leadership and management materials with questions

Assessor Initials

Authentic

Valid

Reliable

Current

Sufficient

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to access project scope and other relevant documentation and define project stakeholders

Activity

The local City Council want to stage a free family fun day at the local city Botanic Gardens to celebrate its 25th Birthday.

Who would you list as the stakeholders?

Stakeholders could include:

The local City Council

Community and Economic bodies

Local councillor

Media

Media Sponsors

Charity and societies

Contractors

Sponsors

Co-workers

Clubs.

Estimated Time

45 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to seek clarification from delegating authority of issues related to project and project parameters

Activity

Using the examples provided of the types of parameters you may need to consider when seeking clarification from a delegating authority for issues related to the project, detail briefly your thoughts and suggestions on the impact of these:

· Project finances or budget

· Procurement requirements associated with project

· Scope of project

· Integration of project within organisation

· Legislative and quality standards

· Physical, human and technical resources available or required for project

· Reporting requirements

· Risks associated with project, including WHS

· Time lines.

Project finances or budget

· Direct costs are those which are directly attributable to a project

· Indirect costs which the project may incur but which cannot be directly attributed to individual areas

Direct example - Labour costs superannuation, payroll tax, workers compensation, etc.

· Travel

· Consumables

· Equipment hire

Indirect costs - are those costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular project

Procurement requirements associated with project

Procurement management involves planning, soliciting sources, choosing a source, and administering the contract.

· Procurement planning is the process of identifying which part of the project should be procured from resources outside of the organisation.

· Generally, procurement decisions are made early on in the planning processes.

Scope of project

No matter how small the project, a clear definition and statement of the areas and boundaries of the project need to be established.

The scope of the project includes the outcomes, stakeholders, output work and resources (both human and financial).

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to identify limits of own responsibility and reporting requirements and clarify relationship of project to other projects and to the organisation's objectives

Case Study

Are there other projects that have occurred previously that would help you better understand the strategic objectives?

· If so, what are they?

· Are you able to access them?

· How do they compare with the current proposed project?

· How can you relate such key items as cost, feasibility, and so forth?

Refer to a workplace example if possible.

As part of your preparation you should go through this activity as though you were to complete it yourself, so that you are able to understand the requirements. Doing this will also allow you to guide your learner’s in achieving the areas of competency.

Please bear in mind that particular activities cover a wide range of industries and therefore to give example answers would be to narrow the knowledge gained and shown by the learners. All activities will need to be regarded in terms of:

· The industry you work in

· The learner’s workplace

· The state you are in

· Your learner’s knowledge, skills and experience.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to determine and access available resources to undertake project

Activity

Using your workplace as the source of a project, complete the initial details in this suggested example.

Answers will vary depending on learner and their workplace

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to develop project plan in line with the project parameters and identify and access appropriate project management tools

Activity

Using your workplace as a reference, in groups or as directed by the instructor, develop a project plan outline using a suitable tool, either from the examples provided or using what is provided by your workplace.

You should address:

· Timelines

· Work structure

· Responsibilities

· Parameters

And describe the project management system used:

Please bear in mind that particular activities cover a wide range of industries and therefore to give example answers would be too narrow to cover the knowledge gained and shown by the learners. All activities will need to be regarded in terms of:

· The industry you work in

· The learner’s workplace

· The state you are in

· Your learner’s knowledge, skills and experience

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to formulate risk management plan for project, including Work Health and Safety (WHS)

Activity

Conduct a WHS audit.

In groups, or as directed by the instructor, using a project plan example or one from your workplace address the issues below as it relates to your project WHS assessment.

Answers will vary depending on group, so a discussion once complete will help to share ideas and knowledge

Instructor Notes

Instructor example

Design a simple project WHS reporting and monitoring check list:

· Site location and layout plan highlighting the safety considerations, risks at or in the vicinity, signage and other features

· Stages of the project and key activities or milestones

· Identification of key hazards associated with main stages or activities

· Names of key personnel and contact details, including any communications protocol within your organisation

· Identification of safety considerations in the design of the project

· Temporary accommodation, pedestrian and vehicular routes

· Project signage should include details such as Principal Contractor name and contact numbers (including after-hours telephone number).

Work health and safety risk management steps – examples:

· Identify hazards or hazardous tasks

· Reviewing incident reports and records

· Observing work activities

· Asking workers and others to raise work health and safety matters during regular discussions e.g. During work group meetings

· Include discussion of recent incidents, new or changed processes, maintenance issues or suggested improvements

· Review standard operating procedures

· Review instructions and literature relating to a particular workplace, activity, equipment or materials

· Review operator manuals, safety data sheets, industry bulletins, or journals.

