L7 Semester 01 PRM22701 Principles of Project Management, Project Portfolio Brief | RUL

Project Brief

The main purpose of this project brief is to allow you to integrate the knowledge acquired from “Principles of Project Management” and to apply it to practical real-world scenarios. Throughout this project, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of project management theories and concepts, apply them to a hypothetical case, and develop essential professional skills in creating project portfolios and delivering engaging presentations.

Project Description: Charity Fundraising Event for Education

Imagine that you are a project manager organising a hypothetical charity fundraising event at Ravensbourne University London campus proposed to take place from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Monday February 17th, 2025. You have a budget of £3,000. Your task in this scenario is to envision raising funds to provide educational resources, such as books, school supplies, and scholarships, to underprivileged children through this event.

The project should consider the following assumptions:

• As Project Manager, you are responsible for leading a project team comprised of 6 fictional team members (including yourself). You are allowed to engage Ravensbourne in-house staff members. Keep this in mind when considering resource, budget, and task allocation.
• The theme of the fundraising event must be based on ONE of the following on the below list:

• • Sports;
  • Food;
  • Art;
  • Drama;
  • Music;
  • Science;
  • Games
  •  IT
• The event will take place at Ravensbourne University London campus; however you must identify the exact location on campus and be prepared to explain the rationale.
• You have a total budget of £3,000. In-house staff will not require any salary allocation for the project, however external staff will require salary allocation.
• Your goal is to maximize the amount of funds raised, after accounting for costs required. You are expected to conduct research to identify information to aid in your cost estimations.
• Event planning will hypothetically commence on December 1^st, 2024. Event will hypothetically take place from 9:00am to 5:00pm on February 17^th, 2025.

There are two components to complete for this hypothetical project, each worth 50% of the final grade:

1.  Project Portfolio (word limit - 2000 words, excluding references and appendix)

Your project portfolio should utilize the following structure:

a) Project Scope Statement:

• Develop a Scope Statement outlining: Description of the event being offered, Project Justification(s), 3 Project Objectives (SMART methodology), Project Deliverables, Key Milestones, Technical Requirements, Project Constraints and Solutions.

b) Project Team:

• Describe the type of project manager you aspire to be for charity project, and how you will lead and manage your project team.
• Derive roles and responsibilities for six fictional staff members (including yourself, as Project Manager)
• Declare your preferred project team structure (Functional / Project / Matrix) and explain the rationale.

c)  Project Resource and Task Allocation:

• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that breaks the project into a hierarchy of manageable tasks.
• Create a Project Schedule with identified duration, dates, dependencies, and accountable team member for each task.
• Create a Gantt Chart illustrating task durations and dependencies.
• Create a RACI Matrix to clarify roles and responsibilities for each of the 6 fictional team members.

d)  Project Communications Plan

• Develop a Communication Plan outlining how information will be shared with team members and stakeholders.
• Identify key stakeholders
• Outline strategies for effectively managing stakeholder engagement and addressing their concerns.

e) Project Quality Plan:

• Formulate a Quality Plan that defines the quality standards and processes for the charity event.

f) Project Risk Plan:

• Create a Risk Severity Matrix to Identify and assess potential risks that could impact the project's success.
• Develop risk response strategies to mitigate threats and capitalise on opportunities.

g)  Key Performance Indicators:

• Determine 3-5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure project progress and success.
• Describe how you will use KPI insights to make informed decisions and adjustments to the project.

h)  Project Finance Estimation

• Declare the cost estimation methodology used.
• Create a cost breakdown structure to estimate and justify the costs required to conduct the event. Costs and prices must be supported with research and referenced.

The project plan must be written using Times New Roman font (size 12) and double-spaced, with incorporation of images/diagrams/tables where appropriate. Please limit to a maximum of 2,000 words (excluding title page and references). If you are referencing any sources, Harvard Referencing system is required.
The assignment must be submitted in MS Word or PDF format on Canvas by Friday 21st February 2025; 16:00. The assessment is worth 50% of your overall module grade.

2.    Reflection Video Presentation:

In addition to the project portfolio, you are required to film a reflection video (up to 10-minutes), which should be uploaded to YouTube and the link will be pasted on the last page of you Project Portfolio Word or PDF document to submit on Canvas for viewing/grading. This assessment is due to be submitted on Canvas by Friday 21st February 2025; 16:00. The assessment is worth 50% of your overall module grade.

In this video, you should reflect on what you have learned throughout the project portfolio development process. Discuss the challenges you faced during your learning process, the strategies you employed to overcome them, and the insights you gained about project management as a result of organising the charity project. You may also share how this experience has influenced your perspective on project management as a discipline.

Conclusion:

This project aims to provide you with practical experience in applying project management principles to a realistic scenario. Through the project portfolio and reflection video presentation, you will demonstrate your ability to plan, execute, and control a project effectively, showcasing your skills in leadership, communication, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. This hands-on experience will serve as a strong foundation for your future career as a competent and successful project manager. Good luck!

Module Learning Outcomes

LO1 Employ advanced project management principles and methodologies to effectively initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control and close projects.

LO2  Demonstrate mastery in effective communication and stakeholder management strategies in project management contexts.

LO3  Critically analyse and evaluate project complexities, make informed decisions, and adapt to dynamic project environments.

LO4  Display mastery in project management tools and technology to enhance project planning, execution, and monitoring processes in complex contexts.

LO5  Employ advanced knowledge and skills to evaluate project success factors and key performance indicators to measure project outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and enhancement of future project management practices in complex contexts.