Pangasinan State University

School of Advanced Studies

Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

Master in Development Management – Major in Public Management

FINAL EXAMINATION
nd
2 Semester, A.Y. 2018-2019
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

JEMIMAH ANN T. TORRADO

1. Monitoring in Perspective outlines why monitoring is so key to the successful management of

development projects and programmes and how it is different than evaluation. It points out that
monitoring is an on-going process of reflection, which tends to be neglected by development
workers. The unit highlights the costs of waiting until a project is over for such reflection, and
provides some illustrative case studies as well as examples of best practice.

As general/project/school, manager, how do you build-up organizational commitment among

your employees/teachers particularly in generating their support for your organization programs
and projects. What theories and principles of project development management would you base
your premises regarding the human resources strategies focused on building-up of
organizational commitment in applying best practices terms of monitoring perspective.

Answer:

As manager, I will build-up organizational commitment among my employees particularly in

generating their support for our organization programs and projects by:

Communication

Project managers spend 90% of their time communicating. Therefore they must be good
communicators, promoting clear, unambiguous exchange of information. As a project manager, it is my
job to keep a number of people well informed. It is essential that my project staff know what is expected
of them: what they have to do, when they have to do it, and what budget and time constraints and quality
specifications they are working toward. If project staff members do not know what their tasks are, or how
to accomplish them, then the entire project will grind to a halt. If I do not know what the project staff is (or
often is not) doing, then I will be unable to monitor project progress. Finally, if I am uncertain of what the
customer expects of me, then the project will not even get off the ground. Project communication can
thus be summed up as knowing “who needs what information and when” and making sure they have it.

All projects require sound communication plans, but not all projects will have the same types of commu-
nication or the same methods for distributing the information. For example, will information be distributed
via mail or email, is there a shared website, or are face-to-face meetings required? The communication
management plan documents how the communication needs of the stakeholders will be met, including
the types of information that will be communicated, who will communicate them, and who will receive
them; the methods used to communicate; the timing and frequency of communication; the method for
updating the plan as the project progresses, including the escalation process; and a glossary of common
terms.

Influence

Project management is about getting things done. Every organization is different in its policies,
modes of operations, and underlying culture. There are political alliances, differing motivations, conflicting
interests, and power struggles. A project manager must understand all of the unspoken influences at
work within an organization.

Leadership

Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward expected results.
Leaders inspire vision and rally people around common goals. A good project manager can motivate and
inspire the project team to see the vision and value of the project. The project manager as a leader can
inspire the project team to find a solution to overcome perceived obstacles to get the work done.

Motivation

Motivation helps people work more efficiently and produce better results. Motivation is a constant
process that the project manager must guide to help the team move toward completion with passion and
a profound reason to complete the work. Motivating the team is accomplished by using a variety of team-
building techniques and exercises. Team building is simply getting a diverse group of people to work
together in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This may involve management events as
well as individual actions designed to improve team performance.

Recognition and rewards are an important part of team motivations. They are formal ways of
recognizing and promoting desirable behavior and are most effective when carried out by the
management team and the project manager. Consider individual preferences and cultural differences
when using rewards and recognition. Some people don’t like to be recognized in front of a group; others
thrive on it.

Negotiation

Project managers must negotiate for the good of the project. In any project, the project manager,
the project sponsor, and the project team will have to negotiate with stakeholders, vendors, and
customers to reach a level of agreement acceptable to all parties involved in the negotiation process.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is the ability to understand the heart of a problem, look for a viable solution, and
then make a decision to implement that solution. The starting point for problem solving is problem
definition. Problem definition is the ability to understand the cause and effect of the problem; this centers
on root-cause analysis. If a project manager treats only the symptoms of a problem rather than its cause,
the symptoms will perpetuate and continue through the project life. Even worse, treating a symptom may
result in a greater problem. For example, increasing the ampere rating of a fuse in your car because the
old one keeps blowing does not solve the problem of an electrical short that could result in a fire. Root-
cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms, which then affords
opportunities for solutions. Once the root of a problem has been identified, a decision must be made to
effectively address the problem.
 2. Monitoring in Practice provides step-by-step guidance on how to develop a Project Monitoring
Plan from a Results Framework. It introduces the concept of the Results Framework and defines
key related terminology. The unit also examines the differences between participatory and
conventional (systematic) approaches to project monitoring and explores future possibilities for
bringing the best of both methods together.

Explain each of the factors which contribute to increasing participatory and conventional
approaches in work organization. Which of these factors is most critical and most powerful in
terms of facilitating the following organizational concerns: a) project monitoring plan,
b)participatory, c) conventional.

Answer:

Monitoring is the systematic collection and analysis of information. Information should be collected
as a project progresses that informs how effective or how efficient the program is at meeting its
objective(s). It is based on targets set and activities planned during the planning phases of work. It helps
the project manager and management as a whole keep track of progress made.

a) project monitoring plan

A monitoring plan is a written plan that describes what will be monitored and how. A good monitoring
plan is simple. It is based on existing monitoring mechanisms and sources of information, and collects
only as much information as is used by the project team. A monitoring plan in cooperation with the partner
should be prepared to ensure that:

 Both parties have an understanding of what is being monitored and why

 Monitoring is seen as a tool for learning and improving the work, not as a demand from the donor
 Project indicators are relevant
 Information is collected regularly throughout the project
 Operational environment is considered in the plan

b) Participatory
In its simplest terms, a participatory approach is one in which everyone who has a stake in the
intervention has a voice, either in person or by representation. Staff of the organization that will run it,
members of the target population, community officials, interested citizens, and people from involved
agencies, schools, and other institutions all should be invited to the table. Everyone's participation should
be welcomed and respected, and the process shouldn't be dominated by any individual or group, or by a
single point of view.
That's the ideal. The reality may often be quite different. Some people might not want to be involved -
they may feel it takes too much time, or they don't have the skills needed. Particular individuals or groups
may feel left out and disrespected if they're not invited to participate. The planning process may be a
rubber stamp for ideas that have already been developed. Some people's opinions may be listened to
more carefully than those of others. In some of these situations, a participatory process can cause as
many problems as never involving people at all.
The important thing to remember here is the word participatory. The use of that term implies not just that
you'll ask for someone's opinion before you do what you were going to do anyway, but rather that each
participant becomes an important contributor to the planning process.
A true participatory approach is one in which everyone's perspective is considered. That doesn't mean
that people can't challenge others' assumptions, or argue about what the best strategy might be. It does
mean, however, that everyone's thoughts are respected, and it isn't necessarily assumed that the
professionals or the well -educated automatically know what's best. Everyone actually gets to participate
in the planning process, and has some role in decision-making.
c) conventional
Conventional approach refers to the traditional way of teaching wherein most of the time lecture
method is used. This method of teaching is textbook centered, teacher dominant, exam-oriented. The
emphasis here is mainly in remembering and reproducing facts, principles and theories of learning. This
method is by and large being used by student teachers at present.

3. Evaluation in Perspective provides thorough definitions of the different forms of project and
program evaluation. It also explains why evaluation is an important and necessary part of project
planning and implementation. It gives an outline of the evaluation criteria commonly used by the
European Union (EU) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), as well as an overview of best practice for conducting evaluations – both for the
evaluators and for those being evaluated.

How would you promote a work-environment which provides and nurtures a positive set of
emotions such as pleasure, pride, enthusiasm, relief, optimism, affection and power. Cite one
program of your company/school which brings about positivity among the members in all of the
applying levels of evaluation perspective.

Answer:
A good and harmonious working environment is one where all workers are treated with dignity
and respect, and where no worker is subjected to harassment by conduct that is related to religious belief
or political opinion. Again the same principles will apply with regard to the promotion of a good and
harmonious working environment on grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and age.
PCIC use group work to enhance their employments’ learning. Whether the goal is to increase employees
understanding of content, to build particular transferable skills, or some combination of the two, the
manager often turn to small group work to capitalize on the benefits of peer-to-peer instruction. This type
of group work is formally termed cooperative learning and is defined as the instructional use of small
groups to promote students working together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.
Cooperative learning is characterized by positive interdependence, where students perceive that better
performance by individuals produces better performance by the entire group (Johnson, et al., 2014). It
can be formal or informal, but often involves specific managers intervention to maximize employees
interaction and learning. It is infinitely adaptable, working in small and large study and across disciplines,
and can be one of the most effective teaching approaches available to managers.

