BM522 – Project Management 2024-25 CW1 Project Report Question

Assignment task

Horizon Labs, a market leader in technology solutions, has maintained its position at the forefront of the tech industry for over a decade. With a workforce of 2,000 employees, the company has long been synonymous with innovation and excellence.

Despite its market success, Horizon Labs faces a critical internal challenge i.e. rising employee attrition rates. An in-depth analysis revealed that unaddressed mental health issues were the primary driver behind this concerning trend. The situation threatens not only the company's productivity but also its long-standing reputation as an employer of choice.

To address this pressing issue, Horizon Labs has initiated a groundbreaking project that is development and implementation of an AI-powered system designed to detect early signs of mental health concerns among its employees. The primary objectives of this initiative are to significantly reduce turnover rates, enhance employee wellbeing and restore and improve overall productivity As a specialist in AI-driven solutions, you have been appointed as the project manager for this critical initiative. Your task is to develop a comprehensive project management plan that covers both the development and company-wide deployment of this innovative AI technology.

Task 1

The project management plan must begin by providing a justification for the project, specifically a compelling business case that outlines the project objectives and deliverables. Next, compare various project methodologies, followed by a critical analysis of which methodology would be
most appropriate for this project and why. This analysis should be supported with justification and examples of where the selected methodology has been successfully used in the past, as well as the benefits of using this methodology for your project.

Task 2 

(i) Develop a network diagram in MS excel or MS word or manually on paper as taught (activities on arrows) clearly showing the relationship between all the activities listed above, the dependencies, the likely duration for each activity, the likely completion date (expected total project
time). Calculate the earliest starting time, the latest starting time (EST, LST) and the earliest finishing time and latest finishing time (EFT, LFT) for each activity including an outline description of the critical path, highlighting the critical activities and the shortest possible time in days in
which the project can be completed as scoped above. (Give reasons for your choice).

(ii) Using Microsoft project i.e. MS Project, represent the activity list above in a Gantt Chart.

Task 3 

Undertake a stakeholder analysis for this project. This analysis should clearly identify at least five internal and external stakeholders and group them according to their interest and power using a stakeholder management matrix. Additionally, develop communication strategies for each
stakeholder group.

Task 4 

Using the activity list above, develop a clearly numbered Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for this project.

Task 5 

You are required to prepare a Risk Analysis for at least 15 different risks that could affect your project. Analyse the risks involved and develop strategies for dealing with them in detail. Present your Risk Analysis and Risk Management strategies/mitigations in the form of a table, as taught in class.

Task 6 

You are required to determine at least 5 quality expectations, acceptance criteria, quality specifications, and the measures to control the event. This information should be organized in a table with the following four headings: Quality Expectation, Acceptance Criteria, Quality Specification, and Control Measures.

Task 6 

You are required to determine at least 5 quality expectations, acceptance criteria, quality specifications, and the measures to control the event. This information should be organized in a table with the following four headings: Quality Expectation, Acceptance Criteria, Quality Specification, and Control Measures.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO1: Evaluate and explain the major factors and performance requirements of project management
LO2: Plan projects using appropriate project management software.
LO3: Analyse and critically evaluate projects using an appropriate industry standard methodology.