Project Management BSS060-6

Evaluating the Use and Application of Project Management Theory and Methodologies

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Executive Summary
The report majorly focuses on project management methodology and the way in which it
helps in achieving project aims and objectives. The waterfall methodology has been
suggested for the project University library project. This method is suggested as this ensure
success of the project and divided the project process into different phases. The major
benefits of applying this model in Luton Campus has been evaluated such as defines end
goals clearly, transfer clear information and make a proper plan. While applying this method
in the project, the issues that can be faced by the project manager has been accessed. The
issues are that making changes is impossible and includes a huge amount of uncertainty and
risk. In order to reduce the impact of such an issue from the project, the PRINCE2 method
has been suggested as an alternative method. Lastly, recommendations to enhance the
waterfall methodology has been provided such as regular monitoring and use of effective
tools and methodology.

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Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................2

1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................4

2. Waterfall Methodology Application...................................................................................5

2.1 Understanding and Justification of chosen Project methodology...............................5

2.2 Features and Benefits of Using Chosen Methodology in Luton Campus...................7

2.3 Critical evaluation of the use of PM methodology in Project.....................................9

2.4 Limitations of using waterfall method and alternative method for addressing the
issue 11

3. Conclusion........................................................................................................................13

4. Recommendations.............................................................................................................14

References................................................................................................................................15

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 1. Introduction

In project management, methods are specific, stringent and generally involve a set of actions
or activities for each point in the project's life cycle. They are clearly defined techniques that
tell managers exactly the actions to take next, important steps, and the way a project stage
should be completed. This report highly focuses on the project methodology that supports the
project progress and objectives. The waterfall methodology is chosen for the Luton Campus
project, as it might be effective for conceptualisation of this project. The critical evaluation of
chosen methodology will be done and major issues that might be faced by a manager due to
the implementation of this method will be stated in a detailed manner. Lastly, an effective
recommendation will also be provided to mitigate the raised issue and meet project success.

1.1 Project Background

The University of Bedfordshire is seeking to enhance its academic and institutional services
by the construction of its scholarly library. The services for the library will be available to
students 24*7. The development of the library will provide incorporate space for
collaborative and group study and also facilitate arrange space for clients and individual
study. The estimated cost for this project is approx. £46m (million). The project will be
delivered within the time period of 3 years and all the requirements of students will be
fulfilled efficiently. In order to meet this project aims and objectives successfully, it is very
essential to apply an effective project management methodology. The waterfall methodology
will be beneficial for this project as it is a construction project and need proper planning and
management.

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 2. Waterfall Methodology Application

2.1 Understanding and Justification of chosen Project methodology

The chosen methodology for the Luton Campus library project is Waterfall. This is
considered to be a sequential development measure that streams like a waterfall through
various phases of the project such as analysis, design, development, testing and deployment.
As a result, the Waterfall method's effectiveness depends on the manner the work is done on
the front end (Chari and Agrawal, 2018). This includes documenting everything in advance,
that is, the user experience, user stories, as well as any feature variants and outcomes.

Figure 1 Waterfall Methodology

(Source: Andrei, et al., 2019)

In the words of Van Casteren (2017), the Waterfall approach follows a chronological process
and is based on defined dates, requirements, and outputs. Individual execution teams do not
need to be in constant communication with one other, and they are usually self-sufficient
unless specific integrations are required. Team members also prefer to work individually and
are not required to submit status updates as frequently as they would in an Agile
environment. This methodology is considered to be appropriate for Luton Campus as the

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construction of the library with this method will have clear milestones between each task.
This method is very suitable for projects that have been done several times before and where
the possibilities of surprises during the development process are low. The library is re-
generated due to changes in the needs and wants of students and this method will help in
saving time for managers and allow them to effectively manage all the clients’ requirements
and progress with the project accordingly (Kisling, 2019).

As per the views of Khoza and Marnewick (2020), for certain types of projects, the Waterfall
approach may seem too rigid. However, it may be a wonderful way to keep a well-defined,
predictable project from going over time and budget limits. In the Luton Campus project, the
managers while using the Waterfall method can effectively catch design errors at the stage of
analysis and design and help to avoid the use of unnecessary resources. The progress of the
project can be easily measured due to its being clearly defined and will be achieved within
estimate time and cost.

