Welcome to the course BUSS 5139: Project Management for Business.

In a competitive business environment, projects are increasingly being undertaken as a means of introducing changed improvements in products and/or service to support organisational objectives. As such, knowledge and understanding of projects and how they might be managed effectively are increasingly becoming an essential managerial capability. In this course we will examine the fundamental concepts and principles of project management and apply them to a real world project.

 

I look forward to meeting and engaging with all of you and trust that you will find that this course will enrich your managerial knowledge and skills. Please post onto the General Discussion forum on the course learnonline site for all for course related matters. That is the channel of communication that guarantees a reply and not get lost among other communications in other channels.

 

 

 

Best Wishes,

 

Dr Saras Sastrowardoyo

Senior Lecturer & Course Coordinator

 

There are no prerequisite courses to be completed before this course can be undertaken.

There are no corequisite courses to be completed in conjunction with this course.

Provide understanding of the strategic importance of projects in achieving organisational objectives. To equip students in mastering and applying project management processes across the phases of the project life-cycle and to conceptualise, communicate and justify projects and effectively plan, manage, execute and deliver projects to completion.

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

CO1. Argue the strategic importance of projects in supporting business objectives

CO2. Critically explain the importance of defining project deliverables and managing stakeholders' expectations towards project success

CO3. Discuss the relationship between the project management processes and the project life cycle

CO4. Apply the tools and methodology to support effective projects management including the management of project risks

CO5. Design a project plan that incorporates effective management principles

CO6. Demonstrate Business School Enterprise Skills in the context of the Management discipline: i) Teamwork (advanced level); and ii) Written Communication (advanced level)

Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following combination of Graduate Qualities and Course Objectives:

A graduate of UniSA:

GQ1. operates effectively with and upon a body of knowledge of sufficient depth to begin professional practice

GQ2. is prepared for life-long learning in pursuit of personal development and excellence in professional practice

GQ3. is an effective problem solver, capable of applying logical, critical, and creative thinking to a range of problems

GQ4. can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a professional

GQ5. is committed to ethical action and social responsibility as a professional and citizen

GQ6. communicates effectively in professional practice and as a member of the community

GQ7. demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen

Use of strategic methodology in selecting an appropriate project approach. Conceptualisation and design of business projects. Developing project management skills including the management of project risks and project stakeholders. Introduction of project management tools and techniques; project planning and control; principles of scheduling; budgeting and cost estimates, and risk minimisation contingencies. Resource allocation. Project closure, evaluation and reporting techniques.

4.5 units

You will need continual access to the following text(s) to complete this course. Where possible the Library will make the book available for student use. Please check the Library catalogue before purchasing the book(s). The Library will always seek to purchase resources that allow an unlimited number of concurrent users, however availability is dependent on license arrangements with book publishers and platforms. http://www.library.unisa.edu.au

Pinto, JK (2016). Project management: achieving competitive advantage (4th edn). Pearson Education.

All course related materials can be accessed through your learnonline course site which you will be able to access from the my Courses section in myUniSA.

All study related materials can be accessed through: https://my.unisa.edu.au

Details of assessment submission and return are listed under each assessment task. Assessment tasks will be returned to you within two to three weeks of submission.

If the Course Coordinator allows submissions in hard copy format, you will be required to attach an Assignment Cover Sheet which is available on the learnonline student help (https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1843&chapterid=567) and in myUniSA.

The feedback proforma is available on your course site.

Assessment 1: Critical Analysis (Project Analysis Report -Individual Assessment)

Word limit: 3300 words (55% of course assessment weighting)

  

This assignment is designed to lead you through a systematic evaluation of a project. Your role is to critically analyse one real project* – not summarise a project. I want to see that you have thought about the project and offered critical comments and insights based on your understanding of project management.

 

*The project:
Search for a real project. You can choose a project that was completed successfully or one that was not completed successfully. Please note that we strongly encourage the selection of projects related to your field of study (i.e Health, Art, IT, Management, etc).

 

Instructions:
You are encouraged to search the Web for the selected project and to collect any type of information about the project, making sure to cover different viewpoints. This could include newspapers, project management magazine and journals. As this project is a real case you are required to expand the information presented in the references (i.e. source).

