Why is the technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides to the same coin?

1.   Define a project.  What are five characteristics which help differentiate projects from other functions carried out in the daily operations of the organization?

1). A project is a complex, non routine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resource, and specifications. 

2). Differentiating characteristics of projects from routine, repetitive daily work are below:

              a). A defined life span

      b). A well-defined objective

      c). Typically involves people from several disciplines

      d). A project life cycle

   e). Specific time, cost, and performance requirements.

4 stages of Project Life Cycle:

1.  Defining:       (GSTR)

          a). Goals.

         b). Specifications.

         c). Tasks.

         d). Responsibilities,

2.  Planning:      (SBRRS)

         a). Schedules.

         b). Budgets.

         c), Resources.

        d).  Risks.

        e),  Staffing.

3.  Executing: A major portion of the project work take place – both physical and mental.

        (SCQF)

         a).  Status Reports

         b).  Changes.

         c).  Quality.

         d).  Forecasts.

4.  Closing:     (TTREL)

         a).  Train Customer.

         b). Transfer documents.

         c).  Release Resources.

         d).  Evaluation.

         e).  Lessons learned.

2.   What are some of the key environmental forces that have changed the way projects are managed?  What has been the effect of these forces on the management of projects?

1). Some key environmental forces that have changed the way we manage projects are 

          a). the product life cycle,

          b). knowledge growth,

          c). global competition,

          d). organization downsizing,

          e). technology changes,

          f). time-to-market. 

2). The impact of these forces :

       a). more projects per organization,

       b). project teams responsible for implementing projects,

       c). accountability,

      d). changing organization structures,

      e). need for rapid completion of projects,

      f). linking projects to organization strategy and customers,

      g). prioritizing projects to conserve organization resources,

      h). alliances with external organizations, etc.

3.   Why is the implementation of projects important to strategic planning and the project manager?

Strategic plans are implemented primarily through projects—e.g.,

        a). a new product,

        b). a new information system,

        c). a new plant for a new product. 

The project manager is the key person responsible for completing the project

   -) on time,

   -) on budget, and

   -) within specifications so the project’s customer is satisfied. 

If the project is not linked to the strategic plan of the organization, resources devoted to the project are wasted and a customer need is not met.  This lack of connectivity occurs more in practice than most would believe.

4.   The technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides to the same coin.  Explain.

The system and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides of the same coin because successful project managers are skillful in both areas. 

The point is successful project managers need to be very comfortable and skillful in both areas.

5.   What is meant by an integrative approach to project management?  Why is this approach important in today’s environment?

An integrative approach to project management is one in which all the parts are interrelated.  This approach is important because it can give an organization a competitive edge in today’s environment. 

An integrative approach includes two parts. 

1). projects must have a strong link to the organization’s strategic plan, which is directed toward meeting the customer’s needs. 

A project priority system reinforces this linkage by prioritizing projects according to their contribution to the strategic plan and allocates resources by the priorities set.  

2). an integrative approach provides an integrated system for the actual implementation of the projects. 

This includes an information system which supports decision making and a sociocultural environment which creates a positive, active contribution from team members responsible for completing the project.

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