Project Implementation Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

The first stage of these ten factors includes project management. According to Morris, the initial stage requires a feasible decision and a clear goal and objective (P. W. G. Morris, 1983). Bardach in his six-step implementation process highlight the importance of initiating the implementation process with a plan and clear objectives (E. Bardach, 1977). According to the literature from these two authors and their proposed plans mission statement, it has been highlighted as it is the initial stage and therefore it ismost important for success as the goals and objectives are defined at this stage. Project management as an initial stage should be provided with sufficient knowledge to develop clear goals and objectives along with the clear guidelines and direction for the project implementation.

The second factor highlights the importance of top management support and providing the required and necessary resources along with the authority to make the implementation process for making the project successful. Support from top management has always been a key factor for any implementation as it distinguishes between the success and failure of the project (Schultz, 1975). The role of top management is not only to provide direction and support and show authority, but also the medium for implementing the goals and plans for the organization (Beck, 1983). Client acceptance and resistance to the project is also dependent on the involvement of top management (H, 1975). Support from top management is subjected to allocate funds and resources and to encourage the manager as a leader to ensure successful implementation.

The third step sated the importance of designing a schedule or plan for the projects to define clearly and describe the steps of the implementation process. The Lewin model views planning and scheduling as the initial step in the moving stage (Lewin, 1952), while Nutt further breaks down the planning process into four steps emphasizing on the importance of this stage (Nutt, 1983).

Client consultation was included as a fourth step and laid importance of communication between the parties involved in the project and to move ahead after consulting with the parties involved. The term client can be used for either external customers or internal department or anyone that will become the ultimate beneficiary of the outcome. According to Manley, involvement of the client will result in great variations not just for the project, but the client as well (H, 1975). Client consultation has been viewed as the first stage in implementing the change by many authors (Kolb, 1970). The importance of client consultation highlighted by these authors made it a critical success factor for project implementation.

Personal or team development, the fifth step which highlights the importance of selecting and recruiting the right people for the team along with the training of these personnel. This factor has been neglected by many but lays a firm importance towards the success of the process. According to the theory the knowledge, skill sets, and personalities of the individuals must be assessed and considered while assessing the organizational environment (Hammond, 1979). The selection and training of the people selected for the team is a critical factor that contributes significantly towards the success of the project implementation.

The next step in the model highlight the importance of availability of the technical stuff required to perform technical tasks during the project. This aspect is of huge importance as it not only refers to the availability of an adequate technology, but also highlights the importance of technical skills that are required to operate the technology. The team members selected should poses the sufficient technical skills to carry the technology smoothly.  According to Steven Alter, technical incompatibility and unfamiliarity with the process are highlighted as the biggest risk involved in implementing (Alter, 1979).

Client acceptance refers about the acceptance of the project output to the desired buyers through effective selling is the next step in the model. As discussed in an earlier stage about client consultation, client acceptance is highly dependent on it. By improving the participation in the early stages the chances of getting the product or outcome accepted by the client increases (Jr, 1979). Intermediaries can play a vital role in developing a channel between the developer and the end user to ensure the acceptance of the output.

Monitoring and feedback, the next step in the process is designed to guide the members towards the importance of checking and ensuring comprehensive control over the information at every stage of the implementation process. Monitoring at each stage helps in comparing the results with the projected ones and on the basis of comparison provide feedback. From the aspect of budgeting, monitoring at every stage of implementation is very important (Souder, 1975). Monitoring not only refers to budgeting and scheduling, but also the performance of the team members which helps in providing feedback.........................

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