APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MASTERS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
AVID COLLEGE

INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT & PRESENTATION

(ORAL PPT + REFLECTIVE SUMMARY)

February 2017

Date Assigned: 16th February 2017

Date of Completion and Submission:

Written Assignment (soft copy & hard copy): 16th March 2017 before 6:30pm

Individual Presentation & Reflective Summary (soft copy): 17th March 2017 before 9.30pm

Reflective Summary (hard copy): 18th February 2017 (to be submitted during oral PPT session)

Lecturer: Ms. Shifaza

Weightage: Written assignment: 50%; Presentation: 50% (Oral PPT: 30% & Reflective Summary: 20%)
 APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION AND ASSESSMENT

__________________________________________________________________________
ANSWER GUIDE
1. The assessment consists of TWO (2) main components (Component A: Individual written assignment;
Component B: Presentation which consists of an individual oral PPT & a reflective summary).
2. The written assignment and presentation will be evaluated based on accurate explanations which fulfilled the
requirements of the questions and supported by credible points.
3. You are required to undertake some degree of research through scholarly articles and other materials
available to support your analysis and evaluation.
4. References in Harvard style must be included and taken from reliable sources such as books, journals and
articles.
5. Plagiarism, copying and cheating will NOT be awarded any mark, and disciplinary actions will be taken
instead.
6. The written assignment should be bound form and accompanied by a completed assignment cover sheet.
Follow AVID COLLEGES format for cover page (obtainable from reception).
7. Written assignment should be prepared using a word-processing package with font size 12, font (Times New
Roman/ Arial), 1.5 line spacing and page numbering. All assignments should be bound.
8. Completed written assignment with the assignment submission form attached, must be put into the
assignment drop box, before the deadline and emailed to the Faculty Dean before 6:30pm of the due date.
9. Soft copy and hard copy of the written assignment is a MUST. Assignments WILL NOT be marked if it is
not emailed to the Faculty. To submit a soft copy of your written assignment and presentation (PPT file &
reflective summary), send through email to dean.fm@avidcollege.edu.mv before the due date.
10. If an extension on assignment is granted, the approved extension form together with supporting documents
should be submitted along with the assignment.

EVALUATION
The written assignment accounts for 50%, & presetation accounts for 50% (i.e. oral PPT: 30%; relective
summary: 20%) of the marks for the course mentioned and shall be assessed based on the Rubrics/Answer
Scheme.

PLAGIARISM : MARKS DEDUCTION

Warning: If plagiarism is detected, marks would be deducted as follows:
Assignments with 10 - 30 % overlap with others: 20% deduction from the total marks scored.
Assignments with 30 - 50 % overlap with others: 40% deduction from the total marks scored.
Assignments with more than 50% overlap with others: Zero mark would be given.
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MASTERS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
AVID College

COMPONENT A: INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT (50%)

NOTES:
The individual written assignment is a major project-based case study and requires students to obtain
sufficient information on a project of their choice to carry out a critical analysis of nominated aspects of that
project. Students should choose a project as early as possible after reading the requirements of the written
assignment. A project is any significant endeavour undertaken by an organization.

ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES:
The assignment is designed to encourage students to develop skills in research, critical analysis, problem
solving, decision-making, communication and ethical behaviour.
Students are required to select a project of their choice (so that their studies are contextualized to their
needs) and to analyze aspects of that project in a clinical and objective manner.
A case study is an analytical report that examines a specific issue and provides conclusions and clear
recommendations.
A high standard of presentation is expected at postgraduate level. There is no excuse for poor spelling, bad
grammar, or lack of formatting formatting guidelines have been provided already.
Do not use I, we, you, our etc. Reports and assignments should not be written in the first person.
This is an academic assignment, so it is essential that the students statements and views be justified by
relevant academic theory. For example, do not just use terms like stakeholders explain why you selected
those terms, and the academic theory to justify their use and definition.
A major failing of students is to simply describe the processes that have happened. At postgraduate level,
you are expected to be able to apply recognized theory to situations, and form opinions. You will often find
conflicting opinions from so-called experts. You should be developing analytical and communication skills.
Students are expected to use their judgement to analyze problems, make value judgments as to whether it is
good or bad (or both), use existing academic theory from a range of sources to justify their position, and to
argue whether something is valid or not. In the study of management, there is no right and wrong answers,
only lots of opinions, many of which change over a period of time. Show that you can act as managers, and
communicate your opinions.
You are advised to use the assignment rubric/ mark sheet as a checklist to ensure you have addressed all
sections.
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS:
TOPIC: Critical analysis of how a project was/is being managed
Provide the following:
o Title page
o Executive Summary:
Formal Executive Summary with details of why the report was prepared, how it is structured,
and what the important findings, conclusions, and recommendations are. The Executive
Summary relates to the analysis only (SUGGESTION: this to be written last after you have
finished the report).
o Table of Contents
1. Introduction:
o Briefly state why your report has been prepared, what project is being analyzed, and how
your report is structured.
2. Project background:
o Your project description should describe the project and its context what organization is
the project owner or sponsor, what this organization does, why the project is being done,
where it is located, etc. The description should contain enough detail for the reader to
understand the nature and objectives of the project and its sponsor.
3. Critical analysis of the management of your chosen project:
o Using the PMBOK knowledge areas as a framework, write a critical analysis of how your
project is being managed (or was managed if it has been completed). Write a section of
each of the PMBOK knowledge areas.
4. Conclusions:
o Summarize your findings from the analysis of the management of your chosen project.
What did you find out? Are the Project Management practices consistent with recognized
theory? What issues are important and are of significance to project outcomes? What are
the strengths and its weaknesses of the project management practices?
5. Recommendations:
o What are your recommendations flowing from this analysis of the management of your
project? What changes should be made for better management of this project (or similar
future projects)? Address the shortcomings identified in the conclusions.
o List of references
o Appendices

