Posted: September 13th, 2017

Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

 
This essay is a project report and it has three parts. The first part is a project proposal (500words). The second part is an interim report （2000 words). The last part is a final report. This is not an academic essay.

MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Assignment 2: Project report

This assignment, submitted in three parts, requires you to develop a full project plan. The

submitted plan would allow the project to be implemented at some future point. The project

topic may be any idea that you considered suited for project management. The project reports

are expected to be completed in a professional and business-like manner (i.e., what you’d be

expected to do in the workplace). THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT AN ACADEMIC ESSAY.

The learning program and unit/course coordinator announcements will assist you to develop a

suitable topic.

The assignment consists of three parts:

1. Project proposal – end week 3 – contributes no marks but must be approved by unit

coordinator.

2. Project interim report – end week 9 (the end of mid semester break)– contributes 20%
3. Project final report – end week 12 – contributes 20%

The updated interim report should be included with the final report. Detail of each

assessment component is provided below.

The marking guide for this assignment is included at the end of this document.

For each assessment part, you’ll need to complete the cover sheet declaration links to access

submission boxes.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

1. Project proposal

The project proposal presents your idea for a project in straight forward terms.

Length: 500 words maximum

Format: Open

Value: 0% – But this proposal be approved before interim and final reports may be

submitted.

Specifically, in no more than 500 words state:

1. The title, nature and scope of the project to be undertaken
2. A brief summary of the resources and personnel required for the project, were it

implemented

3. The relationship of the project to you (e.g., whether it is connected with your work,

leisure activities, community interests and so on)

4. The general project aims
5. One example of a project objective and a method used to support project selection

(preliminary at this stage)

6. The benefits that you expect to receive from undertaking the report and the

stakeholders who would benefit, were the project implemented.

The proposal development is not intended to be an onerous task. You should nevertheless

spend time thinking about a suitable idea. Words underlined above are key elements.

Project proposals without a title for the project will not be approved.

If the proposal is not approved then you will be required to revise and resubmit.

If the project changes substantially following proposal approval then please email the

unit/course coordinator with a new proposal.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Assignment 2: Interim report

The interim report provides the essential information for project planning. Quality interim

reports result normally in quality final reports. Information in the final report is

contingent upon elements included in the interim report.

Length: 2000 words maximum (no minimum) – excluding appendices and reference lists (if

any)

Format: Professional business style report

Value: 20% towards final assessment

You are required to create and plan a suitable project for potential implementation (e.g.,

following the completion of this unit/course). The project may be connected to your

workplace, leisure activities, community interests and so on. Where possible, the project

should focus on a real world problem that you wish to address. The project scope must be

large enough to require a project team of at least one full time person for a minimum of three

months (or equivalent part time). The budget for the project should exceed $3000.

Note that the project presented must not be one that is already in existence or that has been

planned fully – the assignment requires you to devise, plan and assess a potential project,

rather than report a project already planned, assessed, approved and perhaps even

implemented.

Past students submitting projects sourced from the Internet or elsewhere have received zero

for this assessment.

If you have any doubt or questions about this then please contact the unit/course

coordinator.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

You may use any project management methods that you consider suitable (within the plan).

At the minimum, the interim should include the following elements:

1. A project title and brief description and rationale for the project, in plain English;
2. Application of a project selection model (updated from the proposal) justifying the

project’s implementation (i.e., preliminary feasibility study);

3. Preliminary risk assessment;
4. The project scope including project objectives and detailed work breakdown structure;
5. Costs estimates for project resources. These estimates should be used to present a

project budget;

6. A time schedule for project activities within a network. This should include all major

activities and identify the critical path and any slack. Project resources may be

allocated within this schedule. Note that you may wish to use a Project Management

Information System (PMIS) system to assist here;

The interim report should be submitted in a report format including table of contents, section

headings, and an acceptable standard of presentation. Remember, this is an applied business

style report – the focus is on planning. This assignment is not an academically orientated

critique of information. Therefore, academic references may not be required nor

necessarily expected.

