PROJECT Essay Example

Table of Contents

ASSESSMENT TASK 1: PROJECT SCOPING ACTIVITY

Project Purpose and Justification

This project entails creating, designing, building, and implementing a recruiting software system known as ‘ProRecruit.’ The purpose of this project is to improve the players’ recruiting process at Gold Coast Football Club by making it more efficient thereby enhancing the team’s performance and competitiveness. The Australian football league is way behind other sports such as baseball and rugby in the country. To improve the popularity of football, clubs like Gold Coast must enhance their standards by recruiting very talented players. The ‘ProRecruit’ will ensure that only the best players are chosen by integrating the players’ statistics and physical attributes during the recruitment process.

Moreover, this software will eliminate any bias or favouritism by the recruiters. Currently, the team scouts use experience, wisdom, and intuition to draft new players to the team. However, without the use tangible evidence of the players’ abilities, there is room of favouritism whereby the scouts draft players according to personal relationships. This project will eliminate any inefficiencies in the recruitment process by storing data of similar players such as possession, goals, tackles, interceptions, and speed among others for comparison purposes so that only the players with the best statistics are selected. The enhanced efficiencies during the selection process will improve the team’s performance, and the competitiveness of the football league as teams will have the best players.

This project will enable Gold Coast Football team to cut costs and prevent losses by alleviating investment in players who are not good enough. ‘ProRecruit’ will enable the team to sign up only players who are good enough to become successful professionals. By using scientific data about potential players, the team will avoid contract costs of signing mediocre players who cannot perform to the expected standards. The software will make the recruitment process easier by streamlining the reporting process whereby information on potential players will be shared through the software. Besides, the software will include store all the necessary information about the players and include vision footages of the potential players making the drafting process easier and more convenient to the recruiting team. If successfully implemented, this project will revolutionize and overhaul Gold Coast FC’s recruitment process and improve the team’s performance and competitiveness.

Scope Description

The scope of this project is to design, create, build and implement a recruitment software known as ‘ProRecruit’ that Gold Coast FC scouts will use to draft new players to the team. The project will involve Craig Horn, the football manager, Rob Warn, the list manager, Chris Bluff, the head coach, and the recruitment team led by Brian Stook and the six scouts working under his stewardship. The team will work in close collaboration with an external software design team who will design and build the software. The club’s management will meet and agree on the structure, layout of the software that would be perfect for them as well as the rating system that should be integrated into the software. Thereafter, the management agrees on the best criteria for selecting the best company to build the software.

Headed by the list manager, Rob Warn, and in conjunction with the software design company, the club will streamline the selection process, data to be included in the software, and the rating system. The team will test the system and provide their recommendations on sections that require improvement. Based on their feedback, the design team will make changes to the system, improving the weaknesses and making it as close to perfect as possible. The design team will produce different versions of the software which the recruitment team will use for the trials and decide on the best version to use. After successful trials of the software, the project will be concluded and the software design company paid all the outstanding design fees. The club will then begin using the software on a full-time basis in the recruitment process of new players. The scope of this project, therefore, entails the planning, design, building, and the implementation of the ‘ProRecruit’ software system.

Project Boundaries

The ‘ProRecruit’ project includes all the work linked to the planning, designing, building, and implementing the software for Gold Coast FC. The project will entail brainstorming on the structure and layout of the software, obtaining input from all stakeholders, the conceptual and technical design by the software company, installation, and testing. Other activities included in the project are training manuals for the software users and security measures to prevent the hacking of the system and subsequent leaking of player profiles. Activities not included in the project include system maintenance and upgrades.

Project Strategy

The ‘ProRecruit’ project strategy entails announcing a tendering process to software design companies to obtain the best company suited to build the system according to the stipulated specifications. Interested companies will announce their bids to build the software that the management will evaluate and award the company to the most suitable company. The project management team will examine the companies’ technical expertise, experience in software design, and quoted implementation costs. An open tendering process will enable Gold Coast FC to obtain the best company to design the software at the least cost possible. Another project strategy will be the involvement of all stakeholders throughout the project process. Involving all stakeholders such as the recruitment team is necessary to ensure that their expectations are met and enhance their work satisfaction. The project manager, Rob Warn, will guarantee the participation of all the stakeholders to ensure the project is a success.