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to develop and approve project budget

Activity

In groups, or as directed by the instructor and using a project from your workplace, address the issues below as it relates to developing and planning for approval of a project budget. Use as an example the base structure of an existing workplace project but avoid simply duplicating that budget!

1. Demonstrate your budget knowledge:

· Estimate team hours required to complete each task

· Describe applicable overhead costs as a percentage of those direct labour costs

· Estimate other direct costs (such as consultants, printing etc)

· Describe appropriate contingency costs and why

2. Detail how much you have to spend

3. Detail what project expenses are mandatory or most important

4. How would you go about obtaining prices and quotes for expenses

Instructor Notes

Please bear in mind that particular activities cover a wide range of industries and therefore to give example answers would be too narrow to cover the knowledge gained and shown by the learners. All activities will need to be regarded in terms of:

· The industry you work in

· The learner’s workplace

· The state you are in

· Your learner’s knowledge, skills and experience.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to consult team members and take their views into account in planning the project

Activity

In groups, or as directed by the instructor, conduct this activity by asking the team members questions about project time constraints for an example project.

· Obtain the information from your team based on a project of your choice.

Issue: time constraints.

Answers will vary depending on learner and the answers they receive.

Project: smartening up and reorganising the sales area.

· Daniel’s role is to paint the walls.

· Time is taken to ensure a smooth and even coat and to allow the paint to dry between layers.

· The deadline is over a three-day weekend, so theoretically this can be done in time.

· It is not possible to cut the painting or drying times, but the sooner it is begun the sooner it will be completed.

· Daniel needs all of the appropriate equipment and for the furniture and wall furnishings to be removed or protected. He also needs an overnight drying time, where the walls will not be accidentally brushed against.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to finalise project plan and gain necessary approvals to commence project according to documented plan

Activity

1. Describe what experiences you have encountered in gaining the necessary approvals to commence a project?

2. How did you overcome any approval obstacles?

3. What were the methods you used in seeking approvals?

Answer in relation to an identified project example.

All answers will vary.

1. For example: justifying the project, justifying the budget, communication issues.

2. For example: justified the need for the project, justified the additional expenditure and established an agreed communication method with relevant supervisors and authorities.

3. For example: presented project outline and projections for benefit to business.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to take action to ensure project team members are clear about their responsibilities and the project requirements and provide support for project team members, especially with regard to specific needs, to ensure that the quality of the expected outcomes of the project and documented time lines are met

Activity

Using a workplace example of a recent or current project, detail your findings on how you experienced it as a team member or how you handled it as a project manager using the following examples provided:

1. Take action to ensure project team members are clear about their responsibilities and the project requirements

2. Provide support for project team members, especially with regard to specific needs, to ensure that the quality of the expected outcomes of the project and documented time lines are met

All answers may vary.

1. As a project manager, I ensured that team members were clear about their responsibilities by issuing everyone with a printed job description and breakdown. After doing this, I spent five minutes with each person checking that they understood everything.

2. As a project manager, I ensured that I was always contactable and able to help anyone in any way required.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to establish and maintain required record keeping systems throughout the project

Activity

Using a workplace example of a recent or current project, detail how you experienced maintaining required record keeping systems throughout the project as a team member or how you handled it as a project manager, using the performance criteria just addressed.

Provide examples and suggestions used in your workplace.

All answers will vary.

For example: I followed organisational protocol to ensure that all relevant information was recorded in the appropriate format and that this information was filed and stored in line with requirements, so that it was easily available at all times.

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to implement and monitor plans for managing project finances, resources and quality

Activity

Suggest further comments to these steps for implementing and monitoring plans for managing project finances.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to complete and forward project reports as required to stakeholders and undertake risk management as required to ensure project outcomes are met

Activity

In groups, or as directed by the instructor, and using a project from within your workplace conduct a risk assessment using the session notes and discussions just held.

It is required to address the following:

1. External/strategic context

2. Internal/organisational context

3. Risk management context

Guide students as to the extent of the risk assessment through the selected project from the workplace.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to achieve project deliverables

Activity

Discuss in groups, or as directed by the instructor, your experiences in the workplace on how project deliverables were:

Answers will vary depending on learner, their workplace and their experiences.

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to finalise project

Activity

Complete and comment on the suggested forms reports and tables detailed in this session which are designed to “finalise a project” and make specific references to your experiences with:

· Completing financial record keeping

· Assign staff involved in project to other roles etc. And obtain any necessary sign offs

· Complete project documentation

Please bear in mind that particular activities cover a wide range of industries and therefore to give example answers would be too narrow to cover the knowledge gained and shown by the learners. All activities will need to be regarded in terms of:

· The industry you work in

· The learner’s workplace

· The state you are in

· Your learner’s knowledge, skills and experience.

