HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

An Introductory Point

This template is not designed to provide a full Project Management Plan (PMP). It only includes sections that will be pertinent to Assignment 1. If you want to see what a full PMP looks like, you can generally find free templates on the internet. Most major organisations also have their own standards for these, so you would typically use theirs when you need to develop one for your company.

Whichever template you use, the PMP development will typically start during the Initiation phase and be completed during the Planning period for the project. The intended audience for this document is normally the Project Sponsor and stakeholders whose support will be required to complete the project tasks. Additionally, for some companies, the PMP will also be provided to senior management (e.g. the Board (as applicable), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), etc.).

The PMP must aim to provide a comprehensive framework, which explains the project and delivers an overview of the approach that will be used to meet the objectives successfully.

Using this Template

Firstly, after downloading this template from the LMS, make a copy on your computer using the naming convention discussed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.

As discussed above, this template provides some of the standard types of information that you can expect to find in a PMP. Text that is provided in black Times New Roman font will remain in your final version. You will need to add the information that is required for each section of this PMP. These requirements are defined using blue font text shown in square brackets (e.g. [these are the instructions for the information that you need to include]). Read these instructions carefully, before you do your drafting, as they provide important hints and guidelines.

While you work through the elements of this document, remember that although the PMP covers some of the same concepts as the Project Charter, this document should provide more detailed and richer descriptions of the project information. This more detailed content reflects the fact that you will know more about the project by the time you are developing the detailed PMP.

When drafting your responses for each section, the key is practical clarity. Therefore, think clearly about the real-world issues when completing each element of this template. Consequently, you do not need to provide long detailed prose. Clear, well-thought-out, easy-to-read, sentences or dot-point sentences will be better in most situations.

Once you have drafted the required content, you should remove the [blue font instructions] so your draft would then be ready to be forwarded to the Project Sponsor (as simulated by uploading this into the LMS). Additionally, you should remove the information on this page, so your response just starts with the material on the following page.

In practical terms, once you have completed the draft (by taking the preceding steps) and the other required documents, these should be uploaded to the LMS in accordance with the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.

Apart from the changes discussed in the preceding paragraphs on this page, you must not change this template.

INTRODUCTION

This Project Management Plan (PMP) relates to the EduStream Pilot Project, which is under consideration for implementation by EdMedia International Pty Ltd (EdMI). The intent of this document is to provide a clear synopsis of some of the key issues that need to be considered, so stakeholders can understand how this project should be implemented.

[Instructions for what to include in the PMP: Much of the basic information for the assignment has been given in the provided materials and content delivered in the Topics 1, 2, 3 and 4 Lectures and Workshops. The intent is that you will assimilate the material and then put it into your own words. This approach is important because this is what is required in the ICT industry. They do not just want people to copy content without giving any thought to the issues. Consequently, this assignment aims to give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you can explain the ideas/details provided in the materials, by using your own words and insights.

Additionally, if you just include the information that has been provided, you will receive about 60% for those sections as a maximum mark. Where you will get the best marks is by including real-world insights. Once again, the objective is to get you to think about the practical implications of the situation. It is your ability to go beyond the basic information and think about the issues realistically and sensibly that would make it more likely that you can gain success in an ICT career. The intent of these assignments is to give all of our team members the opportunity to grow this skill now.

Therefore, you can use the material that has been provided, but you need to change this into your own words. As explained in the assignment material, just copying content will be treated as plagiarism. The objective is not to catch people out, but to ensure that everyone can build critical skills that can help them gain success in the industry. Just as importantly, please go beyond what has been supplied, as developing your ability to think about real-world issues can greatly help you in your future career.

Finally, there is no word limit for Assignment 1. However, being succinct and to the point is highly valued in the industry. Consequently, get used to covering the pertinent information briefly.]

PROJECT DELIVERABLES AND SCOPE[Instructions for what to include in this section: You need to explain the project deliverables and scope in this section of the PMP. A simple way to understand this is to provide the information as discussed during the Topic 3 lecture. This uses the analogy of explaining a cup of tea as a deliverable and the project scope covers the things that would be needed to provide a cup of tea. Therefore, if you were discussing the project deliverables and scope for a cup of tea, you could separate them as shown in the following focus box.

AN EXAMPLE MAKING A CUP OF TEA

Explain the Project Deliverables. Start with an overview of the deliverables, like We will deliver a high-quality cup of tea in a fine china cup, which meets your requirements for being very hot and strong, with a little milk and one teaspoon of sugar.

Then define the Scope of Work. Once the reader understands what will be provided through the explanation of the project deliverables (e.g. delivering a cup of tea in this case) you would then explain the key elements (workstreams and tasks) within the scope of work. For instance, you could define the scope of work in terms of various workstreams and activities. An example of this could be:

In this workstream, you would procure each of the ingredients (enough Indian tea, a seasoned teapot, an appropriate tray, a kettle to heat the water, appropriate spoons, a good china cup and saucer, a tea cosy (to keep the pot warm), sugar (and a sugar bowl and spoon), rainwater, cold fresh milk (and therefore you can also infer that you need a refrigerator) and a china jug to go onto the tray).

