’s first two levels.
- Level-one like this – level-one activities should have sufficient weight to carry your plan. There must be a separate level-one activity for each major element of your plan – that is, each should be a MAJOR element in your plan.
1.1. Level-two like this – these are sub-topics for your major elements. Notice that proper outline structure requires at least two level-two items for each level-one item. More might be needed, depending on topic at hand.
1.1.1. Level-three like this – sub-topics for your level-two items. At this level you are providing specific details for your level-two items. Notice also, just as for level-two: “… that proper structure requires at least two level-three items for each level-two item. More might be needed, depending on topic at hand.”
1.1.1.1. Level-four like this – sub-topics for your level-three items. At this level you are providing specific example of the details in level-three. Notice also, just as for level-three: “… that proper structure requires at least two level-four items for each level-three item. More might be needed, depending on the topic at hand.”
1.1.1.2. Another level-four
1.1.2. Another level-three
1.1.2.1. Level-four
1.1.2.2. Level-four
1.2. Another level-two, level-three, level-four
1.3. Etc. if needed
- Level-one again, etc.etc. etc. etc.
Of importance – outlines do not contain paragraphs. The idea of an outline is to organize your thoughts, and it must be complete at the top two levels. The MORE time that you spend building an outline the BETTER your thought process, organization and content, and the EASIER it is to do the next part of the exam.
Second, Your Written Plan:
Now begin the main body of your work. Write 2000 words describing your plan. 2000 words is about eight pages, double spaced, 12 point font, normal margins. For your written plan the standard is, as always, full sentences – nouns and verbs, and professional composition. Bullets, lists, IM texting replies, bad spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or grammar is simply not responsive to the task at hand.
CAUTION: recall that almost all of the major topics in the course received a roughly equal emphasis. Reflect this emphasis in your paper, both in the length of your sections and in content. For example, where we did charts or tables, include specific examples, applicable to your plan. Of importance – these examples need NOT be complete, simply of sufficient detail to communicate your understanding. In the real world, for example, you would develop a very detailed WBS. For your paper it will be sufficient to develop only a few lines, as examples that expand on your outline for that particular section of your paper. Detail, correct construction and content are important.
Begin this work on a separate page, with the title “PAYMASTER Project Plan”. Include headings and sub-headings that relate directly to your outline – they actually replicate the outline itself. Here is the format for the headings in your plan.
Your level-one headings — italicized, bold, and underlined: Discus what this element of the plan is about, why it is important, and provide specific comment on how it applies in the PAYMASTER project. Place a blank line before each level-one heading.
Your level-two headings — bold, and underlined: Here, discuss what this element is about in the context of the PAYMASTER project – that is, how it applies to your plan. Mention of some specifics, to become level-three elements, can be provided here if you wish.
Your level-three heading — italicized and underlined: Since level-three elements are specifics, expand on your level-two comments. Be specific – how do these examples apply to PAYMASTER?
Your level-four headings — underlined: Since level-four elements are examples, expand on your level-three comments. Be specific – how do these examples apply to PAYMASTER?
In many cases you should accomplish this by developing specific content – a chart or a sample WBS, for example.
Your writing should be of sufficient detail to prove that you understand project management — its principles, practices, and tools, and that you understand and have thought carefully about your outline above.
Recall the admonishment in the opening paragraphs about specificity (the “update the scope statement” example). OF CENTRAL AND CRITICAL IMPORTANCE: YOUR WRITING MUST BE SPECIFIC TO PAYMASTER. Vague discussions using terms limited to those in the text will be deemed inadequate. Discussions based on the text, but which engage specific elements of PAYMASTER (elements that you invent as you develop your content) are required to confirm that you actually understand the meaning of the material in the text. You must have solutions to the problem, not generally describe some project planning activities.
Finally, observe that there is no way that 2000 words will be adequate for a project plan in the real world. The point of this exam is to cause you to cover the points involved in managing a project and to summarize those points. While your level-one and level-two outline must be complete, your actual plan will be incomplete because of length restrictions. But it must be reasonably developed with respect to the contents of the course. That is, your level-one and level-two elements should be comprehensive, and your level-three and level-four items of sufficient detail to demonstrate what each level-one and level-two element in your summary is about, and how it applies to PAYMASTER.
Additional Requirements:
he assignment should be submitted as a single file. You must include a title page as the first page of the assignment that includes: title of the assignment, your name, school’s name, course number, professor’s name, and due date.
Sample Solution
