The Effect of Using Milestones in Project Work

Abstract 

Every long term, large, and complex project is accomplished in phases. Project stakeholders, however, need regular guidance and motivation to ensure that the project moves towards completion with a profound reason to finish the project work. Project managers may, nevertheless, find it challenging to ensure that project teams encompassing diverse people work together efficiently and effectively. Milestones have emerged as useful tools with potential effects on project team performance and project implementation. Milestones are key parts of project implementation because they indicate the start and completion of major project phases. They can be useful in driving the project team and stakeholders towards major project achievements. It is, therefore, vital, to investigate the effects of milestones on project phases, project implementation, and team building and team performance. 

The present research proposal intends to investigate the effect of using milestones in project work and the impact of milestones in the execution of the phases of a project. The study will focus on examining the mechanisms that can make milestones increase the efficiency of projects and use the mechanisms as the basis for developing a model that shows the connection between milestones and increased efficiency in projects. The study will use a mixed-method design to conduct the research and collect data. Data collection will involve the use of both qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. Questionnaires will be sent to different project managers at different organizations that have implemented projects in their business. Besides, interviews will be conducted with project managers and people who have been involved in project work to examine the effects of milestones in practice. Since organizations implement projects in different contexts, the questionnaire will be sent to managers at organizations that have implemented various types of projects to investigate potential differences regarding the effect of using milestones. 

2. Framing my Practitioner Research 

2.1. Review of my Professional Context 

I have worked as a project manager in Norway’s largest bank, Project Manager/ PMO Project Office Executive, part of DNB's Student Ambassador initiative, working with the Student segment in Oslo, Norway. Our segment consisting of 1.1 million customers and "DNB Ung" (the student initiative) scored 71% and was recognized for winning the youth segment in a survey conducted among Norwegian banks. The role of the Project manager included working as a part of a highly motivated professional team supporting a variety of departments across the organization at recruitment and other organizational wide events. This included event execution, developing social media marketing strategies, creating work campaigns and plans, and organizing and implementing concepts to make DNB more attractive to students. My career also involved working for British Airways as part of the Information Technology Delivery team. The IT team was responsible for the delivery and support of all IT across the Americas region. Besides I have worked as a project manager/head of marketing for Rotary International, where I led local festivals. 

Generally, I have worked in various projects, both in the public and private sector. In all these roles and when completing projects, a simple but logical WBS is usually used to structure the project. Key milestones are determined to mark the progress and cost of the project where each milestone manifests the scheduled shift from one phase of the project to the next. Projects are generally structured in several phases to indicate progress milestones in which a designated milestone marks the achievement of each phase (Patzak & Rattay, 2012). The initial phase usually involves elaborating and clarifying the project concept and it ends at the first milestone. 

The second phase entails a review of the original project plan to prepare for full authorization of the project. The second milestone marks its end. In the third phase, full authorization of the project occurs where project objectives and the business case for the project are announced, detailed planning is performed, and all resources of the project are mobilized. The phase ends at the third milestone. The fourth phase involves the actual working stage and culminates at the fourth milestone when the project is ready for implementation. The final phase concludes the project as all project milestones are achieved and the project is in full implementation. At this stage, the project closure occurs in which a final debriefing meeting is held. The main benefit of a structured model to a project is that the model increases the implementation of successful projects from the outset as the approach enhances compliance with proven project management techniques. 

Project management also involves tailored techniques based on the key deliverables of projects. For instance, project management in the banking sector involves both regulators and customers scrutinizing projects. In turn, this requires a rigorous, disciplined, and well-documented project management to deliver reliable functionality from projects. Risk and regulation are important for banks (Ding, 2016). The IT sector, however, favors agile project management techniques and use them as the basis for different projects (Marchewka, 2015). These two sectors also have different requirements, resources, and structures. They cannot undertake similar projects based on the same methodology. There is a need to tailor project management methodologies for each sector. In both sectors, however, successful projects rely on enhancing harmony in project teams and providing them with adequate resources. 

