Outline

Overview

The heart of a project lies in its delivery. Good planning sets the foundation for good execution; however projects need to be actively managed to ensure they are successfully delivered. This Unit of Study explores project execution through a hands on simulation that allows students to experience the delivery of a project including start-up and closure, progress reporting, decision making and change control.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Project Management
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	(PMGT1860 OR ENGG1860) OR (PMGT1850 OR ENGG1850)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ken Chung, ken.chung@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Kenneth Cameron, kenneth.cameron@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Reflective Practice Contribution to weekly discussion reflecting on key learnings of each week	10%	Multiple weeks	Participation in online discussion forum
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Individual Assignment Post simulation project review and lessons learned for future practice.	20%	STUVAC Due date: 07 Nov 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 17 Nov 2024	2000 words +/- 10%
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	In-class Quiz #1 In-class Quiz. 10 multiple choice questions and 2 short answers.	15%	Week 05	20 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Project Execution Group Assessment #1 Groups to amend, update and present planning documents for sign-off.	10%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2024 at 23:59	N/a
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Project Execution Group Assessment #2 Groups review risks, respond to triggered project change & report actions.	10%	Week 08 Due date: 15 Sep 2024 at 23:59	N/a
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	In-class Quiz #2 In-class Quiz. 10 multiple choice questions and 2 short answers.	15%	Week 09	20 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Project Execution Group Assessment #3 Groups prepare and present Project Progress Report and Change request form	10%	Week 11 Due date: 13 Oct 2024 at 23:59	N/a
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Assessment #4 Groups prepare and present project closure documentation.	10%	Week 12 Due date: 27 Oct 2024 at 15:29	N/A
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Workshop small continuous assessments: Basis for entire subject is a simulation of executing projects using a case study. Student groups to take on PM role for simulation reporting to lecturer or tutors as individual group Sponsor. Simulation is presented to students having been initiated and planned, although there has been a dramatic increase in the proejct scope resulting in a namber of sub-projects to be taken on by the cohort. Through the semester you will prepapre project documents for your choosen project, and you will be requried to liaise with other groups that impact on your project. You will need to review and expand the project brief into a full project plan including project charter, baseline plan scope, schedule, budget, quality plan, resource schedule, basic (incomplete) risk plan, procurement decisions. The signed off project plan will be constructed based on assumptions made one year earlier. There will be gaps in the plan and errors for students to find during their analysis. The hypothetical timeframe for the implementation and handover simulation will be 12-18 months. The format for presenting the assessments will be described in Canvas and discussed in workshops.

Project execution group assignment #1:

Groups are required to prepare a Project Plan and project schedule for their choosen project. You will hold a kick-off meeting with key stakeholders and present the documetns for approval

Project execution group assessment #2:

Groups to review basic risk plan critically analyse and expand with developed mitigation and management strategies. List conditions that will inform contracts to be drafted for supply of goods and services. Prepare report for presentation.

Project execution group assessment #2:

Project is hypothetically advanced in time. Students are notified that several risks have been triggered. Groups to respond by choosing how they will address the risks and calculating impact on baselined plan (scope, time, cost, quality). Student groups to meet with sponsor to report and negotiate changes. Decisions will be informed and limited by procurement decisions made earlier. Prepare report for presentation.

Project Execution group assessment #3:

Project has hypothetically advanced in time, with a number of scope changes identified. Student groupswill meet with the sponsor to confirm the impact of these changes to budget, time for delivery and scope/quality requirements. Prepare report for presentation.

Project Execution group assessment #4:

Project is hypothetically advanced in time to delivery and review. Student groups prepare and submit closure documentation and conduct a post-review. The post-project review will be conducted by assigning stakeholder roles to the students within their groups. Each stakeholder role will be written so that the stakeholder has particular issues to present.

In-class Quizzes: The purpose of these assessments is to equip students with the capabilities to apply theory to practice. Students are required to complete the weekly readings and videos prior to attending workshops, attend weekly workshops, and complete two on-line multiple answer and short answers quizzes. The quizzes are designed to review student’s understanding of the weekly reading material and ability to apply knowledge within a collaborative and competitive project environment.

