BMPM5004 Project Management Futures Assignment 01, DMU

Assessment Information – What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment.

This assignment requires you to demonstrate that you have met the objectives and achieved the learning outcomes to the appropriate outlined standards.

The portfolio will consist of three elements of work with a weightage of 25/25/50 % and consists of 2 blogs (both 1500 words worth 25% each) and a reflective assessment of 3000-word count towards 50% of the portfolio).

Blog 1 will take the essay format to describe the skills and competencies crucial to achieving the role you are targeting. 

Details of Blog 1:
As we get closer the to the Project Management profession and the competencies required to be available while applying in some specific role in the Project Management industry (highlighted and clarified in lecture 3 - Career Paths for Different Project Management Professions), you will need to specify one of those roles (e.g., planner, cost estimator, quality specialist, contract administrator, business developer, …) as your target role that you want to reach in two years period for example. Blog 1 will be your forum to decide which competencies and skills are essential for you to be equipped with, in order to fulfil that specific job or role required, list them and explain why you do consider them vital from your perspective. You will need to apply your own research skills in finding information and use your own initiative to develop insights into core competencies (must have) and additional competencies (nice to have).

You are required to write a 1500-word academic essay and are expected to work on it throughout the Module, submitted by the stated due date. The essay should consist of the following major elements:

• Introduction: to provide a background on the specific role you have selected.
• Body: to provide a list of core competencies and additional competencies. You need to list at least 5 competencies/skills in each category (core & additional) and explain why you do consider them important to acquire.
• Conclusions: to summarise your findings and provide recommendations on how you can equip yourself with those most important competencies.

Blog 2 will take the essay format that addresses weakness and areas of potential improvements.

Details of Blog 2:
As we will be progressing in our Module (lecture 4 & 5 - Project Management Competency & Capability), we will get to explore in details the most important Project Management competencies and skills deep diving into APM competence framework. You will have the chance to try your own APM Competence self-assessment tool (one of the Module practical activities), from which you will be able to discover your weak points and potential areas for improvement. Blog 2 will be your right place to highlight your strengths and weaknesses, decide potential areas
for improvements and find your way with the specific personal development that you might need.

Besides the use of APM Competence self-assessment tool, you might make use of any additional tool in analysing your strengths and weaknesses such as SOWT analysis or any other similar assessment tool.

You are required to write a 1500-word academic essay and are expected to work on it throughout the Module, submitted by the stated due date. The essay should consist of the following major elements:

• Introduction: to provide a background on the nature, characteristics and benefits of assessment tools you have used to evaluate your competency level.
• Body: to analyse the results of your assessment, explain and evaluate how credible those results are and your reflections of such results compared to the market needs, employers’ specific requirements and industry challenges. You need to discuss your competency level in at least 5 competencies/skills, of which you have listed in your Blog 1, in each category (core & additional), and explain what level of improvement you are aiming to, for each.
• Conclusions: to summarise the evaluation of your competencies, and provide recommendations on how you will be working to develop yourself in the defined areas.

A sample of blogs will be provided, to act as guidance for you, and will be located under the assessment section of the Module.

Reflective Assessment - The reflective assessment will be presented in a report format describing your plan to move from the current state you are in, into the targeted state. And how to achieve the target.

Details of Reflective Assessment:
As you have assessed your strengths and weaknesses and evaluated your Project Management competencies related to your targeted role, in Blog 2 work, now you will have the chance to develop your own personal development plan “Project me” which will describe how you will be improving from the actual current-state level to the targeted level. Reflective assessment report will be your way ahead in achieving that. Any reflective assessment model may be used as a useful tool. The report should consist of at least the following major elements:

 Background of your selected role, associated skills and competencies, and current level of competencies that you have evaluated.

• Your action plan to develop yourself, close any skill gaps, and acquire the required competencies in the specified role. Sections of the plan may include (setting your SMART targets, a time schedule for the achievement of those targets, resources required that may include budget and/or any other resources, identifying risks and challenges that will potentially hinder your plan, and how you will be mitigating such
risks and some contractual information/tools to enable you to procure any needed services like training as an example).
• A systematic monitoring & controlling approach to track progress of your plan, assess its effectiveness, report progress and take the necessary corrective actions in case any deviation of the plan has encountered. The proposed monitoring & controlling approach shall be substantiated with a reporting system of a proper format and could be on a weekly, bi-weekly or a monthly basis.
• A list of lesson learned and important takeaways out from this Module.

This is an academic report that must follow academic report writing style. The report shall be in word format and shall be structured as follows:

• a cover page with full details about title of submission, you, your module, instructor, date of submission.
• executive summary to summarize the work done, methods followed in collecting information and analysis, and evaluation of impact.
• Acknowledgement.
• Declaration (to declare that this is your own work)
• table of contents.
• List of tables and figure (if you have them).
• list of references and appendices (provided at end of report).

Report should be typed, using 1.5 spacing and an easy-to-read Arial 12-point font. The maximum word count is 3000 words.

The maximum word count of 3000 words should:
• Include all the text in body of report, including introduction, in-text citations, quotations, footnotes, tables, figures, and any other items not specifically excluded below.
• Exclude cover page, executive summary, acknowledgments (if any), declaration, table of contents, bibliography/list of references, and appendices (if any). However, it is not appropriate to use diagrams or tables merely as a way of circumventing the word limit. If a student uses tables or figures, then this will be included in the word count.

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked

Please refer to the attached rubric form.

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:
1. Horizon scan the future of the project management profession.
2. Critically evaluate contemporary issues in the project management profession.
3. Navigate and advise on the interaction between personal development, alongside professional change.
4. Self-assess and apply project management competencies.
5. Identify areas for professional development to enhance employability in project management.
6. Apply good academic practice skills, through fully referenced reflective writing.