Capstone applying project management in the real world weekly challenge 2 answers
Reflection: Analyzing a project charter
1. As a project manager starting a new project, one of your main responsibilities is to identify all project tasks. Often, you need to analyze documentation, such as project charters, emails, and old project plans, to identify tasks for your team. In this exercise, you will review a project charter and list possible tasks. Are you ready?
I’m ready!
2. Start by writing at least two strategies to identify and define tasks. For example, one strategy is to review the deliverables in the project charter and ask yourself, “What steps does the team need to take in order to achieve this?”
There are no right or wrong answers, but here are a few strategies to consider:
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Review goals in the charter.
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Review deliverables in the charter. Ask yourself, “What steps does the team need to take in order to achieve this?”
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Review project task dependencies. What steps are missing?
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Identify project tasks by the time you expect them to take.
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Identify project tasks by their “done” factors.
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Make a list of all items that have milestones associated with them.
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Define project tasks in one or two sentences.
3. Next, review the sample project charter:
Project Charter: Website Redesign for a Restaurant
Project Summary: Launch a website redesign that now features online ordering to expand ordering options and increase revenue.
Goals of Project:
Increase revenue by 15% in the first six months
Increase visitor time on the website by 10% in the first three month
Increase customer email collection by 50% in the first 12 months
Expand online ordering to four third-party delivery platforms in the first three months
Resolve all urgent technical issues reported by customers in the first three months
Deliverables:
Digital photograph collection of food and business location
Online content archive, including written content and existing graphics/media
Online ordering embedded in the landing page
Online ordering loyalty program
Available on third-party delivery platforms (e.g., Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorDash, and GrubHub)
Staff training on new ordering process
Scope and Exclusion:
In-scope:
New design of website
Add new photos to website
Add rewritten and new content to website
Online ordering functionality and payment options
Staff training
Information and content for third-party delivery platforms
Out-of-scope:
Social media management
Rebranding of the company logo and colors
Implementing online chat
Online-only menu
Benefits and Costs
Benefits:
New options for customers to order food
Increase in sales through this new medium of online ordering
Persuade more customers to purchase food with better quality photos and copy
Increase search engine rankings with website improvements
Grow email list from opt-ins to online promotions
Increase online awareness through third-party delivery platforms
Costs:
Website designer: $6,500
Photographer: $1,000
Staff training: $250
I’ve reviewed the charter!
4. As a project manager overseeing the launch of the website redesign, use the strategies outlined in question two and the charter above to write at least five tasks for the project.
Did you consider any of the following tasks?
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Interview website designers and make a hire.
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Interview website developers and make a hire.
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Interview photographers and make a hire.
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Schedule the food and restaurant photoshoot.
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Work with restaurant owners to gather new content ideas for the website.
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Design and implement new content for the website.
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Create online ordering loyalty program incentives.
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Develop online ordering training for staff.
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Execute the online ordering training.
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Test the new website and ordering system.
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Add website analytics software to monitor visitor activity.
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Sign up for third-party delivery platforms and add menu content.
Activity: Identify project tasks: Analyze project documents
5. To pass this practice quiz, you must receive at least 80%, or 4 out of 5 points, by completing the activity and answering corresponding quiz questions. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in the
Course Overview
.
Activity Overview
In this activity, you will identify project tasks by reviewing project and company documents. Then you will draft the project plan for Sauce & Spoon’s tabletop menu tablets project.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
Peta, the new in-house project manager for Sauce & Spoon restaurants, has finished drafting the project charter for their tabletop menu tablets project. Her next step is to identify tasks to include in a project plan that will help her team reach the project’s goals.
To identify project tasks, Peta spends some time reviewing project documentation for the current tablet project. She also examines the project plan from a completed Sauce & Spoon project for information that could help the team complete the tablet rollout.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access the template
Click the link to create a copy of the template. If you don’t have a Google account, download the template directly from the attachment below.
Link to template:
Project Plan Template
OR
Download template:
Step 2: Access the supporting materials
The following supporting materials will help you complete this activity. Keep them open as you proceed to the next steps. Each link will open a new Coursera tab.
Project Charter: Review your completed project charter from Week 1
Historical Project Plan
Email Exchange: Tablet Logistics
Note: To review supporting materials introduced in earlier activities, you can find them in the
Resources sectio
.
Step 3: Make a list of 10 tasks
Review the project charter, historical project plan, and email exchange and identify 10 tasks that might be required for the tablet rollout project. Identify at least one task from each supporting document. Remember that project tasks refer to activities that need to be accomplished within a set period of time, which eventually lead to the completion of a milestone.
Then, add the tasks to the Task Brainstorm tab of your project plan in the Task column.
As you add your tasks, ask yourself the following Guiding Tips and Questions:
Are there multiple tasks implied by a single sentence? For example, "Launch a reservation system" implies that the team selected, installed, tested, and then launched the reservation system.
Always ask yourself what decisions might need to be made before an action is taken and what testing might need to be done to verify the success of that action. These decisions and tests might also be considered tasks for the project plan.
Step 4: Save your work
Be sure to save the project plan you updated for this activity. You will revise and refine project artifacts, including the project plan, as you progress through the course.
Pro Tip: Save the template
Finally, be sure to save the template you used to complete this activity for further practice or to use in your own personal or professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put together a portfolio of project management artifacts that you can speak to in an interview to demonstrate your experience to potential employers.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to include the following elements in your project plan:
At least 10 project tasks from the supporting materials (including at least one task from each supporting document)
Did you complete this activity?
- Yes
- No
6. What are some resources you can consult to find tasks to add to a project plan? Select all that apply.
- Relevant work documents, like emails or meeting notes
- Customer surveys
- Project plans used in the past for similar projects
- The project charter
7. Which of these tasks might you identify from your Sauce & Spoon menu tablets project charter? Select all that apply.
- Add a reservation booking feature to the tablets
- Install tablets in the bar areas at the Downtown and North restaurant locations
- Implement a post-dining survey to assess customer satisfaction
- Train management, FOH staff, and BOH staff
8. Which of the following tasks from the historical project plan could be helpful for the tablet project? Select all that apply.
- Create a launch day plan: staffing, troubleshooting, etc.
- Create contracts and statements of work for vendors
- Generate quotes and review costs
- Test out reservation systems
9. Which of the following project tasks can you identify from the email exchange about tablet logistics? Select all that apply.
- Connect the Sauce & Spoon marketing team with Terrific Tablets for branding
- Train general managers how to enter payroll
- Schedule an electrician
- Train the staff to update the menu
Activity: Identify project tasks: Conduct online research
10. To pass this practice quiz, you must receive at least 75%, or 3 out of 4 points, by completing the activity and answering corresponding quiz questions. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in the
Course Overview
.
Activity Overview
In this activity, you will conduct online research to identify additional tasks to add to your project plan.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
Peta wants to identify more project tasks for the tablet rollout—but first, she needs to expand her domain knowledge of the restaurant industry. Peta decides to conduct online research on similar projects, which should help her identify additional tasks. This research also allows Peta to draw inspiration from other projects, and to learn from their successes and mistakes.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access your draft
Begin by opening the project plan draft you started in the last activity, Identify project tasks: Analyze project documents.
Step 2: Conduct online research
Go online, and research projects like Sauce & Spoon’s menu tablet rollout to identify more project tasks. You may want to search for:
News coverage of similar projects at other companies
Research on topics related to your project
Similar projects in other industries
To find the information you need, use keywords from the videos or the following list:
Restaurant tablet research
Restaurant tablet how to
Restaurant tablet ordering
Digital menu ordering
Menu tablet news
Menu tablet key takeaways
Restaurant tablet best practices
Restaurant table rollout project plan
Restaurant POS launch plan
Restaurant tablet implementation plan
Step 3: Add your research to the project plan
In your project plan draft, add at least two online resources you found under the Additional Resources tab. These could be articles, blogs, web pages, or something else. Include the link, today’s date, and any notes in the corresponding columns.
Step 4: Add tasks to the project plan
Identify two tasks you identified through your online research that could be helpful for the Sauce & Spoon project. Add them to the Task column in the Task Brainstorm tab in your project plan draft.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to include the following elements in your project plan:
At least two resources from your online research
2-5 new tasks identified from your online research
Did you complete this activity?
- Yes
- No
11. How does domain knowledge help project managers with new projects? Select all that apply.
- Provides information about a given industry and types of projects in that industry
- Makes them experts in a given industry and types of projects in that industry
- Means they don’t need to know anything about an industry in order to work in it
- Saves time on future projects within that industry
12. Imagine you come across the following information in your online research:
“Our restaurant keeps our devices safe by always locking them up at the end of service, and making sure we keep track of them at all times.”
What tasks could you create from this finding that would help with the tablet rollout project? Select all that apply.
