The Project Management - Coursework Example

Client inserts his/her name Client inserts tutor’s name Name of Institution Course title Date of submission Indigenous agricultural, food and community health revitalization project refers to one of the projects which were initiated at the New Mexico with the key aims of educating the indigenous people of this country on the importance of practicing sound agricultural activities in an ecologically stable and sustainable environment. The project aimed also at educating these people on the importance of relying on traditional foods and making informed choices concerning their nutritional needs. The project’s main focus was to improve on the quality of agricultural foods consumed, advancing the cultural behaviors and different tribal imperatives in order to safeguard their indigenous agricultural activities. This project was conducted by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Renewing the native’s focus on the use of traditional agricultural methods of farming to enhance their productivity and health was one of this project’s objectives. Additionally, it focused on promoting nutritional awareness and wellness among the indigenous natives through the development of a sustainable and multi-disciplinary agricultural project in the community. The project also focused on conducting a community based research which could collect information, document the findings and describe the native crops used among these native people. The project’s also aimed at to developing a program within these indigenous communities which was environmentally friendly, and supported the practicing of sustainable agricultural programs (Hallows, 2005). In addition, conducting evidence based agricultural project in these indigenous communities which could contribute positively to the ethnobotany department was its objective. The project was aimed at developing and facilitating plans which could enable the establishment departments focusing on plants of medicinal value and native foods in the institution. This project was to provide special topics which were to be organized on yearly basis in order to revitalize and promote plant and seed preservation, compositing, environmental conservation and the emphasis on planting of fruit trees in these indigenous communities (Kirkpartrick, 1996). Effective project management was important to ensure that the project realized its goals. The process involved coming up with a list of all the activities that were required to be performed in the project and that of responsible individuals to perform these activities. The status of the progress of the project was updated on regular basis to ensure that its enables the participants to feel the sense of project ownership. Additionally, scope of the project was stated in order to define the project and guide its participants throughout the process. The scope provided the approximate length of time required to complete the project with its associated costs (Triantis, 1999). The objectives of the project were constantly compared to the goals of the project to ensure that clarity on the purpose of the project was maintained and to avoid any upcoming disputes between the participants. The scope creep was effectively managed to facilitate correct interpretation of the project’s requirements and fill the gaps identified in the definition of the scope. A project deliverable was established to guide its course of actions. This included coming up with a carefully planned course of action schedule which facilitated the process (Nemeth, 2004). Furthermore, effective management of this project involved the establishment of a project financial plan. This was used to manage the amount of resources spent in daily activities at the field promoting accountability and effective utilization of the project’s resources (Dinsmore & Cabanis J.2005). The project plans and the expected outcomes of every chosen intervention were communicated to the participants. This was done to inform them on the progress, provide support and acted as a method of showing how the project initiators were committed to achieving the project’s objectives. The project managers encouraged the participants through the provision of motivating agents such as recognition and regularly provided the necessary information supporting the program’s progress (Camilleri, 2011). Effective implementation of this project was done after a careful process of data collection, analysis, definition of the solutions to the problems identified, coming up with solutions to the problem and developing a plan which entails the actions employed to implement the changes brought by the project.one of the methods employed to implement this project was communicating the benefits associated with the program adoption. Communicating the benefits creates awareness to the individuals facilitating the adoption of the project. The institution identified the team which was held responsible for solving the problem and also refining the scope of this project (McCarthy, 2010). The natives’ participation was employed to facilitate adoption of the project. This included involving them in the process of decision making, deigning the project program, evaluating the progress and evaluation of program’s effectiveness. Participation promoted project ownership by the community hence, sustainability. The institution also employed the use of manipulation to enhance the adoption of the program. This included providing incentives towards the adoption and facilitation of the program. The natives were educated on the value of adopting these program principles which had a positive influence to their nutrition and their health. The institution facilitated the program through the provision of training facilities to the natives by organizing meetings with the natives on the importance and the goals of this program (Brown I, 2012). The adoption of this program by the natives had positive effects both to the natives and the institution conducting the research. Campus gardens were established in the institution where indigenous plants of medicinal value were planted, the natives adopted agricultural activities which were environmentally safe; the natives adopted the use of the traditional foods and increased cultural production of indigenous foods. The students