Group and Peer Assessment: Overview

This includes a group submission followed by a peer assessment, with an overall weighting of 40% comprising:

• Part A: Group report (25%) Due: Week 6 Friday 27/08/2021 11:59 PM
• Part B: Peer assessment report (15%) Due: Week 8 Friday 10/09/2021 11:59 PM

Purpose

· The primary purpose of this assessment item is to create an active learning environment so you can develop skills for undertaking research and translating, underpinning concepts about the important aspects of complex project management.

· The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis, communication, critical thinking particularly in the areas of thinking about and reflecting on different project domains and complex project management.

· You are expected to apply the tools you learned to managing complex projects, estimating the level of complexity as well as forming a proper scope of the context. Your participation, as a result, makes your learning more explicit as you translate your educational and personal experiences and share them with colleagues.

· You can then learn to critically examine the nature of your learning in this unit, in relation to specific experiences in your project management practice. It will also demonstrate that you have learned from those experiences, together with how you have achieved or maintained your professional competence.

Task

Your task is to attend the lectures and tutorials, understand the case study, actively contribute to your group submission. The assessment has TWO components (Part A, Part B) and you need to contribute and respond to each as detailed in the assessment tasks. Part A requires students to work in groups, whilst Part B(peer assessment report) requires students to individually assess others' work. Detailed assessment criteria to be provided in due course.

Groups

· Groups comprise 3-4 students. Groups can be randomly allocated by the Unit Coordinator.

· You are expected to actively participate, respond, and engage in this group discussion to maximize the active learning.

· The discussion requires students to reflect on the complex aspects within a given case study(ies). This includes discussing the complexity types, environment, scale, and characteristics – which will provide evidence of your understanding of complex project management.

· You will need to understand the case(s), apply the knowledge developed, and respond to the points, as requested. Tutorials will offer a platform to discuss the progress of your work.

· Your contribution to the group discussion should also provide an account of your learning based on your personal practice and your critical reflection regarding the topics introduced during this unit.

· Failing to actively contribute to the tutorial sessions and group discussions may result in zero marks. 

· Flex (online) students may elect to work individually, or in groups. Assessment tasks may need to be modified accordingly.

Assessment

This group and peer assessment of 40% in total and includes 2 main parts:

• Part A: Group report (25%) Due: Week 6 Friday 27/08/2021 11:59 PM
• Part B: Peer assessment report (15%) Due: Week 8 Friday 10/09/2021 11:59 PM

Assessments will be based on the extent and quality to which it meets each of the following criteria.

Part A will involve groups completing a written report, based on a case study involving a complex project. Each group report will be a maximum of 1500-2000 words (plus/minus 5%).

Group reports need to provide a detailed understanding of the case study. All arguments should be supported using insights and relevant examples, drawn from the case study.

In terms of complexity factors and ICCPM outcomes, reports need to address the minimum requirements. Reports should be relevant and accurately reflect the external varieties, supported by examples drawn from the case study.

Finally, in terms of complexity types, reports need to graph their relative weight and be supported by a coherent argument and discussion.

Part B involves a peer assessment report, which will test an individual student’s ability to constructively access the work of their colleagues.

The evaluation of this assessment mainly concerns about the quality of your written feedback and the validity of assessing the group work of others.

Assessment of other groups is expected to be in the form of constructive, relevant, and appropriate feedback.

Tutorials will offer a platform to discuss and assess the peer assessment report feedback. Further information on the assessment will be released on Moodle (including details of the case study) in due course.

Part A Assessment (Group report) (25%)

• Introduction
• Introduce causes of complexity aspects
• Analyse complexity factors
• Discuss ICCPM outcomes and complexity factors
• Identify main external varieties
• Identify and explain which complexity type(s) dominate
• Conclusion and reference list
• Reviewing weights assigned for each characteristic
• Summing up similar characteristics with each complexity type
• Identifying required skills and competencies
• Tabulating skills/competencies
• Estimating impact on time/cost
• Conclusion & reference list

Part B Assessment (Peer assessment report) (20%)

• Review, check, comment, and assess others' work.
• Provide a critical review with constructive feedback and valid comments.
• Provide a high-quality evaluation and appropriate grading showing reasonable and valid marking (as per the marking criteria and rubric).
• Presenting and debating the feedback provided.
• The comments and feedback need to be aligned with the unit content and concepts together with the marking criteria.

Assignment

You are required to attempt the Online Quiz 

The QUIZ: Available from 6-7 October 2021

Online Quiz (10%):

Start date : Week 12, Wednesday: 6/10/2021 00:01 AM –

End Date: Thursday 7/10/2021 11:59 PM

Attempts allowed: 1

This quiz closed on Thursday 7/10/2021 11:59 PM

Time limit: 30 mins

Only one attempt is allowed within the time frame whilst the Quiz is available

Purpose

The primary purpose of this assessment item is to help you to identify factors associated with complex project management.

