Task Description

Task

Your task is to consider the following learning outcomes of the unit:

- Explain the causes, environments, and properties of complex projects.
- Identify different tools and techniques to aid a project manager manage complex projects.
- Critically analyse whether different projects cases are complex projects.

Then you need to write an essay (not a report) describing how you consider the points above are related to:-

- projects with lots of parts and interconnections;
- projects that contain a great deal of uncertainty;
- projects that are heavily time-constrained.

You should use examples from case studies that you are familiar with (PPMP20011, PPMP20012, PPMP 20013) and examples discussed during the unit to identify projects with the above characteristics. You should illustrate your points by identifying what are the causes, pertinent theories, tools and techniques that might be relevant to complex projects.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this assessment item is to help you to be able to define your thinking and allow you to identify, classify and apply theories, tools and techniques related to complex project management. 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 5,000 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 body of the essay, and not as a separate section. Do not include an executive summary or an abstract. A reference list formatted in the prescribed Harvard style is compulsory. Do not include a bibliography.

Referencing Style - Harvard

Ideas for the structure

As with all written assignments there are many possible approaches to writing this assignment. It is also the intention to test how well you (the students) are at tackling the writing problem. So, we don't want to stifle originality. However, you are encouraged to follow the standard essay approach and not a report format.

There are three topics that you need to cover (also see the Unit Profile): -

1. The causes, environments, and properties of complex projects
2. The tools and techniques to aid a project manager manage complex projects
3. The degree and nature of the projects cases discussed in the unit in the context of the theories and ideas related to complex projects

The types of projects that should be used to enable the three topics above to be explained should consist of:
-
1. projects with lots of parts and interconnections;
2. projects that contain a great deal of uncertainty;
3. project that are heavily time-constrained.

Therefore, there are three topics with three types of evidence and examples that are to be used to explore those topics. You should use examples from case studies that you are familiar with (from PPMP20011, PPMP20012, PPMP 20013) and examples discussed during the unit to identify projects with the above characteristics. You should illustrate your points by identifying what are the causes, pertinent theories, tools and techniques that might be relevant to complex projects.

A way of tackling the essay based on a word limit of 5,000 words is therefore to do the following (suggested word count in brackets): -

1. Introduction and summary of findings/learnings (500 words)
2. Body: -
a. The causes, environments, and properties of complex projects (1,000 words)
i. Introduction and summary
ii. Evidence and examples
iii. Conclusion
b. The tools and techniques to aid a project manager manage complex projects (1,000 words)
i. Introduction and summary
ii. Evidence
iii. Conclusion
c. The degree and nature of the projects cases discussed in the unit in the context of the theories and ideas related to complex projects (1,000 words)
i. Introduction and summary
ii. Evidence
iii. Conclusion
3. Overall Discussion (1,000 words)
4. Conclusion (500 words)
5. References
6. Appendix if necessary.