Project Lifecycle Processes 

Essay
Objective: Gain an appreciation for typical challenges and obstacles encountered by PMs.
Introduction: In project management there are constraints that significantly impact one another. The triple constraints of project management are time/schedule planning, cost/budget, and scope/quality. Typically if just one of these constraints change then one or both of the other constraints will be significantly impacted.
Deliverables: Minimum 3-page paper
Activity Details:
Step 1: Introduction and Research 
Research the Internet, books, journals, etc. about the criticality for project managers to manage and monitor the project triple constraints. 

Write an introductory paragraph why project managers must monitor project constraints to manage the project schedule and budget to effectively minimize cost over-runs. 

Read the Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel Project case study 
Read the Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel Project case study about the failure of cost management and time management in the Boston Big Dig project. Answer the three questions at the end of the case study. Your assignment should be four pages in length. Submit it to your instructor for grading. 

Case Study 
Pinto, J.K. (2013). Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage (2nd ed., pp. 271-73). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Step 2: Write a 3-page essay answering the following four case study questions:
Consider the following statement: "Government funded projects intended to serve as 'prestige projects' such as the 'Big Dig', should not be judged on the basis of cost." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why or not.
Project success is defined as adherence to budget, schedule, functionality (performance), and client satisfaction. Under these criteria, cite evidence that suggests the "Big Dig" project was a success and/or failure.
What are the lessons to be learned from the "Big Dig" project?
Was this a failure of project estimating or project control by the contractors and local government?
Step 3: For the conclusion paragraph summarize what you have learned about managing and monitoring project constraints and lessons learned from the "Big Dig" project. Please review the link provided below, containing the essay rubric, prior to proceeding:
Essay Rubric