Task Description

Task
Your task is to consider the contents of:-
- SEBoK
- Kerzner (2013)
- AS/NZS 15288 Systems engineering - Systems life cycle processes
- Full Final Report from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
- Chapter 5: Overarching Failures of Management of the Chief Counsel's report from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
- Other material as you feel appropriate

Then you must write an essay describing how these contents address the questions they pose and that explain the relevance of systems thinking to a project and an organisation by using the theories and ideas related to:-
- General systems management
- Organisational structures, forms and culture
- Engineering risk, risk management,
- Portfolio alignment
- Business value
- Portfolio management process cycle
- Organisational maturity.

You should illustrate your arguments by identifying what different systems thinking tools and techniques might aid project managers solve project problems, such as what occurred with Texas City and Deepwater Horizon.

Purpose
The primary purpose of this assessment item is to help you to be able to define systems thinking and classify the tools and techniques related systems thinking. The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis, critical thinking and written communication skills; particularly in the areas of argument development and essay writing.

Structure

Your essay should be a properly constructed academic essay of 2,000 words.

It should contain an effective introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction should introduce the essay and include your argument. The body should present the evidence you have collected to support your argument, and the conclusion should restate your argument, summarise the evidence and make a conclusion regarding your argument. The essay should contain a coherent, but necessarily restricted review of the academic literature on the topics in question. The literature review should be integrated into the essay, not a separate section. Do not include an executive summary or an abstract. A reference list formatted in the prescribed APA style is compulsory. Do not include a bibliography.

This assessment item involves researching your assigned topic to enhance your understanding of project management concepts and utilisation of academic literature. Whilst you use the recommended textbooks you may also refer to relevant peer reviewed, academic journal articles. You will be expected to present information and evidence from, and cite, at least twenty (20) times from the prescribed unit material and you also are encouraged to use other PEER REVIEWED sources. The assessment submission must be made online through the unit web site.