Project Plant Pals | SMART Goals

January 5

Goal One: “Office Green wants to increase brand awareness.”

SMART Goal One: “Office Green wants to improve its brand awareness by increasing the number of unique visitors on its website by
15k/month by the end of the year”

What makes this goal specific? Does it provide enough detail to avoid
ambiguity?
Response: The team knows how to redesign the website and build a landing page. The marketing
team already tracks the number of unique visitors.

What makes this goal measurable? Does it include metrics to gauge success?
Response: This goal will be complete when the number of unique monthly visitors on the company’s
website will be 15k or more compared to the time before the Plant Pals service launch.

What makes this goal attainable? Is it realistic given available time and
resources?
Response: The marketing manager has the knowledge, time, and resources to build the new website.

What makes this goal relevant? Does it support project or business objectives?
Response  Office Green's business model is based on online advertising to sell its products.

What makes this goal time-bound? Does it include a timeline or deadline?

Response:  The launch of the project is scheduled for the end of the third quarter. The project team will
continue to collect data on the progress of the project through the end of the year and evaluate how well the
goals were met at the end of the fourth quarter.

Goal Two: “Office Green wants to raise the customer retention rate.”

SMART Goal Two: “Office Green wants to increase the customers who will use their product”

What makes this goal specific? Does it provide enough detail to avoid
ambiguity?
Response: 1.) Increase customer retention by 10% from 80%.
2.) Achieve a customer satisfaction rating of over 90% this year.

What makes this goal measurable? Does it include metrics to gauge success?
Response: According to the Vice President of customer success expects office green to
achieve over 90% customer satisfaction this year, slightly higher than last year. The ratings have been
maintained between 85% and 90% over the past five years. So, you can use data from the last five years as a
benchmark to measure your goals.

What makes this goal attainable? Is it realistic given available time and
resources?
Response: 70% of customers who left Office Green for a competitor last year said they did it because
they wanted more comprehensive service. In the survey, 85% of existing customers showed interest in Plant
Pal.

What makes this goal relevant? Does it support project or business objectives?
Response: The business objective is to raise customer retention. The goal is relevant to it.

What makes this goal time-bound? Does it include a timeline or deadline?

Response: Yes, the company has set 1 year as the timeline.
Stakeholder Analysis:

Note: Some of the information in your stakeholder analysis and power grid may differ from these exemplars. Some variation is to be expected. 

Let’s review the stakeholder analysis table:

 The Stakeholder column includes the titles of the five stakeholders (and stakeholder groups) from the scenario. 
 Each stakeholder’s role is in the Role column.
 Each stakeholder’s involvement (including helpful tools, knowledge, or relationships) is recorded in the Involvement column.
 The project’s impact on each stakeholder’s needs (along with any potential resistance) is described in the Impact column. 
 Each stakeholder’s level of power or influence is classified as high (H), medium (M), or low (L) in the Power or Influence column.
 Each stakeholder’s level of interest is classified as high (H), medium (M), or low (L) in the Interest column.
 The level and type of engagement determined for each stakeholder are recorded in the Engagement column.
Let’s review the power grid:

As the project sponsor, the Director of Product has a high level of influence on the project. They are invested in the project’s success, but not involved on
a day-to-day basis, so their interest is medium. You should communicate with them regularly, but not daily, to ensure they are satisfied with project
progress.

 The Landscape Designer/Web Designer has a high level of both influence and interest, which means you should manage them closely. You
should communicate with them daily to discuss project tasks and to ensure you have their buy-in. If you have them on your side, they can help
you manage relationships with other Office Green employees.
 Existing clients and their employees are the core customer base for Plant Pals, so you need to make sure you’re building something they want
to buy. Their feedback can help you measure project success, but you don’t need to communicate with them frequently. Occasional check-ins
to gauge their satisfaction are appropriate. This is a large group of people with varying priorities and concerns, so their interest and influence
are both marked as a medium. 
 Office Green’s investors will not be directly involved in the project, so their interest in daily operations is low. However, their influence level is
medium, since you need to protect their investment to keep their financial support. Giving them periodic updates on project milestones and
performance would be appropriate.
 The Office Green receptionist’s influence and interest in the project are both relatively low. You don’t need to communicate with them often
until the project nears completion. They are not part of the project team, and you do not need to discuss the details with them until later in
the process. 

