The challenge as an objective

Explain the features of a well-defined challenge (specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound). Rewrite this vague challenge so that it meets these criteria: "we want to improve break time".

Explain the difference between a goal and a well-formulated challenge. Turn these vague goals into measurable challenges: (a) 'sell more than last year'; (b) 'have lots of people using the app'. Remember: specific, measurable, achievable and with a deadline.

Classify these challenges as well or badly formulated and correct the bad ones: (a) 'get $50$ followers on the project's account before the $20$th'; (b) 'be more sustainable'; (c) 'hand out $200$ flyers in the neighbourhood on Saturday morning between four people'; (d) 'have the fair go well'.

What three elements does every task in a plan need to ensure it moves beyond good intentions? Apply them to organising a school party: write three realistic tasks, specifying the person responsible, the deadline, and how you will know they are completed.

Define what a task, an owner and a deadline are within a plan. Write the list of the first four tasks for organising the school's chess tournament, each with its (made-up) owner and its deadline.

Break down the challenge "set up a healthy breakfast stall at the school fair in $6$ weeks" into at least six ordered tasks. For each task, indicate which previous task must be completed before starting it and how many days you would allocate to it.

The figure shows the $6$-week schedule for the breakfast stall at the fair: each bar represents a task, and its length shows how many weeks it takes. The last task is covered with a question mark.

1. a) Consider which task occupies weeks $5$ and $6$, right before the fair, and justify why it cannot start earlier.
2. b) State which tasks overlap in week $2$ and explain what would happen to the rest of the plan if "Buy supplies" is delayed by one week.

Explain what a milestone is in a project (an important checkpoint date) and name two reasonable milestones for the 'breakfast stall for the May fair' project. How does a milestone differ from an ordinary task?

The cooperative is planning the fair with these tasks and durations: permit ($10$ days of waiting, cannot be expedited), product design ($5$ days), purchasing materials ($3$ days, after design), kitchen test ($2$ days, after purchasing), outreach ($3$ days, can start after design).

1. a) Outline in words the sequence of tasks and calculate the minimum duration of the project if the permit is requested on the first day and outreach runs in parallel.
2. b) Explain what the critical path of the plan is (the chain of tasks that determines the total duration) and why a delay in "outreach" is less concerning than one in "kitchen test".

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Your team estimates the project timescales: design $4$ days, buying supplies $3$ days, assembly $5$ days, and trials $2$ days. Design and purchasing cannot overlap, but assembling the stall and conducting the kitchen trial run can be done simultaneously by different team members.

1. a) Calculate the total duration if everything is done sequentially, and the duration if you take advantage of the overlap.
2. b) Explain what conditions are required (people, materials) for the overlap to work in practice and not just on paper.

The market team plans with zero margin: each task finishes on the exact day the next one starts. Explain what a time buffer is, where you would place it in that plan, and why planning without a buffer is a recipe for delay. Give an example of a typical unexpected event at school.

Your class has $6$ weeks to prepare the entrepreneurship fair and these tasks: choosing the product ($3$ days), validating it with a survey ($4$ days), the budget ($2$ days), the purchase ($5$ days after the budget), production ($10$ days after the purchase), publicity ($7$ days, after choosing the product) and setting up ($2$ days, at the end).

1. a) Set up the schedule week by week, marking what runs in parallel, and calculate whether you will make it comfortably or just barely.
2. b) The supplier warns that the purchase will take $10$ days instead of $5$. Replan: what moves, what can be brought forward and where you place a buffer, explaining each decision.