Course Title: Undertake project work
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2024
Course Code: BUSM6520C
Course Title: Undertake project work
Important Information:
Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.
To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption.
Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209.
Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus
Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance.
School: 525T Business & Enterprise
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4421 - Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business
Course Contact: Theresa Lyford
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5444
Course Contact Email: theresa.lyford@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Joseph Matthews
Nominal Hours: 60
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
Nil
Course Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to undertake a minor project or a section of a larger project. It covers developing a project plan, administering and monitoring the project, finalising the project and reviewing the project to identify lessons learned for application to future projects.
The unit applies to individuals who play a significant role in ensuring a project meets timelines, quality standards, budgetary limits and other requirements set for the project.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
BSBPMG430 Undertake project work |
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Element: |
1.Establish project parameters |
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Performance Criteria: |
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Element: |
2.Develop project plan |
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Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Identify risks and develop a risk management plan for project, including Work Health and Safety (WHS) 2.2 Develop project budget and timeframe and seek approval from relevant stakeholders 2.3 Consult team members and apply their views in planning the project 2.4 Identify and access appropriate project management tools 2.5 Develop project plan according to project parameters and deliverables 2.6 Finalise project plan and gain necessary approvals to commence project according to documented plan |
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Element: |
3.Administer and monitor project |
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Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Communicate to project team members their responsibilities and project requirements 3.2 Establish and maintain required recordkeeping systems throughout the project 3.3 Implement and monitor plans for managing the project 3.4 Undertake risk management as required |
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Element: |
4.Finalise and review project |
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Performance Criteria: |
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Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements.
Details of Learning Activities
Students will be undertaking the development and management of a project throughout the semester. The project is based on a 'new business' scope relevant to the course of study.
Classes will be conducted 'in person' (on campus) including lectures, tutorials and workshops where weekly learning will be applied to their project.
Weekly activities are available to assist the student in developing required skills, and to gain feedback from their teacher as the student progresses throughout the semester.
Some 'out of class' learning will be required by the students.
Teaching Schedule
| Week 1 | 12 Feb | Module 1: Introduction to project management |
Introduction to project management Week 1 Activity |
| Week 2 | 19 Feb | Project scope |
Developing the project scope Week 2 Activity |
| Week 3 | 26 Feb | Project Time |
Determining project and task timing Week 3 Activity |
| Week 4 | 4 March | Project Quality |
Determining quality standards for the project Week 4 Activity |
| Week 5 | 11 March | Manage project risks |
Identify, assessing project risks Week 5 Activity |
| Week 6 | 18 March | Project costs / budget |
Develop the project budget Week 6 Activity |
| Week 7 | 25 March | AT1 workshop - WBS / Gantt Chart | Mid Semester Break |
| Week 8 | 8 April | Legislation and WHS | Legal and ethical considerations of project management |
| Week 9 | 15 April | AT1 Due / Workshop | Assessment Task 1 due |
| Week 10 | 22 April | Module 4: Project monitoring and reporting | Commencing the project tasks |
| Week 11 | 29 April | Reporting team performance | Reviewing team member performance against planned tasks |
| Week 12 | 6 May | Reporting team performance | Reviewing team member performance against planned tasks |
| Week 13 | 13 May | Module 5: Finalise and review the Project | Assessment team performance |
| Week 14 | 20 May | Project review meeting | Conduct team meeting |
| Week 15 | 27 May | Project Completion Report due | Assessment Task 2 due |
| Week 16 | 3 June | Rework if required |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
All learning resources are provided, including online learning management system, learner guides, tutorial slides, and templates.
Students will be required to source and use free project planning software as part of this unit.
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral/written presentations and through the application of learned skills and insights. Full assessment briefs will be provided and can be found on CANVAS.
Assessment Tasks
There are two (2) assessment tasks for this unit. A 'satisfactory' result for both assessments must be achieved to attain a final result of 'Competent' for the unit.
Assessment Task 1 - Develop a project plan
Summary and Purpose of Assessment
This assessment evaluates your ability to undertake a minor project (or section of a larger project) as it relates to the development and/or implementation of a new business venture.
Assessment Task 1 requires you to develop a project plan, and administer the project plan, specifically:
Establish project parameters
Develop a project plan
Administer the project plan to project team members
NOTE: You will be required to monitor, finalise and review this project in Assessment Task 2.
This is an individual assessment task however you are required to collaborate with two (2) other students and your teacher in the development, implementation and review of their project plan.
