EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
PU E
SHI
NG Y L E NC
OU TO THE GATE OF EXC EL
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
,EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
WARNING: PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS ACADEMIC
OFFENSE, therefore students must use this document ONLY as a guideline. Hence
students have regenerated their own (personalized) solutions paying particular
attention to module contents as prescribed by module facilitators, lecturers and
supervisors. This document’s purpose is to compact all sources of information that
might be relevant to students’ assignments, hence additional knowledge on the
provided information is not restricted by the authors. However, submitting this
document as one’s final work is considered unethical, and students should be
penalized. If this document is plagiarized by the users and fails, EXCELCENTRE
should not be rendered accountable since the contents in this document only give
learners a kick-start on what is expected of them from their areas of specialty.
CAUTION: STUDENTS ARE NOT MANDATED TO USE EVERY DETAIL IN THIS
DOCUMENT IN WRITING THEIR ASSIGNMENT
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
,EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
Strategic Project Management
Revision Answer Guide covering past examination papers
Section A (compulsory) and Section B (all elective questions answered) — for practice
only
These are model/guideline answers prepared for self-study and exam revision. In an
actual examination, support each answer with in-text citations (e.g., Larson & Gray;
PMBOK Guide) in the referencing style required by your institution, and feel free to
substitute your own project examples where the question allows a project 'of your
choice'.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
, EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
Paper 1 — Case Study: Vodafone Using PMI Standards to Deliver a Complex
Technology Project
Summary of case: Vodafone was contracted to replace a strategic customer's obsolete
network with a Global Local Area Network (GLAN) across 42 sites worldwide within a
five-year service contract. The project was rated highly complex, faced schedule
pressure from a delayed contract sign-off, and was ultimately delivered on time (ahead
of the team's own target) using a PMI-based waterfall methodology, achieving a 10/10
NPS score and cost savings.
Question 1 — Appraise project management methodology in the context of the
Vodafone project (20 Marks)
Project management methodology is a combination of logically related practices,
methods and processes that determine how best to plan, develop, control and deliver
a project throughout the continuous implementation process until successful
completion and termination. Appraise project management methodology in relation to
the Vodafone project by examining what it enables a project manager to do more
effectively.
A project management methodology is essentially the structured 'operating system' a
project team uses to convert an ambiguous requirement into a controlled, repeatable
delivery process. In the Vodafone GLAN case, the team explicitly adopted a PMI-
standards, waterfall-based methodology once the risk assessment revealed the
project's complexity. Appraising this choice shows that a defined methodology enabled
the project manager to do the following more effectively:
● Standardise delivery across diversity: by categorising the 42 global sites into
Low, Medium, High and Top priority tiers and agreeing a standard delivery
approach per category, the PM avoided re-inventing an approach for every site
and could apply consistent quality and control standards worldwide.
● Plan resources rigorously: supplier workshops were used to agree the
resources required and to formalise these in a resource management plan,
reducing the risk of resource shortages derailing the tight schedule.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
PU E
SHI
NG Y L E NC
OU TO THE GATE OF EXC EL
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
,EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
WARNING: PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS ACADEMIC
OFFENSE, therefore students must use this document ONLY as a guideline. Hence
students have regenerated their own (personalized) solutions paying particular
attention to module contents as prescribed by module facilitators, lecturers and
supervisors. This document’s purpose is to compact all sources of information that
might be relevant to students’ assignments, hence additional knowledge on the
provided information is not restricted by the authors. However, submitting this
document as one’s final work is considered unethical, and students should be
penalized. If this document is plagiarized by the users and fails, EXCELCENTRE
should not be rendered accountable since the contents in this document only give
learners a kick-start on what is expected of them from their areas of specialty.
CAUTION: STUDENTS ARE NOT MANDATED TO USE EVERY DETAIL IN THIS
DOCUMENT IN WRITING THEIR ASSIGNMENT
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
,EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
Strategic Project Management
Revision Answer Guide covering past examination papers
Section A (compulsory) and Section B (all elective questions answered) — for practice
only
These are model/guideline answers prepared for self-study and exam revision. In an
actual examination, support each answer with in-text citations (e.g., Larson & Gray;
PMBOK Guide) in the referencing style required by your institution, and feel free to
substitute your own project examples where the question allows a project 'of your
choice'.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
, EXCELCENTRE LEARNING INSTITUTE 061 043 9805
Paper 1 — Case Study: Vodafone Using PMI Standards to Deliver a Complex
Technology Project
Summary of case: Vodafone was contracted to replace a strategic customer's obsolete
network with a Global Local Area Network (GLAN) across 42 sites worldwide within a
five-year service contract. The project was rated highly complex, faced schedule
pressure from a delayed contract sign-off, and was ultimately delivered on time (ahead
of the team's own target) using a PMI-based waterfall methodology, achieving a 10/10
NPS score and cost savings.
Question 1 — Appraise project management methodology in the context of the
Vodafone project (20 Marks)
Project management methodology is a combination of logically related practices,
methods and processes that determine how best to plan, develop, control and deliver
a project throughout the continuous implementation process until successful
completion and termination. Appraise project management methodology in relation to
the Vodafone project by examining what it enables a project manager to do more
effectively.
A project management methodology is essentially the structured 'operating system' a
project team uses to convert an ambiguous requirement into a controlled, repeatable
delivery process. In the Vodafone GLAN case, the team explicitly adopted a PMI-
standards, waterfall-based methodology once the risk assessment revealed the
project's complexity. Appraising this choice shows that a defined methodology enabled
the project manager to do the following more effectively:
● Standardise delivery across diversity: by categorising the 42 global sites into
Low, Medium, High and Top priority tiers and agreeing a standard delivery
approach per category, the PM avoided re-inventing an approach for every site
and could apply consistent quality and control standards worldwide.
● Plan resources rigorously: supplier workshops were used to agree the
resources required and to formalise these in a resource management plan,
reducing the risk of resource shortages derailing the tight schedule.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
