Case Study Utility Company Program Description Project Masters provided an eighteen-month Independent Verification and Validation for a utility company to help ensure the success of a comprehensive replacement of the existing IT systems with new generation systems. Based on conversations between the utility companys management and Project Masters, there is a need to do a quarterly project management assessment on the CIS initiative under way at the utility company. The scope of the initiative is a complete replacement of the utility companys IT systems. The twenty-seven-member IT staff is responsible for the deinstallation, installation, training, networking, troubleshooting, and ongoing production support during this transitional phase. The production-critical requirements of the utility company dictate that the management of this project be thorough, focused and accountable for deviations from scheduling and budgetary goals. An additional certified project management resource has been identified as a necessary component for the successful implementation of the IT transition project. This resource will work with the program manager to manage the project scope, monitor progress, provide a reporting system to the project stakeholders, and help to ensure the success of the project. Project Masters provided six quarterly project management assessments, beginning the week of December 12, 2005. The first step included project documentation review and program assessment including change control, risk management, the communication plan, and an examination of earned value management practices if applicable. The second step included a customer satisfaction review and check of the quality levels. There was also a review and debrief with the review sponsor and any other parties the utility company deemed appropriate. The first quarterly debrief was formalised in a written audit report provided by the project management auditor on December 30, 2005. When requested by the utility companys management, Project Masters orally presented the quarterly written audit report, addressed issues and answered questions. Challenges Encountered Project Masters addressed the following management challenges: The former IT System was saddled with cost overruns, schedule delays and poor vendor support and accountability; No formal project close out from the last IT project; No formal reporting methodology in reporting on the IT projects; Differing inputs, opinions, needs from the various levels of the organisation as well as from the various locations; Communication breakdowns in sharing critical information; A shortage of formal project management experience and competencies.Solution(s) Provided: Project Masters met with key utility company personnel from all levels to monitor and evaluate the Project Management procedures. Fifteen areas of project performance were assessed: Roles and Responsibilities, Project Governance, Team Composition, Approach, Assumptions and Constraints, Performance Measures, Acceptance, Change Management, Contracts Management, Review of Lessons Learned, Issues Management, Risk Management, Quality Assurance, Scheduling and Task Plans, and Communications. Comment on the following aspects of the case study: A. Consider the problems that Project Masters identified. State what the problem was and indicate what could have caused this problem that the utility company was facing? (4 marks) B. The twenty-seven-member IT staff is responsible for the de-installation, installation, training, networking, troubleshooting, and ongoing production support during this transitional phase. State what phase of the Project Management Process this statement refers to, and briefly explain how Quality Management is being displayed here and throughout the case. (5 marks) C. Explain three things the project manager would look at (before starting the project) to determine the scope of this project. (5 marks) D. i. State what aspects of the case indicate that the users of the system would be involved in the process. (1 mark) ii. Explain the importance of having the user as part of the team to develop and implement a system such as the one proposed in the case. (5 marks)