ICT508 Project Management: EduStream Pilot (Phase 1) Assessment 1 Answer

ICT508 – Information Technology Project Management Assignment 1 Project Proposal and Preliminary Planning

BACKGROUND 

You are a Project Manager working for EdMedia International Pty Ltd (EdMI). Up to now, EdMI has been deploying educational videos and educational games on DVD/Blue Ray. In the past they held nearly 40% of the market share in Australia. Additionally, EdMI control the rights to more than 60% of the available educational videos and games packages available in Australia. However, EdMI’s considerable market share has been eroding over the last few years. This appears to be due to clients wanting to access their educational content more flexibly. EdMI has therefore decided to investigate implementing a new media deployment solution, as a part of a key business expansion. This project is known as ‘EduStream’. The proposal put to the EdMI Board involves creating a system, which utilises a similar architecture to the one implemented by Netflix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXQpgAAeLM4), and leveraging the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) (https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4753/real-time-streamingprotocol-rtsp). The preliminary intent is to roll out a one-year Pilot Project that will establish the foundation for the EduStream system, and then expand on this through following project phases. However, for the moment the focus will only be on the Pilot Project. The EdMI Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the delegated Project Sponsor, and he will be reporting directly to the EdMI Chief Executive Officer (CEO). You have been selected as the Project Manager. This means that you are responsible for implementing and overseeing the Pilot Project from initiation to closure. If the pilot is successful, the intent is that you would then assume the role as Project Manager for the following phases. As a first step, you will need to deliver key project initiation and planning materials to the Board by 9:00AM on Monday 1 April 2019. These materials must provide clarity regarding the business case and outline how the project can be implemented successfully (once it is approved).

THE PROJECT 

The objectives of the project The aim is to create a stable, effective and user-friendly streaming solution, which will allow educational training videos and gamesto be deployed. For this Pilot Project, the Board has decided to begin by deploying Content Delivery Network (CDN) nodes in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. In addition to the streaming systems, you will need to provide secure systems for managing personal information (e.g. databases that include client financial information and usage records) that will be utilised to manage the gateways to access content. All of this infrastructure and the associated systems will also need to be protected by effective security systems (e.g. physical, application, network, data, etc.).

Key Issues to be addressed 

To implement this project, the following important issues will need to be addressed: • The Board is still not convinced that this will be a viable solution. The materials that you provide will therefore have to be detailed and convincing, or you may find yourself out of a job. • You are not an expert in video streaming technologies, and there is no expertise related to these technologies within the company. Additionally, your expertise in establishing large scale web-frontend databases is minimal. Consequently, you will need to engage one or more experienced subcontractor, who can coordinate/implement the server and application related solutions. This will be a high priority. When conducting this selection process, it is recommended that you implement a weighted analysis approach. • EdMI is not a dedicated technology company. Consequently, setting up ‘green-fields’ (all new) data centres and systems is beyond our core business. For this reason, outsourcing will be important. You may also want to think about aspects such as leasing of equipment to help minimise up-front costs. • In addition to the provision of the EduStream system, you will need to think carefully about the provision of ancillary services, such as the establishment and operation of a service desk.

Key Milestones 

You will need to achieve the following key milestones, to meet the Board’s defined requirements. Please note that these only reflect some of the pertinent high-level objectives. You will need to work out other key milestones involved in this approach. The subordinate milestones that you select must allow the following to be achieved: 

• Begin developing informal team relationships: From 4 March 2019; 

• Planned formal project Start Date: 29 April 2019 (this triggers formal allocation of project funds from this date – until this time other members of staff and contractors cannot be engaged formally on a paid basis – In practical terms this means that you have to do the initial work on your own, but you can ask questions during the workshops); 

• Contractually engage one or more technical subcontractor: 24 June 2019; 

• Finalise the Technical/System Architecture/Design: 30 August 2019; 

• Kick off development of software and systems (includes procurement for Development and Test Environments): 2 September 2019 (Note: some preliminary work will be needed prior to this date); 

• Commence Marketing: 9 September 2019 (build client base for Beta and User Acceptance Testing (UAT)); 

• Beta goes-live for the first Pilot CDN node (Perth): 6 December 2019 (Commence detailed System tests and UAT); • Beta goes-live on second Pilot CDN node (Sydney): 7 February (Commence multi-site system testing & UAT); 

• Beta goes-live for third Pilot CDN node (Melbourne): 17 April 2020 (Commence full system pilot testing); 

• Full market opening (includes an advertising blitz): 1 May 2020 (The entire system must be stable and robust by this time); and 

• Formal Pilot Project Closure: 1 June 2020 (submit final reports, etc.).

WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL MUST CONTAIN 

By the delivery deadline listed on Page 1, you must provide the following proposal information: 

• Project Charter. The Project Charter must be included. Use the template provided in the LMS. Advice on the content to be included is supplied in this template. 

• Project Financial Analysis. Provide the NPV, IRR, and break-even calculation information required to determine project viability. To develop these, use the Project Assessment workbook provided in the LMS. 

• Subcontractor Selection. Use the weighted analysis worksheet provided in the Project Assessment workbook provided in the LMS. It is expected that you will include a much more detailed analysis of the issues in this worksheet than what is covered in the workshop. Think about this realistically.

 • Project Management Plan. Complete key parts of the Project Management Plan (PMP) by using the template provided in the LMS. You will need to complete up to and including Section 4.2. The remaining sections in the template will not be required for Assignment 1. • Work Breakdown Schedule. Insert the Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS) that you developed in MS Project. This must be provided with a work package and deliverable focus and go down to a minimum of three levels