PROJ6001 Integrated Project Management

1. Critically evaluate the impact of internal and external factors on project management processes and develop strategies to implement appropriate courses of action.
2. Articulate project management outcomes and communicate using a range of media to diverse stakeholders representing differing expectations.

• Identify enterprise environmental factors (EEF) of the project;
• Propose a tool, technique or framework intend to use for qualitative and/or quantitative impact analysis of EEF;
• Justify why the selected tool/technique is appropriate.

The report should address the following:

• Evaluation of the internal and external factors and their impact on project management processes
• Development of strategies to implement the appropriate actions
• Drafted communication plan and outcomes to diverse stakeholders At end of the report, each group member is required to provide a 500-word of personal learning reflection. The reflection should cover
• What key knowledge and skills you learned through this subject?
• How will they benefit you further study and career?
• Any Good, Bad or Ugly of your total learning experience?

Question:

Inc. (QCI), several internal and external enterprise factors have affected the project management process of the company either positively or negatively (Botha, Kourie& Snyman 2014). We shall start by focusing on the internal enterprise factors affecting projects undertaken by QCI and the factors are:

Human Resources training and development

Employee training enables employees to achieve required skills for project performance.

Organizational structure

Change in organizational structure has either a positive or negative influence to the business.

 Resistance to change

Line managers are reluctant to adopt a formalized structure

Enterprise expansion

When an enterprise expands, it also results to some changes in how some project management processes are undertaken.

Diversification

 The project manager in QCI who has a problem with the diversified group which poses a challenge.

Over assignment of tasks to employees

The QCI project manager is having a challenge in to manage three projects with different customer requirements hence some of the customers suffer especially whose projects are considered to be small because project managers give first priority to large projects.

Organizational culture

 In QCI the company has a culture of promoting managers and executives from the faculty of engineering which is not appreciated by employees from other fields like marketing who feel that they are been despised, hence lowering their morale

According to Golini, Kalchschmidt, & Landoni (2015), the external enterprise environmental factors that may have an impact on the project management process are:

Technological changes

Technology that suits the project operations should be adopted.

Economic factors

The market conditions may affect the number of    projects assigned to the company depending to the number of customers available.

Techniques to be used by QCI for Analysis of this enterprise environmental factors

For internal business factors, a SWOT analysis will be work so as to achieve the desired objectives. The project manager needs determine the strengths of some internal organizational factors such as employee training which results to increased productivity. He must also determine the weaknesses the business might experience by factors such as resistance to change. He must also determine the opportunities that might be seized as a result of working well with a diversified work force and must also be able to determine the threats for the business due internal leadership conflicts experienced in selective promotion

JUSTIFICATION

According to Jankovi?, Mihajlovi? & Cvetkovi? (2016), swot analysis is the best technique used to evaluate all the internal factors affecting the enterprise since it enables mangers to be strategic when dealing with such factors.

Impact of internal and external factors on project management  Internal factors

Diversity

Kerzner & Kerzner (2017) state that with a diversified work force, the project succeeds due to a pool of talents of skills and abilities.

Organization structure

A lean organizational structure is efficient for the success of projects where there are few hierarchies with people assigned duties according to their skills and abilities

Organization culture

Where all the employees are satisfied by the processes within the organization the project management process is usually successful especially where the organization has promoted equality in promotion, compensation etc.

Skilled human resources

With skilled workers who have been trained in project management, the projects usually succeed.

Availability of raw materials

When there are adequate raw materials, projects are usually completed on time due to continuity

External enterprise factors

Political factors

Where the country is experiencing a good political climate, projects are usually accomplished well due to peace in the country (Hamilton & Webster 2015). 

Economic factors

When there is ready market for the products, the projects usually succeed due to availability of funds to expand the enterprise.

Technology

Application of the new technologies usually results to quality output in the project management process especially in construction industry

Strategies to implement courses of action in QCI Formulation of leadership policy

This will prevent selective promotion as in the case of QCI which will give everyone equal promotion opportunities (Martinelli & Milosevic 2016). 

Creating need for change

The project manager should outline a clear sense of urgency why some processes have to change to avoid resistance to change by some line managers

Division of labor

Each and every employee will be assigned tasks according to his or her skills and knowledge to promote efficiency in the project management process

Good scalar chain

Each employee will be answerable to his departmental manager to enhance correct feedback regarding procedure clarity and other requests such as costs for various materials for the project.

References

Botha, A., Kourie, D., & Snyman, R. (2014). Coping with continuous change in     the   business     environment: Knowledge management and knowledge management technology. Elsevier.

Golini, R., Kalchschmidt, M., & Landoni, P. (2015). Adoption of project   management practices: The impact on international development projects of non-governmental organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 33(3), 650-663.

Hamilton, L., & Webster, P. (2015). The international business environment. Oxford University Press, USA.

Jankovi?, M., Mihajlovi?, M., & Cvetkovi?, T. (2016). Influence of external factors on business of companies in Serbia. Ekonomika, 62(4), 31-38.

Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Martinelli, R. J., & Milosevic, D. Z. (2016). Project management toolbox: tools and techniques for the practicing project manager. John Wiley & Sons.

Golini, R., Kalchschmidt, M., & Landoni, P. (2015). Adoption of project management practices:  The impact on international development projects of non-governmental organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 33(3), 650-663.