Once everything has been procured, it needs to be laid out appropriately in the kitchen (in this case), so the following workstreams can be implemented. This can include making sure all of the utensils are clean and then setting out the cup, saucer, spoons and sugar bowl on the tray, putting the tea near the pot, making sure there is a spoon available to put the tea in the pot, as well as many other steps (give it some thought and identify what else you would need).

Put the rainwater in the kettle and boil it. Remember, this may be broken down into a range of sub-tasks, such as opening the lid of the kettle, pouring in the water, closing the lid of the kettle, plugging in the kettle, checking that the power is switched on at the wall, then switching on the kettle, etc. You might also want to talk about phasing, by pointing out that some of the laying-out activities can be done while the kettle is boiling.

Begin by making sure the pot is clean (a bug might have flown into the pot while you were not looking) and put the three spoons-full of tea in the pot. When the water is boiled, pour the correct amount of water over the tea leaves in the pot (you would have to be specific about this), then replace the lid and put the tea cosy over the pot.

While waiting for the water to boil, fill the milk jug to an appropriate level and place this on the tray and then make sure this is covered. When the teapot has been prepared, move this carefully and put it onto the tray in the right spot, so the layout of things on the tray looks good (it is neat), and the various equipment is well balanced.

Carefully check that everything on the tray conforms to the requirements.

Carry the tray to where the tea is being drunk without spilling anything. When working out how to do this, dont forget about practical aspects like opening and closing doors, knocking on the clients door and waiting for them to call you in, and so on.

The preceding points are far from exhaustive, but if you wanted to explain how the cup of tea (the deliverable) is going to be provided, you need to carefully outline what actually needs to be done. This second part is effectively the scope of work.

Obviously, you will not be describing a cup of tea in this section of the PMP, but you would apply a similar approach for discussing the EduStream system deliverables. For example, include information on the:

Project Deliverables. You would start with a clear overview of what is actually going to be delivered (e.g. It is intended that we will provide a flexible and reliable educational video streaming and games system that will ). As a key hint, when developing this section, think about the issues that you defined in the Stakeholder Analysis section of the Project Charter. Your deliverables should address these issues. Break these down into what you are actually delivering and then put this into some succinct sentences. This would include:

an efficient video and games streaming solution that applies state of the art technology;

allowing users to access our educational videos and games using a wide range of client platforms (e.g. phones, tablets, computers, televisions, etc.);

supporting existing customers (e.g. educational facilities, businesses and government organisations); and

allowing us to deploy the system to individual users in the mass market (e.g. people will be able to subscribe and access the materials from their homes).

Project Scope. Then describe the key points that explain the scope of work required to supply the project deliverables. For instance, you would include statements like:

To implement this system, we are going to develop three pilot nodes (one in Perth, one in Sydney, and one in Melbourne).

Each of these nodes will comprise - Cover the elements in the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview material as a very short synopsis (e.g. Web server, Client Database, OCA/Video Streaming device/s, Games Server/s, System Health Management, etc.) to describe what will be delivered. Add enough information for each element so that anyone reading the PMP will get a quick overview of what is actually going to be provided. Additionally, include any pertinent information that explains what is special or different about that element of the system (and what benefits it will provide).

You will do the same for the client application. Remember this just needs to be a quick overview. However, highlight particularly important issues of which the reader will need to be made aware (e.g. multiple platforms, backward compatibility, etc.).

You would then talk about the collateral issues such as the Datacentres, Service Desk and client support, training, marketing, security, and so on.

You should also provide a clear statement about key milestones (and particularly the end date).

As a general rule, you need to keep this relatively short and to the point. Around one to two pages of text will be appropriate (therefore, dont get into too much detail the level of content discussed during the Topic 2 Workshop will be enough). It can also be useful to develop a diagram to go with this description (e.g. similar to the one utilised for the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview). Should you decide to use a diagram, remember that you have to:

provide the deliverables overview, as outlined in Point 1) above;

introduce the diagram (e.g. This diagram provides an overview of the key elements required to deliver this project and it, therefore, defines key elements of the scope of work);

once you have done this, put the diagram into the flow of the text (e.g. below the text required in Points i) and ii), but above the text defined at iv); and

below the diagram provide the information outlined in Point 2) above.

Please note that the diagram is optional. However, do not simply cut and paste the Architecture Overview diagram that has been created you need to build this yourself (guidance on this can be provided in the Support Workshops). Additionally, you should not directly utilise the wording examples and diagrams referred to in this explanatory information. You need to develop these for yourself. In terms of building a diagram, it is highly recommended that you build this in PowerPoint and then import it into your Word document as an image. This is important because the ability to develop effective presentation diagrams is a critical skill, which will help you in your forthcoming career.]

Insert your deliverables overview and project scope content here, and then delete this line on completion.

