1. Project Management
Project management is the art of managing the project and its deliverables with a view to produce finished products or services. The effectiveness of project management is dependent on many factors.
Milestones
Task Name
Duration
Start
Finish
Thanksgiving Dinner
54 days
Mon 9/12/16
Thu 11/24/16
   Kick-Off Meeting (KOM)
0 days
   Send Invites
Wed 10/5/16
   Send Conformation
Thu 10/13/16
   Create name card
Mon 10/24/16
   Create Music Playlist
Mon 10/31/16
   Prepare House
Wed 11/23/16
   Buy food
Mon 11/21/16
   Prepare Food
   Serve Dinner
   Clean up and Relax
In OGL240 Introduction to Project Management we gained a greater understanding of the different stages of a project including:
Project Management Fundamentals 
Setting a Project Up For Success: Identifying Influencing Factors 
Project Planning, Scope, and Cost Management 
Work Breakdown and Time Management 
Executing a Project: Managing People and Creating Accountability 
Making Adjustments, Managing Risk and Controlling Quality
Close-out & Best Practices 
My artifact is a component of a project plan my team and I put together to host a Thanksgiving dinner. The complete plan included a Work Breakdown Structure, WBS dictionary, Responsibility Assignment Matrix, Milestones, Task Dependencies, and the Critical Path.
This course taught me that project management isn’t necessarily about doing all of the work yourself, rather it’s about coordinating efforts and keeping a project on course. As a result I can more effectively keep projects within scope while allowing for timely completion of objectives.
Text: Managing Projects Large and Small: The Fundamental Skills for Delivering on Budget and on Time, Harvard Business Review Press (2004), ISBN

2. Company Vision/Mission
Project Management
Executive Summary
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization which specializes in reproductive health services. In 2015 they performed 271,539 pap tests and 363,803 breast exams; resulting in the early detection of cancer in 71,717 women. Also, they provided 931,589 emergency contraception kits and helped avert 578,681 unintended pregnancies. In addition, they conducted 651,695 HIV tests and diagnosed 171,882 sexually transmitted infections. (Planned Parenthood, n.d.). Planned Parenthood receives most of their funding through the federal government and is currently receiving opposition from people who question the ethical nature of their existence.
Company Vision/Mission
As stated on its Web site, Planned Parenthood’s vision is “Access for all to quality reproductive health care without judgment and with respect”. Planned Parenthood’s mission is to provide and promote compassionate, comprehensive health care, education, and rights. Their “Mission Statement: A Reason for Being” (Mission, n.d.).
In OGL355 Leading Organizational Innovation and Change we expanded on the traditional definition of project management to include strategic leadership. This initiates changes that create a viable and valuable future for the organization. Our studies contained:
The cost leader strategy
Vertical Integration
Horizontal Integration
Diversification Strategies
I was able to integrate my learning into my current career by working within a project group to develop true strategic plans for each of our markets. I have found that I can more effectively operate outside of the confines of silos to bring in all the necessary information need to make good decisions as a result of this course.
This artifact is an excerpt from a strategic plan I created for Planned Parenthood. The plan ended with recommendations and an implementation strategy. Once accepted by the stakeholders it would serve as the basis for their project plan for growth.
Text: Coulter, M. (2013).Strategic management in action. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.