- Enable GPS location services on each tablet
- Upgrade the restaurant’s security system
- Create a procedure for securing tablets at the end of the night (at the table or in a safe)
- Run tests on the tablet software
13. Imagine you come across the following information in your online research:
“Tablets increase customer confidence that their credit card information won’t be stolen when they understand that transactions take place through a secure portal at the table.”
What tasks could you create from this finding that would help with the tablet rollout project? Select all that apply.
- Include payment security talking points in waitstaff training
- Encourage all customers to use cards even when seated at tables without tablets
- Partner with a credit card company to offer discounts
- Create messaging about payment portal security to display on the tablets
Test your knowledge: Identifying tasks
14. As a project manager working on a new project, you need to identify potential tasks for the team. For this project, there are many roles that require specific expertise and many distinct tasks. Additionally, some team members will have similar tasks. You’d like to have the team generate a full list of detailed tasks and get agreement on the tasks and owners. What interaction should you have?
- Group brainstorm with the team
- One-on-one conversations with team members
- Discussion with experts not on the team
- Leadership check-in with key stakeholders
15. As a project manager working on a new project, you need to select a graphic designer on your team to work on a marketing campaign. You’re unsure of each designer’s background and skill set. Which type of interaction would be best to learn more about each teammate's background and identify potential tasks?
- Group brainstorm with the team
- Meeting with key stakeholders
- One-on-one conversations with team members
- Consultation with experts not on the team
16 As a project manager working on a new project, you need to identify potential tasks for the team. For a deliverable, you need to create marketing materials, but your team’s primary expertise is product development. Which type of interaction would be best to identify marketing-related tasks?
- Meeting with key stakeholders
- Consultation with experts not on the team
- One-on-one conversations with team members
- Group brainstorm with the team
17. As a project manager working on a new project, you need to identify potential tasks for the team. For this project, you plan to get input from the team’s leadership about tasks. Which type of interaction would be best to identify tasks?
- Meeting with key stakeholders
- Consult with experts not on the team
- Group brainstorm with the team
- One-on-one conversations with team members
18. As a project manager, you’re going to meet with a stakeholder to discuss potential project tasks. What are two best practices to prepare for the meeting?
- Schedule a pre-call before the official meeting.
- Wait to gather task information so you can be more open minded during the meeting.
- Outline clear questions that still need answers.
- Gather as much task information as possible before the meeting.
Activity: Part 2: Identify project tasks from key conversations
19. To pass this practice quiz, you must receive 100%, or 1 out of 1 point, by completing the activity below. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in the
Course Overview
.
Activity Overview
In this activity, you will review Peta’s conversations about project tasks from the last activity, Part 1: Identify project tasks from key conversations. Then, you will identify the four tasks from those conversations and add them to the project plan.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
After conducting some online research about restaurant tablets, Peta calls Seydou and Gilly to get a better understanding of project tasks. She also discusses a past Sauce & Spoon initiative with Nia, the general manager of the Waterfront location. This conversation helps Peta understand the potential impact of the tablet project on the waitstaff.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access your draft
Begin by opening the project plan draft you worked on in the activity titled Identify project tasks: Conduct online research.
Step 2: Access the supporting materials
In the activity titled Part 1: Analyze key conversations, you observed Peta’s conversations with other team members about project tasks. Each phone conversation in Part 1 revealed at least one new project task, and you identified three tasks in that previous interactive activity.
If you’d like to revisit Peta’s conversations from the previous activity, you can find transcripts in the supporting materials below. Each link will open a new Coursera tab.
Meeting: Tablet Training
Meeting: Waterfront Location
Meeting: North Location
Note: To review supporting materials introduced in earlier activities, you can find them in the
Resources section
.
Step 3: Add tasks to the project plan
Next, add four new tasks to the Task Brainstorm tab of your project plan based on the conversation transcripts. Any tasks that were identified in Part 1: Analyze key conversations can be added here.
Note: Each transcript includes at least one new project task.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to include the following elements in your project plan:
The four tasks identified from the phone conversation transcripts (at least one task per conversation)
- Yes
- No
Test your knowledge: Time estimation
20. What are the benefits of providing accurate time estimates for individual tasks? Select all that apply.
- They enable you to avoid purchasing expensive project management software.
- They help you accurately track task progress.
- They help you predict if a milestone may go over a deadline.
- They establish a better sense of the overall project timeline.
21. As a project manager, you try to get an accurate time estimate for a task by communicating with an expert. After considering their time estimate, you are unsure if it includes all steps of a task, so you ask them to explain each step in detail.
