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Abstract
This capstone applied rigorous project management methodology to conduct an environmental scan for establishing a Student Success Center in the University of New Hampshire Dimond Library. The project addressed the challenge of delivering evidence-based recommendations within a compressed eight-week timeline. A waterfall methodology with adaptive planning was employed, utilizing a Work Breakdown Structure to manage 115 tasks across four sequential phases: planning, research, analysis, and reporting. Requirements gathering combined literature review, peer institution benchmarking, stakeholder interviews, partnership policy assessment, and transaction data collection. The methodology enabled successful triangulation across multiple data sources, resulting in seven defensible recommendations spanning governance, space configuration, staffing, and infrastructure. Key findings confirm that co-location is strategically sound but operationally complex, with success contingent on clear governance, aligned service hours, and protection of library identity. The project was delivered on schedule with a CPI of 1.04 and no use of contingency reserves. Key lessons include the critical role of task decomposition in managing tight timelines, the value of early stakeholder input in surfacing feasibility issues, and the importance of clear scope boundaries in preventing overreach.
Date Created
05/18/2026
Project Type
Capstone
College or School
College of Professional Studies Granite Division
Program or Major
Project Management
Subject
Project Management
Date
2026
Recommended Citation
Norton, Kathleen (Spring 2026). Academic Commons Environmental Scan: Project Management Methodology and Analysis (Capstone Project). MS Project Management, University of New Hampshire
Medium
PowerPoint