Project Management

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Introduction
GBS is an institute that provides finance and banking-related courses in the UK. It is
comparatively a new organization that was first launched in 2010. At that time, it acts as
a specialist training centre for finance and investment banking. In 2016, it established its
first campus in the East End of London (Barbara Alian, 2017). Besides finance and
banking-related courses, it is offering business management and healthcare-related
programmes. At present, it has eight campuses across the UK. Now, it is going to open
its ninth campus in Liverpool due to its tremendous success in the UK (Ciric Lalic, et al.,
2022). As a project manager how to establish successfully its ninth campus in Liverpool
is discussed below.

Section – 1 Project Plan

1.1 Project Background

Liverpool is a coastal area. It is an urban city. It has a great employment opportunity.

Because the economy of Liverpool is ruled by service sectors (Morris & P.W., 2010).
According to a survey in 2007 approximately 60% of total employment was in the
banking, education, health, finance and insurance sectors (Austin, et al., 2013). As GBS
provides investment banking, finance, and healthcare-related courses so, it will be
beneficial to natives. These courses will help them to prepare themselves for those jobs.

To conduct this project collection of primary and secondary data is essential. In the case
of collecting primary data survey and interview methods can be used on the population
of Liverpool (Simon, et al., 2018). The survey can be operated targeting different groups
of people by providing written questionaries directly or online such as e-mail. Taking
interviews face-to-face or through the telephone is more relevant in data collection (Ciric
Lalic, et al., 2022). In addition, observing people may also be an effective method.
Methods of collecting secondary data are research papers, records and documents of
different organizations, schools, colleges or universities (Simon, et al., 2018). After
collecting a vast amount of data, it will be possible to measure the possibility of the
success of this project.

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1.2 Project Objectives

Behind every activity existence of the objective is noticeable. At the end of a project or
an activity expected result is called the objective. In other words, it can be said that
objectives are the aims that can achieve at the end of the project. The objective is very
important. Without setting objectives project can not go ahead. The project can not
achieve its desired goals. Objectives must be SMART. Means they should be specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Specific: To establish the campus in The Georgian Quatar in Liverpool within 8 months.

Measurable: To maintain approximately 300 students hiring of minimum 50 staffs for the
first year.

Achievable: To grab attention of Liverpool people GBS can use poster, website,
camping to promotional strategy.

Relevant: The new campus has to produce skilled and qualified students so that values
of GBS can be fulfilled.

Time-bound: After successfully ensuring the mentioned objectives GBS will able to start
its curriculum activities from February 2024.

1.3 Project Scope

Liverpool is a developed city. The education of every child is important here. The
government is taking necessary steps to build a strong educational environment,
improve the education system and provide more facilities (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). They
are establishing improvement boars and their, like, LCC the Education Select
committee, investing money like, Mayor Joe Andersson and the members of his Cabinet
recently announced to invest £12 million in the development of education over the next
three years. The government is giving priority to infrastructure too to facilitate education
(Austin, et al., 2013).

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Liverpool City Council has established some infrastructure projects in Liverpool so that
every sector of the population can take advantage of them. Like, Liverpool LGA,
Liverpool Green Infrastructure etc. Roads, footpaths, bridges, undergrounds, city lines,
railway stations, and bus stands are well-constructed (White, et al., 2012). This city also
has a good transportation system. Being a major city in England, Liverpool is directly
linked with other cities in England (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). Students can use buses,
metro rails, Cycles, and cars to travel from home to school, college or university.

As Liverpool has all these facilities, it can be a perfect place for setting up GBS.
Because, when students will start studying at GBS, they will not face infrastructure or
transportation-related problems as well as GBS authority will also be helped and
benefited by the government and they able to perfume well (Morris & P.W., 2010).

1.4 Reflection

To conduct this project as a project manager following skills are needed. ‘Analytical
Skills’ are defined as problem-solving abilities or the traits that help or allow one to
develop a creative solution. Analytical skills are the combination of unique and rational
solutions (Austin, et al., 2013). Logical reasoning, financial analysis, report analysis,
critical thinking, researching, forecasting, brainstorming etc. qualities a person falls
under the analytical skill. As a project manager, one will be needed to make a plan,
collect data, analyse data, make a report, practically think about the success of this
project and then should make a relevant decision (Simon, et al., 2018).

