ASSESSMENT 8: PROJECT APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

CASE STUDY (100)

Plan a 21st Birthday Party

Background

You have recently started up an events management company after completion of the project management course at MANCOSA. After a month of rigorous marketing, a request was received to organize a 21st birthday party for a male customer. You have been tasked to carry out all planning and provisions from the venue to the catering, entertainment, deco as well as arranging an appropriate MC for the occasion which is to be held on 9 November 2020 and should accommodate 150 guests. All arrangements should be finalized within 3 weeks and at least a week before the event date.

GENERAL PROJECT TASK

The following needs to be done:

Arrange venue, deco, and catering

Procure entertainment and MC- consult with the client as to preferences

Finalize guest list

Design and send out invitations

Design Party Programme

Ensure safe parking

QUESTION 1 (marks 25)

Identify project tasks by defining the project's key objective and scope. Identify project tasks using the WBS. MS Project WBS and task sheet to be presented and discussed in the essay.

QUESTION 2 (marks 25)

Develop a realistic schedule for MS Project. Discuss the project dependencies and list the tasks on the critical path. Discuss the critical path tasks, and methods used to shorten the critical path. List and discuss the milestones captured on MS Project. Be very specific about each milestone, including the project finish milestone. Project schedule and Milestone scheduled to be presented and discussed in the essay.

QUESTION 3 (marks 25)

Allocate resources and compile a budget on MS Project. List all resources that will be needed, including your staff. Discuss assumed resources, including client information needed. Especially note external resources and requirements, e.g. does the venue need an Internet Connection. Present the specific tasks on WBS, and give cost estimates, with sub-totals at each level and total estimated cost. Briefly discuss the estimates, where the costs mainly go, and efforts made to save costs.

QUESTION 4 (marks 25)

Assess and develop a plan to manage project risks that may derail the project. Summarize the 10 most important project risks, and how they will be dealt with if they occur. A risk response should be developed to illustrated identified and planned risk management.