Additionally, since no one project management technique applies to all types of projects, the used technique must consider the complexity, duration, and size of each project and be modified to meet the culture, industry, and degree of project management development of the firm. Tailoring leads to suitable project management techniques that apply to specific kinds of projects and reflect the context of the organization. Examples of tailoring techniques include agile-based methods in the IT sector and waterfall techniques in the construction sector (Maassen, 2018). Agile approaches are suitable for large scale organizational projects. The technique can be used to distribute roles to ensure better control of scaled projects. Project management software is a vital tool that can be applied to tailored technique to meet the specific needs of different stakeholders (Hall, 2020). This tool can filter numerous data inputs and provide the required output. Project managers can use the tool to develop project deliverables that are appropriate for a particular project and the involved stakeholders. 

A project can be considered to be an endeavor involving a series of tasks that must be completed to achieve a specific result. It can also be considered to be a set of inputs and outputs needed to reach a particular objective (Milosevic et al., 2010). Projects have unique features that differentiate them from other operations. For instance, a project is usually temporary with a defined beginning and completion dates. The temporary feature is vital because stakeholders in the project dedicate a large part of their effort to complete the project at the established time. This is usually done by creating schedules to demonstrate the start and termination of tasks. The objective of projects is to generate a service or product that is not currently available, which contributes to the distinctiveness of a project because the intended outcome is new (Milosevic et al., 2010). Projects are completed when the intended objectives and goals are achieved. 

These objectives are the drivers of the project including all the planning and execution attempts required to attain them. Project management emerges after determining that there is a project. It also occurs when different techniques, tools, skills, and knowledge are applied to project tasks to meet the requirements of the project. Project management occurs sequentially starting with project planning, acting on the generated plan, and ends with project progress and performance evaluation (Milosevic et al., 2010). Managing a project entails determining the project requirements and identifying the objectives of the project. It also involves acknowledging and addressing the needs of project stakeholders including team members to enhance satisfaction with the project. 

Project managers usually divide projects into phases to ensure effective control and adequate connections to the operations at the company (HBR Editors, 2016). Each phase in a project is manifested through completing one or several milestones. In projects, milestones are crucial completion points as they are usually connected with a specific, verifiable, and tangible deliverable or phase. The phases occur logically and sequentially to ensure that the project outcomes are properly defined based on the WBS (Patzak & Rattay, 2012). For significant projects, concluding a project phase is manifested by reviewing both the performance of the project and the key project deliverables. This is often done to assess the possibility of whether or not the next phase of the project should start and to identify and correct faults efficiently. 

Most projects usually go through four phases, which are initiation, planning, implementation, and closure (HBR Editors, 2016). Each phase of the project generally has a group of defined work packages developed to establish the required management control level. Most of the items concern the main deliverable of the phase while the phases are typically named based on their focus such as Testing, product design, and development among others. Moving through the project life cycle increases the clarity of the specifics of these items. 

The defined work packages in each project phases generally involve major tasks and milestones to offer a sense of the extent of the project. Work packages can be considered to be mini-projects as they consist of elements such as milestones, schedules, human resources, materials, and budgets just like a project (Figure 1). 

Figure 1: Examples of work packages in a project 

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/make-work-packages-work-you 

Work packages enable project managers to define the required steps to complete the project. A single work package also has essential activities involved in completing the package and the deadline for each activity. Work packages can also be regarded as deliverables because they allow multiple groups of the project team to simultaneously work on different project components. Each group complies with the required steps and deadline. The entire project is seamlessly integrated once all groups complete their work packages. Specific people such as designated team members, team leaders, supervisors, or managers usually oversee the completion of each work package. Work packages are usually at the bottom level during the project management process. 

Scheduling is also vital in each phase as it defines the tasks and how they are related. Tasks are work activities with clear starting and endpoints, and duration. Tasks generate measurable outcomes (Milosevic et al., 2010). Project managers also find it useful to include final tasks to the task list to conclude a phase. These tasks are the project milestones and they do not have a time limit. They typically indicate vital dates or events in the project but they are not tasks with any associated work. Milestones are crucial for tracking, benchmarking, decision-making, defining key handoff points, and reporting (Milosevic et al., 2010). They should be included in the project plan and can be spread across the plan without having to be considered as summary tasks. 