‘Communication skills’ are the skills of communicating properly with subordinates or

superiors. It is the skill of conveying ideas or feelings to others effectively. It includes
written communication, oral communication, non-verbal communication, active listening,
contextual communication etc. (White, et al., 2012). The communication gap is an
extreme error for managers. As a project manager, after analysing the potentiality of the
project next responsibility is to inform the superior that it will be a successful project.
Then they will inform what to do next.

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‘Technical skills’ defines the ability to accomplish a task using computer-based
technology. As a project manager, one must know how to manage email, and
presentation software, how to edit audio and video, how do file management, how to
use real media in business, how to do word processing, web navigation, cybersecurity
etc for better output.

‘Time Management Skill’ is also important skill. An organization wants to complete its
project within a certain time so that it can keep the cost or budget in control (Austin, et
al., 2013). So, a project manager must estimate a perfect time and should complete the
project on time.

‘Leadership Skill’ is the ability of an individual to influence an individual or a group of

people. Using this ability manager make sure that the given task is completed
successfully (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). To complete this GBS project two additional
assistant managers will be needed who have practical knowledge about project
management.

1.5 Project Estimation & Riak

Liverpool is a developed city with an amount of population 4,86,100 according to the UK

census in 2021. As it is a developed city around 70% of its people are highly educated.
After collecting and analysing data it will possible to understand how many people know
now (Larson & Gray, 2018). This knowledge may be a positive or negative reaction
about it (White, et al., 2012). As people are educated, it can be expected that they will
have a positive assumption about GBS.

In this project, some risks also occurred. Like, cost as risks, schedule risks, operational
risks, market risks, strategic risks, performance risks etc. (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). Cost
risk is one of the most common project risks of an organization. Cost risk may occur due
to incorrect planning or wrong cost estimation. If it happens then a project manager has
to pay more for the project than the actual cost (Austin, et al., 2013). As a result, that
organization may be harmed and it may decide to close the project.

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Schedule risk happens when a project takes more time than it should act. Means the
actual duration of the project across the estimated duration of that same project. It may
be a result of inaccurate or poor planning (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). Delay in schedule
increases cost like labour cost, the growth of that project slow down, and project
benefits become limited. As a result, GBS may close the project in Liverpool.

Performance risk means the output of the established project is not the same that was
expected at the time of project specification. It may happen to incorrect cost estimation
or incorrect schedule estimation (Simon, et al., 2018). This means performance risk
does not occur due to the fault of one party. If all estimations are done properly but the
performance output is not as expected that means the decision of doing this project in
Liverpool is invalid.

Operational risk is a part of performance risk. Because if any fault occurs in the
operation process then also output will be incomplete (Larson & Gray, 2018). Poor
process implementation problem is a reason of occurring operational risk.

Market risks are the risks that an organization may face from its competitors, markets
etc. In the case of GBS market risks are the other training centres, educational
institutes, and students in Liverpool.

As a project manager, these risks can be tackled and avoided by identifying risks as
soon as possible and registering them, using project management software etc.

1.6 Project Cost

To establish a project various sectors are identified. Like, Market research cost,
employee hiring cost, equipment cost, labour cost etc. Amounts of these costs are given
below:

Cost Budget

Sectors Sub-sectors Amount

Market Research cost £3000

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 Lease for the place of corpus £19,000
Infrastructure Main structure £15,000
Interior design £ 5000
Classroom decoration £500
Resources and tools for £ 1000
classroom
Course implementation fee £1000
Utilities and supplies £800
Marketing and promotion £ 4000
Website design £ 700
Insurance cost £500
Employee hiring Project manager £3000
Assistant managers £2000
Equipment cost Computer £2000
Paper £200
Total £55,700
1.7 Project Timing

To show the project timing Gantt chart is used here. It is tasked, with starting dates and
days to complete that tasks. In this chart, what tasks will be done, from the date that
will start and how many days it will take are explained.

