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7115IBA Managing Complex Projects

A1: Project for Learning – INSTRUCTIONS

Task description

• Written 2000-word report (excluding references, appendix & cover page)
• Individual assignment
• 5 academic references (minimum)

Project for Learning

This assignment (A1) has two components. First, you need to develop a Project for Learning (PfL). Second, you need to review concepts/theories (from this course content) that will be used to analyse your PfL in A2.

COMPONENT 1:  Development of PfL

Step 1: Student needs to define one ‘case’ to develop your PfL. There are three alternatives. Students can either select one of the ‘Case Studies’ provided below (Alternatives 1 and 2) or, use your own experience and write a ‘case’ related to complex projects (Alternative 3).

Students with little or no work experience must select alternatives 1 or 2.

Students with work experience must select alternative 3.

Alternative 1:

• The Denver International Airport case (A copy of this case is available in the Assessment tab in Learning@Griffith).

Alternative 2:

• The Australian Government response to Corona Virus (*)

Alternative 3: You must use your own work experience to develop a brief account of a project with which you are familiar. You must select a particular experience in which you were either directly or indirectly involved. This case has to be suitable for analysis using some of the theories/concepts presented in this course. What is important is that the student has at least some ‘insider’ information to be able to analyze PfL. Names of people and companies must remain anonymous.

Step 2: You need to summarize your selected ‘case’ (Alternatives 1,2 or 3). Students need to summarize their case in a 4-page summary (maximum). Please attach this summary as an appendix of A1. Appendix is not included in the word count. I suggest focusing on the following aspects:

• Describe the main characteristics of the project in terms of people, technology, resources and institutions involved.
• What people expected from the project in terms of cost, time and performance?
• What were the real outcomes?
• Was there too much difference between the expected and real outcomes?
• Who initiated the project, and why?
• Who were the main stakeholders of the project?

COMPONENT 2:  Review of Concepts & Theories

Step 3:

• Select one or two (max.) of the 3 models presented in Theme 1 (see below) (8-features model, Cynefin or Diamond model);
• Explain/justify, using academic references and your PfL, why/how the selected model(s) will help you to analyse your PfL. Note, you do not need to apply the selected model in A1.

Step 4: You need to select one theory/concept from themes 2-4 below that you think will help you to explain your PfL (Theme 1 will be used in A2). Then, you need to develop a brief review of the literature. Here you need to

• Explain and justify why the selected theories might help to understand your PfL;
• Outline the main arguments, challenges, tensions as well as the strengths and weaknesses of theories/concepts selected. Remember, this section is not a simple summary of some literatures. You need to use academic references to develop this step.

THEMES:

Theme 1. Models for managing complex projects:

• Project complexity- features and challenges
• The 8-features model
• The Cynefin model
• The Diamond model

Theme 2. Implementation of Complex projects

• Change management processes
• Models of change
• Managing the unexpected

Theme 3. Power assisted project management

• Organisational politics & project management
• Dimensions of power
• Analytical tools to cope with political behaviour
• Managing & influencing stakeholders

Theme 4. Knowledge Management in complex projects

• KM strategies
• Mechanisms to transfer knowledge in complex projects
• Learning in complex projects

Specifications and Format

• This is a 2000-word report (excluding references, appendix & cover page).
• Use Times New Roman, font 12, single space.
• References: use either Harvard or APA style.
• Pages must be numbered (top right).
• Cover page: Indicate only Full name; Student ID number; title of PfL; total number of words (excluding references, appendix & cover page). Do not use Griffith University official cover page; Griffith Logo.
• Executive Summary is not
• Table of Contents is not

Submission procedures

• A1 must be submitted electronically via SafeAssign only. SafeAssign is Griffith’s University software matching text.
• Electronic files must be saved in ‘doc’ or ‘docx’ formats only.  Do not use pdf format.
• Name your file in the following format: A1 [surname] [snumber].  Example: A1 Guzman s999999.
• Electronic link for SafeAssign submission is available in the “Assessment” tab of Learning@Griffith. Please note that in the ‘Assessment’ tab you will find two links:

SafeAssign ‘A1 Draft Submission ’. I will not mark this draft Submission;

SafeAssign ‘A1 Final Submission’. You will be able to submit your Final submission once only. I will mark this Final version only.

Failure to comply with format, specification and submission procedures (including file name and format) attracts additional penalties in marks.

NOTES

Whenever necessary, the course convenor may ask students for an oral presentation for additional explanations about A1 or A2. Failure to provide a required oral presentation, involves failure in this assessment item.

Students who use an English editor must disclose name and contact number in the cover page.

CORONA VIRUS CASE – Additional information

Students must construct their own case based only on the following sources: The Australian, ABC news, The Economist, The Guardian Australian, The Conversation. Other sources of information, such as blogs, whatsUp, Facebook are not permitted. In doubt, ask the course convenor.

Students who are overseas, can select their own country as focus of analysis, but written consent of course convenor must be achieved prior to starting to develop A1.

Students need to try to answer the following two research questions:

• What the Australian government is being doing to combat Corona virus related national issues (explain why);
• How the Australian government is dealing with corona virus related national issues? (explain why);