Teams and their composition are one of the key success factors in projects (Radujković & Sjekavica, 2017). Project teams usually comprise of the project manager and the people who work on the project to attain its goals. The people are project management personnel and other members who are indirectly involved but engage in responsibilities that contribute to the project completion (Scott-Young & Samson, 2007). The members can vary from people with the required knowledge in the project to those with the needed skills to perform project roles. The features and structure of the project team also differ. The project manager, however, leads the team and remains at that role in most projects. The role of the project manager is to strive to enhance the quality and success of the project by ensuring that the project progresses and ends within the required period within the boundaries of the ascertained cost and the set objectives (Patzak & Rattay, 2012). Project managers also ensure that the project has adequate resources and the association of the project with other stakeholders and contributors is maintained. Members of the project team perform various roles at different project phases and can include outside consultants or in-house personnel. They can also work part-time or full time and have different roles. Generally, team members perform roles such as contributing to the overall objectives of the project, accomplishing individual deliverables, assisting with their expertise, documenting the project process, and working with project users to identify and achieve business needs. 

Other project team members include the project sponsor and business analyst (Scott-Young & Samson, 2007). The project sponsor typically includes senior management members who have a stake in the outcome of the project. Sponsors usually work with project managers, engage in high-level planning of the project, and legitimize the objectives of the project. They can also be called upon to address conflicts and assist in eradicating barriers that emerge across the project. Project sponsors must also ensure that the project deliverables match with the organizational requirements. The role of the sponsor matters more in complex projects involving different stakeholders. The sponsor must, for instance, clearly indicate the business objectives and protect the project from unauthentic requests for change that might not benefit the business in the long term or that may interfere with the project (Kloppenborg et al., 2014). Interestingly, business analysts must also ensure that the objectives of the project solve the intended issues and benefit the company. This shows that the sponsor and the analyst must work together closely. The business analyst acts as a vital link between the project and the business. The analyst is at the center where the competing needs of the project stakeholders and the business converge. Before the project initiation, the business analyst will first identify the business need for the project and work with stakeholders to determine the required details. The details will then be used to define the scope of the project (Wysocki, 2011). The analyst also evaluates the effect of any change to the project requirements on the business while the project is continuing and how the change affects the project team. 

Project sponsors and business analysts also maintain a collaborative relationship with the project team. Sponsors, for instance, establish effective relations with the project team. The sponsor contributes to the project team based on the kind of the project and the experience and skill level of the project manager (Kloppenborg et al., 2014). For complex projects, the sponsor offers support to the manager while in low complex projects; the sponsor can delegate some roles to the project manager. The sponsor is, nevertheless, more involved in the project team in situations where the project managers are less experienced or lack the needed competencies. The involvement of the sponsor may range from coaching the project team for less complex projects and directing the project team for highly complex projects. The business analyst contributes to the team by ensuring that the project delivers the intended value and that team members understand the business processes, requirements, and need. In turn, this ensures that the project is implemented in a streamlined way. 

Project teams generally have different compositions based on the location, scope, and culture of the organization. The major compositions include the dedicated team and the part-time team (Project Management Institute, 2013). The dedicated team includes full-time members who focus on completing the project. The team includes the project manager as the leader and to whom the team reports directly. A dedicated team also has clear structures with clear authorities to ensure that members focus on the objectives of the project. These teams are mostly found in organizations that use substantial resources in the project. Project managers in dedicated teams act independently and have power. 

Part-time teams usually work in projects temporarily as members must also focus on their regular roles (Project Management Institute, 2013). These teams usually have functional managers who control members and the assigned resources. Project managers usually accomplish other management roles. Part-time teams may also have more than a single project simultaneously and are mostly found in functional organizations. 

Matrix organizations can use both part-time and dedicated teams (Project Management Institute, 2013). In other organizations with different structures such as partnership organizations, partnership project teams can also be formed. In such compositions, one organization selects a project manager for coordinating the work of other partners (Project Management Institute, 2013). The activities of the project may also necessitate establishing virtual teams for projects where resources are located offsite or onsite. Successful projects, therefore, involve the contribution of different people who collaborate to achieve the project objectives. In teams, people perform different roles. People who understand their role in specific teams can develop their strengths and control their weaknesses as members. In turn, this allows them to enhance their contribution to the team (Belbin, 2017). Project managers are also required to create balanced teams by including members with diverse roles and behaviors. Unbalanced teams usually emerge when all members of the team have similar roles or behavior styles (Belbin, 2017). When all members possess similar flaws, the whole team will have that flaw. When, however, members have similar strengths, they will compete, instead of cooperating, for the roles and tasks that adhere to their styles within the team. Roles, thus, contribute to improved team performance. Studies identify nine team roles that ensure team success. The roles are grouped into action-oriented roles, people-oriented roles, and thought oriented roles. Each role concerns typical interpersonal and behavioral strengths (Belbin, 2017). Each role is also characterized by specific weaknesses that project managers must be aware of and work on improving. 

