Reference no: EM133005915 , Length: word count:17500

OTHM Level 7 Diploma In Project Management

Unit Reference - F/618/0223

Unit - Planning, Controlling and Leading a Project

Business Management

Learning Outcome 1: Understand the concepts and principles of project management in business.
1.1 Examine the role of project management in achieving business objectives.
1.2 Explain the application of key concepts and principles of project management in different business environments.
1.3 Appraise business objectives in order to determine potential projects.

Learning Outcome 2. Be able to design systems and plans for initiating and managing and leading projects.
2.1 Examine key leadership and management theories related to project management.
2.2 Develop role and responsibilities of the project manager for a project.
2.3 Develop a project organogram identifying roles of key project team members.
2.4 Determine sources of finance available for a project.
2.5 Assess the feasibility of a proposed project.
2.6 Prepare a detailed project plan with high level estimates of time, resources and costs that meet agreed milestones.

Learning Outcome 3. Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of communication within a project management team.
3.1 Explain the key contents of a project communication plan.
3.2 Evaluate the benefits of a project communication plan to stakeholders of a project.
3.3 Analyse the factors that can affect communication during a project's life span.

Learning Outcome 4. Be able to design monitoring and controlling mechanisms for a project.
4.1 Evaluate risk factors that may impede completion of a project.
4.2 Design systems and measures to monitor and appraise the status and progress of a project.
4.3 Develop contingency plans to help mitigate potential delays in the progress of a project.

Learning Outcome 5. Understand how to close and review the completion of a project.
5.1 Explain the closing stages of a project.
5.2 Assess the importance of project evaluation.

Scenario

You are employed as a Senior Office Manager in a call centre based in London. The company provides customer care services to a UK fashion retailer. Your company reduces operating cost by having remote call centre agents who are based in the UK but has got access to a network of computers, a call centre software, a headset and a reliable Internet connection. You maintain a team of 10 people, 6 of them are administrative clerks and 4 are senior managers who deal with customer complaints, retention and cancellation.

The Managing Director has announced that the offices will be relocated to the area around Salford, Manchester in order to reduce costs. He has asked you to lead a small team from the office and involve consultants to plan and execute this move. She wishes to retain the same size administrative team.

In his announcement, he also confirmed the three core targets associated with the move. These include:

a) Real-time Control System: Creation of several easy-to-read dashboards and quality heat maps which will help agents, supervisors and executives to understand current performance and how it relates to the team and overall goals. Ideally, the new system should be able to provide an aggregated view of real-time and historical data in addition to regular reports. Agent scorecards and recorded calls should also be accessible through the new system for easy drill down within the same tool.

b) Remote Trainings: The call centre agents need to be aware about changing industry trends and should be able to adapt according to the technological advancements. In a call centre industry, these upgradations or add-ons happen way too fast. Creating a mechanism to carefully hand-pick strategies to train all the remote call centre agents accordingly, via video, voice or chat modules.

c) Continuing Profitability: Continuing to grow business income by 10% annually by reducing the physical costs associated with business premises management, improving the IT systems for the business and minimising the human resource costs associated with the move particularly associated with redundancy, recruitment and training by using innovative cloud based solutions.

Task 1 Management Report

As a trusted and valued employee, the Managing Director (MD) has asked you to use your academic knowledge and professional skills to carry out a project that will achieve one of the three core targets that were announced.

He has asked you to prepare an initial report which should reassure the senior management team your capability in dealing with the project and its stakeholders.

Instructions

In your report, you must:
a. Examine the role of project management in achieving business objectives.
b. Explain the application of key concepts and principles of project management in different business environments.
c. Appraise business objectives in order to determine potential projects.

d. Examine key leadership and management theories related to the project management.
e. Develop role and responsibilities of the project manager for a project.
f. Develop a project organogram identifying roles of key project team members.
g. Determine sources of finance available for a project.
h. Assess the feasibility of a proposed project.
i. Prepare a detailed project plan with high level estimates of time, resources and costs that meet agreed milestones.

j. Explain the key contents of a project communication plan.
k. Evaluate the benefits of a project communication plan to stakeholders of a project.
l. Analyse the factors that can affect communication during a project's life span.

