MNG00785 Project Management Assessments Guide Session 1, 2017 Assessment 1: Project proposal (15%) MyProject Charter The Project Charter should explain the background of the organisation where this project will be carried out, the objectives of the project and the importance of this project to the organisation. The Charter includes a Business Case, Milestone Schedule, as well as any major problems or anticipated Risks with this project if they are known at this stage. The textbook provides detailed examples of what needs to be included in the Project Charter. These examples will assist in the development of the Project Charter for MyProject. The project should be of commercial consequence which demands a Return-On-Investment (ROI) analysis, and could be from one of the following categories depending on the type of business a student is involved in: • an organisational project that a student is involved in as the organisation’s main line of business – to manage projects for your organisation or on behalf of others • an activity that a student is convinced would benefit from being handled as a project • an activity in which a student was involved in the past that was not carried out as a project, but one which you believe would have been managed better as a project. If you use this option you should describe how you would execute this activity now using the knowledge gained through this unit. The project MUST NOT be any of the following except with written approval from your tutor or the Unit Assessor: • a wedding event • a project developing an App • implementation of a change management initiative • a Not-For-Profit event • the establishment of a restaurant • a farewell event • a sporting, cultural or music event The maximum word length for this assignment is 1,500 words excluding words used in any charts, templates, forms or diagrams that you have used to apply the knowledge areas. NOTES: 1. Students undertaking this unit for a second time must use a completely different project to the one they used in their previous attempt. 2. Students are directed to the Activity to be completed at the end of Topic 1. 3. The project must be undertaken in Australia and use Australian currency. Format for Assignment 1 The format of the formal assignment will be: • SCU Cover Sheet • Title page • Letter to Sponsor • Table of contents • Introduction (use an Appendix for background if necessary - see below) • Project Charter using appropriate headings (see Marking Criteria) • Reference list (Harvard referencing style is required) • Appendix will only include a background of the organisation for your unit assessor. All forms, charts, tables and diagrams should be included under the relevant sections of the assignment. The Appendix is NOT graded. NOTE: As this is a piece of academic work, students are required to describe the purpose of each section of the Charter in paraphrased text, appropriately referenced to the prescribed textbook, the PMBoK, and/or readings on the learning site. Failure to do so will result in a reduction of marks for each marking criteria where this is not performed. Assessment 2: Project report (40%) OurProject report In Week 3 your local tutor will assign students into groups to permit the group to collaborate and upload Assignment 2 as a group of four. To facilitate collaboration, a group wiki will be set up and must be used progressively to complete Assignment 2 (see wiki information below). It is imperative that students complete the Activities at the end of Topic 3 in the Study Guide. For Assignment 2, the project team is required to submit a report illustrating how the project team will apply the knowledge areas that have been learned in this unit to OurProject. The Project Report needs to address the following areas at a minimum: • WBS • RACI Chart • Schedule - Gantt chart and AoN as well as resource levelling • Budget • Progress Reporting - 2 methods • Risk Management • Change Management • Communication • Project closure Wiki: In Week 3 your local tutor will assign students to a group of four. A wiki will be set up within MySCU and access to each group wiki will be limited to the designated students, the local tutor and the Unit Assessor. No other student can access your group wiki. The wiki must be used to progressively compile the required parts of Assignment 2 - OurProject Report aligned to the PMBoK knowledge areas. It is required that students place material in the wiki on a set progressive basis. That is, students will be required to place material, for example a WBS, in the week following the week that the topic is taught. For example, WBS is presented in Topic 4 / Week 4, and therefore students have until the end of Week 5 (Saturday at midnight NSW time) to place material and a WBS into the wiki It is noted that there are two marking criteria for some of the PMBoK knowledge areas. It is suggested that different students take carriage of one of these elements in the wiki to ensure both are completed and placed in the wiki before the relevant time. Just prior to the due date for Assignment 2, one student from each group should download all material from the wiki and compile these into the one single document to be uploaded via the A2 Turnitin portal for grading. There is no need for more than one student to upload as this will result in 100% match in the originality score. The maximum word length for this assignment is 3,000 words excluding words used in any charts, templates, forms or diagrams that the project team have used to apply the knowledge areas. If the project team opt to use words to explain how the team have applied a knowledge area you should limit them to one page per knowledge area. A soft copy of many useful forms will be made available to you on MySCU that project teams can modify and use for the assignment. However as a project team you can and should design your own forms or use standard forms that are used by an organisation and adapt these to suit your project. The soft copy is provided for the benefit of those students who are not adept at designing forms using a computer. Hand drawn forms can be used as well but they must be neatly drawn. You are also required to provide a list of references listing all the sources you have referred to in preparing this assignment. Format for Assignment 2 The format of the formal assignment will be: • SCU Cover Sheet • Title page • Table of contents • Introduction • WBS • RACI Chart • Schedule (Gantt and AoN) • Budget • Progress Reporting (Timelines and EVM) • Risk Management • Change Management • Communication with Stakeholders • Project Closure • Reference list (Harvard referencing style is required) • Appendix will only include a copy of the first assignment for your grader. All forms, charts, tables and diagrams should be included under the relevant sections of the assignment. The Appendix is NOT graded. NOTE: As this is a piece of academic work, students are required to describe the purpose of each section of the Charter in paraphrased text, appropriately referenced to the prescribed textbook, the PMBoK, and/or readings on the learning site. Failure to do so will result in a reduction of marks for each marking criteria where this is not performed. Assessment 3: Reflective essay (10%) MyReflection A critical evaluation of your experience undertaking a project, with reference to theory. Introduction Engaging in critical evaluation This critical evaluation essay requires you to review your experience of undertaking a project – Assessment Task Two. It requires you to critically analyse your experience undertaking Assessment Task Two in light of the theory we have discussed this session. You are required to critically evaluate how you and your team members did – or did not – utilise the project management tools that you have discovered this session. Task Critically discuss how your experience in Assessment Task Two aligned (or not) with project management principles. Analyse your experience against at least three knowledge areas. You may choose to use positive or negative experiences, although students tend to learn more from reflecting on negative experiences in a reflective essay. You will be expected to: • Introduce the essay • BRIEFLY describe the situation/s you are going to discuss • Link the experience to the theory we have discussed this session • Provide insight into how you engaged in, or contributed to, the situation • Provide insight, in light of what you have experienced and learned, of what you would do differently the next time you undertake a project • Conclude the essay You must refer to the literature and use at least three different textbook or academic quality references. Marking criteria You will be marked on your ability to: • critically evaluate three knowledge areas, identifying your own interaction and the interaction of others • integrate and reflect on personal experiences, collaborative learning processes and theory • use a logical structure, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and be within 10% of word count • use at least three references to support your discussion, using Harvard referencing. Assessment 4: Exam: closed book (35%) You will be advised of the exam date during the study period. Refer to Examinations (http://www.scu.edu.au/exams) for more information about exams. You must bring a silent, non-programmable calculator to the exam. You are permitted to bring the following into the exam room: unmarked hard copy standard English translation dictionary, one (1) A4 size, double-sided sheet of word processed, typed or hand written notes. You are not permitted to bring the following into the exam room: electronic devices such as mobile phones, electronic dictionaries and computers. NOTE: Students are NOT permitted to take anything (including their own single A4 page of notes) out of the examination room. The final examination will be closed book and is scheduled for the end of the study period. Students will be advised as to when the exam will be held and the format it will take.