2.2. Review of External Knowledge/Wider Reading 

Data, Analysis or Technology effect on the use of Milestones 

As earlier mentioned, a project is an endeavor that describes a series of tasks required to achieve a specific objective or a set of objectives. A project includes clearly defined connections between tasks for action. An effective project also includes milestones to support regular tracking of progress towards the ultimate objective. Technology has significantly affected the use of milestones today. For instance, stakeholders can use data analytics to establish existing conditions and set milestones to achieve the project objectives (Wikum, 2016). They can accomplish this by using existing data analysis tools and models to examine previous project data, identify trends, opportunities, and weakness. The tools can also be used to collect sound baseline data on existing issues related to the project and engage in detailed analysis to predict upcoming changes and estimate future project requirements (Wikum, 2016). Additionally, project managers can use data analysis to assess alternative project pathways, tasks, or resources required to reach a specific milestone. These tools add value to project milestones, even though they consume time and necessitate extra resources. The use of technology also allows stakeholders to measure the project progress at different times and modify it based on new information and data. Data analytics can also be used to examine the performance of project phases or team members at specific times to support the assigning of tasks at the right time to achieve project milestones. 

Project scheduling/planning/management software has also emerged as useful tools in project milestones. The tools support visualization of the project schedule including milestones on a timeline, which allows project managers to visually track the milestones (Hall, 2020). Visualizing project milestones allows all project team members to understand the progress of the project. These programs also allow project managers to track the progress of the project to ensure that the project team is on track to reach the project milestones (Hall, 2020). In turn, this ensures timely project delivery. They can also be used to identify project bottlenecks through the visibility of milestones. Project managers can also visualize vacations, holidays, or day-offs with timeline views, which allows them to reschedule milestones accordingly. 

Milestone Impact on Team Motivation and Motivation throughout the Implementation of the Project 

Motivation in project teams and throughout project implementation is challenging given that people are motivated by different things. Most people are, however, motivated by the feeling of having achieved a specific milestone. Milestones are, therefore, key motivators in projects. Setting milestones allows project team members to be constantly aware of their objectives, which significantly motivates them towards the goals (Andersen et al., 2009). The milestones should be manageable and in small portions to ensure that members attain them regularly and see visible achievements frequently to be motivated. This can be achieved through establishing short term milestones for each project phase as this ensures the team is focused, is accountable, and moves closer to the milestone (Knight, 2019). Setting big milestones that take time to achieve, however, may be demotivating. Project managers can also use milestones to celebrate achievements as this motivates project team members (Skilbeck, 2019) Celebrations should occur for both small and big achievements 

Milestones also affect motivations throughout the project implementation. For instance, when project managers fail to define milestones clearly by, for instance, failing to assign clear personal roles, project stakeholders can be demotivated. Unclear milestones can lead to personality conflicts, overruns, insufficiently implemented objectives, reduced self-esteem, and dissatisfied stakeholders (Moura et al., 2019). Ensuring motivation throughout the project implementation entails specifying the precise milestones that the project must achieve with adequate numbers for guidance. The set tasks within each milestone must be quantifiable while the milestone must be realistic to increase self-confidence and motivations. The milestones must also be relevant to the project by focusing only on the essential project aspects as this demonstrates respect to the stakeholders’ time (Moura et al., 2019). Timeframes are also crucial during project implementation and the established milestones must be time-bound. When stakeholders are aware of the time limitations of the project, they focus on prioritizing and working effectively. 

