Thursday 27 August 2015

MBA - SEMESTER - 3 - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - SUMMER - 2015

PROGRAM  - MBA
SUBJECT CODE & NAME  PM 0010 – INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT


1.  What are phases of project lifecycle? List the advantages of project management.

FIVE phases of project lifecycle

Initiation:  This is the first phase of project lifecycle. In this stage,  a project charter,  which  is  also  called  the  project  statement,  is  defined.  This statement provides the project idea, outlines the project objectives, identifies the project manager and  stakeholders, and defines the role and authority of the project manager.  The project charter will be discussed later in this unit in detail.

                                                                                     
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2. Write short notes on:
(I)  Project development
(II)  Project organisation
(III)  Factors affecting collection of market-related information
(IV)  Term loans as a means of financing projects

(I)  Project development

In this phase of project management lifecycle, the progress of the project is monitored  and  controlled.  This  phase  also  provides  a  measure  to  ensure that the project deliverables meet  the expectations of customers or clients. This  phase  is  considered  complete  after  the  testing  and  approval  of  the project. The main purpose of this phase is to verify whether the project is adhering to the plan and if there are any deviations, to determine the extent of deviation.

                                                                                     
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(II)  Project organisation

Project organisation is one of the most crucial parts of project planning. It is a  structure  that  is  designed  for  the  successful  execution  of  a  project.  It provides a complete framework for a project and ensures that the project is arranged in  a manageable structure. In project organisation, the complexity of a project is structured and the sequence of project activities is defined. The first step of                                                    
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(III)  Factors affecting collection of market-related information


An  organisation  can  identify  the  current  market  trends  and  tastes  and preferences  of  customers  by  collecting  market-related  information.  There are  various factors  that  affect  the  collection of market-related  information, which are as follows:

Cultural  diversity:  The  most  crucial  factor  is  cultural  sensitivity  and diversity. The tastes and preferences of customers vary according to their cultures. A classic example of what a western retail      


                                                                            
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(IV)  Term loans as a means of financing projects

These  are  secured  long  term  loans  provided  by  financial institutions and commercial banks to organisations or individuals to  start a new  project  or  expand  and  redesign  existing  projects.  Two  types  of  term loans  are  provided  in  India,  ‘rupee  term  loan’  and  ‘foreign  currency  term loan’.                                                   
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3.  Explain the concept of Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SBCA)? List the application of SBCA and describe the challenges in SBCA.



Importance of SBCA

The main objective of an organisation is to earn maximum returns from a  project.  However,  some  projects  are  not  attractive  in  terms  of  monetary gains; rather, they are initiated for a social cause. For example, road and dam construction projects may not generate high returns, but have a  social impact.  In  CBA,  the  total  cost  and  expected  returns  of  a  project  are estimated in monetary terms. The CBA approach involves the estimation of cost incurred on raw materials,  labour, rents and acquiring                                                  
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4.  Discuss the financing of a power project.

Financing a Power Project

Power projects are critical for the economic growth and development of any country.  Power  projects  include  hydro-power  projects,  thermal  power projects, nuclear power projects, etc.

As  any  other  infrastructure  project,  power  projects  also  have  state government,  EPC  contractor,  project  sponsors,  suppliers  and  O&M contractors as key parties. In a power project, PPA is signed by the SPV and the SEB,  whereby  the produced power is purchased by the SEB. The financial  condition  and  performance  level  of  SEBs  are  not  satisfactory  in India.  Subsidised  rate  of  electricity  causes                                                    
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5.   Explain the types of procurement contracts.


The  types  of  procurement  contracts are as follows:
·         Fixed-Price  contracts
·         Cost Reimbursable Contracts
·         Unit Price Contracts
Fixed-Price  contracts:  The  fixed  price  contract,  which  is  also  called  the lump-sum contract, is an agreement to provide  a well-defined product to the buyer at a fixed total price. This type of contract may involve incentives from the buyers to the sellers for exceeding project  objectives by the seller, such
as delivering end-products to the buyer before the deadline.  For example, a contract between a buyer                                                                                     
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6.  What is the purpose of project evaluation? Which the four dimensions of the project explain the purpose of project evaluation?

