as soon as possible

AssessmentInformation

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969
This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (‘Act’). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any
further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Kaplan Business School is a part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School
Pty Ltd ABN 86 098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Code 02426B.

Assessment 2 Information

Subject Code: MBA642
Subject Name: Project Initiation, Planning and Execution
Assessment Title Project Performance
Assessment Type:
Length:

Individual Presentation
8 slides (no more)

Weighting: 30%
Total Marks:
Submission:

100
Online via Turnitin

Due Date: Week 10
.

Your task
Evaluate project performance in the initiation, planning and execution stages, utilising project management
software.

Assessment Description.
In this individual assessment, students will be given an opportunity to evaluate project management software
for overall project performance and compliance with quality standards.

Assessment Instructions

• Evaluate 5 current project management software options and explain the benefits and shortcomings of
each.

• Explain how the software addresses the requirements of the 3 stages of a project plan, as stated in the
brief above.

• Use screenshots of the software examples you have chosen to assist in explaining your opinions.
• Prepare slides as if presenting, although you will only be handing in a presentation. Place your full set

of notes in the ‘notes’ areas relevant to your slide headings. 2,000 words.
• There will be additional information which gives a fuller description of the assessment requirements

along with KBS presentation guidelines. This will be posted on the myKBS Assessment page.
• Please refer to the assessment marking guide to assist you in completing all the assessment criteria.

You are required to use at least 12 sources of information and reference these in accordance with
Kaplan Harvard Referencing Style. These may include websites, government publications, industry reports,
census data, journal articles, and newspaper articles. These references should be presented as a reference
list at the end of your presentation.

Assessment Information

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969
This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (‘Act’). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any
further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Kaplan Business School is a part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School
Pty Ltd ABN 86 098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Code 02426B.

Assignment Submission
This file must be submitted as a ‘PPT’ document to avoid any technical issues that may occur from incorrect
file format upload. Uploaded files with a virus will not be considered as a legitimate submission. Turnitin will
notify you if there is an issue with the submitted file. In this case, you must contact your workshop facilitator
via email and provide a brief description of the issue and a screenshot of the Turnitin error message. You are
also encouraged to submit your work well in advance of the deadline to avoid any possible delay with the
Turnitin similarity report or any other technical difficulties.

Late assignment submission penalties
Penalties will be imposed on late assignment submissions in accordance with Kaplan Business School “late
assignment submission penalties” policy.

Number of
days

Penalty

1* – 9 days 5% per day for each calendar day late deducted from the total
marks available

10 – 14 days 50% deducted from the total marks available.
After 14 days Assignments that are submitted more than 14 calendar days after

the due date will not be accepted, and the student will receive a
mark of zero for the assignment(s).

Note Notwithstanding the above penalty rules, assignments will also be
given a mark of zero if they are submitted after assignments have
been returned to students

*Assignments submitted at any stage within the first 24 hours after the deadline will be considered to be one day
late and therefore subject to the associated penalty

For more information, please read the full policy via https://www.kbs.edu.au/wp-
content/uploads/2019/07/KBS_Assessment-Policy_June-2019_Final

https://www.kbs.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/KBS_Assessment-Policy_June-2019_Final

https://www.kbs.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/KBS_Assessment-Policy_June-2019_Final

Assessment Information
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969
This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (‘Act’). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any
further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Kaplan Business School is a part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School
Pty Ltd ABN 86 098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Code 02426B.

Important Study Information

Academic Integrity Policy

KBS values academic integrity. All students must understand the meaning and consequences of
cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Academic Integrity and Conduct Policy.

What is academic integrity and misconduct?
What are the penalties for academic misconduct?
What are the late penalties?
How can I appeal my grade?

Click here for answers to these questions:
http://www.kbs.edu.au/current-students/student-policies/.

Word Limits for Written Assessments

Submissions that exceed the time limit by more than 10% will cease to be marked from the point at
which that limit is exceeded.

Study Assistance

Students may seek study assistance from their local Academic Learning Advisor or refer to the
resources on the MyKBS Academic Success Centre page. Click here for this information.

http://www.kbs.edu.au/current-students/student-policies/

https://elearning.kbs.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1481

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969
This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (‘Act’). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further
reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Kaplan Business School is a part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School Pty Ltd ABN 86
098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Code 02426B.

