Question 1

Appraise any five (5) conditions relevant to VAR Project in deciding whether to use the Topdown or Bottom-up Estimates approach for the project cost. For each condition, relate it to the VAR Project, and determine the estimates approach CSC shall adopt. Finally, recommend the cost estimates approach CSC shall adopt for this project.

This *is/is not the case for VAR Project as (justification). Hence, CSC shall adopt the *Top-down/Bottom-up Estimates approach under this condition. (Repeat the paragraphs for all five conditions),

Overall CSC is recommended to adopt the _________________ Estimates approach for the VAR Project.

Section 2: Developing a Project Plan

You conducted a pre-project discussion with your members. The team worked out the project activities and details as shown in Table 1. The budget shown in Table 2 was derived using the approach recommended in Question 1.

Question 2(a)

(i) Construct a Gantt Chart (after Clear Leveling) with columns on Information (i), Task Mode, Task Name, Duration, Start Date, Finish Date, Predecessor, and Resource Name and show these in a single diagram. Hence, state the project completion date and explain any resource conflicts.

(ii) The resource conflicts need to be resolved. Due to the specialised skills of the team members in this intensive project, resource conflicts cannot be solved by member multitasking, transferring the task to other members nor add in more people. The members will not be working beyond 8 hours per day. At this stage, they do not want to consider working on weekends. Hence, you shall use resource levelling to resolve the conflicts by the method below:

i. Right click on the task with conflict that has the smallest Task (i.e., Activity)
ID. Select “Reschedule to Available Date”.

ii. If an error message informs you that the conflict cannot be resolved, click
“Stop”.

iii. Proceed to the next items with conflict.

iv. Continue the above operation one at a time until all tasks with conflicts that
could be resolved are done.

Set up the process above. Explain what you observe at each step. Finally state and comment on the project finish date.

Note: You are not required to show the Gantt Chart for Question 2(a)(ii).

Question 2(b)

The CEO approves the project schedule and cost you did in Question 2(a). Make the changes to MS Project file. Set the Status Date (Project -> Status Date) as three days after the Start Date. Save the updated MS Project as Baseline Plan (Project -> Save Baseline -> check Entire project), which will be used to evaluate the project performance from here onwards.

Joachim arrived onsite to support the project. During the Site Preparation (Activity 8), he found that some cameras’ views were blocked by building structures which were not shown on the blueprints given to him in the design stage. He decides to revise the camera locations.

The Contractor is informed of the changes. He provides feedback that many new locations are difficult to be accessed, resulting in additional works for Activity 12 “Install VAR cameras”.

He is not able to increase manpower nor get his team to work beyond 8 hours per day. However, they are willing to work on additional days including weekends and public holidays. You have intense bargains with him to reach the following terms:

• Additional days required for Activity 12 is four (4) days.

• The special cost rates are: $2,000 per Saturday, Sunday or Public Holiday; and $,1000 per weekday.

(i) Examine the problem encountered in the project schedule due to the change in camera locations. Explain how you solve the problem, e.g., by deciding which days to do the additional works to minimise the impact. Evaluate the additional cost for Activity 12.

(ii) Furthermore, due to the change in the camera locations, Nancy needs to implement more test procedures for Activity 13 “Tune VAR System”. There is additional cost of $3,000. However, she agrees to keep the duration unchanged.

The CEO approves all the changes. You practise Change Control Management to handle disruptions in project. Appraise any three

(3) important accomplishments related to the change in camera locations with action(s) you trigger all affected parties to take and the outcome(s) in each accomplishment.

Section 3: Monitoring a Project Progress and Closing Project

Another issue occurred during the implementation period was: Due to worldwide supply chain disruption, shipment cost increased. This resulted in an 8% escalation of the cost for Activity 5 “Deliver cameras”. The CEO approved the change.

The project progressed on till completion. VAR System passed the audit and IWCC was impressed by some of the AI technologies incorporated into the system. Make all the changes to the MS Project. Set the Status Date to four working days after the project completion date. Update the project (Project -> Update Project -> Entire Project).

Question 3

(a) Prepare in a single diagram the Tracking Gantt Chart view of MS Project with Information (i), Task Mode, Task Name, Duration, Start Date, Finish Date and Resource columns shown. State the project completion date.

(b) Present a MS Project Cost Report or Table with Cost Performance Index (CPI). State the values for Budgeted Cost At Completion (BAC) and Estimated Cost At Completion (EAC). Formulate Cost Performance Index and compute the final CPI manually.

(c) Categorise each of the three project criteria (Scope, Time and Cost) initially set by the CEO into a unique priority, i.e., no two criteria have the same priority. Discuss whether the degree of achieving the priority is high, medium or low.

Section B

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 4

As the Project Manager for Video Assistance System (VAR) Project, you decide to schedule a meeting one week after the project completion to present to the CSC’s top Management the following items from Questions 2 to 3 in Section A:

1. What are the priorities of the project?
2. What are the initial resource conflicts?
3. Are there changes in schedule and what are the contributing events?
4. Is there a cost overrun and what are the contributors for the cost overruns if any?
5. Are the project priorities achieved? Is the project successful?
Prepare a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes.
There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Upload Media, please note that your file size should be no more than 500MB and the format is in .mp4.

Section C

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 5

Develop a set of PowerPoint presentation slides upon which the video presentation is based. Please note that the PowerPoint must be converted to PDF before submission to Canvas.