Acceptance Criteria

For the club to consider the project as completed and to accept it, the project must meet certain acceptable standards. The acceptance criteria stipulate the expectations of the project stakeholders (Cleland & Ireland, 2006). Without the acceptance criteria, there may be uncertainty shrouding the implementation of a project. Gold Coast FC management established a set of acceptance criteria to ensure that the ‘ProRecruit’ project is a success. The acceptance criteria are both qualitative and quantitative and must be met for the project to be considered successful. The project management set the following acceptance criteria:

• Meet all the project deliverables within the scheduled completion date of April 1^st, 2017 and estimated budget.

• Improve Gold Coast FC player recruitment process by making it more efficient.

• Reducing the team’s losses and contract costs incurred by signing below average players.

• Improve the overall team’s performance, competitiveness, and league position.

Project Deliverables

Project deliverables refer to the outputs that the ‘ProRecruit’ project is intended to produce. The club’s management established a set of deliverables that must be met for the project to be considered a success. It is the duty of the project manager, Rob Warn, to ensure that all the project deliverables are met. The project deliverables include:

• Deliverable 1: A tested and operational ‘ProRecruit’ recruitment software that is error free and befits the requirements and specifications stipulated in the project scope.

• Deliverable 2: A tested and operational recruitment software that enables the recruitment team to identify and recruit the best young players in the most convenient and cost-effective manner.

• Deliverable 3: A comprehensive guide that provides clear instructions to the users of how to maintain useful information on the potential players.

• Deliverable 4: A thorough and succinct troubleshooting guide that allows the users to take corrective measures should they face any problems.

• Deliverable 5: An elaborate security system that will prevent unauthorized persons like hackers from accessing collected information on potential players.

Project Constraints

The project management team has identified several limitations that the project faces. As a result, it is important that the considerations and strategies be made throughout the project’s period. The constraints affect the project’s objectives, scope, schedule, and cost. All the stakeholders must, therefore, be mindful of these constraints and develop strategies to mitigate them to prevent any adverse impacts they may have on the project. The identified project constraints are:

• Time constraints whereby the project must be completed by the April 1^st, 2017.

• Financial restraints of successfully implementing the project within the outlined budget.

• The software company will only be able to work on the project for two days in a week.

• The head coach and the recruitment team are only available for two days in a week as they are busy with their regular schedules.

• The software must be installed in the iPads and capable to function normally in every region across the country.

Assumptions

It is important to consider the project assumptions since they introduce some form of uncertainty and risk to a project until confirmed to be true (Cleland & Ireland, 2006). The project management team identified various assumptions in the ‘ProRecruit’ project. The management should be mindful of these assumptions throughout the project planning process and identify and mitigate the risks caused by the following assumptions:

• The contracted software company will produce a high-quality recruitment software within the stipulated deadline.

• The contracted software design company will create a well-functioning system that can function in any place throughout the country.

• The entire project process will be within the estimated cost.

• The project enjoys the support of all members of Gold Coast Football Club.

Sign-Off from Workplace Mentor

It is critical that the project is supported by the club’s senior management. Cleland & Ireland (2006) explain that the success of a project depends on whether it enjoys the full support of the executives. Without executive support, a project is likely to fail irrespective of its nature. Regarding the ‘ProRecruit’ project, the project manager, Rod Warn, will brief Craig Horn weekly on the progress of the project. Rob will explain to the football manager the project deliverables that must be met to ensure the project is a success. Upon completion of the project, the project management team will evaluate the success or failure of the project. The evaluation report will be presented to Craig who will then sign it to consider the project complete or approve the changes proposed by the project management team to ensure the project is successful as initially planned. The workplace mentor, Craig in this case, must sign off the project since he is the link between the project management team and the club CEO and board of directors. His goodwill and full support of the project is, therefore, critical to the success of ‘ProRecruit’ project.

ASSESSMENT TASK 2: PROGRESSIVE WORKPLACE STATUS REPORT

Project Name

The project name is ‘ProRecruit’ which is a recruiting software to help the club is drafting of new players. The project aims to replace the current recruitment process that relies on the scouts’ experience, wisdom, and gut feeling.

Business Name

The business name is Gold Coast Football Club since it is the organization that initiated and implements the project. Furthermore, recruiters that will use the project product, the software, are employees of the football club. The club started the project to help improve its performance and competitiveness both in the sporting arena and business front regarding higher ticket sales due to improved team performance.

Date of Status Report

This report is dated January 31^st, 2017 four weeks after the beginning of the project. This report illustrates the activities that took place since the start of the project until the stated date.