Activity Overview
In this activity, you will use a RACI chart to assign roles and responsibilities to project stakeholders. You will analyze a scenario and determine each stakeholder’s
relationship to project tasks and deliverables.

As a reminder, RACI charts help you determine who is:

 Responsible
 Accountable
 Consulted
 Informed

Be sure to complete this activity before moving on. The next course item will provide you with a completed exemplar to compare to your work. You will not be able to
access the exemplar until you have completed this activity.

Scenario

Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.

As the project manager for Plant Pals, you must assemble a team that can develop and execute the marketing and sales strategy to prepare for the launch. You must
also assign roles and responsibilities for each of the project tasks and identify stakeholders impacted by the project. You’ve determined that the following people will
be involved:

 Director of Product: Oversees the product offerings, and serves as a resource for marketing and sales questions. Their knowledge of customer needs is vital
to the project. 
 Marketing Manager: Makes key decisions about the service launch and monitors task completion. They oversee all marketing efforts, including concept
development, and sign off on the service launch plan. 
 Marketing Coordinator: Creates the marketing strategy, including all marketing assets. They work closely with the Copywriter and report to the Marketing
Manager. 
 Copywriter: Produces all Plant Pals ad content, writes product descriptions, and creates a promotional copy. They work with the Marketing Coordinator on all
aspects of the marketing strategy and report to the Marketing Manager.
  Head of Sales: Sets Office Green’s overall sales strategy and tracks the company’s progress towards its sales goals. Their knowledge of customers’ buying
behaviors can help the marketing team develop their campaign. The Head of Sales oversees the Sales Manager.
 Sales Manager: Responsible for customer outreach and relationship management strategies, so that Office Green meets its sales goals. They need to
understand the final marketing strategy and product offerings and convey that information to the Sales team. The Sales Manager reports to the Head of
Sales.

To develop and execute the marketing strategy and sales, your team must complete the following tasks:

1. Create a marketing plan for the new service

2. Write promotional copy 
3. Design marketing assets (e.g., flyers, brochures, and online advertisements)
4. Create a customer outreach and onboarding plan

Step 2: Add tasks to the RACI chart

Add the four tasks from the scenario to your RACI chart template under the Task/Deliverable heading. Replace “Task/Deliverable” with the name of each task.

Step 3: Add team members to the RACI chart

Add your team members to the template. Replace “Role A” with “Director of Product,” and so on.

Step 4: Assign letters in the RACI chart

For each task, assign the letters R, A, C, and I to the team members involved. Consult the descriptions below to determine how your team members relate to the
tasks:

Responsible: Who is responsible for completing this task? Consider these questions when determining who is responsible:

 Which department manages the work?

 Who should perform the work?

Accountable: Who is accountable if the task isn’t completed? Remember that only one person should be accountable for each task or deliverable. When deciding
who is accountable, ask yourself: 

 Who might delegate the task to another team member?

 Who makes final decisions about the task?
 Who should review the work to confirm it is complete?

Consulted: Who should be consulted for their insights, expertise, or strong opinions on the task? Here are a few questions to help identify whether someone should
be consulted:

 Who can give feedback to responsible individuals to help them complete tasks? 
 Who are the subject matter experts (SMEs) for the task?

Informed: Who should be kept informed about task progress or project decisions? Key questions to ask yourself include: 

 Who is invested in task completion but not directly involved in the work? 
 Who is affected by the project outcome?

Note: The number of stakeholders you keep informed about each task can vary depending on your situation. In some cases, you might choose to inform all
stakeholders who aren't responsible, accountable, or consulted. In others, you could leave some cells in your RACI chart blank for certain tasks. Both approaches are
fine for this activity.

Pro Tip: Save the template

Finally, be sure to save a blank copy of the RACI chart template you used to complete this activity. You can use it for further practice or in your own personal or
professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put together a portfolio of project management artifacts. You can use them to work through your thought
processes as you demonstrate your experience to potential employers.

What to Include in Your Response?

Be sure to address the following elements in your completed RACI chart:

 The RACI chart includes all of the project roles from the scenario.
 The RACI chart includes all the deliverables/tasks from the scenario. 
 The appropriate individuals are Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.
 Only one individual is accountable for each task or deliverable.
 At least one individual is responsible for each task. (Note: Some tasks may not need Consulted or Informed individuals.)
Assessment of Exemplar

Compare the exemplar to your completed RACI chart. Review your work using each of the criteria in the exemplar. What did you do well? Where can you
improve? Use your answers to these questions to guide you as you continue to progress through the course. 

Note: Your answers may vary (particularly for Consulted and Informed individuals), depending on how you interpreted each stakeholder’s responsibilities.

In the example for the Plant Pals service, each role has a RACI designation for each task or deliverable. Let’s review each of the tasks:

Create a marketing plan for the new service.

 The Marketing Coordinator reports to the Marketing Manager and is responsible for creating the marketing plan.
 The Marketing Manager is accountable for marketing efforts, including the marketing concept. They have the final say in launching and
advertising the Plant Pals service. 
 The Copywriter writes and edits the promotional copy, therefore they are consulted on the marketing plan.
 The Director of Product and Head of Sales are consulted on marketing campaigns since they understand customer needs and buying
behaviors. 
 The Sales Manager can be kept informed of marketing efforts since they need to convey that information to the Sales Team. 
Write promotional copy.

 The Copywriter is responsible for drafting and editing promotional copy.

 The Marketing Manager is accountable for the Copywriter’s work. 
 The Marketing Coordinator is consulted on the promotional and sales copy as they create the marketing plan. 
 All other members of the team can be kept informed about the status of the promotional copy. 
Design marketing assets.

 The Marketing Manager delegates tasks to the Marketing Coordinator, who is responsible for producing assets.
 The Marketing Manager is accountable for marketing efforts because they make the final decisions.
 The Copywriter is consulted about the marketing assets by the Marketing Coordinator. 
 All other team members can be kept informed about marketing design matters.
Create a customer outreach and onboarding plan

 The Sales Manager is responsible for customer outreach and onboarding plan. 
 The Head of Sales oversees the Sales Manager, so they are accountable for the customer outreach and onboarding plan.
 The Director of Product is consulted on questions about customer needs, while the Marketing Manager is consulted about the marketing plan.
 All other team members can be kept informed about customer outreach.

Assessment of Exemplar

Compare the exemplar to your completed RACI chart. Review your work using each of the criteria in the exemplar. What did you do well? Where can you
improve? Use your answers to these questions to guide you as you continue to progress through the course. 

Note: Your answers may vary (particularly for Consulted and Informed individuals), depending on how you interpreted each stakeholder’s responsibilities.

Let’s review the six tasks in the RACI chart. The exemplar includes RACI assignments for each task and role:

Design a landing page 

 The Web Manager has the final say on many aspects of the project. They are accountable for most tasks, including the initial design of the
page. 
 The Web Designer is responsible for designing the landing page, which they submit to the Web Manager for approval.
 The Graphic Designer is consulted on the landing page design.
 The Web Developer, Quality Assurance Tester, and Content Writer can all be kept informed on the state of the design throughout the process. 
Create landing page mockup

 The Web Designer is responsible for creating the landing page mockup and incorporating it into the Office Green website.
 The Web Manager signs off on the mockup, making them accountable.
 The Graphic Designer, Web Developer, and Content Writer are all consulted on the mockup because they contribute content and design
elements to the landing page. 
 The Quality Assurance tester can be kept informed. 
Design image assets

