HR Project Management Final Team Report

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OrganizingHRProjects.docx

Running head: MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE PROJECT

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE PROJECT 8

Organizing HR projects

Johnathan Bryant

Kenneth Lewis

HRM 517: Managing Human Resource Projects

July 26, 2020

Introduction

The company that I work with has over time become more costly and more difficult in maintaining standards and has also experienced frustration for business units to have the budget “hit.” However, the leadership seeks to move to a more centralized model of delivering human resource services. I have been asked to evaluate the proposition of shifting to a more centralized model of delivering human resource services. I am also tasked to also establish a project team to initiate the needed changes. Having selected the project team, this paper will discuss the five steps of strategic planning, a statement of the overall importance of the strategic planning steps to the project team, a mission and vision statement for the project team to the current project, explanation of what a project charter is and why it is used, discussion of the three charter elements, and providing emphasis to the project team.

Five steps of strategic planning

Strategic planning is the process involved in establishing the direction of a business. This is done by assessing where the business is currently and where it is headed. Therefore, strategic planning helps a business in recording the mission, vision, and values, long-term goals and action plans (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula & Wells, 2019). A strategic planning process helps businesses in the implementation of the strategic plan. The five steps of strategic planning are; strategic analysis, guiding principles; mission and vision, strategic objectives, flow-down objectives, and lastly portfolio alignment.

The first step is strategic analysis. This step involves the analysis of external and internal environments and ascertaining how they will be enhanced or limiting the ability of an organization to perform. In most cases, strategic analysis is often a SWOT analysis. The internal analysis analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of a business. The external analysis analyzes the opportunities and threats that competitors, suppliers, and customers have among others.

The second step is guiding principles. After developing a SWOT analysis, the leadership should develop guiding principles that are, the mission and vision. This step may be broken into different parts by adding separate statements on the organization’s purpose and/or values. This section is however included in the organization’s mission. Therefore, organizations should understand the intention of each part and achieving it. The vision statement provides a clear and inspirational long-term, desired change that may be a result of the organization or program work. Having a clear vision will help the organization to understand and desire to achieve it. A vision statement should mobilize employees in achieving it. The mission statement should be lead by the vision. The mission statement includes the core purpose, values, beliefs, culture, primary business, and primary consumers of an organization. The rationale for including each section is; the purpose and mission statement communicates the reason why an organization exists, beliefs and mission statement communicates and organization’s ideal, organization’s culture and mission statement instructs acting in a desired manner, and including core values and mission statement communicates how decisions will be made in an organization and how people will be treated.

The third step is strategic objectives. Having strategic analysis, mission, and vision in place, the next step is developing strategic objectives. This is the means that an organization can use in achieving the mission and vision. This may be done annually while some organizations may review the objectives after 3-6 months. The strategic objective should describe short- and long-term desired results and the measures of determining the achievements. For some leaders, for an objective to be effective, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, results-based, and time-specific.

The fourth step is the flow-down objectives. After the identification of the strategic objectives, the objectives should be enforced. Some objectives may be implemented in an ongoing operation. A primary means of implementing most objectives is through projects. For small organizations, selecting projects may be selected. For a large organization, decisions may be delegated to various functions or divisions.

The fifth step is portfolio alignment. Portfolio management is the centralized management of the portfolio in achieving the strategic objectives of an organization. The main goal is to achieve maximum benefit toward the organization’s strategic goals. For this to be possible, it is important to identify, select, prioritize, resource, and govern the project portfolio.

Statement of the overall importance of the steps to the project team

The five steps of strategic planning are important for the project team. The first step, strategic analysis, is important as it will help in analyzing the external and internal environment and how it impacts the ability of the human resource to perform. The second step, guiding principles, is important to the project team as it will help guide in developing the vision and mission of the project. The third step, strategic objectives, is important since it will help the project team in developing means that can be used in achieving the mission and vision of the project. The objectives can be used as the main focus in making project decisions. The fourth step, flow-down objectives, is important in enforcing the strategic objectives of the team. In this step, the project team will be able to develop the decisions necessary for reinforcing the project’s strategic objectives. The fifth step, portfolio management, is important as it will help in developing ways that can be sued in achieving the maximum benefit of the strategic goals of the project.

Vision and mission statement for the project team

Vision statement: to transform the human resource towards adapting a centralized model of delivering human resource services.

Mission statement: the human resource is dedicated towards supporting the vision of using a centralized model of delivering human resource service through consolidating human resource decisions and activities.

What a project charter is and why it is used

A project charter is a short document that acts as an informal contract between the project team and the sponsor. A contract is an agreement binding two or more parties. One party of the contract cannot change it. Every part also has something to value from the contract. However, a contract can change conditions. However, for it to change, both parties agree and receive something valuable. Therefore, the signing of the charter represents the transitioning from a high-level project initiation stage to a more detailed project planning stage (Sokowski, 2015). Therefore, a project charter is a deliverable hence granting the project team the right to move into a more detailed planning stage of a project. This may include permission to plan or to make decisions among others.

A project charter is used for four main reasons. The first reason is the authorization of the project manager to proceed. A project charter authorizes the project hence giving a project manager a go ahead and documents for the business needs. The second reason is that it acts as a foundation for the project team and sponsor to develop a common understanding. The third reason is that it ensures that the project team and sponsor commit. Lastly, it helps in screening out poor projects (Sokowski, 2015). 

Three charter elements

The three charter elements that I have selected are scope overview, business case, and background. The reason for choosing scope overview is as it determines what a project team should accomplish and how it will be done. Therefore, it answers the question “what and why” of the project. It hence establishes the work that must be undertaken to deliver a result. The scope overview describes the project work and results. It can hence be used in the differentiation of what the project will achieve and what it will not achieve. This will hence prevent the issue of scope creep.

The second element is the business case. The reason for choosing this element is because it provides the purpose of the project. It helps parties in the project such as the project team and the sponsors in understanding what the main objective of the project is. Therefore, it justifies why the project is necessary. With a well-written business case, decision-makers can be persuaded in supporting the project and inspiring the project team to work hard (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula & Wells, 2019). 

The third element is the background. The reason for choosing this element is because it identifies the major schedule and milestones in the project. The team can then set a date where each milestone is expected to be completed.

Statement of emphasis

This information is essential as it will help in initiating the needed changes towards shifting to a more centralized model of delivering HR services. The five steps of strategic planning will help in establishing the direction of the project and the importance of following the steps when undertaking the project. The vision and mission statement will guide the project team on what needs to be accomplished. It also establishes what a project charter is and how it can be used and applied in the project. Lastly, the charter elements will help in ensuring that the project team commits and achieves the project’s mission, vision, and objectives.

References

Katsioloudes, M., & Abouhanian, A. K. (2016). The Strategic Planning Process: Understanding Strategy in Global Markets. Taylor & Francis.

Kloppenborg, T. J., Anantatmula, V. S., & Wells, K. N. (2019). Contemporary Project Management. Cengage.

Sokowski, D. (2015). Mastering Project Management Integration and Scope: A Framework for Strategizing and Defining Project Objectives and Deliverables. FT Press.