Gantt Chart
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
Tasks (1st Feb- (8th Feb- (15th Feb- (22nd Feb- (1st Mar- (8th Mar-
7th Feb) 14th Feb) 21st Feb) 28th Feb) 7th Mar) 15th Mar)

Setting Objectives

Collecting Data

Analysing data

Recommendation

Scope Analysis

Resource Planning

Budget Planning

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 Risk Analysis

Creating Schedule

1.8 Project Tasks

‘Setting objectives’ is the first task in this project. Before establishing the project setting
objectives is essential. ‘Data collection’ is the process of gathering data from different
sources through different methods (Austin, et al., 2013). ‘Data Analysis’ is the method of
cleaning, sorting and processing raw data. A ‘recommendation’ is a decision-making
process (Larson & Gray, 2018). A ‘scope analysis task is a task of setting boundaries for
a project. It exactly defines what are the goals, deadlines and chances of successful
delivery. ‘Resource planning’ is the task of identifying resources, how resources can be
used etc. ‘Budget planning’ is the task of dividing costs in every sector of the project
(Simon, et al., 2018). ‘Risk analysis’ is the combination of identifying risks, and
identifying solutions to those risks. ‘Creating a schedule’ is the task of creating a
timetable, which task needs how much time, when tasks will be started and when they
will be finished etc. (OGC, 2018).

1.9 Execution of Project Plan

The objectives of making a campus of GBS in Liverpool city are producing skilled and
qualified people in Liverpool city, expanding GBS service and in the UK, generating
more profit from GBS (Larson & Gray, 2018). According to the objects, it will be decided
what to do next. After setting objectives the process of collecting data should be started
(Austin, et al., 2013). Like, in the data collection process, primary and secondary data
have to collect through different methods such as surveys, interviews etc. After
collecting data, they need to analyse it. In this task results of different surveys and
interviews have to analysis. Like, as the reaction of people about GBS is positive or
negative, how much they know about GBS etc. If the output is positive about GBS,
should be moved towards the next task. After the recommendation scope of the GBS

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project has to analysis. Now, resource planning has to be done. Next risks have to be
identified schedules due have to create.

The GBS project started in Liverpool in the first week of February 2023. Still the project
is running. It is now at the middle point. According to the timetable, it will end after the
6th week or on 15th March 2023. During this time tasks like setting objectives, data
collection, data analysis, recommendation, and scope analysis are not delayed (OGC,
2018). But the Budget planning task takes more time than the time specified for this
task. The next task also takes more time than the time specified for this task.

2.2 Updated Time-Table

In this updated timetable changes in the time of Budget and risk analysis can be seen.
In the case of budget, some cost-related problems occur and it takes one more week to
solve this problem and to make a proper budget plan. Risk analysis also takes one
week more. It should be completed in the fifth week. In this case, some problem occurs
in identifying which risks should avoid and which should tackle. Though it takes more
time a proper plan has done.

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Section 3-Poster

3.1 Poster for advertisement

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Students’ satisfaction

A survey in 2022 about GBS suggests that 91% of students are satisfied with the
service of GBS. GBS provides higher education to students who are unable to go for
higher education (Simon, et al., 2018). GBS delivers the guidelines and comments to
the course and 93% of students agreed that these comments and guidelines are
relevant to their courses which clears all the doubt about the courses (Lotfi, et al.,
2022). In terms of good advice, the 9tudents are ed that the GBS provides good
achievements which are helpful for them in their study and their future.

The campus benefits of GBS

If the GBS campus is established in Liverpool then students can use the bus, car metro
rail, and cycle for their travelling from home to school. As Liverpool has green
infrastructures, The students can enjoy the green nature on their campus. For better
learning, GBS gives them 24-hour library facilities (Lotfi, et al., 2022).GBS take great
care of their students. GBS has accommodation facilities for their students either
residential or non-non-residential GBS campus provides some authentic courses like
finance, management as well as health care which are developed for industry-related
work and this course can improve the student’s future carefully. As GBS has seven
campuses in the four cities of the UK- London Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, a
student can study anywhere among them but can get the same facilities for their
studies. so the Liverpool campus also does the same, we will give the best facility to our
students. Many students in Liverpool want to study at GBS (Lotfi, et al., 2022). So, when
the GBS campus is established in Liverpool they can get the facility in the Liverpool
campus and enhance their future.