Purpose of project evaluation – measuring project success

The purpose of project evaluation is to measure the “success” of a project. Accordingly, projects are evaluated on the basis of the indicators of success or failure such as profitability,  competency, efficiency and future prospect. The success of a project has been defined by different researchers through some models. One of such models was proposed by Shenhar et al. in 1997.

                                                                                     
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 PROGRAM MBA
SUBJECT CODE & NAME PM0011 – PROJECT PLANNING AND SCHEDULING

1. Write short notes on:
· Hierarchy of organisational objectives
· Porter model a tool for identifying investment opportunities
· Design phase of project management life cycle
· Scope change

Ans- Hierarchy of organisational objectives

In an organisation, objectives follow a logical framework that is characterised by a hierarchy under different levels. The hierarchy of objectives is shown in below figure:

As shown in above figure, objectives are divided into overall objectives, divisional and departmental objectives, and individual and performance based objectives. The top management is interested in the                                                                                    
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Porter model

This model was introduced by Michael Porter and is one of the most popular tools used by organisations to identify investment opportunities. In this model, Porter advocated that the attractiveness and profit potential of an industry is determined by five forces. These five forces are depicted in below                                                  
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Design phase:

Refers to the third phase of the project management life cycle. Design phase is mainly concerned with rendering a detailed description of the operations and functions of a project. It should be noted that the inputs that are identified and approved by the MRD serves as an input for the design phase. In the design                                                                                       
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Q2. Budget Estimation of ABC Company Ltd.

ABC Company Ltd., established in 1985, is engaged in the manufacturing of leather accessories. Over the years, the company, which started out as a local firm,has made its mark as an international corporation. However, the company is still working as a traditional set up.

The high quality and durability of products have increased the demand of the products in the market. As the production of the organisation is being increased to meet the demand, the traditional set up is creating hurdles in the production process. Organisation conflicts have arisen among the team members because of the unorganised hierarchical structure of the company, which is affecting the output of the organisation.                                                   
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3. What is the importance of operational feasibility? Explain the factors that affect operational feasibility.

Ans- The importance of operational feasibility is highlighted in the following points.

Helps in assessing the capability of the project in fulfilling the desired organisational goal
Helps in analysing and tackling any resistance from management, team, and individuals
Helps in evaluating the probable impact of the project on the environment
Assists in proper implementation of the project
Helps in periodical review of the implemented project
Assists in analysing the impact of the project on the end-users
                                                                                     
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4. Write short notes on:
· Crashing
· Precedence diagramming method
· Resource allocation
· Scope creep

Ans- Crashing

In order to reduce the duration of a project, organisations often assign additional resources to the project task. This technique of assigning additional resources to reduce the project duration is termed as crashing.
According to BusinessDictionary.com, schedule crashing is "Reducing the completion time of a project by sharply increasing manpower and/or other expenses."

According to schedule crashing, factors such as number of labourers, number of hours required to complete a task, and the number of calendar time required to accomplish a task, are connected with each other by a mathematical formula. For instance, if a person require 5 days to complete a40-hour task(40                                                         
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5. What do you understand by cost of quality? Elaborate on various types of costs of quality associated with a project.

Ans- Cost of Quality (COQ)

Cost of quality indicates the sum of conformance cost and non-conformance cost. Conformance means delivering products that meet the quality requirement of the customer; whereas, non-conformance indicate the products that are rejected for not complying with the quality norms of the customer.

There is a general perception among people that the cost of a product is directly proportional to its quality, that is, higher the quality of a product, dearer will be its cost. This perception is because of the general thinking that greater quality demands buying of more expensive material or machinery or hiring                                                 
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6. Explain some of ISO standards that should be considered by the project manager during project execution. List the advantages of project management software.

Ans- There are various ISO standards that should be considered by a project manager during the  xecution of a project. Some such ISO standards are mentioned below:

ISO 9000 (Quality Management): The ISO 9000 certification was introduced by International Organisation for Standards which aim to bring in consistency in the quality standards of different countries. The ISO 9000 Standards focus on management and leadership, especially with regards to
quality management and processes. This ISO 9000 series helps organisation to meet and exceed the
                                                                                     
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 PROGRAM MBA
SUBJECT CODE & NAME PM 0012 – PROJECT FINANCE AND BUDGETING

1. Write short notes on:
· Project cost estimation
· Role of project sponsors
· Trade credit
· Importance of project budget

Ans- Estimation of Project Costs

The cost of the project is the money required to complete the project. Cost estimation is very important for the planning and execution of any project so that appropriate finances can be allocated at the right time. However, at times, the overall cost may go beyond the budgeted cost due to project delays. If the demand for money cannot be met at that time, then the project might have to be shelved. Therefore, it is important to use judgement and experience along with application of scientific principles and techniques
to estimate the cost of a project.