4. Evaluation in Practice provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct an evaluation. It

gives details of how to develop the Terms of Reference (ToR), how to formulate a Work Plan,
and how to compile a clear and useful Evaluation Report. It also gives practical tips on choosing
external consultants and evaluation teams.
 What are the most common conflicts which occur in your company/school based organization?
As the branch manager/school administrator, how will you resolve such conflicts using any of
these strategies: a) avoidance, b) accommodating, c) compromise, d) competition and e)
collaboration?

Answer:
Workplace conflict is inevitable when employees of various backgrounds and different work
styles are brought together for a shared business purpose. Conflict can—and should—be managed and
resolved. This toolkit examines the causes and effects of workplace conflict and the reasons why
employers should act to address conflict.
Conflict can occur in any organization when employees with different backgrounds and priorities work
together. Conflict can be expressed in numerous ways such as insults, noncooperation, bullying and
anger. Its causes can range from personality clashes and misunderstood communication to
organizational mismanagement. The negative effects of workplace conflict can include work disruptions,
decreased productivity, project failure, absenteeism, turnover and termination. Emotional stress can be
both a cause and an effect of workplace conflict.
a) avoidance
Avoiding Conflict Altogether rather than discussing disagreements in a calm, respectful
way, some people just do not say anything to their partner until they are ready to explode and
then they are ready to speak in an angry hurtful manner. This seems to be the less stressful to
avoid the conflict situation but usually it causes more stress to both parties as tensions rise to a
greater conflict.
b) accommodating
The accommodating style is one of sacrifice, selflessness and low assertiveness. You
are willing to give up just about everything in order to preserve the relationship with the other
party. It is certainly reasonable to use this strategy when the issue at hand is something of little
importance to you. If you are trying to pick a movie to watch, and you really don't care, it's fine
to say 'Whatever you want is ok with me'. Or maybe you want to build up credit for
accommodating that you might use later.
Two other times when an accommodating strategy can be appropriate: (1) if you are a manager
and want your subordinates to take on responsibility and learn from their own mistakes, and (2)
when you are hopelessly outmatched in power and the other side is using a competing strategy
and you are going to lose anyway.
c) compromise
Compromising conflict style attempts to balance the needs of both or all sides in a
conflict by encouraging everyone to give in on at least some points. This style of conflict can be
more time-consuming and require more "people skills" than other conflict resolution techniques.
It is, however, often regarded as less problematic within a business environment than avoidance,
accommodation or competitive combativeness.
The biggest problem with the compromising style is that both parties may end up giving away
too much and neither ends up satisfied. You have to be careful in a compromise that you aren't
giving away something you can't live without. Because each side goes into the negotiation with
the expectation they will have to give something away, they may start with extreme positions
which make it harder to reach a reasonable compromise.
d) Competition
A competing style is one in which the concerns and the position of the opposition are completely
ignored. Winning the argument is the only metric, and any concession to the other side is seen as a
sign of weakness. The conflict can be won by any means necessary: argument, rank (position or
authority), or a political exercise of power. If you use this style, you have no concern about the other
side's feelings or how they will live with the decisions - that is their tough luck.

The competing style can be appropriately used when the goal is quick action, or when there is little
hope of consensus ever being reached. To use this style, you had better be sure of your ability to
make certain the other side accepts your decision and acknowledges your power.

The disadvantage of the competing style is that it may cause the other side not to voice important
concerns because they will be ignored anyway. In this way, domineering bosses or coworkers can
get their way, but possibly at the expense of important information which could alter the
decision. People using the competing style can be surrounded by 'yes men', and since their concerns
are always ignored, their loyalty doesn't run very deep.

e) collaboration
Sometimes called a 'win/win' strategy, the collaborating style strives to make sure that both sides
are satisfied. It requires an open discussion of all the issues and concerns, exploration of alternative
solutions, and honesty and commitment from all the parties. To be successful, the collaborating style
participants need to be able to surface concerns in a non-threatening way and think imaginatively.

Be sure you understand the difference between a compromising style and a collaborating style:
compromising is 'horse-trading', giving up things you want in the hopes that the other side will do the
same and that you can live with the outcome. In a collaboration, both sides are trying to find a solution
which truly satisfies the needs of each.

The collaborating style is an excellent way to merge insights from people with different perspectives
on a problem, and the result can be a strong commitment to the solution from each side.