Task 1: Portfolio of Project Planning documents
Instructions
This assessment task requires you, in response to a simulated business scenario, to answer define a project and develop a project plan. Using the workplace scenario information provided, you will determine the scope of a project and develop a portfolio of planning documentation, to discuss with your Operations General Manager (the Assessor) of the simulated business – Max Lionel Realty. You will negotiate aspects of the project with their assigned project team. Finally, you will submit planning documentation for approval.
During this assessment task you are required to participate in simulated project meeting/s with a project team of 2-4 members. Assessors will ensure you are assigned a project team for this Assessment Task, and members of the team should be drawn from other Students undertaking this unit of competency. Specific instructions for the project conditions, including budget and team roles are contained within the Scenario information below.
Where you are not able to access other participants to be team members, the Assessor may role-play the project team members. Either way, you will need to meet with the Operations General Manager (the Assessor) in person regularly to discuss project scope and portfolio of planning documents.
Procedures
There are two parts to this assessment task. Part A requires you, using the workplace information provided for Max Lionel realty in Appendixes 1 and 2, will determine the scope of the project and develop a portfolio of draft planning documentation to discuss with Operations General Manager of Max Lionel Realty. The Assessor will simulate the Operations General Manager role. In part B you will then negotiate aspects of the project with your assigned project team members.
You will then work independently of the project team and submit your final planning documentation for approval to the Operations General Manager
To satisfactorily complete this assessment task, you are required to undertake each activity in the order listed below, to an acceptable industry standard:
PART A
1. Read the simulated business documentation, including policies and procedures, in the document ‘Max Lionel Realty - Simulated Business’, provided in Appendix 1 of this Assessment Task 1.
2. Review the templates contained in the document ‘IBSA - Project planning templates’ for possible use or adaptation in completing project requirements. These documents are provided in Appendix 2.
3. Students should then read the information supplied in the Max Lionel Realty Scenario below.
Scenario
Max Lionel Realty
Max Lionel Realty (MLR), in order to build customer goodwill and satisfy its legal and ethical obligations, has decided to implement a program to:
• inform agents of legal and ethical obligations (particularly with respect to WHS and anti-discrimination legislation) and any standards or codes of conduct followed by the organisatio
• promote high standards in professional conduct (see Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) Code of Conduct and relevant legislation
• inform clients, tenants and potential tenants of MLR’s commitments
• achieve employee and client buy-in for initiative.
You are an external consultant (from Ace Consultants) contracted to project manage activities to achieve the objectives above.
Quality standards for deliverables:
• clearly communicate legal obligations and REIV obligations
• contain as content or support company strategic directions
• no grammar or spelling errors
• professional but friendly language
• fair and flexible delivery for intended audience
• meet audience requirements and sensitive to information needs, cultural diversity
Previous needs analysis for the project has uncovered characteristics and requirements of Residential and Commercial Agents and Clients:
Agents Clients Tenants
? under stress; time poor
? highly trained and competent in selling and managing real estate
? unaware of legal, ethical requirement. just want to please clients
? even if aware, have no idea how to apply to daily client practice ? cynical: e.g. ‘why do I have to pay attention to MLR’s internal business? I just want them to manage my property.’
? time poor
? not sure of MLR obligations and commitment to best-of-breed client service and ethical practice, REIV code of conduct ? sometimes feel discriminated against on basis of:
? lifestyle
? family status
? cultural background
? income, etc.
? unclear on overall strategic aims of MLR
? culturally diverse. ? feel it’s the agent’s obligation to fill rental/lease properties according to client wishes: e.g. ‘I choose who lives in/leases my property’
? culturally diverse. ? residential agents have been rude or insensitive on occasion: e.g. ‘you wouldn’t treat your rich clients or investment partners this way’
? do not feel they are adequately consulted
? residential/commercial agents/clients have let themselves in without consultation
? inspections are sometimes unannounced.
Project conditions are as follows:
• Six to eight team members (two to four students plus four virtual team members) who must be utilised and budgeted for. Operations General Manager (the Assessor) will determine composition of project team.
• The structure of the work should include roles for project sponsor, technical experts, quality assurance of deliverables, project manager (yourself initially and, after provisional approval, as negotiated with your team), and roles and responsibilities for each team member to achieve the deliverables according to standards, etc.
• All reasonable resources (e.g. access to a room, computers, software and templates) will be provided. Paper and telecommunications costs, for example, to be covered by students. All resources must be costed and included in your budget.
• Budget: $15,000.
• Your Operations General Manager (the assessor) will suggest project deliverables, for example, presentations, information sessions, posters, promotional materials, etc. You may determine your own specific deliverables so long as they are agreed to with stakeholders, meet project objectives, and adhere to budgetary constraints.
• Project timeframe to be determined by Operations General Manager (the assessor as project sponsor).
• Project should include design, development, implementation and evaluation stages (with periodic quality review).
• Project status reports are due at 25%, 50% and 75% of allotted timeframe.
• Project must be coordinated with other organisational projects, operations, etc.
