UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
MGT8022 PROJECT-BASED MANAGEMENT
ASSIGNMENT 2
Assignment 2
In this assignment you are using a variety of relevant and reliable project management literature to critically analyse your project’s document known as the ‘project management plan’ (PMP), in the format of a professional report. This is a critical analysis of the documented ‘project management plan’ not the project itself nor how it was managed.
Note: Include your project’s PMP as Appendix 1 in your report. ‘Project Management Plans’ are also commonly called a ‘Project Plan’ or ‘Project Implementation Plan’. Note carefully that a project schedule or a Gantt chart by itself is NOT a ‘Project Management Plan’.
The PMP for your chosen project would be the sort of document that would be handed to a client/manager to illustrate how it is intended to manage the project through to completion. A PMP is an important document for achieving successful project outcomes, and is often used to gain sponsor/client commitment, and should contain sufficient information to allow such a decision to be made with confidence. Make sure you understand what a PMP is before you select a document for analysis.
The document might be an existing plan from your place of work or from another source if you don’t have access to one from your workplace. Either way, the source should be clearly indicated.
Word count: 3000 - 4000 words approximately (excluding executive summary, figures, tables, appendices and reference list)
The structure of your report (assignment) should be as follows:
Assignment Mark Sheet (download this from the Assessment tab on the study desk)
Title page (report title, course details, author details, due date, etc. in the style of a professional report)
Executive Summary
Provide a stand-alone summary of this report for senior managers: why this report was prepared, how it is structured, and what are the important conclusions and recommendations. (NOTE: some of this information will be repeated in the introduction as well.)
1. Introduction (250 words)
Briefly state why your report has been prepared, what project is being analysed, and how the report is structured. (Note – this may be similar to the introduction in assignment 1 if you have used the same project, but this is a new report, and you need to provide the information your reader needs to understand the report. You can use the same information in both assignments. There is no need to reference assignment 1 if you are using your original work.)
2. Project background (250 words)
Your project description should describe the project and its context – what organisation is the project owner/sponsor, what this organisation does, why the project is being done, where it is located, etc. The description should contain enough detail for the reader to understand the reason behind each of the components of the PMP – why it is included and its content and format.
3. Structure of the PMP (1000 words)
What alternatives exist for the overall structure of a PMP (examine and compare a range of theories and opinions here)? What sections or headings would we expect to see in the Table of Contents of your PMP to present the information to decisionmakers? What does the theory say and how does this compare to your PMP?
4. Contents of the PMP (1500 - 2000 words)
Now provide a critical analysis of each of the major sections of your PMP and provide some theoretical framework for what is included in each section (e.g. Why has a project schedule been included, is it a meaningful document, does it contain the right information, etc.?) This explanation will be drawn from the study modules, text book, selected readings, and other sources. This discussion will probably cover most, if not all, knowledge areas covered under the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (PMI 2013) in one form or another. It does not have to be under those headings but should clearly indicate that it covers all recognised areas covered by the various Project Management Bodies of Knowledge.
5. Conclusions (250 words)
Summarise your findings from the analysis of your PMP. What did you find out about the PMP? Does it conform to the recognised theory? What aspects are important and are of significance to project outcomes? What are its strengths and its weaknesses? (Focus here on your PMP and not on the theory).
6. Recommendations (250 words)
What are your recommendations flowing from this analysis with regard to your chosen PMP? What changes should be made to your PMP for this project (or similar future projects)? Address the shortcomings identified in your conclusions. Again, focus on recommendations related to your PMP and not on the project itself.
Reference list
It is expected that you would find at least 15 quality references to form part of your critical analysis. These should be resources you have actually cited in your essay. All
referencing in your assignment should comply with USQ Harvard. Refer https://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing/harvard-agps-referencing-guide
Appendices
The PMP you have analysed will be attached as Appendix 1. Attach any additional appendices that relate specifically to the analysis following appendix 1. They should be numbered sequentially in the order in which they appear (Appendix 2, etc.).
Formatting
As a general guide, you can follow the formatting guidelines for reports as outlined in the Communication Skills Handbook:
Summers, J & Smith, B 2014, Communication skills handbook, 4th edn, John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd, Brisbane.