Since metrics keep stakeholders in tune to the health of a project, metrics must be a clear and truthful representation of project status. Consider this scenario.
You are the project manager of a company that does home remodeling and you have just been given a major remodeling project which will update the electrical and heat and air systems, kitchen, and the single bathroom of a house built in 1930. Your project also adds another bedroom with a master suite. The client has authorized a budget of $95,000 and wants the house ready for Thanksgiving, which is six months away.
Your general contractor (GC) has called you in to discuss the project and asks you to put together a set of metrics that will communicate the project status to her, to the homeowners, the building trade groups, and any other stakeholders. Your GC has asked to meet again in three days with your recommendation which you must be able to defend.
Prepare your metrics of project health and be ready to defend the following:
- how many metrics you will use and why that is the “right” number,
- what the metrics are that you have chosen and why,
- explain that you will use both quantitative and qualitative metrics what they are and why,
- explain how and when you’ll get the data,
- what metrics will allow you to find mistakes early enough in the project for correction, and,
- explain which metrics will improve client satisfaction.
Remember that metrics must have a purpose, have a baseline and target, a way to measure, a way to appropriately interpret them and a reporting structure. Be ready to defend your choices relative to those things too. You will present your ideas in a formal paper for the purposes of this class.
Paper Requirements:
- Be sure to properly organize your writing and include an introductory paragraph, headings/subheadings for the body of your work, discussion recommendations, and a conclusion.
- Format your entire paper in accordance with the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA (Links to an external site.).
- Your paper should be at least five pages. The page count does not include the required title page and reference page, nor does the page count include any supplemental pages, should you use them, such as appendices.
Prepare your work using at least one of this week’s required readings and one outside reference (a peer-reviewed scholarly article published in the past five years). The CSU-Global Library (Links to an external site.) is a good place to find these resources. The Library offers this Project Management Resource Guide (Links to an external site.) to assist you with research and writing.