Another vital element that can be used to sustain motivation in project work is project momentum. Momentum can be obtained by adding new ideas in the project as this gives the project team a new sense of drive. Studies show that projects that lack momentum result in slow productivity (Nelson & Jansen, 2009). The starting period of the project establishes the drive for the entire project. Slow project beginning can be due to ambiguity regarding project objectives, anxieties regarding the need to complete difficult or poor leadership. The potential for project failure because of these factors is high. Uncertain and slow project starts adversely affect determination on projects (Nelson & Jansen, 2009). Momentum can be increased through including less complex milestones to members of the project team during the initial project stages. Easy milestones allow members to develop positive feelings regarding the project, which sets a positive beginning that can be used later when the project becomes more challenging. The project should also start with a strong momentum such as through social interactions, announcements, endorsements by sponsors, or kickoff meetings (Nelson & Jansen, 2009). Besides, social cohesion can also enhance the project momentum. The project manager can establish social cohesion through organizing off-site breaks such as lunch for people to interact. Social cohesion is particularly important for teams involving members who have never completed tasks together. A shared training experience can also help the team to bond. Deadlines also matter because missed deadlines negatively affect momentum (Nelson & Jansen, 2009). The team should, therefore, achieve milestones on time. Momentum motivates the team to complete the project. The project leader must ensure that momentum is maintained throughout the project to motivate the team towards the completion of the project. 

2.3. Research Purpose 

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of using milestones in project work and the impact of milestones in the execution of the phases of a project. The study examines the mechanisms that can make a milestones increase the efficiency of projects and use the information obtained to develop a model that illustrates the connection between milestones and increased efficiency in projects. Milestones delineate a specific point in the schedule of the project to determine the beginning and end of a project and manifest the completion of major project phases. Since milestones focus on major project progress points, they are very useful for scheduling because they divide the project phases into manageable parts to make it less overwhelming. Milestones can, thus, be very useful when initiating a project. They can be regarded as markers that differentiate between the end of a single-phase and the beginning of another phase. 

The four main project phases include project initiation, project planning, project implementation, and project closure (HBR Editors, 2016). Milestones are added exactly when everything associated with a specific project phase is completed. For instance, a milestone can be included in the project charter because this is the last step during the project initiation phase. The milestone will demonstrate that the project is shifting from the initiation stage to the planning stage. The exact milestone placement point, however, varies and depends on the project and the organization among other factors. Milestones can also be considered as points in time rather than task completion. So the question emerges, what are the effects of milestones on project work? There is no short answer because a project can have several milestones and milestones divide projects into phases. Still, milestones are created to demonstrate a big deliverable or task. 

3. Methods 

3.1. Research Approach 

The study suggests the use of a mixed-method research design comprising of a quantitative survey and a qualitative interview to examine how milestones affect the different project phases. Existing research has focused less on the effect of milestones in project work. While many studies have theoretically discussed milestones and their use in the planning stages of a project and during the project, there is a gap in these studies regarding the effect of the use of milestones. Therefore, this is an interesting topic to research. The mixed-method design is appropriate for this research since the objective is to understand and reveal how milestones influence project work during the different project phases. 

The research seeks to investigate how milestones affect the implementation of the project phases and the whole project. A mixed-method design will offer more opportunities for drawing inferences and findings from both quantitative and qualitative methods in a single study (Malina et al., 2011). In the mixed approach, the two data collection techniques complement each other, which offer results with greater breadth and depth (Freshwater, 2014). The research approach in this study combines both quantitative and qualitative models where data collection will occur concurrently. Collecting qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed-method study supports the collection of rich triangulated data since this approach offers both statistics and interview accounts (Dening-fin). Triangulation allows the researchers to compare and integrate data collected from the two techniques (Malina et al., 2011). Specifically, this research focuses on conducting quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The research approach relies on various quantitative and qualitative characteristics such as the interview questions asked, the sampling approach, the data collection technique, the type of generated data, and the type of analysis that will be involved with the data in addition to the assumptions that will emerge from the data (Malina et al., 2011). The mixed study approach is beneficial because it provides comprehensive information from different views. It also allows the researcher to investigate the mechanisms involved in the effect of milestones on project work and the outcomes through a consideration of the involved strategies and the effect of using the strategies (Malina et al., 2011). Besides, a mixed-method approach enables the researcher to explore various types of research questions to offer a deeper discussion and structured inquiry. 

3.2. Research Questions 

The study aims to answer the following research questions: 

RQ1. What are the effects of milestones on project management and efficiency? 