[Total: 50 marks]
Word Limit: 4500-5000 (+/-10%)
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

Assignment Marking Criteria Rubric

Low Fair Above average Excellent
Max
Criteria 0 1 2 3 4
Marks
Executive Summary No ES given Poor quality/ very basic Adequate ES that Good ES providing the Comprehensive ES 5
(ES) - to indicate the ES that does not provide provides sufficient required information in providing the required
nature of the the required information information a clear and concise information in a clear
assignment/report, manner and concise manner,
background details, and able to function as
research findings, and a stand-alone
recommendations where document and/or
appropriate, and to presentation to a CEO
function as a stand-
alone document

Introduction why No introduction given Poor introduction/ very Adequate introduction Good and clear Clear, concise and 3
your report has been basic introduction provided introduction provided comprehensive
prepared, what project is provided introduction providing
being analyzed, how essential details
your assignment/report
is structured

Background and No background Poor background Adequate background Good and clear Clear, concise and 4
environment of project information provided information/ very basic or information provided background information comprehensive
enough details for the limited background provided background
reader to understand the information provided information providing
nature and objectives of essential details
the project and its
sponsor

Critical analysis of the No discussion on the topic Poor/basic discussion on Adequate discussion on Good discussion on Clear, concise and 20
management of chosen provided/PMBOK the topic, with limited use topic using appropriate topic using appropriate comprehensive
project Using the framework not used at all of theory to support the theory/ Part or all of the theory/ All of the discussion on the topic
PMBOK knowledge discussion/ Poor/basic use PMBOK framework used PMBOK framework supported by
areas as a framework, of PMBOK framework to some extent used to an appropriate appropriate theory,
write a critical analysis level figures and tables/ All
of how your project is PMBOK knowledge
being managed (or was areas covered in good
managed if it has been detail
completed) Use of the
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

PMBOK knowledge
areas

Conclusions No conclusions provided Poor/ basic conclusions Adequate conclusions Good conclusions Clear, concise and 5
Summarize your provided derived from the derived from the comprehensive
findings from the preceding analysis preceding analysis conclusions derived
analysis of your chosen from, and justifiably
project. What did you supported by the
find out? Are the project preceding analysis
management practices
consistent with
recognized theory?
What issues are
important and are of
significance to project
outcomes? What are the
strengths and
weaknesses of the
project management
practices?

Recommendations No recommendations Poor/ basic Adequate Good recommendations Clear, concise and 6
What are your provided recommendations recommendations provided comprehensive
recommendations provided provided recommendations,
flowing from this addressing the
analysis of the conclusions
management of your
project? What changes
should be made for
better management of
this project (or similar
future projects)?
Address the
shortcomings identified
in the conclusions.

Research and Incorrect/limited research Poor/ basic level of Adequate level of Good use of academic Comprehensive use of
Academic Theory and academic theory academic theory applied academic theories applied research and references academic research and 4
Critical analysis, applied and no use of and use of Harvard and use of Harvard applied and use of theories applied as per
evidence of research, Harvard referencing system of referencing referencing system Harvard referencing Harvard referencing
quality of resources, system system system
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

citations, list of
references, Harvard
referencing system

Presentation of Report Incorrect/limited Poor/ basic level of report Adequate level of report Good use of report Comprehensive use of 3
Section numbering, application of report presentation styles applied presentation styles used presentation styles report presentation
page numbering, table presentation styles styles
of contents, language
skills, word count

Total points 50
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

COMPONENT B: INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION (50%)

TASKS: Based on the following points below;

1. Write a reflective summary on your project (20%)
2. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation (30%)

Brief introduction on the selected project covering the project background/environment.

Critical analysis - Discussion on the key issues/ findings with reference to relevant theoretical concepts (must
cover findings on the 10 PMI knowledge areas).
Practical recommendations to address the issues identified including a timeline (or when) to implement the
recommendations.

GUIDELINES FOR ORAL PPT:

1. This is an individual presentation of 10 minutes
2. Following is the Marking Scheme for the presentation

Oral Presentation Marking Rubric

Criteria
Presentation Skills
Attractiveness
Innovation and originality
Presentation content
Critical analysis
Conclusions / Reflections
Evidence 5 4 3 2 1
Clear communication, Confidence & Eye contact
Use of graphics & Attractive way of presenting
Innovative and original ideas
Clear presentation with relevant examples
Interrelation of theories and research
Coherent link of ideas
Ability to critically evaluate
Summation and practical solutions for challenges

GUIDELINES FOR REFLECTIVE SUMMARY

1. This is a reflective summary on the management of your chosen project

2. The word count of the reflective summary must be 500-700 words (+/-10%)
3. Following is the Marking Scheme for the reflective summary
APPLIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT AVID College

Reflective Summary Marking Rubric

Criteria Marks
Brief introduction on the selected project covering the project background/environment 4
Critical analysis - Discussion on the key issues/ findings with reference to relevant theoretical concepts 10
(must cover findings on the 10 PMI knowledge areas)
Practical recommendations to address the issues identified including a timeline (or when) to implement 6
the recommendations
Total 20

Good Luck