were able to demonstrate the importance of adopting the traditional farming systems and native food use which are beneficial to these natives (Renz, 2007). One of the importances of proper planning to the project manager is that it prevents failure and project’s disappointments. This is because; effective planning enables the mangers to identify the areas of weaknesses in their projects hence, the need for re-evaluation of the process. Effective planning minimizes risks which will be encountered in the project. Proper project planning will enable the mangers identify individuals responsible for every task in the project; select the appropriate approach to implement the project hence, minimizing risks. Effective planning enables the project accomplish its desired strategic objectives. This is because; proper planning enables the project managers in achieving their goals on time hence, minimizing the risks of failures in the project implementation (Rettie, 2005). Furthermore, effective project planning provides the project with the direction with which the activities in the project will be carried out. This contributes to the enhancement of understanding, decision making and desired behavior hence, the achievement of the program’s objectives. The mangers will be able to identify the alternative courses of action in the project if proper planning is done. The chosen alternatives will enable the project invest in options which minimizes the risks encountered at the course of project implementation. Careful planning enables managers allocate resources to the various departments in the project facilitating the achievement of the organization’s goals of the project (Hillson, 2003). One of the project outcomes was the revitalization of the traditional foods in these native communities. This was accompanied by the adoption of holistic and sustainable agricultural initiatives which were environmentally safely and contributed positively to the natives’ nutrition, health and agricultural systems. The institution was able to develop a demonstration garden which was used to showcase various traditional medicinal crops and foods which were maintained through the application of indigenous techniques of cultivation (Szirmai, 2004). The project was able to achieve its objectives of conducting a community research based on an indigenous community, and developing a program which promoted sustainable farming practices among these native communities among other objectives (Clements & Gido 2012). One of the factors which contributed to the achievement of the project’s objectives was the manner in which the natives were actively involved in the whole process. Involving them made them feel appreciated hence, facilitated the achievement of these goals. Effective planning and supervision of the project’s progress and resources facilitated transparency, accountability and responsibility hence, the project objectives (Kendrick , 2009). The maintenance of a two way communication process with the participants and the management facilitated commitment from the participants and motivation which contributed to the realization of the project’s goals (Carrol, 2012). Additionally, the establishment of achievable, relevant and realistic project’s objectives facilitated the realization of these goals. The project’s sponsor’s commitment towards the project through its adequate supply of the required resources facilitated the achievement of the goals and objectives. Transformational leadership in the project facilitated the realization of these goals through the promotion of teamwork during the process. The overall commitment from the participants through their active consultation with the responsible agencies acted as supporting factors to the achievement of the project’s outcomes (Brockett & Ettleson, 1999). In conclusion, the success of every project largely depends on effective planning and management of the resources. The project management should adopt an appropriate model which will aid it to achieving its expected outcomes. Native community involvement during the process helps in ensuring that the project is maintained within the community after its expiry. However, total commitment from the supporting agencies is vital for the overall functioning of the project. Effective supervision should be adopted to facilitate transparency, proper utilization of the resources and accountability in the project. References. Brockett P. & Ettleson B. (1999). Effective Project Management. West Des Moines: American Media Pub. Brown I. (2012). The Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Management and Evaluation: University of Cape Town, South Africa, 25-26 Mar. 2010. Reading: Academic Publishing Ltd. Carrol J. (2012). Effective Project Management. London: Easy Steps Ltd. Camilleri E. (2011). Project Success: Critical Factors and Behaviors. Farnham; Burlington: Gowers Pub. Clements J. P. & Gido J. (2012). Effective Project Management. Ohio: South Western Ltd. Dinsmore P. C. & Cabanis J. (2005). The AMA Handbook of Project Management. New York: AMACOM. Hallows J. (2005). Information Systems Project Management: How to Deliver Function and Value in Information Technology Projects. New York: AMACOM. Hillson H. (2003). Effective Opportunity Management for Projects: Exploiting Positive Risks. New York. Safe. Kendrick . (2009). Identifying and Managing Project Risk: Essential Tool for Failure Proofing your Project. New York: AMACON. Kirkpartrick C. H. (1996). Cost-benefit Analysis and Project Appraisal I Developing Countries. Cheltenham: Elgar Ltd. McCarthy J. F. (2010). Construction Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Westchester: Pareto Building Improvement Pub. Nemeth X. P. (2004). Human Factors Methods for Design: Making Systems Human-Centered. New York: Cengage Rettie M. (2005). Effective Practices to Select, Acquire, and Implement a Utility CIS. Denver: American Water Works Association. Renz P. S. (2007). Project Governance: Implementing Corporate Governance and Business Ethics in Nonprofit Organizations. Heidelerg: Springer. Szirmai A. (2004). Dynamics of Socio-economic Development: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Triantis J. E. (1999). Creating Successful Acquisition and Joint Venture Projects: A Process and Team Approach. Westport: Conn Quorum Pub. Read More