Project Management
Assessment 3
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Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines
Unit Code PMIT
Unit Title Project Management
Assessment Type Assignment 3
Assessment Title Group Assignment
Purpose of the assessment
(with ULO
Mapping)
Develop skills in selection and initiation of projects
Identify the phases of a project life cycle
Define the scope of a project and identify means of controlling changes to the scope.
Develop skills in project planning activities that accurately estimate project timeline, cost, and quality.
Demonstrate effective project execution and monitoring techniques that lead to successful projects.
Develop skills in implementing processes for successful resource, communication, risks, stakeholders and change management
Develop team management skills by work as team member and leader to produce a project plan
Conduct project closure activities
Develop project presentation skills
Weight 30%
Total Marks 50
Word limit 1800
Due Date Week 11
Submission Guidelines • All work must be submitted on Moodle by the due date along with a completed Assignment Cover Page.
• The assignment must be in MS Word format, 1.5 spacing, 11-pt Calibri (Body) font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings.
• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using APA referencing style.
Extension • If an extension of time to submit work is required, a Special Consideration Application must be submitted directly to the School's Administration Officer, in Melbourne on Level 6 or in Sydney on Level 7. You must submit this application three working days prior to the due date of the assignment. Further information is available.
Academic Misconduct • Academic Misconduct is a serious offence. Depending on the seriousness of the case, penalties can vary from a written warning or zero marks to exclusion from the course or rescinding the degree. Students should make themselves familiar with the full policy and procedure available.
Copyright © 2015-2018 VIT, All Rights Reserved.
Purpose of the assessment:
The purpose of this major project assignment is to develop a well-researched project planning document based on the overall parameters of a project and establish the appropriate project management and quality environment required to complete the chosen project. Finally analyze project issues, conduct post-project review (i.e., lessons learned) and make recommendations for improvements for future projects.
In this assessment task, you will present a proposal for the major project assignment as a group of 3-4 people. Proposal template is available in Moodle. You will choose the project from the networking or telecommunication area. The project duration should not be less than 6 Months. Having obtained approval for the proposed project from your lab tutor, your group is required to address all the stages of the project as outlined in the Project Management unit. The use of suitable project management software (e.g., MS Project 2010) is mandatory.
Assignment Description
The major group project assignment should include various phases of a project life cycle, such as initiating, planning, executing and closing a project. Project Management Plan helps the management team to maintain a constant focus towards delivering the major project in accordance with the customers' needs, wants, and expectations. The development of such a plan is comprised of the business case (refined from the Charter), project objectives and goals, success criteria, scope, high level schedule, stakeholder accountabilities, the communication plan, benefits and costs, governance and resourcing, the management approaches and a high level risk plan. These documents ensure a consistent understanding of the project, help to set expectations, and identify resources necessary to move the project to the next level of detailed planning. Major project must be delivered in a manner that captures the user’s trust and confidence in the chosen projects ability to effectively and efficiently deliver quality services/products. In order to insure major project success, it is imperative that good project management principles are used early in the planning stage of a project. As the major project becomes more defined, the Project Management Plan will become the tool by which the project will be effectively managed.
Students should include all aspects of the project as if they were the Project Manager and it is a requirement of the subject that they include the use of software (Microsoft Project). Students are expected to show evidence of reading and research using credible resources including, but not confined to their prescribed text. The assignment will be marked on the basis of depth of analysis, research, properly referenced and synthesized of a suitable and well argued response. Failure to complete and submit the assessment by the due time and date without prior approval will result in a fail for the subject.
Assessment will be on the basis of the realistic nature of the project and how well it is presented. You should present the final document in a form that would be consistent with the details of your chosen project, and written in Business English in a report format. Make sure that the timeline, the budget and the quality of the work is realistic, justifiable and sufficiently attractive to win a tender for a real project.
Requirements:
You will form a team of 3-4 people and work co-operatively to complete the chosen project. Your major group project report must consist of at least the following:
A clear outline of the project including title, start and end date, goals and objectives, etc.
