LO1 Critically analyse project management methodologies and tools for implementing a successful project.

Coursework Assignment Brief

Assessment - Postgraduate

Academic Year 2024-25

Module Title: Principles of Project Management

Module Code: ENG7143

Assessment Type

Coursework

Level

Weighting

75%

Word Count/Workload

2500 words

Submission Date

13th May 2025

Submission Time

4pm UK Time

Time Limit

N/A

Assessment Information
Assessment Summary (with type)	Project Report based on a Case Study (60%) Individual Report maximum word count of 2500 words (+/- 10% excluding abstract, references and appendices). Online Quiz (15%) A graded quiz to demonstrate knowledge and application of project management course material.
Assessment Title	Project Managing the new Tesla Gigafactory in Texas.
Things to include:	Individual Report Online Quiz

Completion of this assessment will address the following learning outcomes:
1	Critically analyse project management methodologies and tools for implementing a successful project.
2	Evaluate approaches to human resource management for a successful project noting cultural, social and economic influences.
3	Assess the role of quality and risk management in the delivery of successful projects.
4	Evaluate the usefulness of current tools and software, such as Prince II as a methodology.

Submission Information

Present any written aspects of the assessment using font size 11 and using 1.5 spacing to allow for comments and annotations to be added by the markers.

Complete the appropriate cover sheet for this assessment and append your work.

This assessment will be marked anonymously and should show your student number only. Submit this coursework assessment task via Moodle.

Late Submission

Assessments must be submitted in the format specified in the assessment task, by the deadline and to the submission point published on Moodle. Failure to submit by the published deadline will result in penalties which are set out in Section 6 of the Academic Regulations, available at: https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/Quality-Enhancement-and-Inclusion/Quality-Assurance-and- Enhancement/Academic-Regulations

Word Count

The maximum word count for this module assessment is shown on Page 1. A +10% margin of tolerance is applied, beyond which nothing further will be marked. Marks cannot be awarded for any learning outcomes addressed outside the word count.

The word count refers to everything in the main body of the text (including headings, tables, citations, quotes, lists etc.). Everything before (i.e. abstract, acknowledgements, contents, executive summaries etc.) and after (i.e. references, bibliographies, appendices etc) is not included in the word count limit.

Referencing Style

BCU Harvard

More information on referencing is available here: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/library/services-and- support/referencing

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Whilst AI tools can be helpful in assisting learning, when it comes to assessment, the Academic Misconduct Procedure is clear that this should be a student’s own original work and not the work of other people or AI tools.

The Use of AI Tools – Student Guidelines document follows the same guidelines your lecturers use. If you are unsure of whether AI is appropriate within your work, please read the guidelines or ask your lecturer. For advice and guidance around academic writing, please visit the Centre for Academic Success.

Academic Integrity Guidance

Academic integrity is the attitude of approaching your academic work honestly, by completing and submitting your own original work, attributing and acknowledging your sources when necessary. Understanding good academic practice in written and oral work is a key element of academic integrity. It is a positive aspect of joining an academic community, showing familiarity with and acknowledging sources of evidence. The skills you require at higher education may differ from those learned elsewhere such as school or college.

You will be required to follow specific academic conventions which include acknowledging the work of others through appropriate referencing and citation as explicitly as possible. If you include ideas or quotations that have not been appropriately acknowledged, this may be seen as plagiarism which is a form of academic misconduct. If you require support around referencing, please contact the Centre for Academic Success

It is important to recognise that seeking out learning around academic integrity will help reduce the risk of misconduct in your work. Skills such as paraphrasing,

referencing and citation are integral to acting with integrity and you can develop and advance these key academic skills through the Centre for Academic Success (CAS).

To learn more about academic integrity and its importance at university, you can access CAS resources on Moodle. Furthermore, you can book on to workshops and request 1-2-1 support around key academic skills.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is conduct that has or may have the effect of providing you with an unfair advantage by relying on dishonest means to gain advantage and which therefore compromises your academic integrity.

The Academic Misconduct procedure sets out the process we will follow, and the penalties we may apply, in cases where we believe you may have compromised your academic integrity by committing academic misconduct. The Academic Misconduct Procedure and information about academic support is available at: https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/Student-Affairs/Appeals-and- Resolutions/Academic-Misconduct-Procedure

Title: Project Managing the new Tesla Gigafactory in Texas

Style: Individual Report Online Quiz

Rationale: The Project Management Institute defines project management as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. This assignment will help the students to apply these skills by investigating real world issues associated with project management. Allowing them to improve their ability to understand, analyse and synthesize complex scenarios and apply them to a case study. Within the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, and managing resources with the goal of completing specific deliverables within budget and time. The student will have an opportunity at the end of the module to monitor their project management knowledge, by an online quiz.

Description: Tesla Inc is an American electric car and clean energy company based in California, USA.

Tesla’s future project is to build another Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. (Please note, assumption will be made about the new upcoming Gigafactory in this case study, but only for the purpose of this assignment).

The new Gigafactory project will start on January 1, 2026 and will be completed in time for the start of the 2028 season (project duration of 2 years). If the project is delayed past the completion date, the company will start to occur a cost of $1,000,000 per day, against the initial budget set aside for the project. Elon Musk, the CEO of the company revealed the cost of the project could be as much as $1 Billion.