MBA642 Assessment Marking Rubric – Individual Presentation 30%

Marking
Criteria

F (Fail)
0 – 49%

P (Pass)
50 – 64%

C (Credit)
65 – 74%

D (Distinction)
75 – 84%

HD (High Distinction)
85 -100%

Analysis of Positive
Software Features

__/20 marks

The analysis does not move
beyond a description of the

learning experience.

Attempts to analyse positive
features but these are vague

and unclear.

Analyses several of the positive
features and makes several

connections to how the

learning

can be applied.

Analyses many of the positive
features and makes many

connections to how the learning
can be applied

There is an in-depth analysis of
the positive features and the
value of

the derived learning.

Analysis of
Shortcoming

__/20 marks

The analysis does not move
beyond a description of the
learning experience.

Attempts to analyse
shortcomings, but these are

vague and unclear.

Analyses several shortcomings
and makes connections to how

the learning can be applied.

Analyses many shortcomings and
makes connections to applying the

learning

There is an in-depth analysis of
shortcomings and the value of

the derived learning.

Visual presentation

__/20 marks

Not all material is relevant
and/or is disorganised, lacks

structure or impact

Material presented is
relevant but lacks structure

or visual impact

Material included is relevant to
the topic and has been

structured. The visual aspect is
limited

Material is carefully structured with
a clear message and visual effect

Material is imaginatively
presented resulting in clarity of

message

Structure and
Formatting.

__/20 marks

The writing style is unclear;
lacks logical flow and structure;

numerous spelling and
grammatical

errors.

Writing style lacks clarity,
flaws in flow and structure,

some use of academic
language, several spelling or

grammatical errors

The writing style is mostly clear;
Mostly written in discipline-

specific academic language;
Some spelling or grammatical

errors.

The writing style is clear; Correct
use of discipline-specific academic
language: some minor spelling or

grammatical errors.

The writing style is clear; Fluent
use of discipline-specific

academic language: no spelling
or grammatical errors.

Theory,
research and
referencing

__/20 marks

Total marks
__/100

Many errors in logical flow and
structure, argument sourced
from non-academic literature.
No discussion of academic

research. Cites very few

sources.

Some errors in logical flow
and structure, basic

discussion of relevant theory
sourced from a minimal

number of academic
sources. Little discussion of

relevant research.

Sound logical flow and
structure, a broad discussion of

relevant theory sourced from
academic literature. Relevant

research acknowledged but not
discussed. Cites several

sources.

Good logical flow and structure, an
argument supported by detailed

relevant theory and
research sourced from numerous

and varied
academic sources.

Excellent logical flow and
structure, an argument supported
by a comprehensive discussion
of relevant theory and research

sourced from numerous and
varied academic sources.

Feedback and grades will be released via Turnitin.

MBA64

2

Project Initiation,

Planning and Execution

Workshop Week 8

Agile Project Management and

Critical Chain Project Management

(CCPM)

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Copyright Regulations 1969

WARNING

This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of

Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act).

The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any

further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of

copyright protection under the Act.

Do not remove this notice.

2

• Understand different

project

methodologies

• Identify the key facets of

each methodology

• Examine the strengths and

weaknesses of different

methodologies

Workshop Objectives

Project Methodologies

• Waterfall or traditional stage-gate

• Agile

•

Kanban

• Critical Chain

Waterfall

• Stage – Gate process

Source: http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/46809-an-introduction-

to-stage-gate-analysis/#imgn_0

Waterfall for Software

• Systems Development Life Cycle

System Analysis

Conceptual Design

Physical Design

Implementation

Operations

Source: Rormney et al (2013) Accounting Information Systems, Pearson

Advantages of Waterfall

• Easy to use and manage

• Discipline is enforced

• Requires a well documented

approval approach

Disadvantages of Waterfall

• Changes cannot easily be

accommodated

• Delivery isn’t complete until

the end

• Gather accurate

requirements can be

challenging

Workshop Activity

• In small groups of 2 or 3, discuss the ‘waterfall’

method and identify:
– Typical use

cases

– Other

advantages

– Other disadvantages

Share your ideas with the

class.

Agile

Project Management

• Typical use is software development

• Why agile?

– Development costs have reduced allowing

more trial and error

– New tools available to design and check

customer needs before development; e.g.,

wireframes

– Need to react to changing customer wants

has driven need for shorter life-cycles

Agile Process

Agile Principles
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of

valuable software.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness

change for the customer’s competitive advantage.

3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with

preference to the shorter timescale.

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they

need, and trust them to get the job done.

6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a

development team is face-to-face conversation.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users

should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

10. Simplicity — the art of maximising the amount of work not done — is essential.

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organising teams.

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and

adjusts its behaviour accordingly.

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Scrum Process

• Backlog
– Desired features / stories

• Sprint planning (scrum meetings)
– What will be included in the next round

• Sprint work: analyse, design, build
– Do the work

• Sprint review
– Check completeness

• Testing

• Deployment

• Retrospective

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Advantages of Agile

• Change is embraced

• End-goal can be

unknown

• Faster, high-quality

delivery

• Strong team interaction

• Customers are heard

• Continuous

improvement

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Disadvantages of Agile

• Planning can be less

concrete

• Team must be

knowledgeable

• Time commitment from

developers

• Documentation can be

neglected

• Final product can be very

different

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Waterfall vs Agile

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Workshop Activity

In small groups of 2 or 3:

• Explore the advantages of

Agile and identify the pre-

requisites to secure these

advantages

• Examine the disadvantages of

Agile and consider how these

might be overcome

Share your ideas with the class.

Kanban

• Kanban is Japanese for “visual signal” or “card.”

• Toyota line-workers used a kanban (i.e., an actual

card) to signal steps in their manufacturing process.

The system’s highly visual nature allowed teams to

communicate more easily on what work needed to

be done and when. It also standardised cues and

refined processes, which helped to reduce waste

and maximise value.

Source: https://leankit.com/learn/kanban/what-is-kanban/

Kanban in Manufacturing

Source: http://www.strategosinc.com/kanban.htm

Simple Kanban for Tasks

Source: https://www.digite.com/kanban/what-is-kanban/

Complex Kanban for Agile

Source: Andy Carmichael – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55448101

Advantages of Kanban

• Increases flexibility

• Reduces waste

• Easy to understand

• Improves delivery flow

• Minimises cycle time

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Disadvantages of Kanban

• Outdated board can lead

to issues

• Teams can overcomplicate

the board

• Lack of timing for each

item

• Adding new items can

cause problems

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Agile vs Kanban

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Workshop Activity

In small groups of 2 or 3,

discuss the ‘kanban’ method

and identify:
• Typical use cases

• Other advantages

• Other disadvantages

Share your ideas with the class.

Develop the swim lanes for one of

your typical use cases.

Critical Chain Project

Management (CCPM)
• Development of the critical path

• Reworks the critical path using critical chain methods

– constraints

– buffers

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

Project Management

Execution Challenges
• Scope/requirements change as the project progresses

• Technology changes or fails to deliver

• Vendors fail to deliver on time

• Approvals do not come on time

• Organisational priorities change

• Quality problems cause re-work

• Resources are not available even if promised

• Decision making and planning involve many layers of

management with conflicting interests

Source: http://3escp33iuwsj485tugc1mb91.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-

content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2016/02/CPM-and-CCPM-a-Compare-and-

Contrast-Pinnacle-Strategies

CCPM: Constraints

• Task uncertainty

• Task duration overestimated

• Undue safety margins

> pooling of buffers

Source: https://www.smartsheet.com/agile-vs-scrum-vs-waterfall-vs-kanban

CCPM: Buffers

• Project buffer

• Feeding buffer

• Resource buffer

Source: https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-critical-chain-project-

management-rar68-article

CPM vs CCPM

Source: http://3escp33iuwsj485tugc1mb91.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2016/02/CPM-and-CCPM-a-Compare-and-
Contrast-Pinnacle-Strategies

Advantages of CCPM

• Identifies the critical work

sequence

• Reduces work-in-progress;

speeding up execution

• Identifies the risk with each task

and its impact on project

completion

• Clearly identifies when

management action required

• Exploits scarce resources

Source: http://3escp33iuwsj485tugc1mb91.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2016/02/CPM-and-CCPM-a-Compare-and-
Contrast-Pinnacle-Strategies

Disadvantages of CCPM

• Resource loads are

understated

• Feeding can require extra

steps

• Learning curve to master

the process

• Requires unique software

Source: http://3escp33iuwsj485tugc1mb91.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2016/02/CPM-and-CCPM-a-Compare-and-
Contrast-Pinnacle-Strategies

Workshop Activity
In small groups of 2 or 3,

consider the project

execution challenges that

can affect any project.

Discuss the problems

associated with ‘pooling’

task buffers.

Share your ideas with the

class.

Summary

• Project methodologies

vary for different use

cases

• We have considered

four methodologies
• Agile

• Kanban

• Waterfall

• CCPM