9. Assignment 1
Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
Assignment 1 – Essay 100 30 28th December 2015
Word count: 2000 approximately
TOPIC: Critical analysis of the use of project breakdown structures
Reminder:
• Please do not be tempted to submit material obtained from an assignment from a previous offering of MGT8022 as it will be detected by plagiarism software (even if it is modified), and the consequences are severe.
• Assignments should be attached to the specific electronic mark sheet for this assignment.
• All assignments are to be submitted through the Electronic Assignment Submission facility.
• Check the file types and maximum file sizes that can be submitted via the website.
• Assignment 1 submissions that do not include an Originality Report generated by Turnitin will not be marked (refer previous instructions).
Word length
Assignment 1 should be 2000 words approximately, exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, etc.
Software requirement to complete assignment
There are no specific software requirements for this assignment, apart from word processing. You may wish to use software to create diagrams where they are of value.
Assignment requirements
Refer to the Assignment Guidelines for assistance in completing this assignment. Remember to integrate academic theory into your assignment to support your arguments and proposals.
Guidelines for preparation of assignments are provided on the StudyDesk for the course. These are in the form of short videos which explain how to carry out critical analysis of your selected project in relation to the topics for each assignment. You are strongly advised to watch these videos multiple times during the semester to ensure you have an understanding of the expectations of the course examiner.
Provide the following:
Assignment 1 mark sheet: Download the MGT8022 electronic submission mark sheet from the StudyDesk. Electronic assignments should follow the correct file-naming guidelines and use the electronic submission mark sheet.
Title page: Ensure that your essay includes a normal cover sheet or title page that would be expected of a professional document to provide details of essay title, author, date, student number, etc. (this is in addition to the electronic mark sheet discussed above). This assignment is a professional academic paper so should be presented as one.
(Note: No executive summary is required for this assignment as it essay style). (Note: No table of contents is required as it is essay style).
Critical analysis of the use of breakdown structures in a project case study chosen by you (around 2000 words)
Consider the following statement:
“Scope definition may be expressed by designated, clearly defined boundaries, such as:
? product breakdown structure (a cascade of products, sub-products, assemblies and components)
? organisation breakdown structure (a cascade of resource types, skill types or activities ? work breakdown structure (a cascade of the products and work activities),and/or ? some other form which comprehensively defines products and activities”.
(Australian Institute of Project Management 2010, AIPM Professional Competency Standards for Project Management, Unit 1 – Plan, Manage and Review Scope, Australian Institute of Project Management, Canberra, p. 6)
Think about your chosen project for analysis.
Write a critical analysis of the use of all types of breakdown structures in your chosen project in the form of an essay. Your discussion may differ depending on whether your project is completed, is under way or is yet to start. You must do some research to understand what sort of breakdown structures are used to manage projects? How are they used? Then you can examine the project of your choice and analyse whether breakdown structures are used or not, and if so, are they used effectively?
The focus of this essay is the ‘use of breakdown structures’. Make sure you clearly understand and define what a breakdown structure is for this assignment. You may wish to include a table or a diagram in the essay – that is permissible.
Important note
THIS IS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREAKDOWN STRUCTURES IN THIS PROJECT AND IT IS NOT ANALYSIS OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
Refer to the recommended Communication skills handbook to understand how to structure and write an essay. It is expected that you would provide an introduction, the body of your essay, a conclusion and recommendations, and a list of references. You may use headings for major sections if you wish. Guidelines for essay writing are provided on the study desk.
This assignment is deliberately open-ended to give you an opportunity to do some research about breakdown structures in the context of project management. There are no right or wrong answers. This assignment will allow you to explore the text books, journal articles and other sources on the importance or otherwise of breakdown structures. This may require you to access the e-Books and e-Journals in the USQ Library website and develop some research skills. See http://library.usq.edu.au/.
As part of your analysis, ensure that you make reference to the relevant theory (or theories) covered in the study materials, text, selected readings and other relevant sources. Use any figures or tables clearly and concisely to support your analysis where you feel this is appropriate.
List of references – (using the Harvard AGPS system): Provide a complete list of references providing full details of all citations used in the body of the essay. For a postgraduate assignment, if you have done sufficient research, there should be at least 15 references, many of which will be cited more than once. Remember to use the e-Journals and e-Books available from the Library website to research the literature on the topic (especially Books 24×7 and eBrary). Contact the Library staff if you need assistance to find these databases.
Appendices: There should not be any appendices for this essay.
Turnitin Originality Report: Remember to submit a version of your assignment (without the mark sheet and appendices) to Turnitin for checking and to submit a copy of the Turnitin Originality Report with your assignment. See ‘Course assessment’ above for more detailed instructions.
Marking criteria for assignment 1
Marking criteria is included in the electronic mark sheet. Use only the MGT8022 mark sheet provided for assignment 1 for this course.