FIT5057 Project Management
Assignment One (Individual Project)
OVERVIEW
● You will prepare a business case/proposal for a new project.
● Your proposed project should meet the client’s business objectives and requirements.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Through this assignment you will:
● Learn and demonstrate your analytical and project management skills;
● Develop your skills in communicating project characteristics and business justification;
● Develop your skills and knowledge from the PMBOK guides.
SPECIFICATION AND DELIVERABLES
Deliverables and Criteria |
Weight |
Word count |
|
A complete business case (Project proposal) |
Business Justification ? Introduction/Background and Business/ Portfolio Objectives ? Current Situation and Problem/Opportunity Statement that indicates the contribution of the project to the value delivery system ? Analysis of options ? Project and deliverable description ? Ethical considerations and implications |
30% |
Up to 1,200 words (Excluding the exhibits and the list of references at the end of the document) |
Budget and time Estimates: - Preliminary estimate of the costs involved - Explore the financial prospects of the project through NPV/ROI analysis - A schedule estimate for the project |
20% |
||
Development Approach including reasoning and justification |
10% |
||
- Uncertainty and Risk analysis - Quality Metrics and measurement |
20% |
||
- Completeness and correctness of statements; - Clarity of expressions; |
10% |
||
Appropriate use of references following the APA style (7th edition) |
10% |
GETTING HELP
If you have any questions or concerns, you can:
● Consult with your TAs during applied classes and workshops;
● Attend consultation sessions (see Moodle for details);
● Ask a question in Ed.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
● Your assignment must take the form of a single PDF document.
● You should name your document file as <>_<>.pdf, where <> is Assignment 1 and <> is your unique Monash University student number. For example, a file name could be A1_12345678.pdf, where the student ID is ‘12345678’ .
GENERATIVE AI
AI & Generative AI tools may be used SELECTIVELY within this assessment. Where used, AI must be used
responsibly, clearly documented and appropriately acknowledged (see Learn HQ). Any work submitted for a mark must:
● represent a sincere demonstration of your human efforts, skills and subject knowledge that you will be accountable for.
● adhere to the guidelines for AI use set for the assessment task.
● reflect the University’s commitment to academic integrity and ethical behaviour.
Inappropriate AI use and/or AI use without acknowledgement will be considered a breach of academic integrity.
LATE SUBMISSION
1. Submission must be made by the due date. Unless an extension or special consideration has been granted, or otherwise specified in the learning management system, students who submit an assessment task after the due date will receive a late-submission penalty of 5 percent of the available marks in that task. A further penalty of 5 percent of the available marks will be applied for each additional day (24-hour period), or part thereof, the assessment task is overdue.
2. If you cannot complete an assessment (due to exceptional circumstances beyond your control), you may be eligible for a short extension or special consideration. A short extension is two calendar days and is available once for each eligible assessment. The first short extension for a unit will be granted without a reason given. All subsequent extensions require a reason when the application is submitted. Special consideration is a longer extension (for more than two days). Eligible students must supply a reason and supporting documentation.
3. For more details of the Special Consideration procedure and rules, and how to apply, visit:
https://www.monash.edu/students/admin/exams/changes/special-consideration
YOUR ROLE
You work in a project management consultancy partnership that undertakes contracts from clients and works with them to plan and manage internal service development projects that include IT design and development. The projects that you plan and manage are implemented by a combination of the client’s staff and external contractors that you source through the IT Contractor Rates Guide by HAYS (See the file uploaded to Moodle).
THE CLIENT
NexaForge Studios is a market leader in the Double-A gaming industry. NexaForge specialises in crafting mid- market video games that blend professional development expertise with the creative spirit of indie studios. Their titles resonate with a broad audience, striking a balance between innovation and accessibility. NexaForge’s clients comprise a diverse audience of gamers. They cater to console enthusiasts, PC players, and mobile gamers. Their mid-market games resonate with those seeking engaging experiences beyond AAA blockbusters. NexaForge holds a significant market share in the Double-A gaming segment. Their focus on quality, innovation, and accessible gameplay sets them apart from their competitors including other Double-A studios, indie developers, and some larger non-indie studios. NexaForge competes by delivering polished experiences without the extensive budgets of AAA titles.
Their current annual revenue currently stands at an impressive $120 million. With their strategic push into new markets, they anticipate further growth. Senior management is expecting a 17% increase over the next 3 years. Through innovation and expansion to their game offerings. A diversified portfolio attracts different player demographics and opens new revenue streams Recognising the importance of player retention, they set another KPI to increase their active users over the same period. They expect their user retention to increase: (i) Day 1 Retention (D1) – players who continue playing after the first day increase from the current 30% to 45%; (ii) Day 7 Retention (D7) – players who continue playing after the first week to increase from the current 12% to 30%; and (iii) Three-Month Retention (M3) – players whose interests are sustained over three months to change the current 8% to 16%.
THE CONTRACT
After the recent commercial success of their latest games, NexaForge executives have asked for a portfolio package of up to 4 projects to extend sales and bring in new customers. They have dedicated a budget of $4.5M to spend on a portfolio of up to four projects to enter new markets and achieve their strategic goals of increasing revenue and increasing player retention.
Assignment 1 relates to Phase 1 of their contract with your firm which involves developing comprehensive business cases (project proposals) that align with the portfolio objectives and business strategies. Your client would review the project proposals and shortlist the 4 most relevant proposals. The successful proposals would join forces and form. teams to work towards achieving portfolio objectives in Assignments 2 and 3 (Phases 2 & 3 of the contract).
The technology aspects of the project are to be implemented by their in-house team of experts. However, all the remaining costs for the projects must come out of the $4.5M budget.