The project parameters of the Project Plan must relate to ‘entrepreneurship’. This could be a new business venture, new product or service, or an enhancement to an existing product or service.
Completing this assessment allows you to demonstrate skills and knowledge in planning a project while applying project management tools and showing regard for the legal and regulatory environment, the impacts of key stakeholders as well as cultural nuances that need to be taken into consideration.
Assessment Instructions
What:
This assessment will be produced in report format using templates provided as a guide.
You will be required to assume the role of a Project Manager and prepare a project plan (document) using the template provided as a guide, or an appropriate alternative based on a new business venture.
The Teacher will assume the role of ‘Project Sponsor’ for feedback, and approvals.
Two additional students will be required to assume to role of ‘Project Team Members’. The Project Team Members will be delegated tasks by the Project Manager, and are required to attend planned Project Team Meetings, provide feedback and seek clarification from the Project Manager during Project Team Meetings.
There are three major components to this assessment task, as follows:
Establish project parameters
The student is required to establish the project parameters based on a Project Brief ~ either provided to them, or developed by the learner in consultation with their Teacher based on their nominated new business venture.
The brief must include the following:
- Details of new product or service and how it fits with the organisation’s objectives
- State the goals and objectives of the organisation.
- Define the goals and SMART objectives of the project
- Describe how the chosen project aligns with other organisational projects as well as organisational values and objectives (250 words)
When the Project Brief is confirmed by the Teacher, the student will use this as the basis for developing their Project Plan.
Project Scope
When developing the Project Plan, the student will establish project parameters as per the following:
- identify the project ‘scope’ that clearly defines the project outcome as it relates to time (start/end date), cost (budget) and quality expectations
- define the key stakeholders in the project, their role and responsibilities
- At least three (3) project stakeholders are to be listed, e.g. project manager, project sponsor, 2 x team members/roles/summary major tasks etc.
- seek clarification from the delegating authority (the Teacher in the role of Project Sponsor) of issues related to the project and project parameters
- Identify responsibilities of relevant stakeholders and reporting requirements
- clarify the relationship of the project to other projects and to the objectives of the organisation
- identify the availability and access of resources required for undertaking the project to the agreed budget
Develop the Project Plan
In this part of the task the student needs to develop a Project Plan consistent with the agreed project parameters and include the following:
identify risks and develop a risk management plan for the project for at least 3 major project risks, which must include at least one ‘work health and safety (WHS) risk
Develop a project budget showing the resources required, and anticipated costs
Develop a project timeframe using a Gantt Chart showing start/end date, major tasks and deliverables for each team member, including planned reporting dates
seek approval from the relevant stakeholders
Consult team members and apply their views in planning the project via team meetings
identify and access appropriate project management tools in the project plan including:
- Gannt Chart
- Budget summary
- Risk matrix
- Quality Standards (matrix)
Develop the project plan according to the project parameters and deliverables
Finalise the project plan and gain necessary approvals to commence the project
Administer and monitor the project
Prior to gaining formal approval of the project plan by the Project Sponsor, the student (as Project Manager) is required to administer the project by conducting a Project Team Meeting. During the Project Team Meeting the Project Manager is to communicate to project team members their responsibilities and project requirements
Team Meeting Agenda items are to include the following (as a minimum):
Project Scope (including start/end date), budget, and expected outcomes (quality)
Key Stakeholders, responsibilities
Team member responsibilities and deliverables, any specific needs to ensure quality outcomes and on time delivery against project requirements (teacher can act as project sponsor and give feedback)
Relevant legislation, regulations, ethical or legal issues to consider, including WHS issues related to the project tasks
Resources required and costs vs. project budget
Project Risks
Project management ‘tools’ to be used in the development, administration, monitoring and reporting, finalising and review of the project
The student is to establish and maintain record keeping systems throughout the project. This includes the use a detailed meeting Agendaand Minutes, to be included for submission upload.
At the conclusion of the Project Team Meeting, the Project Manager is to incorporate Project Team Member’s input to finalise the Project Plan for approval by the Project Sponsor (Teacher) before proceeding with the project implementation (Assessment Task 2).
AT2 - Project Completion Report
ummary and Purpose of Assessment
This is Assessment Task 2 of 2 that students need to be complete for this unit. Both assessments need to be completed satisfactorily to be assessed competent for this unit.
Assessment Task 2 (AT2) requires students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in monitoring, finalising and reviewing a project to identify lessons learned for application to future projects.
