Project, Programme and Portfolio Management KB7031
Assessment Details
3.1 Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs).
- Establish a conceptual understanding of the complex scenarios that multiple and major projects
environments and settings have, including the relationships between projects, programmes or
portfolios within host organisations. - Critically appraise existing project management knowledge and identify areas that can improve
aspects of project delivery for stakeholders through the application of project management, theory
or practice. - Critically reflect upon approaches to project problem-solving on real life projects, in order to
evaluate, learn from, and adopt similar appropriate solutions in future professional practice. - Embrace critical thinking, to systematically identify, analyse, plan, produce, and then present,
original work for academic review. - Embrace academic, ethical, and professional standards, through practice and conduct, whilst
developing understanding of competence in project management.
3.2 Coursework Overview
Context statement: Projects are variously executed within or across volatile, uncertain, complex and
ambiguous (VUCA) environments, that present various political, economic, social, technological, legal, or
environmental (PESTLE) challenges. Project management provides a means of addressing these.
To help better understand project management practice and this context statement, the following
coursework task is set. You are to self-select a Project Case Study, for the purposes of analysis and
reflection. The ‘unit of analysis’ in this case study report ultimately remains that of project management
practice.
Analysis: This written submission should fully introduce the ‘case’, provide a project description, and
position it within a wider PPP context, before identifying and analysing the key project challenges faced,
evaluating the solutions produced, to articulate those ‘lessons learned’ that can inform future project
management practice.
Reflection: Through theoretical, and evidence-based perspectives, reflect also upon the key elements of
project management practice that you perceive have been applied on the selected project case. Discuss
this by making use of current and salient academic (and relevant professional) literature from the subjects
knowledge-base.
Therefore, the project case study acts a ‘contextual vehicle’ you use to absorb and discuss current
knowledge in the discipline of Project Management.
Component 1 is worth 100% of the module. It will be submitted and assessed electronically, and it
addresses all Module Learning Outcomes.
3.3 Coursework Tasks to be Completed by Students
Select a suitable case study project that is ripe for analysis. This could be a prominent, widely available
case, where useful materials are readily and publicly available, or one that the student is currently, or has
previously worked on. Such a project should only be one that you have normal access to information. If
such a project is a ‘building’ or ‘live site’, then this should only be one that you have the ‘normal’, and
‘necessary’ permissions to access externally and/or internally (i.e. you are not to engage in any trespass
of any building/site that you do not have normal permission to enter). Also note that you should not ‘coldcontact’ professionals to attempt to arrange access to any project that you do not have normal access to.
If you need a discussion to advise if the proposed project is suitable for the purposes of case study
analysis, then arrange to have this discussion with one of the module tutors by teaching week 6.
In addition to the case study analysis, you should throughout the module, be equipping yourself on
aspects of contemporary Project Management practice. To do this and develop your topic specific
knowledge and understanding, and help you develop your intellectual skills and abilities in this subject,
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you are to engage with the academic and professional literature around the art, science, and discipline of
Project Management.
Therefore in addition to describing the case study project itself, your coursework submission is expected
primarily draw upon, and refer to, the body of academic work in this area, it is also reasonable to expect
that some elements in your review will be informed by material issued by credible, relevant, professional
institutes within Project Management (e.g. https://www.apm.org.uk/ , http://www.ipma.world/ ,
https://www.pmi.org/) as these organisations will be useful in highlighting current issues and offering
supporting information.
The work is to be appropriately structured and supported through ‘academic’ research using appropriate
and quality references which are cited correctly throughout. A separate references list must also be
provided at the end of the document.
3.4 Expected Size of Submission
§ This written work should be formatted using ‘Arial’ font, of font size ‘11’, with 1.5 line spacing.
§ The upper maximum limit for this work is 4,000 words. This word count includes:
§ Any abstract (if provided).
§ The main body of text.
§ In text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)].
§ Direct quotations from primary or secondary source material.
§ Title & Contents page.
§ Words within tables, figures, and illustrations.
§ Reference list.
§ Bibliography (if also provided).
§ Appendices.
§ Glossary.
§ Footnotes.