GBS delivers higher education including undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

We produce skilled and qualified people that help students to enter today’s job markets.
GBS allows teamwork and group teamwork to take great care of our students (Ciric
Lalic, et al., 2022). GBS can provide education to different nationalities and their student

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range is fstudent’s65 years. it is a great opportunity for students who want to learn and
succeed in their life. We provide some special features for students (Barbara Alian,
2017). Are, GBS provides flexible class time for students that is fit for their lifestyles as
well as circumstances (Ciric Lalic, et al., 2022). If students face any problems in their
courses then teachers are very flexible and gingiva themes for their problem-solving
(Simon, et al., 2018). GBS promises the students for giving them all types of support
either academic or personal development. We take all the responsibilities so that our
students can succeed in their life (Barbara Alian, 2017). Here, we provide an expert
teacher for the lectures according to every course and et the expert and practitioners at
the same time in GBS which will help them to learn successfully with all course details.

4. Conclusion

A project becomes successful after maintaining all the steps properly. After analysing all
data and tasks Liverpool gives a positive vibe to create a GBS campus (OGC, 2018).
The geographic environment, demographic environment, political environment etc are
perfect for this campus (Austin, et al., 2013). So if the project management is done
accurately then the success of GBS in Liverpool is unstoppable. This project started on
1st February 2023 and will end on 15 th March, 023. It is a project of approximately 1.5
months.

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5. References

Austin, C., Browne, W., Haas, B., Kenyatta, E. and Zulueta, S., 2013. Application of
project management in higher education. Journal of Economic Development,
Management, IT, Finance, and Marketing, 5(2), p.75.

Barbara Alian (2017) The No-Nonsense Guide to Project Management, London: Facet
Publishing. (available as an eBook through GBS Library)

Burtonshaw-Gunn, S. (2010) Essential Tool for Management Consulting; Tools, Models

and Approaches for Clients and Consultants, 1st Edition, Chichester: Willey & Sons Ltd

Ciric Lalic, D., Lalic, B., Delić, M., Gracanin, D. and Stefanovic, D., 2022. How project
management approach impact project success? From traditional to agile. International
Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 15(3), pp.494-521.

Fortune, J., White, D., Jugdev, K. and Walker, D., 2011. Looking again at current
practices in project management. International Journal of Managing Projects in
Business, 4(4), pp.553-572.

Gido, J. and Clements, J., 2014. Successful project management. Cengage Learning.

Heerkens, G.R., 2012. Project management. McGraw Hill Professional.

Kerzner, H., 2022. Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to

measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons.

Larson, E. and Gray, C. (2018) Project Management: The Managerial Process 7 th

Edition, McGraw Hill.

Lotfi, R., Yadegari, Z., Hosseini, S., Khameneh, A., Tirkolaee, E. and Weber,
G.E.R.H.A.R.D., 2022. A robust time-cost-quality-energy-environment trade-off with
resource-constrained in project management: A case study for a bridge construction
project. Journal of Industrial and Management Optimization, 18(1).

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Morris, P.W., 2010. Research and the future of project management. International
journal of managing projects in business, 3(1), pp.139-146.

OGC (2006) Managing Successful Project with PRINCE2, 4th Edition: TSO.

Pollack, J., 2007. The changing paradigms of project management. International journal

of project management, 25(3), pp.266-274.

Portny, J.L. and Portny, S.E., 2022. Project management for dummies. John Wiley &
Sons.

Project Management Institute (2017) A Guide to the Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Project Management Institute, 2017. ( available as an
eBook through the University of Suffolk Library

Shamim, M.I., 2022. Exploring the Success Factors of Project Management. American

Journal of Economics and Business Management, 5(7), pp.64-72.

Simon, P. and Murray-Webster, R. (2018) Starting ou Project Management, 3 rd Edition,

APM Knowledge

Watt, A., 2014. Project management. BCcampus.

White, D. and Fortune, J., 2012. Current practice in project management—An empirical
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