AT2 is based on the Project Plan student’s prepared for Assessment Task 1 (AT1).
For this assessment task, you are required to:
Administer and Monitor the project competed in AT1
- Communicate to project team members their responsibilities and project requirements
3.2 Establish and maintain required recordkeeping systems throughout the project
3.3 Implement and monitor plans for managing the project
3.4 Undertake risk management as required
Finalise a project
4.1 Complete financial recordkeeping associated with project and confirm according to agreed budget
4.2 Complete project documentation and obtain sign-offs for concluding project
Complete and Review a project
4.3 Review project outcomes and processes against the project scope and plan
4.4 Document feedback and suggested improvements
Roleplay scenario
You will continue to act in the role of Project Manager for the Project Plan developed for Assessment Task 1.
The teacher will perform the role of ‘Project Sponsor’.
Two other students will be designated project team members. Each team member will provide input and feedback to the Project Manager to facilitate project monitoring, reporting and completion activities.
Although this assessment requires collaboration with other students, this assessment task is an individual assessment.
Assessment Instructions
What
You will need to satisfactorily complete all three parts to this Assessment Task:
- Part A – Administer and monitor the project
- Part B – Finalise the project
- Part C – Review the project
Part A - Administer and Monitor the project
The project has commenced, and you as the Project Manager are now required to consult and communicate with the two project team members to get their input and engagement in the project implementation and review phases.
1a) As Project Manager you need to organise project administration and monitoring activities consistent with the Project Plan (AT1). To do this, you will plan and conduct a Project Monitoring Meeting with the two project team members.
As part of the assessment submission for this step, you will need to provide the email sent to the team members (screen shot) about the details of the proposed Project Monitoring Meeting and showing appropriate attachments and a meeting Agenda.
Ensure that as part of the planning for this meeting you have informed your teacher because they will need to observe the meeting.
During this meeting, you as the Project Manager must:
1b) review the progress of planned activities, ensure that the team members are clear about their responsibilities and deliverables.
1c) consult, seek feedback, and provide support for the two project team members, with regard to any specific needs and expectations.
1d) ensure that the quality of the expected outcomes, resources, budget, documented time-lines and ‘project deliverables’ of the project are being monitored according to the Project Plan and reported to the Project Sponsor.
1e) During this meeting, you at the Project Manager are required to review the risks identified in the Project Plan, explain the processes for identifying and managing the risks, and complete a ‘WHS checklist’ with both of the team members, and retain this documentation for review at the completion of the project, and for inclusion in the Project Completion Report (use the template provided).
The WHS checklist can be sourced via the following: WorkSafe Victoria Checklist for Health and Safety Consultation [ https://content.api.worksafe.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-06/ISBN-Checklist-for-health-and-safety-consultation-2012-10.pdfLinks to an external site. ]. A sample is provided in Appendix 3.
1f) After the meeting has been conducted, you at the Project Manager need to prepare one Status Report (see sample template in Appendix 2) for each of the two team members (i.e.: two in total) and forward this to the Project Sponsor (teacher) and to each of the team members via email. The email is to include a brief summary of the project status in the email body.
Use the project ‘Status Report’ template provided.
The completed ‘Status Reports’ are to be retained by you, the Project Manager consistent with the ‘record keeping’ systems and methods documented in the Project Plan and included in the Project Completion Report.
Part B - Finalise the project
The project activities have now been completed and the Project Manager is required to formally ‘finalise’ the project and report on project outcomes (planned v. actual).
The Project Manager is to use the ‘Project Outcome Scenario’ provided (see Appendix 1) for the project review and finalisation.
Note, the student/teacher can modify the Project Outcome Scenario as required to suit any specifics of their Project Plan, however any changes must be clearly identified and communicated in the Project Completion Report.
2a) As Project Manager you are to review the project outcomes against the Project Plan and amend (labelled ‘v2’) the project plan ‘tools’ sourced from AT1 to reflect the ‘Planned v Actual’ results for future review and signoff with the project team members. Sign-off can include electronic signatures or scanned signatures of the team members
Project Management tools to be reviewed, revised, and ‘finalised’ as ‘v2’ are:
- Gantt Chart / WBS / timeline and deliverables
- Budget / Resources (Planned v Actual)
- Quality standards checklist
- Risk Management Plan
The Project Manager is to include the signed-off (v2) project tools in the Project Completion Report. Team Member names, role, and ‘sign-off’ is to be noted in the appropriate section of the Project Completion Report template.
