Outline

Overview

The concepts of sustainability and corporate responsibility are gaining importance in our globalised economy. They have been increasingly influencing business and project objectives and it is becoming imperative that they are incorporated into the practice of project management. This unit of study embraces this new reality by providing students with an expanded understanding of value creation and how this is delivered through projects. The emphasis is on using projects to deliver value not only in terms of economic capital but also developing social capital and preserving natural capital. These will be underpinned by an appreciation of the standards, principles and frameworks that exist, both in Australia and internationally, to govern the preservation of the environment and increase the development of social capital. Case studies will be used to create learning processes as students consider and confront the dilemmas that project managers face as they strive to deliver shareholder value, whilst considering social and environmental impacts these projects may have. Cases discussed in this unit will allow students to explore both the opportunities and pitfalls companies and non-government organisations face in targeting sustainability issues and how their values and core assumptions impact their business strategies. Concepts such as corporate responsibility, the triple bottom line, the business case for sustainability, supply chain management and responsible purchasing and knowledge management will be discussed and students will consider how these influence project delivery.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Civil Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Fatima Afzal, fatima.afzal@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Fatima Afzal, fatima.afzal@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Madeleine Roberts, madeleine.roberts@sydney.edu.au
	Norway Win, norway.win@sydney.edu.au
	Siddra Qayyum, siddra.qayyum@sydney.edu.au
	Fahim Ullah, fahim.ullah@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Participation and discussion boards	10%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Individual Eassy	30%	Week 08	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Sustainable project plan/tender	30%	Week 12	5000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Knowledge Management Plan	30%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	2 Weeks
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Sustainable project plan/tender: This is a team activity that involves the submission of a written project management deliverable. In teams of 4 to 5 you will be given a real project case study and prepare an innovative tender submission for a development plan. It will incorporate a detailed sustainability management plan outlining the sustainability objectives, methods, scope, deliverables and benefits to ensure project outcomes are aligned with the overarching business strategy and corporate values. The project management plan needs to include the project objectives and success measures which clearly include economic, social and natural capital concepts. The 30% includes 10% for a marketing pitch/presentation of your ideas.
Participation: This will be marked based on students involvement in the presentations, discussions, interaction with guest lecturers and activities held during tutorial time.
Individual assignment: Students will write an essay on a given topic.
Knowledge Management Plan: Students will prepare a knowledge management plan for a given project.

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:

Late submissions will incur a penalty of 10% per day.

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
Multiple weeks	Learning activities and workshop preparation - refer Canvas	Independent study (110 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to subject - sustainability concepts; sustainability in project management	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Understanding the UN sustainable development goals	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Sustainability frameworks, standards and guidelines; the value of sustainability	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	P5 standard for sustainability in projects	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Sustainability Management Plan	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Knowledge Management for PM	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Knowledge Strategies and Framework	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Knowledge Transfer	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Knowledge management and sustainability	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Knowledge Management and Sustainability for Project Success	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Tender assignment presentations	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Tender assignment presentations	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

This unit is delivered in a blended mode, which means that students are expected to do some pre-reading and watch online videos embedded in each module before coming to face to face interactive workshops sessions.

It is an essentail requirement to attend workshops in this unit of study, studenst would engage with peers to do some problem solving excercises during workshops and would be given participation marks.

Students with less than 70% of the attendance would fail the unit.

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. contribute to complex project work, within a clear framework, with an emphasis on the incorporation of sustainability principles in project management
LO2. work in a team to prepare planning documentation for complex projects that incorporate sustainability principles, frameworks and objectives, as well as relevant planning documentation including project proposals, procurement plans and business cases
LO3. contribute to the tailoring and selection of project delivery approaches based on the context and objectives of the project. This will include the clear articulation of project objectives and approaches to ensure that benefits are realised
LO4. interpret and communicate complex material and concepts in a logical, clear and compelling manner, including the identification of aligned reference sources
LO5. make competent, thoughtful use of project management language, models and processes.

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 in learning activities have been made based on student feedback.

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

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PMGT3856: Sustainability and Knowledge Management

Semester 1, 2020 [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

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

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect