Outline

Overview

In this intensive PM capstone project, students are required to apply all of the skills necessary to successfully initiate, plan, execute, control and close a project. Working as part of a team mid-sized, high-priority project, student will be responsible for developing the key project management deliverables, including the project charter, project plan, change control process, status reports and post-project reviews. Students will facilitate meetings, update the project plan with actuals and changes, present status to management, justify decisions to key stakeholders and determine the impacts of their actions on the project. Under the guidance of a project professional and their academic supervisor, students will be given direct feedback towards achieving project goals. PM Capstone Project A and B provide an opportunity for students to undertake a major project in a specialised area relevant to project management. Students will generally work in groups, although assessment components such as reflective reports and participation are marked individually. Only in exceptional circumstances and by approval of PM Capstone Project course coordinator and the relevant academic supervisor concerned will a student be permitted to undertake a project individually. PM Capstone Project is spread over a whole year, in two successive Units of Study of 6 credits points each, PM Capstone Project A (PMGT3850) and PM Capstone Project B (PMGT3851). This particular unit of study, which must precede PMGT3851 PM Capstone Project B, should cover the first half of the work required for a complete 'final year' project. In particular, it should include almost all project planning, a major proportion of the necessary background research, and a significant proportion of the investigative or design work required of the project.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Project Management
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	[24 cp of 2000 or 3000 level units of study]
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Louis Taborda, louis.taborda@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Margaret Ogston, margaret.ogston@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Paul Toomey, paul.toomey@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	(Semester 2) Project product Present the project output or product. Includes client satisfaction survey	15%	Progressive	8-10 minutes live presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	(Semester 2) Project close report Document the delivery of the project, client acceptance and learnings.	15%	Progressive Closing date: 05 Nov 2023	Max. 50 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Individual participation and performance Includes attendance, active engagement in workshops, observations and CPE	15%	Progressive	Through semester 1 and 2
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	(Semester 2) Individual reflective journal Captures your learnings week by week through out the year	10%	Progressive	Weekly through the year. Submitted in S2
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Expression of Interest Team will apply to plan and deliver one of the proposed projects.	5%	Week 05 Due date: 26 Mar 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 Mar 2023	3 pages max.
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Mid-way presentation Teams will present their approach and their plan to deliver project in S2	20%	Week 12 Due date: 21 May 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 23 May 2023	8-10 minutes live presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project Management Plan (or project plan) Includes scope, benefits, project approach, risk, governance and schedule	20%	Week 13 Due date: 28 May 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 May 2023	Max. 50 pages
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Please note that this unit of study requires at least 9-10 hours of self-study or group work per week on average, outside your timetabled workshop hours. Please consider this workload when planning your time and effort for the semester.

Expression of interest: Addressing selection criteria, students will explain why their team is best suited to deliver the project they are applying for and lay out the ground rules for the successful operation of your team, including contact details, communication plan, expectations and so on. All team members are to sign off. The EOI will be evaluated on merit for allocation to a specific project, and marking will take into account the relevance of answers, the style used and the overall appearance of the document. This is to be submitted via Canvas.
Mid-Way Presentation: Students are to deliever a formal oral presentation. During this presentation, teams are to showcase their project plan to the Capstone directors or/and industry partner with the use of a presentation medium. It is compulsory for every team member to contribute and participate in the presentation.
Project management plan: The project management plan will outline the objectives and benefits of the project, ths scope of work, the project approach and governance mechanisms, describe the approch to risk management, resource commitments, cost and time estimates need to be provided.
Participation: the evaluation of individual performance and participation includes: active engagement of individual students during the allocated workshop times, observations of the directors on the individual contribution in their interactions with the team and is also informed by the confidential peer and self-evaluation
Individual reflection: Students will be required to keep an individual reflective journal that captures the progression and dynamics of the project, as well as record personal/team learning and development. This reflection exercise should be continuously undertaken over the two semesters. Students will be given the opportunity to submit their draft journals in Semester 1 for initial feedback. The assessment of this activity will be based on the regularity of submissions, the conscientious effort made by the student and the degree of critical insight of the entries.
The project product presentation: Each team will be presenting their project output or product in a live presentation, either via Zoom or face to face. The client will be given an opportunity to provide feedback in a satisfaction survey. It is compulsory for every team member to contribute and participate in the presentation.
Project report: Each team will document how they delivered the project, client acceptance and hand-off to the BAU owner ; it also captures lessons learned in a project closure report. A statement identifying the specific contributions of the student and others must be included via the CPE. Students should closely consult Project Guidelines handout and Project Marking Sheet for content and formatting requirements.

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.

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Ongoing	Students will work with their team outside of the weekly workshops to plan and deliver their projects. This may include collaborating with the team, research for the project, analysis of the problem to solve and project management work to develop and deliver a solution.	Independent study (104 hr)
Week 01	Orientation to Capstone Projects Inc.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Project work	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 13	Project work	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture: There will be minimal formal lectures as the weekly sessions are designed to be practical sessions where students work under the supervision of an experienced project professional to develop their project plan.
Meeting: Weekly meetings with Capstone Directors/sponsor are required, unless otherwise agreed.
Project work: Students will need to undertake an additional 10 hours per week of independent and team based work in order to achieve the outcomes of the unit and complete assessment activities.

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. Describe the approach you are taking to deliver a real-world project, in order to gain buy-in from your team and project stakeholders
LO2. Demonstrate your ability to plan, design and implement a project in a structured manner, working in an independent study mode
LO3. Apply key project methodology, including defining and managing the scope of the project, setting up the project governance, establishing the project schedule, and managing risks and issues.
LO4. Measure the success of the project in delivering the promised outcomes and benefits
LO5. Work collaboratively with your team, embracing cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity
LO6. Display professional attitude, including an ability to self-reflect and adapt
LO7. Contribute to innovation and creativity in your team to come up with new solutions
LO8. Manage the relationships with stakeholders, the Capstone directors and the client in a professional way

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.

Modified LO to better reflect the practical approach undertaken by the workshop facilitators. Updated the assessments also.

Additional information

Weekly schedule is tentative and may change as required.

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

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PMGT3850: Project Management Capstone Project A

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

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

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect