Recognise, understand and discuss the interaction between functional elements and understand the key drivers of operational management and understand the use of analysis, data and information in operational performance of organisations

Unit title & code

Foundations of Business Management (BBS013-1)

Assignment number and title

Project Planning Report

Assessment type

Individual report

Weighting of assessment

40%

Size or length of assessment

2400 words + - 10% excluding references, tables and appendices

Unit learning outcomes

1       Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding

• Recognise, understand and discuss the interaction between functional elements and understand the key drivers of operational management and understand the use of analysis, data and information in operational performance of organisations

2       Demonstrate the following skills and abilities

• • Work with others to achieve shared goals and apply problem solving techniques appropriately and with an appreciation of how communication, information technology and numeracy skills can help in the world of business.

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Your report must show:

• Demonstrate understanding of business management functions relevant tools/models and their use in the practice week activity
• Evidence through personal reflection how you have developed your key skills. Your journal content can be used to support your report and each skill area discussed must be referenced to the entry in your journal

You start the research for the topic as a group exercise in Week 5 – once that week has completed you use your group research as the starting point for your individual submission in Week 7.

This assignment is deliberately set as a time limited activity and you have specific time to write it up. This is to replicate what happens in the workplace. It is supposed to be challenging – when you engage in the unit and learning materials and classroom activity you will have access to everything you need to complete this work.

What is expected:

Write a formal report, with headings, using your reading, research, learning and journal content as a starting point.

Part 1 (approx. 1,200 words) – written based on your research findings so in 3^rd person

Your report may include:

• Introduction / Summary of the assignment case study (Business Case Company)

• Demonstrate understanding of business functions and any relevant management tools and their use in the practice week activity – your application (theory to practice)
• Examples of tools applied
• Supporting evidence of reading about the topic areas beyond topic areas discussed in class
• Correctly referenced in Harvard Style

Example - Project Management Focus – Trade Show

To demonstrate a sound understanding your report might include some of the following elements:

• The Business Case Company and the industry it operates within
• Your key findings from your project management topic evidenced and referenced (these might include:
  • Rationale for exhibiting,
  • Project plan milestones, 
  • Potential return on investment (benefits for the company),
  • Project plan and budget,
  • Gantt chart of plan,
  • Work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Conclusion – This section should draw together the main points from your investigation/analysis. It summarises what has been learnt from undertaking this research. It should evaluate the options available to The Business Case and what would impede implementation (No new information should be included in the conclusion)
• Evidence of research and reading beyond topic areas discussed in class

Part 2 (approx. 1,200 words) – written about yourself so 1^st person

Your personal reflection is based on your learning experience, your journal entries in BREO will form part of this assessment. Those journal entries added on a regular basis evidence how you have developed and used key skills in the initial learning in the unit and in the analysis of the business case for this assignment.

You might include evidence and links to key skill development in the following areas:

• Communication (both verbal and written – evidenced by classroom discussion, presentations and report writing)
• Numeracy – (evidenced by examples of use of data and statistics in your seminar activities and this submission)
• ICT (evidenced using Microsoft Office programs during the unit)
• Problem Solving (evidenced by examples of analysis and information gathering, during the unit and in the submission of the assignment)
• Working with Others (evidenced by reflecting on your experience working in teams during the unit)

All links to key skills development must be referenced in text to entries in your journal.

For Example:

“Since Semester one unit learning I have continued to develop and work on these XXXX academic skills, how to read an article and paraphrase key elements of it, reference it correctly so that it could be included in a formal submission” (JNL Week 4 (date)

Your journal will be reviewed as part of the assessment)

You need to refer to your self-assessment analysis, all personal development activities that link to key employability skills; you can include other assessments like VARK and Belbin. You may include SMART action plans per skill. So, where you identify an improvement is needed. Document how you intend to do that.

Continued evaluation of your experience working in class and your practice week. Relate where possible to models and theories like Belbin, Tuckman and Kolb.

You can also include reflection on learning from feedback

Your report should be correctly referenced in Harvard style with references in text and in a reference list at the end of your report.

Do not include any elements that have been submitted or marked in previous submissions.

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

• Show evidence of topic research using resources listed in the reading list
• Show understanding and basic application of at least one planning  tool and models discussed in the unit learning
• Write the report in a formal style using headings and Harvard referencing format
• Evidence reflection on learning related to the assignment task by adding online journals

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on Week 5 make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you.

 The unit leader evaluates reports based on the following criteria:

• Introduction and summary of the case study business and assignment
• Evidence of understanding and application of relevant theories to current context, case evaluation and key findings
• Reflection on Learning in the Unit and during practice week
• *Online Journal Content and Quality
• Structure, presentation, referencing, spelling and grammar

How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

 In this assessment you will be required to work in groups and independently. You will have the opportunity to analyse real business problems from all functional aspects and develop appropriate solutions. The assessment is designed to be challenging, enabling you to obtain a systematic understanding of the topics under investigation.