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 2.2 Features and Benefits of Using Chosen Methodology in Luton Campus

The waterfall method is a sequential paradigm that splits project development into pre-
determined stages. Each phase must be finished before the next can begin, and there must be
no overlap in the stages (Beerbaum, 2021). The use of this methodology might process a
huge level of compliance to the Luton Campus project for the development of a new
scholarly library. The team members of the project are highly benefitted from the use of this
method. Some of the key features of Waterfall methodology are as follows:

Benefits of WaterFall Method

Uses Clear Structure

Determines end goal early

Tranfers information in well manner

 Uses Clear Structure: As compared with other methodologies, Waterfall focuses

highly on defined and clear steps of the project. The teams of Luton Campus will be
in a position to complete their whole task before moving to the next one. The
members in order to achieve their aims do not require to have any certification or
effective training. The budget of the new scholarly library will be allocated according
to different project stages and primary activities such as requirements, design, testing
and also procurement of equipment (Fagarasan, et al., 2021).
 Determines goals early: Waterfall begins with a commitment to an end product,
objective, or delivery, and teams should resist straying from that commitment. The
team members of the Luton campus can be highly benefitted as the project goals are
clear to them and have less potential to get lost in the details. The waterfall method
will allow managers to keep their focus on the end goal at all times and will try to
eliminate the risk of getting bog down due to working towards that particular goal.
 Transfers Information in a good manner: As a result of Waterfall is a very
systematic approach, it should come as no surprise that it stresses a clear transmission
of the information at each phase (Chandra, 2015). When this method will be applied

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in the construction project of Luton Campus, then every new step of the process will
involve a new group of people. With the help of this method, the accessible
information can be prioritised so that new additions according to clients’ needs can be
implemented efficiently (Guthrie, 2015).

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 2.3 Critical evaluation of the use of PM methodology in Project

The use of the Waterfall project management methodology in the Luton Campus of the
University of Bedfordshire will provide it with a roadmap to accomplish its task and achieve
its goals. The application of this method will illustrate the construction project in a linear
sequential flow and make sure that any phase in the development process will begin only
when the previous one is completed (Van Casteren, 2017). The whole process of this method
is divided into different steps and can be applied in University Library project:

Figure 2 Waterfall Method Process

(Source: )

 Requirement Analysis: At this stage, all possible requirements for developing a new
scholarly library will be captured or analysed in this stage. The location of the library
should be near existing academic space and should have enough space for group and
individual study. The managers will also analyse the needs of their clients and then
make a plan accordingly.
 System Design: Here, the requirements specifications from the first phase are
analysed and the system design is created based on that information. The team
executives of Luton Campus will design the library architecture by considering the
needs of its students and scheduling and planning project in an efficient manner. The

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 system will be designed according to the estimated cost or budget (Crespo-Santiago
and Cosme, 2016).
 Implementation: With the inputs made in system design, the system of the university
project is developed in small units and then will be integrated into the next steps. Each
phase in the project will be developed and tested for its functionality. The waterfall
method will effectively schedule the project process with series of various activities in
all its phases and that will be beneficial to take the project forward. All the key
information will be communicated to team members and this will reduce the risk of
conflicts or confusion. The changes under this method are not easy to accommodate.
 Integration and Testing: The units of the Luton Campus project that are developed
in the implementation stage are implemented into the system after testing every unit.
At every stage of the university project, the needs and wants of stakeholders will be
accessed to provide delivery efficiently. This stage might also help managers of the
project to analyse the risk or issues that can be raised in future (Chari and Agrawal,
2018).
 Deployment of the system: Once the project is completed and all its testing is
completed then the new scholarly library will be ready to be used by students and
enjoy the available facility in an efficient manner. The cost of the project might get
increased in future due to changing requirements of clients.
 Maintenance: In future, there might be a possibility that issues might arise in future
and to fix such issues, the waterfall method release patches to reduce them.
Maintenance will be done by team managers to deliver required changes and meet the
needs and requirements of students (Mitsuyuki, et al., 2017).

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 2.4 Limitations of using waterfall method and alternative method for addressing the
issue

The waterfall development approach is suitable for projects where making early adjustments
might be highly expensive, such as software development or construction projects. A large
number of large-scale global industries have initiatives where broad market changes are not
important. Due to revisions are not always logically ordered, the Waterfall approach has its
limitations. There is a dearth of input from developers, testers, and consumers during the
software's development process. The major issues that can be faced by University projects in
future are as follows:

 Making changes can be considered a huge problem

 Huge amount of uncertainty and risk

As per the views of Mahalakshmi and Sundararajan (2013), the Waterfall model relies only
on the sequential phases that allow the team to move forward in a timely and efficient
manner. There is no space for modifications or adjustments in the Waterfall technique once
each phase has been completed. Changes may only be made during the stage's processing. If
in the Luton Campus project all the measures have been performed in a careful manner and
even any unplanned process arises after completion of the project, then there is no way going
back or pivoting. After a produced programme has reached the testing stage, it's very hard to
go back and make changes to it. Therefore, when using a waterfall method, testing is not
done step by step, therefore any mistake might lead to major difficulties down the road. Once
a mistake has been made, it cannot be corrected in the following step since there is no going
back. This is considered to be the major disadvantage of using this approach. The clients or
students’ needs will be considered in a university library project and once the plan is made
then the changes can be made and sometimes this might lead to project failure.

