QSO 340 Project Two Guidelines and Rubric Competency In this ✓ Solved

QSO 340 Project Two Guidelines and Rubric Competency In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency: Determine appropriate methods to monitor and communicate the status of a project Scenario You are in the 10th week of the XYZ Business Workflow project, and things haven’t quite gone according to plan. At the end of the requirements analysis phase, your team told you the following information: Feature 2 (F2) development is more complex than initially thought. It will take at least 10 workweeks to complete. Feature Customization 3 (C3) will take close to five workweeks. The complete system testing will take a minimum of one and a half weeks due to the complexity of the systems involved.

You made some necessary resource and schedule adjustments in your plan and obtained stakeholder approval for the same. However, due to delays in getting client approvals, UI design and development took one week more than estimated, which has now pushed all dependent tasks out by a week. Moreover, a resource availability issue has added three days to the Feature 1 development effort. You are scheduled to present a project status report at the end of the week at a stakeholders’ meeting that will include the client’s representatives. Directions Project Status Report Create a presentation for stakeholders describing relevant aspects of the current project status.

Your presentation must include the following information: Original and current project schedule Current project status Updated risk register Any other relevant project information you believe the stakeholders need to know You can use any project management software (PMS) tool to create and update the project schedule and status. However, remember to choose a tool that will help you complete all parts of the project, like the Gantt chart. Specifically, your presentation must include the following rubric criteria: General project information List the project goal and objectives. Include the team information. Detail the initial schedule with milestones and end dates.

Current project status Include a Gantt chart that shows the project’s progress and current schedule. Update the risk register. If an issue has occurred, add the issue to the Issue Log. An updated risk register includes the following information: Status of risks from the project planning phase, including whether and how they have affected the project plan and schedule so far Any issues facing the team currently and how you are managing them Any new potential risks and proposed mitigation Project summary Include the updated milestone and end dates. List action items to ensure the project stays on track.

Use the information from the scenario to make reasonable assumptions as you complete these tasks. Be certain to explain your assumptions. Include any additional information, such as your comments and assumptions, in the slide notes. What to Submit To complete this project, you must submit the following item: Project Status Report Create a presentation of 8 to 12 slides to share the project status report at a stakeholders’ meeting. The presentation should include the basic project information, current project status, updated risks and issues, and project summary.

Supporting Materials The following resource may help support your work on the project: Document : XYZ Business Workflow Resource and Effort Estimates This document provides the initial resource and effort estimates for the project. Project Two Rubric CriteriaExceeds Expectations (100%)Meets Expectations (85%)Partially Meets Expectations (55%)Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)Value General Project Information Exceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerIncludes all relevant project details, such as project objectives, team structure, and initial milestone and release dates, in a concise, informative mannerShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include verbose, missing, or irrelevant informationDoes not attempt criterion20 Project Status Exceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerIncludes the current schedule with a well-laid-out Gantt chart showing the percent of work completed in each task; includes an updated risk register showing the status of each risk, whether a risk occurred, and how it was handled; outlines any issues affecting projectShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include missing schedule breakdown; unclear Gantt chart; missing tasks or milestones; missing or incorrect progress tracking; missing or vague risks and issues descriptions; issues or changes in estimates and schedules not handled appropriatelyDoes not attempt criterion45 Project Summary Exceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerProvides clear and concise project summary with any changes in milestones and release dates highlighted and explained; includes at least two action items to resolve issues and/or help the project stay on trackShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include missing or vague summary; missing or irrelevant action itemsDoes not attempt criterion20 Clear Communication Exceeds expectations with an intentional use of language that promotes a thorough understandingConsistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audienceShows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understandingShows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication15 Total: 100%

Paper for above instructions

Full 1500-word project status report essay (HTML Format)

Effective project monitoring and communication are essential components of successful project management, especially when working with complex business workflow projects that involve multiple dependencies, technical constraints, and stakeholder requirements. The QSO 340 Project Two scenario places the project manager in a realistic situation: after ten weeks of work, delays have emerged, risks have materialized, and stakeholders expect an updated status report. This comprehensive 1500-word project analysis provides a detailed written version of what would normally be an 8–12 slide stakeholder presentation. It incorporates the original schedule, current project status, revised timelines, a detailed risk and issue register, and recommended action items to ensure the project remains on track.

General Project Information

The XYZ Business Workflow Project aims to develop a fully integrated workflow system capable of supporting business operations, improving efficiency, and automating key functions. The project goal is to deliver a streamlined and scalable workflow system aligning with the organization’s productivity objectives. The core objectives include designing a user interface that enhances usability, customizing three major features (F1, F2, and C3), and performing complete system testing before deployment. Additional objectives involve maintaining open communication with stakeholders, mitigating risks, and delivering the project within the approved timeline and budget.

The project team consists of UI designers, software developers, quality assurance testers, business analysts, and the project manager. Each member is responsible for specific deliverables and collaborates throughout the development cycle. The UI design team handles user interface mockups and front-end development. The development team works on core features, including Feature 1 (F1), Feature 2 (F2), and Customization Feature 3 (C3). QA testers oversee system-level testing, and the business analysts work closely with the clients to approve requirements and ensure expectations are met.

