CIVL4815: Semester 1, 2023

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Units CIVL4815 Semester 1 2023 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

CIVL4815: Project Formulation

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

The aim of this unit is to develop students' ability to formulate projects through critically assessing and developing business case and project plan for a real-life engineering project. This unit is relevant for students who intend to pursue career related to project management. The learning activities focus on the project's viability and early stage planning. Strategic needs and possible project options are identified and assessed based on potential benefits, costs and the strategic context. Suitable site/route needs to be selected for the project based on technical and business considerations. Due consideration should also be given to the project's impact on environment and communities. The project's viability can be indicated using Benefit-Cost ratio as well as non-financial indicators such as number of jobs created and the number of life saved. In deriving these indicators, it is important to take project uncertainties into consideration through using techniques such as sensitivity analysis, decision-tree analysis, probabilistic modelling and Monte Carlo simulation. The objective is to justify investment to address the business needs and recommend the most appropriate response to the business needs. The early stage planning concentrates on defining project requirements and project delivery strategy. The objective is to seek approval/support for project delivery or to critically evaluate the current project plan, depending on the current stage of the project. The exercise is to develop a plan guide project delivery and transition to operation. The plan should cover, but not limited to, the feasibility analysis, project deliverables, plan of activities necessary to move the project to the next stages, procurement strategy, what's needed to enable delivery (e. g. stakeholder management plan, planning and other approvals, funding, time, control processes, community and environment management plan, marketing and sales plan, and risk management plan) and, what is required to complete delivery and transition to operation stages.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Civil Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	CIVL3805. Students are expected to have grasped the concepts of basic financial and economic analysis and to have understood and applied basic tools for project management
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Mike Bambach, mike.bambach@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 1 quiz	20%	Week 05	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 2 quiz	20%	Week 10	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project report report	60%	Week 13 Due date: 04 Jun 2023 at 23:59	na
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction, PPP and business case	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 02	Procurement Strategy and role of Government	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 03	Governance and Commercial Structuring	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 04	Feasibility issues and managing risk	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 05	Economic Infrastructure and Tollroads	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 06	Feasibility issues and social infrastructure	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 07	Procurement workshop and delivery strategy	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 08	Financial modelling workshop and property/infrastructure issues	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 09	Financial structuring and the Aerotropolis	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 10	Risk workshop and case studies	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 11	Market evolution and case studies	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 12	Feedback, review and reflection	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 13	Finalisation of project feasibility report	Lecture (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

The course is designed as project-based learning through conducting research and applying knowledge to a real-life project. The lecturers will introduce topical aspects of developing project feasibility studies and refer to standard practice and guidance. Students have the opportunity to engage with the lecturers online as all lectures will be delivered live. Lectures will be recorded. Students are encouraged to think critically about the topic and will be provided with an extensive reading list for research and knowledge development. The schedule includes a number of workshops or tutorials where students have the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to practical examples. These tutorials will also be conducted online with the use of break out groups. Tutorials will not be fully recorded but learning outcomes will be uploaded; students are encouraged to participate and engage in the live tutorials. Attendance at lectures and tutorials is not mandatory but bonus marks will be awarded for active participation. Students have the opportunity to prepare a draft project feasibility report for feedback prior to submission of the final report for marking; this is not mandatory but provides an opportunity for students to improve marks

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. identify objectives, tasks, data collection needs, constraints for a project and be able to critically assess project plans for the definition, procurement and delivery of the project, and transition to operation
LO2. identify objectives, tasks, data collection needs and issues (e.g. social, political, organisational, financial, etc.) for assessing the feasibility of a case project and explain how they influence assessment outcomes
LO3. prepare a project feasibility report
LO4. understand concepts around funding and financing projects
LO5. demonstrate good understanding of the due diligence process and the information needs of financiers of the project
LO6. identify major project risks, evaluate their impacts on project outcomes, and assess risk management plans
LO7. identify and evaluate the effects of non-financial factors (e.g. environmental and social) that are critical to the delivery of the project, and critically assess implementation plans
LO8. comprehend and relate to real-life examples the fundamental concepts in project formulation
LO9. critically assess the business case of complex engineering projects
LO10. analyse potential project solutions using economic benefit-cost analysis and other financial tools to determine financial and/or economic viability.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Developments based on previous years feedback will be incorporated in the unit and explained during lectures and tutorials.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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