Individual Assignment: The purpose of this assessment is to equip students with an analytical mindset to make sense of project realities. Students are required to provide a post simulation project review. Having participated in the start-up, execution and close of the simulation project, students experienced hands-on project management and are now required to look at lessons learned for future practice. The format for the assignment will be described in Canvas and discussed in workshops.

Discussion Board: You will be participating in an online Discussion Board each week to reflet on the key lessons you have learnt from each Workshop. Marks will be awarded based on depth of discussion. Stiudents will be required to review and comment on posts made by other studnets

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

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.

*Attendance Requirements:

As per the Faculty of Engineering Coursework Awards Resolutions, students are expected to attend and actively engage in all timetabled activities of their respective units of study. For this unit of study, students are expected to attend a minimum of 90 percent of timetabled activities for a unit of study unless granted exception by the Dean or Head of School most concerned. A student may be determined to fail a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90 percent.

Text-matching software for Assignment Submission:
As part of the assessment process, text matching software such as Turnitin may be used to identify plagiarism and/or be used for providing feedback.

Confidential Peer Evaluation:
As part of the group contribution assessment process, collaborative & self-peer evaluation tools (e.g. SparkPlus) will be used, either on a confidential or non-confidential basis, to understand contributions and interactions amongst group members. Marks may be adjusted for an individual team member, following on from the peer evaluation process.

Reliability of Canvas Marks:
Canvas will be used in this unit and while key assessments may be submitted via Canvas, it cannot be used to determine/ predict a student’s final marks in this unit. Not all assessment results may be visible to students and group/team marks can change for each individual team member based on the peer-evaluations conducted at the end of the semester.

Recycling Assignments Not Allowed:
Recycling involves submitting (or resubmitting) your own work that has already been assessed without the permission of the lecturer of this unit, and for which you have already been given feedback. Recycling is a form of academic dishonesty and will be handled in line with the coursework policy.

Mark Moderation:
There may be statistically defensible moderation when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes.

Workshop Participation:
It is expected that students turn on the cameras during online workshops. Failure to do so, will result in the student being requested to show cause and failure to comply could be viewed as non-participation for assessment purposes.

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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. The penalty will be calculated by first marking the work, and then subtracting 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. Example: Consider an assignment's maximum awardable mark is 10; the assignment is submitted 2 days late; and the assignment is marked as 7/10. After applying the penalty, marks will be: 7 - (0.5 x 2) = 6/10. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to, but is not required to, provide feedback on such work. Refer to section 7A of Assessment procedures policy available at: http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to the unit	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to the unit	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 02	Project start-up	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Project start-up	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 03	Success and common problems in project execution	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Success and common problems in project execution	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 04	Project resourcing and leadership	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Project resourcing and leadership & revision for assessment	Independent study (10 hr)
Week 05	Manage and report on project progress + In class Quiz	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Manage and report on project progress & revision for Group activity	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 06	Evaluate & manage risk	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Evaluate and manage risk & revision for group activity	Independent study (10 hr)
Week 07	Scope Creep	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Scope Creep & revision for group activity	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 08	Managing Change	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Managing change & revision for assessment	Independent study (10 hr)
Week 09	Stakeholder Management & Project Governance + In class quiz;	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Stakeholder Management & Project Governance; Revision for Group Assignment	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 11	Project Completion & Close	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Project Completion & Close; Revision for group activity	Independent study (10 hr)
Week 12	Agile Projects - Delivering in an Agile Environment	Workshop (2 hr)
	Revision	Independent study (10 hr)
	Final Group Presentation	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 13	Final Group Presentation	Presentation (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

It is expected that students will be activly participating and contributing to all group activities during the workshops, and if required, outside of the workshop time.

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.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through Canvas.

