Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management

School of Management

University of Asia and the Pacific

1st Mini Term of the 2nd Semester, SY 2021-2022

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Course

BAM132A: Project Management

Submitted by:

Sophia Lorraine Cequena

Andrea Isabel Gamos
Paulo Torres
Julia Nicole Valte
Doreen Kimberly Valenzuela

Submitted to:
Mr. Willy Cuason

February 1, 2022
 Table of Contents

I. Summary of Findings….……………....……………..………………………..…………….………1
II. Background Information……………...…………………………………….……….…………….…1
III. Problem Statement………………………………………...……………………………..….….…...2
IV. Analysis of Alternatives...………………………………………………………………….…….…..2
V. Detailed Recommendations...…………………………………………………....……….…….…..4
VI. Answer to Case Questions……….…………………………………………...…...…...…...……...6
VII. Learnings……………………………….………...……………………...…….....………….............8
VIII. References………….…………..…………………………………………….………….….………..10
 I. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

St. Dismas Medical Center has been seeing a gradual decline in their inpatient population. To
resolve this, Dr. Fred Splient thought of proposing a building that serves as an extension of the Medical
Center’s campus. This assisted living facility will contain “light-assisted” and “heavy-assisted” units that
inpatients can reserve and have direct access to hospital and kitchen services. In doing so, they have
developed a new service that is cost-effective to their inpatient care delivery.

Dr. Fred Splient, the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO), proposed this solution to the St.
Dismas’s Board of Trustees. This solution was presented alongside a competitive analysis and a business
plan. He also visited several facilities to base their future infrastructure around. His proposal was eventually
approved by the Board of Trustees, and he later introduced a list of roles to be filled in. As he was doing
so, he assigned himself as the project manager.

Alternative solutions were proposed as the group judged that the current solution that Dr. Fred
Splient proposed does not optimize potential results. With this, the group proposes four alternative solutions
that could aid the current plan that he presented to the Board of Trustees:

1. Hire a project manager;

2. Create a collaborative action plan for each role;
3. Adjust the project’s time frame; and
4. Contact potential donors and partners to identify additional budget sources.

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

St. Dismas Medical Center is a non-profit hospital specializing in inpatient and outpatient
rehabilitation of the severely injured and terminally ill patients. However, as seat belts and bicycle or
motorcycle helmets became more popular, their problem saw a significant decrease in admissions as fewer
people were seriously injured. The St. Dismas Board of Trustees noticed that the inpatient population
gradually declined. To ensure a brighter and more prosperous future for the organization, the Board, and
the CEO, Fred Splient M.D., called for a large-scale strategic planning effort to be carried out.

St. Dismas Medical Center held a planning retreat in January 1999 to identify potential prospects.
The retreat concluded that the Medical Center should concentrate its efforts on a short-term initiative to
become more cost-effective in the delivery of inpatient care; or, a long-term strategy, to develop new
programs and services that invest in St. Dismas's existing, highly competent rehabilitation reputation in the
region. During the retreat, Fred thought that ‘’life might be easier if the hospital Board approved an
expansion of the Medical Center's campus to include an assisted living facility.’’ It was inspired by his aging
parents; therefore, he came up with an idea that medical needs should be increased.

As a result, Dr. Fred Splient had his Business Development team prepare a rough figure of an
assisted living facility's potential return on investment. The team was able to identify various facility
construction options and associated costs, conduct competitive analysis, examine the possibilities for
services to be offered, and visit several infrastructure and facilities. The team also interviewed companies
that could oversee the design, construction, and operation of the St. Dismas facility. They were able to
produce an initial business plan based on the recommended structure for the facility, estimated capital
expenditure needs, estimated income from facility operation, and projected revenue and profit to other
Medical Center programs as a result of the facility's population.

