BUSM4612 Introduction to Project Management Project Assessment

Overview

This assessment aims to prepare a project plan for the project general overview, scope, and time based on a selected case study. The plan will be written for a senior project manager or client depending on your chosen case. You are also required to reflect on how the group discussion ('case study activities') in Canvas contributed to the development of your project plan.

In industry, project plans are often created by multiple members of a team, and in response to a variety of inputs and collaborations. So to simulate this experience and help strengthen the quality of your plan, you will discuss the case with other students who are also working on the same case as you and include a reflection on how this discussion influenced your plan.

Collaborating with your peers via the 'case study activities' will help you refine and strengthen your rationale for decision making, and your reflection on this experience will help you form a better understanding of what is required for managing a project.

Assessment criteria

This assessment will measure your ability to:

• Develop a scope statement which sets out how project deliverables will be accomplished, including an acceptance criterion using clear language. (6 marks)
• Identify appropriate goals and a well-supported decision-making process for selecting goals. (6 marks)
• Demonstrate logical sequencing of activities using a WBS and a network diagram and describe activities duration through a clear and readable Gantt chart. (6 marks)Use professional language and apply graphics and tables to communicate professionally. (6 marks)
• Reflect on how peer collaboration has influenced your project plan (6 marks)

Course learning outcomes

This assessment is relevant to the following course learning outcomes:

CLO1: Scope, develop and manage a project utilising appropriate project management techniques

CLO2: Apply best practice project management principles to assess the efficacy of project management practice in a workplace setting

CLO3: Work as team member and leader to produce a project plan

CLO4: Undertake individual research within the field of project management

Assessment details

You will choose from a selection of case studies (available on the Canvas Assignment page) and take on the role of a project manager on a major project where you are required to prepare the relevant documentation for the project general overview, scope, goals and schedule. Additional to this documentation, you will also write a reflection on how your interactions in the 'case study activities' on Canvas have contributed to the development of your project plan.

These 'case study activities' are integrated into the course content in Weeks 1, 2 and 3. For these, you will collaborate and discuss your chosen case study with your peers with guided activities designed to refine your project management plan. While you are not graded as a group, the discussion is designed to simulate the experience of working in a project team to help strengthen the quality of your plan. The group discussion can be used to raise questions and share possible solutions and work together to explore the best ways to manage your project. Refer to the project case study carefully, which you will find in the Assignment page in Canvas.

Plan structure

Your project plan should include the following sections in a report format. Please refer to the RMIT Learning Lab to learn what is expected for report writing.

Note: A word count is only recommended for the self-reflection component of the assessment as word count can vary for project plans depending on the type of case study you have chosen.

This section of the plan should include the following:

1. Cover page
2. Summary
3. Introduction
4. Scope: Define project scope.
   • A high-level project scope statement.
   • Description of the processes and/or methods you used to determine the scope of the project.
   • A work breakdown structure (WBS) to show high-level deliverables and state scope exclusions.
   • Technical requirements (list key acts, regulations and standards)
   • Assumptions and constraints (approach and rationale for planning)
   • Acceptance criteria (conditional statements for acceptance of project deliverables)
5. Goals: Develop a set of relevant and achievable goals appropriate for the project described in the case study.
   This section of the plan should include the following:
   • An overview of the processes, tools and techniques applied to develop the goals.A list of project goals. What is the project trying to accomplish, and why?
   • Explain how your goals will be measured as the project progresses.
6. Schedule: Prepare a schedule for the case study project.
   • A definition of activities using the WBS. Include details such as duration, predecessor and dependencies (activity relationships).
   • Key milestones for the project deliverables.
   • An overview of the case study project's overall success, life cycle or methodology. This should describe the life cycle stages, methods, and processes used to monitor and control the project successfully through to completion.
   • A discussion on how 'success' will be measured. In the discussion, explain the relative merits of the methods, tools and techniques used and compare with any that you chose not to use.
   • A network activity diagram and Gantt chart. You can use any templates, applications and resources that you are familiar with to present the results.
7. Self-reflection: Write a self-reflection on the 'case study activities' (250 words)