Project Progress

The first stage of the project process was the project initiation. This occurred by the club’s executives agreeing on the need to revamp the recruitment process by using technology. The club’s officials set the goals and objectives of the project process, the project activities, and the firm that will carry out the project. Moreover, it is at this stage that the senior management agreed on the criteria for choosing the firm that will conduct the project. Furthermore, they conducted the feasibility of the project by evaluating how it will benefit the club vis-à-vis the costs. After agreeing on the project’s financing, the club’s senior executives approved the project heralding its official beginning.

The definition of the project occurred three days after the initiation phase. This stage involved defining all the project requirements. The project management led by Rob Warn were responsible for defining the project requirements. The project management settled on the criteria of selecting the software firm that will design the system. The club agreed that it would use an open tendering process by inviting interested firms to make their bids of designing, creating, and implementing the software. An open bidding process ensured that interested companies competed for the tender and that the club chose the most qualified firm that charged the least cost to design and build the software. It was at this stage that the project management team set the project expectations and limits. The group agreed that the software firm must create a well-functioning system that is free of errors and fully operational in all the regions of the country. Moreover, the project management agreed that the software must enable the users (scouts) to collect all the important players’ information conveniently and to use the least cost possible. Other project objectives set by the firm was a training program to guide users on how to use the software, a troubleshooting guide to allow the users to take corrective measures in case of trouble, and a proper security system to prevent non-authorized persons from accessing the system and collected information on potential players. However, the club agreed that the software maintenance and upgrades were not part of this project and will be considered at a later date. The project management team also decided on the layout and structure of the software that was required. This phase took place through brainstorming with each member giving their views on the design of the software. The software structure was based on what the project members wanted to be addressed in the recruitment process and the most appropriate recruitment policy. The project manager recorded each person’s view on the features they wanted to be included in the software. He then forwarded the members’ recommendations of the appropriate software structure and recruitment policy to the contracted software design firm.

The design stage began in the third week of the project and was done by the contracted software design company. The contracting of an external firm to create the system was necessary since this is a football club hence there was no person with the technical expertise of developing a software system. Contracting an external firm was required to create a system that met all the expectations set by the project management team. The software firm integrated all the recommendations produced by project management members to create different versions of the ‘ProRecruit’ software. The designing of the software was done by software engineers and programmers employed by the contracted firm.

The development stage began after the design stage. The contracted software firm conducted the development stage just like during the design stage. This phase entailed ordering the raw materials required to build the software. The firm leaders organized the employees into groups with clear instructions on what to do to create a system that meets the expectations of the project management team. The development stage occurred for a considerable period with the design team taking their time to develop and create a well-functioning and operational system that met all the expectations stipulated by the project management.

Project Performance

Since the initiation, the project process went on smoothly and as planned. The initiation by the club’s senior executives occurred within the scheduled time. Moreover, the senior management authorized an adequate finance budget enough to complete the project successfully. The project was unanimously approved by the football manager, the CEO, and the club’s board of directors.

The project definition stage though takes place well and as planned, occurred a snail’s slow speed. Members of the project management agreed on the project requirements, expectations, and boundaries. However, members were slow to give their opinions and views on the layout of the software as well as the appropriate recruiting policy. The head coach, Chris Bluff, and the recruitment team led by Brain Stook were busy with their daily routine schedules hence, took a lot of time before giving their views on the appropriate software layout structure. Nonetheless, they fully participated in the project process and were enthusiastic about the project enhancing their players’ recruitment roles. The project management team agreed on an open tendering process to select the software design firm to create and build the system. The tendering process went on as planned with several software design firms sending their applications and interest in developing the software. However, the bidding process also took a long time and somehow derailed the project. The bidding process was slow since the project management team had to interview all the applicants to come up with the best firm to design, create, build, and implement the software. However, the tendering process allowed the project manager and his team to pick the most qualified firm that developed the software at the least cost.

The performance of the software design firm that conducted the design and development stages was impressive with the stages going on as planned. The contracted firm has very competent and highly qualified firm staffs who built the software according to the set expectations. The company gave weekly briefs to the project management team on the progress of the design and development process. The company had sourced all the materials required to build the software and was well on schedule to complete the design and building stages well on time.

Table 1: Project Performance Colour Highlight

PROJECT STAGE	PERFORMANCE COLOUR
Project Initiation
Project Definition
Project Design
Project Development

Issues

The most significant issue affected the project was delays by project team members in submitting their views on the software to the project manager well on time. Most of the members of the project management such as the head coach and the recruitment team were engrossed in their daily routines. With the football season going on, the head coach was busy with the team leading them in the practice sessions while the recruitment group led by Brian Stook were mostly away watching matches while looking for new young talents. The head coach and the hiring personnel were only available in two days a week due to their daily working commitments. Their job commitments delayed the project process. The open tendering process of choosing the appropriate software design firm although was good, it was time-consuming and hence created a further delay in the project process. The bidding process was slow due to the interviewing of the shortlisted candidates. A less time-consuming method of selecting the software firm could have been appropriate.

