Weekly portfolio In this course you are required to complete a weekly portfolio. A portfolio provides evidence of previous experience and presents a dynamic record of your growth and professional learning over the duration of this course. Your portfolio provides an account of your learning based on your prior and current learnings and your critical reflection. A portfolio is increasingly being used in Universities as a means of: Being able to tell much more about you than exam results; As a means of reflecting your development through the course; To reflect your attitude and values as well as your skills and knowledge. (Race 2010, p. 58) Timmins states that ‘A portfolio is a cohesive account of work based learning that contains relevant evidence from practice and critical reflection on this evidence. Its primary purpose is to ‘display achievement of professional competence or learning outcomes and knowledge development’ (Timmins 2008: p. 115). You’ll find much more information about the use and application of portfolios on the Internet. However, it will need you to take some time to think through how you are going to complete the portfolio on a weekly basis. It is very easy to trivialise the portfolio and write nearly the same thing each week. But that won’t gain you many marks. Instead you should try to focus on the topic and learning outcome for the week and your reflections regarding them. Task Your task is to write a weekly portfolio reflecting upon your learnings from the prior week. In your portfolio you will identify: The learning outcomes and module/topic of the course; A description of your experience, including reading samples or records; Your learning from your experiences; Any supporting documentation of prior or current learning. Instructions for completing the portfolio Type your name and student id at the top of the page in the header section. You can then delete this first section, save the file so that it can be used each week, and concentrate on writing your weekly portfolio. Each learning outcome and the topics appropriate for the learning outcome have been included in the first two columns of portfolio table on the next page. You should review these and make changes as the course progresses and you gain more familiarity with the learning outcomes and course content. You will find that you will progressively elaborate on the content of the third and fourth columns “Learnings from your experience” and “Supporting documentation including your prior learning” as you work through each of the weeks of the course. Please appreciate it takes time to complete the portfolio therefore you must think always of what is required and be taking notes to update your portfolio as you read, study videos, or undertake other course related activities. You are expected to be working 16 hours each week on this course so you have plenty of time to get the portfolio right! The portfolio will be discussed in the course online videos and tutorials – please listen carefully and you may find the portfolio is easier to complete than it first appears. You may disagree with the allocation of the learning outcomes to the topics in the portfolio table. This is your right and you are free to move things around as you become more familiar with the portfolio and the course material. At the beginning of the course all of the learning outcomes are not appropriate for the first week, so you should delete what you believe is not required from the portfolio for the first week. As the weeks progress then you will find that you add the learning outcomes. The content the weekly learning portfolio table in this file includes all of the learning outcomes to save your time in typing. At the end of the course you should review your weekly portfolios and then consolidate them into a single submission. This is the assessment that gets marked. Since the objective of the portfolio is to show your learning journey as well as your reflections then you should not be surprised to find that your opinions have changed during the course. You do not have to change your portfolios from prior weeks. Future directions In the future you should expect that portfolios will be used increasingly at the academic post graduate level. Eventually they may even replace exams. Therefore there are a number of things to note for the future: You will be required to complete more portfolios in other courses as you progress in your academic career; As portfolios begin to replace exams you will need to make your portfolio comprehensive and deeply reflective to gain a good grade; You may find that other course assessments, such as presentations, will be aligned with the content of your portfolio submissions as a means of validating your knowledge. Acknowledgement and references This portfolio structure was based on an example (a psychology course) located at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Psych205/Model/FinalPaperModel.pdf you can download the example to see how a completed portfolio looks. Race P. (2010) A Practical Guide to Assessment, Learning and Teaching. Abingdon, England: Routledge. Timmins F. (2008) Making Sense of Portfolios: An Introduction to Portfolio use for Nursing Students. Glasgow, Scotland: McGraw-Hill Education. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Portfolio Learning Table Associated with the Learning Outcomes As you look at this table, you will find the Topics of each week are grouped within one of the three Learning Outcomes.: Use clear terminology to describe the key areas of project, program and portfolio management practices as applies to asset rich organisations. Discuss the relevance of tools and techniques for investigating and describing project process related to developing new workings, facilities, equipment, plant and processes or maintaining existing facilities and equipment. Present and interpret major processes that are based on sound policy, information, and research that enable project justification, tenders, contracts, and selection criteria to occur in an asset rich organisation. As you do the weekly tutorials which guide you, please also be aware of the focus of the learning outcome. This will help you with your Portfolio. Your task with the Individual Portfolios will very much be to fill in the Learnings from your experience for the week. For each week … use the relevant Learning outcomes of the course, the description of topics … etc. Learning outcomes of the course Description of topics including reading samples Learnings from your experience Supporting documentation including your prior learning 1. Use clear terminology to describe the key areas of project, program and portfolio management practices as applies to asset rich organisations. Week 1: Define project management for operators of mines, plants and owners of large assets. Levy (2012) Chapters 1 & 2; Australia National Audit Office (2010) Planning and Approving Projects - an Executive Perspective. AS 4120-1994 Code of tendering. Your company internal Project Development Manuals. Californian Government Department of Transportation (2007-2014) Project Development Procedures Manual. Engineers Australia (2010) Infrastructure Report Card. Week 2: Explore and explain the project justification and contract processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 3 & 4. Australia National Audit Office (2012) Developing and Managing Contracts - Getting the right outcome, achieving value for money. HB 140-2000 Administration manual for AS 4000-1997 General conditions of contract. Week 3: Explore and explain the financing of projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 5. Edwards at al., (2010) Chapter 26. Week 4: Identify and apply project contract conditions to project teams and project processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 6 & 7. AS 4915-2002 Project management - General conditions. Week 8: Design and apply document management and governance processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 12. Week 9: Manage change, disputes, arbitration and mediation. Levy (2012) Chapters 13. Week 11: Explore modern approaches to extended projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 15. Australian Constructors Association news and publications. Week 12: Ensure sustainability. Levy (2012) Chapters 16 & 17. Department of the Environment Sustainable Communities. BHP Billiton Society sustainability. 1. Large assets are things such as: Mines, Process and manufacturing plants, Hospitals, Railways, Universities, ERP IT systems, … The main elements of these assets are… Therefore there are common features such as… 2. The things that owners of large assets need to do are: Make sure the assets are used in the correct manner, Maintain the assets to that they operate correctly, Not hurt anyone with their assets, Ensure that everyone knows how to do the right thing, … This means that the right training and procedures must be applied for the use of the asset… 3. The problem with assets is that they: Age, Don’t receive the correct funding for repair, Are not regularly checked, … As a consequence assets need to… ISO 55000 Standards for Asset Management / PAS 55 Publicly Available Specification for the optimal management of physical assets http://www.assetmanagementstandards.com/PAS55.html. Kerzner (2013) p. 48. 2. Discuss the relevance of tools and techniques for investigating and describing project process related to developing new workings, facilities, equipment, plant and processes or maintaining existing facilities and equipment. Week 5: Define and apply estimating processes and concepts to the project. Levy (2012) Chapters 8. Week 7: Define and apply quality assurance and quality control. Levy (2012) Chapters 11. AS/NZS ISO 9004:2011 Managing for the sustained success of an organization - A quality management approach. Week 8: Design and apply document management and governance processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 12. Week 10: Critically analyse the implications and impacts of safety. Levy (2012) Chapters 14. AS 1470-1986 Health and safety at work - Principles and practices Safe Work Australia web site. Week 11: Explore modern approaches to extended projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 15. Australian Constructors Association news and publications. Week 12: Ensure sustainability. Levy (2012) Chapters 16 & 17. Department of the Environment Sustainable Communities. BHP Billiton Society sustainability. 3. Present and interpret major processes that are based on sound policy, information, and research that enable project justification, tenders, contracts, and selection criteria to occur in an asset rich organisation. Week 6: Manage the project requirements and change processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 9 & 10. Australian Contractors Association (ACA) (1999) Relationship Contracting. QLD Government's Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning web page for BMA's Caval Ridge Mine. Week 7: Define and apply quality assurance and quality control. Levy (2012) Chapters 11. AS/NZS ISO 9004:2011 Managing for the sustained success of an organization - A quality management approach. Week 8: Design and apply document management and governance processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 12. Week 9: Manage change, disputes, arbitration and mediation. Levy (2012) Chapters 13. Week 10: Critically analyse the implications and impacts of safety. Levy (2012) Chapters 14. AS 1470-1986 Health and safety at work - Principles and practices Safe Work Australia web site. Week 11: Explore modern approaches to extended projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 15. Australian Constructors Association news and publications. Week 12: Ensure sustainability. Levy (2012) Chapters 16 & 17. Department of the Environment Sustainable Communities. BHP Billiton Society sustainability. 4. Critically analyse management strategies and operational activities from a broad perspective to ensure safety and quality, to avoid overruns or rework, to manage variations and claims, and to make decisions to discontinue or close projects. Week 6: Manage the project requirements and change processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 9 & 10. Australian Contractors Association (ACA) (1999) Relationship Contracting. Week 8: Design and apply document management and governance processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 12. Week 9: Manage change, disputes, arbitration and mediation. Levy (2012) Chapters 13. Week 10: Critically analyse the implications and impacts of safety. Levy (2012) Chapters 14. AS 1470-1986 Health and safety at work - Principles and practices Safe Work Australia web site. Week 11: Explore modern approaches to extended projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 15. Australian Constructors Association news and publications. Week 12: Ensure sustainability. Levy (2012) Chapters 16 & 17. Department of the Environment Sustainable Communities. BHP Billiton Society sustainability. 5. Demonstrate an effective, professional level of teamwork and communication and support collaborative peer group learning. Week 8: Design and apply document management and governance processes. Levy (2012) Chapters 12. Week 9: Manage change, disputes, arbitration and mediation. Levy (2012) Chapters 13. Week 11: Explore modern approaches to extended projects. Levy (2012) Chapters 15. Australian Constructors Association news and publications. Week 12: Ensure sustainability. Levy (2012) Chapters 16 & 17. Department of the Environment Sustainable Communities. BHP Billiton Society sustainability. Consolidated Portfolio While you reflect on the topic each week, you will not be able to reflect on the whole course, and all the weekly portfolios until the end of the term. The consolidated portfolio is a reflection of all the weekly portfolio reflections. So, do not complete this Consolidated Portfolio until the end of the course. Then you will be able to reflect upon your learning journey using each week’s portfolio as evidence of the learnings that have occurred. References Kerzner H. (2013) Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Control, 11th Edition. Hoboken, USA: John Wiley & Sons. Levy S. M. (2012) Project Management in Construction, 6th Edition. USA: McGraw-Hill.