MGMT 331: Project Management | Milestone 2: Project Scope and WBS Report
Welcome back, everyone. Last week, we wrapped up our discussions on project initiation and the realities of getting a sponsor to sign off on a charter. I appreciate the candid questions many of you raised during our seminar about scope creep, especially those of you drawing from your experiences observing local infrastructure developments like the Kuwait International Airport expansion. We are now moving from the conceptual phase into concrete planning. For this milestone, you will step into the shoes of a lead project manager tasked with breaking down a high-level vision into actionable, trackable components.
1. Assessment Context & Guidelines
- Course Code & Title: MGMT 331 – Project Management
- Assessment Type: Milestone 2 / Written Report
- Required Length: a 5–7 page report (excluding appendices and title page)
- Citation Format: APA 7th Edition
- Weighting: 25% of your final semester grade
Your objective here is to transition the approved project charter from Milestone 1 into a detailed scope baseline. You need to demonstrate that you can logically decompose deliverables, assign clear responsibilities, and anticipate early-stage risks. We want to see practical, industry-standard formatting that you could confidently present to a corporate steering committee in the Gulf region.
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2. Task Description & Requirements
Using the ongoing “Al-Rai Commercial Complex” case study we selected at the start of the semester, prepare a formal project scope report. Your document should address the following areas logically:
- Scope Statement Outline: Define the project boundaries clearly. Specify what is explicitly included in the project and, just as critically, outline three distinct exclusions to prevent future scope creep.
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Construct a hierarchical WBS down to the third level (the work package level). You may use MS Project, Visio, or Excel to create the visual chart, but you must embed it directly into your report. Provide a brief WBS Dictionary entry for at least two critical path work packages.
- Initial Risk Register: Identify four potential risks associated with the scheduling and resource allocation of your defined work packages. Consider regional factors such as summer working hour restrictions for construction teams or supply chain bottlenecks. Propose a specific mitigation strategy for each.
Write your report assuming a professional audience. Avoid overly academic summaries of what a WBS is; instead, show me how to build one. I encourage you to consult the PMBOK guidelines we discussed in Chapter 4, but make sure your application fits the specific cultural and logistical realities of our case study.
3. Grading Rubric / Marking Criteria
I will use the following framework to mark your submissions. Please review it carefully while drafting your document.
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| Criteria | Excellent (90-100%) | Proficient (75-89%) | Developing (60-74%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope Definition | Clearly outlines precise boundaries with highly realistic exclusions. Demonstrates exceptional anticipation of stakeholder needs. | Defines the scope adequately. Exclusions are present but may lack specific details related to the case scenario. | Scope boundaries are vague. Fails to outline practical exclusions, leaving the project vulnerable to uncontrolled changes. |
| WBS & Decomposition | Logical, exhaustive breakdown to the work package level. The visual chart is professional, and dictionary entries are highly detailed. | Decomposes deliverables well, though one or two branches might lack depth. The WBS format is clear and functional. | WBS appears disorganized or stops at too high a level. Missing or overly brief dictionary entries. |
| Risk Identification | Identifies highly relevant, region-specific risks. Mitigation strategies are practical, actionable, and tied directly to the work packages. | Lists plausible risks and standard mitigation strategies. Connections to the local working environment are present but brief. | Risks are overly generic. Fails to provide realistic mitigation steps or overlooks obvious scheduling constraints. |
| Formatting & APA Mechanics | Flawless professional tone. Smooth, natural sentence flow. Perfect APA 7th citations and reference list. | Good professional structure with only minor mechanical errors that do not disrupt readability. | Frequent grammatical issues or formatting inconsistencies. Noticeable missing citations. |
4. Sample Answer Guide
Effective project scheduling relies heavily on precise task duration estimates and clearly defined milestones. Project managers frequently utilize the Critical Path Method to identify which sequential activities dictate the final completion date of regional construction initiatives. Delays in acquiring municipal permits routinely derail early planning phases across Middle Eastern countries. Teams that integrate risk assessment matrices during the initial charter drafting tend to experience fewer budget overruns later in the lifecycle. Implementing standardized frameworks provides a measurable baseline for tracking physical progress and financial expenditures. Recent studies show that an absence of official systematic procedures often prevents construction companies from achieving successful risk management outcomes (Hatamleh et al., 2024). Consequently, managers must balance international methodologies with localized communication strategies to ensure successful delivery.
Construct a comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure and risk management plan for the Milestone 2 project management assessment.
5. References & Learning Materials
Please use these peer-reviewed sources as a foundation for your risk and scope methodologies, supplementing them with your own database research:
- Aldawsari, M., Almuajebh, M., & Gunduz, M. (2025). Assessing the critical success factors for the sustainable construction project management of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2025.2454616
- Alotaibi, A., Almutairi, S., & Alqahtani, F. (2023). Potential features of building information modeling (BIM) for application of project management knowledge areas in the construction industry. Heliyon, 9(10), e19697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19697
- Alshammari, S., Alotaibi, M., & Almutairi, A. (2024). Enhancing claims management in the construction industry using analytic hierarchy process. Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.1061/JLADAH.LADR-1268
- Hatamleh, M. T., Hiyassat, M. A., & Sweis, G. J. (2024). Strategies for improving project risk management via communication and integration: The case of Jordan. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2024-0536