RQ2. What are milestones? 

RQ3. What are the effects of milestones on team- building and working with teams? 

3.4. Methods for Data Collection 

The study will collect qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data collection is appropriate in situations without acceptable, valid, and reliable measures (Patton, 2015). The qualitative technique, however, can be too subjective since the researcher is considered to be one of the study instruments and is personally engaged with participants, data collection, and data interpretation (Patton, 2015). The questions that the researcher asks reflects this bias as the questions are open to the designer’s preferences (Patton, 2012). The researcher can deal with this issue by being authentic and trustful when describing the qualitative technique (Patton, 2015). This can be achieved by establishing rapport with the participants to gain knowledge about their stance, position, feelings, experiences, and world views. 

The qualitative data collection will involve the use of interview schedules to investigate the various effects of milestones on project work and the advantages and challenges the participants will consider as being relevant during the implementation of different phases of the project. The interview schedule will guide the qualitative data collection where the focus will be on the parts of the schedule relevant to participants. The researcher will modify the interviews by altering the wording of the questions to be asked to support the collection of relevant and adequate data. The wording modification will focus on formulating open-ended questions during individual interviews to solicit in-depth responses from respondents. The interviews will focus on the use of milestones, their effect on project phases, and their effect throughout the implementation of the project. The researcher will first establish the validity of qualitative data collection through testing a draft interview schedule. Testing will be performed by recruiting a qualified respondent who would not be participating in the real study. The researcher will examine the test responses to determine their alignment with the intended objective of the interview schedule. The results will be used to create a final interview schedule. 

The study will also collect quantitative data. Quantitative data allows the researcher to collect quantifiable data, which is useful in statistical analysis. The researcher will develop a structured questionnaire and use a documented survey to collect data regarding the effect of milestones on project phases and throughout the project implementation. The questionnaire will target different managers who have worked with projects. The questionnaire will have self-administered questions where participants will be required to rate items by either agreeing or disagreeing. Participants will also be required to carefully read each question, understand it, and offer their answers. All participants in the initial interviews will also complete the questionnaires. Where possible, the researcher will offer the questionnaires during the interviews even though the questionnaire could also occur after the interviews. The questionnaires will ask the participants to report on their use of milestones in projects, what the effects of milestones were on various projects phases, and what the effects of milestones throughout the project implementation were. 

3.5. Methods for Data Analysis 

A mixed-method research approach is vital because it uses diverse data sources, which enhances data credibility (Freshwater, 2014). For the current research, sources of data will include interviews and a quantitative survey. In comparison with other study methods, a mixed-method design allows the researcher to collect and integrate qualitative and quantitative data as this facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the issue being examined (Malina et al., 2011). Data from diverse sources will be triangulated during the analysis phase in which each source of data will aid in understanding the issue. The data convergence will strengthen the outcomes of the study since the researcher will interlink the various data components to enhance a deeper view of the topic being examined. Additionally, a mixed study approach leads to the collection of overwhelming data that will necessitate the use of innovative data management techniques to organize and manage large data volumes. The researcher plans to organize and analyze data with computer-assisted data analysis software to facilitate easy data retrieval and storage. 

The researcher will assign interview participants unique codes to identify the gathered data from them in addition to audio-recording all interviews. The interviews will be transcribed and made anonymous where a secure database will be used to store all study files. The researcher will analyze the qualitative interviews by focusing on the effect of milestones on project phases and throughout the project implementation and the effect of milestones on team building and working in teams. Data will be analyzed by creating tables and grouping information into themes. The context will be provided for each participant through collaboration with the researcher to capture the interaction with projects with a focus on the mechanism as the foundation of the analysis while the quantitative data will address the results. 

The coding of the responses will be based on effectiveness in which the codes will be reviewed with each analyzed participant. A structure with major codes containing various sub-codes to reflect the different participants will be created. The researcher will code data from each participant by comparing the codes and identifying differences to establish the meaning of each code. Rather than creating assumptions, the analysis will focus on developing key themes that will answer the research questions. Themes will focus on participant views while the analysis will incorporate the context by comparing participants. The data will be analyzed to determine the different effects of milestones. The scope and aim of the study questionnaire and document survey will comply with the primary study design involving an assessment of the effect of milestones on project work. The aim here will be to investigate the various perspectives that will be used to understand the effect of milestones on different project phases, the project itself, and project teams. 