 The Graphic Designer is responsible for creating the image assets for the landing page. 
  The Web Designer signs off on the image assets, making them accountable. 
 All other stakeholders can be kept informed.
Write content

 The Content Writer is responsible for writing the landing page content.
 The Web Manager signs off on the content, making them accountable.
 All other stakeholders can be kept informed.
Code the landing page

 The Web Developer is responsible for writing the code that powers the landing page. 
 The Web Manager makes sure the Web Developer produces functional code, making them accountable.
 All other stakeholders can be kept informed. 
Test the landing page

 The Quality Assurance tester is responsible for running quality tests for the landing page. 
 The Web Developer should be consulted about coding requirements. 
 The Web Manager signs off on the final product, making them accountable.
 All other stakeholders can be kept informed.
. 

Activity: Use a WBS to create milestones and project tasks - Part 1

Total points 1

1.
Question 1

To pass this practice quiz, you must receive 100%, or 1 out of 1 point, by completing the activity below. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in
the Course Overview.

Activity Overview
In this activity, you will identify a project’s major milestones, break them into smaller tasks, and complete a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) brainstorm diagram.
Then, in Part 2 of this activity, you will build on this scenario to complete a WBS spreadsheet.

Setting tasks and milestones gives you a clear understanding of the amount of work your project will require, so you can keep your project on track. Milestones also
serve as great check-in points to highlight the project’s progress for your team and stakeholders.

Be sure to complete this activity before moving on. The next course item will provide you with a completed exemplar to compare to your work. You will not be able to
access the exemplar until you have completed this activity.

Scenario

Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.

As a project manager for Office Green, your job includes working with the operations team to develop and implement an Operations and Training plan. Your team will
use this plan for ongoing maintenance of the Plant Pals service. It will take six months to fully implement all protocols, including setting up operational tools, putting
delivery processes in place, and training employees. The project will begin before the Plant Pals launch and extend beyond it.

The Operations team is responsible for managing the organization’s day-to-day business so that it continues to run smoothly. Operations provide resources to other
departments, ensure consistency, and maintain the company’s profitability. The Chief Operations Officer (COO) typically leads the Operations team and works closely
with other divisions, such as Sales, Client Services, Human Resources, Information Technology (IT), as well as the project manager. 

Developing the Operations and Training plan marks a new stage of the project, with its own set of goals and deliverables. After assessing the requirements for the
plan you determine three major milestones:

 Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan

 Select and install supply chain management software and equipment
 Develop and launch an employee training program

For each milestone, you divide the work into three separate tasks. Each task has its owner, duration, and details. The tasks associated with your milestones include: 

 Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan: Team members will need to source materials for packaging and hire delivery drivers. They are also
responsible for calculating the delivery fees. 
 Select and install supply chain software and equipment: Team members will supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software.
They must also supervise vendor installation of fulfillment equipment and determine internal safety protocols for the equipment.
 Develop and launch an employee training program: Team members will need to develop training sessions, train employees to use the software and
equipment, monitor progress, and improve training processes.
Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1: Access the template

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to the template: WBS Brainstorm Diagram

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment below.

Activity Template_ WBS Brainstorm Diagram PPTX File

Download file

Step 2: Title your chart

Title your chart “Operations and Training Plan.” Giving your chart a descriptive title helps you focus on the project’s milestones and tasks.

Step 3: Add milestones

Record the three milestones from the scenario in the boxes labeled Milestone 1, Milestone 2, and Milestone 3. 

Step 4: Add tasks

Identify the tasks required to reach each milestone. Record three tasks for each milestone in Task 1, Task 2, and Task 3 boxes. When you finish, you should have
nine tasks in your brainstorm diagram—three for each milestone.

For example, one task that will help you reach the “establish a delivery plan” milestone is “hire delivery drivers."

Note: In a more detailed WBS, you would break these tasks down into additional subtasks. For example, the “hire delivery drivers” task might include subtasks like:
“writing a job ad,” “interviewing drivers,” and “onboarding new hires.” For now, you can record the tasks as they are described in the scenario.

Pro Tip: Save the template

Finally, be sure to save a blank copy of the WBS brainstorm diagram template you used to complete this activity. You can use it for further practice or in your own
personal or professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put together a portfolio of project management artifacts. You can use them to work through
your thought processes as you demonstrate your experience to potential employers.

What to Include in Your Response

Be sure to address the following points in your completed WBS brainstorm diagram:

 A descriptive title
 Three different milestones
 Nine tasks in total (three for each milestone)

Assessment of Exemplar

Compare the exemplar to your completed WBS Brainstorm diagram. Review your work using each of the criteria in the exemplar. What did you do well?
Where can you improve? Use your answers to these questions to guide you as you continue to progress through the course. 

Let’s review the brainstorming diagram:

The exemplar includes the title “Operations and Training Plan.” It also includes three different milestones and three tasks for each milestone (nine tasks in
total):

 Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan: 1) Source packaging materials, 2) Hire delivery drivers, 3) Calculate delivery fees
 Select and install supply chain software and equipment: 1) Supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software, 2)
Supervise vendor installation of fulfillment equipment, 3) Determine internal safety protocols for the equipment
  Develop and launch an employee training program: 1) Develop training sessions, 2) Train employees to use software and equipment, 3)
Monitor employee progress and improve training processes

Activity: Use a WBS to create milestones and project tasks - Part 2

Total points 5

1.
Question 1

To pass this practice quiz, you must receive 80%, or 4 out of 5 points, by completing the activity below. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in
the Course Overview.

Activity Overview
In the last activity, Use a WBS to create project tasks and milestones - Part 1, you filled out a WBS brainstorm diagram with tasks and milestones. In this activity, you
will use that diagram to complete a WBS spreadsheet. You will use this spreadsheet to assign tasks owners and sort milestones and tasks into sequential order.

Be sure to complete this activity before moving on. The next course item will provide you with a completed exemplar to compare to your work. You will not be able to
access the exemplar until you have completed this activity.

Scenario

Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.

As a project manager for Office Green, you are developing an Operations and Training plan for the new Plant Pals service. It will take six months to fully implement all
protocols, including setting up operational tools, putting delivery processes in place, and training employees. You have already added milestones and tasks for this
project to a WBS brainstorm diagram. Here are the milestones and their associated tasks:

 Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan: Team members will need to source materials for packaging and hire delivery drivers. They are also
responsible for calculating the delivery fees. 
 Select and install supply chain software and equipment: Team members will supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software.
They must also supervise vendor installation of fulfillment equipment and determine internal safety protocols for the equipment. 
 Develop and launch an employee training program: Team members will need to develop training sessions, train employees to use the software and
equipment, monitor employee progress, and improve training processes.

Now you will add those tasks and milestones to a WBS spreadsheet. You will also use the sheet to record task owners and any notes about the tasks and their
owners. The project sponsor for the Operations and Training plan, the Director of Operations, has put together a team for the launch of the operation. You can select
task owners from among the following team:

 A Financial Analyst, who tracks and calculates costs and revenue

 A Fulfillment Director, who sources materials, ensures equipment is functional and confirms fulfillment processes are correctly implemented
 An Inventory Manager, who maintains inventory and oversees software installation 
 A Human Resources Specialist, who manages to hire and develops training protocols (with the help of the Training Manager)
 A Training Manager, who reports to the HR Specialist, runs the training program on the established protocols and refines training processes
 A Quality Assurance Tester, who ensures product quality and determines safety protocols and best practices

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1: Access the template

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to the template: WBS Spreadsheet

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment below.

Activity Template_ WBS SpreadsheetXLSX File

Download file
Step 2: Add milestones

First, open your WBS brainstorm diagram. Then record the three milestones from your brainstorm diagram under the Milestone column of your WBS Spreadsheet.

Step 3: Add tasks

Enter the tasks from your brainstorm diagram under the Task column of your spreadsheet. Write each task next to the corresponding milestone and task ID number.
Assigning each task to an ID number helps you organize, analyze, and search for particular tasks as the list grows. Task IDs are especially useful for large or
complex projects.

Task ID numbers tell you two things: 1) which milestone each task relates to and 2) the sequence of the tasks. So, task 1.1 is the ID for the first task of the first
milestone. Task 1.2 is the second task of the first milestone, and so on. 

When you finish, you should have nine tasks in your spreadsheet—three for each milestone.

Step 4: Add task owners and notes

To the right of the Task, the column is columns for Owner and Notes. Here, you can record important details that didn’t fit into your WBS diagram.  

First, review the scenario and determine which of your team members should own each task. Then enter that person’s role next to the task in the Owner column.

Record any helpful details from the scenario in the Notes column. For example, including the description of the task owner’s role would remind you of each person’s
responsibilities.

If you’d like, you can also add your best estimate of how long each task might take in the Duration column (this is optional). 

Step 5 (Optional): Add tasks to Asana

Many organizations use work management tools like Asana in addition to standard spreadsheets. Hiring managers might even ask you about your experience with
work management software in interviews. That’s why we recommend recreating your WBS in Asana.

First, create an Asana account (if you don’t already have one). Then, create a project within Asana. Finally, add milestones for each assignment and add tasks to the
milestones. 

For more detailed instructions on how to create an account, project, or milestone, click the links below:

 Create an account
 Create a project
 Create a milestone (a premium Asana feature)

You can also import task data into Asana using a . CSV file. Click the links below to learn more about the CSV importer.

 CSV importer - Asana

 Tips to organize your data in a spreadsheet for uploading  
 Steps to import a spreadsheet into Asana

Pro Tip: Save the Template

Finally, be sure to save a blank copy of the WBS spreadsheet template you used to complete this activity. You can use it for further practice or in your own personal
or professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put together a portfolio of project management artifacts. You can use them to talk through your thought
processes as you demonstrate your experience to potential employers.

What to Include in Your Response

Be sure to address the following points in your completed WBS spreadsheet: 

 The three milestones from your WBS diagram

 The nine tasks from your WBS diagram
 An owner for each task
 Notes about the owner of each task, and any additional information you’d like to include

Assessment of Exemplar
Compare the exemplar to your completed WBS spreadsheet. Review your work using each of the criteria in the exemplar. What did you do well? Where can
you improve? Use your answers to these questions to guide you as you continue to progress through the course.

Let’s review the WBS spreadsheet:

There are three milestones from the brainstorming diagram in the Milestones column and three tasks for each milestone (nine tasks in total). The project
tasks correspond to the correct milestone ID number. The tasks are the same ones listed in the brainstorming diagram.

Each task has an appropriate owner, with corresponding notes for why the owner was assigned to the task:

Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan

1. Source materials for packaging: The Fulfillment Director sources materials. 

2. Hire delivery drivers: The Human Resources Specialist oversees hiring.
3. Calculate delivery fees: The Financial Analyst tracks costs and revenue.
Select and install supply chain software and equipment

1. Supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software: The Inventory Manager ensures software is installed and set up
properly.
2. Supervise vendor installation of fulfillment equipment: The Fulfillment Director ensures equipment is functional with the help of the Quality
Assurance Tester.
3. Determine internal safety protocols for the equipment: The Quality Assurance Tester determines safety protocols and best practices. 
Develop and launch an employee training program

1. Develop training sessions: The Human Resources Specialist develops the training sessions with the help of the Training Manager.
2. Train employees to use the software and equipment: The Training Manager runs the training program on the established protocols. 
3. Monitor employee progress and improve training processes: The Training Manager refines the training process.