PROJECT ORGANISATION

Project Stakeholders[Instructions for what to include in this section: This section of the document should list the key project stakeholders. You can find most of these in the table that commences on Page 4 of the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. To complete this part of the PMP, insert the following types of information into the various sections of the following table:

Project Sponsor. Insert the project sponsors name and title into the first row of the following table.

Project Manager. Insert your name and title as the Project Manager in the second row of the following table.

Internal Stakeholders. The next part of the table is split into three columns (Name, Role and Responsibilities). Provide a row of information for all identifiable stakeholders within EdMI (including the Project Sponsor and the Project Manager). Begin by listing their information as specified within the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. When developing this, dont forget about the roles that you will need in the Project Office. For each of these roles, dont just insert the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. You must do some more research using the Schwalbe textbook and the internet, to expand on the description of each roles responsibilities. Where you cannot identify specific information for a role, think realistically about what they would need to do for the project, based on the scenario information provided. Make each of these a separate dot point sentence in the Responsibilities column. It is expected that you should be providing a minimum of four (4) responsibilities for each role.

External Project Team Stakeholders. As explained in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet, EdMI does not have the skills that will be required to develop the EduStream system. Consequently, you will need to engage contractors to develop/provide key elements of the deliverables outlined in the project scope. These should specifically cover the deliverable elements that you identified in the Weighted Analysis worksheet (e.g. a row for the web front-end, the client software, etc.). As a hint, work through the listing provided in the EduStream Technical Architecture overview and also think about the other services that will need to be provided (e.g. Datacentre, Service Desk, etc. as specified in the proposed organisational structure), to make sure that you dont miss anything important. An example covering some of the responsibilities for the Web Server team is provided in the following focus box. It is these types of insight that are being sought. By doing this task thoroughly, you will also find that this will make it easier to create your Weighted Analysis and your Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Therefore, putting some careful thought into this section will help you in many other sections of your assignment.

Here are some examples of the types of information required for the Web Server team:

developing and testing the pass-through web server front end;

creating the thin client deployment system in collaboration with the client team;

developing the interfaces with the Client Database to conduct user validation (e.g. token) and provide users with visibility of their profile information;

implementing the pass-through authentication systems for transfer of the session control to the OCR/Video server or Games Server;

providing robust security controls;

etc.

Work out others and list those for other elements of the system within the appropriate sections of the following table.

Finally, when inserting the information, make sure that you dont just copy content from other documents such as the Assignment 1 Information Sheet or the preceding focus box (as this would be considered plagiarism). You need to express the points in your own words.]

REF _Ref11909454 h Table 1 provides a synopsis of key stakeholders who will need to be engaged to successfully deliver the EduStream project.

Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1:EduStream Project Stakeholders

Project Sponsor Project Manager KEY PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS (INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS)

Name Role Responsibilities

EXTERNAL PROJECT TEAM STAKEHOLDERS

Role Responsibilities

Organisational Structure[Instructions for what to include in this section: This diagram should be your version of the one provided in the Topic 3 Workshop (in the section of the handout entitled PMP Org Chart (Section 3.2)). Begin by developing the organisation chart in PowerPoint and paste this into your PMP as an image. The process for doing this will be explained during the Topic 2 Assistance Workshop. Place the completed diagram below the introductory paragraph. This organisation chart must:

map all of the roles listed in the preceding section (which should capture all of the responsibilities that will be applicable to completing this project);

ensure that all lines of responsibility and communication are explicitly shown;

start with the Board/CEO at the top, and put the remaining internal and external stakeholders into the structure;

aggregate most of the general roles (e.g. administration, security, legals, finance, training, Quality Assurance, testing, etc. into the Project Office);

include the required contractor roles (e.g. client software development, web server development, etc.), who will be responsible to you as the Project Manager; and

think about other stakeholders (e.g. clients) and where they will fit into this structure (remember that you will not have control over some stakeholders).]

REF _Ref11841205 h Figure 2 illustrates the organisational structure that is proposed for coordinating the EduStream Project. This organisational structure is described below the diagram.

Insert your organisation chart diagram here

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2:EduStream Organisational Structure[Instructions for what to include in this section: Provide a short (half to one and a half pages) synopsis that describes key aspects about the organisational structure diagram that you have created. In particular, make sure that this maps back to the points that you made in Section REF _Ref11841536 r h * MERGEFORMAT 3.1 (above), so the reader can see the relationship between the roles in the tables and the organisational structure outlined here. Most importantly, focus on the lines of communication and responsibility that are outlined in this diagram. Your primary objective should, therefore, be to provide a holistic discussion of the relationships between the roles. Please give careful thought to this, as it will help you to define the following sections and your WBS more effectively.

Insert your material here and then remove this line.

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE OVERVIEW[Instructions for what to include in this section: Within Section 4 you need to provide an overview of each of the Workstreams. Remember that the objective is to make sure that a person who knew nothing about the project would be able to read this section and get a clear understanding of the Workstreams. Therefore, as explained in the blue text recommendations, you need to provide enough information to make sure that the reader will have a clear synopsis for ALL of the Workstreams.