Dr. Splient later presented the plan to the Board of Trustees, introducing the idea of establishing
an assisted living facility on the St. Dismas campus. He then formed a team to assign the designated tasks
and responsibilities. However, because he is the project manager, there is no guarantee that he will
complete this project on time and precisely, given the limitations of his profession and knowledge in
managing a project. As a result, there may be benefits and drawbacks, and even certain challenges that
may arise. Therefore, the group proposed alternatives that could better manage the said project.

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 III. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Dr. Splient should not supervise the project because he is also the organization's Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), and it might be difficult for him to balance his work responsibilities. In addition, a Project
Manager should have his full attention on the project to meet its goals and objectives on time. He also may
not have the background knowledge or credentials a Project Manager should have. Due to these reasons,
processes and planning in the project are not carefully considered because in this case, unrealistic time
frames, improper management of resources, and many more are found. In turn, this could affect the
proceeding and execution of the whole project.

IV. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES

1. Hire A Project Manager

First, the researchers suggest that Dr. Splient must hire a project manager to manage and
supervise the committee's responsibilities, planning, and implementation of the project. By hiring a project
manager, this may benefit the organization given that a project manager handles administrative tasks for
planning, documenting, and controlling work. This includes not only administrative tasks, but also leadership
tasks for the organization. This is because project managers manage a team/s, set clear goals, allocate
resources efficiently, and promote good-work ethics among associates. Also, this may benefit Dr. Splient
given that he is very busy, as a medical doctor and a CEO of the medical centers, and may be unable to
manage multiple tasks at the same time.

Hiring a project manager in order to oversee the project and operations, take initiative, and manage
teams is important for the project’s success because the projects may often be comprehensive, expensive,
as well as involve the organization’s clients or stakeholders. According to Alexander (2021), project
managers oversee and manage all areas of project management effectively in terms of tasks, time
schedules, costing, quality, resources, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management.

ADVANTAGES: First, in terms of strategic alignments, project managers ensure that the project goals are
strategically aligned with overall goals of the organization. Second, project managers dictate clear goals
and objectives by effectively dividing a project into tasks for the team to manage their tasks (Aston, 2018).
They specify and clearly outline the goals and objectives with project outcomes and processes, specific
tasks and activities, and project schedule developments. Third, another advantage is effective time
management because project managers provide careful identification of tasks, accurate project duration
estimates, and proper allocation of resources. Moreover, they provide realistic starting dates and deadlines
for projects, as well as the necessary budgets for each task. Fourth, management of resources because
project managers identify and estimate resources such as people, materials, and funds to complete project
deliverables. If there are things that need to be changed, project managers make the necessary
adjustments to ensure the project is running smoothly. Lasty, project managers make better business
decisions because they have a better understanding of how its budgets and resources are spent, what
project or task they need to prioritize and when. Given the experience and dedicated skillset, they know
how to find the right people to complete the project at the right price and the right price, minimize project
errors, and come up with cost-effective solutions to successfully deliver the project.

DISADVANTAGES: First, hiring a new project manager for the project would be timely and costly because
there is no assurance that they can find the right project manager for the job. Because of this, it would take
time for the recruitment team to find the right person, as well as cause a delay for developing and
implementing the project. Furthermore, hiring a new manager or employee is also costly because it may
increase the company’s operational costs and the company may need to provide investment for employee
training. Lastly, hiring a new manager or employees can cause competition between the new project
manager and the CEO in managing and providing different approaches in handling the project and solving
problems.

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 2. Create A Collaborative Action Plan for Each Role

The second formulated alternative focuses on the collaboration of action plans for each member or
role. This is because the case study shows that each member of the project was given two months by Dr.
Splient to come back with their detailed action plans depending on the area they are assigned to. With that,
the group has foreseen that this might bring about conflict and misalignment of plans if each member comes
up with their own detailed actions plans. As such, this alternative includes having the project team
communicate with each other throughout the creation of each of their detailed action plans in relation to
their areas of responsibilities. This is important because it helps them become aware of one another's plans
and be synchronized in forming a plan. Moreover, this alternative helps the team come up with a plan that
is more organized and integrated.