All changes to the revised project management tools are to be consistent with the Project Outcome Scenario.
The changes to the finalised project tools (v2) must be clearly evident, using colour or graphics, and include a brief summary (1 paragraph) for each tool in the Project Completion Report.
2b) At this stage, as Project Manager you are to prepare recommendations for project staff transition to new roles or to reassign to previous roles.
These recommendations are to be discussed as an Agenda item in the Project Completion Meeting, and outcomes included in the Project Completion Report provided to the Project Sponsor.
Part C- Review the project
As Project Manager you are now required to review the finalised project tools (v2), project outcomes and deliverables with the project team members via a Project Completion Meeting. Also, at this meeting you need to discuss and seek feedback regarding project management processes used, the revised tools against the Project Plan, and ‘lessons learned’ from the project, and report this to the organisation (to be included in the Project Completion Report). At this meeting you will also need complete all financial recordkeeping, check for accuracy, and secure formal ‘sign-off’ of the revised tools from the team members.
3a) As Project Manager organise and schedule the ‘Project Completion Meeting’ with the project team members via an electronic calendar invitation. The invite is to include a summary of the meeting purpose and attachments including the Project Plan (AT1), the draft ‘v2’ Project Tools, and the meeting Agenda (see details to be included in 3b).
Include a copy of the electronic calendar invite with attachments as a screenshot for assessment.
3b) The Project Manager is to prepare the Project Completion Meeting ‘Agenda’ including the following topics:
- Analysis of project outcomes against Objectives, Scope and the Project Plan (Refer to Project Outcome Scenario in Appendix 1)
- Review of v2 Project Tools (Budget, Gantt chart, Quality Plan, Risk Plan/WHS checklist)
- Analysis of cost v budget ('Planned v. Actual') and where/why amendments were made
- Ethics and legislation review (refer to the Project Plan)
- Team member performance v. Planned (deliverables, outcomes, skills, processes, reporting)
- Team member Feedback / Reflection on what worked well / what didn't work well
- Team member skills for 'transition' at the completion of the project (good and bad)
- Team communication / consultations (including cultural considerations)
- Project Monitoring (Meetings, processes, procedures, instructions, tools, forms, monitoring and reporting)
- 'Lessons learned' (to be included in the Project Completion Report)
3c) As Project Manager you are now required to conduct the Project Completion Meeting consistent with the Agenda that was circulated. This meeting is to be conducted via roleplay and is to be observed by the Teacher
During this meeting, you as the Project Manager need to:
- discuss, source and record feedback on the project outcomes
- acquire all necessary signoffs of ‘v2’ project documentation/tools from the project team members.
- prepare and discuss project team member ‘transition’ to new roles or reassignment to previous roles.
3d) The signed-off revised tools are to be included in the Project Completion Report, along with a description (1 paragraph) clearly explaining the amendments, the cause of the changes, and the impact on the Project Plan.
3e) At the conclusion of the meeting, the Project Manager is to prepare detailed meeting ‘Minutes’. A summary of the Minutes is to be included in the Project Completion Report.
Project Review:
3f) As the Project Manager you need to organise a ‘Project Review Meeting’ with the Project Sponsor (Teacher), where the signed-off Project Completion Report can be discussed in detail. Your ‘Sign-off’ is a digital signature (or equivalent) in the document prior to forwarding the report to the Project Sponsor.
Invite the Project Sponsor to the Project Review Meeting via an electronic calendar invitation. This calendar invite is to include as an attachment:
- the completed Project Plan (AT1)
- the ‘signed-off’ Project Completion Report
- a summary of the meeting purpose and topics included in the invite.
You need to create the calendar invite only, not actually conduct the review meeting with the Project Sponsor/Teacher.
Include a copy of the electronic calendar invite with attachments as a screenshot for assessment.
3g) Complete all sections of Project Completions Report using the template provided and forward it to the Project Sponsor (your teacher).
At the end of the report, include a reflection section where you respond to the following:
What aspects of the project were achieved, what worked and what did not work?
- Scope, goals, objectives, outcomes, ethics and legislation considered.
- Team performance and team communication.
- Describe two lessons learned from this project and suggestions for improvement (what worked well, what can be improved, what are your recommendations for improvement?)
- Describe the team’s consultation process and how the views of all team members were considered
Assessment Matrix
Assessment Task 1- Project Plan
- Due semester week 9
Assessment Task 2 - Project Completion Report
- Due semester week 15
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