4. Once reviewed all three documents, you should then arrange a suitable time and date for the project team to meet with and to receive additional details from the Operations General Manager (the Assessor) of the project team, about cost, skills, and suggested project deliverables and timeframes.
During this project team meeting and/or over a period of time at subsequent meetings, Students should work collaboratively with fellow team members and undertake the following activities:
5. Determine the project scope. The team should develop appropriate initiation and scope documents for discussion with Operations General Manager (the Assessor).
6. Determine additional documentation required to determine project and develop deliverables.
7. Define project stakeholders. Students are to determine how they will engage and manage stakeholders to achieve the project objectives.
8. Develop communication and stakeholder management plans for discussion. The team should consider all scenario information and the organisational structure of Max Lionel realty to determine stakeholders and stakeholder interests.
9. Simulating the business scenario, identify personal responsibilities and reporting requirements.
10. Determine relationship of project to other projects, systems, business operations, strategic aims of organisation, and external legislative requirements.
11. Determine resources and access to resources. Consult with Operations General Manager (the assessor) to clarify if necessary.
12. Determine the project management tools, such as software (e.g. Microsoft Word, MS Excel, and MS Project) and templates, etc that will be used in the project plan. Note: Students may source their own software tools or use or adapt the templates provided in Appendix 2 of this Assessment Task.
Then, working independently of also with the team, Students should:
13. Using an appropriate project management tool, develop the project plan, which will be Project Plan Version 1. Included in this initial plan should be:
a. A work breakdown structure: stages of development or of task completion (Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate); opportunities for (peer and stakeholder) review and feedback; coordination of roles and sharing of responsibility for deliverables; dependencies
b. Timelines
c. Roles and responsibilities for each team member
d. Resourcing requirements.
14. Develop a Risk Management Plan Version 1 for discussion. Included in this initial plan should be a consideration of WHS risk management. Students must:
a. Research and review all possible the legal and ethical obligations (particularly with respect to WHS and anti-discrimination legislation) in the context of the project plan.
b. Identify, assess and suggest treatment of at least three additional risks, including financial risk.
c. Record the risks on a risk register and complete a risk assessment document for each risk. Students may use software tools or use or adapt the templates provided in Appendix 2.
15. Develop a Budget Version 1 for the project. Students may use software tools or use or adapt the templates provided in Appendix 2.
Once the teams Project Plan, Risk Management Plan and the Budget are developed, Students and their team members should:
16. Arrange to meet with the Operations General Manager (the Assessor) to consult and discuss:
a. Project scope
b. Additional documentation required to determine project and develop deliverables
c. Project stakeholders
d. Personal responsibilities
e. Relationship of project to other projects, systems, strategic aims of organisation
f. Resources and access to resources
g. Portfolio of documents:
i. project initiation and scope documents
ii. project plan (version 1)
iii. risk management plan (version 1)
iv. budget (version 1).
17. During the meeting Students and their fellow team members must solicit feedback from the Operations General Manager (the Assessor) on each of the three (3) Version 1 drafts and ensure understanding of any additional project issues or changes to project parameters.
PART B
18. After the meeting Students should meet with their project team to:
a. Negotiate roles and responsibilities
b. Agree on Version 2 of documents for approval by the Operations General Manager (the Assessor):
i. Project plan (version 2)
ii. Risk management plan (version 2)
iii. Budget (version 2).
c. The team must incorporate the Operations General Manager’s (the Assessor) feedback into planning project: Note: The meeting will be observed by the Assessor. Students should follow their communication plan or agree to a time and date. When meeting with the team Students should be:
i. Professional
ii. Accommodating and conscious of varying skill levels, interests, backgrounds of other members of the project team.
19. At the conclusion of the meeting, Students will then work independently of and with the team and develop and submit the project initiation and scope documents and the three (3) Versions 1 & 2 (six in total) of their final planning documentation for approval to the Operations General Manager.
Students must achieve approval of the project plan, by way of a satisfactory result for this assessment task before commencing Assessment Task 2.
Context of assessment conditions
• This assessment task may be completed in a classroom, workplace or independent learning environment.
• Students must complete the Assessment Cover Sheet.
• Submissions must be made in written form unless reasonable adjustments are approved by the RTO manager. Submissions must be hand written and/or word-processed.
Decision-making rules
To achieve a satisfactory result, you must:
• Meet with Operations General Manager to discuss project scope and portfolio of planning documents
• Participate in project meeting/s with project team
• Submit individual copies of:
a. Project initiation and scope documents, including: a project brief; a project scope; a stakeholder analysis; a communication plan; roles and responsibilities; project snapshot
b. A project plan (version 1 and version 2)
c. A risk management plan (risk register and risk assessment for each of four risks) (version 1 and version 2)
d. A budget (version 1 and version 2).
Task 1: Appendix 1
Max Lionel Realty - Simuated business – 20 pages.
Task 1: Appendix 2
IBSA Project Planning Templates – 26 pages
END OF ASSESSMENT TASK 1