Subject 1: Initiating The Project, Subject 2: Strategic Decision Making

Section-1 250 words / Subject: Initiating the Project

Also, provide a graduate-level response to each of the following questions:

1. Suppose you are purchasing a      new car, and you decide to use a scoring model to decide among four      options.  What would be your top three criteria and what would be      each criteria’s relative weight?
2. In your opinion, what are the      three most important items in your project charter?  How did each      help you plan your project better?
3. Upon seeing the rough draft      of your charter, your project sponsor asks you to move the finish date up      by two months.  What do you do?

Section-2, 350 words/  Subject: Initiating the Project

Core Objectives

1. Explain in your own words the      strategic planning and portfolio management processes.
2. Describe how to select,      prioritize, and resource projects as an outgrowth of strategic planning.
3. From a contractor’s      viewpoint, describe how to secure projects.

Technical Objectives

1. Compare the strengths and      weaknesses of using financial and scoring models to select projects.
2. Given organizational      priorities and several projects, demonstrate how to select and prioritize      projects using a scoring model.

Behavioral Objectives

1. Explain the strengths an      organization might possess that could improve its ability to perform      projects.

Chapter 3: Chartering Projects.

This chapter covers project charters: What they are, why they are necessary, and how to construct them.  After completing this chapter, each student should be able to perform the following:

Core Objectives:

1. Describe what a project      charter is and why it is critical to project success.
2. List the various elements of      a charter and why each is used.
3. Create each section of a      charter for a small sample project using given project information.

Technical Objectives:

1. Initialize a project in      Microsoft Project and set up a milestone schedule.

Behavioral Objectives:

1. Work with a team to create a      complete charter for a real project and present it to a sponsor for      ratification.
2. Negotiate with a sponsor to      develop a realistic and achievable project charter.

Section :3 , 400 words /  Subject: Initiating the Project

Problem Set #2 

Business Case/Elevator Pitch Exercise

Using exactly one hundred (100) words you will provide an elevator pitch/business case for one of the Projects you selected to review for Week 1. This pitch/case should cover the important elements of the project: who, what, where, when, and why? Additional instructions are in the template.

Exercise will be completed using the attached template.

Section 4: 500 words /Subject :  Strategic Decision Making 

Reflection and Discussion Week 2

After reviewing the reading assignments and contemplating on the content of the discussion forum for Week 1, the student will type a 2 full page paper as a reflection regarding how his or her learning applies to his or her current job and/or future job.  In this paper, the student will answer the questions, “What was the most valuable thing(s) learned and why?” “How will I apply this learning to my current job and/or future job”? “How does this learning apply to my current and/or future job”? and “What was worthy of my time and understanding”?

While this is an individual assignment and a reflection, please be aware that all information retrieved from researched sources, to include the textbook, must be properly referenced (in-text citations and reference page).