Phase one (infrastructure) of the project will start by sourcing the appropriate site to construct the new Gigafactory. An activity known as site selection; this will last for 30 days. Once the land is sourced in Austin, Texas after careful consideration, work will begin for land preparation which will take around 35 days to complete. The design and planning for the facilities, will start simultaneously. The design activity will last for 35 days and planning will take 55 days to complete. Next will come the built phase, the actual construction of the building. One of the longest activities of the project, lasting about 150 days. To complete the construction and to the make the building watertight, a roof must be constructed, which will add another 60 days to the project. Only once it becomes watertight, the plumbing and the electrics will be allowed to be installed simultaneously. Plumbing will take around 30 days and electrics a little longer 40 days. Finally, to complete the first stage of the project a final inspection of work will be carried out, this can take up to 10 days to inspect.

Phase two (internal assembly and support systems) the construction and integration of the internal manufacturing assembly system. An assembly system is a robotic manufacturing process in which parts are added as the product (vehicle) moves from work area to work area, where the parts are added in sequence until the final product is produced. The integration of all the systems represents the most significant technical challenge to the

project. In order of production, the first area to be fitted out will be the battery and drivetrain assembly area, a 70 days activity. Followed by seat assembly area 50 days and final vehicle

assembly area 80 days. To finalise the production stage, a paint and ventilation area will be completed in 90 days. Eventually, to support the production a central supply building needs to be constructed (100 Days) and finally, a test track outside the building (80 days) to test out the final product before it leaves the Gigafactory.

Given the information provided answer the following questions:

Individual report (60%)

You are required to produce a report. As you work through your report, you need to justify the decisions you have made, and if you make any assumption also need to be noted.

Tasks

To ensure the success of the project, you need to identify and discuss the methods of project planning and project control that can be used.

Will the project be able to be completed by the January 2028 deadline? Construct a network schedule for the project.

How long will it take and what is the critical path for the project?
What steps might be taken to improve the timing schedule if the project were required to be completed in 100 days earlier?

Include a Gantt chart for the project plan.

Higher marks awarded if done using appropriate project planning software and correct with no errors.

Develop a proper project budget, by justifying your choices and estimates. What are the estimated costs of the deliverables?

What weakness exist in the estimation approach?

What project management methodologies can be used for implementing this project successfully?

Online Quiz (15%)

You will have the opportunity to test your knowledge on project management through the use of a quiz that has to be submitted by deadline; it has a duration of 45 minutes and will consist of 35 questions. You only have one attempt. The results of the quiz will be output straight after.

Additional information:

For advice on writing style, referencing and academic skills, please make use of the Centre for Academic Success: https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/celt/centre-for-academic-success

Transferable skills: Project Management, Budgeting, Planning, Leadership, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Verbal Communication, Time Management and Analytical Skills.

Marking Criteria: Your Individual report and Quiz will be marked to Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Table of Assessment Criteria and Associated Grading Criteria
	Assessment Criteria à	Individual report	Online Quiz
	Weighting:	60 % of assessment	15 % of assessment
	Grading Criteria 0 – 29% Fail	A badly failed piece of work. No real attempt to answer the questions. There are poor arguments and lack of relevance. Inadequate reference to relevant project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project.	Not attempted / incomplete or very poor.
	30 – 39% Fail	A failed piece of work. This report shows some understanding of the general but there are major errors and inadequate reference to all or some key concepts (i.e. project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project). Contents partly or substantially irrelevant. Poorly structured. Displays little knowledge or understanding of the subject matter.	A little evidence of knowledge of key issues/concepts/ethics in discipline.
	40 – 49%	Material is largely relevant, but muddled, lacking focus and structure. Important elements are missing or there are significant errors of understanding of all or some key concepts (i.e. project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project).	Attempts made but not sufficient to pass.
	50 – 59%	Generally good attempt and answers shows adequate knowledge of subject. However, there are some elements missing (i.e. project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project) and there is a limited evidence of independent thought or further reading.	Adequate knowledge of key issues/concepts/ethics in discipline.
	60 – 69%	Comprehensive and coherent answers to the questions. Evidence of significant reading beyond the basic texts. Displays a good knowledge of the subject matter and an ability to discuss concepts (i.e. project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project) intelligently and analytically.	Good knowledge of key issues/concepts/ethics in discipline.

	70 – 79%	Well-focussed answer and comprehensive. Strong evidence of reading beyond the basic texts and lecture materials, displays mastery of the subject matter and ability to discuss project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project in an intelligent and penetrating manner. No major errors though some minor errors.	Very good knowledge of key issues/concepts/ethics in discipline.
	80 – 89%	Well-focussed, carefully structured and thorough answer. Cogent and clearly argued around project management methodologies, tools and software and approaches to human resource management for implementing a successful project. There is originality and/or independent critical analytical ability that shows mastery of the subject matter to an exceptional degree. No major errors and only occasional minor errors.	Excellent knowledge of key issues/concepts/ethics in discipline.

Critically analyse project management methodologies and tools for implementing a successful project. 2 Evaluate approaches to human resource management for a successful project noting cultural, social and economic influences.