The above issue that might arise in Luton Campus can be resolved with regular testing of
every project stage in an effective manner. The implementation of PRINCE2 also knows as
Projects In controlled environment can be used to manage this project in a more successful
manner. It has been argued by Popa, et al., (2021), that PRINCE2 help project managers to
divide the project into manageable and controllable stages. As a project management tool,
PRINCE2 provides managers tremendous control over project resources and excels at
controlling business and project risk. This methodology will be highly beneficial to reduce

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the limitation possess by the Waterfall method and this will help in analysing the desired
changes in starting phases and reduce the future risk in an efficient manner. It will also
promote continuous improvement in each stage of university project development.

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 3. Conclusion
From the above report, it has been summarised that the methodology of project management
plays a crucial part in meeting project needs and leads to success. It is a collection of ideas
and practices that help project managers in structuring their projects so that they function at
the highest possible level of efficiency. In this report, the waterfall methodology has been
applied for the reconstruction of the Luton Campus of the University of Bedfordshire. The
adoption of this methodology is considered to be very effective for this project as it is a
simple method that begins only when one phase is completed. The major benefits that will be
gained by the university project with the implementation of this methodology are stated
effectively. While applying the method in this project, the issues that can be faced by
managers are assessed and PRINCE2 methodology is suggested to reduce those risks. The
major focus has been done on the importance of chosen project methodology and the way it
might benefit the Luton campus project.

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 4. Recommendations
The major strategies that can be imposed by the project manager for meeting the needs of
Luton Campus enhancing the project success through waterfall methods are as follows:

 Regular Monitoring: Monitoring refers to ongoing activity that states or examines

the user or the project system. In order to reduce the changing risk in the project under
the waterfall method, there is a high need for a project manager to develop the habit
of regularly monitoring the project phases so that changes are implemented at the
same time. This is because adopting changes after the phase is completed is
impossible in this method. This will help managers and team members to save their
time and efforts.
 Make use of appropriate methodology and tools: In the construction project, it is
very important to make use of AI technology as these help in making the project
successful. Technology has the ability to leverage the project management procedure
and allow members to develop an effective plan, boost their employee’s morale and
many more. The project managers and teams are recommended to look at each and
every aspect of project needs and requirements and then adopt the suitable
methodology for project success.

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References
Andrei, B.A., Casu-Pop, A.C., Gheorghe, S.C. and Boiangiu, C.A. (2019) A study on using
waterfall and agile methods in software project management. Journal Of Information Systems
& Operations Management, pp.125-135.

Beerbaum, D. (2021) Applying Agile Methodology to regulatory compliance projects in the

financial industry: A case study research. Applying Agile Methodology to Regulatory
Compliance Projects in the Financial Industry: A Case Study Research (April 26, 2021).

Chandra, V. (2015) Comparison between various software development

methodologies. International Journal of Computer Applications, 131(9), pp.7-10.

Chari, K. and Agrawal, M. (2018) Impact of incorrect and new requirements on waterfall
software project outcomes. Empirical Software Engineering, 23(1), pp.165-185.

Chari, K. and Agrawal, M. (2018) Impact of incorrect and new requirements on waterfall
software project outcomes. Empirical Software Engineering, 23(1), pp.165-185.

Crespo-Santiago, C.A. and Cosme, S.D.L.C.D. (2016) Waterfall method: a necessary tool for
implementing library projects. HETS Online Journal, 1(2), pp.86-99.

Fagarasan, C., Popa, O., Pisla, A. and Cristea, C. (2021) Agile, waterfall and iterative
approach in information technology projects. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science
and Engineering (Vol. 1169, No. 1, p. 012025).

Guthrie, R. (2015) Scrum Software Development Methodology. In Encyclopedia of

Information Science and Technology, Third Edition (pp. 7310-7318). IGI Global.

Khoza, L. and Marnewick, C. (2020) Waterfall and Agile information system project success
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Kisling, E. (2019) Transitioning from Waterfall to Agile: Shifting Student Thinking and
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Mahalakshmi, M. and Sundararajan, M. (2013) Traditional SDLC vs scrum methodology–a

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