Timelines Details

The project was initiated and began on January 1^st, 2017 and has a 120 day period with the completion date set on April 1^st, 2017. The project initiation occurred as planned but the definition process took longer than expected. The delay in the definition stage was because of the unavailability of members of the project management team who were held up in their daily routines. The project design and development process are, nevertheless, going on according to schedule. Time will tell whether the delay in the project initiation stage will affect the overall project schedule.

Budget Status

The project’s budget and financing were approved by the club’s CEO and the board of directors. The majority of the project’s budget will be used to pay the contracted software company. The remaining funds will be used to conduct training of staff members who will use the software. Some of the funds will also be used to buy iPads for all staff members who will use the software. No escalation of the project’s budget is expected.

Planned Deliverables

The remaining planned activities include the thorough testing of the software after completion, training of staff members on how to use the system, and the official introduction of the software in the club’s recruitment process.

Review of Risks

The most potent risk is the failure of software firm to create and build a system that matches the set specifications and expectations of the club’s project management team. The club expects the firm to build the ‘ProRecruit’ software that includes all the features it listed as well as fully operational in all regions across the country. Constant updates and evaluation of the design team can help mitigate this risk.

ASSESSMENT TASK 2: PROGRESSIVE WORKPLACE PROJECT STATUS REPORT

Project Name: “ProRecruit” Software

Business Name: Gold Cost Football Club – the Australian Football League

Date of Status Report: June 3^rd, 2017 (the dates can be changed to suit the project schedules)

Project Progress, Including Highlights

The different sessions of the assemblies were meant for the approval of the secretariat’s proposal for the implementation of a comprehensive recruitment software system known as “ProRecruit.” All the sessions approved the implementation of the system after considering certain benefits including: (1) the modernization of recruitment procedures for baseball players (2) streamline reporting (3) storing details about players in centralised and easily accessible means (4) providing an up-to-date analysis of every player (5) improving players’ productivity and (6) giving better information regarding the capability of individual players (7) making recruitment process more successful and ensuring successful competition.

The project planning and implementation will be undertaken in a phased and prudent manner. The first stage of implementation will involve establishing a strong structure and project governance structure. The second stage will include the adoption of the best implementation practices. The third and fourth stage of implementation will take into consideration the development of a comprehensive system solution and creation of a balance between the old system and the new recruitment system. The final stages of implementation will require proper application hosting arrangements.

Furthermore, the implementation process will involve consciously re-evaluating and controlling major project risks through the establishment of a strong portfolio governance and the adoption of best implementation practices. It will be necessary for the implementation team to establish the governance structure in the following order:

• The information communication team will be assigned the task for the portfolio management. Throughout the project implementation, the ICT board will be required to report to the director general so that there is enhanced project coordination and successful implementation of the software portfolio as well as the realization of the projected benefits.

• The Cross Functional Group (CFG), comprising of players, managers, coaches, scouts, and recruiting teams will be categorised based on their seniority and level of authority within the business. The categorisation will not only add to the vision and planning process, but will also ensure that the management is responsible for every recruitment process. The main idea will be to achieve efficient ownership of the design and make effective decisions regarding players’ recruitment, be in a position to address cross-functional procedures, issues, and define project needs. The project team will make sure that the CFG comprises of representatives from different sectors including baseball players, team managers, and couches, administrators, and program developers.

• The ProRecruit project management office will be established with the aims of providing common planning guidelines, offering quality assurance, budget control, and reporting procedures across the portfolio implementation. All these processes will be executed in accordance with the PRINCE2 Project management initiative.

• At the final stage, the project management and implementation team will undertake proactive risk management approaches and provide regular reports to an “Independent Advisory Oversight Committee (IAOC).”

Project Performance

The football club is currently handling a huge project that aims at improving the performance of the baseball players at the Australian Football League and across the world. For the purposes of maintaining transparency in its operations and efficient management of both human and non-human resources, the project management team decided to establish procedures that would allow program managers to work on a fixed-term project or temporary project posts. According to the club managers, project posts and positions can only be established for a specific duration after which the project is terminated. The termination, however, will depend on the project time frame and availability of funds approved for the project implementation.