Write a report that critically analyses how the project was planned and performed. The report should include:

1. Brief introduction to the project.
(Please give an overview of your project. This should explain what the project was and the context in which the project occurred. Clear identification of the objective(s) and scope of the project).
2. A project stakeholder analysis.
3. A brief description of how the project was managed (eg. strategy, key events, tools used etc).
(Describe the implementation phase of the project. In particular, explain whether the project ran to plan – in which case explain the benefits of careful planning to the project manager. Alternatively, if the project deviated from plan, why did this occur and what was the impact of these deviations for the project?)
4. A critical analysis of the project outcome (i.e. the critical factors that made this project a success or a failure).
5. Conclude reflecting on the project, what did you learn? What good practices will you, as a manager, take from this to future projects, and what activities would you not do in the future and why?
6. The report should be fully referenced. A minimum of 15 references drawn from the project management literature is required, of which a minimum of 5 are from the course e-Readings. A Reference List is required that shows all sources cited in your assignment – a bibliography is NOT required.
7. Appendices: Appendices as appropriate.

The report should not exceed 3300 words and should be formatted using 1.5 line spacing and a font size of 12pt (Times New Roman). The word limit is counted from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion/recommendations.

Assessment criteria
The assignment will be assessed on the following criteria:

Content (50% component weighting)
-Background knowledge and context of the project issue
-Demonstrated application of project management concepts in appropriate setting
-Demonstrated ability to define the project management issues
-Answers are well supported by logical reasoning and appropriate data/information evidence
-Clear focus of the strategic issues and/or ramifications relevant to the project problem

Research/Analysis (30% of component weighting)
-Evidence of depth of research of the identified project
-Evidence of scholarship that supports appropriate theoretical concepts applied
-Demonstrated ability of critical analysis. Clarity in methodology in analysing and evaluating the project

Report Organisation (20% of the component weighting)
-Clarity in describing and documenting the report, including clear headings, themes and conceptual flow. Accurate spelling and grammar to clearly convey the message and meaning.
-Referencing (Harvard author-date system, thoroughly and correctly used); minimum 15 references from the project management literature, of which 5 are from the course e-Readings

Assessment 2: Group project plan 

Word Limit:  3000 words (45% of course assessment weighting)

  

For this assignment you will form into groups of 3 to 5 members.

Please post on the learnonline general discussion page, the names of the members of your group by no later than the end of week 3. If you have not formed your group by week 3 the remaining students will be formed into groups by the lecturer. No further adjustment of the group membership will be allowed after week 3. Evidence of active participation in the group effort will be allocated marks for this assessment. To give you every chance of excelling in this assignment, early formation of and engagement in the group is highly recommended to enable sufficient development of the team to achieve high performance. 

You and the other members of the group have to develop a project proposal building on a “real project”. The nature of the project (i.e. type, field area) is a group’s choice. Your group are to demonstrate the ability to use the structures and processes of professional project management.

Prior to the commencement of Assignment 2, by week 5 you and/or your group are required to submit online (upload into the discussion forum) an executive brief outlining details of your project proposal. Try to find a real project and then prepare a brief proposal of this project. This proposal should include the following contents:

 

1. Project Title
2. Project Goals
3. Brief Description of the Project (one paragraph) 
4. Members of Project Team

Submit your proposal in the discussion forum by week 5.

Note
1. Two groups cannot do the same project – the first with the idea to be approved by the course lecturer is the one that ‘wins.’
2. You are responsible for managing all group issues, including any conflicts that arise. This is part of project managing your team. You should work to develop an efficient team where all members are provided with meaningful opportunities to contribute.


Part A. Project Plan Report

It is the task of the project group to review the selected project proposal and develop a detailed report that addresses the stated problems, develop a project plan and to provide some final recommendations. The project plan should show all tasks required to be achieved up to and including completion of the working project. The group should complete the project plan with detailed estimates of costs and the duration of the tasks and indicate suitable resources required to complete tasks. As part of the group project plan, clarification indicating any assumptions used in the preparation of the project plan and proposal should be included.

Instructions:

1. Review a few topics proposed by each group member and choose only ONE project proposal to further develop into a detailed project plan.
2. Identify the Project Scope that clearly defines the boundary of the project.
3. Prepare a detailed Risk Analysis for the project, including how the key identified risks might be managed and incorporated into the project plan.
4. Prepare a detailed analysis of the stakeholders that need to be managed during the project implementation phase, and what their expectations might be and how they might be fulfilled.
5. Prepare a Work Breakdown Structure for the project. Your group may present this in either indented or graphic format. The discussion should also include a description of the group’s rationale behind the level of detail in the work packages.
6. Identify the required resources associated with each of the tasks identified in the WBS.
7. Produce a project budget showing how estimates are prepared.
8. Produce a Gantt chart that incorporates the activities identified in the WBS. (The Gantt chart can be either manually prepared applying basic principles; or alternatively, it can be prepared using MS Excel, MS Project or simply, a table drawn in MSWord).
9. Draft a network diagram for the project, with the critical path clearly illustrated and implications discussed.

