Graduation Ceremony Plan Project Plan for Graduation Ceremony and Luncheon

This paper reviews on the planning of a graduation ceremony of 800 students with luncheon, the main person in charge of the whole project is the Project Manager. Under his supervision all the financial, technical, human resources will conduct their duties and the Project Manager will overlook all their aspects and keep track of their performances. There are two main departments in this project which then have sub-departments of their own, first is the finance department which allocates all the finances to the respective authorities to conduct their operations, secondly we have the organizing committee which is responsible for events such as the decoration, rehearsals for the graduates, training for the main speaker and such activities.

1-Definition of project scope:

The main objective is to conduct a successful graduation ceremony of 800 students within the given limited budget and other material resources (but the focus will be on how to handle a successful ceremony regardless of the number of students attending). The project manager must be able to deliver the required ceremony within the due date so time management is a very essential component of the whole process. Also, quality of the event should be no less than the previous events held under previous management, it is therefore advised to choose the personnel for conducting the whole task very carefully as only those people should be given priority who have a previous work experience with short deadlines and efficient work management (those who can deliver according to the will of the project manager).

All the technical requirements must be assessed first hand and priority in work should be given to those tasks which are lengthy and difficult. Most of the times the biggest constraint faced by the management comes from the budget, it is therefore advised to review all the components which are expensive and choose a much suited substitute which suits the budget.

Project Priorities

The main scope here is the allocation of all the resources in the most appropriate manner possible, the place for the ceremony can be chosen from the educational institute itself which can be indoors or outdoors depending on the building structure of the institute, this will save a lot of cost as many institutes choose to rent a different place for their ceremonies. It will also save a lot of time for the personnel who will work for the ceremony, they will not have to travel back and forth a different place, instead they will be in a familiar environment and therefore much time will also be saved in this regard. Everyone is advised to start on time their required activities (usually a month of work is required for the arrangement of this type of program, planning requires even more time).

"Project manager should consult with previous management on how to conduct the operations if it does not have the experience of the particular event" (Linn, 1981). If possible then appoint an assistant manager to share the burden of all the tasks, it is highly recommended. "All the negotiations with the senior executives of the institute should be done as early as possible for the allocation of the budget."(Paul,2006) Project manager should inform them of all the needed resources and give them a deadline for the completion of the process. "The senior executives must be taken into confidence regarding the budget as in many cases the negotiations for the budget are the backbone for the entire operations which will be conducted (it is also essential for the good quality of the program)."(Davidson, 2002).

"The project manager should not promise them what can not be delivered as a broken promise brings down good reputation very badly, the best efforts from the team should be assured."(Norman, 2001).

Work Breakdown Structure

Here a complete breakdown of the total tasks will be done for the graduating ceremony event. Firstly let's look at the decoration process of the location, since these type of events are held either inside (indoors) usually within a ballroom of an expensive hotel or the hall of the educational institute or outside (outdoors) such as a playing field or the lawn of the institute, the whole decoration process must be specifically according to the environment.

"The whole place of event must be appropriately and properly cleaned by the cleaning staff, if the floor is of wood or tiles then it should be shined perfectly, if in lawn then the grass should...

The seating should be enough for all the arriving graduates and their respective guests, seats themselves and other items can also be decorated with covers or ribbons (remember that all the decorating items should have the color and logo of the respective institute).
"The development of main theme is very essential, in many cases it is the one thing which catches the eye of the first time visitors and gives an excellent impression. The graduates can be asked to come up with a theme, it can be like "Your presence honored us" or "Conquer the world with your work." (Robert, 2004) The theme should be printed on the main banner of the event and placed where everyone can see it clearly.

The selection of formal dresses such as the gown, the cap for the ceremony is done by the instructions from the institute. Many colleges or high schools prefer the usual cap and gown, formal wear is allowed in middle or preschool graduation events.

The caps and gowns bring the atmosphere of academic greatness in the ceremonies. They must be booked in advanced (some two to three months) before the graduating event. The graduates should be asked to pay a fee for the necessary dressing equipment for the event.

The attending graduates must familiarize themselves with rehearsals before the ceremony. Everything must be instructed to them such as their positions of standing, walking and so on. The organizers can easily find out if someone is absent on the ceremony day through this process, they can just ask the graduates if their front and back markers are there or not instead of calling them. Here, student's names can be learnt to properly pronounce later on. The arrangement can be alphabetical according to student's names, it is very beneficial as it eases the distribution of diplomas and helping students in their seating arrangements as well.

The preparation of the time plan is very essential to the overall planning of the graduation events. This plan will contain all the times of the events that will carry out such as the start time and all the timings in which every item on event will carry on till its end.

A schedule of the time list can be distributed among the attendees in advance alongside their invitation cards, it may help them get familiarize with the event in much greater detail. In many cases, it will make them punctual as they will arrive right on time for the start of the event. This time plan can be provided to the personnel at work backstage in advance so that they may coordinate with each other more appropriately and more efficiently behind the scenes.

A proper standard way of presenting the degree or diploma to the students at the time of ceremony is not present, some institutions give a false paper which is wrapped by a decorative ribbon, while others give the real degree or diploma inside an institute crested portfolio. The first option is considered to be rather easy to attempt but enough material should be available for all the students (in our case there are 800 so some 800 items should be present but extra 50 or 75 should be kept ). For the second option, the issuance of the necessary certificates (their printing and complete preparations) must be done very early (since in our case there are 800 students, a lot of time may require for the preparations of this much certificates, therefore they should be done in very advance) as well as their portfolios.

A proper spot for the photographer should be arranged which gives him a better angle to take all the necessary pictures that he needs to take, he should also be trained on how to treat the visiting guests and the graduates.

A booklet which contains the entire guide to the graduation program can be used which may have the institute's name, symbol and event location on the front page. The second page can have the info on the institute's faculty, followed by complete schedule of program. Make sure the information provided is accurate and up-to-date.

The formats and templates used to design this book can be according to the representing colors and crest of the institute. All the information being printed on this booklet must have the approval from the senior executive authority

An entertainment package can be planned showcasing the talent of the students which can range in ten to twenty minutes of performances. The arrangements of ushers is very important which help the visitors for the guidance on seating and other things, the hosts/hostesses should have all necessary…