Option #1: Develop Applications Relative to Course Objectives

As part of successfully completing this course, you should be able to master the eight course objectives:

1. Demonstrate the need for project management metrics.
2. Establish the importance of metrics in effective management of time, cost, and scope.
3. Apply the knowledge of project metrics to identify the key characteristics of properly defined metrics.
4. Characterize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as used in metric-driven project management.
5. Apply value-based project management metrics as important in selecting the right metrics.
6. Explore project performance dashboards including designs, use, and limitations.
7. Explore the applications of visual project management tools, including project performance dashboards.
8. Create proper performance indicators for application in measurement-driven project management.

In this portfolio project, you are to show your mastery of the eight course objectives at a master's level. You are to write a paper that covers each of the eight topics.

Notice that each objective is written with a verb as the first word to show some action that students must achieve for success in this class. Verbs like "demonstrate," "apply," and "create" require that the student takes some action on a project to satisfy the requirement. You should find a project to use in this portfolio where you may take those actions and document them in your paper. You might apply earned value analysis on a project underway to satisfy course objective number 5, for example.

Verbs like "establish," "characterize," and "explore" require that the student shows mastery of current thinking on the subject. This part of your paper may be taken from research, or interviews. You might explore an application of dashboards by interviewing a project manager and performing research on current thinking about dashboards, for example.

Therefore, your paper should include sections to address the following:

1. Identify and describe an actual project that was successful in part because it used project metrics, what those metrics were, and why they were a contributing factor to success.
2. Research and report on current thinking in both research and practice about effective management of time, cost, and scope with metrics.
3. Research and report on current thinking in both research and practice about the key characteristics of properly defined metrics, and identify and describe an actual project to compare its use of metrics to your research to determine if the metrics were properly defined.
4. Research and report on current thinking in both research and practice about KPIs.
5. Show your application of value-based project management metrics on a project with which you are familiar and interpret the results of your application.
6. Research and report on performance dashboards including designs, use, and limitations, and visual project management tools, including project performance dashboards.
7. Create proper performance indicators for application in measurement-driven project management on a project with which you are familiar.

Since the key sections of your work correspond to individual module of the course, it is recommended that you progressively develop your project based on the weekly topics.

Paper Requirements:

• Prepare a portfolio paper to address the eight-course objective. All eight course objectives must be addressed. The Course Objectives are:
  1. Demonstrate the need for project management metrics and benefits of metric-driven project management.
  2. Establish the importance of metrics in effective management of time, cost, and scope.
  3. Apply the knowledge of project metrics to identify the key characteristics of properly defined metrics.
  4. Characterize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as used in metric-driven project management.
  5. Apply value-based project management metrics as important in selecting the right metrics.
  6. Explore project performance dashboards including designs, use, and limitations.
  7. Explore the applications of visual project management tools, including project performance dashboards.
  8. Create proper performance indicators for application in measurement-driven project management.
• Incorporate at least 10-12 current peer-reviewed scholarly references (current means published in past five years). The CSU Global Library(Links to an external site.) is a good place to find your sources. Additionally, be sure to visit the Library's Project Management Resource Guide(Links to an external site.) for assistance with research and writing.
• Incorporate any constructive feedback provided by your instructor on your work in Week 2.
• Properly organize your writing and include an introductory section with thesis and mapping, headings/subheadings for the body of your work, discussion, recommendations, and a conclusion.
• Any diagram, figure, or table should be included in an appendix, but clearly discussed in the text portion of the paper. Appendices should be included after the references.
• Format your entire paper in accordance with the CSU Global Writing Center(Links to an external site.).

Your paper must be 10 to 15 pages long, not including the required title page and references page or any other supplemental pages such as appendices that you choose to include.