The secondary purpose of this assessment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis and critical thinking skills.

Notes:

All questions will be reflecting and testing your knowledge and understanding of lecture materials

The following criteria will be used to grade your assessment:

• The percentage of correct answers
• Note: You are encouraged to read the unit materials and attend the classes to complete this assessment 
  

GROUP WRITTEN ASSESSMENT (50%) comprising:

Part (i) Written group case study (35%). The due date Week 11 Monday 27/09/2021 11:55 PM

Part (ii) Individual presentation + Oral examination (15%). The due date Week 11 Friday 1/10/2021 11:55 PM

Tasks: 

• the complexity aspects of the case study, the uncertainties involved, the interconnectivity, and the wickedness of the problem;
• the stakeholders involved and their roles in magnifying the complexity level;
• the evaluation of the complexity level together with the size and the scale of the complexity;
• the four complexity types (structural, temporal, directional and technical complexity);
• the assessment/ evaluation of the complexity types and estimate the relative weight of each complexity type using the various assessment tools; and
• the various tools and techniques that might be useful to manage this complex project.

You should compile your discussion into a report while responding to the above points. You need to thoroughly study and understand the case study in order to create a clear and succinct summary of the case.

You need to illustrate the theories, tools, and techniques that might be relevant to manage such a complex case. You also need to use real evidence/examples from the case to support your discussion. Finally, you then must propose a management framework on how to address and reduce the complexity using the knowledge gained throughout the unit.

Groups

• Groups comprise 3-4 students. Groups can be randomly allocated by the Unit Coordinator who may vary the group size and composition.
• Students are expected to actively participate, respond and engage in this group assessment to maximise active learning.
• Students will be called for an oral examination (as part of group assessment) and present their work individually. Failing to satisfy the presentation requirements may lead to failing the assessment regardless.
• The primary purpose of this assessment item is to help you to define your thinking and to classify the tools and techniques related to the complex project management field.
• The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your teamwork skills, analysis, critical thinking and written communication skills; particularly in the areas of argument development and academic writing.

Structure

• Your submission should follow the standard academic writing of a review report.
• Reports should be a maximum of 4,000 words (including references). Reports exceeding the maximum word limit (i.e. 4,000 words) by more than 5% will be penalized.
• The report should be structured as a review report with clear and coherent abstract, introduction, thorough literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.
• The abstract should summarise your findings in no more than 250 words.
• The introduction should introduce the report and include brief relevant information about the case study as well as the objectives.
• The literature should present the evidence you have collected to support your argument, detailing information about the case and relevant previous literature. It should highlight the complexity aspects, the uncertainties, and any other relevant information. The literature review should be integrated into the article.
• The methodology should show what has been done to analyse this case and how you undertook the research/analysis.
• The results should present the findings and may include critical discussion. A conclusion section should also be included.
• Each member should attach a sheet showing their contribution.
• Flex (online) students may elect to work individually, or in groups. Assessment tasks may need to be modified accordingly.
• NO ZIP file submission permitted.

Group Written Assessment (50%) 

This assessment comprises two parts: Part (i): the written group case study is worth 35% and Part (ii): the individual student presentation (see point 9 below) comprises 15% towards the overall assessment. You will be assessed on the extent and quality to which it meets each of the following criteria.

1. A clear and coherent introduction which covers the rationale (the why) and a brief overview of the content;

2. Clear understanding of the case study based on a thorough review of the case including its complexity aspects;

3. An explanation of the causes, environment, and properties leading to complexity in this case study. A detailed description/ analysis of the complexity types needs to be provided;

4. Assessment of the level of complexity, providing relevant complexity radar diagram(s). This includes assigning relative weights, and justifications of the various complexity types;

5. Analyzing the full list of potential stakeholders involved, their roles, interest, and importance together with including a stakeholder matrix (for relevant stakeholders);

6. A discussion of the tools and techniques to support the project manager managing the complexities involved within the case study. Justifications should be provided as to why and how these tools could be useful;

7. The submission should be structured in a correctly formatted academic report including Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results/Discussion and Key Findings/Recommendations;

8. A clear and concise conclusion including a summary of the main points and a reference list, with a minimum of 15 scholarly references;

9. Individual presentation and oral examination (15%): Student's performance will be evaluated individually and students may receive varying marks depending on their level of involvement, understanding and contribution during this session. Marks will be allocated according to a marking rubric.  Students will be accessed on their oral presentation together with the accompanying written PowerPoint (PPT) slides (and notes).