| Course | PJM-5100 Project Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Written assignment 1: project fundamentals |
| Length | About 804 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Master of Science in Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PJM 5100 Module 1
Branch Nine by September: Defining a Credit Union Opening as a Project
Student Name
Master of Science in Management, Thomas Edison State University
PJM-5100: Project Management
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Branch Nine by September: Defining a Credit Union Opening as a Project
Introduction
Gido et al. (2018) define a project as an endeavor to accomplish a specific objective through a unique set of interrelated tasks and the effective use of resources, with a defined start and end, a customer or sponsor, and a degree of uncertainty. This assignment applies that definition and the course's other fundamentals to a composite example that later assignments will develop: Prairie Hills Credit Union, a member-owned institution with eight branches in central Iowa, plans to open a ninth in a growing suburb of Ames.
Is It a Project?
The branch opening meets each element of the definition. It has a specific objective: an operating branch. It is unique, since no previous branch used this site, building or staff. It involves interrelated tasks, from site work and construction to technology installation, hiring and member communication, that depend on each other. It has a defined start, board approval in January, and end, opening day and handover to branch operations. It uses resources, including contractors, staff time and money, and it carries uncertainty about permits, weather and hiring. Once open, the branch becomes ongoing operations, which is the distinction between a project and the routine work that follows it.
The Project Objective
Gido et al. (2018) advise that the objective state the end product or deliverable, the schedule and the budget, so that success can be judged unambiguously. The objective for this project is to open a full-service branch at the Ames site, with three teller stations, two member service offices, a two-lane drive-up and an ATM, staffed by six trained employees, by September 30, at a total cost not exceeding $2.85 million. Each element can be checked: the facilities either exist and work or not, the date is fixed, and the budget is a number.
The Life Cycle
The textbook describes four phases, and the branch fits them clearly.
| Phase | Main work for the branch | Key output |
|---|---|---|
| Initiating | Market study of the suburb, business case, board approval | Approved need and funding |
| Planning | Scope, work breakdown, schedule, budget, contractor selection | Baseline plan |
| Performing | Construction, technology installation, hiring and training, marketing | Completed branch |
| Closing | Inspections, punch list, handover to operations, lessons learned | Operating branch and final report |
Effort and spending are low during initiating, rise sharply in performing and fall in closing, which is typical of the life cycle the textbook describes. The ability to change the project cheaply is highest early, which is why the planning phase deserves time even under schedule pressure.
Stakeholders and Constraints
Stakeholders include the board and chief executive as sponsor, the branch's future members and staff, the general contractor and subcontractors, the city's planning and building departments, the core banking system vendor and the credit union's regulators. Constraints include the fixed budget, a September opening timed to members' fall auto-loan season, city permit timelines and a tight local labor market for teller hiring.
Success Factors From Research
Two research findings shape the plan. Young and Jordan (2008), analyzing what drives project success, concluded that top management support was the most important single factor, more than project methodology. The project should therefore have a named executive sponsor, the chief operating officer, who meets the project manager every two weeks and can resolve conflicts over resources. Flyvbjerg (2014), summarizing evidence on large projects, describes a persistent pattern of cost overruns, schedule delays and benefit shortfalls driven partly by optimistic estimates. A single branch is far from a megaproject, but the same optimism affects small projects, so the budget should hold a 10 percent contingency within the $2.85 million total, and estimates should be checked against the actual costs of the credit union's two most recent branches.
Initial Risks
Three risks are visible even at this early stage. Permit approval could take longer than the city's published timeline, delaying construction. Hiring six staff in a tight labor market could leave the branch understaffed at opening. Construction costs could rise if materials prices increase before the contract is signed. Each will be entered in a risk register in later planning with an owner and a response, such as an early meeting with city planners, a recruiting start in the spring, and a fixed-price construction contract. Each risk will also have a trigger, such as a permit still pending three weeks after submission, that prompts the response. Naming risks in the first assignment keeps them in view as the plan develops and shows the sponsor that the schedule and budget were set with uncertainty in mind.
Conclusion
Defined as a project, the branch opening has a measurable objective, a recognizable life cycle, identified stakeholders and constraints, and a sponsor and contingency grounded in research. Those fundamentals give the later stages, from proposals to scheduling and staffing, a clear baseline to plan against.
References
Flyvbjerg, B. (2014). What you should know about megaprojects and why: An overview. Project Management Journal, 45(2), 6-19. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21409
Gido, J., Clements, J. P., & Baker, R. (2018). Successful project management (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Young, R., & Jordan, E. (2008). Top management support: Mantra or necessity? International Journal of Project Management, 26(7), 713-725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.06.001
Reading the PJM 5100 Module 1 assignment instructions
PJM-5100 sets one written assignment in each of its six modules, together counting for 45 percent of the grade, plus six discussions and a final executive report of 10 to 12 pages. The first assignment covers project fundamentals from Gido, Clements and Baker. Choose a real or realistic project you can develop through later assignments, test it against the definition of a project, and write an objective that states the deliverable, schedule and budget. Map the work to the life cycle phases, identify stakeholders and constraints, and use research to support choices such as sponsorship or contingency. Use APA format and clear headings throughout. Keep the same project through the course so each assignment builds on the last.
How this PJM 5100 Module 1 example is built
The paper begins with the textbook's definition and checks the project against each element, which shows understanding rather than just restating it. The objective is written to be measurable on all three dimensions. A table maps work and outputs to the four phases, followed by a note on how effort and the cost of change vary across the life cycle. Stakeholders and constraints are specific to the project. Research on success factors and overruns leads to two concrete decisions, a named sponsor and a contingency. The conclusion frames the project for the assignments that follow, which keeps the course's six assignments connected. Read it as the first chapter of a single, continuing case.
PJM 5100 Module 1 rubric: what earns full marks
PJM-5100 written assignments are scored on a 100-point scale with the course rubric. Mentors look for correct use of the textbook's fundamentals, namely what makes work a project, what an objective must contain and how the life cycle unfolds, applied to a specific project. A measurable objective and project-specific stakeholders and constraints earn credit. Research beyond the textbook should support recommendations. Orderly structure, a table where useful and sound APA references finish the paper. Papers that describe project management in general terms without a concrete project usually score lower than those built around one. A project that is concrete enough to schedule and cost in later modules also earns credit now.
PJM 5100 Module 1 help from the desk
A common weakness is an objective that names a deliverable but leaves out the date or budget, which makes success impossible to judge. Another is choosing a project too vague to develop in later assignments. Our writers can prepare PJM 5100 assignments around a project you choose or one we develop with you. Pick a project with clear boundaries, a deadline and a budget. Write the objective in one sentence covering all three, then sort the work into the four phases. Name everyone with a stake in the project's outcome, and support at least one planning decision with research. Then check that each element can actually be measured at the end of the project.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PJM 5100 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free PJM 5100 Module 1 sample paper?
The first Project Management written assignment is shown above, defining a composite credit union's branch opening as a project with a measurable objective, life cycle, stakeholders and success factors.
What should a project objective include?
The end product or deliverable, the schedule and the budget, stated so that success can be judged clearly.
What are the four phases of the project life cycle?
Initiating, planning, performing and closing, as described by Gido, Clements and Baker.
What does research say is the top project success factor?
Young and Jordan's analysis found top management support to be the most important single factor in project success.
What textbook does PJM-5100 use?
Gido, Clements and Baker's Successful Project Management, seventh edition.