IT4990 Information Technology Capstone Project
Unit 2 Assignment
Project Plan and Deliverables
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:
Competency 3: Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
Competency 5: Function effectively as a member and leader of a team.
Instructions
Now that you’ve had the opportunity to meet with your client and develop your charter, you’re ready to work with your team members to develop a project plan which clearly specifies the deliverables that will meet both the needs of your client and the needs of the course. Your plan will include project objectives, a SWOT analysis, project scope, a work breakdown structure that specifies responsibilities for each task, a project schedule, and a communication plan.
Use the Project Plan Template included in the Resources. Work with your team – through the group discussion board or online meetings – and the Project Plan Template to complete the following tasks to develop a project plan which will guide your work for the remainder of the project and course:
Identify project objective(s), course milestones, and client deliverables. Based on your initial meeting with your client, prepare a brief description of the project objective, course milestones and client deliverables. In addition, describe what the project will accomplish for the client or what benefit it will provide.
Complete a brief SWOT analysis based on the client meeting notes and research you conduct on your client. Your focus should be on gaining a better understanding of what will help make your project a success.
Define a clear, well-bounded project scope. Develop a very focused description of your project’s scope, following the guidelines in the Course Project Template. Your project should be very well-bounded and should reflect the expectations of what your client hopes to achieve with the project as well as what is and what is not to be included in the project. For example, if your project involves recommending a new software package to solve a problem for the client, you might include what problem the client hopes to solve with the software package, that it is in scope for the team to analyze different software and produce a recommendation that meets client needs, but it is not in scope to install the software or train client personnel.
Describe the work breakdown structure based on the project objectives, course milestones and client deliverables. Include all of the tasks that will be necessary to achieve the project objectives. Identify which team members will complete which tasks. Make sure you include as deliverables those expected by the client as well as the course milestones and tasks as listed below:
Week 1: Team Charter.
Week 2: Project Plan.
Weeks 3 & 4: Conduct Research and Investigate Options.
Week 5: Preliminary Solution/Recommendation with Justification.
Week 6: Potential legal, ethical, policy, social and global implications of proposed solution/recommendation..
Week 9: Presentation of Project Results to Client.
Week 10: Final Project Report.
Complete the communication plan as described in the Project Plan Template.
Create a time schedule that clearly shows who will complete each task in the work breakdown structure and when it will be completed. Your time schedule may require days as units, given the relatively short duration of the project. It should also account for adequate time for team members to provide input and feedback on work completed.
Create a project quality plan, that indicates how the team will ensure quality output in the form of deliverables, solutions, and recommendations.
Write an executive summary (described on first page of the Project Plan Template).
Please keep in mind that this project plan is a “living” document that should help guide your team’s work throughout the rest of the course. By clearly specifying due dates and responsibilities, you will help your team operate more efficiently.
Refer to the scoring guide to ensure that your work meets the grading criteria for this assignment.
Submission Requirements
Citations and references: All resources should use current APA style and formatting.
Length: Fill out the Project Plan Template clearly and completely. Include a title page and references page.
Written communication: Write in a professional tone, with no spelling or grammatical errors.
Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point.
When your project plan is complete, submit it in the courseroom. This is not a deliverable that needs to be shared with the client unless the client requests it; although sharing the project plan may help the client understand how you will be approaching the project and give them confidence in the final results.