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. Monitor and control progress against performance expectations and make any necessary adjustments
LO2. Initiate and manage project start-up or the transition to a new project phase
LO3. Allocate and monitor resources
LO4. Evaluate and monitor risks, opportunities and implement responses
LO5. Develop and apply change control and configuration management; obtain agreement on, and implement project changes
LO6. Report on project progress; verify the achievement of project requirements and objectives, including quality and recommend any necessary corrective and/or preventive actions
LO7. Distil critical information, evaluate and review decisions to move the project forward
LO8. Deliver results, get acceptance, close and evaluate a phase or the project.

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.

Some changes have been made to the unit since the unit was last offered. The changes relate to further alignment between content of study and learning outcomes.

Additional information

Expected Conduct:

It is every student's responsibility to behave in accordance with the values and principles of mutual respect between staff, students and the University – see the Student Charter. This entails respecting all members of our diverse community and racism, sexism, ageism, dishonesty or defamation will not be tolerated, and instances will be reported to the authorities.

Project Management Software:

Students will be required to have basic knowledge of and be able to use project management software (e.g. MS Project, etc.). The software will be used in the project simulation group activities and assessments.

Expectations:

Normally students are expected to undertake 8-10 hours per week of independent study per 2-hour workshop session.

PREPARATION BEFORE CLASS is key to the successful peer-to-peer engagement and learning in this unit.

This unit of study has an interactive and participative hands-on workshop approach based on the concepts of flipped (preparing beforehand, self-directed learning) and blended learning (using online resources, technology and live learning in class). The principles of flipped learning and online interactions and online resources would apply to students in both face-to-face and online environments. Discussions and collaborative sessions can be conducted in both online and face-to-face modes. We strongly urge students to take leadership and ownership of their own learnings, come prepared to discuss, engage and learn in an interactive environment.

Late Penalty:

Study Commitment:

Text-matching software for Assignment Submission:

As part of the assessment process, text matching software such as Turnitin will be used to identify plagiarism and/or be used for providing feedback.

Confidential Peer Evaluation:

As part of the group contribution assessment process, collaborative & self-peer evaluation tools (e.g. SparkPlus, CATME, etc.) may be used, either on a confidential or non-confidential basis, to understand contributions and interactions amongst group members. Marks may be adjusted for an individual team member, following on from the peer evaluation process.

Mark Moderation:

There may be statistically defensible moderation when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes.

Work, health and safety

The University is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equal access to learning. Students can register with Disability Services and gain access to the adjustments and services they need to succeed in their studies. Faculty Disability Liaison Officers (FDLOs) can provide quick advice and support specific to your learning environment. As a student with a disability, Disability Services Officers are your main point of contact. Eligibility for these services is determined on an individual needs basis, upon review of the recommendations made in your supporting documentation and your consultation with a Disability Services Officer.

Our students’ wellbeing is our highest priority. The University offers several support channels to help you find relief from current emotional distress, explore coping strategies and advice pathways for longer term solutions:

Wellbeing support

If you would like support or to talk confidentially about any concerns that may be impacting on your academic performance or mental health and wellbeing with the Student Wellbeing team, the first step is to fill in this form. Once your form is received, a clinician from Student Wellbeing will call you within 1-2 business days to discuss your support needs.

Sonder

All University of Sydney International Students have free access to Sonder, a 24/7 on-demand safety and wellbeing app, to get you the support you need whenever you need, wherever you are.

Learn more: sydney.edu.au/students/sonder.html

Innowell

This is free to all students at the University. It is a digital platform designed to give you 24/7 on demand access to tools that assist in self-management of mental wellbeing and health and provide information about how to seek help as needed.

Learn more: sydney.edu.au/students/innowell.html

After hours mental wellbeing support line

If you’re in Australia and require support after hours, you can contact the Mental Wellbeing Support Line by calling 1300 474 065 or by texting 0488 884 429.

The Mental Wellbeing Support Line is available after 5pm from Monday to Friday, 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, and during University close-down periods and public holidays.

Talk Campus

Life is full of challenges, and we want you to know that however you feel is valid. Download the Talk Campus mental health support app for free and instant access to online peer support 24/7, wherever you are in the world and in your own language:

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

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PMGT2854: Executing Projects

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect