PMQ604 Strategy and Projects

Unit Outline: Session 1 2024, QUT Online, Online

Overview

This unit explores the detailed links between the organisational business strategy and the projects, programs and portfolios delivered by organisations. It teaches you how to use tools and techniques to extract maximum value from the program and portfolio that organisations espouse to, hence developing strategies for delivering optimal benefit for both client and provider organisations. This unit builds on a sound understanding of project and business lifecycles and informs program and portfolio planning and development activities. Teaching and learning approaches ensure that the skills acquired are applied by engaging in a range of real-world case-studies and through the development and delivery of your own project strategies and reports. This will help you to develop optimal programs and portfolios for a client or provider business, by extracting maximum value from these through linking and aligning these to your business strategy.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify and assess in detail the strategic alignment and viability of projects, programs and portfolios with their business direction
2. Critically analyse/evaluate how a project / programs and portfolios deliver benefits into the client and provider organizations
3. Demonstrate the ethical, social and environmental implications in the project environment.
4. Demonstrate written and oral communication skills to industry and academic standards both in a team and project environment to fulfil the specialist project team roles, taking into account cultural considerations including Indigenous cultural considerations.

Content

Learning Approaches

You will engage in both individual and group activities designed to develop your theoretical understanding and assist your exploration of the application of those theories to a range of 'real world' situations using topical scenarios and case studies. This unit is project based, and incorporates experiential learning using a real-world case study.

Through in-depth analysis and discussion, you will learn how to apply relevant frameworks, methods, tools and techniques to understand, evaluate, and manage projects and programs in context. The unit learning objectives will be achieved through a combination of lectures, interactive class discussions, case studies, readings, and your assignment submissions.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

• Written feedback on summative assessment works in addition to CRA sheets.
• Ongoing peer and lecturer feedback on activities in class
• Generic comments back to the cohort via Canvas Online
• 
  In addition, consultation time is available to clarify elements of the assessment and to provide feedback.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment items for this unit will include both individual and group assignments and grades will be issued in accordance with Section C/5.3 of the QUT Manual of Policies and Procedures (MOPP) .The assessment strategy involves individual and group activities which investigate the application of performance management principles and methods to “real world” situations. Criterion Referenced Assessments (CRAs) will be used for assignments.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Industry Case Study Report

Applying the theories and techniques covered in the unit, you will develop, with supporting arguments, a small strategic plan for part of an organisation of your own choosing or alternatively a set case study.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Portfolio Case Study Report and Presentation

Portfolio Case Study - Written report and oral presentation
Based upon a strategic plan developed in Assessment Item 1, the team will:
- propose and assess a corresponding project portfolio.
- formulate appropriate governance and assurance arrangements.
- outline the intended benefits realisation plan.

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

There are no extraordinary risks associated with this unit.