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LO1 Formulate a project that will provide a solution to an identified problem.

Higher Nationals Assignment Brief (RQF)

• HigherNational Certificate/Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment
• Unit Number and Title HNCB 1 individual Project Academic Year 2022/23

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• LO1 Formulate a project that will provide a solution to an identified problem.
• LO2 Manage a project within agreed timescales and specification, documenting the process throughout.
• LO3 Evaluate potential Project Management Solutions.
• LO4 Produce a project report and deliver a presentation of the final project outcome

Assignment Brief and Guidance:

You have recently gained employment, as an Assistant Project Manager, for a large general contracting firm. The firm specialises in community/ government projects. As part of the company’s drive to provide better services to clients, they are seeking to improve the construction that they undertake. You are asked to prepare a project report and a presentation of the solution of an identified and clearly defined civil engineering problem. Your approach to this should involve exploring different potential options that may be available, then make a choice and show how you have come to your conclusion. This assignment has four sections in line with the four learning outcomes covered by all tasks provided starting with an initial project problem identification scenario acting as a case study to be explored for a solution in line with your chosen topic.

Theme: Ethics in Construction

The various roles of those working in the construction industry call upon individuals to act with a view of how their work impacts on others; whether through health & safety, economy, sustainability or a myriad of other factors. At times, these may create tensions between different factors that are key to project quality, safety and value. Thus, we must maintain ethical standards, when carrying out our work, to ensure the benefits for others. The theme of “Ethics in Construction”, and the related topics, call upon you to consider the ways in which construction professionals must seek to balance these potential tensions, which may sometimes seem to contradict each other, while meeting client and statutory requirements.

Topic:

Tutors must choose one topic from the list provided below and decide which type of project is most suitable for their assignment. All students must complete the same topic and project chosen by the tutor. However, if delivering to different cohorts of students then tutors may select a different topic and design a different assignment for each cohort. The Pearson-set Assignment Guidance document for Unit 1: Individual Project, provides additional support and guidance for both tutors and students

Theme: Ethics in Construction

Topics:

• Ensuring quality in construction projects.
• Safeguarding health & safety throughout construction projects
• The importance of sustainability for construction
• Ethical practice in construction

TASKS

TASK 1

1. Project Identification: Identify and explore a construction-based project following the theme stated above and select a project aimed at its solution. Also give the reason of your choice.
2. Research Methods Background reading to see how others have tackled similar problems. Sources could include journal articles, articles in trade publications, newspapers, information from work or observation of construction processes. It may even be possible to undertake primary research to test if something works.
3. Feasibility studies Test the alternative approaches suggested for the construction process to ensure that they work within the context of a given construction situation. Here comparison with similar processes given in published work would be of great assistance.
4. Brief and Specification Clearly set out the aims of your project, giving reasons for the project. You will identify the main components of your project and define these in a clear project specification. In addition, you will need to explain why the clear specification of the project is a key to approach a successful outcome. As part of project process, you are asked to evaluate the relationships that may arise between project identification, feasibility, planning on time and resources.

• LO2 Manage a project within agreed timescales and specification, documenting the process throughout. (This covers: Resources and resource planning; costs and cost planning; Work plan: Gantt charts, PERT charts, CPM; Project tracking: progress tracking (including log book) and Milestones.) 

TASK 2 

1. As part of your project scope identify the potential resources needed, costs, personnel and timescales involved. 
2. Identify and describe a range of techniques for potential solutions and stating them clearly indicating the costs and cost planning involve. 
3. Prepare and update as an ongoing project management plan with standard systems of time and resource tracking include work plans possibly using Gantt Charts, Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) charts or Critical Path Method (CPM). 

• LO3 Evaluate potential Project Management Solutions (This covers, PERT analysis and CPM analysis) 

TASK 3 

1. Undertake an evaluation of potential project management solutions using PERT or CPM this can be initially done within the log book then summarised in the main report 
2. Justify the selection of your preferred project solution with reference to your initial stated project specification as clearly provided earlier in your project scope. 
3. Make a comparison of the outcomes of your initial planned resources, timescales and costs with your actual outcomes of these criteria. This will contribute your performance review. 

• LO4 Produce a project report and deliver a presentation of the final project outcome (This covers producing a report format and the report; presentation format and presentation techniques). 

Task 4

• Produce a written report of your project stating each stage of the project or process.
• As your report may be shared with clients, it is critical that appropriate forms of referencing and citation are used throughout. The Harvard referencing system is recommended. Information on Harvard referencing is available from the library and on Moodle for other styles of referencing see http://libguides.reading.ac.uk/citing- references/referencing styles
• In your presentation, to the company board of directors, you are asked to present your final project outcomes using industry standard software.
• Present your final project outcomes and recommendations to a select audience. Presentation should not be more than 10 minutes be summarised in a maximum of 12 Power Point Slides.
• Evaluate and appraise your own performance in managing your project, drawing some conclusions and make key recommendations that would further assist you to improve your performance in the future and clearly stating these in both your report and in your presentation.

What to submit:

• The project report
• A log book which does not need to be a neatly prepared book rather where you jot down ideas, summaries of information from different sources and references to these sources. Also show how project ideas were developed and tried out how different approaches were examined, and how the final selection was made.
• The project management plan, i.e. how you organised the project how you approached the project to begin with and what changes were made as the project developed 
• 4. Performance review, probably the most useful part of this whole exercise as you should learn something of how successful your approach was and how you would do it better or more efficiently in future. 

• Learning Outcome and Assessment Criteria Pass Merit Distinction LO1 Formulate a project that will provide a solution to an identified D1 Evaluate the relationship problem between project identification, P1 Select an appropriate M1 Explain why