Australian Science & Mathematics School

International Student Induction Program

Project Planning Report

A Learning Experience

Project Management Course

POAD 9110
-David Travers - Alimaa Altangerel
-Eat Sophea, -Sumarto Siswanda
-Batzaya Tsedev
Introduction

 2003 ASMS opens, eventually seeking up to 150

international students – one of the largest single
group at any school in SA
 Real case project planning provided group
members with positive experience on the reality
of constraints and risks in project management
 Lack of leadership and clarity of team members’
roles had detrimental effect on holistic direction
of the project
ASMS background

 Established in 2003
 Total investment A$ 14 mill.
 170 students and 23 staff members
 Years 10-12
 Curriculum: South Australian Certificate of
Education SACE
Objectives, scope, exclusions,
constraints, related projects and risks

 Develop an appropriate induction program to

ensure consistent and relevant information are
included
 Identify all stakeholders, organize
communications and meetings, design ISIP and
formalize necessary arrangement to allow its
implementation from 2004
 The project is led by students
 The change of State Government policy
Prince2 framework

 Standard SA State Government project

management methodology framework. Prince2
used in construction phase of ASMS
 Group looked at six key areas:
1.Start up a project: Getting decision-makers
together, appointment of a project manager
and outlining of the project.
Prince2 framework

2.Directing a project: Getting approval for project

implementation from senior managers to whom the
project manager reports.
3. Initiating a project: Making detailed estimation of
cost, time and other resources, for submission to the
senior managers for approval.
4.Planning: Consideration of key planning aspects
including products to produce, activities to produce
them, resources estimation, activities scheduling and
risks analysis.
Prince2 framework

5. Managing product delivery: It is the

responsibility of the manager to give instructions
to ensure that products are produced at the right
time and according to the desire specification.

6. Closing a project: The recording of lessons

learned, planning of post project review and
releasing of resources with approval from the
senior managers.
 International Student Induction Process
Australian Science & Mathematic School
Dec-Jan

Confirm
student
selection 15 Jan-15 Feb 15-28 Feb 1-2 Mar 3 Mar

-Send Pre-Dep. Information

Determine visa -Airport reception -Orientation Attend normal
Assessment Level -Arrange airport reception
-On-arrival info. -Meet tutor class
–Inform host family

AL 1
-eCoE1 Confirm Homestay Determine
No
AL 2 -Care arrangement arrival date. placement Language need
confirmed

AL 3 Yes
-Offer-place letter Confirm visa grant
-Care arrangement by end of February
AL 4 Bridging English
prepared course
-Visa appli. dvice Yes placement
No

Refer to next -eCoE

-Care arrangement
school year confirmed

Fee Arrangement

1. eCoE= Electronic
confirmation
Stakeholders

Australian Science and Mathematics School

The Flinders University of South Australia

The Department of Education and Children’s

Service of South Australia
ASMS

 Plans for up to 150 international students

 Mostly full fee paying, but some scholarships
 Important links to Flinders University upon
graduation
 School uncertain about how and when to
begin international program
 Impact on budget
Flinders University

 Design of ASMS curriculum

 Governance
 Facility
 Teaching staff
 Cross teaching
Education and government

 DECS executive, other internal

 Other government and non government
schools in South Australia
 Potential host families
 DIMIA
 DEST
What worked…

The good:
 Detailed and collegiate sub project
initiatives
 Comprehensive risk assessment, including
identification of limitations and constraints
 Rigorous project scoping
 Detailed project planning
What didn’t work…

The bad
 Lack of project manager
 Poor, non existent or ambiguous sub project
plans
 Uncertainty about acquittals process or
formal project hierarchy
 Lack of proper time management and
planning (Gantt chart)
Group Learning

 Group dynamics - language, education,

religion, culture, gender
 Mutual cultural learning
 Application of project management as a
learning experience for group members from
overseas
Recommendations
 ASMS must determine international student
policy, confirm enrolment place availability

 Develop better formal links with IES (DECS)

 Consider the seeking of a formal review into

IES induction policies
Recommendations
 Homesickness
 Transitional stage-adoption to culture, language, food,
school environment,
 High achievers in their home countries
 So,
 Support program at school –bilingual counselor, e-mail
contact with parents
 Involvement of local students e.g. ‘a host student’
program
 Exchange of teachers- if majority of students are
coming from one country
Recommendations

 Maintain school reputation

 Training of staff-inform about international
student concerns, such as language barrier,
explain about cultural differences, such as
food restrictions, religious practice and etc.
 To explain rules and procedures to students
 Students might come at any time throughout
the academic year
Conclusion
Project failure to achieve the
objectives

 Misconceived scope
 Unrealistic expectations of team members
 Lack leadership to provide clarity to project
direction
 Rather compartmentalized approach to
achieve sub project assignments
 Failure to achieve good communication with
the principle stakeholders
Conclusion
Unpleasant but good learning
experience

 Project success requires team members’ full

participation from the plan development stage to
achieve a clear understanding of individual roles and
commitment to them
 Ability to better adjust to changing project
management environment
 Lack of effective and strong leadership leads to
deviations from the project plan
 Need some arbitration or decisive decision-making
when failing to reach a consensus
Conclusion
Unpleasant but good learning
experience

 Clarified the boundary of ASMS ’s responsibilities in

relation to international student induction process
 Need link from ASMS web page to IES of DECS
– facilitate international student’s access to
information, and
– serve as reference on linkage between ASMS
and the Commonwealth/States International
programs