INDIVIDUAL project plan

Assignment Specification

Assessment Task: You are to produce an INDIVIDUAL project plan for the planning of an evening guest speaker event at the university that is scheduled for end of October 2013 where you have a budget of £250 for this task. You must assume that you have a team of 4 students to help you – these are your main resources although you can secure further student volunteers if required.

Your guest speaker will be a key project manager who was involved in building the main London 2012 Olympics Stadium. You are required to produce a copy of your project plan schedule using Microsoft Project software. You will be marked on the realism and feasibility achieved in your plan and also for the appropriate utilisation of project management course concepts.

Report Structure: The structure of your report should look like this:

Resources Support Available:

1) Collaborate VideoConference Session Given on Mon. 15 April 2013 to clarify Assignment requirements – archive copy available on Breo after this date. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS RECORDING RELATED TO A SPORTS COMPETITION WHEREAS YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO PLAN AN EVENING GUEST SPEAKER EVENT. HOWEVER, GUIDANCE ON ISSUES SUCH AS PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS IS STILL RELEVANT.

2) Guidance on Business Report Format given in this Unit Handbook Appendix as well as the guide on the Operations Management Breo site under “Learning Support”

3) Lecture resources on WBS, Activity Lists and Network Analysis (Critical Path Analysis) in the Weeks 18 and 19 Folders under “Learning Activities” on Breo.

4) The relevant pages of the Maylor text e-book on WBS and Critical Path Analysis which are specified in the reading guidance in the teaching schedule of the unit handbook

5) Notes used in the MS Project Workshop found under “Learning Activities” on Breo

6) You tube introductory videos on planning using MS Project:

a. MS Project 2007 (version available on university computers):

b. MS Project 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–noC5KG5NM

7) Marking Grid at the end of this specification

Assessment 2 Criteria

1. Business Case/Benefits Analysis (10%)

How well are points covered such as:

o Reasons why the project is needed and its main aims and objectives – these need to be made up by you!! (why would this presentation be beneficial?

• What the objectives of the project are including what will be the key deliverable, or deliverables of the project.

• Stakeholder analysis – Who the project’s stakeholders are likely to be and what are their needs from the project.

• The proposed benefits of running the project, and how the benefits will be measured.

• How much cost and resource it is anticipated the project will consume.

• Constraints in the form of budget, time or other elements which may impact upon the benefits.

• What initial risks are considered to be relevant.

• Completion date and key milestones

2) Work Breakdown Structure (“WBS”) (20%)

• This will be marked based on the quality of the logic for the Level 1 activities as well as the completeness of the other activities that are needed to deliver the project

3) Marketing (5%)

• How will the event be marketed?

4) Network Diagram and Critical Path Analysis (35%)

Must have or include:

• Activity List: Good consideration and completeness of activities to deliver project activities….should be the same as the main activities in the WBS

• Identification of resources assigned to each activity

• Network Diagram done in Excel, or by hand. Must be non-MS Project and show the activity node values for the forward and backward pass.

• Identification of Critical Path

5) Gannt Chart (15%)

Will be judged by:

• Evidence of the use of Microsoft Project.

• Level of detail and accuracy

• Accurate representation of precedence relationships

6) Business Report Format (7%)

Executive Summary

Must include:

• What are the purpose/objectives of the report?

• How well were the objectives achieved?

• What conclusions did you draw wrt. the objectives of the assignment?

Introduction

Must include:

• What are the purpose/objectives of the report? Why are these important? (i.e. why should the reader bother to read the report?)

• Scope of report (what the report will cover)

• Methodology used to get information

• Some Background on the issues

Conclusions

• Must make conclusions wrt. Business Case and other key aspects of the report

Other Business Report Formating

Must have or include:

• A logical structure

• Front Cover

• Table of Contents

• Reference List at the End

• Written in 3rd person and no slang

7) Report Presentation (8%)

• Well expressed + good grammar/spelling

• Well presented. Good “Readability (e.g. use of short paragraphs and sentences + use of headings and diagrams or tables)

• Referencing done within essay and supported by reference list at end

• Within word limit (not too long, not too short)

o Excellent = within 10% of word count

o Good = within +20% of word count

o OK = within +30% of word count

o Weak = EITHER greater than +30% of word count, OR, report is too short and is not within 10% of word limit

