Human Resource Management and Project Life Cycle

Week 1 Discussion

“Human Resource Management and Project Life Cycle” Please respond to the following:

Explain the elements of project management and its relationship to human resource management.

The Five Essential Elements of Project Management:

How it relates to Human Resource:

• Strategic Planning – The very first stage in any project is understanding the need for project and its expected outcome. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant & Timely(SMART) objectives must be established in conjunction with setting key milestones where progress can be tracked and reviewed.
• Product Development – This can be a product, process or service. The development of these must be closely matched with meeting the outlined business objectives and must add value to the organization. It is important to clearly articulate in the infancy stage so there is a clear link to the success of the project.
• Communication – The most important people that you must sell the benefits of the project to are those who will be affected during the project or those affected by the projects final outcome. When you are implementing a new project it is a requirement that end users understand why the project is beneficial and potential buyers need to convinced by the advantage new products and services, in doing this it will make those involved less reluctant to change.
• Resources – Adequate resources in reference to people, time, equipment and finances must be in place prior to implantation. If you are thinking internally resources could include the information technology department providing the necessary software, human resource providing the talent acquisition or even facilities providing office space or any other relevant support.
• People – It is really impossible for project managers to work in isolation. In every project there are many stakeholders who are all assigned a specific role to play, this includes anyone who has a vested interest in the project’s success. Those individuals include:
  • Sponsor – This is the person who defines the business objectives, they are the driving force behind the project. The sponsor can be someone internal or someone from the outside.
  • Project Manager – A professional project manager creates the project plan and ensures that the project meets budget. They are also responsible for risk assessment and management.
  • Project Team Members – These are your subject matter experts, certain members of departments, new recruits and external professionals. A good team member is basically anyone who can positively contribute to the project team in terms of their knowledge and capabilities.

  Project management is a useful skill even for those individuals in traditional human resource roles. From a human resource context, any major or minor initiative or a temporary nature would require the utilization of project management. Examples could include anything from implementing a new ATS (applicant tracking system), HRIS (human resource information system) to updating the employee handbook or implementing an organization change.

  Evaluate the importance of understanding the various stages of the project life cycle and its possible contributions to a project.

  The Project Life Cycle:

  The project life cycle is simply a series of activities which are mandatory to fulfil the clearly defined project goals. It must be understood that because projects vary in size and level of complexity, they must all be mapped by the life cycle structure of starting the project, organizing and preparing, carrying out the work and closing the project.

  How does it contribute to a project?

  The product life cycle is then broken down into 4 phases so that additional control can be applied for effective management of the projects processes.

  Initiation– This is the very beginning. It is in this phase that the objective has been identified, the impact on the organization has been evaluated, research for alternatives has been completed and a clear solution has been defined.

  Planning and Development – The is without question the most critical component of ensuring that the project is successful. This phase consists of processes performed to establish the total scope of the project, refine and define previously set objectives and develop the necessary course of action to attain those objectives.

  Execution –During this phase, deliverables are physically built and presented for acceptance. While each deliverable is in construction a set group of management processes are undertaken to control what deliverables are being created by the project.

  Closure – This phase consists of all processes performed being finalized and all activities across all of the projects phases to be formally completed, this includes contractual obligations.

  Resources

  Chapman, D. (n.d.). From the Archives: 5 Essential Elements of a Successful Project. Retrieved October 09, 2016, from https://www.projecttimes.com/articles/5-essential-elements-of-a-successful-project.html

  Project Life Cycle. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2016, from https://www.uakron.edu/pmo/plc/