Project Management: Risk Strategies, Schedule Improvement, Effective Techniques, PERT and CPM Compar

Your task for this part of the assignment is to answer the following questions

NB: This is a research based section and ALL the sources used, other than the material provided, are to be cited using Harvard referencing techniques

Question 1

Identify five common project risk strategies employed to address threats that a project may face. Give an example of each.

Question 2: 

Projects are often completed late. Describe the techniques you would use as a project manager to improve the accuracy and reliability of your project schedule. In responding to the above points, be sure to: Critique project theory based on your experience and understanding. This is important –don’t just “regurgitate” the theory Provide examples, data or other relevant information to support your discussion. Examples can be from work experience, research, study group experience, for example. They should demonstrate the theoretical points being asserting in the questions.

Question 3

Propose how the effective use of project management techniques can help an organisation manage its projects throughout each stage of the project life cycle.

Section 2

Question 1

(a) Compare and contrast the project evaluation and review technique (PERT) with the critical path method (CPM).

Question 2

Using the information in the table below, assuming that the project team will work a standard working week (5 working days in 1 week) and that all tasks will start as soon as possible:

(i) Determine the critical path of the project                                                      

(ii) Calculate the planned duration of the project in weeks                                        

(iii) Identify any non-critical tasks and the float (free slack) on each.                          

Question 3

Southwestern University Stadium Construction

After six months of study, much political arm wrestling, and some serious financial analysis, Dr. Martin Starr, president of Southwestern University, had reached a decision. To the delight of its students, and to the disappointment of its athletic boosters, SWU would not be relocating to a new football site but would expand the capacity at its on-campus stadium.

Adding 21,000 seats, including dozens of luxury skyboxes, would not please everyone. The influential football coach, Bo Pitterno, had long argued the need for a first-class stadium, one with built-in dormitory rooms for his players and a palatial office appropriate for the coach of a future NCAA champion team. But the decision was made, and everyone, including the coach, would learn to live with it.

The job now was to get construction going immediately after the current season ended. This would allow exactly 270 days until the upcoming season opening game. The contractor, Hill Construction (Bob Hill being an alumnus, of course), signed the contract. Bob Hill looked at the tasks his engineers had outlined and looked President Starr in the eye. “I guarantee the team will be able to take the field on schedule next year,” he said with a sense of confidence. “I sure hope so,” replied Starr. “The contract penalty of $10,000 per day for running late is nothing compared to what Coach Pitterno will do to you if our opening game with Penn State is delayed or cancelled.” Hill, sweating slightly, did not respond. In football-crazy Texas, Hill Construction would be mud if the 270-day target were missed. Back in his office, Hill again reviewed the data. (See Table 12.11 and note that optimistic time estimates can be used as crash times.)

He then gathered his foremen. “People, if we’re not 75% sure we’ll finish this stadium in less than 270 days, I want this project crashed! Give me the cost figures for a target date of 250 days also for 240 days. I want to be early, not just on time!”

1. Develop a network drawing for Hill Construction and determine the critical path. How long is the project expected to take?
2. What is the probability of finishing in 270 days?
3. If it were necessary to crash to 250 or 240 days, how would Hill do so, and at what costs? As noted in the case, assume that optimistic time estimates can be used as crash times.