The project team has succeeded in attracting and inducting qualified and highly experienced teams to help in the recruitment process. The professionals that will fill the project position include the “ProRecruit” system manager, two ICT managers, a single solution architect, and two Human Resource Managers. For the three remaining positions, the projects managers decided to include the roles of change management, process management, and resource management specialists. The recruitment of these professionals will ensure project continuity and improved performance of other key project teams during and after the implementation. Even though the selection process tool longer duration than anticipated, the project team was able to partner with the most experienced teams and proven methodologies that were necessary for the delivery of a comprehensive portfolio objectives.

Issues

With the current changes in technology, there is a need for the managers of the Gold Coast Football Club to come up with a system that will allow for the recruitment of highly experienced, active, and committed players. The Gold Coast Football is among the many clubs in Australia that employ old methods of recruiting players that are ineffectively used to obtain skilled and experienced individuals. The fact that the club still uses recruiters to watch and obtain players means that it will continue to lag behind in Australian Football League and American Sports. Through the new recruitment system known as ProRecruit, the Gold Coast Football will be in a position to improve its performance and position in Australian Football League.

Timeline Details

The whole project is expected to last for a period of 120 days beginning January 1^st, 2017 and ending April 1^st, 2017. Table 2 below shows the specific project activities or milestones and their corresponding implementation duration.

Table 2:
Project Activities/Milestones and Project Duration

Schedule	Project Duration	Project Activities
	01/01/2017			Meeting, brainstorming, formulating the correct criteria and rating for the new system; researching for the best companies to outsource the software and system development; designing the software platform and layout; getting started on the system development.
	30/01/2017
	31/01/2017			Streamlining the new system with the current recruitment procedure, developing a system for data and rating, and establishing a test or trial criteria.
	01/02/2017
	02/02/2017			Conducting more tests, verifications, trials, feedbacks and completion. Engaging
	01/04/2017

Budget Status

The implementation team estimated overall project cost at 20 million US dollars over a three-year time frame. The project costs were divided into “application hosting,” “funds for acquiring software,” “funds for hiring project personnel,” “costs for user back-filling resources,” “funds for external implementation partner fees,” and “funds for training and communication” among other uses. It was also necessary for the project team to take into consideration costs that would be incurred when the system becomes operational. Some of these costs include funds for successive program implementation and funds for new and regular budget proposals. The table below provides a summary of the current budget status and the projected budget utilization at the end of project life.

Table 3:
ProRecruit Project Cost Tracking

Cost Items	Current Project Budget	Actual Project Budget (Note 1)	Projected Budget (Note 2 & 3)
Funds for Hosting Application	$712,000
Funds for Acquiring Software	$2,988,000	$1,910,000	$2,079,900
Funds for Recruiting Project Personnel (Note 4)	$1,535,000	$198,520	$806,534
Funds for User Back-Filling Resources	$775,400		$465,000
Funds for External Implementation Partner	$3,701,559	$1,302,000	$1,435,000
Funds for Training System Users	$401,500		$112,000
Communication Funds and other Miscellaneous	$111,000		$111,000
	$10,224,459	$3,410,520	$5,066,734

Note 1 represents the actual budget for the project implementation including expenditures and commitments after its partial completion. Note 2 represents budget forecasts and expected actual costs at the end of the project based on current project balances and the initial costs assumptions for the project. Note 3 represents the original budget that foresaw the project to be completed earlier at a higher cost. However, the fact that the project deliverables will extend to a later date means that the costs associated with some of the activities will be lower than the anticipated costs according to Note 3. Finally, Note 4 represents the original budget that foresaw the project to be completed within a period of one year. It is true that many positions have been filled with the required number of personnel and this means that the cost for project personnel will be lower in future.

Planned Deliverables/Activities for the Next/or Remaining Time Period

Table 3 above shows the major project activities and their associated costs over the period of implementation. The project activities according to the project managers and ICT team included hosting applications, acquiring the necessary software, recruiting personnel, acquiring user back-filling resources, seeking the views of implementation partners, and training system users. Some of the key project deliverables planned for the future or the next implementation period include:

• Developing effective Human Resource Streams, particularly personnel and payroll projects. The project implementation team revealed that the club had not yet initiated its personnel and payroll projects. Therefore, through the revised staff rules and regulations, the club will have the opportunity to design roles and responsibilities of every staff members so that the recruitment system and processes are effectively implemented.

• Finalizing the project vision, conceptual plan, developing a solution map, and delivering the project for test and use. At this stage, the new software systems should facilitate the recruitment of new baseball players and allow the club to have the best players in terms of skills and commitment.

• Re-planning the project portfolio following the new priorities identified in the project vision. This activity means that there will be no change to the original project plan and the project duration will remain unaffected.

