Case Studies in Project Management (QUAL11016)

Assignment Brief
Parts 1 and 2 of the assignment should be submitted as one pdf file

The assignment addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3 of the module- namely: developing a critical
understanding of projects’ case studies; understanding strategic alignment for delivering programmes and
projects; and raising awareness on innovations in projects’ context.

Part 1: Individual Case Study – Review Paper (60%)- 3,000 words

Case study-based learning provides students with an opportunity for an in-depth and practical
understanding of project management. It enables students to understand the complexity of
managing projects in-practice, which involves balancing the requirements of multiple
stakeholders. Successful project management requires innovation, team collaboration and
learning to deliver the desired project outcomes safely whilst minimising the impact on the
natural environment.

Write an individual 3,000 words review paper (+/-10% - excluding references) on a selected
project case study or programme. Case study or programme selection could include any
industrial/engineering sector, such as: construction, mechanical, biomedical,…etc. Examples
of construction programmes include: London’s 2012 Olympics, Glasgow’s 2014
Commonwealth games…etc; and examples of construction projects include: Scottish
Parliament, Wembley Stadium, Channel Tunnel, Hyperloop,…etc.

Your individual review paper must include the following sections:

1. Project or programme description (including stakeholders involved), strategic
alignment (programme, benefit management, governance/environment) and decision-
making (e.g. quality, cost & delivery). In addition to challenges faced over the course
of the project/programme and how they were addressed. (1,500 words)

2. The role of innovation and collaboration in successful delivery of your

project/programme case study including an explicit statement and discussion of the
innovation(s) adopted (e.g. process and/or process innovation), and initiatives adopted
for supporting team collaboration. (1,500 words)
 Part 2: Group report (40%), 2,500 words
4-6 students per group

Write 2,500 words report (+/-10% - excluding references) which provides a comparative analysis
of all the case studies chosen in your group. You should decide as a group the
approach/criteria for conducting your comparative analysis, e.g. you may use a summary
table to develop a common criterion for comparison of your selected case studies within your
group. Note that all the projects/programmes you select in your group should be in the same
industrial sector/sub-sector to enable fair comparison. There is no restriction of which
industrial sector you select. An example of project selection in a group may include:
‘sustainable housing developments’, ‘infrastructure projects’, ‘App development’, ‘Vaccine
development’…etc.
In addition to the comparative analysis, the group report must include a section on ‘group
work management’. This should provide a reflective piece (300 words) of how you worked
together as a group and managed your work – including evidence of team engagement and
collaboration, e.g. screenshots from discussion in your selected communication platform (e.g.
Teams, Slack,…etc) or short videos. What was the approach you adopted for your learning?
What did you learn? What was your contribution to the overall team activities? You should
reflect on how well you worked as part of a team. You are encouraged to add any
additional/supplementary in the appendix.

As a postgraduate level module study, students are expected to develop their analytical,
academic (intellectual) & critical skills. This should be clearly demonstrated in the final
submission. In addition to demonstrating a holistic understanding of project case studies as per
the module’s learning outcome.

Parts 1 and 2 must be submitted as ONE PDF FILE

Submission date: 10 May 2021 – Upload on Turnitin on MyUWS

Organisations leading innovation in the UK
 Innovate UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
 Home For Innovation And Ideas | Scotland's Innovation Centres

Innovation in practice - bimplus.co.uk

 QR codes ease project information access for Graham Construction
 Why new names are piling into offsite housing

 Read the assignment brief and make sure

you understand what is required
× Leave your assignment until the last minute
 Plan your work for the assignment so you × Not planning your time as a team
can manage your time effectively

 Read lecture notes and learning material on
Moodle.
 Consult with your lecturer
 Demonstrate your critical thinking (check
the video here)
× Copy and paste information from online resources
that is not relevant to your assignment or lacks
coherence.
× Excessive copying from one reference/source and
not using your own words

 Use project case studies to support your × Forgetting to reference and back-up your work
report – where appropriate.

 Create a positive team culture and support

each other.

Happy learning and Good Luck

Assessment sheet

Student name: Banner ID No:

A (70+) B (50-60) C (40-50) D (30-40) E (<30)

Part 1 (Review Paper) – 60%

Content (60)
Relevant, accurate, well explained,
and research-informed.
Evidence of research (10)
Critical analysis of the academic &
industry literature. Including
citations and list of references
Writing style, & presentation
(10)
Well-written report, coherent, well
referenced, and presented clearly.
Structure (10)
Well-presented, and manages to
achieve good coverage of the topic.
Conclusion (10)
Coherent conclusion that is directly
from research findings
Comments

Grade
Part 2 (Group report) – 40%
Content (60)
Critical analysis of case studies
using clear comparison criteria
which is research-informed.
Team work (20)
Evidence of team- collaboration
Presentation (10)
Well-structured and well-written
Conclusion (10)
Providing good summary &
recommendations evidencing
learning from case study
analysis.
Comments

Grade
Overall module grade