BUS9041M Project planning and management

University of Lincoln Assignment

You are required to submit a report of 3,000 words. In your report, compare, contrast and critically evaluate a pair of projects from a single reference class, (e.g. stadium construction, disaster relief, high-speed rail development, enterprise automation, new product development, etc) in relation to project management methodologies, procedures and techniques taught in the module. Consider projects in which you have personally been involved or any projects of your choice on which you are able to obtain a sufficient amount of information/data. Scrutinise the project management approach taken in each of the chosen projects and elicit their salient (positive or negative) features and relevant practices, analysing and explaining the impact these have had on the overall project delivery and/or its subsequent performance. The outcome of such project evaluation is expected in terms of a set of definite rules/success fac (Best Practice) f fe jec i he ae aea f iila cpe/budget, deduced from the historical undertakings you have investigated. Your standpoint should be balanced and analysis well-written, generously complemented with suitable references to the relevant, contemporary literature as well as referring to personal experiences, observations and insights where appropriate. The analysis should be based on appropriate and substantial research, which must be evidenced in the assignment. A mere composition of the past case studies taken straightaway from certain source ih de i-depth elaboration, critical evaluation and synthesis of original recommendations will not be deemed a highly original and contributive work and, consequently, will attract low marks.

The purpose of this assessment is to judge your knowledge of the subject area, an ability to find and evaluate accurate and reliable information and present it in a clear, concise and scientific manner.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

1) Apply essential project management methods and tools and integrate their results utilising a systems approach
2) Quantify and assess project parameters and resources in order to achieve project objectives
3) Synthesise a comprehensive project master plan and an effective delivery strategy
4) Critically evaluate the contribution of wider issues, such as quality or human resource management, in a project environment
5) Critically evaluate and recommend the most appropriate techniques for managing a project.

This assessment contributes to the development and acquisition of knowledge, skills and behaviours that are key outcomes of the module and programme, are as follows:

Subject Specific Knowledge, Skills and Understanding: e.g. Literature searching, Referencing, Numeracy, Project Planning, project management methodologies, project management tools, Techniques and Skills Subject-specific knowledge.
Professional Graduate Skills: e.g. independence and personal responsibility, adaptability, verbal communication, written communication, creativity, critical thinking, IT skills, selfreflection and life-long learning, problem solving, group or team skills, effective time management, working under pressure to meet deadlines, negotiation skills, leadership.
Emotional Intelligence: e.g. self-awareness, self-management, awareness of others, managing and supporting others, motivation, resilience, self-confidence.
Career-focused Skills: An understanding of the range of graduate careers, skills and attributes required by employers, a range of strategies to present skills and attributes to employers.

Format for Assessment:

You should use an appropriate report format and all referencing must adhere to the Harvard Referencing System. All figures and tables should be consecutively numbered and captions provided. Do not forget to indicate clearly how many words you have used in your submission. Do submit only an electronic copy of the assignment via Turnitin® in Blackboard. Please make every effort to submit work by the due date indicated above. Students are advised not to assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course. Factors such as standard work pressures, holidays, etc. are not regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Assignments received after the deadline (without an approved extension) will be subject to a penalty in line with the university policy.

Your assignment should be in a report format, being clearly structured using headings, subheadings etc. It is not necessary to include an executive summary at the beginning of the report. Your assignment should be presented using Arial 12 font, 1.5 line spacing, and it should be approximately 3000 (+/- 10%) words in length. Your word count is from the introduction to conclusion sections. You must endeavour to use theories, concepts, and analytical tools explicitly at all stages, but do not spend too much time describing them. While you must be explicit about the theories, models, techniques etc. that you use, you can assume that the reader is familiar with them. What the reader requires is evidence of your ability to understand and apply the concepts in order to support the development of your findings and/or ideas.

You must cite all sources on which you have relied, for example textbooks, journal articles, web pages etc. using the Harvard Bibliographic referencing system. If you do not cite all sources, then you may be accused of plagiarism, and that may endanger your success in passing the module. If you are in any doubt about how to reference your work, please obtain guidance from the library and/or your academic librarian(s) for this module.

Please do use diagrams, illustrations, tables, graphics etc. wherever these are helpful, and remember that these do not count towards your word limit. If you do use these, please do not put them in the appendices if they are part of your discussion. Appendices are the appropriate places to put supporting material; however, remember if the reader is satisfied with the main points of your discussion, the supporting information within the appendices may not even be reviewed.

Week 3 Seminar Activity on Cost Classification Questions:

1. Define the meaning of the term ‘cost object’ and provide three examples of cost objects. It is a key concept used in managing the costs of a business. Output. The most common cost objects are a company's products and services, since it wants to know the cost of its output for profitability analysis and price setting.

Operational. A cost object can be within a company, such as a department, machining operation, production line, or process. For example, you could track the cost of designing a new product, or a customer service call, or of reworking a returned product.

Business relationship. A cost object can be outside of a company - there may be a need to accumulate costs for a supplier or a customer, to determine the cost of dealing with that entity. Another variation on the concept is the cost of renewing a license with a government agency.

2. Distinguish between a direct and an indirect cost. Direct costs tend to be variable costs, while indirect costs are more likely to be either fixed costs or period costs.

3. Describe how a given direct cost item can be both a direct and an indirect cost. Examples of direct costs are direct labor, direct materials, commissions, piece rate wages, and manufacturing supplies. Examples of indirect costs are production supervision salaries, quality control costs, insurance, and depreciation. 4. Provide examples of each of the following: a. Direct labour