Assessment basis: The interim report requires that you demonstrate the ability to apply and/

or make use of project management principles, concepts, techniques and tools in planning a

project. This forms the basis of assessment rather than the utility, value, feasibility, or validity

of the actual project.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Assignment 2: Final report

The final report builds on the interim report to provide the essential information for project

implementation. An updated interim report should be submitted as the first section of the

final report. Elements in the interim report should be distinguished clearly from elements

required for the final report.

Length: Excluding elements from the interim report: 2000 words maximum (no

minimum) excluding appendices and reference lists (where provided)

Format: Professional business style report

Value: 20% towards final assessment

Note: Together with the updated interim report, the final report provides a complete project

proposal.

In addition to the six elements in the interim report, the final report must provide:

7. A costed strategy and rationale to shorten the required project time by 20 percent;
8. A quality management system and a quality control system (separate or combined);
9. The steps or activities undertaken to ensure superior project team performance;
10. A monitoring and evaluation system linked to the project schedule;
11. Expected closure conditions and steps required to close the project;
12. A full risk management plan acknowledging potential obstacles to project success

linked to the project lifecycle (note: This may be combined with element 3 above)

3. Clear and succinct recommendations for the project – to guide project implementation

– linked explicitly or implicitly to previous information contained in the report.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises – General marking guide

Note: These are general guidelines for the interim and final reports. The primary focus of the

marker is:

1. Were each of the required elements addressed? How clearly was this information

provided?

2. Has the student demonstrated the capacity to apply and use project management

principles, concepts, techniques and tools for each of the required elements?

3. Is this report of an adequate standard to judge the value and utility (e.g., likely

success) of the project (and if not is this evaluation part of the project schedule)?

4. Is the report complete and consistent and so the final report, linked to the interim

report, comprises a complete guide for the project from start to finish?

Interim report:

Required element: HD level – general expectations

1. Description and

rationale

The project (plus outcome if applicable) easily understood by someone reasonably

familiar in the general topic area. Rationale, outcomes and general processes or

planning steps are apparent. The project has a title.

2. Feasibility study The method used is appropriate to the project and intended outcomes. Project

justified quantitatively in the form of cost-benefit analysis based on estimated

figures with acceptable validity or verification. Non financial criteria will provide

basis/ rationale and procedure. Clear determination linked from the analysis.

3. Preliminary risk

assessment

Key obstacles to success identified linked logically to project outcomes.

4. Objectives &

WBS

Objectives clear, measurable (or verifiable) and time bound. WBS captures major

elements of the project; a diagram, table or MS project included. Criteria specified

for WBS packages (i.e., Work; time required; cost; resource requirements;

responsible person; monitoring method and timing.)

5. Cost estimates Detailed and verified (or information base) cost estimates in budget form.

Summary cost information provided.

6. Time schedule Major activities linked in a schedule plan. Critical path and management of slack

identified, analysed and discussed in relation to the project. May include resource

allocation, schedule analysis and constraint management.MGG/GC2700 Project Management for Small to Medium Enterprises

Final report

Interim report Interim report updated and distinguished from final report elements

7. Costed time

reduction strategy

Strategy identified and justified. Identification of resource and other implications.

Network indicating changes to slack time on non-critical paths.

8. Quality

management

system

Quality (for project and outcomes) identified and defined. System specified to

ensure project meets specified level of quality for relevant activities.

9. Steps in team

superior

performance

Clear and detailed plan for effective or superior team development and

performance.

1. Monitoring and

evaluation system

Explanation of control system and procedure linked to time, cost and quality

measures or outcomes. Responsibilities and timing described. May link to other

report sections (e.g., objectives, quality or closure).

1. Closure

conditions and form

Optimal method for completing the project with rationale based on the anticipated

close-out conditions. Activities, processes or outputs (e.g., reports and audits)

specified. Link to project objectives clear.

2. Full risk

management plan

Clear management plan for dealing with project risks with respect to likelihood

and consequence linked to the project schedule.

13.

Recommendations Linked to report. Specification of next steps required.

Information in plan

beyond core

requirements

Contingent or peripheral to, but informs, the project. May be included as

appendices.

Presentation Clearly written and presented in professional manner. Table of contents and

executive summary may be included.