The initial schedule included key milestones such as requirements gathering, UI design completion, feature development phases, customization work, system integration, and a final testing period. According to the early project plan, UI design was expected to be completed by Week 6, Feature 1 development by Week 7, Feature 2 development by Week 11, and customization Feature C3 by Week 10. Finally, system testing was originally planned to take 1.5 weeks, concluding at approximately Week 12. These milestones formed the foundation of the original project timeline and were approved by all stakeholders after resource and schedule adjustments were implemented.

Current Project Status

At Week 10, the project is behind schedule due to several newly introduced delays. First, UI design and development extended by one additional week due to slower-than-expected client approvals. This setback affected all dependent tasks and pushed the schedule forward by one week. Second, a resource availability issue added three extra days to Feature 1 development. These delays have accumulated and now impact the overall project timeline, requiring recalibration.

A current Gantt chart (described in text form for HTML output) reflects the updated schedule. UI design now finishes at Week 7 instead of Week 6. Feature 1 development, which was supposed to conclude during Week 7, now extends to Week 8. Feature 2 development began on schedule but still requires a full 10 weeks due to complexity, extending it to Week 16. Customization C3 remains on track but will also be pushed forward by a week because of dependency delays, now to conclude by Week 11. System testing, originally expected to begin at Week 11.5, must now be pushed to Week 12.5 and will conclude closer to Week 14.

Overall, the project is approximately two weeks behind schedule. Although the delays are manageable, stakeholders must be informed about the schedule changes and the impact on expected release dates. The development team is currently at 55% overall project completion, with UI design fully completed, Feature 1 at 90%, Feature 2 at 40%, and C3 at 50%. System testing has not yet begun.

Updated Risk Register

Risk management is critical to ensuring the project’s success, especially when delays and unexpected challenges arise. The updated risk register captures risks identified during the planning phase, their current status, and new risks discovered during implementation.

1. Risk: Client approval delays

• Status: Occurred
• Impact: One-week delay in UI completion
• Mitigation: More frequent client check-ins and iterative approval process

2. Risk: Resource availability issues

• Status: Occurred
• Impact: Three-day delay in Feature 1 development
• Mitigation: Adjusted workload distribution and added part-time support

3. Risk: Underestimation of Feature 2 complexity

• Status: Ongoing
• Impact: Extended development to 10 weeks
• Mitigation: Close coordination and phased delivery

4. New Risk: Stakeholder dissatisfaction due to delays

• Probability: Medium
• Impact: High
• Mitigation: Transparent communication and revised timeline

5. New Risk: System testing complexity

• Probability: Medium
• Impact: High
• Mitigation: Add additional testers and extend testing cycle if needed

Issue Log

Issues are problems that have already occurred and now require immediate corrective action. As of Week 10, two major issues have been added to the issue log:

• Issue 1: Client approval delays affecting UI design timeline
• Corrective Action: Weekly approval checkpoints and clear acceptance criteria
• Issue 2: Developer absence causing F1 delays
• Corrective Action: Reassigned responsibilities and updated resource allocation

Project Summary

The updated project schedule extends the final delivery date by approximately two weeks. While this delay is not ideal, the project team is working proactively to ensure that additional delays are avoided. Updated milestones include:

• UI Design Completion: Week 7
• Feature 1 Completion: Week 8
• Feature 2 Completion: Week 16
• Customization C3 Completion: Week 11
• System Testing Completion: Week 14
• Projected Project Completion: Week 14 instead of Week 12

To ensure the project stays on track moving forward, several action items must be implemented immediately:

Action Item 1: Strengthen stakeholder communication

The project manager will increase the frequency of stakeholder updates from biweekly to weekly. This ensures transparency, builds trust, and allows stakeholders to provide timely feedback.

Action Item 2: Accelerate development through resource augmentation

Adding additional support developers and testers will help compensate for lost time and avoid future bottlenecks.

Action Item 3: Introduce rolling approvals to prevent further delays

Instead of waiting for full design or feature completion, stakeholders will review smaller work packets.

Action Item 4: Increase testing team readiness

QA testers will review system architecture early to reduce potential testing delays and improve defect detection efficiency.

Conclusion

This project status report provides a clear and thorough update on project progress, schedule deviations, risk impacts, and necessary corrective actions. Although the project has experienced unavoidable delays, strong communication, resource adjustments, and proactive mitigation strategies can ensure successful project completion. By maintaining transparency and taking decisive action, the team remains well-positioned to deliver a fully functional business workflow system that meets performance expectations.

References

Kerzner, H. (2022). Project management: A systems approach. Wiley.
Project Management Institute. (2021). PMBOK Guide (7th ed.). PMI.
Meredith, J., & Shafer, S. (2020). Operations management for MBAs. Wiley.
Wysocki, R. (2019). Effective project management. Wiley.
Schwalbe, K. (2020). Information technology project management. Cengage.
Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2021). Project management: The managerial process. McGraw-Hill.
Verzuh, E. (2021). The fast forward MBA in project management. Wiley.
Heldman, K. (2022). PMP exam prep. Sybex.
Haughey, D. (2020). Project management fundamentals. ProjectSmart.
MindEdge. (2021). Risk management in modern projects.