Task 2 Prezi Presentation and speaker notes

The Managing Director (MD) has read your report and agreed with the project specification and project communication plan. He has asked you to create a Prezi presentation for the senior management team to explain your contingency plans and closing phases of the project. You will provide speaker notes at the end of the session.

Instructions

In your Prezi presentation, you need to:
a. Evaluate risk factors that may impede completion of your chosen project.
b. Design systems and measures to monitor and appraise the status and progress of your chosen project.
c. Develop contingency plans to help mitigate potential delays in the progress of your chosen project

d. Explain the closing stages of your chosen project.
e. Assess the importance of project evaluation.

Unit Reference - R/618/0226

Procurement Risk and Contract Management

Learning Outcome 1. Understand the core concepts of procurement and contract management.
1.1 Define procurement and contract management.
1.2 Examine the principles of procurement and contract management
as applied to a large multinational organisation.
1.3 Evaluate the importance of sustainable procurement.

2. Be able to critically evaluate procurement operating environment and legislation.
2.1 Assess the impact of legislative frameworks on procurement in the impact public and private sector.
2.2 Critically assess the role of European Union in procurement.
2.3 Evaluate the importance of establishing ‘Contract Procedure Rules' and applying financial regulations

3.Understand the management of procurement operations.
3.1 Discuss the key principles and application of category management.
3.2 Critically assess the impact of technology on procurement operations.
3.3 Examine the use of electronic promotion of contract opportunities and electronic tendering.
3.4 Explain the various risks associated with e-tendering.

4. Understand the risk management process in procurement and contract management.

4.1 Evaluate the risk management factors that impact on procurement and contract management.
4.2 Evaluate frameworks of risk assessment in relation to procurement.

Scenario

GLP a newly established procurement firm, has approached an UK based prominent consultancy firm DTS to assist in managing the challenges the organisation faces in the next five years due to changes in the political, social and economic factors in the UK. You work as a Senior Analyst in the firm. Your line manager has allocated this firm to your workload and asked you to produce a detailed report that should resolve GLP's queries.

Task 1 Management Report Instructions

Your report should consist of two sections containing the following:

Section A

1. Define procurement and contract management.
2. Examine the principles of procurement and contract management as applied to a large multinational organisation.
3. Evaluate the importance of sustainable procurement.

4. Assess the impact of legislative frameworks on procurement in the impact public and private sector.
5. Critically assess the role of European Union in procurement.
6. Evaluate the importance of establishing ‘Contract Procedure Rules' and applying financial regulations.

Section B

1. Discuss the key principles and application of category management.
2. Critically assess the impact of technology on procurement operations.
3. Examine the use of electronic promotion of contract opportunities and electronic tendering.
4. Explain the various risks associated with e-tendering.

5. Evaluate the risk management factors that impact on procurement and contract management.
6. Evaluate frameworks of risk assessment in relation to procurement.

Unit Reference - H/618/0229

Advanced Project and Logistics Management

Learning Outcome 1. Understand the features and aims of project, program and portfolio management.
1.1 Compare the features and aims of programme management with project management.
1.2 Define the principles of portfolio management.
1.3 Examine the differences between programmes and portfolios.
1.4 Evaluate the relation between portfolio management and organizational strategy.
1.5 Evaluate the efficacy of various portfolio selection tools and techniques.

Learning Outcome 2. Understand the requirements for implementing a Project Management Office.
2.1 Critically assess the benefits of the Project Management Office.
2.2 Assess the implementation of a levelled Project Management Office structure.
2.3 Critically evaluate the stages involved in planning and implementing the Project management Office.
2.4 Create a Project Management Office charter for an organisation.

Learning Outcome 3. Understand the global supply chain ecosystem.
3.1 Define what global supply chain ecosystem is.
3.2 Explain how to map global supply chain ecosystem.
3.3 Explain the use of the ecosystem framework in supply chain analysis.
3.4 Examine how modern manufacturing and services are intertwined.

