TOPIC: Critical analysis of a project business case
Reminder:
- Assignments should be attached to the specific electronic mark sheet for this assignment.
- All assignments are to be submitted through EASE (Electronic Assignment Submission Environment).
- Check the file types and maximum file sizes that can be submitted through the EASE website.
- Assignment 1 submissions that do not include an Originality Report generated by Turnitin will not be marked (refer previous instructions).
Word length
Assignment 1 should be 2000 words approximately, exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, etc.
Software requirement to complete assignment
There are no specific software requirements for this assignment, apart from word processing. You may wish to use software to create diagrams where they are of value.
Assignment requirements
Refer to the Assignment Guidelines for assistance in completing this assignment. Remember to integrate academic theory into your assignment to support your arguments and proposals.
Guidelines for preparation of assignments are provided on the StudyDesk for the course. These are in the form of short videos which explain how to carry out critical analysis of your selected project in relation to the topics for each assignment. You are strongly advised to watch these videos multiple times during the semester to ensure you have an understanding of the expectations of the course examiner.
Provide the following:
Assignment 1 mark sheet : Download the MGT8022 electronic submission mark sheet from the StudyDesk Course Content under Assessment. Electronic assignments should follow the correct file-naming guidelines and use the electronic submission mark sheet.
Title page: Ensure that your essay includes a normal cover sheet or title page that would be expected of a professional document to provide details of essay title, author, date, student number, etc. (this is in addition to the electronic mark sheet discussed above). This assignment is a professional academic paper so should be presented as one.
(Note: No executive summary is required for this assignment as it essay style).
(Note: No table of contents is required as it is essay style).
Critical analysis of a project business case chosen by you (around 2000 words)
Consider the following statement:
It has been suggested that a project business case provides ‘justificationfor undertaking a project, in terms ofevaluatingthe benefit, cost and risk of alternative options and the rationale for the preferred solution. Its purpose is to obtain managementcommitmentandapprovalfor investment in the project. The business case is owned by the (project)sponsor’.
(Source: Association for Project Management 2006, Body of Knowledge, 5th edn, APM, UK, p. 129) (Note: bolding has been added.)
Think about your chosen project for analysis in assignment 1 and/or 2. Write a critical analysis of the chosen project business case in the form of an essay about the issues that you think are important in the context of the business case for your chosen project. Your responses will differ depending on whether your project is completed, is under way or is yet to start. The focus of this essay is the ‘business case’. Make sure you clearly understand what a business case is before you try to complete this assignment.
| Important note THIS IS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT BUSINESS CASE AND NOT OF THE PROJECT ITSELF. |
Refer to your Communication skills handbook to understand how to structure and write an essay. It is expected that you would provide an introduction, the body of your essay, a conclusion and recommendations, and a list of references. You may use headings for sections if you wish.
This assignment is deliberately open-ended to give you an opportunity to do some research about project-related business cases in the context of project management. There are no right or wrong answers. This assignment will allow you to explore the text books, journal articles and other sources on the importance or otherwise of business cases in project management. There is not a lot of information about this topic so it will require you to access the e-Books and e-Journals in the USQ Library website and develop some research skills. See http://library.usq.edu.au/ .
- As part of your analysis, ensure that you make reference to the relevant theory (or theories) covered in the study materials, text, selected readings and other relevant sources. Make sure you use figures and tables to clearly and concisely illustrate and support your analysis where this is appropriate.
List of references–(using the Harvard AGPS system): Provide a complete list of references providing full details of all citations used in the body of the essay. For a postgraduate assignment, if you have done sufficient research, there should be at least 15 references, many of which will be cited more than once. Remember to use the e-Journals and e-Books available from the Library website to research the literature on the topic (especially Books 24×7 and eBrary). Contact the Library staff if you need assistance to find these databases.
Appendices: If you have any appendices, they should be attached to the essay after the list of references. They should be numbered sequentially, e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.
Turnitin Originality Report: Remember to submit a shortened version of your assignment (without the mark sheet and appendices) to Turnitin for checking and to submit a copy of the Turnitin Originality Report with your assignment through EASE. See ‘Course assessment’ above for more detailed instructions.
TOPIC: Critical analysis of a Project Management Plan (PMP)
Reminder:
- Assignments should be attached to the specific MGT8022 electronic mark sheet for this assignment.
- All assignments are to be submitted through EASE (Electronic Assignment Submission Environment).
- Check the file types and maximum file sizes that can be submitted through the EASE website.
- Assignment 2 submissions that do not include an Originality Report generated by Turnitin will not be marked (refer previous instructions).
Word length
3000–4000 words approximately, exclusive of the executive summary, tables, figures, appendices, etc. and excluding all appendices.
Software requirement to complete assignment
Software requirements for this assignment will include word processing. If you need to produce a project schedule, a copy of MS Project may be supplied with the study materials.
Assignment structure
Refer to the Assignment Guidelines for assistance in completing Assignment 2. Remember to integrate academic theory into your assignment to support your arguments and proposals. Guidelines for preparation of assignments are provided on the StudyDesk for the course. These are in the form of short videos which explain how to carry out critical analysis of your selected project in relation to the topics for each assignment. You are strongly advised to watch these videos multiple times during the semester to ensure you have an understanding of the expectations of the course examiner.
To carry out this assignment, it will be necessary for you to read other texts and journal articles on PM Plans to gain an understanding of their role. It is recommended that you use the e-Books and electronic journals available from the USQ Library website.
By now,you should have chosen a project for which a project management plan (PMP) (sometimes described as a Project Plan or a Project Implementation Plan) is available. The PMP is a document that should adequately define what is to be done, who is to do it, when they are to do it, etc. If you are working on a very large project, use one of its sub-projects for your assignment. If the project is too large, it may increase your workload significantly and it is not recommended. Your PMP may be a single document or it may be a compilation of several documents prepared for the project. The PMP might be a plan that you produce yourself for this assignment, or it might be a plan that you import from your workplace, or from an external source. Note carefully that a project schedule or a Gantt chart by itself is NOT a PMP.
Your submission should have TWO PARTS.
- Thefirst part is the body of the assignment and is a ‘critical analysis’ of your chosen PMP. It will contain a description of the project and a critical analysis of the structure and content of the PMP, fully supported by reference to relevant project management theory. It is not a critical analysis of the project itself, nor how it was managed. The focus should be on the PMP. Read the study materials and a wide range of other reference materials (including the PMBOK®Guide and the set text) to be clear on the purpose and content of a PMP as this topic is not widely covered in the literature. You will have to research relevant literature to complete this assignment, using the e-Books in the USQ Library.
- The second partis Appendix 1 which should be the ‘Project Management Plan’ (sometimes described as a Project Plan) for your chosen project. The PMP might be a plan that you produce yourself for this assignment, or it might be a plan that you import from your workplace, or from an external source. You must state clearly the source of the plan. NOTE: no marks are allocated for the actual PMP as it may not be original work in many instances. Any other attachments would become Appendix 2, 3, etc.
If you produce your own project management plan, it is strongly recommended that you use project management software for development of the project schedule and network. You may also use it to develop the project budget, but a spreadsheet can be equally useful. It is essential that you become familiar with the software at the earliest opportunity as it can be time-consuming to learn how to use it effectively. The course leader is not available to provide guidance on the use of the software, although other students may help through exchanges on the Discussion Board.
Assignment requirements
Refer to the Assignment Guidelines for assistance in completing this assignment. Remember to integrate academic theory into your assignment to support your arguments and proposals.
Provide the following:
Assignment 2 mark sheet : Download the MGT8022 electronic submission mark sheet from the StudyDesk. Electronic assignments should follow the correct file-naming guidelines.
Title page: Ensure that your document includes a normal report cover sheet or title page that would be expected of a professional document to provide details of report title, author, date, student number, etc. (this is in addition to the electronic mark sheet discussed above). This assignment is a professional academic paper so should be presented as one.
PART 1: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Executive Summary (200–250 words but this does not form part of the assignment word count). The executive summary comes before the table of contents. Read the guidelines and provide a formal Executive Summary with details of why the report was prepared, how it is structured, and what the important findings, conclusions and recommendations are. The Executive Summary relates to the analysis only. (SUGGESTION: this should be written last after you have finished the report.)
Table of contents: This should be a full listing with respective page numbers of executive summary, introduction, main sections, references, individual appendices, and full listing of all figures and tables.
- Introduction (250 words): Briefly state why your report has been prepared, what project is being analysed, and how the report is structured. (Note – this may be similar to the introduction in assignment 1 if you have used the same project, but this is a new report, and you need to provide the information your reader needs to understand the report. You can use the same information in both assignments. There is no need to reference assignment 1 if you are using your original work.)
- Project background (250 words): Your project description should describe the project and its context – what organisation is the project owner/sponsor, what this organisation does, why the project is being done, where it is located, etc. The description should contain enough detail for the reader to understand the reason behind each of the components of the plan – why it is included and its content and format.
- Audience and structure of the Project Management Plan (1000–1500 words approximately)
3.1 Provide a critical analysis of who is intended to be the main audience of the PM plan? What do they need to know? How will they use the plan? What information needs to be provided?
3.2 What alternatives exist for the structure of a PM plan (examine and compare a range of theories and opinions here)? How should that information be provided? In what sequence? What does the theory say?
- Contents of the Project Management Plan (1000–1500 words approximately)
Provide a critical analysis of the major sections of the plan and provide some theoretical framework for what is included in each section (e.g. Why has a project schedule been included, is it a meaningful document, was it prepared by the right people, does it contain the right information, etc.?) This explanation will be drawn from the study modules, text book, selected readings, and other sources. This discussion will probably cover most, if not all, knowledge areas covered under the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®Guide) (PMI 2013) in one form or another. It does not have to be under those headings but should clearly indicate that it covers all recognised areas covered by the various Project Management Bodies of Knowledge.
- Conclusions (250 words): Summarise your findings from the analysis of your project management plan. What did you find out about the project plan? Does it conform to the recognised theory? What aspects are important and are of significance to project outcomes? What are its strengths and its weaknesses? (Focus here on the project plan and not on the theory).
- Recommendations (250 words): What are your recommendations flowing from this analysis with regard to your chosen PMP? What changes should be made to your PMP for this project (or similar future projects)? Address the shortcomings identified in the conclusions. Again, focus on recommendations related to your PMP and not on the project itself.
List of references: Provide a complete list of references providing full details of all citations used in the body of the assignment.
Appendices: The PMP you have analysed will be attached as Appendix 1 (see below). Attach any additional appendices that relate specifically to the analysis following appendix 1. They should be numbered sequentially in the order in which they appear (Appendix 2, etc.).
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