Plan
Summary of Rational for the Plan
The offered plan is appropriate for the case when Dan McCord with several managers has to convince the R&D director about the importance of speeding up the process of implementation of the computer program (Kerzner 2013). The strongest point of the plan is that it is supported by thought and a kind of care for the implementation process that is recommended by such researchers as Kaplan and Norton (2008) and Meredith and Mantel (2012). Another supportive issue is that Dan McCord, as the main project manager, participates in each stage of the plan. Project Management Institute (2013) informs that the role of the project manager is crucial indeed, and only in case the manager is aware of each change and progress of a case, the project may be properly controlled and improved if necessary.
In order to prove the necessity to implement the program within a short period of time, the manager has to focus on its different aspects. This is why the plan focuses on both, the negative and positive sides, its pros and cons, and the general milestones that help to comprehend the essence of the process. The participation of each member of the company in the discussion is also an integral part because this way provides the R&D director with a chance to understand the urgency of the program and identify its benefits in regards to the company.
The financial report discusses the main financial changes and serves as proof that the government does participate in organizational development, and the company should not suffer because of possible losses. Finally, the presence of managers from different projects should make the R&D director think about his/her possible incorrectness in regards to the computer program implementation and the necessity to re-evaluate the whole situation taking into consideration the latest improvements from the governmental side.
In general, the communication plan for a range of stakeholders offered seems to be a good combination of ideas and periods. It is not enough to prove the urgency of the program. The plan helps to be specific with each detail and offer the most crucial ideas to convince the R&D director to change the mind and believe that the current situation is more or less favorable for new ideas offered by Dan McCord and the representatives of the two other projects that have been characterized by the director’s persistence and unwillingness to observe the options available.
Reference List
‘The Problem with Priorities” 2013, in HR Kerzner (ed.), Project management case studies, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, pp. 532-533.
Kaplan, RS & Norton, DP 2008, ‘The execution premium: Linking strategy to operations for competitive analysis’, getAbstract. Web.
Meredith, JR & Mantel, SJ 2012, Project management: A managerial approach, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken.
Project Management Institute 2013, A guide to the project management book of knowledge, Project Management Institute, Newton Square.