The Final Blog

This is the final blog for EDU 627. This course has flown by and the amount of information taught and learned has been amazing. Over the course of the last two weeks, we have been discussing the execution of the project along with the relationship between change management and project quality.

The execution of the project is when the project plan has been signed off on and work can actually begin. This is the part of project management where the work outlined in the project plan is actually carried out. This is a big step for the project manager because they need to ensure that all team members are aware and capable of performing their individual tasks. This stage of project management requires the project manager to do anything necessary to guarantee that the project executes successfully.

Change management and project quality were also two aspects of project management that were discussed. These two pieces tend to work together because change management can affect the quality of the project. In any situation, not just project management, change is inevitable and it is important to prepare for changes and know what steps to take to manage the changes that may occur. When it comes to project management, changes can be made to any aspect of the project such as the project scope, the schedule, budget, stakeholders, etc. Ultimately, changes are being made with hope to improve the situation, organization, or project by altering any piece that needs modification. Change management links into project quality because when change is effectively managed, the overall quality of the project will enhance.

Quality control deals with the quality of the project being created as well as managing the steps towards planning the project. In his text, Cox (2009) explains that quality control measures should be performed throughout the entire course of the project to identify and monitor any causes of poor process or product quality. If these issues are addressed right away, it will eliminate any poor processes and avoid issues for the future of the project.

Change management and quality control were two areas that I needed to modify. As a result of not fully preparing for these two aspects, I felt that I needed a plan to improve the overall quality of my project. I decided that it would be best if I performed a trial run of my training session for my principal and superintendent. These are two stakeholders that have a say in my project and are knowledgeable to know what the teachers need/should know and what will benefit them. These two stakeholders will see what my goal is for my project and suggest any changes that they think will be best for the overall success of my project.

The last thing that was completed over the last two weeks was project three. Project three required us to pick three components of project management that we felt would be most beneficial to our personal projects. I chose Stakeholder Analysis, Communication Plan, and Control Checklist. This project required a lot of detail and really laid out what each stakeholder’s job was, the type of communication that would take place, and what was completed so far to fully execute this project successfully. The stakeholder analysis component was extremely helpful because it identified what each stakeholder’s job was and how important he or she were to the project. As the project manager, this really helped me see what I should expect from each individual involved with this project. The communication plan was and is so important because it can make or break the success of the project. Communication is a key to success and everyone knowing how and when they are to communicate throughout the course of the project is essential. Lastly, the quality control checklist allowed me, as the project manager, to see how far along I was in certain aspects of the project. This checklist was broken down into four sections (stakeholder participation, project process, project team, and project leadership). This organized the information for the project manager and allowed me to see what areas were still lacking or needed attention.

Overall, the past two weeks have really started to bring everything together. It is exciting to be finishing up this course because I am starting to really see how much our hard work is paying off as well as recognizing how much work and effort goes into the management of a project. I am eager to see everyone’s hard work and effort come together to create a successful project!

Helpful Resources:

Tweet Link- http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/six-sigma-training-certification-information/change-management-and-quality-control.html

This link provides insight on how change management helps with quality control. It discusses how change management can affect the overall effectiveness and quality of the project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jk6clmMycI

This video provides a great overview of what change management is and the goal of change management. It discusses and emphasizes how change management takes place to improve the overall effectiveness of the project being produced.

References:

Cox, D.M.T. (2009). Project management skills for instructional designers: A practical guide. Bloomington, IL : Iuniverse.