Microsoft Word - INF70005 Sem XXXXXXXXXXGroup Paper and Presentation Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Business and Law INF70005 – Strategic Project Management Semester 1, 2018 Assignment...

Microsoft Word - INF70005 Sem 1 2014 Group Paper and Presentation
Swinburne University of Technology
Faculty of Business and Law
INF70005 – Strategic Project Management
Semester 1, 2018
Assignment Three – Research and Reflective Report
Due date: Friday, 25th May @ 11:59pm
Assignment Value = 35%
Each student is required to prepare and submit a written research and reflective report of 3300 words (anything over the word limit will be ignored and will not be marked). Write into the template provided to complete your report. Don’t set your report out in a separate structure.
The purpose of this report is to 1) reflect your experience as part of a project team in the group assignment, and 2) research on two project management issues in which you are required to use appropriate concepts and models relevant to deepen your insights into the issues.
Your work should be of a high academic standard. Your reflection and research should be uploaded electronically to Blackboard by the due date. You are expected to follow relevant parts of the required style guide, and includes the use of Swinburne University Harvard Style referencing. Your report is to be typewritten into the table provided, in English. The report should be written in clear, plain language, so that non-expert users can easily understand it.
Project Management Issues
The research on Project Management issues are in video format and made available on Blackboard. They are prepared by a number of visiting Swinburne project management scholars.
Note:
Complete this Assignment in the tabular template format provided (incl. number of words used)
In grading this work it is expected to see evidence of the choice and usage of appropriate academic theory to deepen your insights of the selected project management issues. As well as a high quality written, appropriately referenced and supported analysis.
    Markers are therefore looking for:
· analytical substance
· argument structure
· use of supporting material
· quality of writing
· persuasiveness
· overall clarity
· internal consistency
· discerning between assumptions and value judgments vs. analysis and argument.
    Grading levels for each section:
    Grade
    Grade range
    HD
    8 to 10
    D
    7 to 7.9
    C
    6 to 6.9
    P
    5 to 5.9
    N
    Less than 5
10 of 10
Your Name:             Your student ID:                                (use this template for Assignment 3)
    Issue / Concept
    Specific aspect / area of focus
    Your response
    Grade & comments
    Introduction
    Introduction to your project team and your role within it.
[50 – 100 words]
    The project team comprised four members and my role within the project team involved the co-ordination of the overall project by way of team management and project planning, monitoring and control. In real world projects, the same can be related to the role of an associate project manager aiding a project manager to implement the decisions taken.
    /2
    Project management concepts
    Comment on the project significance, aims and objectives and what you have learnt from this experience.
[100 words]
    The project was undertaken to review the quality focus of an organization, create an organization level transformation using Total Quality Management principles to ensure quality focussed culture, implement various quality management / assurance process, and, develop continual improvement capability. Naturally, the significance of the project from the organizational context is well-evident in terms of longer term strategic capability / competence development by way of quality enhancement and ensuing business growth. The experience from the project has been multi-fold that spans team working related knowledge / skillset development, stronger domain knowledge with respect to project management at both academic as well as practical application level, etc.
    /4
    
    Identify and explain one or two key problem[s]
isk[s] encountered and describe your response and why that approach was chosen.
[100 words]
    The experience of being involved and participating in this project had wide ranging and many experiences, learning outcomes, skillset development, etc. While undertaking this project naturally like in case of any project various issues were encountered. One of them concerned the difficulty in managing the stakeholders in terms of how to manage their respective expectations, align their actions to the required outcomes, etc. The other important issue faced involved the conflict amongst the team members during the initial period of the project. Both these issues cannot be pinpointed to one single approach or solution. They were resolved in an organic manner spanning learning from experience, applying project management and other management tools / applications.
    
    Team member dynamics
    Explain what team dynamics worked well during the semester and why. What insights will you take into future projects?
[100 words]
    The team dynamics in hindsight was one of an interesting element experienced during the project. Despite the initial conflicts and ensuring impacts on the project, the team dynamic turned to one of a high productive team work, transparent communication, and a synergetic outcome by way of learning from experience and the common value of all team members to honestly learn from the conflicts to adapt oneself to the team and project needs. The key learning from this for me can be stated that a team is an organic entity and cannot be pre-planned to the last bit for an ideal performance. The adaptability, flexibility and learning from experience shall make the team to perform and collaborate over the course of a project.
    /4
    
    Identify one or two key team dynamics [positive or negative] which impacted your team’s performance?
Explain how these were managed. Describe your key learning outcomes?
[100 words]
    The team dynamics which had negative form of outcome was the initial conflicts due to varying levels of perceptions, misaligned objectives, and lack of collaborative participation. The positive form of team dynamic was that all of the team members had shared value in terms of learning from experience in an unbiased and fair manner as well as the drive / motivation to ensure the project had a successful outcome.
The team dynamic of varying levels of perceptions, misaligned objectives, and lack of collaborative participation during the initial period was managed by way of learning from experience and the common value of all team members to honestly learn from the conflicts to adapt oneself to the team and project needs.
    
    Team composition and process
    Identify one aspect that:
1. Worked well
2. Did not work so well.
Explain your choice using one illustration for each from your weekly progress reports to support your choice.
[100 words]
    One of the elements that really had an effective impact and successful outcome was that the team constantly evolved by way of learning from the experiences both good (drive to ensure project success, flexibility, adaptability, etc.) as well as bad (initial conflicts, misaligned objectives, etc.). The same can also said to have significant impact in making a successful project outcome. However one of the aspect that did not work out as planned was difficulty in managing the stakeholders in terms of how to manage their respective expectations, align their actions to the required outcomes, etc.
    /2
    
    List clearly the two chosen project management issues from the chosen international speakers.. Explain why you choose them.
[150 words]
    While reviewing the lecture videos recommended, two of the lecture videos was of prime interest to me. One of them was by Newell (2017) and she highlights a unique element of project management – The conflict or contrast between framework of project management that lays focus on linear process...