Assessment Details Background A critique or critical analysis is a review or appraisal based on careful analytical evaluation. Writing a critical analysis requires you to read the selected document in detail and to also read other related texts so that you can present a fair and reasonable evaluation of the selected document. In this assignment, you are required to undertake a critical analysis of a fundamental document of the PMBOK – the PMP. Critical thinking and analysis are important components of being a professional. Without thinking critically you are only looking at the surface of things. To be a successful project manager you need to sort out what’s accurate and what’s not, and you need to identify a solid, factual base for solving problems and addressing issues on your project. For assistance in critical writing techniques, see Federation University’s General Guide to Writing and Study Skills, in particular pp. 27 – 29 on Critical Thinking. For another example, try http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/careers/ld/resources/writing/writingresources/critical-writing/ The purpose of this PMP critique is to prepare you for developing your own PMP. After this PMP critique, you should understand and appreciate the structure and content required for a good PMP so that you are able to complete the construction of a PMP for assignment 3. An electronic copy of the PMP for you to evaluate and critique – ITECH2250_201605_Assignment2_PMP_for_Critique.pdf – as well as this assignment, are contained in the zip file – ITECH2250_A2_S1_2016_201605_PMP_Critique.zip in the Assessment section of your Moodle shell. Assessable Tasks/Requirements Your critical analysis will understand (interpret and summarise), analyse and evaluate (judge) key aspects of the assigned PMP. You should adopt Schwalbe (2010, pp.151-154; 2014, pp.161-164) and the PMI’s (2013, p.77) PMBOK Guide as frameworks for comparison and evaluation. See Appendix A – PMP Critique Guide at the end of this document for help with Schwalbe’s understanding of what should be in a PMP. Note: the marking guide closely follows this layout. When reviewing the PMP think about the following: 1. The common techniques and tools used in PMP presentation; 2. The most effective or the best techniques and tools for each component of the PMP; 3. the layout and usability of the given PMP; CRICOS Provider No. 00103D ITECH2250_A2_S1_2016_201605_PMP_Critique.docx Page 3 of 10 4. The structure and components of the given PMP; 5. The content of the given PMP – how and why the particular information is used; 6. How each section and the overall content is presented, especially the conciseness, format, and style; 7. what planning tools the authors have used; 8. any content that has been omitted; 9. any additional content that has been included – is it necessary? does it suit the purpose?; 10. the language and form of expression used; 11. the overall quality and professionalism of the PMP; 12. The usefulness of the PMP for guiding the project Your PMP critique report should be presented in a business or management style and structured as follows:  title page;  executive summary;  table of contents;  introduction;  analysis of PMP: o introduction; o organisation; o management and technical approach; o work to perform; o schedule; and o budget  conclusions  references; and  appendices (if needed) Support your analysis with concepts and quotations from other people’s work. Gather these references from various sources such as the assigned text books, readings and reputable and reliable internet sites. CRICOS Provider No. 00103D ITECH2250_A2_S1_2016_201605_PMP_Critique.docx Page 4 of 10 Submission An electronic copy of your PMP Critique r e p o r t m us t b e s u bm it t e d via Moodle. Partner students please refer to your course lecturer for submission instructions. Please refer to the Course Description for information regarding late assignments, extensions, special consideration and plagiarism. For further clarification you may consult the academic regulations which can be accessed via the university’s website, see: http://federation.edu.au/staff/governance/legal/feduni-legislation/fedunistatutes-and-regulations Assessment Criteria Your work will need to comply with the following:  A report of a minimum of 2000 words which provides evidence of critical analysis of the provided PMP. You must include: o a description of your understanding of the PMP’s purpose; o a written interpretation and synthesis of key components; o analysis and evaluation of key aspects of the PMP and the strengths and weaknesses identified; o your assessment of the usefulness of the PMP to guide the project  In your discussion you must identify and analyse key issues. This must reference the content of the various theoretical frameworks such as Schwalbe (2010; 2014) and the PMI (2013) PMBOK guide, and must be supported by your own ideas.  Multiple references (at least nine appropriate references are expected) should be used. These must be acknowledged through the use of in-text citation and a Reference List. The citations and References List must comply with the APA citation style (see Federation University’s General Guide to Referencing). In-text references should be used in such a way as to provide support for the work and these references should come from a wide variety of sources such as books, journals and reputable and reliable websites.