Questions:

1) What problems do you see emerging from a project such as SBInet where the government allows
the contractor to determine scope, manage all contractor relations, and decide how to share project
status information with oversight bodies?

Oversight, particularly early in the projects development, is critical. It is during the early phases of the
project that most technical decisions are made, that overall project scope is frozen, and that project
capabilities and standards for evaluation are determined. Thus, when the government gave this power
to the contractor without sufficient checks and balances, they opened the way for overruns, poor
technical quality, and loss of accountability. In retrospect, it is actually surprising that the project was
cancelled as early as it was. Under similar circumstances, federally funded projects have been much
bigger black holes for budget and schedule overruns.

2) Consider the following two arguments: The failure of SBInet was due to poor scope management,
versus SBInet failed because of poor oversight and project controls. Take one side or the other in
this argument, and justify your response.

A case can be made for either position in this example. The project was poorly scoped, mainly due to an
inadequate understanding of the technical requirements for developing and maintaining a virtual fence
across a long border. Even the pilot project on the 28-miletest section of the border was not technically
sound and demonstrated a number of flaws within the system. On the other hand, there was a
continued lack of oversight of the project through much of the early qualification phases, when Boeing
was vetting suppliers, trying to determine the projects scope, and creating a management structure
that seemed designed to promote overruns and poor quality.

5.1 What are the principal benefits of developing a comprehensive project scope analysis?

A comprehensive project scope analysis serves several benefits that permit a company to guide the
dream of a project to successful completion. One benefit is transforming the idea of the project into a
working concept. Once the concept is developed, project details can be mapped out. Scope analysis
outlines each step of the project in a detailed manner. The primary benefit is that it aligns the project so
the final product will be consisted with the original goals/objectives. By outlining each step, scope
analysis increases the likelihood that the project will stay within budget and time constraints, and meet
predetermined specifications and quality parameters.

5.2 What are the key characteristics of a work package?

A work package is a specific step of the project. Work packages are smaller pieces of the whole project,
which are more manageable and definable than the whole. They create a chronological map from one
step to the next, detailing what needs to be completed at each stage. Each work package includes its
own deadline, resource requirements, and supervisor/s. Work packages can be further broken down
into subtasks that can be assigned to an individual worker or group. Collectively, all the work packages
of a project combine to lead the project team from start to completion of the project.

5.3 Create a Work Breakdown Structure for a term paper project or another school-related project
you are working on. What are the steps in the WBS? Can you identify any substeps for each step?

This assignment is designed to get students comfortable with deconstructing the project into various
levels, including Deliverables and Work Packages. The goal is identifying the relevant elements in the
project, not the sequential nature of those steps. If instructors wish, they can ask students to create
some idea of the sequentiality of these WBS elements as a second step.

5.4 What are the benefits of developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) for a project?

The RAM outlines the team members directly responsible for each task. It also includes a list of
supporting organizational members. It is beneficial for following chain of command, solving
interdepartmental issues, and receiving proper approval. Additionally, the RAM increases the flow of
communication throughout the team. By knowing who is in charge of what, members can notify the
necessary people of progress or completion of tasks. This keeps the group informed of potential
problems and up-to-date on the projects current status.

The process of creating the RAM is also beneficial to the project manager. It requires the identification
of team members abilities, qualifications, strengths, and weaknesses. Tasks and assignments can then
be better coordinated to create the highest level of efficiency.

5.5 Develop an argument for scope reporting mechanisms. At a minimum, what types of reports do
you consider necessary for document control of a project? Why?
Two main concerns of project scope are seeing that the project meets time and budget constraints.
Without some sort of limits (i.e., project scope), projects can quickly become expensive and long-term
investments of a companys time and resources. Scope reporting can help reduce the risk of such
runaway projects. Reports that update on costs incurred using S-curves and variance updates are
important for keeping the project within budget constraints. These reports may also serve as control
mechanisms. If team members know they will have to publish spending reports frequently to other
members in the organization, they may be less likely to approve unscheduled expenditures. Reports
related to adherence to the planned time schedule work in a similar fashion. If the project begins to lag
behind, team members may have more incentive to look for the cause of the delays if they are required
to report variances from the planned timetable.

5.6 What is the chief purpose of configuration management? In your opinion, why has it become
increasingly popular in recent years as part of the project management process?

The main purpose of configuration management is to manage and control change within projects. Those
involved in the project agree upon a plan for execution of activities and tasks. Configuration
management then monitors variations from this pre-established plan. Change is an anticipated factor of
project management. Configuration management provides a way to deal with changes as they arise, so
they do not cause more disruption than necessary. Changes are documented so that all involved in the
project may be notified and modifications can be made universally. By identifying necessary changes as
early as possible and handling the problem early on, configuration management decreases time delays
related to unforeseen conditions, and helps reduce obstacles that may result from change later on in the
project process.

5.7 What is the logic behind developing a plan for project closeout prior to even beginning the
project?

Upon completion of the project, certain documentation will be required by management and/or the
client involved. The documentation may be used for legal purposes, as training material, or in auditing
procedures; therefore, it is important that the closeout information be thorough and accurate. Creating
a plan early on is important because proper documentation may need to be performed as the project
progresses. By knowing what information will be required at the end of the project, the team can keep
proper records at various stages as the project advances. Trying to create this documentation after the
fact may be difficult or inaccurate.