KEY INFORMATION
Due date Refer to the UC Unit Outline for the current teaching period
Weighting 40%
Relevant chapters 1 ? 5
Assessment format Submit in .doc or.docx format
Length 2,500 words (10% allowable either way, does not include title page, table of contents, appendix and references)
Specific requirements Include academic journals, papers and books sourced from the library or other
university resources. Use Harvard reference style. Minimum of five (5) academic or research references.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this assessment, students will be able to:
1. Clearly explain the concept of Big Data and its importance for modern businesses.
2. Design data collection strategies that provide relevant information for business decision-making.
3. Effectively communicate an understanding of the various types of Big Data and the function of each.
4. Interpret Big Data and provide recommendations to business decision makers.
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and realworld problems
UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology.
BRIEF
Prepare a Big Data Analytics Plan (2,500 words) that will achieve a hypothetical business initiative within an organisation of your choice. You will be complete Part 1 of the plan for Assignment 1 and you will complete Part 2 in Assignment 2.
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
For this assignment, develop and outline a Big Data plan to achieve a potential Big Data business initiative for an organisation of your choice.
You should include references to real-world situations where businesses have employed similar strategies to supplement your Big Data plan. You should also demonstrate any theories, models, or concepts discussed in the chapters or readings.
Part 1 - Big Data Analysis Plan
You may organise your plan in a manner that best describes your plan, however, you should include the following criteria:
1. Select and describe an organisation
Select a business or a business idea of your own that could benefit from a Big Data initiative. Your description should include a brief introduction of the business, a description of its activities, its sector and industry, key products/services and customers. Treat this as a contextualising section.
2. Current Data State
Describe the organisation’s current state in regard to its data. Consider how data is being collected, stored, used and how it connects to the wider business strategy.
3. Key Problems
Describe any business decisions surrounding potential problems, issues, limitations, and/or opportunities that may benefit from data-driven decision making. Explain why.
4. Unanswered Questions
What (hypothetical) question(s) remain unanswered? What are your business priorities?
5. Value of Data
How might Big Data and analysis help you gain insights to your questions and priorities? How will value be created from your data initiative?
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE
You may organise your report in any manner that best outlines your design plan. However, you may use the following structure:
1. Cover Page
2. Introduction
3. Main Content
a. Organisation description
b. Current data state
c. Key problems
d. Unanswered questions
e. Value of data
f. Big Data Initiative
4. Conclusion
5. List of References
6. Appendix, if needed
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
CONSIDERATIONS
This assignment is not testing your wider research ability but rather your application and synthesis of the models and approaches discussed. Think about how these could be actioned by businesses and design a plan around this.
Try to choose a business initiative that has some interest to you. Is this a department or area of a business you are interested in or have a connection with? This will lead to a more nuanced plan development.
Feel free to be critical when evaluating the case’s value creation and think about costs, time as well as commercial reasons (market opportunities and competitors) as to why or why not this approach could be successful.
Subheadings can be a good formatting and stylistic tool to segment your ideas and thoughts. Use them effectively. The best subheadings act to frame and give context to an entire paragraph and can subtly convey contention/ evaluation outcomes.
Think holistically about outcomes and who the proposed analytics program could affect: where is the most value being created?
Try to explain and structure your plan against models and concepts from the unit.
Did I produce a quality essay? Consider the balance between academic and industry sources.

RUBRIC
CRITERIA HIGH DISTINCTION: 85%+ DISTINCTION: 75-84% CREDIT: 65-74% PASS:
50-64% FAIL:
50%
Appropriate selection and exploration of business initiative.
(10%) Outstanding choice and confident understanding of business initiative which allows for nuanced exploration of BD planning process. Very good choice and outline of business initiative, which allows
for developed exploration of BD planning approach. Good choice and explanation of business initiative, which allows for appropriate level of
BD planning discussion. Choice of business initiative is developing:
further explanation could have boosted comprehension of BD plan relevance. Choice of business initiative poorly described and conceptualised, doesn’t further BD design plan.
Introduction of the BD Program and reflection on how BD program can create value add by providing insights and questions sought. (20%) An excellent and considered reflection on the role of BD program to businesses. Maintains nuance and objectivity in evaluation. Very good reflection on the role of BD program to businesses. Objective and nuanced. Satisfactory reflection on the role of BD program to business. Discussion has undeveloped or unclear reflection on the role of BD program to business. Missing or inadequate reflection of role BD program to businesses.
Accurate application of models and frameworks to provide thorough discussion and justification of the approach
(particularly the Business Maturity Index). (25%) Outstanding use of frameworks and models to guide plan. Developed understanding of variety of outcomes from multiple perspectives. High competency and confident application of frameworks and models. They are used very well to plan and describe approach from a variety of perspectives. Frameworks and models are used accurately for planning. Good sense of value of model value to explain and describe. Underdeveloped use of
models/ frameworks to assist in plan discussion. Missing or incorrect use of concepts/ frameworks.
Relevant data?type and source identification, supplemented with real world use examples. (25%) Excellent and considered data source identification. Well supported and assisted with relevant realworld use cases throughout report. Very good
consideration of data sources. Wellintegrated real-world use case that assist in plan explanation. Satisfactory outline of key data sources, with some developing integration of realworld use cases. Discussion has undeveloped or unclear integration of real-world use cases. Data sources are mentioned but undeveloped discussion. Missing or inadequate identification of data sources. Real-world use cases not used to justify and elaborate.
Formatting requirements, professionalism?in language and presentation, structured response. (10%) Plan is written with clear and concise expression with highly consistent and accurate grammar and spelling. Excellent structure for case study analysis. Plan is written with very good expression, grammar and spelling. Structure supports analysis. Plan is written with good expression, grammar and spelling demonstrated. Solid structure. Plan has basic level of written expression, which requires additional support to enhance written expression, grammar and spelling. Plan has unclear expression, incorrect grammar/spelling. Requires support for improvement.
Accuracy of sourcing, citation and referencing. (10%) Plan includes highly accurate citations and referencing using the APA/Harvard referencing system. Reference list exceeds minimum number required. Plan includes accurate citations and referencing using APA/Harvard referencing system with some minor errors. Plan includes very good citations and referencing using the APA/Harvard referencing system with some errors and/ or inconsistencies. Plan includes consistent errors and/ or inconsistencies with citations and
referencing using the APA/Harvard referencing system. Minimum number of references met. Plan includes mostly incorrect citing and referencing using APA/Harvard referencing system.