Project Grading Rubric

Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

Unit 10 Project

Unit outcomes
Examine the use of the project charter
Evaluate project plan development

Course outcomes addressed in this activity:

CO#1 - Apply project selection methods to evaluate the feasibility of projects.
CO#2 - Select appropriate project management practices, tools and methodologies
CO#3 - Define project requirements, assumptions, and constraints
CO#4 - Create project schedules
CO#5 - Develop project budgets
CO#6 - Assess project risks.

Instructions

Download the following four files from Doc Sharing. You will need them to complete this
project.
1. Project Management Audit Tool.xls
2. Project Audit Background and instructions.doc
3. Gauchito Project Plan Final.doc
4. Greer Templates.zip

Consider the Gauchito X-Prize Project Plan:

The Ansari X Prize (formerly the X Prize) was a US$10,000,000 prize, offered by the X-Prize Foundation,
for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within
two weeks. It was modeled after early 20th-Century aviation prizes and aimed to spur the development of
low-cost spaceflight. The prize was won on October 4, 2004, 47th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch, by
the Tier One project using the experimental spaceplane SpaceShipOne. The Ansari Foundation now wants
to commercially place a cargo launch vehicle into space on a recurring basis. To do this, Scaled
Composites, the company that placed the SpaceShipOne into space, has asked our corporation (Kaplan
Technical Corp.) to build a 7/8th scale demonstration rocket to identify any future manufacturing issues
and to extrapolate the necessary data for a full-sized rocket.

Our organization has been sub-contracted by Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites with assembling the
Gauchito rocket to meet Scaled Composites requirements based on the Gauchito Rocket plans. A project
plan was built against the Estes Gauchito Rocket plans provided by Pablo de Leon and Associates, who
have contracted with Scaled Composites to build a 7/8ths scale model of the follow-on rocket for
competition.

Pablo de Leon and Associates (Pablo de Leon y Asociados) is an Argentine-based team formed to design,
build, and operate a suborbital space transportation system. The team was created to compete for the
Ansari X Prize and was accepted by the X Prize Foundation on February 10, 1997. The team is formed by
Argentine specialists in several fields, including propulsion, mechanical design, aerodynamics, thermal
systems, cryogenics, computer science, etc. The team now intends to compete in the second Ansari X
Prize for reusable cargo rockets to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

Pablo de Leon, Team Leader, is an Argentine aerospace engineer with wide experience in space systems
design, project management, and the development of space vehicles and components.

More than 42 scientists, engineers, technicians, and volunteers have worked on this program for years in
order to one day achieve the first orbital manned flight in Latin America. The team, conscientious of the
past, believes it is necessary to learn from those who preceded us and reach a level of technological
development comparable with the times. If Argentina wants to be once more an industrialized nation, it
feels it must invest heavily in science and technology.

That is why Pablo de Leon and Associates are working in this project: Because they believe it is valuable,
and because it will help to inspire a new generation of young Argentines and Latin Americans. Pablo de
Leon and Associates do not have the facilities to build a 7/8th model of their full-up rocket, and they need
specific extrapolated data from test flights. This is why Scaled Composites was chosen for the task.
However, Scaled Composites has outsourced the assembly of the scaled rocket to Kaplan Technical
Corporation because we specialize in the assembly of spacecraft on a project basis.

The VESA “Gauchito” is a conventional style rocket launch vehicle, using four hybrid rocket engines in
cluster configuration. The length of the full scaled “Gauchito” is 12 meters without the escape tower, with
a diameter of 2.20 meters in the main body, and 6.60 meters including the aerodynamic fins. The weight
of the full-scale rocket is 8,000 kilograms, while the empty weight is 2,400 kilograms.

The capsule can accommodate one crewmember with a maximum weight of 300 kilograms of cargo. The
capsule maintains a controlled atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen, and the crew will use full pressure
suits with 100% oxygen.

The propulsion system of the “Gauchito” was designed by Prof. Jorge Lassig. It combines safety, economy,
and reusability. The propellant grain, shaped as a cylinder and using several channels with geometrical
shapes, is placed in the combustion chamber. The “Gauchito” uses four hybrid rocket engines that burn
polyester resin as a propellant and liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer for 60 seconds. The throttle can be
regulated, and the engines are re-startable. The propulsion system has redundant safety devices and can
be stopped in case of malfunction. The total thrust is 250,000 newtons (52,910 lb).
Each engine uses 380 kilograms of polyester resin and 1,080 kilograms of LOX. This requires a volume of
4 m3 for the four rocket engines. The LOX is fed by high-pressure nitrogen coming from an additional tank
located at the top of the rocket body. The total length of the rocket body is almost 8 meters, with a 2-
meter diameter. The pressurized nitrogen tank is ½ meter in diameter and the spherical LOX tank is 2
meters in diameter. The longitude of each motor tube is 3,3 meters with a diameter of .60 meter. Our
Engineering Design Team has planned out the assembly project for the Gauchito 7/8th scale rocket.

Assignment Details

Download the Excel workbook file named “Project Management Audit Tool” from Doc Sharing.

Your assignment is to perform an audit of the Gauchito Project Plan (found in Doc Sharing) using the
guidelines found in the Project Management Audit Tool (Worksheet). Summarize the results of the audit as
a report organized in accordance with the outline found on page 204 (8.2.2.2: Quality Audits) of your
PMBOK Guide and the project management auditing tool. Identify whether the project plan requirements
were met. BOTH the Audit Tool (Excel Workbook) and Audit Summary (MS Word) documents must be
submitted to receive full credit for this final assessment.

Review the project grading rubric before beginning this project.

Copyright Kaplan University
 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

Directions for Submitting Your Project

 If necessary, zip your files into one. Save your (zipped) project file as Lname-Unit 10
 Go to the Dropbox.
 Click the link that says “Submit an Assignment.”
 In the “Submit to Basket” menu, select Unit 10: Project.
 In the optional “Comments” field, type any additional information you wish your instructor to see.
 Click the button that says “Add Attachments.”
 Follow the steps listed to complete attaching your file.
 You will be able to come back to the Dropbox and view your graded work there or in the Gradebook
after your instructor evaluates it.

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

200 point project grading rubric

NOTE: Professors will be using an Excel spreadsheet to grade this project.

Final Project Grading Rubric

Project Requirements: Maximum points possible Points earned by
for satisfactory completion student
PROJECT PLAN of task
AUDIT
1 Project Charter.
a) Is there a comprehensive 1
and understandable statement
of the overall project
purpose?
b) Are specific management 1
objectives for the project
stated?
c) Is there a priority of 1
project relative to other
organizational initiatives?
d) What are the extent of 1
and limits to the project
managers authority?
e) Is there a description of 1
known assumptions?
f) Is there a description of 1
known constraints?
g) Is there a expected 1
completion time?
h) Are the primary 1
stakeholder
roles/responsibilities stated?
2 Preliminary Scope
Statement
a) Is there a more detailed 1
justification for the project?
b) Is there a complete 1
description of the final
product or service?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

c) Is there detailed definition 1

of deliverables?
d) Are the objectives to be 1
met in time, cost and
requirements fully stated?
3 Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS)
decomposed to the level at
which control will be
exercised.
a) Do the Tasks match with 1
each deliverable?
b) Are the Sub-Tasks fully 1
decomposed?
c) Are Work Packages 1
accurate and controllable?
4 Cost Estimates to the
level of the WBS at which
control will be exercised
based on a detailed bottom-
up duration estimate.

a) Do Durations reflect Task 1

totals that match with
deliverables?
b) Are Sub-Task totals 1
properly calculated?
c) Do Work Packages total 1
to Sub-Tasks correctly?
d) Do the Levels of Effort 1
reflect effort correctly?
e) Are Skill-Sets totaled 1
correctly?
f) Do Skill-Set costs reflect 1
rates and man-hour totals?
g) Does the duration total 1
match the total of all skill-
sets?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

5 Scheduled start dates to

the level of the WBS at
which control will be
exercised (Gantt Chart).
a) Is the Resource Leveled 1
Project Schedule Calculated?
b) Is the time based 1
depiction of the major tasks
reflective of the network
diagram?
6 Responsibility
Assignment Matrix to the
level of the WBS at which
control will be exercised.
a) Are team members 1
correctly matched to
deliverables/work packages?
b) Are primary and alternate 1
responsibilities identified?
7 Performance
Measurement Baselines
a) Is there a Cost Baseline 1
(S-Curve) and is it based on
total project cost?
b) Is the Baseline a 1
cumulative depiction of total
project costs (not counting
indirect costs)?
c) Does the Baseline have 1
an Estimate at Completion
(EAC)?
8 Major Milestones and
target dates for each
milestone.
a) Does the plan have a 1
milestone chart delineating
dates for deliverables?
b) Do the milestones match 1
with the deliverables?
Copyright Kaplan University
 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

c) Can phases be identified 1

from the clustering of
milestones/deliverables?
9 Key or required staff.
a) Can the staffing be 1
correlated to a Resource
Allocation Matrix/Cross-
Impact Matrix or Resource
Pool?
b) Are all the different 1
levels of skill sets identified?
10 Key risks, including
and, and planned responses
for each.
a) Are Risk Events 1
Identified?
b) Are Risk Events 1
Identified Qualified?
c) Are Risk Events 1
Identified Prioritized?
d) Is there a Response to 1
each Risk Event?
11 Constraints
a) Do the Constraints reflect 1
Factors that will limit the
project team's options?
b) Do the Constraints Affect 1
one of the eight core
knowledge areas?
12 Assumptions
a) Are the Assumptions 1
external circumstances or
events that must occur for the
project to be successful?
b) Are the Assumptions 1
supported by evidence or
analysis?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

c) Are the Assumptions both 1

explicit and implicit
assumptions?
13 Scope Management Plan
a) Is there guidance on how 2
project scope will be defined?
b) Is there guidance on how 2
project scope will be
documented
c) Is there guidance on how 2
project scope will be verified
d) Is there guidance on how 2
project scope will be managed
e) Is there guidance on how 2
project scope will be
controlled
f) Is there a process to 2
prepare the detailed scope
statement based on the
preliminary scope statement
g) Is there a process for 2
developing the WBS from the
detailed scope statement?
h) Does the Scope Plan 2
specify how formal
verification of deliverable
will be obtained?
i) Does the Scope Plan 2
specify how formal
acceptance of deliverable will
be obtained?
j) Is there a process for 2
controlling scope changes as
described in section 4.6 of
PMBOK?
14 Schedule Management
Plan