                                                                                     
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2. Answer the following questions:
1. What is a Letter of Intent (LOI)? What is its purpose?
2. What are the basic features of EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracts? Give any 4 advantages of entering into a EPC contract?

Ans-1.Letter of Intent

A Letter Of Intent (LOI) may be defined as an agreement between two or more parties to do business together before signing the contract. It signifies an intention to do the business at later date. It is the first step in negotiation of a commercial transaction to agree upon the business terms of the transaction. The intent of one party towards another with regard to an agreement is outlined through an LOI and only the                                                 
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2. The basic features of EPC contracts are as follows:

A single point of responsibility: In an EPC contract, the contractor is responsible for all designing, engineering, procuring, constructing and testing activities. Therefore, in case of any problem, the project company will look for only the contractor to fix the problem and give compensation if required.

A fixed completion date: The time period is fixed for completion of the  facility after the commencement of the EPC contract. If this date is not met, the contractor is liable to pay delay liquidated damages                                                                                   
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3..Explain the different key project documents.

Ans-Key Project Documents

According to John Rakos "The success of any project is crucially dependent on the documents produced for it."
It is very essential for any project manager to keep proper documentation for the project for effective management. These documents help to know the various aspects of the project whenever needed during the life of the project. These documents are as follows:

Business case: It is a kind of agreement or contract or a decision analysis report which signifies that the project has been approved for commencement. It is managed between two parties for offering of services.
In the business case, the resources involved in the project along with its cost and schedule are mentioned.

Owner protected against changing prices for materials, labour etc.



4.. Write short notes on:
· Developments in financing of construction projects in India.
· Importance of cost of capital in project selection.
· Principles employed by organisations to manage working capital.

Ans- Developments in financing of construction projects in India

Indian construction is in a nascent stage as compared to other developed countries, such as US or UK. India lacks in basic constructions, such as highways, airports and seaports. The Indian government is striving to address the problem by encouraging the private sector to invest in construction projects.

Let us discuss the developments in financing of construction projects in India in detail:

Improvement in participation of capital market: This indicates increasing participation of equity investors in construction projects. In Indian capital market, there has been a tremendous growth in equity capital investment. Project sponsors with high reputation get adequate equity supply from the capital                                                    
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5. .What are the problems associated with BOOT projects.

Ans-Problems in BOOT Projects

Although BOOT model is beneficial for certain projects, there are many risks and problems associated with it and may act as a constraint in the implementation of these projects. The main problems associated with BOOT projects are as follows:

There are problems with BOOT projects in reaching the construction stage. There may be many reasons for this. One of those reasons may be unavailability of experienced developers. If the developer is not
experienced enough, then the project may face many problems in its completion. The other reason may be
                                                                            
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6..Explain the different types of management contracts (a type of PPP )


Ans- The different types of management contracts are discussed as follows:

Supply or service contract: It is a type of management contract, which involves supply of raw materials, equipment, labour, etc. by a private concessionaire to a public entity. The appointment of private agencies by the concerned authorities for maintaining cleanliness in the railway station is an example of such type of contract. In a supply or service contract, the private concessionaire has the freedom to enter into supply and/or service contracts with other entities for supplying the desired equipment, labour, power and energy                                                       
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 PROGRAM  - MBA
SUBJECT CODE & NAME  PM 0013 – MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES IN PROJECTS

1   Write short notes on:
i)  Financial resources
ii)  Need for human resources management
iii)  Project team members
iv)  Challenges in developing a project team

i)  Financial resources

Finance  is  the  lifeblood  of  any  project.  Financial  resources  refer  to  the money  or fund that a business or project requires in the forms of cash, loan etc.

