PMLS ASSIGNMENT 1 Title: Create a business case for establishing a Dundee Tram System Summary: This is an individual assignment where you are responsible for creating a detailed. and unique business...

PMLS ASSIGNMENT 1 Title: Create a business case for establishing a Dundee Tram System Summary: This is an individual assignment where you are responsible for creating a detailed. and unique business case, including a project plan, for the project described in the following pages. Your assignment will be in two parts. Submission deadline: August th 2016 Submission modality: Please include Part A in the same document as Part B. Word Limit: 3000 +/- 10% YOUR BRIEF You have recently been appointed by the Dundee City Council who is seeking to develop a tram system of its own but they have concerns over the problems that Edinburgh had with their tram project. Your assignment is to write a report on the prospective Dundee tram system as a project – considering what is likely to go well and what not so well. Your report should therefore focus on the project management aspects including the key risks e.g. loss of money and overrunning its schedule and not meeting the performance requirements expected from an infrastructure project of this type. Part A: Project Plan Presentation notes and slides Part B: Main report Part A (20%) involves preparing the presentation of your business case and project plan as detailed in the assignment brief below. Part B (80%) involves the creation of a detailed business case, project plan, and schedule, and discussion of other relevant issues. ASSIGNMENT CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION The assignment contains information from news and other sources. We have sought to make this as close as possible to a live project brief. You may wish to conduct relevant research but please do not contact anyone involved without first contacting your module tutor. A new trams project Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Transport for Edinburgh. It is a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) line between York Place in New Town and Edinburgh Airport, with 15 stops. Construction began in June 2008, but after encountering a number of delays it did not open until 31 May 2014. The scheme had an initial estimated cost of £375 million in 2003, but by May 2008, when contracts were signed, the cost had risen to £521 million. After extra interest payments are factored in, the final cost is expected to top £1 billion. Part A (20% of assignment mark) Preparation of a PowerPoint presentation of your business case and project. You are required to prepare the slides along with associated written notes for submission with Part B. Part B (80% of assignment mark) Produce a detailed business case and project plan, and any recommendations to the Project Board that you consider appropriate. You may want to use some of the sub-headings below, but that is entirely up to you: this is not a template. • Introduction o Identify the major planning problems with the Edinburgh Tram System and suggest how project management techniques might have helped to mitigate these problems for the Dundee project. • Project objectives • Performance Measurement/ Management of quality • Stakeholder analysis • Activities to be carried out and scheduling including any milestones: your project plan must include a schedule created with Microsoft Project (MSP) or equivalent. • Resources to be used including project budget • Constraints and Risks • Communications to be used • Include a bibliography of your sources. In addition please discuss the following in your report: • Possible success/ failure factors for this project • Considerations concerning future operations One Word file to include your business case/ project plan (maximum length 3000 words) Weighting for task B: 80%. Please note that you are being assessed on your understanding of Project Management and not the discovery of the ‘correct answer’. The marking scheme is provided below. MARKING SHEME Criterion Marks Use of theory 30 Examples 30 Quality of argument 10 Reference to course ideas 10 Citation and References 10 Conclusions 10 You will also need to take the following into account when completing your assignment: • Quality of executive summary (does it give a brief complete summary of your paper for an executive to read?) • Allocation of credit and sources used (have I included references and citations to the material I have used?) • Clarity of argument and integration of different components of the report • Overall report presentation including spelling and grammar • Word processed (letter size 12, times new roman, 1.5 space), fully referenced (Harvard Referencing System) Please remember that marks for the assignment will also be awarded in relation to presentation and structure, and aspects such as use of examples, figures, tables, illustrations and statistics that indicate wider/independent reading. You are required to follow the University’s regulations regarding plagiarism and citing sources and references used. Assignments may not be submitted late. Marking penalties for late submission will follow the University regulations for PMC and late submission. Lecturers are not able to give extensions. This assignment is worth 50% of the total mark for the Project Management Leadership and Skills module. The other 50% will be assessed by an individual final assignment at the end of the module. Module learning outcomes covered by this assignment 1. Apply knowledge of the theory and practice of project planning and control and the use of Project Management methods and techniques. 2 . Demonstrate a sound understanding of the importance of Project Management in the development and maintenance of sustainable and global organisations operating in complex market environments 3. Develop knowledge and application of the techniques of estimating, forecasting and resource management 4. Work independently and with others in analyzing and presenting solutions to Project Management planning, control and process problems. 5. Communicate effectively through a variety of media to different audiences. 6. Make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations using tools and techniques appropriate to the module. 7. Use terminology associated with the subject area accurately and in a way which demonstrates sophisticated knowledge and understanding.