Project Management Associate
Planned and managed the execution of a three-day professional development masterclass within a simulated 12-week project timeline covering 13 milestones from team formation through final submission. Developed
Executive Summary
Planned and managed the execution of a three-day professional development masterclass within a simulated 12-week project timeline covering 13 milestones from team formation through final submission. Developed a complete Work Breakdown Structure with duration rationale for every activity, resource and communication plan, participant engagement strategy, and pre/post assessment framework. Designed three masterclass sessions: Remote Communication, Public Speaking, and Time Management each with facilitator guides, slide decks, activities, and a consolidated participant work
2The Problem
The project required managing a simulated 12-week timeline with fixed immovable dates (masterclass: August 18-20, final submission: August 28). Fourteen part-time interns needed clear role assignments, coordinated dependencies across 4 phases, and realistic duration estimates. All estimates had to be effort-and-judgment based with explicit documented assumptions not formal PERT calculations.
Operating Constraints
Fixed PM methodology requirements. WBS had to meet professional PM standards despite being an internship deliverable. Risk framework required coverage across multiple risk categories within a compressed timeline.
3Objective
Build a complete Work Breakdown Structure with 13 milestones for the St. Louis University 0106 project, develop a risk management framework identifying 15 risk items, and deliver project management documentation meeting professional PM standards.
4Approach & Method
Why This Approach
Built the WBS before the risk framework because task decomposition reveals risks that abstract planning misses. Structured milestones around deliverable completion rather than calendar dates because deliverable-based milestones are more resilient to timeline shifts.
5Evidence & Artifacts
6Outcome & Results
- •Complete project plan with duration-rationale documentation for every WBS activity. All 13 milestones tracked. Three fully designed masterclass sessions. Consolidated participant workbook. Pre/post assessment framework. Final presentation pack with retrospective submitted against August 28 deadline.
- •The WBS with 13 milestones and risk framework with 15 items established a professional PM baseline. Structured deliverables are reusable across future project management engagements.
Key Results
- •Complete project plan with duration-rationale documentation for every WBS activity. All 13 milestones tracked. Three fully designed masterclass sessions. Consolidated participant workbook. Pre/post assessment framework. Final presentation pack with retrospective submitted against August 28 deadline.
Impact
- •The WBS with 13 milestones and risk framework with 15 items established a professional PM baseline. Structured deliverables are reusable across future project management engagements.