Question $1$: Project Resources Management

Project resource management involves identifying, acquiring, and managing the resources required for a project to achieve its objectives efficiently. These resources include human resources, equipment, materials, and facilities. Let's analyze the case study to identify human resources and their responsibilities in the eBook project, along with their concerns:

Supervisor:

Responsibilities: The supervisor is responsible for planning the project, managing resources, overseeing production, and ensuring the project's successful completion within scope, time, and budget constraints.

Concerns: The supervisor is concerned about the increasing scope creep, which is causing delays and escalating costs in the project. Additionally, managing permissions and dealing with changing requirements from the professor are adding to the workload.

Publishers Liaison:

Responsibilities: The Publishers Liaison is responsible for acquiring permissions for the content included in the eBook, ensuring legal compliance, and managing relationships with authors and publishers.

Concerns: Acquiring permissions for the extensive content required for the eBook is time$-$consuming and adds complexity to the project. Additionally, dealing with changing requirements and additions from the professor may require renegotiating permissions or acquiring new ones, adding further challenges.

Customer Service Representative:

Responsibilities: The Customer Service Representative acts as a liaison between the client $($the college$)$ and Global Green Books, handling inquiries, requests, and concerns related to the project.

Concerns: Managing the professor's increasing requests for changes is challenging, especially considering the impact on project scope, timeline, and costs. Additionally, addressing concerns raised by the college bookstore regarding the eBook's projected cost adds to the Representative's responsibilities.

Account Manager:

Responsibilities: The Account Manager is responsible for managing the relationship with the client $($the college$),$ ensuring customer satisfaction, and addressing any concerns or issues that arise during the project.

Concerns: The Account Manager is concerned about maintaining a positive relationship with the college, especially given the importance of the professor's order. Managing the professor's changing requirements while balancing the project's constraints poses a challenge.

Overall, human resources involved in the eBook project are facing challenges related to managing changing requirements, acquiring permissions, maintaining customer satisfaction, and addressing concerns about project scope and cost.

Question $2$: Scope and Scope Creep

Scope refers to the boundaries and deliverables of a project, including what will be done and what will not be done. Scope creep refers to the gradual expansion of a project's scope beyond its original requirements, often leading to increased costs, delays, and resource strain. Let's discuss scope and scope creep in the context of the eBook project:

Scope:

The scope of the eBook project includes producing a customized eBook on Strategic Human Resource Management in a Global Context for use in various educational settings.

It involves selecting relevant papers, obtaining permissions, writing introductions and discussion questions, desktop publishing, and delivering the final product to meet the professor's requirements.

Reasons for Scope Creep:

Changing Requirements from the Professor: The professor keeps making additions and changes to the eBook content as new papers are released or as she reviews her plans. These changes expand the scope of the project beyond its original boundaries.

Complex Permissions Process: Acquiring permissions for the extensive content required for the eBook involves a time$-$consuming process. Any changes or additions to the content may require renegotiating permissions or obtaining new ones, contributing to scope creep.

Customer Concerns about Cost: The college bookstore manager's concern about the projected cost of the eBook may pressure the project team to make adjustments to the scope to control costs. However, accommodating cost concerns without compromising quality or meeting the professor's requirements can be challenging.

Inadequate Change Management: There appears to be a lack of effective change management processes in place to address and control changes to the project scope. Without proper mechanisms to evaluate, approve, and manage changes, scope creep becomes more likely.

In conclusion, scope creep in the eBook project is primarily driven by changing requirements from the professor, complex permissions process, customer concerns about cost, and inadequate change management practices. Addressing these factors and implementing effective scope management strategies are essential to mitigate scope creep and ensure project success.