However, you dont need too much detail. The objective of this section is to provide a short overview of each of the Workstreams. Therefore, in the following table please provide a clear description of the Workstreams that will be implemented. This should include the Workstream numbers that are provided in the Assignment 1 How to Develop your WBS guide. If considered appropriate, add others to include all of the project scope issues described in Section REF _Ref14705265 r h 2 and any of the other issues that would need to be taken into account.

In the right column of this table, you will provide a synopsis description of each Workstream. This should include the information provided in Table 1 from the Assignment 1 How to Develop your WBS guide (which is available in the LMS under the Assessment section). However, you need to put this information into your own words and explain it in a way that would allow a reader to effectively understand what the various Workstreams entail.

Here are some key hints for implementing this part of the PMP:

at the start of each discussion of the Workstreams in the right-hand column of the following table use a clear descriptive heading (apply the convention utilised in the Assignment 1 How to Develop your WBS guide);

keep the description of each Workstream short and to the point (a long description is not required you just need to make sure that the reader would be able to understand the following key points related to each Workstream);

ensure that the reader can map the Project Deliverables and Scope to these Workstreams readily (e.g. everything you discussed in the Project Scope should be linkable to one or more Workstream);

make sure that these are the same Workstreams that are shown in your WBS (which you will create in Microsoft Project);

ensure that the Workstreams are deliverables-focussed (e.g. 1 - Management, 2 - Client Software, 3 - Pilot 1, etc.) therefore, dont fall into the trap of defining the Workstreams as phases like Initiation, Planning, Execution, etc.; and

add other rows to the table as necessary.

REF _Ref11843417 h Table 2 lists the key Workstreams that will be implemented to deliver the EduStream project.

Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 2:EduStream Workstream TableWorkstream Number Workstream Description

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 SCHEDULING

[Instructions for what to include in this section: Provide a high-level overview of the schedule you are proposing. Do this by building a diagram similar to the one shown during the Topic 3 Workshop. This is best done in PowerPoint and then imported into your PMP as an image. Do not just copy and paste the diagram provided in the Topic 3 and later Workshops, as this would be treated as plagiarism. Additionally, do not just cut and paste in screenshots of your WBS this is not what is required. Please also note that your diagram does not need to be as detailed as the one provided in the Topic 3 Workshop. It just needs to be detailed enough, so the reader can understand how the project workstreams will be phased and implemented. Obviously, the more detailed you make your schedule overview diagram, the higher your mark will be for this section. It is also recommended that you take the time to build this diagram properly, as it will help you to build key skills that are important in your future studies and career.]

REF _Ref11919728 h Figure 3 provides an overview of the proposed program for delivering the EduStream Project. This schedule is defined in more detail below the diagram. A more granular version of this schedule is provided in the associated Work Breakdown Structure, which is also supplied with this information pack.

Insert your Schedule Overview diagram here

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 3:EduStream Delivery Schedule Overview

[Instructions for what to include in this section: In this section please provide a short synopsis of the schedule illustrated in REF _Ref11919728 h Figure 3. The objective for the description of the graphic is, therefore, to give the reader an understanding of the Workstreams and their relationship. For example, you might want to talk about the fact that Workstreams 2 and 3 are being managed in parallel, to help ensure that both the client software and the key node elements are available for the go-live date of Pilot 1. You should, therefore, discuss each of the Workstreams quickly, but remember that you should have broadly explained them in Section REF _Ref28615661 r h 4. Therefore, in this section, you really need to focus on explaining how they fit together and discuss any risks or issues associated with them. Consequently, you need to think carefully about the practical issues.

In particular, this material should be about half to one page in length, and should cover the following information for each element in the plan:

Provide a short description of the Workstream elements that will be provided for each part of the schedule (e.g. a short description for each line in the Gantt chart diagram). Make sure that the reader will be able to map this back to the issues covered in Sections REF _Ref14705265 r h 2 and REF _Ref11920217 r h 4. In other words, ensure that your description will be coherent with the information provided previously. Additionally, make sure that the reader will be able to understand the relationship between the information here and the content that you provided in REF _Ref11843417 h Table 2.

For each element in your plan, provide a very short description of any risks or issues that you think will need to be addressed when implementing this plan. Please note that this element of the description is weighted much more highly than the preceding content for marking. Therefore, put careful thought into this aspect.

Insert your material here and then remove this line.

Remaining elements of a standard PMP are not included in this template.

HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

An Introductory Point

This template is not designed to provide a full Project Charter (PC). It only includes sections that will be pertinent to the assignment. If you want to see what a full Project Charter looks like, you can generally find free copies of templates on the internet. Most major organisations also have their own standards for these, so you would typically use theirs when you need to develop one for that company.