Estimated Time

40 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to review the project.

Activity

Give an example of a workplace project and explain the process you would follow to review its effectiveness and success.

List the tools and techniques you would use to do this.

All answers will vary. Learners will need to explain the organisational procedures and policies applied to reviewing projects and also mention any specific techniques, templates and tools they would use.

Estimated Time

60 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the required skills, knowledge and critical aspects of assessment.

Activity

Complete the following individually and attach your completed work to your

workbook.

The answers to the following questions will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of:

Reading

Writing

Numeracy

Oral communication

Navigate the world of work

Interact with others

Get the work done

Project management tools and how they contribute to a project

Types of documents and other sources of information commonly used in defining the parameters of a project

Processes for identifying and managing risk in a project

The organisation’s mission, goals, objectives and operations and how the project relates to them

The organisation’s procedures and processes that are relevant to managing a project including:

Lines of authority and approvals

Quality assurance

Human resources

Budgets and finance

Recordkeeping

Reporting.

Identify a project that could realistically be undertaken in your place of work.

Define this project, by explaining its purpose and intended outcomes. Who are the stakeholders? What is your own role and level of responsibility? How does this align with the organisation’s objectives?

How would you develop a project plan? Explain the project parameters, explain a budget, note how many staff you would need and identify a potential risk.

How would you monitor the project? How would you assign staff their roles and brief them of this? How would you support the staff? What are the deliverables?

How would you finalise the project? What financial records do you have to keep? How do you transition staff into their new roles? What documentation do you need to sign off?

How would you review the project? How would you review the outcomes? How would you determine the level of success and the effectiveness of the project? What lessons have been learned?

As this is the skills and knowledge activity, you should aim to demonstrate as much of the skills and knowledge as you can, to show your competency and understanding of the unit.

All answers will vary. Learners should be able to detail their process, using the general and more detailed points above, but they should also add in any details and information that they feel is relevant.

Estimated Time

60 – 120 Minutes

Objective

To provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the entire unit.

Activity

This is a major activity – you should let the learners know whether they will complete it during class or in their own time.

They must individually answer the following questions in full to show their competency of each element:

1. Define project

2. Develop project plan

3. Administer and monitor project

4. Finalise project

5. Review project.

1) Why is project scope important?

To keep work focused upon the intended outcomes of the project and to avoid scope creep.

2) Why do you need to define project stakeholders?

So you know who to work with, who to consult, who to keep informed, etc.

3) Why is delegating authority important in a project?

To ensure that tasks are completed in good time.

4) Why do you need to recognise the limits of your role?

So that you don’t overstep your role.

5) Why do you need to understand the purpose of this project in the context of the organisation’s objectives?

To see how it contributes to the bigger picture.

6) Why do you need to determine available resources?

So you can use what is available and can rectify any errors.

7) Why do you need to keep within the project parameters?

To keep the project on track.

8) Why do you need to use project management tools?

Organisational policy and to make your job easier and more efficient.

9) Why do you need to be aware of risks?

Prevention, contingency measures, insurance, education and training, etc.

10) Why are budgets important?

To provide a spending guideline and to track expenditure.

11) Why do you need to take your team’s views into account?

Teamwork, strengthening, respect, variety, etc.

12) Why do you need to gain approval for your project before you start?

To ensure that you are permitted to undertake the project.

13) Why do team members need to be clear about their roles?

Compliance and so they can do what is expected of them and not what they are not permitted / expected / required to do.

14) Why do you need to support team members?

To maintain the integrity of the team, help them perform better, to provide effective working conditions, etc.

15) Why is record keeping important?

To track expenditure, timeframes, work completed, etc.

16) Why do you need to monitor project expenditure?

To avoid overspending or underspending.

17) Why might project stakeholders require copies of reports?

Various reasons, but generally to keep them up to date and informed of their progress.

18) Why does risk management contribute to meeting outcomes?

Being aware of risks and therefore avoiding them will lessen your chances of the project becoming derailed or troubled.

19) Why do you need to achieve project deliverables?

Project deliverables are the whole point of the project!

20) Why do you need to check records for accuracy?

To minimise the potential negative effect of errors and to maintain compliance.

21) Why is post-project staff transition important?

To ensure that staff have suitable work and to avoid disrupting normal business / the next project.

22) Why are sign-offs required?

To prove confirmation of the subject and communications received.

23) Why do you need to review project outcomes and processed against the project’s scope and plan?

To ensure outcomes were met and that they were relevant.

24) Why is involving team members in project reviews important?

To gather their feedback on what went well and not so well.

25) Why is documenting lessons learned a good practice?

So they can be applied to the next project and other tasks as well.