Course Title: Manage complex projects

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2011

Course Code: BUSM7779C

Course Title: Manage complex projects

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5194 - Diploma of Information Technology (General)

Course Contact : Catherine Han Lin

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 1336

Course Contact Email:catherinehan.lin@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Course Contact: Nawal Shomali
Phone: +61 3 9925 5826
Email: nawal.shomali@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 80

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

This course is co-delivered and co-assessed holistically along with three (3) other competencies:

(ICAS5202B) COSC 6065C Ensure Privacy for Users, (ICAP5039B) COSC 6067C Match IT needs with the strategic directions of the enterprise, (ICAA5158B) COSC 6066C Translate Business Needs into Technical Requirements.
 

Course Description

This unit covers management of projects that may be reasonably complex in terms of scope, degree of risk, political, cultural and social factors that apply consequences of failure and degree of control of the projects. It includes managing start up, project implementation, project integration and follow up activities.

If you are undertaking this course in Melbourne from semester 2, 2012 onward your class will be held in a device-equipped teaching space. Each student group will have access to a laptop. It is however recommended that you have access to a mobile computing device to allow greater flexibility in terms of where you can work on campus both in and outside class times.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	PSPPM502B Manage complex projects
Element:	1. Manage start-up activities
Performance Criteria:	1.1. Project plans are refined in consultation with steering committee and team members, and precise details are included for schedules of activities, milestones and resources 1.2. Required systems are established and maintained throughout the project in accordance with the complexity of the project and in line with the project plan 1.3. Project team members' understanding of and commitment to fulfilling the project requirements and their roles and responsibilities for the duration of the project are confirmed 1.4. Project management tools are selected and applied effectively to achieve project outcomes
Element:	2. Manage project implementation
Performance Criteria:	2.1. Integration and management of complex project activities are handled in accordance with the project plan 2.2. Leadership and required development are provided to the project team, and morale, stress levels and triggers are managed throughout the life of the project in accordance with organisational policy and procedures 2.3. Stakeholder input and expectations are managed throughout the project in accordance with the communication plan 2.4. Disagreements and disputes are resolved to the satisfaction of stakeholders or referred to a higher authority in accordance with organisational policy and procedures 2.5. Project change proposals are negotiated, agreed and documented in accordance with policy and procedures
Element:	3. Manage project integration
Performance Criteria:	3.1. All aspects of the project and related projects are integrated and links are established to ensure objectives are met in accordance with the project plan 3.2. Consultation and reporting mechanisms are applied in accordance with the communication plan and staff and contractors are regularly consulted to discuss progress and ensure effective results 3.3. Project integration is monitored, and management plans and any related contracts are reviewed and amended as appropriate, with results reported in accordance with mechanisms identified in the communication plan 3.4. Ongoing progress is monitored against agreed milestones in accordance with the project plan to provide a measure of performance throughout the life of the project 3.5. Programmed review of objectives and achievement is planned and implemented in accordance with the project plan
Element:	4. Coordinate project follow-up activities
Performance Criteria:	4.1. Significant judgment is applied in the analysis of project deliverables against specifications, performance standards and project objectives, and the results are reported to stakeholders 4.2. Support package arrangements are identified and offered to stakeholders who will be required to apply the project results 4.3. Options for stakeholders to take account of environmental and cultural factors in applying the project results are included in the support package 4.4. Operational and support authorities are consulted to investigate any testing/trialling/building and evaluation requirements resulting from the project, and funding implications estimated in project report

Learning Outcomes

Details of Learning Activities

Theory sessions, practical lab sessions, tutorial sessions, assignments and homework.

Teaching Schedule

The total number of scheduled hours of teaching, learning and assessment involved in this course will include all planned activities. This may incorporate face-to-face classes, lectures, workshops and seminars; wherever possible workplace visits, online learning and other forms of structured teaching and learning. The total scheduled hours includes the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including observation of work performance, discussions with supervisors and others providing third party evidence and one on one and group assessment sessions with students.

All elements for this competency are covered every week (Elements 1-4)

Week	Week commencing	Topic/Learning Activities	Assessment Tasks	National Codes
1	04/07/2011	Introduction to PM & Process groups	Teacher handouts in-class exercises	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
2	11/07/2011	Problem solving and Systems Development Life Cycle.  Meeting Program Needs	Class exercises	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
3	18/07/2011	Project Management Knowledge Areas	Project Requirements Handed out	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
4	25/07/2011	Project Management Knowledge Areas	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
5	01/08/2011	Project Management Knowledge Areas  Form project teams	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
6	08/08/2011	Teamwork & Project Planning	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
7	15/08/2011	Project planning contd. &  commence Project Implementation	Project Part A due	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
8	22/08/2011	Project Work - PM	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
	VACATION: Mid-semester break: 29th Aug – 2nd Sep
9	05/09/2011	Project Work - PM	Project Part B due	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
10	12/09/2011	Project Work - PM	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A  ICAP5039A  PSPPM502B  ICAA5158A
11	19/09/2011	Project Work - PM	Project Part C due	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A
12	26/09/2011	Project Work - PM	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A
13	3/10/2011	Project Work - PM	Work on class exercises and project	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A
14	10/10/2011	Project Closure	Project Part D due	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A
15	17/10/2011	In Class Final Assessment	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A
16	24/10/2011	Feedback on Competency	ICAS5202A ICAP5039A PSPPM502B ICAA5158A

Students who have been granted special consideration or are required to resubmit, will be able to submit/sit their assessment by arrangement with the class teacher in weeks 17 or 18.

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Schwalbe, K. 2011, Information Technology Project Management, 6th ed. Revised Thomson Course Technology, Boston, Mass.

9781111221751

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of competency to be deemed competent.
A range of assessment methods are used to assess practical skills and knowledge, for example:
• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• review of authenticated documents from the workplace or training environment
• demonstration of techniques
 

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1.  Class exercises     CA / NYC - 10%

Assessment 2.  Project Part A - Client Interview & Team contract    CA / NYC – 10%
                              Project Part B - Project investigation                         CA / NYC – 10%
                              Project Part C - Project reports                                   CA / NYC -- 20%

                              Project Part D - Project management portfolio 

                                                          & Presentation                                   CA / NYC – 30%

Assessment 3. In Class Assessment                                                     20% 

Assessment Matrix

PSPPM502B - Manage Complex Projects	Assessment 1 (CA / NYC) (10%)	Assessment 2 (CA / NYC) (70%)	Assessment 3 (CA / NYC) (20%)
Element 1: Manage start-up activities	V	V	V
Element 2: Manage project implementation	V	V	V
Element 3: Manage project integration	V	V	V
Element 4: Coordinate project follow-up activities	V	V	V

 

Other Information

Competency and grading requirements
To be deemed competent students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of each competency. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over multiple tasks.
Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
All assessments for this course must be completed to achieve CA (Competency Achieved) awad.
Each assessment task will also carry a numerical weighting to be used for grading purposes. The grade applied to this weighting will only be awarded if a CA has been achieved in all compulsory assessment tasks.
If a student has been marked NYC (Not Yet Competent) in any of the assessment tasks, the weighting will carry no value until the student has obtained CA.
If a CA is achieved on re-assessment then a maximum mark of 50% of the original weighting will be granted for that assessment.
Reassessments will only be granted to students who were either unsuccessful in the first attempt or have an approved special consideration application.

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