Whichever template you use, the PC will typically be created during the Pre-Initiation/Initiation phase for the project. The intended audience is normally senior management (e.g. the Board (as applicable), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), etc.), the Project Sponsor, and stakeholders whose support will be required to complete the project tasks. In other words, the PC should aim to explain to these types of stakeholders what the project will be about, so it facilitates decision making.

Using this Template

Firstly, after downloading this template from the LMS, make a copy on your computer using the naming convention discussed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.

This template provides some of the standard types of information that you can expect to find in a PC. Therefore, text that is provided in black Times New Roman font will remain in your final version. You will then need to add the information that is required for each section of the PC. These requirements are defined using blue font text shown in square brackets (e.g. [these are the instructions for the information that you need to include]). Read these instructions carefully, before you do your drafting, as this material provides important hints and guidelines.

When drafting your responses for each section, the key is clarity. Therefore, think clearly about the real-world issues when assessing each element of this template. Consequently, you do not need to provide long detailed prose. Clear, well-thought-out, easy-to-read sentences are required, and short dot-point sentences are appropriate in many situations.

Once you have drafted the required content, you should remove the [blue font instructions], so your draft would then be ready to be forwarded to the Project Sponsor and then the Board for final approval (as simulated by uploading this completed document into the LMS). Additionally, you should remove the information on this page, so your response just starts with the material on the following page.

In practical terms, once you have completed this PC (by taking the preceding steps) and the other required documents, these should be uploaded to the LMS in accordance with the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.

Apart from the changes discussed in the preceding elements on this page, you must not change this template. This reflects real-world imperatives. Companies generally want you to conform with the templates that they provide. Therefore, get used to utilising standard templates now.

INTRODUCTION

This Project Charter (PC) relates to the EduStream Pilot Project, which is under consideration for initiation by EdMedia International Pty Ltd (EdMI). The intent of this document is to provide a clear synopsis of some of the key issues that need to be considered, so stakeholders can determine whether this project will be viable.

[Instructions for what to include in the Project Charter: Much of the basic information for the assignment has been given in the provided materials. The intent is that you will read and assimilate the material and then put it into your own words. This approach is important because this is what is required in the ICT industry. They do not just want people to copy content without giving any thought to the issues. Consequently, the assignment aims to give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you can explain the ideas/details provided in the materials by using your own words and insights.

Additionally, if you just include the information that has been provided, you will receive about 60% for those sections as a maximum mark. Where you will get the best marks is by including real-world insights. Once again, the objective is to get you to think about the practical implications of the situation. It is your ability to go beyond the basic information and think about the issues realistically and sensibly that would make it more likely that you can gain success in an ICT career. The intent of these assignments is to give all of our team members the opportunity to grow this skill now.

Therefore, you can use the material that has been provided, but you need to change this into your own words. As explained in the assignment material, just copying content will be treated as plagiarism. The objective is not to catch people out, but to ensure that everyone can build critical skills that can help them gain success in the industry. Just as importantly, please go beyond what has been supplied, as developing your ability to think about real-world issues can greatly help you in your future career.

Finally, there is no word limit for Assignment 1. However, being succinct and to the point is highly valued in the industry. Consequently, get used to covering the pertinent information briefly.]

Business Analysis

Reason for the Project and General Approach [Instructions for what to include in this section: This section should begin by providing a clear Executive Summary of the project objectives and explain why this will be important to EdMI. In other words, this should be the synopsis pitch to the Board, so you can convince them to provide funding. Additionally, you need to supply a very short synopsis of the implementation approach that will be applicable. When doing this second part, remember that the key concept is risk management. Therefore, deliver a short set of statements that would indicate to the Board that the general approach will help to manage the associated risks.

In both of these aspects, your content must be convincing. Consequently, dont just describe the project, make sure that the Board will understand the importance of implementing EduStream. You can get background on these reasons within the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (available in the LMS under the Assessments Heading). Additionally, make sure that the risk management is treated as a positive approach. For both aspects, you will need to think carefully about the real-world issues.

Here are some general rules to remember, when you are drafting this section:

Keep this relatively short and to the point (aim for 500 words or less).

Write it so it would convince the Board to proceed with the project (remember in the real-world, you may not have a job if the Board does not agree to fund this).

This section should also be a preamble that will lay the foundation for the following sections. Therefore, develop this first section so it flows into the stakeholder analysis.]

Finally, when drafting this section use the following structure:

Always begin by stating the problem. This is an important part of the logic flow that you will need to apply when working in the industry. In this situation, carefully read the scenario provided in the Assignment information and work out EdMIs problems (Hint: Think about their market share and the impacts on revenue this is the type of problem that will have resonance with a Board). Once you have done this, write a short paragraph that gives a clear statement defining EdMIs problem.

Next, identify the cause of the problem. You can get this content from the Assignment information (Hint: Think about why our clients are not interested in the existing product offering and what they are seeking In other words, what do our clients really want?). Then write this in one or two clear sentences.

As a next step, broadly explain the solution to the problem. Remember, this type of Problem/Solution logic is really important. If you apply this approach in your persuasive writing, you are more likely to convince your reader. The solution must be focussed on giving the clients what they want, so it is a direct follow on from the previous point.

Now that the readers understand the broad solution, in a few sentences list the key deliverables. In other words, introduce the EduStream project to the Board and outline what the project will actually deliver (Hint: see the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview document and cover the headings). Remember, make the project deliverables really clear. At this stage, dont go into detail, just broadly explain what will be delivered. Additionally, work on the fact that the Board will not understand what is being delivered by EduStream and certainly will not know about the technology issues. Therefore, give them just enough information to explain the project, without including too much about the technology as this may confuse the discussion at this stage (i.e. keep it simple). Finally, in this paragraph, make it clear how EduStream will address the identified problem and also deliver a useful opportunity (e.g. we can now focus on the mass market as well as our traditional clients).

In the following paragraph, explain why it is important to do the EduStream project soon. This is where you need to address the practical implications of the situation. (Hint: think about what our competitors could do if we dont change our current product offering). In the industry, the best way to explain these issues is to link them to risk (e.g. what are the risks to EdMI if we do nothing key terms relate to business risk and financial risk).

In the final part of this section, give a very short overview of key steps that will be needed. This content is discussed in the Topic 2 Workshop. When defining these, it is always useful to explain that this will help to minimise implementation risks for the project.]

Insert your material here (and then remove this line).

Stakeholder Analysis[Instructions for what to include in this section: This section needs to be a sensible and thoughtful analysis of what EdMI, and the clients, are actually seeking from this project. Consequently, there are two parts to the following table. Enter information into these two table cells as follows:

Part 1 What do we want from this Project? You need to think about EdMIs real business objectives for implementing this project. Some insights on this are provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet, and others are covered in the Topic 1 to Topic 4 lectures and associated Workshops. In addition to these points, you need to think about the real-world issues related to this case. It is expected that you will provide a minimum of six (6) clear, concise and focussed dot point sentences, which explain the imperatives for EdMI and outline what we really want to achieve. As a hint, this section should act as an expansion/clarification of the issues that you covered in Section REF _Ref11404487 r h 2.1 ( REF _Ref11404487 h * MERGEFORMAT Reason for the Project and General Approach).

Part 2 What do our clients want from this project? The first key step here is to identify who our clients really are. Advice on this aspect is provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the Topic 1 to Topic 4 lectures. Once you have identified who will be using this system, think about what they will actually want to gain from using EduStream. As a hint, remember that we are looking at selling this to schools, companies, Government departments, and individuals (particularly school children). Across these various groups, there will be some aspects that will be common (e.g. easy to use), but there will be some issues that will be quite specific for different groups (e.g. a primary school student will be looking for different types of content to those needed for a Government department wanting to provide adult education). It is expected that you will provide a minimum of seven (7) clear, concise and focussed dot point sentences, which explain what you believe the clients will want from the EduStream system. As another hint, begin by listing universal requirements, and you can then include specific requirements that you would expect from different user groups.

In both of these sections, you need to think realistically about the issues, as these aspects would normally shape the design of the system. Consequently, think about this carefully, and make sure that the content that you develop would help the Board to understand the issues, and the system designers to focus on what will be most important.]

The following tables provide a synopsis of key aspects that have been identified through a detailed stakeholder analysis.

PART 1: WHAT DO WE WANT FROM THIS PROJECT?

PART 2: WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS WANT FROM THIS PROJECT?

SWOT Analysis

[Instructions for what to include in this section: A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) matrix is used to analyse internal and external factors that can have an impact on the viability of a project. The first two dimensions are internally focussed on EdMIs issues and the latter two address related issues outside the company (e.g. competitors, clients, etc.). Identifying these aspects is important, because it allows you to leverage your strengths and manage your weaknesses, so you can take advantage of opportunities and control threats. In other words, use these as a way of looking at key issues that you will need to use/address to gain success from the project. However, when doing this analysis, look beyond the project-specific issues and identify the broader implications of the situation. This is what you will need to do when you get out into the industry (we do not operate in a bubble).

Within this framework it is important to think about the fundamentals as follows:

Strengths. In this section address the aspects of EdMIs situation and capabilities that can be considered as strengths. In other words, what will make EdMI more competitive in relation to implementing and operating the EduStream Project? Remember these are factors that are currently internal to the organisation (Hint: Think about these in terms of finance (how much money do we have and how easy will it be to get additional capital?), market share (how much of the market do we control?), market base (how diverse and robust is our portfolio of existing clients? if we have lots, this greatly reduces risks), staff (what skills do we have in the organisation that can help?), what products do we have, which we can reuse for this project (what proportion of the available content do we control and is it any good?), reputation (what is our reputation? in the business world this is known as Good Will and it is actually valued because it is a valuable strength), where is our footprint (where do we have staff who can support the activities?), and many other aspects).

