1.      Project Life Cycle

The four main elements of the project life cycle are defining, planning, executing and closing. Give an example of a task you performed on a project, either as a leader or team member, and identify what stage of the life cycle it was in and why. Describe if you felt the task was strategically important to the project and also the company. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

2.      The Importance of Project Management

Project management has become an important aspect of business in many companies. Projects are integrated with the strategic views of the corporation to ensure maximum benefits are achieved. Describe how project management techniques enable the company to meet their strategic mission. Do you feel that project management is becoming more important in business today, or less important? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1.      Project Charter

Describe the importance of a project charter to the project manager. How does a strong project sponsor and clear project scope apply to the overall success of a project? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

2.      Project Management Plan

List three important items that belong within a project management plan, and the importance of breaking the project into phases. Additionally, please comment on the importance of obtaining sponsorship approval when concluding each phase of the project. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1.      Risk Identification

State the importance of identifying risks and categorizing them as high, medium or low probability. Explain why risks associated with the critical path of the project need special attention. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

2.      Triple Constraint

The “triple constraint” in project management is traditionally time, resources and scope. Provide an example of a project you have been involved with that had limited resources. What types of resource constraints affected the project, and how? Please comment if the limited resources also impacted the timeline and scope of the project. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1.      Stakeholder Communication

Project managers must understand and communicate with all the stakeholders of a project. The project sponsor is one very important stakeholder that needs to be satisfied with the outcome of a project. Describe why the project sponsor is one of the most important stakeholders, and what a project manager should do to keep them informed of the status of a project. Provide professional examples if possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

2.      Team Development Model

Review the five stage model of team development in the required reading of Chapter 11. Describe a project that you are involved with right now, and the stage that the project team is currently in. Comment on what makes this particular stage enjoyable, or difficult. If you are not involved with a project currently, describe your favorite stage of a project you have been involved with in the past. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Project Closure

The decision to close a project before actual completion can happen for many different reasons. Describe a project you have been involved with, or of which you have knowledge, where one of these barriers to project success actually occurred and the project closed before completion. Is there something the project manager could have done to prevent the early termination? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Globalization and Project Management

The globalization of the workforce is an important trend in many industries and organizations. Not only are some project managers assigned to different countries to complete an assignment, but many virtual teams also have membership that spans different regions of the globe. Describe a project that you have been involved with, or are interested in, that may have a project team that is truly global. Determine the cultural aspects and possible conflicts of that project team, and how a successful project manager can overcome the issues. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.