Group Assignment 3 - Scope Statement

[Hooman]

Group Exercise – Lesson 3 (page 21)

Scope Statement
For Charity Fund Raising Gala Dinner Party

1.0 Project Justification

The community children's hospital is experiencing a $500,000 shortfall
in operating funds this year. Federal and State funding sources have
dried up. The $500,000 required to maintain basic services must be
raised from corporate and private donations. The hospital is currently
funding operations with a line of credit that cannot be extended more
than another 60 days.

2.0 Objective

The project objective is to raise a minimum of $500,000 in a single
fund raising event within 60 days.

3.0 Project Description

4.1 Ticket Sales

Corporations and individuals capable of donating $1,000 per ticket
need to be identified. Hospital volunteers will be available to
contact potential attendees and sell tickets. A minimum of 500 people
at $1,000 per ticket are required to raise $500,000. However the event
should be planned to accommodate 600 people. Tickets need to be
printed as well as brochures explaining the tax advantages of
donations. Personal checks, Master Card, Visa, American Express will
be accepted as payment. Donations

4.2 Location/Facilities

A location needs to be identified which is central to the San
Francisco Bay Area. Two hundred fifty parking spaces need to available
within walking distance of the facility. Valet parking is desirable
but not required. Space for a sit-down dinner is required as well as
space for dancing and a stage for performers. Air conditioning,
heating and sound system for recorded music are required. Tables
should accommodate six guests apiece. A tablecloth and centerpiece are
required for each table. A cloth napkin, china, silverware, a wine
glass and a water glass are required for each guest. Disposable dinner
accouterments are not acceptable. A coordinated color scheme and
decorating plan should be developed.

4.3 Food

A four course dinner should be should be served including, appetizers,
salad, main course and dessert. A choice of chicken, beef or
vegetarian faire should be available for the main course.

4.4 Drink

A full bar should be provided before dinner and during serving of the
appetizers. Bottles of red and white wine should be placed at each
table during dinner.

4.5 Food Service

Waiters should be provided take orders for the main course to serve
all tables. If donated service is not available from the caterer or
the facility, hospital volunteers should be organized.

4.6 Entertainment

A live jazz band should play before dinner during cocktail hour.
Hospital staff should be organized to make presentations about the
hospital programs during dinner as well as presentation honoring the
larger donors. Following dinner, a live band should play a combination
of jazz and big band music.

4.7 Event Cleanup

A plan should be developed to have volunteers or other personnel
provide event cleanup.

4.8 Promotion and Advertising

An advertisement should be designed and run in the pink section of San
Francisco Chronicle for two week prior to the event. Radio and
television stations should be contacted to run public service
announcements.

4.0 Assumptions

Donations can be arranged of either cash or services to provide
significant portions of the food, drink, entertainment, food service,
facilities and cleanup.
A volunteer project manager can be recruited to coordinate activities.

5.0 Constraints

Only $10,000 is available to plan and execute the party. All
materials, services and supplies in excess of this amount must be
donated. The Hospital requires that all vendors with personnel working
on site carry $1,000,000.00 in liability insurance.

6.0 Acceptance Criteria

The location, menu, entertainers, decorating plans an color schemes
must be approved in writing by the hospital advisory board 30 days in
advance of the event.

8.0 Deliverables

$500,000 in cash, checks or credit cards payable to the Community
Children's Hospital

_________________________________________________
Questions to Answer:
1. Will you need a more detailed description before you can decompose
the project work?
2. Is the project objective measurable and contain all the appropriate
measures?
3. Are the deliverables clearly described and appropriate for this
project?

[Hooman]

Here are my responses to the Lesson 3 questions. I'm not really sure
about my answer to question 3. What bothers me the most is that the
success criteria for each of the intermediates steps (e.g., securing a
location, securing food, etc.) are not defined clearly. But, I'm not
sure if that information belongs in the scope statement. Your
thoughts?

1. Will you need a more detailed description before you can decompose
the project work?

• Initial project organization is not defined; members of the project
team, as well as other stakeholders should be identified and the
organization of the project should be documented.
• Known risks are not defined. For example, what happens if they could
not secure a location in time for the event?
• Schedule milestones are not defined. This is especially important
because of the inherent dependencies between tasks. For example,
securing food services without having secured a location is not of any
value.
• Project configuration management requirements are not specified. It
is not clear how changes will be controlled.

2. Is the project objective measurable and contain all the appropriate
measures?

• While the objective is specific, measurable, tangible, accurate and
time bound, it is not clear if it is realistic. Is it possible to
identify 500 corporate and individual donors that can donate $1000
each in the next 60 days?

3. Are the deliverables clearly described and appropriate for this
project?

• Deliverables, as stated, allow for the measureable outcomes of the
event. They are specific and verifiable (raise $500,000 in 60 days).
However, there’s no mention of ancillary results and supplementary
outcomes such as documentation or project management reports. What
report or document will the project team use to verify that $500,000
was raised net of all costs/expenses?

[Mariana Sierra]

my responses in blue and within...

 

On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 12:23 PM, Hooman <hpejm...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Here are my responses to the Lesson 3 questions. I'm not really sure
about my answer to question 3. What bothers me the most is that the
success criteria for each of the intermediates steps (e.g., securing a
location, securing food, etc.) are not defined clearly. But, I'm not
sure if that information belongs in the scope statement. Your
thoughts?

1.      Will you need a more detailed description before you can decompose
the project work?
•       Initial project organization is not defined; members of the project
team, as well as other stakeholders should be identified and the
organization of the project should be documented.
•       Known risks are not defined. For example, what happens if they could
not secure a location in time for the event?
•       Schedule milestones are not defined. This is especially important
because of the inherent dependencies between tasks. For example,
securing food services without having secured a location is not of any
value.
•       Project configuration management requirements are not specified. It
is not clear how changes will be controlled.

- Even though advertising is identified a Communication Plan is needed. For instance, private donors

versus corporate donors, each will need to be approached differently, corporate may want a presentation to be made to managment. The Communication Plan will need to also include how the team organizing fundraiser will communicate.

 

-I agree, risks are not mentioned at all. A Risk managment plan would be good. If not enough donations are getting collected then maybe ask people for art items and have a Silent Auction at the Gala, or a raffle, etc. Include ideas other than just the price of ticket. Maybe someone can donate the entertainment; the jazz band, and the live band ? Another idea, if not enough donations are coming through, new brouchures could say: Sponsor a Child, ask for $500 instead of $1,000.

2.      Is the project objective measurable and contain all the appropriate
measures?
•       While the objective is specific, measurable, tangible, accurate and
time bound, it is not clear if it is realistic. Is it possible to
identify 500 corporate and individual donors that can donate $1000
each in the next 60 days?

I agree 60 days is not realistic unless there is a large pool of donors and good economic times!

3.      Are the deliverables clearly described and appropriate for this
project?
•       Deliverables, as stated, allow for the measureable outcomes of the
event. They are specific and verifiable (raise $500,000 in 60 days).
However, there's no mention of ancillary results and supplementary
outcomes such as documentation or project management reports. What
report or document will the project team use to verify that $500,000
was raised net of all costs/expenses?

There could be more deliverables.

One of the them could be a Timeline, since there is a 60 day period

to fundraise, there could be milestones set within those days to get to the goal.

 

The actualy physical Gala Program acknowledging all sponsors in it could be another deliverable.

 

A website that allows individual donors and corporate sponsors to make their donation.  Saying cash, checks, credit cards as ways to make payment to the hospital is not enough of a deliverable, it should be more specific, on how to do that.

Mariana Sierra