3.6. Ethics 

The study plans to apply for ethical approval because the research will involve human participants. Most of the study data will be obtained from interviews with human participants and surveys that will be filled by people. The ethics application form will elaborate on any concerns that must be dealt with before commencing the study. The core concerns that the research will address include respect for autonomy, maximizing benefit, minimizing harm, engaging in a fair research, and acting with integrity. The current study will respect the individual autonomy of participants by ensuring that the participants have adequate information to decide whether or not to participate in the study, guaranteeing that participants will not be coerced to be involved or penalized for not participating, and providing sufficient information to participants to ensure that they are aware that they can freely withdraw from the study at any time without prejudice or explaining. Additionally, the study will respect autonomy by protecting personal data that participants will offer through implementing sufficient and rigorous measures for anonymity and confidentiality. 

The research seeks to delineate the use of milestones in project work. The research is worthwhile and will benefit organizations, project managers, and project stakeholders. The study examined the potential and realistic benefits of milestones in projects through a literature review. The research, thus, aims to ensure it maximizes benefits by planning, reviewing, and conducting the study in a way that complies with integrity and quality measures to maximize the opportunity of getting useful outcomes. The researcher will also facilitate the appropriate dissemination of the study and comply with transparency measures when describing the study objectives besides using appropriate study methodology to address the objectives. 

The proposal will also thoroughly consider the possibility of harm to affect the study participants or others because of the study. The study will examine all potential risks of harm that the study might pose with the acknowledgement that some dangers such as anxiety, embarrassment, or distress are subjective and may be challenging to predict. The study will implement measures to avoid the identified harms. In situations where the risk of harm may be unavoidable, the study will take robust measures to mitigate these risks and address harms that may occur. 

Besides, the study will avoid unfair discrimination against some participants. The researcher is also obliged to conduct the study with transparency and integrity. The study will declare any potential or real conflicts of interest if there will be any and focus on being transparent and honest throughout the study process. The research will not withhold information from study participants unless adequate justification and explanation are offered for withholding some information. 

Ethics Research Approval is important in 2020 because: 

Unethical research can harm participants and seeking ethical approval is necessary to prevent harmful events 

In the current world of different research techniques and complex interventions, researchers must be guided by a set of principles that can be used in all kinds of research across the world 

Ethical approval seeks to ensure a balance exists between the benefits and risks of the research or study 

Independent ethical approval can help the researcher to identify the type and potential levels of possible harm in the study. The ethical principles that are used to approve or disapprove studies offer a useful model for researchers during the initial planning stage and at a later time during the actual study. 

4. Conclusion 

The findings of this proposal would demonstrate the usefulness of milestones in project work. The researcher will use the findings to recommend ways project managers can use milestones to improve project completion, motivate project teams, and ensure motivation throughout the project implementation. The existing literature demonstrated how technology has influenced the use of milestones by allowing managers to access real-time data that can be used to modify milestone to support project implementation. The literature was also useful in indicating the importance of milestones in project team motivation and motivation throughout the project implementation. The present research proposal suggests that project milestones are effective motivators for the project team and help project managers to control the projects through enhancing project reporting and implementation. Ensuring that stakeholders including team members in the project are motivated is a vital task. Project managers are the most qualified people who can maintain motivation to ensure the success of the project. 

5. References 

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Freshwater, D. (2014). What Counts in Mixed Methods Research.  Journal of Mixed Methods Research ,  8 (4), 327–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689814553092 

Hall, J. (2020, May 24).  4 Trends To Watch In Project Management And Productivity . Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2020/05/24/4-trends-to-watch-in-project- management-and-productivity/?sh=4f0c2d3e7368 

HBR Editors. (2016, November 3).  The Four Phases of Project Management . Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/11/the-four-phases-of-project-management 

Knight, R. (2019, December 18).  How to Motivate Your Team During Crunch Time . Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/12/how-to-motivate-your-team-during-crunch- time 

Kloppenborg, T. J., Tesch, D., & Manolis, C. (2014). Project Success and Executive Sponsor Behaviors: Empirical Life Cycle Stage Investigations.  Project Management Journal ,  45 (1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21396 

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