 

 

Your group project plan should include referenced critical discussions organised in the following sections:

-Project Title
-Executive Summary
-Table of Contents
-Introduction to include project background and context; justification of the project and clear statement of the expected project benefits and deliverables
-Project Scope that clearly defines the boundary of the project
-Body of the project plan report (e.g. critical discussion of project stakeholders, constraints, risk management, life-cycle; project WBS, required resources, budget and estimates; planning schedules, Gantt Chart, Network diagram, etc)
-Conclusion and/or Recommendations
-Reference List (minimum 15 references, of which 8 are from the Course e-Readings)
-Appendices (e.g. tables, charts, diagrams, etc.)

 

 

Only one member of the group should submit the report (with all group members' names identified) via learnonline. Additionally, each member of the group should individually submit to learnonline, a paragraph of statement identifying the portion of work they contributed to the group's effort, as well as what they believe other members of the group contributed.

Part B. Presentation of the Project Plan

To complement the report, each group will summarise their report on no more than 10 PowerPoint slides (maximum 10 minutes presentation per group). In the final weeks of the Study Period (weeks 9 and 10), groups may have the opportunity to present their project plan and recommendations to the class. Feedback will be provided to the presenting groups immediately following the presentation to enable each group to improve and revise, as appropriate, their project plan report prior to final submission immediately after week 10.

Assessment criteria
The assignment will be assessed on the following criteria:

 

Content (40% component weighting)
-Background knowledge and context of the issue and demonstrated ability to define the problem.
-Appropriate application of course concepts, theories and frameworks, with clear focus of the strategic issues and/or ramifications relevant to the project problem.
-Arguments are well supported by reasoning and appropriate data/information evidence.
-Addresses the requirements of the assignment as detailed in the assignment instruction in this Course Outline.

Research/Analysis (20% of component weighting)
-Evidence of wide research in relation to the topic issues and scholarship that supports appropriate theoretical concepts applied.
-Demonstrated critical analysis of methodologies, theories, processes used and/or relationship of theory to practice.

 

Report organisation and presentation (20% of the component weighting)
-Coherent organisation of the discussion/argument including clear headings, themes and conceptual flow. Clear expression, style, structure and grammar in presenting the overall report.
-Referencing (Harvard author-date system, thoroughly and correctly used); minimum 15 references, of which 8 are from the Course e-Readings).

 

Individual Contribution (20% of the component weighting)
-The individual contribution to the team effort; as evidenced from documents submitted together with the report and power points; -Integration of the individual’s part into the whole.

Assessment tasks will be returned to you within two to three weeks of submission or the due date; whichever is the later.

This course does not have an exam.

Variation to exam arrangements does not apply to this course.

Supplementary assessment or examination offers students an opportunity to gain a supplementary pass (SP) and is available to all students under the following conditions unless supplementary assessment or examination has not been approved for the course:

1. if the student has achieved a final grade between 45-49 per cent (F1) in a course
2. if a student who has successfully completed all of the courses within their program, with the exception of two courses in which they were enrolled in their final study period, a supplementary assessment or examination may be granted where the final grade in either or both of these courses, is less than 45 percent (F1 or F2) and all assessments in the courses were attempted by the student. Supplementary assessment will not be available for a course under investigation for academic integrity until the investigation is completed, and determined that it did not constitute academic misconduct.

More information about supplementary assessment is available in section 7.5 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual.
http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/

All students must adhere to the University of South Australia's policies about assessment:
http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/.

There are no additional assessment requirements identified for this course.

Students with disabilities or medical conditions or students who are carers of a person with a disability may be entitled to a variation or modification to standard assessment arrangements.  See Section 7 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual (APPM) at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/

 

Students who require variations or modifications to standard assessment arrangements should make contact with their Course Coordinator as early as possible in order to ensure that appropriate supports can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner.

 

Students can register for an Access Plan with UniSA Access & Inclusion Service. It is important to make contact early to ensure that appropriate support can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner. See the Disability Hub for more information:  http://www.unisa.edu.au/Disability/Current-students

Students are advised there is a deadline to finalise Access Plan arrangements for examinations. Further information is available at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/campus-central/Exams_R/Before-the-Exam/Alternative-exam-arrangements/

Deferred assessment or examination is not available for this course. APPM 7.6.4

Special consideration is not available for this course. APPM 7.7.4

Variation to assessment methods, tasks and timelines may be provided in:

Unexpected or exceptional circumstances, for example bereavement, unexpected illness (details of unexpected or exceptional circumstances for which variation may be considered are discussed in clauses 7.8 - 7.10 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variation to assessment in unexpected or exceptional circumstances should be discussed with your course coordinator as soon as possible.

