Task Description

Assignment Overview
This individual assessment item requires you to consider:-

• continuous improvement

…you must then write a 2,000 word ESSAY describing and justifying a high-level approach to continuous improvement plan for an organisation from a selected case study.

The case study will be supplied for a range of project domains:-

• Engineering and construction domain,
• IT Telecom Software domain,
• Financial and business services domain,
• Welfare domain.

You are encouraged to use assignment outputs that you may have developed from previous assignments and units, as
examples in the appendix of your essay.

Task

Your task is to consider the domains above and write an ESSAY illustrating and explaining continuous improvement plan for one case study.

Your plan must explain and justify itself within the context of the case study using the unit and peer reviewed material. You are encouraged to review Kerzner Chapter 21 and the PMI Managing Change in Organizations for an indication of the context and content of your plan.

You will be graded upon how well your continuous improvement plan has been completed and how well you argue that it reflects the requirements of the organisation in the case study that you select.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this assessment item is to help you to develop skills in the contents and compilation of a continuous improvement plan for a project management methodology.

The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to consider the role of a continuous improvement plan within the strategic project management plans of a selected organisation.

The assignment will also give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis and written communication skills; particularly in the areas of structured assignment writing.

Structure

Your submission should be made using Microsoft Office documents and the essay submitted as a separate 2,000 word Microsoft WORD document.

You should describe all of the required parts of your continuous improvement plan in as complete manner as you deem appropriate. A range of sample continuous improvement plan will be identified for you to study during the unit. If you wish to include examples of any parts you may do so in an appendix. You must not include pictures or diagrams in the body of the essay. You must provide an ILLUSTRATION OR DRAWING OF YOUR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN in the appendix of your essay.

Your essay should be a properly constructed academic essay. It should contain an effective introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction should introduce the essay and include your argument. The body should present the evidence you have collected to support your argument, and the conclusion should restate your argument, summarise the evidence and make a conclusion regarding your argument. The essay should contain a coherent, but necessarily restricted review of the academic literature on the project management topics in question. The literature review should be integrated into the essay, not a separate section. Do not include an executive summary or an abstract. A reference list formatted in the prescribed Harvard style is compulsory. Do not include a bibliography.

This assessment item involves researching your assigned topic to enhance your understanding of project management concepts and utilisation of academic literature. Whilst you use the recommended textbooks you may also refer to relevant peer reviewed, academic journal articles. You will be expected to present information and evidence from, and cite, at least twenty (20) times the unit resources but you can use other PEER REVIEWED sources where you can argue that they add greater relevance.

Assessment Criteria

Your assignment will be assessed on the extent and quality to which it meets each of the following criteria.

• A pictorial illustration of the continuous improvement plan is supplied? (10%)
• A high-level textural overview of the continuous improvement plan is provided? (20%)
• Examples of procedural documentation is provided and aligned with the illustration and high-level text? (10%)
• An implementation plan has been developed that is an accurate reflection of the case study? (10%)
• The continuous improvement plan reflects one of the following four criteria:-

1. The continuous improvement plan meets all of the basic learning requirements of the unit, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the learning outcomes of the assignment. (10%)
2. The continuous improvement plan reflects an ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the unit, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight. (20%)
3. The continuous improvement plan demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and less obvious aspects of the unit, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas. (30%)
4. The continuous improvement plan has been presented with imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning outcomes of the unit; work is interesting or surprisingly exciting, challenging, well read or scholarly. (40%)

• Clarity of expression, grammar and spelling? (10%)