Review of Risks

Table 4 below shows the risks associated with the new software system. These risks must continuously be reviewed and monitored so that the project team can develop and redefine the most effective mitigation strategies.

Table 4:
Project Risks and their Mitigation Strategies

Risk Categories	Description	Risk Mitigation
Strategy Risk
Not being in a position to obtain maximum value for the project.	The wide staff and limited operational level may make it hard for the club to extract maximum benefit from the ProRecruit project.	The project team must come up with a well-defined project portfolio governance structure.
Operational Risk
Change to the existing recruitment systems	Alteration of the traditional systems in anticipation for the ProRecruit software poses a risk of disruption to the current system.	Seeking the services of the ICT department to identify the best ways of integrating the new recruitment software into the old system.
Financial Risk
Cost overruns	Program cost overrun and ongoing expenses of the project seem too high for the club to absorb.	The project team must manage carefully costs associated with direct hires and commercially contracted employees.

ASSESSMENT TASK 3: WORKPLACE PROJECT REPORT AND WORKPLACE PROJECT PRESENTATION

Part a: Workplace Project Report

Why is “ProRecruit” software the best alternative recruitment system for Gold Cost Football Club? Human beings are considered to be irrational or biased decisions makers. Homogeneity, for instance is one of the perfect examples used to demonstrate the kind of biasness that occurs during recruitment as most recruiters tend to hire the services of those individuals whom they perceive to match their skills and experience. Just like other sectors of employment, most football clubs suffer from homogeneity and lack of commitment on the side of players. The first ever diversity report released by the Gold Cost Football Club indicated that the subsequent failures to meet international standards or compete favourably with other Australian clubs are greatly caused by ineffective recruitment programs. The fact that other football clubs in Australia apply recruitment systems such as “Rooney Rule” means that there is a significant change on how clubs and organizations recruit their staffs.

The current recruitment platform requires that recruiters must interview the minority candidates to identify their unique talents and allow for possible placement. Those involved in recruitment of players must also understand that there is a need to explore new technologies so that the process can be expanded to capture other scopes beyond physical appearance and talents. This part of the project has been developed as a report about the ProRecruit Project with the primary goal of comparing the actual process and outcomes with the plans and goals identified in the preliminary project report. This section of report is divided into six subsections including (1) issues investigated (2) project plan (3) methodology used (4) project highlights (5) disappointments or set-backs (6) project outcomes, recommendations, and interventions required and (7) lessons learnt.

The Issues the Project Investigated

While focusing on strategies that can be used to improve the performance of Gold Cost Football Club, it was important for the project team to address the following issues:

• Can the Gold Cost Football Club use “ProRecruit” software system to ensure smart sourcing of players?

The costs of acquiring talented players come into play when football clubs fill new positions for the first time. Most clubs spend huge finances to acquire talented and highly skilled players. The recruitment costs include direct funds such as the amount used to source new players and indirect costs including the recruiting agency fees and funds for advertising recruitment positions. Managers of the Gold Cost Football Club estimates its recruitment costs to be increasing each year while the talents and skills sourced do not bring the projected value to the club. As a smart sourcing technology, the management is optimistic that the new software, “ProRecruit,” will help the club to acquire new talented players that will be more valuable to the football team.

• What essential characteristics of ProRecruit improve its performance when it comes to player’s recruitment?

ProRecruit software system has three key traits that make the recruitment process appealing. The first characteristic according to the implementation team is that the project has automated job board processes that will allow recruiters to engage in predictive ranking of players and optimization of selection based on individuals’ capabilities. The fact that the club will be exploring options for open and diverse recruitment means that there will be more opportunities to attract talented and qualified players. The second characteristic of the software is based on its ability to identify and build a common talent pool. The software is valuable because it is one of the strategies the club can use to reduce dependence on third party recruiters and outside databases. With the current competition, it becomes necessary for the Gold Coast Football Club to develop good relationships between players and their managers so that there is there is open opportunity for professional practices. Appropriate database for candidate-managers relationship is expected to lower the rates and costs of recruitment. The third and final characteristic of the software is its ability to plug into social platforms and allow for the recruitment of qualified players from different parts of the country. It is true that the current technology and the introduction of social sites has improved the way people interact. Social sites make it possible for recruiters to go beyond job boards and get players that can keep to the prescribed tasks.

• How can the software be used to recruit skilled and experienced players at lower costs and time?