Special circumstances, for example religious observance grounds, or community services (details of special circumstances for which variation can be considered are discussed in clause 7.11 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variations to assessment in expected circumstances must be requested within the first two weeks of the course (or equivalent for accelerated or intensive teaching).

 

Students with disabilities or medical conditions please refer to Students with disabilities or medical conditions.

Grading or Assessment Standards

The following criteria will be used to assess your grade in the first two items of assessment. This is the basis upon which marking for Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 will be conducted.

Marking Criteria and Standards for all Assessment:

Grade Description

Less than 40% F2 Unsatisfactory performance on the majority of learning outcomes
Paper fails to meet any of the requirements. Key concepts are not adequately identified, explained, or discussed and paper indicates little understanding of the issues. There is little or no attempt at analysis.

40-49% F1 Unsatisfactory performance on a number of learning outcomes, OR failure to meet specified assessment requirements.
Paper too descriptive and fails to demonstrate the ability to understand the key concepts and issues. Analysis is minimal and little evidence of argument, but mainly restating or paraphrasing other authors’ viewpoints. Little evidence of independent thought and/or overuse or inappropriate use of quotations.

50-54% P2 Satisfactory performance on the majority of learning outcomes.
Descriptive response. Little or no discussion or analysis. Little critical comment. Little or no comparison of references. Structure weak. Topic just covered. Incomplete or incorrect referencing.

55-64% P1 Satisfactory performance on all learning outcomes, OR high performance on some learning outcomes which compensates for unsatisfactory performance on others, resulting in overall satisfactory performance.
Question/topic answered adequately. Clear structure. Arguments supported by references. References compared as applicable. Referencing complete and correct. .

65-74% C High performance on all learning outcomes, OR excellent performance on the majority of the learning outcomes.
Question/topic answered clearly, adequately, concisely and comprehensively. Well structured throughout. Good use of pertinent and numerous references from a variety of sources. Quality of argument focused and superior to P1 level. All ideas linked and critically examined. Arguments drawn to a conclusion.

75-84% D Excellent performance on all learning outcomes.
As for Credit with full analysis of question/topic. Excellent use of references supporting clearly stated arguments. Strengths and weaknesses of source information concisely and comprehensively discussed. Excellent understanding of topic. Arguments drawn into excellent conclusion. A pleasure to read.

85-100% HD Outstanding performance on all learning outcomes
As for Distinction, with exceptional analysis, use of references and arguments. Extremely well written.

Academic integrity is the foundation of university life and is fundamental to the reputation of UniSA and its staff and students. Academic integrity means a commitment by all staff and students to act with honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, respect and responsibility in all academic work.

An important part of practising integrity in academic work is showing respect for other people's ideas, and being honest about how they have contributed to your work. This means taking care not to represent the work of others as your own. Using another person's work without proper acknowledgement is considered Academic Misconduct, and the University takes this very seriously.

The University of South Australia expects students to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity so that its degrees are earned honestly and are trusted and valued by its students and their employers. To ensure this happens, the University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. For example, work submitted electronically by students for assessment will be examined for copied and un-referenced text using the text comparison software Turnitin http://www.turnitin.com.

More information about academic integrity and what constitutes academic misconduct can be found in Section 9 of the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/. The Academic Integrity Module explains in more detail how students can work with integrity at the University: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=252142

All requests for extensions must be submitted through the learnonline extension request system no less than 48 hours before the due date. The asessment paper may be required to be submitted to show the progress they have achieved up to the time the extension request is made.

Extensions will only be approved strictly in accordance with UniSA policy on extensions. Work or other course study commitments are not accepted as reasons for extensions.

Please note that assignments submitted after the due date, without an authorised extension, will receive a penalty of 10% a day deducted from the total available mark for the assignment for up to 7 calendar days. After 7 calendar days the assignment will no longer be accepted.

Resubmissions are not allowed in this course.

Drafts of assignments cannot be submitted to the Lecturers or Course Coordinator. However, any student is entitled to discuss their planning and progress for assignments with the teaching staff.

Course improvements are made for each delivery incorporating, among others, evaluations collected from previous deliveries.

The Student Experience evaluation form will be available towards the end of the course Study Period.