Following are  some the elements of a project for which financial resources are required:
·         Land and site development
·         Buildings and civil works
·         Plant and machinery
·         Technical know–how and engineering fees
·         Expenses on technicians
·         Expenses on training of employees
·         Preliminary and capital issue expenses
                                                                                 
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ii)  Need for human resources management

Human  resources  in  all  organisations  are  increasingly  gaining  importance because  they  ensure  execution  of  strategies  in  projects  to  achieve organisational goals. Therefore, human resource is one of most vital factors for a project to succeed.  Following points emphasise the need  for  human                                                 
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iii)  Project team members

A  project  requires multiple activities to be performed. It  cannot be  handled by  one  person.  Therefore,  besides  the  project  sponsor  and  the  project manager, a team is required to complete a project.  The term team indicates a  group  of  two  or  more  people  who  perform  together  so  that                                                          
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iv)  Challenges in developing a project team

Type of  organisation:  The  biggest challenge in developing a project team depends largely on the type of organisation. For example, motivating and developing a  team/member  in a functional  organisation  is  very  difficult  as resources are borrowed and it takes time for them to adjust  in the project team.                                                     
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2.  What are the stages in a conflict process?

Below are the stages in a conflict :

Potential  opposition  or  incompatibility  stage:  It  is  the  first  stage  that creates opportunities and scope for conflict. In this stage, some conditions such as difference of opinions that may give rise to a conflict are created.

Cognition and personalisation stage:  It  is the stage where the conditions of  potential  opposition  or  incompatibility  stage  negatively  affect  a  person and leads to a conflict. This stage deals with two                                                   
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3. Write short notes on
i)  Role of a project manager
ii)  Productivity measurement method
iii)  Importance of leadership in project management
iv)  Goal setting theory

i)  Role of a project manager

Some of the key responsibilities performed by project manager include:
·         Setting a meaningful project objective
·         Aligning the project objective with organisation objective
·         Contributing innovative ideas for the success of project
·         Resolving the project issues
·         Monitoring the project performance
·         Managing the budget of the project
                                                                                 
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ii)  Productivity measurement method

This  method  calculates  the productivity or work rate of different employees  for estimating the future needs of the workforce for a particular task. Normally, sales rate is used as a  forecaster in  estimating the  manpower  need.  A  historical trend of the  sales  record  is  measured  in  relation  to  number  of  employees involved in the business. The  ratio of employees to the sales provides  a labour  productivity                                                          
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iii)  Importance of leadership in project management

A  project  comprises  of  various  tasks  and  activities  that  need  to  be performed by different people using different resources at different times in the project lifecycle. For successful execution of these tasks, it is important to  have  a  leader  who  is  able  to  strategies,  plan  and  lead  the  collective efforts  of  the  team  members  for  achieving  the  project  goals.  A  leader  is committed  towards  the                                                    
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iv)  Goal setting theory

Edwin Locke, an American psychologist and a pioneer in goal-setting theory explains  that  specific  and  difficult  goals  lead  to  higher  performance  than easy goals.  It also suggests that feedback and commitment lead to higher performance  and  bridges  the  gap  between  the  actual  and  expected performance  of  individuals.  It  also  suggests  that  for  self-improvement,  an individual should have                                                        
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4.  Explain the modern methods of performance management?

Modern  methods  are  amongst  the  most  widely  used  performance measurement  techniques.  These  include  the  methods  as  shown  below:

a)      Human Resource Accounting
b)      Assessment centers
c)       Behavioural anchored rating scales
d)      Management by Objectives
e)      360 degree appraisal
f)       Balanced Scorecard (BSC)

Human  resource  accounting:  This  method  aims  to  assess  the effectiveness of Human Resource Management (HRM) activities and tries to value manpower as assets and not as expenses. In terms of                                                                                         
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5.   Explain various types of collective bargaining.

Below are the types of collective bargaining:

Distributive  bargaining:  It  is a type of bargaining where  both  the  parties stress on supporting their own benefits. Distributive bargaining involves less flexibility and understanding  between  the  parties  because  it  prioritises  the interest  of one party  over other and leaves no scope for win-win situation. For example, the employee union of an organisation wants the organisation to  raise  their  salary. On                                                         
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6.  What is a Human Resource Information System(HRIS).

Human resource Information System (HRIS)

An  organisation  may  run  multiple  projects  simultaneously.  For  effective management of human resources and ensure smooth flow of information, it is important for the organisation to  manage employee  information and data at one place. A sound Human Resource Information System (HRIS) helps in consolidating such information.  A  HRIS  is a technology-based system that helps  an                                                            
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