Weaknesses. What characteristics of EdMIs business situation can be considered as weaknesses (e.g. which could have an adverse impact on our ability to implement the EduStream project successfully, and gain a market advantage)? Dont forget that these are internal factors. In many respects, the broad context for Weaknesses is similar to what is included for Strengths. (Hint: Think about this in terms of market base and market share (is there an issue with our existing market share?); cashflow (how does the existing business approach help to ensure that we have good money coming in all the time? if this is not the case, this could be a weakness), staff (do we have the skills required to do the project? if not this could be a weakness, particularly if we cant engage contractors), do we have access to enough material (games and videos) for use in the EduStream product (do we actually have enough games and videos to do this currently? think about this in terms of the information provided and the real-world issues), finances (do we have the finances required to pay for this in-house? if not, this could be a weakness), culture (do we have the right culture to make this change in our business focus and approach, including the mass marketing? remember that EdMI has been doing business one way and now needs to change this can be a weakness), organisational structure (will our existing organisational structure be suitable for this project and the management of the EduStream product in future? if not, this can be a weakness that will need to be addressed), and many others).

Opportunities. In relation to this aspect, you need to think about the conditions outside of EdMI that could provide opportunities or advantages. For example, issues such as the economy, changes in technology, evolving client expectations, and the changing business situation for competitors or future clients can all be of importance. (Hint: Think about things like the: Australian market opportunity (is there anyone doing this in the market at the moment in Australia? look at the internet and see if there are other companies doing this), overseas market opportunity (is there scope to deploy EduStream overseas? again, look at the internet), expansion opportunities (how easy will it be to expand our market base - for extra marks, think about this in terms of Porters Five Forces), client interest (how interested are the likely customers in this type of offering? think carefully about the scenario information that has been provided and the real-world implications), technology (how well does the existing technology support this proposal?), the economy (think about local and global economic issues that could provide an opportunity for us), and many others).

Threats. In this dimension of the analysis, you need to think carefully about issues outside of EdMI that could adversely affect EdMIs ability to deliver the EduStream project. For instance, you would think about competitors, or other external factors such as economic conditions, etc. For extra marks think about this in terms of Porters Five Forces. (Hint: Think about aspects like competition (what competition is out there in Australia and overseas?), skills availability (how difficult will it be for us to get access to the right skills to develop this project? think about this in terms of our scenario), geopolitical issues (are there any geopolitical issues that could affect our proposal?), economic (are there any macro-economic issues that may present problems for us?), contractual issues (are there any contractual issues that could affect our approach e.g. current licensing of games and videos? remember if we lose access to the material we would not have a product to sell), and many others).

It is expected that you will assess these issues rigorously, as they would have a significant impact on the possibility of success. Therefore, within each of the following tables, you need to insert a minimum of six (6) clear, short, dot-point sentences that give a synopsis of the issues that may have an impact on EdMIs ability to deliver the project successfully. As another key hint, you should not be directly assessing aspects of the EduStream project deliverables. What you should be doing is looking at issues that could have a significant impact on EdMI and our ability to actually implement and deploy a project of this type.

As a final important point Dont just put in the identified Strength, Weakness, Opportunity or Threat. What you need to do is include the implications for each statement. In practice, this means also explaining what this really means to our project. For instance, for Weaknesses and Threats, broadly identify what you will need to do to manage these, and for Strengths and Opportunities state how this will help with achieving the objectives of the project and how we can take advantage from them.]

A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted in relation to the implementation of the EduStream project. The following table provides a synopsis of the key points that were identified in this analysis.

INTERNAL ISSUES OF IMPORT FOR EdMI AND THE EDUSTREAM PROJECT

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

EXTERNAL ISSUES OF IMPORT FOR EdMI AND THE EDUSTREAM PROJECT

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

ROM Cost and Revenue Estimates

[Instructions for what to include in this section: The following table should contain the Net Present Value (NPV) adjusted figures for Year 0 (the year during which the Pilot Project will be happening) to Year 3 (the first three years of operation for the Pilot Project). You will develop these figures by entering the data developed from the NPV-ROI-Payback spreadsheet in the Project Assessment Workbook (which is available in the LMS under the Assessments heading). The instructions for doing this are provided on the Read Me First-Instructions worksheet within this workbook.

Remember that this is a ROM cost only, so round the figures to the nearest dollar.]

The following table contains the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost and revenue information for the EduStream project. These figures have been adjusted to take into account the discount rate, which includes expected inflation and the cost of capital.

Description Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Discounted ROM Costs/Expenditures Discounted ROM Benefits/Revenues Expected NPV adjusted Profit/Loss [Instructions for what to include in this section: In the following table insert the results for Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI) and Payback Period. These results should be drawn from the completed calculations within the NPV-ROI-Payback spreadsheet in the Project Assessment Workbook. Round the NPV figure to the nearest dollar. Additionally, ensure that the Payback period is provided as the number of years from the start date (rounded to one decimal place).]

The figures within the previous table were used to implement a rationalised financial analysis for the project. Results from these calculations are provided in the following table. This table lists the calculated Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI) and expected Payback Period for the EduStream project. These figures are influenced by the assumptions outlined in Section REF _Ref11737132 r h 3.2 (below).

