BSNS4601 Introduction to Project Management Assessment 1, 2026 | Open Polytechnic

BSNS4601 Introduction to Project Management Assessment 1

Weighting 

25%

Learning outcome

1. Contribute to a project communication plan to meet project requirements.
2. Support the achievement of team objectives for the development of a project.
3. Describe a project, its life cycle stages, and project management processes.

Instructions

Complete and submit your assessment according to the Open Polytechnic's Assessments webpage. This includes information on academic integrity, formatting, word limits and referencing.

• Include your name, student number and the assessment number.
• Number your pages.

Submission

• Submit your assessment in one file.
• Submit your work through your iQualify course.
• Emailed assessments will not be accepted.
• You will receive an automated notice advising you of your successful submission.

Assessment overview

Projects, stakeholders, and communication The aim of this assessment is for you to apply your project management knowledge to assess a scenario. You will then prepare a stakeholder analysis and communication plan based on thescenario provided. These tasks will be based on the Tōtara papa tākaro scenario provided below.This will demonstrate your ability to select and use appropriate project management tools andtechniques to communicate effectively, manage project risk, achieve project objectives throughself-management and collaboration and comply with internal and external requirements.Your assessment includesthree(3) tasks and there isone(1) submission point.All tasks should be completed using the template provided (Assessment 1 Template).

Tōtara papa tākaro

scenario

He papa tākaro hou mō Tōtara - new destination playground for Tōtara

Background

Tōtara is a small town in provincial New Zealand. The Mayor, Tui Walters, has proposed that thetown rebuild its community playground.An employee of the local council, John Williams, has been appointed as the project manager.

Your job is to assist John in managing this project, which will involve much consultation with thecommunity and other interested parties, and you are familiar with this community. John Williams isnew to the area and has recently relocated his family to Tōtara from Auckland. There are manydecisions yet to be made, and many different opinions on the way forward for this project.

Other council employees who will be involved in the project are Fred Campbell, the Health andSafety (H&S) Advisor, and Jane Te Hui, the Procurement Manager.

Fred has a strong background inH&S and is considered an expert in this field. He came to Tōtara 10 years ago and has manycontacts in the community. Jane is responsible for all procurement activities, including paperworkand authorisations. The project will be overseen at a high level by the mayor.The existing playground is outdated and is not always large enough for the groups who use it (suchas school or community group outings).

It costs too much to maintain, especially because it needsresurfacing, and the equipment and facilities are outdated. It is also currently based on an oldurupā (Māori burial site). Therefore, a new site must be found and the original site will be clearedof all the old equipment and returned to local iwi. This must be completed before work commenceson the new site. Several different sites were proposed by council, business people, and communitygroups. However, the council has now decided to use another unused piece of land they alreadyown, which is one acre in size.

The projectThe mayor and her team want to create a modern destination playground that merges in with thelandscape, has a connection with the land and stories and people of Tōtara, and is a great source ofentertainment for local children and visitors.The exact specifications for the playground are yet to be determined and agreed upon. This is oneof the things that needs to be done as soon as possible as part of the consultation plan. Safety is ofthe utmost importance.The council has an expectation that this whole project will be completed 12 months from now andhave set a budget of $1,500,000. 

The funding is to come from the local council (60%) as well asfrom fundraising by community groups (40%).

The minimum specifications include the following.

• The theme of the playground needs to have a connection with the land and the local peopleand culture. Local iwi and other community groups will be involved in finalising the theme.
• The playground must cater to people with disabilities by providing suitable equipment. Thisis separate from the equipment listed below.
• The surfacing needs to be robust, H&S approved, environmentally friendly, and within abudget of $300,000.
• The playground equipment must be suitable for a range of age groups, for example, ages 2 –5, ages 6 –10, and ages 11 –15.Playground equipment needed is as follows.
• At least 6 swing sets of various sizes.
• At least 6 slides of various sizes combined with climbing frames.
• A commercial splash pad (spray pool) which facilitates water play for children andprovides rich sensory experiences.
• Additional facilities must include toilets, changing rooms, and drinking water.
• Picnic tables and benches must be provided throughout the area, as well as rubbish bins andrecycling bins for plastics and aluminium tins.
• A mobile café will provide onsite coffee and snacks for at least a few hours each day.

Task 1: Project management theory

Use the provided template to complete the following tasks. You will find the templates in theAssessments section of your course (Assessment 1 Template).

Read the given scenario carefully.
Apply your knowledge of project management theory and, withreference to the provided project scenario, address each of the following.

a.Describe why the given scenario is a project rather than business as usual. Include in youranswer at least three (3) characteristics or attributes of the scenario that lead you tobelieve it is a project.
b. State two (2) project goals of the given scenario.

Task 2: Stakeholder analysis

Demonstrate your understanding of stakeholder engagement and management by completing astakeholder analysis matrixfor the Tōtara papa tākaro scenario.Use the Assessment 1 Template tocomplete your answer for this task.

Note: These stakeholders are not only those people shown in the given scenario but will includethose people and organisations that may be required to complete the project. You will need tocreate fictitious information where necessary to complete the templates.

To complete the stakeholder analysis matrix, do the following.

a. Identify five (5) key stakeholders for the given scenario, including individuals who are inmanagement and operational positions.Identify each stakeholder’s role in the project.
b. Complete contact details for each stakeholder.
c. Identify what is important to each stakeholder.d. Identify how each stakeholder contributes to the project.e. Identify how each stakeholder could potentially block the project.f. Provide one (1) strategy for engaging each stakeholder.(Word count guideline: 300 words) (30 marks)