Unit 400 Project management

UAN:
T/504/1129
Level:
Level 4
Credit value:
15
GLH:
50
Aim
The purpose of this unit is to provide learners with an understanding of the principles of project
management and how projects are set up. Learners will gain an understanding of how to mitigate
for risks and develop their skills in using management tools to monitor and review projects.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit a learner will:
Understand why organisations use project management
Understand how to set up projects
Be able to use management tools to maintain, control and monitor projects
Be able to review projects at all stages
Unit Content
1. Understand why organisations use project management
Principles: Business justification, learning from experience, defined roles and responsibilities,
manage by stages, manage by exception, and focus on products, objectives, constraints, lifecycle.
Benefits: Possible benefits will include: Increased efficiency, improved customer satisfaction,
organisations may be more effective in delivering services, improvements in quality and output,
development opportunities within the project team, increase in an organisations competitive edge,
opportunities
2. Understand how to set up projects
Considerations: Financial viability of the project, time, legal, resource, budget, constraints,
dependencies, confidentiality e.g. restrictions in relation to the Data Protection Act, who has access
to data and project documentation.
How to set clear goals: Identify stakeholders, identify needs, use SMART principles, record goals
in project plans
Resource requirements: Project requirements against goals, time constraints, budget, human
resources, training needs, communication needs, IT requirements.
How roles and responsibilities are allocated: Use of experts from different areas of the
organisation, use of key stakeholders, identify training needs, meeting schedules, timing of reports
Communication needs: Formal/informal communication, identifying who requires communication
e.g. stakeholders, management, team members.
Possible risks: Safety issues, optimistic time and cost estimates, unexpected budget costs,
unclear roles and responsibilities, stakeholder needs not sought, changing requirements after the
start of the project, new requirements, poor communication, lack of commitment
Mitigation: Health and safety training, regular project review meetings, appropriate
communication, training and monitoring
3. Be able to use management tools to maintain, control and monitor projects
Management
tools: Progress reports, budget monitoring reports, GANTT charts, Critical Path
1
Analysis, use of relevant and current project software packages.
Monitoring: Updating task status, re-scheduling uncompleted tasks, updating project elements

4. Be able to review projects at all stages

Reasons: Improve future projects, enables ability to learn from experience, identify key resources
for future projects, ensures comparison against achievements to original objectives, highlights any
issues e.g. health and safety, problems, training needs, shortages in terms of resources, increases
in costs, allows for the ability to revise and update plans, enables completion of an end of project
report.
Assessment and grading criteria
In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to
demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit.
The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this
unit.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this
unit a learner will:
LO1
Understand why organisations use project
management
LO2
Understand how to set up projects

LO3
Be able to use management tools to
maintain, control and monitor projects
LO4
Be able to review projects at all stages

For a Merit to:

M1 identify and apply strategies to find
appropriate solutions
M2 select/design and apply appropriate
methods/techniques
M3 present and communicate
appropriate findings
For a Distinction to:
D1 use critical reflection to evaluate
2own work and justify valid
conclusions
D2 demonstrate
convergent/lateral/creative thinking

Assessment criteria for pass

The learner can:
1.1 Describe the principles of project management
1.2 Explain the benefits of project management to
organisations and individuals
2.1 Explain the considerations when reviewing
project proposals
2.2 Explain how to set clear goals for projects
2.3 Analyse project resource requirements
2.4 Explain how roles and responsibilities are
allocated within project teams
2.5 Identify project communication needs
2.6 Assess possible risks to successful
completion of projects
2.7 Explain how to mitigate for possible risks
3.1 Describe different management tools for
monitoring and control of projects
3.2 Justify the use of management tools for
monitoring and controlling projects
3.3 Use management tools to monitor projects
4.1 Explain reasons for reviewing projects after
completion
4.2 Review projects against original proposals
Indicative characteristics:
An effective approach to study and research has
been applied
A range of sources of information has been used
A range of methods of presentation have been
used and technical language has been accurately
used
Indicative characteristics:
Conclusions have been arrived at through
synthesis of ideas and have been justified
Receptiveness to new ideas is evident

Evidence
The learners are expected to submit a Case Study, Essay, Reference List and Bibliography
Case Study: The case study should set the scene of the assignment. The learner is expected to
create a case study based on their experience in the work place. This gives the learners a real life
scenario to work with during the essay.
Essay: The essay is the main part of the assignment and should include an introduction, Body and
Conclusion. Learners should structure the essay to reflect all the Learning Outcomes. The
Learning outcomes must be clearly highlighted and answered within the assignment. Failure to
complete (correctly) all the learning outcomes will lead to failure. See below for Re-sits.
Reference List and Bibliography: The learner is expected to reference all the materials used
throughout this assignment using the standard Harvard referencing style.
Employer engagement and vocational contexts
Learners will benefit from visits to organisations that are engaged in project work as a part of
academic research, investigations and research for public bodies, company research and
development, or consultancy activities. An ideal context would be for learners to manage a
project that is of interest to a particular organisation.
Re-sitting and resubmission of work
Candidates who fail an assessment are normally required to redo the whole task they have failed,
and not simply revise and resubmit their original work. Where this is not the case this will be
specified in the unit specific guidance. Where a candidate re-sits a task, they may not be eligible
for higher grades. The decision on whether this is appropriate depends on the purpose of grading
(e.g. as a motivator or as information for future employers) and so will depend on the qualification.
Therefore this will be made clear in the unit specific guidance.