Learning Outcome 4. Understand the role of information technology in logistics and supply chain.
4.1 Critically assess the relationship between logistics and information systems.
4.2 Define Critical Success Factors (CSF) for IT integration in logistics.
4.3 Design a framework to integrate IT into the Total Logistic System.

Scenario

You are a Senior advisor for Logistics department of ‘RAC Limited', a fast-growing energy and chemical company based in South Africa. The company has also expanded into India, Burma, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and hope to expand into other countries soon.

You are tasked with giving an overview of the operations to Operations managers of the other countries of operation who will join as delegates in a summer leadership camp in London, UK.

Task 1 - Senior Management Report

Director of Operations Lewis has asked you to create a management report for the delegates.

Instructions

Your report should consist of two sections containing the following:

Section A

1. Compare the features and aims of programme management with project management.
2. Define the principles of portfolio management.
3. Examine the differences between programmes and portfolios.
4. Evaluate the relation between portfolio management and organizational strategy.
5. Evaluate the efficacy of various portfolio selection tools and techniques

6. Critically assess the benefits of the Project Management Office.
7. Assess the implementation of a levelled Project Management Office structure.
8. Critically evaluate the stages involved in planning and implementing the Project management Office.
9. Create a Project Management Office charter for an organisation.

Section B

1. Define what global supply chain ecosystem is.
2. Explain how to map global supply chain ecosystem.
3. Explain the use of the ecosystem framework in supply chain analysis.
4. Examine how modern manufacturing and services are intertwined.

5. Critically assess the relationship between logistics and information systems.
6. Define Critical Success Factors (CSF) for IT integration in logistics.
7. Design a framework to integrate IT into the Total Logistic System.

Unit Reference - K/618/0233

Operations and Information Management for Project Managers

Learning Outcome 1: Understand the role of operations management within a business.
1.1 Assess the similarities and differences between production and service operations.
1.2 Analyse the three major functional areas of organizations and describe how they interrelate.
1.3 Evaluate a range of theories related to operations management.
1.4 Describe the operations function and the nature of the operations manager's job.
1.5 Evaluate current issues in business that are impacting operations management.

Learning Outcome 2. Understand strategic capacity planning for products and services.
2.1 Critically assess the importance of capacity planning.
2.2 Analyse ways of defining and measuring capacity.
2.3 Evaluate the factors to consider when deciding whether to operate in-house or outsource.
2.4 Describe the steps that are used to resolve constraint issues.

Learning Outcome 3. Understand requirements for effective inventory management using information systems.
3.1 Evaluate the nature and importance of inventories.
3.2 Analyse the requirements for effective inventory management.
3.3 Evaluate the use of the A-B-C approach to inventory management.
3.4 Describe the principles of Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model and its assumptions.
3.5 Examine the single-period model and its assumptions.

Learning Outcome 4. Understand scheduling operations for project managers.
4.1 Explain what scheduling involves and the importance of good scheduling.
4.2 Compare product and service scheduling hierarchies.
4.3 Evaluate approaches used for scheduling service systems.
4.4 Explain how to overcome a range of unique problems encountered in service systems.

Learning Outcome 5. Understand systems for project quality management.
5.1 Identify resources, tools and systems that can support a project's quality management.
5.2 Evaluate quality assurance frameworks that
can be applied to a project.

Scenario

You are the Head of Operations at one of the organisations listed below:

• Tesco
• BBC
• Greggs
• Cisco UK

As a part of the global expansion plan, you are asked by the CEO to prepare a report that will outline major operational considerations that project managers of the organisation located at various geographic locations across the globe will need to consider.

Task 1 - Report Instructions
Your report should consist of three sections containing the following:

Section A

1. Assess the similarities and differences between production and service operations.
2. Analyse the three major functional areas of organizations and describe how they interrelate.

