Mini-Project Case

With the little experience I have with project management, I would have never of thought of using project management techniques for a mini-project like this. However, after reading the case study on planning a family get-away, I find that it is effective to apply such techniques. By having a vision for the vacation, a list of the tools and equipment needed, a project overview test plan, a budget, a task list, a flexibility matrix and by knowing all the risks involved I believe this works very well. The overall vision, or plan, of a project is a description of the desired target that should occur after the project has ended. Creating a clear vision will effectively communicate where it is headed and what it is trying to achieve. In the case of planning a family get-away, the author clearly states that the project’s goal is to unplug, refresh, and recharge before school starts for her children. Her vision also contains main key factors and a spending budget that gives a more specific plan to achieving the family’s ultimate goal. These factors include specific missions that need to be met, what tangible items will be needed and how much money can be used to divvy up between all necessities. But how did the author acquire this vision? After compromising with her family on not staying home, but not spending too much money, they came up with camping. From the article it seems that there were other camping trips that did not go so well. This is where the Lessons Learned Meetings came to be. The family of four was able to discuss what had gone well in past trips and what needed to be improved for this ultimate trip to be successful. So with the input of the family, the author was able to come up with alternative ideas. I believe it was beneficial for the author to be aware the other family member’s points-of-view to get more insight. And once she was