ADVANTAGES: First, this alternative encourages communication between members who are part of the
project team. Second, it helps the team create a project plan that is integrated, consolidated, and organized.
Third, it fosters stronger relationships with one another because it strengthens teamwork and collaboration.

DISADVANTAGES: First, there is a tendency that other members of the team do not agree to collaborate
with one another. Second, there could be conflicts due to differences in availability, opinions, and ideas.
Third, this alternative only focuses on one aspect that must be addressed in the project proposal. It fails to
consider other problems that must be solved within the project team as well as the plan itself. As such, even
if this is done or achieved, other problems may still affect the whole project.

3. Adjust the Project’s Time Frame

The third alternative the group developed is to adjust the project's time frame. The project began
in November 1999 and is expected to open by July 2000. The project team should allow 1 to 2 years to
complete the project. A longer time frame allows the team to have better time management since a short
time frame may be unrealistic and it may not be feasible to build the building in less than a year. Moreover,
employees might get stressed and feel unmotivated to complete their tasks since they are rushed. A longer
time frame will also allow the project team to carefully plan out all aspects of the project and conduct quality
checks to ensure that everything meets the expectations set by the heads.

ADVANTAGES: The team members will be highly motivated to finish their tasks for the project on time
since they are given more time to complete it. Since the new timeframe will not rush the project's
construction, accidents during work are less likely to happen, and workers will be able to rest from time to
time. A longer timeline also ensures that the site's construction is of high quality.

DISADVANTAGES: The organization will not generate higher profits early since the time frame will be
extended. The Board of the organization, some sponsors, or partners, might not finance or invest in this
project if it does not open by July 2000.

4. Contact Potential Donors and Partners to Identify Additional Budget Sources

The fourth alternative proposed is to contact potential sponsors and partners to identify additional
budget sources. In the case study, the initial problem to be resolved was St. Dismas’s steadily declining
inpatient population. By extension, the Board of Trustees wanted to execute initiatives that could be cost-
effective and one that they could easily capitalize on. The solution that they identified was to expand the
current Medical Center’s campus to include an assisted living facility. This facility will have both “light-
assisted” and “heavy-assisted” rooms wherein residents have access to hospital and kitchen services.

However, it was mentioned that to complete this project, St. Dismas would need an estimated
$8,500,000 to $11,000,000. With the Medical Center’s current status, facing a slowly declining inpatient
population, monetary funds are crucial to keep them afloat. With this solution, they should be able to extend
their operations while supporting their current project of building the assisted living facility, at least, on the
minimal scale.

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 Through contacting potential donors and partners, the organization will be able to resolve two
additional problems as well: their diminishing monetary stability and declining inpatient population. Through
contacting organizations and individuals who are willing to be potential donors, they can support their
upcoming project and prolong their hospital’s operations. Furthermore, through contacting other hospitals
and organizations to partner with them, they can resolve a part of their decreasing inpatient population by
having their partners direct to their hospital if theirs is fully admitted.

ADVANTAGES: This alternative is the quickest way to fundraise money in order to extend St. Dismas
Medical Center’s operations, as well as support their upcoming projects. This solution also requires minimal
manpower to execute, making it feasible enough to do. If done correctly, it should solidify connections and
relationships with similar or relevant organizations. This shall eventually improve the overall reputation of
the St. Dismas Medical Center, indirectly resolving their lacking inpatient population.

DISADVANTAGES: Despite being a good short-term solution that can momentarily alleviate problems, this
solution does not guarantee its success. Searching for willing donors and partners is much more difficult
than it seems. Even if St. Dismas is able to contact and gather enough donors and partners, it is more likely
that the amounts and partnerships received will be on a minimal scale—unable to significantly make a
change to their current status.

V. DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS

To identify which of the aforementioned alternatives must be chosen, the group has formulated 4
key success factors namely, Feasibility, Productivity, Time Efficiency, and Effectiveness.