Gather project requirements (both functional and non-functional)
The envisaged project team members (title, skills/expertise, not names!)
Develop project plan
o Determine project scope
? Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
o Estimate time for your project
o Determine resource needs for your project
o Draw a Gantt Chart and Network Diagram for your project
o Estimate cost for your project
o Plan Quality for your project
o Stakeholder analysis for your project
o Plan communications for your project
o Plan project risks management
o Plan project deployment
Use of Microsoft Project to complete WBS, allocate time and resources, apply cost, and prepare Gantt chart and Network Diagram.
Project Signoff (page)
Post project review and recommendations
Submission guidelines:
The report should have a consistent, professional, and well-organized appearance. Create the report (Minimum 1800 Words) showing extensive use of MS Project.
1. Your report should include the following:
• The cover page must identify students’ (name and number), teaching staff, and assignment.
• The assignment must use 1.5 spacing, 11-pt Calibri (Body) font with appropriate section headings.
• The report must include executive summary, table of contents, introduction, discussions (with heading/sub-headings to address the requirements listed above), conclusions and recommendations, references and appendices.
• Reference sources (APA style) must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list.
2. The assignment must be submitted in soft (electronic) copy under Moodle. The pages of the assignment must be clear on each page.
Marking criteria:
Marks are allocated as follows:
Section to be included in the report Description of the section Marks
Executive summary, introduction, logical structure and conclusion Executive summary, table of contents, introduction, logical flow of information and conclusion for the major project. The project should reflect a meaningful project title and a reasonable time period of between 6 months and/or over, as requested. 7
Project constraints and project requirements. Well focused project Scope, WBS, estimation of Time, Cost, Quality, and understood key stakeholder s’ roles and responsibilities including project team based on the major group project. List of functional and non-functional requirements. 12
Project stakeholders, communications and risk management plan, responsibility matrix Responding to the required task such as stakeholders analysis, communication matrix, risk matrix, and so on. 10
An effective use of MS Project software The demonstration of scheduling, resourcing, and costing of different activities and tasks using an effective use of MS Project software (Clear knowledge and understanding). Required charts/graphs (Gantt chart, Network diagram, etc.) are extracted from MS Project software. 10
Project Deployment Detailed description of project deployment plan 5
Project signoff, project review and recommendations Project signoff letter, post-project review and recommendations 3
Reference and appendices APA 3
Total 50
Example Marking Rubric for Assignment #: Total Marks 50
Note: The marking rubrics varies for each assignment
Grade Mark HD
40-50 DI 35-44 CR 30-34 P 25-29 Fail
25
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Introduction
/5 All topics are pertinent and covered in depth. Ability to think critically and source material is demonstrated Topics are relevant and soundly analysed. Generally relevant and analysed. Some relevance and briefly presented. This is not relevant to the assignment topic.
Identification
/10 Demonstrated
excellent ability to think critically and sourced reference material appropriately Demonstrat ed excellent ability to think critically but did not source reference material appropriatel
y Demonstrated ability to think
critically and sourced reference material appropriately Demonstrated ability to think critically and did not source reference material appropriately Did not
demonstrate
ability to think critically and did not source reference material appropriately
Analyse
/10 Logic is clear and easy to follow with strong arguments Consistency logical and convincing Mostly consistent logical and convincing Adequate cohesion and conviction Argument is confused and disjointed
Design
/10 All elements are present and very well integrated. Components present with good cohesive Components present and mostly well integrated Most components present Proposal lacks structure.
Evaluate/justific ation
/5 Excellent use of creditable sources. Accurate referencing. Obvious that
outstanding effort
made Extremely good effort Good effort made but not outstanding Made some
effort. For
example, Web searches only Very little attempt to reference. Lazy effort with inaccuracies
Conclusion
/5 Logic is clear and easy to follow with strong arguments Consistency logical and convincing Mostly consistent logical and convincing Adequate cohesion and conviction Argument is confused and disjointed
Reference style
/5 Clear styles with excellent source of references. Clear referencing style Generally good referencing style Sometimes
clear referencing style Lacks consistency with many errors