For several years, the Gold Coast Football Club has been depending on the services of external recruiters when hiring new players. This recruitment practice has been common in most Australian Football Clubs. During recruitment, the recruiting teams must go to the field, watch young players and footballers from other clubs and take records of best players without considering other factors that are essential for classification. The old recruitment method has been ineffective because recruiters used their experience and limited wisdom to make a decision on the recruitment of specific players. Currently, the reporting systems for Australian Clubs range from non-system to poor systems, and this makes some of the clubs including Gold Coast Football Club to perform poorly.

During project development, the implementation team took into consideration the fact that the recruitment process must focus more on players’ statistics, positions played, and physical attributes. Through ProRecruit software, it will be easier for recruiters to measure such attributes like possessions, goals, kicks, handballs, marks, hit outs, tackles, age, height, weight, endurance, agility, and speed. All these combinations of characteristics are important when determine the best players to be included in the club. The recruiters will use the software to identify those criteria that hold higher value than others so the each player is given a rating depending on their performance. Once the data from the field has been compared against the player’s historical information including statistics, physical attributes, and position, it becomes easier for the recruiters to determine the best performing individuals. The main benefit of ProRecruit is that the recruiting team does not need to engage in guesswork when obtaining players for the club. This means that the recruitment process will be potentially more successful than before the implementation of the software.

The Project Plan

Step 1: Project Viability

Before project implementation, it was necessary for the management to determine whether there was a business need, a strong value proposition, and benefits after the software implementation. It was necessary to calculate the projected benefits in terms of the “return on investment (ROI)” using the general formula:

ROI =

The implementation team estimated the cost of the project at 20 million US dollars with benefits upon completion amounting to 28 million US dollars. This means that the expected ROI for the company was 40%. The 40% return on investment meant that the project was viable and worth investment.

Step 2: Selection of Vendors

After the business justification and project managers accepting to implement the software, it was necessary for the team to make decisions regarding the software vendor. The selection of the software vendor was done in the following three stages:

• Stage 1: creating and evaluation team – the project managers had to assemble a team within the club to help evaluate the software vendor. The evaluation team consisted of top managers, functional experts, and final users.

• Stage 2: business assessment – it was also important for the project team to assess the current status of the club, determine critical processes, and highlight the impacts of the new system on process delivery.

• Stage 3: software criteria – at this point, the project team developed a selection criteria to compare the available options. Certain features including price, usability, implementation platform, and durability among other characteristics were used to determine the best software for the club.

Step 3: Project Inception

After selecting the vendor based on the criteria identified, the management felt that it was wise to start the project with a good kick-off. The first step under project inception was to come up with a team of experts who would assist in the implementation process. It was also necessary for the management to identify some of the key resources that would be used to oversee the project throughout the various stages of development. Furthermore, the management had to define key responsibilities during the implementation process by identifying the following components:

• Governance structure – a governance board is also the project steering committee, and maintains accountability and success of the project. Ideally, the management team had to come up with this role so that they can easily determine whether or not the project is able to sustain the potential to meet expected values. The steering committee also plays a crucial role of assessing the current state of the project and adjusting content and directions so that the project goals can be achieved.

• Executive sponsor – As C-level administrators, executive sponsors have much interest in a project and would work to ensure that all the project goals have been achieved. The executive sponsors for this project were considered to be the highest-ranking managers who have a good understanding of the organizational culture and awareness of how the project can be modified to meet the expectations of stakeholders.

• Project Management Office – the main function of this office is to ensure that the project is achieving its benefits and that project teams are working according to the management policies, principles, processes, and methodology.

• Project managers – the management must come up with a list of people who will remain responsible for the overall performance of the project and its success. The project managers will coordinate roles between functional or technical lead and the project management offices or sponsors.

• Establishing the positions and roles of functional leads, technical leads, and change management.

• Announcing the project team to the club and calling upon the participation of all stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the software.

Step 4: Refining the Process

At this point, the project team must get to work, create subsequent meetings between the functional lead and business process experts and specify all aspects that must be included in the software to facilitate players’ selection. This step is a requirement for the final training and implementation and corresponds to areas identified in figure 1 below.

Project Manager

Enter Project Budget

Gold Coast Football Club

Figure 1: Process Refinement

Project Administration

Creating Project

Gold Coast Football Club

Step 5: Software Build-Out

It was a requirement under this step that the functional lead must transfer all the business processes to the technical team so that the technical team can begin the work of programming and configuring the software to meet the needs of the club.