Key Success Factors Weight

Feasibility 25%

Productivity 25%

Time Efficiency 20%

Effectiveness 30%

TOTAL 100%

In terms of Feasibility with 25 percent as its weight, the group aims to identify which of the
alternatives is the most practical and least uncomplicated to do. In terms of Productivity with 25 percent as
its weight, it determines which of the alternatives can produce the highest number of outputs efficiently. In
terms of Time Efficiency with 20 percent as its weight, the group aims to identify which among the
alternatives can provide the company less time in accomplishing or achieving its objectives. Lastly, in terms
of Effectiveness with 30 percent as its weight, the group aims to identify which among the alternatives can
bring higher overall business performance, which will lead to long-term success. All in all, these key success
factors, when combined, have a total of 100 percent.

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 Summary of Assessment

Key Success Factors Weighted Scores

Alternative #1 Alternative #2 Alternative #3 Alternative #4

Feasibility (25%) 24% 22% 23% 21%

Productivity (25%) 24% 23% 24% 21%

Time Efficiency (20%) 20% 17% 19% 15%

Effectiveness (30%) 28% 27% 27% 26%

TOTAL 96% 89% 93% 83%

Based on the assessment, Alternative #1: Hire A Project Manager gained the highest score of 96%.
This is because this alternative is feasible (24%), meaning it can easily be implemented by recruiting a new
member to take over the project. Since this is a significant project for St. Dismas, several employees would
be honored and willing to accept this offer. The alternative is also high in productivity (24%) because hiring
a new project manager requires that person to be solely focused on the project. Therefore, it will allow them
to produce high-quality and productive work. Furthermore, the alternative is time-efficient (20%) because
hiring a project manager who is knowledgeable could help the company save time in executing the project.
As previously stated, it will give full attention to the project, giving it a high chance of completion within the
proposed time frame. Finally, the alternative is effective (28%) because it ensures success in achieving the
best results as the project manager will surely have all the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for the
project.

Overall, the researchers recommend hiring and recruiting a new project manager to take over and
oversee the overall ALF Steering Project. By having a new project manager, he or she may be able to help
the St. Dismas’ ALF project by developing realistic timeframes, organizing and controlling each task and
activity of the project, the potential risks that may affect the project, and monitoring budget requirements
needed for the project. For developing realistic timeframes and deadlines, they may be able to determine
and schedule different project activities and deliverables that need to be prioritized (Kashyap, 2018). By
estimating project time durations, they can develop the exact deadline schedules for completing project
tasks and deliverables. Given that the timeframe for the project estimates, from November 1999 to July
2000 is unrealistic and unfeasible, Dr. Splient must consider hiring a project manager to manage and
determine the accurate estimates for the duration of the project. Furthermore, construction of a living facility
should not take approximately 52 weeks, but 2 and a half years (Community Living Solutions, LLC, 2017).

As for monitoring and understanding different aspects of the project, project managers can make
use of resources effectively to carry out the project tasks by acquiring the right people to do the right tasks,
the necessary funding, and facilities and equipment needed for completing project activities. Next, having
a new project manager may be able to determine and mitigate potential risks that may negatively affect the
project and be able to devise a plan to manage those risks. Lastly, Dr. Splient may need a new project
manager to help him monitor the budget requirements for the ALF project so that they may be able to
include the necessary expenses to deliver the project. Moreover, the project manager can control the cost
for the project by planning, estimating, and determining the correct budget in order to check whether it is
overestimated or underestimated.

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 According to Westland (2019), project managers can contribute to the business of the organization
in terms of managing time, quality, and cost effectively. For effective time management, they ensure that
project tasks are being accomplished and delivered within the realistic timeframe of the planned project
schedules. As for quality of project results, they plan and identify the necessary standards and criteria in
terms of the level of service, availability, reliability, and maintainability, as well as how the project must be
performed and delivered (Watt, 2014). As mentioned previously, project managers manage the costing
requirements of project activities to ensure that all the necessary project expenses are within the agreed
budget to deliver the project.