§ Figures (diagrams, illustrations, photographs etc.) and tables are welcome to support the text, but
must be fully incorporated into the submission, integrated and following the text that fully explains
why they are exhibited. 200 words will be counted for each separate figure/table used.
§ The work must form a structured and coherent whole. No contents page or superfluous front
matter is required. Only a basic front sheet for the submission is to be provided, that identifies the
student number (not name), the total number of words used (excluding references section), and
the number of figures/tables used.
§ ‘Footnotes’/’Endnotes’ will be permitted, as they can offer sufficient value, providing, their use is
minimal, sufficiently concise, and appropriate – they offer only ‘clarifying’ information, or add
‘adjacent’ value to the sentences already written. In other words, they are not to be used to ‘hide’
words that would otherwise normally be expected to be contained within the main body of the
text, and their use will be considered in accordance with the University policy regarding word
limits.
The full word limit policy is accessible here: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/universityservices/academic-registry/quality-and-teaching-excellence/assessment/guidance-for-students/
3.5 Referencing Style
§ For this task, full academic referencing from any sources used is to be provided in the separate
references section submitted using the Harvard referencing style, where correct and working
hyperlinks to the original source should also be created to allow the tutor to check these sources.
§ Any ‘in-text’ referencing should also be undertaken using the Harvard referencing style.
§ To help with this, you are to write your coursework using the Cite Them Right version of the
Harvard referencing system. An online guide to Cite Them Right is freely available to
Northumbria University students at: https://www.citethemrightonline.com/ This resource will
provide consistent help and information about correct referencing technique and standards.
§ Remember everything cited should be traceable to the sources used.
§ Further assistance with academic reading, writing and referencing is available via Northumbria
Universities Skills Plus web page: https://library.northumbria.ac.uk/skillsplus/
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3.6 Assessment Criteria
§ Introduction – How well the work establishes and describes the case study project, and positions
it within a wider PPP context: 10%
§ Problems – How well the work provides analysis of the ‘key issue’ problems within the project
case study that the project team faced. This criterion balances ‘range’, against ‘appropriateness’
in the identification of these key issues: 10%
§ Solutions – How well the work evaluates the specific solutions/tactics that were used to address
these key issue problems, and discusses these in terms of project management practice: 10%
§ Lessons – How well the work articulates a critical appraisal of the ‘lessons learned’ from this
project case study, then considers if and how these can be deployed more generally in future
project management practice: 10%
§ Relationship with existing literature – Here, the work should demonstrate adequate
understanding of the relevant literature in the field, cite an appropriate range of literature sources
and not ignore any significant work: 20%
§ Quality of Conclusion – How well the conclusion of the work sufficiently relates to the preceding
content, and provides an effectively summary for the reader: 10%
§ Quality of Communication – Here, the overall narrative should be coherent, and remain
relevant to the practice of project management. The work should clearly express its case.
Attention should have been paid to the clarity of expression and readability, such as sentence
structure, jargon use, acronyms, etc: 20%
§ General structure and formatting of the work, and the References section (see above notes)
in particular: 10%
Total: 100%
4 Referral
The Referral Attempt opportunity will generally take place after the end-of-level Progression and Awards
Board (PAB). If you become eligible to complete a Referral Attempt but are subsequently unable to
undertake the opportunity when required, you will be permitted to re-sit the module at the next scheduled
sitting of the module assessment. This will typically entail the suspension of your progression on your
programme of study until such time that you have completed the level and become eligible to proceed.
5 Guidance for Students on Policies for Assessment
The University has several policies for assessment. The following information, which is available to you
from the link below, provides guidance on these policies, including relevant procedures and forms.
(1) Assessment Regulations and Policies
(a) Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards
(b) Group Work Assessments Policy
(c) Moderation Policy
(d) Retention of Assessed Work Policy
(e) Word Limits Policy
(2) Assessment Feedback
(a) Anonymous Marking Policy
(3) Late Submission of Work and Extension Requests
(4) Personal Extenuating Circumstances
(5) Technical Extenuating Circumstances
(6) Student Complaints and Appeals
(7) Academic Misconduct
(8) Student Disability and Unforeseen Medical Circumstances