1. Project Initiation Plan for
Graduate Career Bureau
KUPMT – Kingston University Project Management Team
Arwa Hussein[K1252038]
Dicky Kamajaya Valentius[K1300085]
Oloruntoba Ojo[K1240593]
Vanessa Okuonghae[K1267385]
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing
Kingston University London
2. Agenda
Background & Introduction
Project Overview
Deliverables and Product Breakdown
Cost and Benefit Analysis
Project Phases and Tasks
Gantt Chart
Project/Team Organisation
Identified Risks and Contingency Plan
3. Background & Introduction
In the third quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate for new graduates
was as high as 20%. This is attributed to the most recent recession and is
by far the highest unemployment rate for new graduates recorded in over a
decade. With almost 1 in 5 economically active recent graduates who were
available and looking work but was unable to find any; this was almost
double the rate of unemployment before the start of the recession.
There are several reasons why graduates are finding it difficult to
secure a job. Some of these reasons include:
Very little experience or complete inexperience.
Mismatch between the graduates’ skillset and the employer’s
requirements.
Doubts on the part of the employers about the credibility of the
graduates skillset.
The Graduates’ search needs more breadth and depth to find
openings that are a good match.
Résumés and Portfolios of the graduates needs to be reviewed and
enhanced to truly reveal all that they bring to the table.
4. Project Overview
Graduate Career Bureau is concerned with the reduction of the graduate
unemployment by developing a scheme that helps fresh graduates to start their
career paths after graduation. The ultimate objective is to equip graduates with
tangible skills and experience thus making them ready for professional working
environment. In order to achieve this objective, this project will focus on six key
goals namely:
Establishing partnership with local universities to connect the graduates directly
with private companies and encourage them to apply and prepare for the job
before their graduation.
Reducing the gap between theoretical education and professional application by
providing the necessary training for each individual, who undergoes some
psychometric tests in aim to identify his/her lacking areas.
Periodically running workshops that help in improving graduates’ awareness
regarding writing professional CVs, cover letters, job interviews, and also to give
career advises.
Matching the best opportunities and notifying applicants based on their
academic subjects and preferences through the website.
Helping employers to find best candidates for what they’re offering.
Giving students the opportunity to propose solutions to business problems laid
out by companies.
6. Cost and Benefit Analysis
Costs[-]
Organisation/Development Costs
•
•
Website Contract - £35,000
Workshop Location Preparation
£5,000
Hardware Setup £2,000
Marketing Costs - £20,000
•
•
Planning Costs
•
•
Support/Operational Costs
Legal Agreements £3,000
Logistics - £5,000
•
•
•
•
•
Decreased unemployment rate among of
University graduates by at least 30%.
Increase in ranking position among other
Universities.
Improved economy - At least 20% of the
graduates will setup their own business thus
creating more job opportunities.
Commission fees from private companies
and universities to be part of the programme.
Companies pay subscription fees to the
developer every year to keep the software up
to date and for maintenance.
•
•
•
Benefits[+]
Tangible Benefits
•
Staff Training and Salary
£5,000
Technical Support - £5,000
Website Hosting &
Maintenance - £5,000
Printing Costs - £,1000
Intangible Benefits
•
•
•
Improved reputation of the University
The companies get solutions and ideas
while the students get exposure,
experience and a possibility of future
employment with the company upon
graduating.
Given the opportunities to work together
on research based solutions. The
companies get some solutions and ideas
and the students get exposure,
experience and a possibility of future
employment with the company upon
graduating.
8. Gantt Chart
Phase 1:Initiation
Phase 2: Final Agreements
Phase 3: Website Development
Phase 4: Marketing & Orientation
Phase 5: Site Organisation
Phase 6: Project Launch
9. Some Identified Risks and Contingency Plans
Risk
Likelihood Impact
Contingency
Secondary suppliers bail 3
9
Prepare backup third parties beforehand
out on last minute
Negative impact from
3
7
Make a new survey of the target audience
the marketing campaign
and change the marketing approach
accordingly
Not enough personnel
4
2
Reassign team roles and assign multiple
to run the training or
tasks to personnel based on their
workshop
identified capabilities.
Technical Difficulties
5
4
Have a maintenance crew standing by to
deal with such difficulties.
Venue is not big enough 3
2
Make provisions for extra attendees
to accommodate
before workshop day; Try to change to
training and workshop
another room if possible
attendees.
11. Prototype: Marketing Flyer for Promoting Awareness
References
1. Hruschka, P. (1997, March). Detailing and Deriving System Requirements. In
Engineering of Computer-Based Systems, 1997. Proceedings., International
Conference and Workshop on (pp. 25-32). IEEE.
2. BELBIN
Associates,
"Belbin
Team
Roles,"
[Online].
http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8. [Accessed 3 November 2013].
Available: