EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ABSTRACT)
Educators across the Caribbean have complained about the poor grades and performances of students at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) level especially in the areas of Mathematics and English Language. Consequently, teachers have encouraged their students to enlist in after school lessons programmes that would assist their classroom learning. In the context of this environment, Oktave Solutions decided to embark upon a project in the education sector to benefit thousands of students across the Caribbean.
Educators across the Caribbean have complained about the poor grades and performances of students at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) level especially in the areas of Mathematics and English Language. Consequently, teachers have encouraged their students to enlist in after school lessons programmes that would assist their classroom learning. In the context of this environment, Oktave Solutions decided to embark upon a project in the education sector to benefit thousands of students across the Caribbean.
Oktave Solutions produced an interactive learning management system that would allow students to take responsibility for their own learning as the system provided a number of components in that regard. Students can choose content specific to their learning instead of structured material. The interactive nature of the system provided the learner with an online tutor, self-paced quizzes, past paper questions and a collaborative aspect to network with their peers. This option afforded many advantageous insights since the 21st century learner preferred to learn via technology as opposed to the traditional classroom.
The system will also provide a collaborative aspect for teachers of the various subjects. Subject teachers from across the Caribbean would be able to share ideas, content and best practices with each other and users of the system. During the development of the content teachers would get an opportunity to dissect the prescribed syllabi to create meaningful material for the enhancement of student learning. The development of such a system would cut out commuting time for the student thus able to deliver quicker instruction compared to the traditional classroom-based learning. The company undertook this project with a vast wealth of experience. The firm consisted of like-minded persons who are highly competent in their field.
This IT Solutions Company is based out of Trinidad and Tobago, however collaborates with professionals across the Caribbean including here in Saint Lucia. Oktave Solutions will develop, design and teach interactive online courses conforming to the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) syllabus. In the past, the company engaged in small projects that focused on Information Technology solutions for various agencies. These included government entities and local businesses. These projects were implemented without sound project management principles and guidelines. As a result, their ability to effect these solutions within scope and cost in a timely manner was affected. This project created a project management plan to provide support for the development and creation of a learning management system. It formed the framework by which initiating, planning, monitoring and control, closing will be guided by thus increased the chances of completing the project within the triple constraints.
The Final Graduation Project’s general objective was to create the Project Management Plan of the Learning Management System (LMS) Development Project to tutor students preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. The specific objectives were to create a Scope Management Plan to ensure the project includes the work that is required for a successful completion; to create a Time Management Plan to manage the timely execution of the project schedule; to create a Cost Management Plan to manage project costs ensuring that the project is completed within the approved budget; to develop a Quality Management Plan to identify the standards that will be used to evaluate the quality of project deliverables; to design a Human Resource Management plan to determine the project roles, responsibilities and skills required to effectively complete the project; to develop a compliant Risk Management Plan that identifies possible risks and the appropriate risk responses to minimize the likelihood of their occurrence; to create a Communications Management Plan to create the appropriate linkages and communication channels between stakeholders and project team; to develop a Procurement Management Plan to identify the products and services required by the project; to develop a Stakeholder Management Plan to engage stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the project based on the analysis of their needs, interests and potential impact on project success.
The methodology used to conduct the research was a combination of four methods; analytical, descriptive, qualitative and quantitative. Interviews, surveys, meetings, empirical data, and stakeholder analysis were the tools used to gather and analyse information to complete the project.
In conclusion, it can be stated that Oktave Solutions should conduct their future projects using sound project management principles. Therefore, a project management plan with all the subsidiary plans must be incorporated and will serve as a guide towards the completion of the project complying with the triple constraints of time, budget and scope.
The recommendations are such that at all times proper communication is maintained by the project team and the relevant stakeholders to ensure issues are dealt with in a timely manner. In addition, the project manager and the team should adhere to strict budgetary constraints. Where modifications are needed, there must be permission form the appropriate authorities before proceeding with these changes. In addition, the learning management system must be properly maintained to guarantee customer satisfaction long after deployment. Finally, the Oktave Solutions could seek to undertake similar or larger projects in the future after having gained project management skills.
In conclusion, it can be stated that Oktave Solutions should conduct their future projects using sound project management principles. Therefore, a project management plan with all the subsidiary plans must be incorporated and will serve as a guide towards the completion of the project complying with the triple constraints of time, budget and scope.
The recommendations are such that at all times proper communication is maintained by the project team and the relevant stakeholders to ensure issues are dealt with in a timely manner. In addition, the project manager and the team should adhere to strict budgetary constraints. Where modifications are needed, there must be permission form the appropriate authorities before proceeding with these changes. In addition, the learning management system must be properly maintained to guarantee customer satisfaction long after deployment. Finally, the Oktave Solutions could seek to undertake similar or larger projects in the future after having gained project management skills.