NPV ROI Payback Period [Instructions for what to include in this section: In this section, you need to explain what these figures mean in real terms. Remember that you are writing to the Board, who will understand the basic concepts, but you will need to provide a short paragraph that explains the implications of these results and also aligns them with the bigger strategic framework for the company. Hint: Do not just provide definitions of the terms. You need to explain what these financial figures really mean for this project. Please remember that this is designed to be a business paper, rather than an academic paper. In the real world, the key is to determine what the figures actually mean and then explain this in a sensible way. Just a short paragraph that explains what the figures mean is all that is required. Then finish this off with a statement as to whether this indicates whether the project is viable or not viable.]

Insert your material here.

Assumptions[Instructions for what to include in this section: You will need to insert clear statements that outline the assumptions that were used when defining the expected costs and revenues. You can find many of these in the Assumptions section of the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (on Pages 5 and 6). Here are the key points to remember, when developing this section.

Do not just copy the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Cutting and pasting any information directly from other material will be assessed as plagiarism. You will, therefore, need to put the assumptions information into your own words.

There are also a number of other issues discussed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet that should be included in this section. Consequently, read all of the information carefully and make sure that this section covers all of the elements that are explicitly provided.

If you only list the information that is provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet you will get a maximum of about 60% for this section. To get more marks you will need to also think about the real-world issues that are likely to be pertinent. Remember, this ability to look at the bigger picture is what will help you gain success in an ICT career. Therefore, build this skill now.

It is expected that you will develop a minimum of ten (10) assumptions. More marks will be gained by providing a more comprehensive listing.]

The following table lists the key assumptions that are applicable to the financial analysis information provided in the preceding sections.

FINANCIAL/PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

PROJECT PLANNING (OVERVIEW)

Key Dates

[Instructions for what to include in this section: You will need to carefully check that the dates listed in the following table are correct. These should reflect the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Make any changes you think may be necessary].

The following table lists the key dates applicable to this project.

Submission to the Board 31 March 2023

Project Start Date 26 April 2023

Project End Date 3 June 2024

Key Schedule Milestones

[Instructions for what to include in this section: You need to include a listing of the key milestones that should be included, so you can outline the project. Therefore, add rows as necessary to the following table.

As a first step, you should paraphrase (put in your own words) the key milestone information listed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (which commences on Page 2). Remember, simply copying in that information will be viewed as plagiarism and this will adversely affect your mark. Therefore, you need to put this information into your own words.

Most importantly, once you have added in the key milestones already provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet, you need to include others that are implicit (i.e. not explicitly listed). For example, look at the tender preparation issues that need to be covered (see Page 3 in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet) and work out other key milestones that you should include. There are also lots of other hints provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the Topic 3 Workshop. For instance, we need to think about training for the marketing team, engaging the Datacentres and so on. Additionally, review the EduStream Technical Architecture document that is provided in the LMS and think about any other milestones that may be required to effectively deliver this system.

It is expected that you should add a minimum of seven (7) additional milestones to those that have already been provided in the Key Milestones section of the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Obviously, the more detailed (and realistic) your listing is, the higher the mark you will receive. As a last hint, when developing your milestones, make sure that you comply with the SMART principles outlined in the Topic 4 lecture.]

The following table lists the key project milestones that have been identified. Meeting these milestones will help to ensure that the project can be delivered on time.

Date Event/Milestone

DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

[Instructions for what to include in this section: Provide a comprehensive listing of the meaning for the key technical terms and acronyms that are associated with this project. For example, provide descriptions for all of the technologies listed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview. Include this information in the following table.

At a minimum, cover the terms listed in the left-hand column within the following table. However, you will do better if you add others that are pertinent. It is expected that you will provide a standard definition, and then put this into context for the EduStream project, where this is appropriate. For instance, when discussing the client platforms align your response to the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Please note that the term client listed in REF _Ref28349536 h * MERGEFORMAT Table 2 refers to the hardware that will be used and not the individuals using the system.

Make sure that you define these terms in your own words, as it will be important that you understand these issues (both for the discussions of the scenario for this unit, and when you get out into the ICT industry).]

Key technical terms associated with the EduStream project are provided in the following table.

Table 2:EduStream definitions and acronyms

Term or Abbreviation Meaning/Definition of the Term

Batch Updating (for OCA & DB) Client (define this in terms of the scenario e.g. define this in terms of the hardware) CODEC (Coder-Decoder) Colo (co-located) Datacentre Content Delivery Network (CDN) Database replication Firewall (software/hardware) File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Flash Video (FLV) High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265) HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) MPEG-4 (MP4) Node (define this in terms of the CDN Nodes listed in this scenario) Service Desk (define this in terms of the scenario) Open Connect Appliance (OCA) Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP-IP) Tier 3 Datacentre Web server Remaining elements of the standard PC template are not included in this assignment.