3. Evaluate a range of theories related to operations management.
4. Describe the operations function and the nature of the operations manager's job.
5. Evaluate current issues in business that are impacting operations management especially in your chosen organisation.

6. Critically assess the importance of capacity planning.
7. Analyse ways of defining and measuring capacity.
8. Evaluate the factors to consider when deciding whether to operate inhouse or outsource.
9. Describe the steps that are used to resolve constraint issues.

Section B

1. Evaluate the nature and importance of inventories.
2. Analyse the requirements for effective inventory management.
3. Evaluate the use of the AB-C approach to inventory management.
4. Describe the principles of Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model and its assumptions.
5. Examine the single-period model and its assumptions. Define what global supply chain ecosystem is.

Section C

1. Explain what scheduling involves and the importance of good scheduling.
2. Compare product and service scheduling hierarchies.
3. Evaluate approaches used for scheduling service systems.
4. Explain how to overcome a range of unique problems encountered in service systems.

5. Identify resources, tools and systems that can support a project's quality management.
6. Evaluate quality assurance frameworks that can be applied to a project.

Unit Reference - A/618/0236

Advanced Research Methods

Learning Outcome 1: Be able to develop research approaches in an appropriate context.
1.1 Appraise relevant research problems.
1.2 Develop and justify appropriate research aims and objectives within a defined scope and timeframe.
1.3 Critically explore, select and justify research approaches.

Learning Outcome 2. Be able to critically review literature on a business research topic.
2.1 Critically analyse different theoretical approaches to a research problem.
2.2 Create a structured and thorough critical literature review.

Learning Outcome 3. Be able to design research methodologies for an appropriate context.
3.1 Critically evaluate relevant research methodologies to reflect the research objectives.
3.2 Design an appropriate methodology in terms of the research objectives for a defined population.
3.3 Justify the methodology selected in terms of the research objectives within agreed ethical guidelines.

Learning Outcome 4. Be able to develop a research proposal.
4.1 Create a research question, literature review and methodology.
4.2 Propose techniques for use with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.

Scenario

This assessment will require you to propose an independent, small scale research project by using appropriate research approach, strategy, methodology and techniques that make up formal research.

In order to achieve module learning outcomes and assessment criteria, you need to select a topic area for an investigative primary research project. You are given freedom to select an area that interests you. The research itself is dependent on you, the context of your area of learning, your focus of interest and the anticipated outcomes.

You may draw together a range of other areas of content within the programme of study to form a holistic piece of work that makes a positive contribution to your area of interest. However, it is expected that your project will be work focused and you will demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and application of aspects of Project Management, while addressing a "live" issue.

Task 1 - Research Project Proposal (All LOs)

Instructions

In this task, you will need to produce a research project proposal in which you:

1. Introduction
a. Introduce the business problem or opportunity with supporting data and trends.
b. Clearly explain the background to the business problem or opportunity, and justify the reasons for, and the value of, the research to your employer and the wider academic community.
c. Outline the research project's aims and objectives.
d. State the limitations and scope of the proposed research.

2. Literature Review
a. Critically review key literature and recent academic publications around the subject area discussing key definitions, current theoretical frameworks, and research carried out in similar business areas.
b. Develop a conceptual and theoretical framework for the research from the literature review explaining how and why it supports and informs your approach the research process.

3. Research Methodology
a. Explain and justify your research approach and strategy.
b. Data collection:
• Discuss data collection methods.
• Select the instrument, design it and justify an appropriate method with an outline of a pre-test/pilot to be included as an appendix.

• Clearly outline the administration of the data collection process.
c. Population and Sampling: Define the research population, sampling strategy and clarify access to respondent issues.
d. Data Analysis: Describe and justify how you propose to analyse and report the results and findings of your research with a discussion about reliability and validity and the management error.

4. Statement of Ethics
a. Discuss access to respondent issues, permissions from organisation to conduct research, confidentiality, rights of withdrawal, consent, management of data security etc.

5. Timeline
a. Develop a plan using GANTT Chart from start to completion of the research.

Attachment:- Assignment Briefs.rar