PROJMGNT 1003 - Scheduling & Cost Management

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

This course presents important concepts in respect to time and cost as related to projects. The area of time management will be covered with some emphasis on the scheduling of activities and durations and their sequencing. This includes studying the critical path method, project evaluation review technique, project schedules and Gantt charts, milestones and reporting. The cost management component will look at a wide array of cost related measures. This will include cost planning, project feasibility, cost forecasting and estimates, budgets, earned value management, project cost accounting, cost control and reporting

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PROJMGNT 1003
    Course Scheduling & Cost Management
    Coordinating Unit Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation & Innov Centre
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Course Description This course presents important concepts in respect to time and cost as related to projects. The area of time management will be covered with some emphasis on the scheduling of activities and durations and their sequencing. This includes studying the critical path method, project evaluation review technique, project schedules and Gantt charts, milestones and reporting. The cost management component will look at a wide array of cost related measures. This will include cost planning, project feasibility, cost forecasting and estimates, budgets, earned value management, project cost accounting, cost control and reporting
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Sam Baroudi

    Program Director Contact Details: Project Management
    Name: Dr Sam Baroudi
    Email:  sam.baroudi@adelaide.edu.au

    Teaching staff: Mr Ashkan Zarghami
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
    1. Outline important concepts in respect to project time and cost.
    2. Explain how project managers manage time and cost on projects.
    3. Demonstrate how project schedules are used to control project timelines.
    4. Describe how cost management is utilised on project work.
    5. Make use of tools and techniques as relevant to these areas.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 3, 4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2, 5
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2, 3, 4
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1, 2
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    To be advised
    Recommended Resources
    Project Management Institute (2017) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®Guide), 6th Edition, Newtown Square, Pa, Project Management Institute.

    Kerzner, H. (2017) Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 12th Edition, Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.

    Meredith, J. R., Mantel, S. J., Shafer, S. M. (2015) Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 9th Edition International Student Version, Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.

    It is also useful to read relevant project management journal articles. In particular:
    International Journal of Project Management
    Project Management Journal
    International Journal of Project Organisation and Management


    Library Resources

    The University of Adelaide’s Barr Smith Library provides a range of learning resources including texts, journals, periodicals, magazines, and access to online databases and information services. It also offers a virtual library which is accessible via the University’s website. Access to the Library's electronic resources.
    Online Learning
    MyUni is the University of Adelaide's online learning environment. It is used to support traditional face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops at the University. MyUni provides access to various features including announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments for each online course of study.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The Scheduling and Cost Management course is taught on-campus via face to face lectures and tutorials.

    The course teaches essential time and cost management concepts used within project management. Students will be required to broadly understand how time and money are managed on projects. There are recognised project management tools and techniques to control project time and cost and the use of these will be developed during lectures and tutorials.

    Students will be able to access the course materials via the university’s online Canvas facility.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Students are expected to attend lectures and tutorials as scheduled. Furthermore, students should prepare for lectures and revise post lecture to improve understanding of each week’s course module. Students will be directed to work on three different assessment pieces and submit for grading.

    As a general guide, a 3 unit course requires:
    Total workload hours: 12 Hrs per week x 13 weeks = 156 Hrs
    Total contact hours: 3 Hrs per week x 12 weeks = 36 Hrs
    Total self-guided study: 156 Hrs – 36 Hrs = 120 Hrs
    Learning Activities Summary
    Schedule
    Week Topic
    1 Introduction to Scheduling and Cost Management
    2 Planning for Time Management
    3 Project Assessment – Activities and Durations
    4 Schedule Development and Analysis
    5 Schedule Management and Control
    6 Cost Management Planning
    7 Project Feasibility
    8 Cost Forecasting and Estimating
    9 Project Budgets and Accounting
    10 Cost Variations and Control
    11 Communication, Reporting and Lessons Learned
    12 Course Revision and Exam Preparation
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    #Assessment TaskTypeLengthWeightLearning Outcomes
    1 Essay Individual 1000 words 20% 1, 2
    2 Project Report Group 1500 words
    per student
    30% 3, 4, 5
    3 Examination Individual 2 hours 50% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Total 100%
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students should be aware that considerable knowledge and skills will be taught at lectures and tutorials. Hence, students should attend all classes in order to pass the course.

    Course results are subject to moderation by the ECIC Board of Examiners.
    Assessment Detail
    Essay: this assessment will require students to look into the concepts of time on money in the context of projects. They will be asked to express acquired knowledge and thoughts in respect to the specified topic. The learning outcomes will be based on student ability to convey their understanding in respect to the scheduling and cost management of projects.

    Project Report: the project report will give students the opportunity to investigate projects in respect to how time and cost aspects are planned, managed and controlled. The report should be professional and well-structured documenting key elements in respect to the scheduling and cost management of projects as applied to the specific assignment requirements. Learning outcomes will be assessed by students displaying their knowledge and ability in assessing time and money issues on projects.

    Examination: the course examination will test both scheduling and cost management knowledge and skills. The learning outcomes will be assessed by students correctly answering questions related to time and cost management as appropriate.
    Submission
    All text based assignments must be submitted via MyUni.
    Please refer to step by step instructions: MyUni Learning Centre

    There are a few points to note about the submission of assignments:
    • Assignment Submission:  Assignments should not be emailed to the instructor; they must be lodged via the MyUni Course site (unless specified to do both). Note that assignments may be processed via TURNITIN, which is an online plagiarism prevention tool.
    • Cover Sheet:  Please include in the assignment a completed University of Adelaide Assessment Cover Sheet providing details of yourself and your team members (if applicable), your assignment, the course, date submitted, etc. as well as the declaration signed by you that this is your (your team’s) work.  Note that the declaration on any electronically submitted assignment will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed declaration.
    • Backup Copy of Assignments:  You are advised to keep a copy of your assignments in case the submitted copy goes missing.  Please ensure that all assignment pages are numbered. If your assignment contains confidential information, you should discuss any concerns with the Course Lecturer prior to submission.
    • Extensions of Time:  An application for Assessment Extension should be made well before the due date of the assignment to the Course Lecturer.  Normally, extensions will only be granted for a maximum of two weeks from the original assignment submission date.  Extensions will only be granted in cases of genuine medical, compassionate or extenuating circumstances.
    • Failure to submit: Failure to submit an assignment on time or by the agreed extension deadline may result in penalties and may incur a fail grade.  Note that a late penalty of 5% of the total available marks for that assessment item will be incurred each day an assignment is handed in late (Unless otherwise stated in 'Assessment Related Requirements' or 'Assessment Detail' above). Assignments handed in after 14 days from the due submission date will fail even if a 100% mark is granted for the work.

    Resubmission & Remarking

    Resubmission of an assignment for remarking after reworking it to obtain a better mark will not normally be accepted.  Approval for resubmission will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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