Individual report and reflection
You start the research for the topic as a group exercise in Week 4 – once that week has completed you use your group research and discussions as the starting point for your individual submission in Week 6.
This assignment is deliberately set as a time limited activity and you have specific time to write it up.
This is to replicate what happens in the workplace. It is supposed to be challenging – when you engage in the unit and learning materials and classroom activity you will have access to everything you need to complete this work.
What is expected:
Write a formal report, with headings, using your reading, research, learning and journal content as a starting point. We suggest writing the report in two parts:
Part 1 (approx. 1,500 words) – written based on your research findings so in 3rd person
Your report should present a project plan to implement a smooth transition of staff going back to the offices and a consultancy report on how to make the work environment a safe place to work in the assigned Case Study (Bedford Town Residences).
It should demonstrate an understanding of business functions as well as an understanding of the key elements of the Project Life-Cycle and in particular the Business Case in the Define phase (of the 4 D’s model).
Your Business Case must also show application of the Weighed Score-Card tool as well an appreciation of the importance and role of stakeholders to the project.
There should be clear evidence of reading about the topic beyond the areas discussed in class and include both academic sources to support your use of key models and concepts as well as credible non-academic sources to support your discussion and evaluation of potential projects to address the issues facing the Case Study company (Bedford Town Residences).
You must reference your sources both in-text and in a Reference List using the Harvard-UoB style (please see referencing resources on the LRWeb for further guidance if needed).
Your Report should include the following elements:
Executive summary:Describe the key points from the report, including the most important findings and recommendations.
Introduction: Explain the purpose of your report and layout the structure of the rest of your report.
Reasons:Describe the reasons for doing the project e.g. the business problem which you are trying to solve for the Case Study company (Bedford Town Residences). Provide sufficient background and contextual information on the Case Study company to allow the reader to understand the rest of your report.
Business options:Describe the different options which have been considered and recommend an option. One option must always be the ‘Do nothing’ option.
This option does not result in a project.Other options might be ‘Do the minimum we can’, ‘Do something else’ etc.
You should try to provide enough information that the approvers of the business case will be able to judge which option gives the best value for money. You must use the Weighed Score-Card Model to present the business options.
Expected benefits:Describe the benefits of the recommended option, in measurable terms if possible. They can be both qualitative and quantitative and supported by credible citations.
Expected dis-benefits:Describe any dis-benefits. These are actual consequences of a successful project which are negative. If possible, quantify the dis-benefits and support with credible citations.
Timescale:Describe 2 timescales: the project timescale and the timescale over which the benefits will be realised.
Costs:Describe 2 costs: the project costs, and the ongoing operations and maintenance costs which will be incurred over the benefits realisation timescale.
Conclusion: This section should draw together the main points from your investigation/analysis. It summarises what has been learnt from undertaking this research.
It should evaluate the options available to The Business Case and what would impede implementation (No new information should be included in the conclusion)
Part 2 (approx. 900 words) – written about yourself so 1st person
Your personal reflection is based on your learning experience documented by your journal entries in BREO which will form part of this assessment.
Therefore, journal entries added on a regular basis in weeks 1-5 MUST BE SUMMARISED WITHIN THE ASSIGNMENT to evidence how you have developed and used key skills in the initial learning in the unit and in the analysis of the business case for this assignment.
This can be achieved by completing journal entries on your self-assessment analysis, VARK, Belbin and all personal development activities that link to key employability skills.
In the reflective report you may explore key skill development in all or any of the following areas:
Communication (both verbal and written – evidenced by classroom discussion, presentations and report writing)
Numeracy – (evidenced by examples of use of data and statistics in your seminar activities and this submission)
ICT (evidenced using Microsoft Office programs during the unit)
Problem Solving (evidenced by examples of analysis and information gathering, during the unit and in the submission of the assignment)
Working with Others (evidenced by reflecting on your experience working in teams during the unit)
The reflective report should include continued evaluation of your experience working in class and your practice week by relating where possible to models and theories like Belbin, Tuckman and Kolb.
You can also include reflection on learning from feedback offered in seminars and from SEM 1 units as your development is continuous
The reflective report should conclude with an action plan using the SMART framework. So, where you identify an improvement is needed, document how you intend to do that.
Format:
Reflective report should be written about yourself so in 1st person
All links to key skills development must be referenced in text to entries in your journal. For Example:
“Since Semester one unit learning have continued to develop and work on these XXXX academic skills, how to read an article and paraphrase key elements of it, reference it correctly so that it could be included in a formal submission” (JNL Week 4 (date)
Your report should be correctly referenced in Harvard style with references in text and in a reference list at the end of your report.
Do not include any elements that have been submitted or marked in previous submissions without correct referencing. To use chunks of work previously submitted is considered to be self-plagiarism.
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