Step 6: Project Piloting and Software Configuration

After the first build-out, it was necessary for the management to determine if the project teams were still on track with the software configuration. During project piloting, the managers were required to get all the subject matter experts in line with the implementation processes, discuss the entire project and how the software can effectively be used to improve the performance of the club. The second section of piloting involved software configuration and was based on issues identified in the first part of piloting. Software configuration involved making a list of critical items and elements that were to be fixed in before the next conference piloting.

Step 7: Project testing and user acceptance

After conducting multiple configurations and corrections to the system, it was necessary demonstrate to users that the software is ready for use. However, at this stage, iterative changes could still be made through mini-piloting. The project management team were required to conduct a systematic end-to-end testing of the recruitment system and ensure that everything is set and that the system can be used to fulfil the needs of the club.

Methodology used and the extent to which it was applied

Project management methodologies are essential for project managers and implementation teams because they ensure that activities flow faster and with maximum efforts (Despa, 2014). Even though there are several project management methodologies, “ProRecruit” system managers decided to use PRINCE2 project management methodology at the various stages of project implementation. The Implementation team selected PRINCE2 project methodology because it is a process-oriented approach to project development and implementation. Under PRINCE2 methodology, the implementation team were required to divide the project into multiple phases, each stage with its fundamental plans and processes to be followed. Also noted is the fact that PRINCE2 is a government-endorsed approach towards project management (Despa, 2014). It was important for the implementation team to determine whether or not the project will match the specific goals of the club.

Project Highlights, Disappointments, Set-Backs, and Problems

The primary objective of the project was to implement a software, “ProRecruit,” that could be used to facilitate the recruitment of skilled, talented, and experienced players for the Gold Coast Football Club. The project managers felt that the use of “ProRecruit” software will eliminate guesswork when it comes to recruiting new baseball players. The software will help recruiters obtain the best players based on their statistics, positions played, and physical attributes.

The design process of the software required inputs from list manager (Rod Warn), head coach (Chris Bluff), football manager (Craig Horn), head recruiter (Brian Stook), six additional recruiters, and a team of external software designers. The football club had to outsource a team of experts to assist in software building and to come up with the most effective recruitment process. After successful development, the software was tested during the 120 days process to ensure that everything is working properly. The trials included giving the software to recruiters and using the system to recruit dummy players.

The fact that the football club lacked experts who could design and implement the software meant that external professionals were to be hired. The cost of hiring external experts was high and added to the overall project implementation cost. Similarly, the project team had to allocate huge finances that could be used to train software users (recruiters). Without proper training on how to use the software, it would be hard for the club to meet its objectives.

Project Outcomes, Recommendations, and Interventions Required

With this project plan, it is expected that Gold Coast Football Club will have the opportunity to develop the best recruitment methods for its players. It is also expected that Australian Football League will have the chance to recruit highly skilled, talented and experienced players that will improve the performance of Australian Clubs. ProRecruit software system will not only reduce the cost of recruiting players, but will also ensure that recruiters make appropriate decisions when judging players. The combination of traits such as players’ statistics, positions played, and physical strength must be taken into consideration when selecting the best players that can represent the club in local and regional games.

However, improving the performance of individual players and that of the entire team would mean establishing some aspects of motivation for managers, couches, players, and other stakeholders. Acquiring the best recruitment technology might not be enough. Therefore, the management must ensure that the newly implemented software is given the correct maintenance and regularly updated to meet specific standards. As an intervention to the challenges experienced at the various stages of project development, it is always necessary for the management to identify the correct teams to work of the activities, ensure that there is enough time to work of the project, and that the funds are sufficient to allow from detailed project implementation. Overall, the combination of factors including finances, human resource, and time will improve the overall project management and ensure successful delivery of project elements.

Lessons Learnt, both Professionally and Personally

• Before implementing a project, it is always important to seek for the opinions and response of the project team and other staff members. Objective response can be obtained at the stage of project inception and development using online questionnaires.

• Implementing a new system of software in an organization could be expensive and time consuming depending on the management strategies and process implementation plan. Therefore, project administrators and managers are essential in ensuring accountability and successful completion of project activities.

• It is always important to have a detailed project plan that specifies project activities, goals, costs, duration. With a good plan, it becomes easy to complete a project at the correct budget and schedule.

• Changing from one system to another is always characterised by certain risks including strategy, operational and financial risks among other challenges. Therefore, the project managers should develop risk management strategies prior to the implementation of a project so that most of these risks can be controlled.

References

Cleland, D., Ireland, L. (2006). Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation. New York, McGraw-Hill Professional.

Despa, M. L. (2014). Comparative study on software development methodologies. Database Systems Journal BOARD, 5, 3.