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Achieving Project Goals Simulation University of Phoenix Project Management MGT437 March 8, 2007 Achieving Project Goals Simulation Projects may take on various forms based on the necessity of an organization. According to the University of Phoenix Week Two Overview (2007), project requirements will form the foundation in which the balance of the project is built. However, Project Managers must first establish the needs of the stakeholders and provide a project plan which includes the cost and time frame the project will be completed.
In addition, projects requirements should be clear and concise to ensure the Project Manager stays within the limits of the project. (University of Phoenix, 2007) For example, in Week Two simulation the Huduma Foundation needed to transport eight elephants across African to a safe habitat. Huduma Foundation is a non-government organization dedicated in the rescue and relocation of wild animals in Africa. In addition, the above organization receives its resources from wealthy individuals and multinational companies. University of Phoenix, 2007) This paper will identify some limitations that were identified in the simulation, and how the simulation changed my perspective on project management. First, the approach to project planning is to first outline the “work breakdown” in a logical hierarchy, so all individuals who specialize in different procedures at different time lines can be most effective. (University of Phoenix, 2007) In addition, to have a successful Project outcome the Project Manager must visualize the final outcome and plan for bottlenecks during the project. University of Phoenix, 2007) For instance, in the simulation the goal of the Huduma Foundation was to get 8 elephants transported to the airport before the plane departed, which was an extreme challenge. The elephants had to be sedated the loaded onto trucks, and placed on airplanes while they revived from the tranquilizer. However, this task became even more difficult when one of the transport trucks broke down. Due to time constraints the Project Manager evaluated the situation and objectively selected the paramount option to compress the project cycle time nd met the constraints of time and project safety. (University of Phoenix, 2007) Secondly, risks are unavoidable in a Project no matter how well the project is planned, and every project need to have alternatives when the unexpected happens. Moreover, it is important to contain delays as much as possible by balancing the rest of the project resources, like time, scope of the project and safety. (University of Phoenix, 2007) However, the Project Manager should not compromise the project scope or safety. University of Phoenix, 2007) In addition, the Project Manager needs to ensure that proper trade offs are made between time, cost and performance of the project. (University of Phoenix, 2007) For instance, in the simulation when the truck broke down and it was a possibility that the other elephants would not make the flight the Project Manager made alternate transportation planes that were successful in meeting the time constraints of the project. After this week assignment with the simulation the author of this paper has a different perception of Project Management.
The first views prior to the simulation was one of planning projects were a very simple job; however, after completing the simulation it was realized that life does not go as planned. When the unexpected happened with one of the transport trucks breaking down this could have caused “Operation Elephants Ark” to fail, the reality of loosing money is possible in a Project was realized. In addition, the author understands now that Project Managers must be quick and careful thinkers taking every change into consideration because those decisions can drastically change the outcome of the Project.
In conclusion, the Project Managers of the Huduma Foundation was able to balance the elephant project when constraints to the project surfaced. Moreover, the constraint of time was a big factor in this project; however, the Project Manager did not sacrifice safety to facilitate the time constraints. Lastly, it is very important for a Project Manager to always consider the safety of the project team and all who are involved. Reference University of Phoenix. (2007). Week two overview. Retrieved March 5, 2007, from University of Phoenix, Week Two, rEsource. MGT437- Project Management Course Web site.