CRITERION % F E D C B A

Business Case: Aims & Objectives (made up), ways of achieving success, benefits, milestones, costs, potential risks and constraints. 10% Aims and Objectives not clear. Lack of detailed budget. Methods of conducting project and benefits not presented. Aims and Objectives presented but not justified. Introduction to the document presented in a sloppy way, lacking information about methods and techniques. No risks mentioned. Aims and Objectives given but lacking proper analysis. Methods and benefits listed but without making references to project’s activities. Only few risks identified. Budget lacking details. Weak justification of project’s aims and objectives. Methods and benefits well presented. A few risks identified with suggested strategies. Budget well presented but without mentioning the suppliers/companies. Aims, objectives, methods, benefits, milestones, risks, budget are presented. Fair analysis and explanation of choices. Excellent definition of the project and project planning. Clearly listed aims and objectives. Benefits, milestones, stakeholders, potential risk and constraints listed and explained. Detailed budget (expenses) presented …realistic and believable. May even be supported by quotes.

Project’s WBS 20% Lack of Level 1 activities’ list. Lack of diagram. Level 1 Activities listed but without explanation. WBS diagram not presented. Poor set of choices for Level 1 activities. Lack of analysis and justification. WBS presented in a sloppy way. Fair justification of the choices for Level 1 activities. Lack of analysis. WBS presented in a form different than diagram. Satisfying analysis of the Level 1 activities together with justification of choice. WBS presented in a diagram. High quality of logic for the Level 1 activities. WBS presented in a well-structured diagram. Excellent justification analysis of the choices of Level 1 activities. Level 2 activities also included

Marketing 5% No suggestions on Marketing campaign. Marketing ideas presented but without justification or cost estimates. Amount of marketing suggestions not significant. Weak justification given. Cost estimates given without sources. Fair amount of marketing suggestions. Justification of choices is fair but lacks evidence of the marketing plan being beneficial. Good marketing propositions. Satisfying justification and analysis of the choices. Cost Estimates given but without sources (company names) Excellent marketing propositions, justification and analysis of choices. Cost Estimates given in an expected form (table or chart) together with sources. Student adds information on how much of the entire budget was used towards marketing.

Network Analysis and Critical Path 35% Missing/lack of clarity on the main Activities, Network Diagram, critical path and/or resources. Significant Activities missing and precedences incorrect. Items missing/poor from: Resources, Network Diagram Critical Path Reasonable Activity List but many activities are inconsistent with those in the WBS. Some queries on precedences. Network Diagram poorly prepared. Critical Path and most of resources unidentified. Activity List presented in satisfactory way, with correct precedences but a few activities are inconsistent with those in the WBS. Reasonable attempt at Network Diagram and Critical Path. Some gaps with resources. Activity list and precedences correct. Good attempt at Network Diagram and Critical Path.

Resources identified. Activity list and precedences correct. All resources identified for each activity.

Network Diagram and Critical Path correct and clearly drawn/presented.

Gantt Chart (use of Microsoft Project) 15% Gantt Chart not created and/or not presented using MS Project. Student didn’t use MS Project to create a chart. Lack of analysis. MS Project used.

Gant Chart contains many mistakes in construction of precedence links. Many precedence relationships or resource information in the activity list not represented.

MS Project used.

Gant Chart satisfactory but several precedence relationships or resource information in the activity list not represented.

MS Project used.

Gant Chart correctly prepared but not all precedence relationships or resource information in the activity list represented.

MS Project used.

Gant Chart correct, readable and well analysed.

Business Report Format 7% No Business Report criteria have been used. Poor attempt made to follow a Business Report Format. Week attempt made to follow a Business Format. Business Format appropriate but with noticeable errors. Minor mistakes noticed in chosen Business Report Format. All criteria for a Business Report Format kept.

Overall presentation 8% Unacceptable presentation – untidy, missing sections, incorrect order of sections, missing contents page etc Unsatisfactory presentation of work, with some serious errors in grammar, spelling and overall clarity of document. Difficult to read/follow. Business style of writing and reasonable presentation of work, but with a few errors in spelling/grammar affecting readability.

Good presentation of work, with some grammar and spelling mistakes, but not significantly affecting readability. Very good presentation of work with the odd minor spelling or grammar mistake. Consistent style kept in the document and readability good. Well presented document.

Good grammar, no spelling mistakes.

Good choice of supporting literature.

Well expressed and good readability.

Last Updated on February 11, 2019