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Selecting and setting baselines for diagnostic metrics - Kendrick

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1. Questions
Selecting and setting baselines for diagnostic metrics are extremely important for effective control during project execution. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the general process for selecting and setting baselines?
2. What are diagnostic metrics? Provide three examples, explaining what they would measure.
3. What guidelines does Kendrick give for collecting inputs?
4. What should you do with variances that you find?
5. Review the "Miracles Happened on Tuesdays" vignette that begins on page 170. What does this demonstrate about the power of status collection?
6. What are the pros and cons of using EVM as a metric?
7. Describe the alternative to EVM explained by Kendrick, telling why a manager might use it and the differences between what it shows and what EVM shows.

2 Questions

Part 1
Answer the following questions:

1. Suggest two ways in which the concept of MBWA might result in positive outcomes. Then suggest two ways that this method of managing could backfire, if it were handled clumsily.
2. Which of the principles for maintaining relationships (see Kendrick, p. 193) do you think are especially valuable during the execution of a project? Explain your choices.

Part 2
Imagine that you are in charge of a home-building project.

1. Three activities are going on at the moment: laying the roof, heating, and plumbing. Completing the roof is a critical activity: any delay in laying the roof jeopardizes the completion date of the house. The other two activities are non-critical and, what is more, are basically on schedule. What actions might you take to ensure that roofing is completed on time?
2. The overall cost of completing the house appears to be headed toward a cost overrun. The house is about half done and well over half of the budget has been consumed. What are some actions you might take to reduce costs to minimize an overall cost overrun?
3. Certain activities have been outsourced to subcontractors. Suppose the subcontractor who is performing the wiring is not performing up to your specifications in terms of the quality of material and the quality of installation work. At this point, what actions can you take to assure quality work?
4. Risk monitoring is a never-ending task. One risk is, of course, is poor performance as described above with the electrical subcontractor. What actions could have been taken before the electrical subcontractor was selected that would have reduced the risk of poor performance? What actions can be taken during his or her performance to identify the risk at an early stage to mitigate the extent of any loss?

No. 3. Answer the Following Questions

Complete Parts 1 and 2.

Part 1
In Chapter 8 Kendrick talks about various types of formal communication, including status reports. Create a status report on a project—work-related, home improvement, or other personal project—that you are currently working on. If you are not currently working on anything suitable, choose a point in a project you have completed and create a status report for that point in time. Refer to the "Contents of a Typical Status Report" in Kendrick's text.

Part 2
The aspects of project closure discussed by Kendrick, listed below, fall into two general categories. Some look backward, and fix a documented end to the project. Others look forward, and may be of aid in future projects. In which category would you put each of the following, and why? Are there some that you think accomplish both? Explain.

● Delivering your results and getting sign-off
● Employing retrospective project metrics
● Administrative closure
● Celebration and team rewards
● Capturing lessons learned

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Solution Summary

The expert determines the general process for selecting and setting baselines. The response addresses the query posted in 2874 words with APA references

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The response addresses the query posted in 2874 words with APA references

//The tool of diagnostic metrics is used as an effective method to promote the execution and communication control system. In order to implement effective control during project execution, the processes of selection and setting the baselines for diagnostic metrics are extremely important. Through this paper, an effective process is analyzed to set the baselines for the diagnostic metrics.//
Answer 1

Process for Selecting and Setting Baselines for Diagnostic Metrics

Selecting and setting baselines for diagnostic metrics are extremely important for effective control during project execution. The processes of selecting and setting baselines for diagnostic metrics include the following:

Collect the data for the project: The data is collected to support decision-making, distribution of information and performance reporting.
Review the measurement for the baseline and acceptable range for each metrics: The diagnostic projects provide a basis for project control measures.
Make the measurements visible in nature: The measurements are made visible in order to use them for the issue management and analysis purpose to support integrated change control process (Kendrick, 2013).
Report the metrics: The reporting is done to use the diagnostic metrics for the purpose of building ongoing stakeholder engagement control.
Ensure that the collected metrics is used for the monitoring and improvement of the process: The diagnostic metrics is used to criticize or rank the individuals and cancel the projects that generate the unreliable data.

Diagnostic metrics is used as an effective tool and a central process to promote the execution and communication control system. The selection and setting of baselines for diagnostic metrics can be done by planning the data and then confirming the baselines by using the first several cycles of data collection (Kendrick, 2013). These metrics are useful for the long-term process improvements to increase the accuracy for the future projects. The diagnostic project metrics is designed to provide the information about the system within real time. On the basis of the status information of the project, the diagnostic project metrics is used to access the current state of an ongoing project. For example, the diagnostic metrics is used to measure the triggering risk responses and other adaptive measures. It also assesses the impact of the project changes and provides suitable warnings for the potential future risks and problems. Another example is that it determines the need to update several contingency plans and develop new ones. The third example is that they also help in deciding or measuring the time to modify or cancel the project.

// In the above text, light has been shed on the concept of diagnostic metrics and in the below-given section, a discussion will be done to identify various guidelines to collect the input for the diagnostic metrics and things to be considered while evaluating the information //.
3. According to Kendric, there are various guidelines to collect the input for the diagnostic metrics. Firstly, for each activity, the estimate duration is collected and analyzed in workdays and efforts of different individuals in terms of full-time equivalents and combination of people and time. Secondly, if the two estimations seem to be consistent, the activity owner is asked for an explanation (Kendrick, 2013). The elements of communication and meetings consume more time, which affects the relationship between efforts and duration. Thirdly, if the estimates assumed by an individual are unrealistic in nature, the guidelines suggest them to make it more realistic in nature. Finally, amount of information is collected to undertake an effective risk analysis in the process of project planning, and the efforts are revised in proper duration accordingly in nature.
4. There were various kinds of variances that are found in the guidelines to collect the input for the diagnostic metrics. The major variance is that these guidelines are based on the estimates and assumptions that are being derived from the knowledge of the task as these plans are credible, realistic and accurate in nature to control the project. Another variance is that if the developed estimates seem to be over largely in nature, then there is a need to adopt the breakdown method to establish higher confidence.
5. The concept of the status collection is considered as a very powerful motivator for the individuals. In Miracles Happened on Tuesdays, Nancy McDonald was held responsible for the installation of voice and data networking model for a new data center project. This data center was known as one of the largest places in the eastern United States and about 30 different technology companies were involved in this massive project. It included major computer system vendors, manufacturers of the ...

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Ashish Sharma, MBA (IP)
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  • BBA, University of Rajasthan
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