What strategy for getting an accurate time estimate did you choose?
- Assess the expert’s confidence level in their estimate.
- Ask the expert how likely they think it is that an assumption might not work out and how it would affect their estimate.
- Check the expert’s understanding of the task.
- Check the expert’s estimates against the actual time spent on similar tasks in previous work.
22. As a project manager, you try to get an accurate time estimate for a task by communicating with an expert. After receiving their time estimate, you ask questions like, “What equipment do you suppose you’ll have?” and “How many people do you expect to work on the task?”
What strategy for getting an accurate time estimate did you choose?
- Ask the expert how likely it is that assumptions they have might not work out and how it would affect their estimate.
- Check the expert’s estimates against the actual time spent on similar tasks in previous work.
- Discuss the assumptions the expert may be making when they give an estimate.
- Assess the expert’s confidence level in their estimate.
23. As a project manager, you try to get an accurate time estimate for a task by communicating with an expert. You ask them to think back to a task that resembles the one for this project and describe what was the same, what was different, and if thinking about this previous task changes their estimate.
What strategy for getting an accurate time estimate did you choose?
- Ask the expert how likely they think it is that their assumptions might not work out and how it would affect their estimate.
- Check their understanding of the task.
- Check the expert’s estimates against the actual time spent on similar tasks.
- Discuss the assumptions the expert may be making when they give an estimate.
24. What type of time estimate considers how long it takes to complete a task, plus the time it takes to test the product?
- Effort estimate
- Conservative estimate
- Timeline estimate
- Total duration estimate
Activity: Part 2: Identify time estimates for your project plan
25. To pass this practice quiz, you must receive at least 80%, or 4.8 out of 6 points, by completing the activity and answering corresponding quiz questions. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in the
Course Overview
.
Activity Overview
In this activity, you will identify time estimates and add them to your project plan. To do this, you will review Peta’s conversation from the last activity, Part 1: Identify time estimates for your project plan, and two additional conversations about time estimates.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
Once Peta ordered project tasks and identified milestones, she called Seydou to determine how long certain project tasks should take. The next step is to check in with Deanna and follow up with Seydou to clarify some of her estimates. She also reviews some project documentation, like emails and the historical project plan, to gather more task time estimates.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access your draft
Begin by opening the project plan draft you worked on in the last activity, Order tasks and milestones.
Step 2: Access the supporting materials
The following supporting materials will help you complete this activity. Keep them open as you proceed to the next steps. Each link will open a new Coursera tab.
Meeting: Tablet Shipping Estimate
(from the last activity, Part 1: Add time estimates to your project plan)
Meeting: Menu and Coupons
Meeting: Scheduling Software Installation
Step 3: Determine time estimates from the conversations
Review the conversation transcripts and determine likely time estimates that the tasks being discussed will take. Will it take a few days? A week? Add your time estimates under the Estimated Duration column on the Task Brainstorm tab of your project plan. If you’ve identified a task from one of these conversations that was not already included in your project plan, you can add the new task and the time estimate to the Task Brainstorm tab.
Step 4: Add time estimates for other tasks in the project plan
Review past project documentation and supporting materials. Then add time estimates for 5-10 additional tasks to the project plan.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to include the following elements in your project plan:
Time estimates for the new tasks referenced in the conversation transcripts (there are at least six tasks discussed in the supporting materials)
Time estimates for 5-10 previously listed tasks
Did you complete this activity?
- Yes
- No
26. Peta spoke with Seydou about how long it would take for the tablets to arrive. What are some risks that might affect the time estimate for shipping and receiving the tablets? Select all that apply.
- A repair fee to fix broken devices
- Tablets shipping with outdated software
- Broken devices
- A shipping delay
27 Peta spoke with Deanna about how long it should take to finalize menu items and coupon values. What are some risks that might affect the time estimate for uploading menu and coupon content? Select all that apply.
- Restaurant customers are not interested in coupons
- Waitstaff have not yet been trained to use the tablets
- Carter’s schedule can be unpredictable
- Carter wants to revamp the menu before he finalizes the menu and coupon information
28. Peta spoke with Seydou about how long it would take to integrate the tablets with Sauce & Spoon’s POS system. What are some risks that might affect the time estimate around POS integration? Select all that apply.
- Sauce & Spoon may not be running version 3.0 of their POS software
- The updated POS software has a yearly licensing fee
- Sauce & Spoon may need to update their POS system
- The waitstaff hasn’t been trained on the tablets yet
29. Based on the tablet shipping estimate transcript, what time estimate is appropriate for the tablet shipping schedule?
