Self-Assessment Of How Good Are Your Project Management Skills

This research paper is a brief discussion of budget management analysis. Budgeting is the key to financial management, and is the key to translates an organization goals or plan into money. Budgeting is a rough estimate of how much a company will need to get their work done, and provides the basis for evaluating performance, a source of motivation, coordinating business activities, a tool for management communication and instructions to employees. Without a budget an organization would be like a driver, driving blinded without instructions or any sense of direction, that’s how important a budget is to every organization and individual likewise (Clark, 2005).

Managerial accounting is essential for decision making. Making the best choice depends on the manager's goals, the anticipated results from each alternative, and the information available when the decision is made (Schneider, 2012). The different techniques associated with managerial accounting are very helpful in the decisions that need to be made. In order to truly understand decision making with managerial accounting one must first discern exactly what managerial accounting means and some of the techniques associated with it. The definition of managerial accounting will be discussed along with the techniques of cost management techniques, budgeting, and quality control.

The Accounting for Management Decision Making class has provided several concepts that have improved my ability to make decisions for my organization, a large hospital. I now have an understanding of methods to determine if a capital project is possible such as discounted cash flow, net present value, accounting rate of return, payback and internal rate of return. This course also helped me increase my knowledge of strategic planning, forecasting and budgeting. Additionally, I learned to calculate standard versus actual costs as well as opportunity cost.

A cost centre is a department within a company that does not produce direct profit and adds to the cost of running a company. However, all cost centres perform an important job. It improves the satisfaction of customers and indirectly increases sales.[1] The manager and employees of cost centre are not accountable for its profit and investment decision but they are responsible for its cost.[2] They are liable for keeping their cost in line or below budget because cost centre does not produce directly from its activities.[3] The performance of the managers is assessed by comparing the actual expenses incurred with the budgeted expenses for the cost centre. Basically cost is the control data in the cost centre. [

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Review a range of different assessment methods available and explain the ones you would use for your subject area. Evaluate the use of assessment methods in different contexts including reference to initial assessment, formative and summative. Justify the types of assessment records you would keep and why.

The Project 2 Assessment allowed me to see some personality traits that I hold (Project 2 Assessment, 2017). I found that I am an agreeable and open to experience personality. I will take opportunities to have power over a group setting. Although, at times I will agree with others opinions. I am an extremely motivated person that likes to get a head start on work. This comes from the fact that I am good with problem solving situations. It is always great to have the challenge of coming up with a solution to an issue. Another positive trait is my communication skills. I did find out that I am not exactly ready to become a leader. I still have maturing to do in my career to reach that point. When that time comes, I could see myself reaching

Various terms are used to describe costs. Having an understanding of these terms will provide a better insight to managers and companies on making budget decisions, efficiently. Not only the ones described above should be considered, but also all types of costs related to the decision in effect. Efficient managers will considered all aspects related to the analyses in question.

A company's budget serves as a guideline in planning and committing costs in order to meet tactical and strategic goals. Tactical goals such as providing budgetary costs for daily operations, and strategic objectives that include R&D, production, marketing, and distribution are all part of the budgeting process. Serving as a guideline rather than being set in stone, the budget is a snapshot of manager's "best thinking at the time it is prepared." (Marshall, 2003, p.496) The budget is a method in which to reign-in discretionary spending, and will likely show variances between what costs have been anticipated and what costs are actually incurred.

By linking cost management efforts to budgeting, companies improve the quality of information available for managers to use in developing their budgets. Accurate cost information is fundamental to budgeting. Companies that use accurate cost management techniques and provide budget developers with ready access to cost information improve both the accuracy and the speed of their budget process.

Project management is the discipline of using policies and procedures to manage a project from creation to competition. The intent of this paper is to assess the role of a project manager and determine if I am well suited for a career in project management. To achieve this goal, I will be discussing the following areas: job description, general career path, education requirements, salary, career outlook, and the pros and cons. I will also be interviewing a colleague that currently working as a project manager to gain a better understanding of typical duties associated with the role.

Bhimani, A., Horngren, C., Datar, S., Rajan, M. et al. (2012) Management and Cost Accounting. 5th ed. Edinburgh: Prentice Hall, p.369 - 378.

Blocher E., Stout D., Juras P., Cokins G. (2013). Strategy and Master Budget. Cost Management. (6th ed., pp. 350-406). New york: The McGraw-Hill Companies. DOI:www.mhhe.com/blocher6e

i. Speed has become a competitive advantage; more and more organizations are relying on cross-functional project teams to get new products and services to the market as quickly as possible.

According to an accounting textbook, cost is defined as a resource sacrificed or foregone to achieve a specific objective. It is something given up in exchange. It is necessary for project managers to understand project cost management since project costs money and consumes resources.