UXH410 Strategic Construction Management

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This fourth year unit in the Construction Management (CM) course builds on the basic and intermediate knowledge, skills and understanding already gained in earlier units of the course. The unit is set within the real-world scenario of a medium-sized construction company that is planning to locate into a new and emerging sector of the Australian construction market and also trying to improve business growth and profitability. The learning in this unit is provided by study and practice using real-world case-studies and tools and techniques, some within a computer-based setting, that simulate the challenges, problems, issues and solutions that students will face in CM practice in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Create a series of professional tenders and competitive bids that include strategic and human-centred principles, processes for human resource management and workforce motivation across multiple disciplines.
2. Strategically plan and develop your construction business to manage a budget, monitor cash flow and perform cost control and economic assessment.
3. Research and apply innovative approaches to the planning and management of resources, quality management, business information and improved planning and production processes.
4. Address specific requirements of diverse groups, including Indigenous peoples.
5. Reflect on the successes and challenges of running a medium sized construction business.
6. Communicate professionally the outcomes of and recommendations from your strategic planning and management decisions.
7. Collaborate to achieve shared goals and review the work of your peers in an ethical manner.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit employs a simulated approach to active, problem-based, practical, and collaborative learning to provide opportunities for you to practice all the major aspects of managing a construction business.  

• Your participation in the unit includes:

Independent engagement with online learning guides that provide resources and learning activities to introduce concepts and apply and consolidate your knowledge.

• Weekly lectorials that include:

Interviews with industry representatives and engagement with experienced lecturers who will introduce and explain new concepts.

The facilitation of discussion and knowledge sharing.

Activities that allow you to practice applying your knowledge and skills of critical inquiry and problem solving through the use of workplace situations and scenarios.

Reflection on your development of knowledge, skills and experiences.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

1. Rubrics provided to show the expected standard for each criterion in an assessment item.
2. Comments returned to you via Canvas Grade Centre
3. Lecture/consultation sessions may be available for group and individual feedback prior to assessment due dates and on completion of assessments.
4. Generic comments provided via QUT Canvas and in class.

Assessment

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan for a new venture:
Acting in the role of a construction manager of a medium-sized construction company, you have been tasked with developing and presenting a Strategic Plan for the development of a new subsidiary which is moving into a new construction market.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Simulation

Acting as the general manager of a medium-sized building company, you will prepare an Initial Report analysing the current state of the company and outlining your goals for recovering the company's financial performance, an analysis of your own performance and achievement of results as part of the construction management team, and present your final Results Report to the Board of Directors. Submission: End of week 9 for the Initial Report; End of week 13 for Results Report and Presentation.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

All commencing SEF students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

EN55 Master of Professional Engineering

1. Apply advanced and specialist knowledge, concepts and practices in engineering design, analysis management and sustainability.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan
2. Apply systematic approaches to plan, design, execute and manage an engineering project.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan, Simulation
3. Communicate complex information effectively and succinctly, presenting high level reports, arguments and justifications in oral, written and visual forms to professional and non specialist audiences.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan, Simulation
4. Organise and manage time, tasks and projects independently, and collaboratively demonstrating the values and principles that shape engineering decision making and professional accountability.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan, Simulation

EN60 Graduate Certificate in Communication for Engineering

1. Demonstrate and apply specialised knowledge and technical skills in at least one Engineering discipline.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan
2. Critically investigate real world engineering issues and solve complex problems drawing on specialised creative skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, theory and practice.
   Relates to: Simulation
3. Employ effective written and oral professional communication skills across social, cultural and discipline domains.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan, Simulation
4. Exercise responsibility and accountability in applying knowledge and skills for own learning and effective practice including working independently, ethically and collaboratively.
   Relates to: Strategic Plan, Simulation