MPA - Programme Planning and Project Management

You have been appointed as a project manager at SITA (State Information Technology Agency). SITA is a state-owned entity that is committed to leveraging Information Technology (IT) as a strategic resource for government, managing the IT procurement and delivery process to ensure that the South African government receives value for money, increased productivity qualitative solutions, services and products and uses best practice IT approaches in its modernisation and the delivery of services to all citizens. You manage a variety of IT (Information Technology) projects as part of the programme under your control. The important project to rollout the vaccines related to the COVID-19 pandemic has become a project of great importance. Your job is to manage the IT portion of the project which entails that a proper record of the immunization of each inhabitant of South Africa is kept. The state president is expecting regular, accurate reports from your department. You will have to engage with suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that a robust IT system is designed to facilitate record keeping. There is no room for error and the system needs to be accurate and provide live data.

Question 1 (20 Marks) To ensure the optimal utilisation of scarce departmental resources, projects should be aligned with programmes, existing organisational structures and arrangements. It is, therefore, necessary to establish and improve the interface between the programme, individual projects and organisational arrangements. This interface generally falls into one of three categories. Appraise these three categories in the context of your project.

This interface generally falls into one of three categories:

1. Organisational Interface
2. Technical Interface
3. Interpersonal Interface

Question 2 (20 Marks) All projects are carried out under certain constraints. The three factors (commonly called 'the triple constraint') are represented as a triangle. Each constraint forms the vertices, with quality as the central theme. Evaluate how these constraints will be managed in your project. Ensure appropriate diagram/s are presented to enhance your discussion.

1. Cost:
2. Time (Schedule):
3. Scope:

Question 3 (20 Marks) The aim of a Communication Strategy is to ensure on-going commitment and support by all key stakeholders for all aspects of the project. Design a communication plan for your project so that all stakeholders can be catered for through prudent continuous communication. Provide a detailed discussion of the presented plan.

1. Stakeholder
2. Nature of information
3. Medium
4. Frequency
5. Responsible person

Question 4 (20 Marks) Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. Refer to the project scope management process and examine how the scope of your project will be managed.

1. Initiation - Committing the organisation to begin the next phase of the project.
2. Scope Planning - Developing a written scope statement as the basis for future project decisions.
3. Scope Definition - Subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components.
4. Scope Verification - Formalising acceptance of the project scope
5. Scope Change Control - Controlling changes to the project scope.

Question 5 (20 Marks) People, not systems or contracts, ultimately manage projects. Therefore, it is important to have Project Managers who have not just multiple functional skills but sensitivity and perceptiveness towards the softer, more judgmental issues that are often crucial for project success. Evaluate how human resource management will be administered in your project by referring to the processes required to utilise personnel, and the theory related to team development.

1. Organisational planning - Identifying, documenting and assigning project roles, responsibilities and reporting relationships.
2. Staff acquisition - Human resources assigned to and working on the project.
3. Team development - Developing individual and group skills to enhance project performance. (It is common to view the development of a group as having four stages)