1. Assessment Brief
CASE STUDY
For this assessment you have to choose one the following scenarios:
Scenario 1 – Your own Project and Company
You can select a company and a project you are working on or you have worked on in the past. If you choose this scenario your report should start with a short description of the company and project (no more than 50 words)
Scenario 2 – The Hilti Group implements the new cloud-based software Salesforce
In 2018 the Hilti Group (i.e., a multinational company that develops, manufactures and sales professional product for the construction sector), has decided after 20 years to update the IT software used by its marketing and sales employees and migrate from SAP to Salesforce (i.e., a new could-based CRM system). This change requires the migration of all information from the old SAP to the new Salesforce software and re-skilling of all IT, marketing and sales employees. The project is still running and by the time it will be completed, more than 20.000 employees across 23 countries will been involved and/or affected by this transformation. This project currently represents one of the biggest steps in Hilti’s digital transformation strategy to date.
Here are some additional resources for background information:
• Avi Kahn, member of the board of directors, discusses the project at: https://www.salesforce.com/video/14845046/ (Accessed: 11th December 2020)
• Company website: https://www.hilti.group/content/hilti/CP/XX/en.html#nav/nav-company (Accessed: 11th December 2020)
Additional independent research is needed to perform this assessment. When information is not available you can make your own assumptions, but you must list your assumptions and what they are based upon.
Scenario 3 – University of Cambridge moves to online teaching
In the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the University of Cambridge, together with other UK Universities, suddenly migrated all its undergraduate and post-graduate teaching online. In the summer of 2020, the University of Cambridge announced that all lectures will be permanently online until the summer of 2021. This migration to online teaching requires a big change in the programs and modules structure and material, a re-skilling of lecturers and students. It also entails an increase of overall digital literacy including the adoption of software for online teaching and online exams and a re-thinking of the students’ experience. This represents one of the biggest projects that the University of Cambridge has run in the recent years.
Here are some additional resources for background information:
• BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52732814 (Accessed: 11th December 2020)
• Teaching in 2020-21: https://www.cctl.cam.ac.uk/teaching-2020-21 (Accessed: 11th December 2020)
• University website: https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university (Accessed: 11th December 2020)
Additional independent research is needed to perform this assessment. When information is not available you can make your own assumptions, but you must list your assumptions and what they are based upon.
QUESTIONS
You have been asked by the Chief Executive Officer of the company of your chosen scenario to provide a 5000-word consultancy report about the project that is going to be delivered. The report must cover the following:
A. Project Selection and Portfolio Management (15 Marks)
Review the company website of your chosen scenario, examine its strategic goals and directions and, based on this research, explain what type of projects you would expect the company to pursue and provide reasons why.
Afterwards, advise the company about which screening module you suggest using for the project selection (e.g., checklist, simplified scoring, analytical hierarchy, profile) and critically justify your recommendation
Finally, give recommendations to the company on how to effectively manage a project portfolio and explain why (e.g., you can use the project portfolio matrix or any other relevant frameworks or theoretical models to support your argument).
Please note, for this task you have to have to study the company of your chosen scenario and give them general recommendations on how to select projects and manage a portfolio of projects. You do not need to focus on the specific project presented in the scenario.
B. The Organisational Context (15 Marks)
This part of the report focuses on the specific project presented in your chosen scenario.
Based on your previous discussion of the company’s strategic goals and directions, critical discuss how, in your opinion, the project is linked to company’s strategic choice (you can use the TOWS matrix, or any other relevant frameworks or theoretical models to support your discussion).
Once the link between company’s strategy and project has been defined, recommend the organisational structure (i.e., functional, divisional, project, matrix, hybrid, network or any other relevant organisational structure) that the company should adopt to increase the likelihood of success of the project. With the support of academic literature, critically discuss what would be strengths and weakness of the recommended organisational structure and the impact on the project.
C. Project Governance (15 Marks)
The next step is to give advice about the best way to make decisions within the project. In order to do this please note the following:
• Compare advantages and disadvantages of two project management governance frameworks of your choice
• Give recommendations for the chosen two (discussed above) project governance frameworks and which one would work better for your scenario Critically justify your choice with the support of academic literature
• Give recommendations for which governance institutions have to be created to successfully manage the process and critically justify your recommendations with the support of academic literature or/and similar case studies.
D. Leadership (10 Marks)
Evaluate the role of the project leader in the project of your selected scenario and with the support of academic literature discuss how the role of this project leader would make this project successful.
Once you have discussed the role of project leader, give recommendations as to how project champions can support the project of your selected scenario and critically discuss what would be the best way to manage those project champions. Your arguments must be supported by academic literature.
E. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (15 Marks)
To support the delivery of the project of your chosen scenario you must:
• Compare advantages and disadvantages of two project management methodologies of your choice (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, Prince2)
• Choose one project management methodology (between the 2 discussed before) that best suits your chosen scenario, and critically justify your choice. Support your arguments with academic literature and references to other similar real-life projects.
F. Managing and Leading Change (15 Marks)
Give advice to the company of your chosen scenario about how change management can be incorporated into the project in a structured manner, and how to involve people affected by the project in the change management process. Support your arguments with academic literature and references to other similar real projects.
G. Presentation and Structure (10 Marks)
H. Assessment Self-Evaluation (5 Marks)
You must self-evaluate each single task of your report by using the rubric provided in the marking guide and attach it to your report. The template for this can be found in the marking guide section
By completing this report, you are going to meet the following learning outcomes (LOs)
• LO1: Critically evaluate the organisational attributes that are integral to the success of a project within an organisational context.
• LO2: Critically evaluate how organisations select projects from numerous opportunities using best practices in a global setting.
• LO3: Develop the skills required for building and leading successful project teams within a project management environment.
• LO4: Critically appraise techniques in Project Planning and Scheduling and how these apply within a project environment.