- 14 days
- 10 days
- 5 days
- 3 days
30. Based on the scheduling software installation transcript, what time estimate is appropriate for the software installation schedule?
- 10 days
- 5 days
- 3 days
- 7 days
Activity: Add confidence ratings
31. To pass this practice quiz, you must receive at least 80%, or 4 out of 5 points, by completing the activity and answering corresponding quiz questions. You can learn more about the graded and practice items in the
Course Overview
.
Activity Overview
In this activity, you will assess the time estimates in your project plan and add confidence ratings based on notes from a project team meeting.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
By now, Peta has added a number of tasks to the project plan and assigned them time estimates. Now Peta wants to get a sense of how confident the team is that those time estimates are accurate. This information will allow her to update the timeline for completion and be fully prepared to launch the project.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access your draft
Begin by opening the project plan draft you worked on in the last activity, Get accurate time estimates.
Step 2: Access supporting materials
The following supporting materials will help you complete this activity. Keep them open as you proceed to the next steps. Each link below will open a new Coursera tab.
Meeting: Project Update
For this activity, you may also want to access the following supporting materials from earlier activities:
Historical Project Plan
Email Exchange: Tablet Logistics
Meeting: Tablet Training
Meeting: Waterfront Location
Meeting: North Location
Meeting: T
ablet Shipping Estimate
Meeting: Menu and Coupons
Meeting: Scheduling Software Installation
Note: To access additional supporting materials introduced in earlier activities, you can find them in the
Resources section
.
Step 3: Review the supporting materials
Review the notes from the project team meeting. As you review, take notes on the feedback Peta asks for on certain tasks, keeping in mind you will be responsible for updating confidence ratings in the project plan. Make note of details related to best-case and worst-case scenarios, and how confident the team is with the task estimates discussed at the meeting.
If you identify any new tasks from this meeting that were not already included in your project plan, you can add them to the Task column under the Task Brainstorm tab of your project plan.
Step 4: Add three-point time estimates
Next, select at least four tasks and add three-point estimates for each task. Use the supporting materials provided in this and previous activities to determine an Optimistic time estimate, a Most Likely time estimate, and a Pessimistic time estimate for the task. Add these estimates to the corresponding columns under the Task Brainstorm tab in the project plan.
Step 5: Add confidence ratings
Next, add confidence ratings to at least four of your tasks in the Confidence Ratings (H/M/L) column under the Task Brainstorm tab.
Step 6: Add notes
Finally, add notes to at least four tasks. Notes can include any information on a task critical to time estimates or its completion. You can pull them from the project team meeting notes or any previous supporting materials.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to address the following criteria in your project plan:
Three-point time estimates for at least four tasks in the project plan
Confidence ratings for at least four tasks in the project plan
Notes for at least four tasks in the project plan
Did you complete this activity?
- Yes
- No
32. The meeting notes state that training will happen in two phases—one for managers and one for staff. Which of the following three-point time estimates would you choose for fully training the team (including planning, training the managers, and training the staff at each location)?
- Optimistic: 2 days; Most Likely: 1 day; Pessimistic: 4 days
- Optimistic: 15 days; Most Likely: 30 days; Pessimistic: 45 days
- Optimistic: 20 days; Most Likely: 14 days; Pessimistic: 10 days
- Optimistic: 10 days; Most Likely: 14 days; Pessimistic: 21 days
33. Which of the following pieces of information should Peta consider when determining the confidence rating for the wiring time estimate? Select all that apply.
- The team is still waiting for the menu update
- The restaurant has attempted table wiring at least once before
- The electrician is confident in the amount of time they need to complete the wiring
- The team’s level of confidence in the time estimate
34. The meeting notes state that Sauce & Spoon has never integrated tablet software with their POS system before and may need to upgrade the system before starting the integration. What confidence rating is appropriate for the POS system time estimates?
- High
- Medium
- Low
35. The meeting notes state that the electrician could complete the wiring for both locations in two business days (or 16 hours). Because the restaurants cannot close for a full day for the upgrade, the team estimates four business days (two half-days at each location) to complete the wiring. Based on this information, what notes could you make to add context for this task in the project plan? Select all that apply.
- “Find money in the budget for an electrician”
- “Contact internet service provider to ensure the network can handle tablet WiFi traffic”
- “Check with electrician on whether mornings or afternoons work better with their schedule”
- “Notify GMs when their locations need to close for wiring”