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

a) Does the Schedule Plan 5

define severity levels of
potential schedule impacts?
b) Does it identify who 4
needs to be involved at each
level?
c) Does it determine how 5
changes will be incorporated
into the project schedule?
d) Does it determine how 4
schedule changes will be
communicated to key project
stakeholders?
15 Cost Management Plan
a) Does the Cost Plan 2
identify items, such as custom
parts or complex equipment,
that must be ordered in
advance?
b) Does it determine when 2
these items must be ordered
or purchased and itemize any
differences with the cost
budget?
c) Does it identify precision 2
formats (e.g. man-hours, man-
days, $100, $1K, rounding,
etc.)?
d) Does the Cost Plan 2
identify personnel usage by
time period labor expenditure
on the project?
e) Does it determine when 2
these personnel are to be
utilized and itemize any
differences with the cost
budget?
f) Are there reporting 2
formats for cost reports?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

g) Does the Cost Plan 3

specify how project cost
estimates will be made?
h) Does it specify how 3
project cost budgets
will be developed?
i) Does it specify how cost 2
will be controlled?
16 Quality Management
Plan
a) Does the Quality Plan 3
specify how the quality
assurance processes should be
applied?
b) Does the Quality Plan 3
specify how the quality
control procedures should be
applied?
c) Does the Quality Plan 3
specify the continuous
process improvement for the
project?
d) Does the Quality Plan 3
define criteria for the
effective execution of key
project activities, processes,
and deliverables?

e) Does the Quality Plan 3

define quality management
responsibilities for the
project?
f) Does the Quality Plan 3
identify or include any
checklists or templates that
should be used by project
team members?
g) Does the Quality Plan 2
define how the project will be
audited to ensure compliance
with the quality management
Copyright Kaplan University
 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

plan?

17 Staffing Management
Plan
a) Does the Staffing Plan 2
identify project staffing
requirements?
b) Does it define each major 3
activity (task) for roles and
responsibilities by skill set?
c) Does it identify the start 2
and completion times for the
different people or skill sets?
d) Does the Staffing Plan 3
enter preliminary assignments
into the project scheduling
tool, if one is being used or
map them out on a calendar?

e) Does it describe the 2

staffing organization through
charts and descriptions?
f) Does it illustrate the 2
connections between work
and skill sets (Resource
Allocation Matrix)?
g) Does the Staffing Plan 2
identify staffing resource
allocation over time (e.g.
Histogram) for each skill set?
h) Does it identify staffing 2
constraints?
i) Does it specify 2
methodology for addressing
each constraint?
18 Communications
Management Plan
Copyright Kaplan University
 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

a) Does the 2
Communications Plan
identify stakeholder
communication requirements?
b) Is information to be 2
communicated, including
formats, content, and level of
detail identified?
c) Is each person responsible 2
for communicating project
information identified?
d) Are persons or groups to 2
receive project information
identified?
e) Are methods or 3
technologies to be used to
convey project information
(e.g. e-mail, web site, word
processing, etc.) identified?

f) Is there a frequency of 2
communication by type of
information (e.g. status report
by email)?
g) Is there an escalation 2
process for issues that cannot
be resolved at a lower level?
h) Is there a method for 2
updating and refining the
communication management
plan?
i) Is there a glossary of 3
common project terminology?
19 Risk Management Plan
a) Is there a Risk 2
Methodology defined?
b) Are Roles and 2
Responsibilities of risk
managers specified?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

c) Are Budgeting Risks 2

identified?
d) Are Timing Risks 2
identified?
e) Are there Risk 2
categories?
f) Are there Definitions of 2
risk probability and impact to
the project specified for the
risk events?
g) Is there as Probability - 2
Impact matrix?
h) Has there been Revised 2
stakeholder tolerances
calculated?
i) Are there Reporting 2
formats for the risk register
(RACI)?
j) Is there a process for 2
Tracking risk Events?
20 Procurement
Management Plan
a) Are the Types of 2
contracts used on the project
defined?
b) Is there a process for 3
using organizational
procurement, contracting or
purchasing departments?
c) Are Standardized 2
procurement documents used?
d) Does the Procurement 2
Plan specify a process for
coordinating procurement
with project schedule (M&E
Forecast)?

Copyright Kaplan University

 Project Grading Rubric
Course: IT301 Unit: 10 Points: 200

e) Are there 2
Constraints/Assumptions
affecting planned purchases
identified?
f) Does the Procurement 2
Plan identify lead times
needed to purchase or acquire
items from sellers?
g) Does the Procurement 3
Plan identify types of
warranties and limitations to
the project?
h) Are Procurement metrics 3
used to evaluate vendors
(Benchmarks)?
Totals 200 0

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