Word length Assignment 1 should be 2000 words approximately, exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, etc. Software requirement to complete assignment There are no specific software requirements for this assignment, apart from word processing. You may wish to use software to create diagrams where they are of value. (Note: No executive summary is required for this assignment as it essay style).
(Note: No table of contents is required as it is essay style). Critical analysis of a project business case chosen by you (around 2000 words) Consider the following statement: It has been suggested that a project business case provides ‘justification for undertaking a project, in terms of evaluating the benefit, cost and risk of alternative options and the rationale for the preferred solution. Its purpose is to obtain management commitment and approval for investment in the project.
The business case is owned by the (project) sponsor'. (Source: Association for Project Management 2006, Body of Knowledge, 5th edn, APM, UK, p. 129) (Note: bolding has been added.) Write a critical analysis of the chosen project business case in the form of an essay about the issues that you think are important in the context of the business case for your chosen project.
Your responses will differ depending on whether your project is completed, is under way or is yet to start. The focus of this essay is the ‘business case'. Make sure you clearly understand what a business case is before you try to complete this assignment. Important note THIS IS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT BUSINESS CASE AND NOT OF THE PROJECT ITSELF. It is expected that you would provide an introduction, the body of your essay, a conclusion and recommendations, and a list of references.
You may use headings for sections if you wish. List of references - (using the Harvard AGPS system): Provide a complete list of references providing full details of all citations used in the body of the essay. For a postgraduate assignment, if you have done sufficient research, there should be at least 15 references, many of which will be cited more than once. Remember to use the e-Journals and e-Books available from the Library website to research the literature on the topic (especially Books 24×7 and eBrary). Contact the Library staff if you need assistance to find these databases. Appendices: If you have any appendices, they should be attached to the essay after the list of references. They should be numbered sequentially, e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.
Turnitin Originality Report: Remember to submit a shortened version of your assignment (without the mark sheet and appendices) to Turnitin for checking and to submit a copy of the Turnitin Originality Report with your assignment through EASE. See ‘Course assessment' above for more detailed instructions. Assignment guidelines for assignments 1 and 2 General Assignments 1 and 2 are designed to encourage you to develop skills in research, critical analysis, problem solving, decision-making, communication and ethical behaviour. They require you to select a project (or projects) of your choice (so your studies are contextualized for your needs) and to analyse aspects of that project in a clinical and objective manner. Viewing the videos on critical analysis (accessed from the StudyDesk) will help you to understand the expectations and how to go about critical analysis.
They require you to find relevant information (as it is not always provided in the study materials) and to compare theory with practice. This is not simple or easy but reflects what is expected of you in the real world of practice. Assignment 1 is an essay. Assignment 2 is a case study. An essay is a simpler format than a case study but can be difficult to write well. It provides insights into an issue relating to your project. A case study is an analytical report that examines a specific issue and provides conclusions and clear recommendations. The word count is indicative. Past experience indicates that it is difficult to discuss the issues in less than the nominated word count but try to stay close to the word count if possible. Marks are gained for conciseness and marks are lost for unnecessary material. A high standard of presentation is expected at postgraduate level. There is no excuse for poor spelling, bad grammar, nor lack of formatting. Use one and a half line spacing with 12-point font, and pages must be numbered. Do not use ‘I, we, you, our' etc. Reports and assignments should not be written in the ‘first person'.