Essential Skills for the Project Manager

Essential Skills for the Project Manager Order Description Assignment Supporting Notes 1: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/131524-/ Assignment Supporting Notes 2: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/primary-news/5-million-boost-for-universitys-new-science-and-health-superlab/?theme=main 1 A200SAM Coursework Assignment – Semester 2 2014/15 Module Leader: Dr. Menoka Bal Assignment Handout date: 16th February 2015 Assignment Hand in date: Submission to Turnitin by 23:55 on 1st April, 2015 Your assignment must be submitted to Turnitin using the link on the A200SAM Moodle page. Failure to do this will result in a zero mark. There is no need to hand in a paper copy of your assignment. Aim: The aim of this assignment is to assess the following learning outcomes – Learning Outcome Explore the key variables required to meet project objectives Understand the different planning tools required to manage a project Application of project management theory and framework to a practical scenario Critically reflect on the skills required to manage a project effectively Part 1 (worth 80% of the module mark) BAM (British Academy of Management) Construction has won the contract to build a flagship health and science faculty for Coventry University. BAM Construction are due to start work on the building, which will bring together the Faculty of Health and Life Science’s teaching and research facilities into a ‘superlab’, in February. The firm is understood to have beaten rivals Kier, Thomas Vale and Willmott Dixon with a bid price of £33.3m. The aim of the project is to ensure that Coventry University’s science students as well as the health and social care students benefit from the state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories fit for a leading modern university. It will also ensure that students benefit from state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories, and are thereby equipped for the workplace of the 21st century. Spread over five floors, the new flagship Faculty of Health and Life Sciences will become home to the several departments including sports science, nursing and midwifery, and psychology. New teaching and simulation facilities will be crucial in providing students with the skills they need to develop into sought-after graduates, and it will provide a suitably innovative environment to support the ambitious research strategy. Amongst the state-of-the-art health simulation facilities in the new building will be a mock operating theatre, fully-equipped ambulance and a community house to test the latest assistive living technologies. This project will also inspire young people to take up science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses which is vital to the success of the UK economy. This investment will 2 mean world-class teaching facilities to build tomorrow's skilled workforce. It's just one way to ensure the UK remains a world leader in science and research. A new two-storey energy building to replace an old combined heat and power plant is also included in the project brief to help achieve a BREEAM excellent rating. Construction of the new building, this grant is another boost to provide not only the highest standards in teaching, learning and research, but also an effective service to the community. The building, which is set to bring together the Faculty of Health and Life Science's teaching and research facilities into a 'superlab' in Coventry's city center, will receive a share of £200 million set aside by the government for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) investment. A laboratory for teaching and research in biological and analytic sciences will sit alongside strength and conditioning room, with a running track, sports therapy clinic and facilities for food and environmental sciences also on site. Archaeological excavation work is underway at the future site of the five-storey, 120,000 sq ft Science and Health Building on Much Park Street, with findings including the remains of a medieval cellar and well (circa 1400), the walls of a 19th century factory and an old clay pipe bearing the engraving of a penny farthing. BAM will construct the 120,000 sq ft building, dubbed the super-lab, on the site of the current staff car park in Much Park Street, linking it to an existing sports center at what will be a shared atrium. The £4.9m Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) grant represents a significant boost for the project ahead of the construction and equipment of the building, which is expected to total over £60m. Work is scheduled to start in February in 2015 with a view to opening in December, 2017. Source: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/primary-news/5-million-boost-for-universitys-new-science-and-health-superlab/?theme=main As an employee of the BAM, you have been appointed as project manager to oversee the planning, managing and opening of the super-lab. Your first task is to prepare a initial project report (1500 words) through critically evaluating the project and drawing on relevant project management theory and framework to present to the BAM’s board of directors for approval. The report should consider the following aspects of the project: • The project’s scope, • Implication of planning tools and techniques (e.g. WBS and Gantt Chart), • An initial assessment of stakeholders and recommendations on how these stakeholders should be managed to maximise the chance of achieving the project’s objectives. There is no need for you to do the cost analysis, as this will be prepared by my other colleague, based on the Gantt chart and budgetary estimates from building contractors. Part 2 (worth 20% of the module mark) Thinking about the discipline of project management and the topics covered in the module: 3 • Using your research on project management as a starting point, reflect upon the skills required for the role of a project manager. What skills do you think you already have and what skills do you think you need to develop in order to become an effective project manager? (500 words) Assignment Guidance Parts 1 and 2 of your assignment should be clearly labelled and presented as a single document, submitted to Turnitin. A list of references must be included. Important points to remember: • All analysis and recommendations should be supported by reference to relevant project management theory presented in academic and professional publications • Your report should demonstrate project management theory throughout • The case study should be used as the starting point for your analysis • Text within tables is included in the word count • Diagrams, the List of References and items in Appendices are not included in the word count • CU Harvard referencing must be used • You must ensure you are not plagiarising other published works • Appendices should only be used to support information within the essay Total word Count: 2000 words There is a 20% word limit tolerance. Maximum/Minimum Range: 1900 to 2400 words. Please note that the ability to write within the word limit is part of the assessment and a penalty of 10% of the mark is applied if the word limit is not within the maximum /minimum range stated above. Please include the number of words on the front page of your assessment. Feedback on your assignment will be provided online through Turnitin and Gradebook within 3 weeks of the hand-in date. Marking Scheme Coursework element Mark split Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate application of project management techniques 40% Awareness of the skills displayed by project manager 10% Evidence of ability to critically reflect on own skill set and understanding of areas for development 10% Broad research and appropriate selection of information to support analysis and recommendations 30% Structure, layout and presentation 5% Referencing, spelling, grammar and language used 5% 4 The grade shown is a provisional mark and is subject to the approval of the examination board.