Reflect - Answer the following questions about planning projects.

1. What takes place during pre-planning?

2. Why are project charters important?

3. With whom should project managers be in regular communication regarding the project?

4. What is one way to prepare for building a project budget?

5. How does the critical path differ from the main project plan?

Analyze - Analyze the following information, using the following project scenario:

Talar works for Optimus XT and has been asked by the Activities Committee to organize the annual clothing drive to coincide with the state's Homelessness Awareness Day, which is coming up on May 31, just six weeks away. She is allowed to have three other employees help her on the final day of the drive, when the clothes need to be organized and delivered to local shelters. The Activities Committee encourages Talar to hand-out buttons or stickers to participants as a way to help promote the event. This is Talar's first time being involved in the event.

1. During pre-planning, the Activities Committee establishes the following project goal: "Optimus XT will promote and organize a clothing drive no later than May 31." Is this a SMART goal? Why or why not?

2. The first draft of the project charter is as follows:

a. Does this charter contain enough information for Talar to get started? Why or why not?

b. What other dates would be useful to add to this project charter?

3. The Activities Committee asks Talar how much money she thinks she will need to complete the project successfully. Talar drafts the following budget:

a. Looking at this budget, what are some possible risks that Talar should take into account? In other words, which of these budget items may be the most difficult for Talar to control?

b. What kinds of information from previous budgets would be helpful for Talar to have on hand when she presents her budget to the Activities Committee?

Synthesize - Now it's your turn to create a project plan and accompanying budget.

Imagine you are a manager for a seafood distributer on the West Coast. Lately, in part due to overfishing, you have found that the price of rockfish has risen dramatically. In fact, you are paying twice the amount per pound for rockfish than you did last year. You have been with your rockfish supplier for a couple years, and you like their product. However, your company just can't afford to keep buying fish at double the price. The CEO of the company puts you in charge of finding a new rockfish supplier. You are in charge of drafting the project name, constructing the budget, deadlines, and doing the analytical work required to calculate the best price. You have a week to get the project details to the CEO.

1. Now that you are in charge of finding a new supplier for rockfish, what is your first step? Why should this be your first step?

2. Using the format in the previous section, create a project charter. Don't forget to list how many other team members you will need for this project.

3. Your boss has seen your preliminary project charter and approved it. However, she still wants a completed project plan with an accompanying budget by the end of the week. After thinking about it, you tell your boss that you will need to travel a bit in the region in order to get the best deal from the supplier. Your CEO agrees that travel would be necessary. Next, create a sample budget for the trip, which, as you now realize, is the biggest part of the project since you could potentially secure a cheaper source of Rockfish while traveling.

4. Consider what else would go into your project plan, including a critical path, key milestones, completion criteria, and documents.

a. List the tasks you would include in the critical path. What kinds of tasks would you not include in the critical path? Why?

b. What would you identify as key milestones? How should you communicate when those milestones have been met?

c. What would be appropriate completion criteria for your project?

d. What kinds of documents should be incorporated into your project plan?

Just 1 or 2 words or sentences for each answer.