Overall, despite the disadvantages of hiring a new project manager for the business, the
organization may be able to gain more from it in terms of delivering high quality performance and project
results. Moreover, by having a project manager in handling the ALF project, the medical center might benefit
also from it by improving efficiency, managing and minimizing potential risks, and maximizing its resources.

VI. ANSWER TO CASE QUESTIONS

1. Define project deliverables

Project deliverables are defined as the quantifiable goods or services that must be provided once
the project is completed, and these may be tangible or intangible. (Investopedia, 2022) These are all the
outputs that are submitted or delivered within the span of the project.

The group recommends these deliverables for the St. Dismas Project:

The first recommended deliverable for this project is a Business Plan. Through this, the project
team will be able to determine what necessary steps are needed to achieve this project's goals and
objectives. It will help guide the project team to plan out the actions required to increase their profits
strategically.

The second recommended deliverable for this project is a Financial Plan. Through this, the project
team will be able to determine the exact budget needed to cover the costs for this project. It will also help
them forecast their earnings and possible expenses in the near future.

The third recommended deliverable for this project is a Marketing Plan. This will help the project
team be able to identify which market they can cater to and how to expand their services to other market
sectors in order to gain more profits to keep the business going.

For the case study, the following are the project deliverables that were mentioned:

1. Construction and development of in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation facilities for the injured
and catastrophically ill.

2. Set up and establish assisted living facilities with 100 units good for 110 to 150 residents.

3. Provide and design heavy-assisted living facilities with 15 to 30 units for the physically and
medically disabled patients.

4. Provide and design light-assisted living facilities for patients that require minor medical and social
interventions.

5. Strategic initiative of growing the business while making profit for St. Dismas.

6. Create physical and occupational therapy programs, and behavior management programs for both
physically and medically disabled patients.

7. Create a Business Plan to increase the number of referrals to the outpatient therapy programs.

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 8. Increase the number of in-patients in St. Dismas by providing location and a living facility for
patients to live until they are required for hospitalization.

9. Create a Marketing Plan for reimbursable preventive and wellness programs for the healthier
geriatric population.

2. Define project constraints and assumptions

For a project to succeed in the long run, assumptions and constraints must be addressed. In
addition, project managers must be aware of three primary constraints: time, scope, and cost. Therefore,
here are the following constraints that were mentioned in this case study: the first is that the team requires
an estimate of $8,500,000 to $11,000,000 to complete the project. Second, the board approved a small
budget for project planning, though never stated the exact amount in the case study. Third, construction
will not be able to begin until November 1999. This is because two Board Members ran in the election, one
for the city council and one for the county commissioner. Finally, they intended to open the facility in July
2000.

On the other hand, the assumptions are the potential risks that could occur during the planning and
development of the project. The first is that this project has been given a short timeline. As previously stated,
construction must begin in November 1999 but must be open by July 2000. Second, obstructions such as
roadblocks will occur, and the timeframe may not have taken these into account. Another is Weather, for
example, could cause the project to be delayed and fall behind schedule. Also, the project could go over
budget if construction takes longer than expected. In addition, due to the short notice, their access to
contractors may be limited. Lastly, changes to the construction process are probable as well.

3. Develop a preliminary Level 1 action plan

PROJECT TIME DURATION

TASKS PERSON/S IN-CHARGE
ESTIMATES

1. Responsible for the The Construction Project

1.5 years - 2 years
construction of the facility. Manager

2. Overseeing the building

designs.
5 weeks
Chief Operations Officer
Defining needs for food
(COO)
services, housekeeping, 4 weeks
staffing, and policy and
procedures development.

3. Develop budgets for each

area of the project including
the operating budget for the
2 - 3 weeks
facility. Chief Financial Officer
(CFO)
4 weeks
Create and install payroll and
accounting systems to
operate the facility.

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 4. Define and install all the
telecommunications,
Information Services (IS)
application programs, or 4 weeks
Director
information systems needs of
the facility.

5. Create an initial draft for the

ALF Project Marketing Plan.
Vice President (VP) of 3 - 4 weeks
Business Development
Create communication for
and Marketing 2 weeks
the community and hospital
staff.
6. Design an assessment tool
to identify residents’ level of 5 weeks
Dr. Splient, the Chief
medical needs upon moving
Executive Officer (CEO)
into the new facility.
and Director of Support
Services
Offer clinical services to 4 weeks
residents.
7. Develop management
structure for the new facility.

Work with in-house counsel

in determining all 2 - 3 weeks
government regulations. Dr. Splient, the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO)
Identify industry standards and In-house Counsel 3 weeks
and classifications relevant to
their assisted living facility, 3 weeks
as well as governor facility’s
practices.

4. Is Dr. Splient a good choice for project manager? Support your position.

Even though Dr. Splient understands the need for medical facilities and patient needs, the group
believes he is not an excellent choice to oversee the entire project. This is because managing such large
projects may not be his area of expertise, especially when dealing with the external part of the management
team. He may not supervise them effectively and efficiently since he is unfamiliar with their operations.
Furthermore, as the CEO, he may have too much work on his plate other than the project. Therefore, a new
project manager who is solely focused on the project, has adequate skills and abilities, and provides
frequent supervision to the team is required.

VII. LEARNINGS

First, the group has learned the importance of being knowledgeable enough about a project or a
certain field before you handle it. We realized that we have different strengths and different fields where we
excel. As such, we must properly assign our people, including ourselves, to where we are most needed
and fit in accordance with our skills, abilities, and knowledge.

Second, the case study put emphasis on the saying 'you cannot master two things at the same
time'. The group realized that one cannot handle two things at the same time because in return, it sacrifices
quality over quantity. This is because there is a tendency that we may overlook the things that must be

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addressed because we are handling too many things at the same time. As such, we are not aware that it
actually creates more conflicts and problems in return.

Third, the group realized that creating and implementing a project is like creating a story. It must
be clear, integrated, and most especially without loopholes. In the case of making a project, one has to
ensure that the objectives are well-defined, and the processes are all specific and integrated with one
another. This also includes being keen enough to know that all aspects of the project are considered to
achieve objectives and reduce potential risks. Moreover, one must also ensure that the identified plans are
reasonable and well thought of such as the timeframe, the resources, as well as the people involved in
doing the project. As such, it helps the project team be able to achieve objectives and goals efficiently and
effectively.

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VIII. REFERENCES

Alexander, M. (2020). What is a project manager? The lead role for project success. CIO. Retrieved 31
January 2022, from https://www.cio.com/article/230682/what-is-a-project-manager-the-lead-role-
for-project-success.html.

Community Living Solutions, LLC. (2017). Taking Your Senior Living Facility from Concept to Completion.
Community Living Solutions | Creating, Transforming and Sustaining Senior Living Communities.
Retrieved 31 January 2022, from https://communitylivingsolutions.com/senior-living-facility-from-
concept-to-
completion/#:~:text=Generally%2C%20when%20building%20a%20new,two%20and%20a%20hal
f%20years.

Kashyap, V. (2018). The Importance of Project Time Management (And 5 Great Ways To Do It). ProofHub.
Retrieved 31 January 2022, from https://www.proofhub.com/articles/project-time-management.

Lucidchart. (2021). Why Is Project Management Important? | Lucidchart Blog. Lucidchart.com. Retrieved
31 January 2022, from https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/why-is-project-management-important.

Watt, A. (2014). 2. Project Management Overview. Opentextbc.ca. Retrieved 31 January 2022, from
https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-2-what-is-a-project-project-
management/.

Westland, J. (2019). The 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas (PMBOK). ProjectManager.com.

Retrieved 31 January 2022, from https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/10-project-management-
knowledge-
areas#:~:text=Project%20management%20knowledge%20areas%20coincide,that%20every%20
project%20goes%20through.

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