PM 686: Project Management - Capstone

Developing a Permit Management Tool to Enhance Efficiency and Compliance in Multi-Agency Projects        

This project will design and develop a permit management tool to support organizations who manage multiple complex multi-agency projects simultaneously. This tool will help users efficiently manage permits across multiple projects by consolidating all permit related information into a single platform from which permit statuses, deadlines, and requirements can be tracked and updated. To achieve this, research will be conducted through interviews with permitting professionals and software tool analysis. Interviews will help identify common pain points and struggles, which will be used when analyzing different tool platforms to ensure alignment with identified needs. Acceptance of the tool by permitting professionals is desired, but not a requirement for the project to be considered successful.       

QS: permit* AND management AND software

QS: compliance AND permitting

QS: compliance AND permitting AND management AND software

Compliance Management Software

eBook, particularly chapter. 4: Permitting, Estimations of Pollutions, Testing, Monitoring, Recordkeeping, and Reporting: Environmental Compliance Guide for Facility Managers and Engineers

QS: ("compliance management") AND (system OR software) AND (permitting)

AI Based Fish Counting Tool

Creation of an AI tool working with UAA Computer Sciences to make a tool that automatically identifies and counts fish populations going through a specific camera system. The end result besides the AI tool is also the creation of a guide in implementing a new AI tool into an organization. creation of an AI tool working with UAA Computer Sciences to make a tool that automatically identifies and counts fish populations going through a specific camera system. The end result besides the AI tool is also the creation of a guide in implementing a new AI tool into an organization. 

QS: "artificial intelligence" OR "machine learning" OR "computer vision" AND "fish counting" OR "fish monitoring" OR "fisheries management" AND "camera system" OR "underwater video monitoring"

QS: (fish) AND (ai OR "artificial intelligence") AND (count* OR monitor* OR track*) AND (camera OR video)

Video AI tools and prompts used to evaluate

Hospitality Consulting Business Plan: The Flores & Puff Group

This project will develop a structured, research-based business plan and feasibility study for The Flores & Puff Group, a proposed project management consulting firm specializing in Alaska’s Hospitality and tourism industries. The scope includes conducting market research and competitive analysis, engaging stakeholders through surveys and interviews, completing a SWOT analysis, and producing financial feasibility projections. 

QS: consulting AND ("hospitality industry" OR "tourism industry") AND Alaska

Library guide: Business Plan Writing

ProQuest One Business (database) Management, Scientific, HR, Environmental and Technical Consulting Services Industry (U.S.) Report

ProQuest One Business United State Tourism Report

Alaska Travel Industry Association website

Alaska Venture Fund Project Management Framework

Create a project management framework for small, resource-limited non-profit organizations by tailoring core project management principles to the specific needs of a small non-profit context. It seeks to improve the internal efficiency and impact of Alaska Venture Fund and to advance the project management discipline in a manner that emphasizes adaptability and inclusivity for a sector most in need of the insights and benefits offered by the PM body of knowledge. In the most optimistic outcome, this work would be the launching point to provide consulting for other non-profit or government organizations or try to build open-source tools that any organization could adopt. 

The results of this project, including tailored templates, workflows, and change management strategies, can serve as a model for similar organizations, contributing real-world, scalable practices to the broader field of project management. Lessons learned, case documentation, and user feedback will be compiled into formal reflections to inform future projects and identify areas for potential research and optimization.
 

QS: ("open-source tools" OR "knowledge sharing") AND ("project management" OR "workflow optimization") AND nonprofit

Library guide: Nonprofit Organization Research 

A Case Study of Human Subject Research Payments at the University of Alaska Anchorage

This capstone project will conduct a focused case study of Human Subjects Research (HSR) payment practices at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The purpose is to generate high-quality deliverables that provide constructive insights into improving research execution at University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA). The study will document how HSR payments are processed from Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to disbursement, identify gaps between policy intent and operational reality, benchmark UAA practices against peer institutions and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, and develop evidence-informed recommendations to strengthen PI training and streamline processes. In doing so, it also aims to contribute to scholarship by preparing a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

QS: ("research payments" OR "participant incentives" OR "participant compensation")  AND ("institutional review board" OR IRB OR "human subjects research")

Advancing Research Administration Project Management through AI 

This project seeks to enhance research management by evaluating AI tools for grant administration. This project is sponsored by the UAA Office of Research with support from the Office of Sponsored Projects to address challenges faced by project managers and research administrators with diverse grant portfolios. The project focuses on peer research to address challenges related to knowledge gaps, data security compliance, proposal and post-award management, resource allocation and stakeholder coordination by assessing AI tools like ChatGPT, PMI Infinity, and Co-Pilot. These tools may be leveraged to improve proposal accuracy, data security compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction. The project scope includes developing a generative prompt testing toolkit and delivering an AI software recommendation within six months.  Inclusive to the scope is the data security requirement assessment through literature review of relevant university policy that will define the AI prompt testing environment. Primary scope focus will be the development of AI prompts and refinement through testing. Prompts will be limited to grant pre-award areas of proposals including budget justification, budget generation, and post-award terms and conditions. 

QS: ("artificial intelligence" OR "generative AI" OR "large language models" OR "ChatGPT" OR "PMI Infinity" OR "Co-Pilot")  AND ("grant administration" OR "research administration" OR "sponsored projects administration")

Are these two possibilities?
From Journal of the knowledge economy

From Frontiers in Education