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Unit outline_

QBUS3350: Project Planning and Management

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

Project management provides organisations with a powerful set of tools to improves their ability to plan, implement, and manage activities to accomplish specific organisational objectives. Project management is more than just a set of tools; it is a results-oriented management style that places a premium on building collaborations among a diverse cast of characteristics. This unit introduces students to the planning and management of projects by focusing on a variety of practical topics including project network, PERT, resource scheduling, learning curves, cost and time management in projects, and the use of project management support systems. It also discusses the organisational, leadership, cultural, technological challenges that project managers might face.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Business Analytics
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
QBUS2350
Assumed knowledge
? 

BUSS1020 or DATA1001 or ECMT1010 or ENVX1001 or ENVX1002 or STAT1021 or ((MATH1005 or MATH1015) and MATH1115) or 6 credit points of MATH units which must include MATH1905

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Simon Loria, simon.loria@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
Final exam
In person written exam
40% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Small continuous assessment group assignment In class group work
5 different group based active learning tasks
10% Multiple weeks Not Applicable
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Participation In class participation and engagement
Individual attendance and participation
10% Ongoing Not applicable
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Presentation group assignment Group project
A peer reviewed oral task with associated slide deck or similar visuals.
15% Week 13
Due date: 29 Oct 2024 at 13:00
10 min presentation
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment group assignment Group Report
A written report including a peer review component
15% Week 13
Due date: 28 Oct 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 28 Oct 2024
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Online task Online weekly quiz
Take home quiz with MCQs based on previous workshop content
10% Weekly 5 - 10 MCQs per week
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Online MCQ quizzes: Complete 10 out of 12 weekly quizzes to test your understanding of the previous week's content.  Quizzes are completed outside class time and must be submitted before the following week's worshop. (No quizzes in weeks 1 and 13.)
  • In class participation and engagement: Includes 5 marks for individual participation and professionalism allocated for 10 out of 12 weeks and 5 marks for 'key takeways' task in weeks there is no assessed in class group work.
  • In class group work: In randomised groups of 5 - 6 students participate in a minimum of 4 out of 5 group based activities including competitive LEGO based games, scenario based tasks and debates.
  • Group project: In groups of 5-6 students (subject to the final number of enrolments), teams will be required to complete a project which has three core components: A written report, a 10 minute presentation (final length subject to group numbers) and a peer review piece which requires each group to review two other groups' presentations and individual group members to review their group colleagues. There will be two mid project deliverables. The project will draw on content from the first 10 weeks of the unit. Group members may not all receive the same mark. Marks will be dependant upon attendance, contribution, performance and peer assessment.
  • Final exam: This is a supervised, paper based, closed book exam covering all course content.  The exam will consist of quantitative and qualitative questions. Students are permitted to bring a doubled side A4 set of notes into the exam.

Further detail for each assessment will be available on the unit's Canvas site.

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

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

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:

Late penalties of 5 marks per day for the first 10 days late apply to individual assignments. Assignments submitted after the closing date are awarded zero marks. The group project submission dates are drop dead date. Submissions must be made by the dates specified.

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.

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

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction and organisational context Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 02 Project selection Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Project team and leadership Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 04 Project scope management Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Project networks Workshop (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Project costing and estimation Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Porject scheduling Workshop (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Project risk management Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Project resource management Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Project monitoring Workshop (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Agile & CCPM Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Project closure & unit review Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 13 Group project presentations Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

Workshop attendance mandatory: Students are required to attend at least 11 out of 13 workshops.  In recognition of this requirement significant effort has gone into creating enagaging, active learning tasks and there will be 30 marks attached to tasks requiring attendance and participation. Workshops are conducted in PNR 3.10, the university's state of the art, flat floor, interactive learning space.

Workshop recordings: Not all workshop content will be recorded.  What is recorded will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded.

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 the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Jeffery K. Pinto. Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage. 5th Edition. 2018. Pearson Education Ltd.
  • Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner, How Big Things Get Done. 2023. MacMillian

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.

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

  • LO1. select appropriate projects to undertake in accordance with organisational strategy
  • LO2. carry out project planning and resolve the issues around resource planning and scheduling
  • LO3. apply business knowledge from various disciplines to enable effective project management
  • LO4. understand how organisational factors and team dynamics affect project management decisions.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

The final exam remains closed book, but students are permitted to bring a doubled sided A4 pre-prepared set of notes into the exam.

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.