CT050-3-3-PRMGT-Project Management Page 1 of 6

CT050-3-3-PRMGT-Project Management
Incourse Assignment
Company : Asia Pacific Exchange Pte. Ltd. (APEX)
Project : Human Capital Project (HCP)

I. Learning Outcomes

Explain the fundamentals of IT project management processes, lifecycle a

CLO1 Exam
typical IT project into manageable components (C5, PLO2)
Adhere a project management plan using the aims and objectives, deliverables, Group
CLO2 scope and appropriate standards through tools and techniques within processes Assignmen
of a typical IT project (A4, PLO8) t
Individual
Practise project management leadership to solve complexity in project using
CLO3 Assignmen
PMBOK standards (A5, PLO9)
t

II. The Scenario (A Case Study)

Asia Pacific Exchange Pte. Ltd. (APEX) is one of the leading human capital management and
development companies, based in Singapore with its global IT shared services known as Global IT
Services (GITS) located in Malaysia has embarked on a new project to enhance its human capital
management operations. The first wave will be concentrated to South East Asia and the implementation
will be deployed by local markets.

At present, markets located throughout South East Asia are using locally developed application to record
human capital management activities information. The first-level support (L1) is being rendered by local
IT and second level (L2) is supported by the local application vendor. Previously the cost for software
support maintenance was managed locally within each market which has resulted high in IT cost for both
capital and operating expenses.

Unfortunately, every market provides similar support framework which has created duplication among
markets within the South East Asia Region due to decentralisation of systems being used. Thus, by
implementing this project, significant contribution such as reduction in capital/operating expenses,
centralized support from GITS, global governance and many more value added are gained. Please refer to
section V, Table 1 for the list of departments directly and indirectly involves in this project.

Due to the urgency for centralising support and cost reduction, the project was scheduled to be
completed within duration of 6 months from the date of commencement. The project is named as
‘Human Capital Project’ (HCP). This is a critical and complex project which involves various
department including subject matter experts (SME(s)) from GITS.

A Project Manager was hurriedly assigned from GITS-PMAC who has a good working knowledge
of the various regional office locations. The current Project Manager portrays strong
‘global/regional project management’ and ‘technical’ skills. However, he lacks leadership qualities
and interpersonal skills.

In addition to a good project management practices, the following are some of the major critical success
factors (CSF) the Project Manager must comply for the success of the project;

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a) capable resources would be selected from any of the SME-departments as shown in the
organisation structure provided in section V, Table 1
b) the current IT infrastructure must support this new system
c) the current system must be replaced in phases by HCP.
d) the cutover (transition from the current system to new centralised system) must be in parallel

III. Assignment Requirements

As the project is failing and needs to be recovered, you should start by looking into a proper project
management practices with the appropriate processes, tools and techniques.

Besides, the steering committee decided to replace the current Project Manager. As a group of four
(4) members in this group assignment, assuming they have appointed one of you to be the new
Project Manager, and resolve them using the ten (10) project management knowledge areas:

1. Project Integration Management

2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Resource Management
7. Project Communication Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
10. Project Stakeholder Management

Your team should aim to make your report interesting and engaging, without losing sight of the fact that
the organisation is seeking a professional approach to the problems. All analysis should thoroughly
illustrate and document the pressing need to recover a failing project. Avoid theoretical discussions.
Apply the theories to solve the problems.

Assumptions can be made to assist in ascertaining the solutions, but they must not impair the decision
made on the scope and delivery of the project.

IV. Assignment Instructions

The assignment consists of TWO (2) components – Group and Individual. The report should be a
formally written document, the contents of which should not exceed 10% of the wordcount
requirements, excluding abstracts, tables, references, appendices, etc.

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V. Global IT Services & Local Market Organisation Structure

To indicate the extent of the project resources and team construction, the table below indicates the
organisation structure for APEX local market and Global IT Services.

Support Unit SME-Department Abbreviation SME Responsibility

GITS Communication & Network CNN Provides network services for Local IT/Market
Provide governance for IT security for
GITS IT Security ITSEC
application development, software and hardware

Provide develop application and provide

GITS Application Development Center ADC
application Governance and Intellectual Property.
GITS Project Management Centre PMAC Provide Project Managers to manages projects
Global Provide governance for IT operations, which
GITS IT Operations ITO includes supporting local markets and its business
operations.
Center of Excellence – Enterprise
GITS CoE-ERP Provide L2 Support for CoE-ERP
Resources Planning
Center of Excellence – Customer
GITS CoE-CRM Provide L2 Support for CoE-CRM
Relationship Management
Center of Excellence – Human
GITS CoE-HRM Provide L2 Support for CoE-SCS
Resource Management
Market IT Dept IT IT Manager, Executive #1, Executive #1
MKTG Manager, Executive #1, Executive #2,
Market Marketing Dept MKTG
Executive #3, Sales Rep x 30,
FIN Manager, Executive #1, Executive #2,
Local Market Finance Dept FIN
Clerk#1, Cashier #1
Market Human Resources Dept HR HR Manager, Executive #1, Executive #2
Market Communication Affairs COMM COMM Manager
Market Procurement PROC PROC Manager, Officer x2

Table 1: APEX Organisation Structure

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VI. Assessment Details

1. A GROUP based report of 1000 words worth 20% (SUBMISSION – WEEK 7)

As part of a team (four (4) individuals per group), detail your project management awareness of
how project management practices with the appropriate processes, tools and techniques, will be
able to initiate the project appropriately. The main contents should cover a detailed group discussion
on processes, tools and techniques as follows:

a) Comparative Analysis
 PMBOK
 PRINCE2
 AGILE
b) Discuss TWO (2) key Project Initiation Tools/Techniques in relation to the case study
 Supporting Samples are necessary

Breakdown of Criteria (100%):

a) Aligning Projects Process Groups with Business Strategies (50%)

 Comparative Analysis – Establishing the appropriateness level of different project
management standards
b) Initiating Projects (50%)
 Discussion of selected tools/techniques
 Samples of the selected tools/techniques

2. An INDIVIDUAL based report of 1,000 words worth 20% (SUBMISSION – WEEK 13)

Explain possible causes to why IT projects fail and propose solutions to prevent failure stated with
detailed discussion on processes, tools and techniques as follows:

a) Discuss TWO (2) specific issues that can cause project failure. The issues must involve different
Process Groups
b) Appropriate mapping of issues/solutions to the Process Groups & Knowledge Areas
c) Propose TWO (2) solutions for each of the abovementioned identified issues with justifications.
The solutions must involve different Knowledge Areas. Solutions provided here must be
different from the tools/techniques proposed in the group component
d) Providing supporting samples/templates to show practical implementation of the solutions

Breakdown of Criteria (100%):

a) Discussion of Issues (15%)

 Provide explanations of the common failures for IT projects
b) Mapping of Issues/Solutions/Tools/Techniques (15%)
 Presented in a format of a table
c) Justification of Solutions (35%)
 Relation to the case study is crucial
d) Samples (35%)

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 Samples provided must be actual representations of the case study’s implementation

Incourse Assignment – Marking Scheme
GROUP MARGINAL
DISTINCTION CREDIT PASS FAIL
COMPONENTS FAIL
(75 – 100) (65 – 74) (50 – 64) (0 – 39)
(100%) (40 – 49)
Comparative Very good in Good in Average in Poor in No
Analysis establishing the Establishing the Establishing the Establishing the appropriateness
appropriateness appropriateness appropriateness appropriateness level of different
(50%) Establishing level of different level of different level of different level of different project
the appropriateness project project project project management
level of different management management standards included
project management
standards
Initiating Projects Well Good in Average in Poor Connecting Not connecting
establishment of connecting the connecting the the ideas to the the ideas to the
connecting the ideas to the case ideas to the case case study with case study with
(50%) Discussion of ideas to the case study with study with insufficient lack of samples
the important study and appropriate sufficient samples presented
tools/techniques as excellent samples samples samples presented
well as samples for presented presented presented
initiating projects

INDIVIDUAL MARGINAL
DISTINCTION CREDIT PASS FAIL
COMPONENTS FAIL
(75 – 100) (65 – 74) (50 – 64) (0 – 39)
(100%) (40 – 49)
Discussion of Issues Detailed Issues were Issues were Issues were Issues were not
explanation of explained related to IT defined but were presented
(15%) Provide issues in relation accordingly with projects, less related to sufficiently with
explanations of the to the case study relations however lacking the case study & no relation to the
common failures for given within the established to the relation to the IT projects case study & IT
IT projects context of IT case study case study projects
projects
Mapping to Process Well mapped the Good in mapping Average in Poor in mapping Not appropriately
Groups & Tools & the Tools & mapping the the Tools & mapped the Tools
Knowledge Areas Techniques to Techniques to Tools & Techniques to & Techniques to
respective process respective process Techniques to respective respective process
(15%) Mapping the groups and groups and respective process groups groups and
selected Tools & knowledge areas knowledge areas process groups and knowledge knowledge areas
Techniques to of PMBOK of PMBOK and knowledge areas of of PMBOK
respective process Standard Standard areas of PMBOK Standard
groups and PMBOK Standard
knowledge areas Standard
Justification Provided very Good analysis and Merely general Limited analysis No evidence or
clear analysis and justification in the analysis and and justification poor analysis and
(35%) Analyse and justification in the selections of justification in in the selections justification done
justify the selections selections of Tools and the selections of of Tools and in the selections
of Tools and Tools and Techniques able Tools & Techniques and of Tools and
Techniques to Techniques and to relate to Techniques and fail to relate to Techniques to
address respective very appropriate address respective very little address address respective
project issues. in addressing project issues. relations to respective project issues.
respective project address project issues.
issues. respective
project issues.
Samples Tools & Provided a clear Provided a good Provided a poor Provided weak Provided very
Techniques sample of the sample of the sample of the sample of the weak sample of
tools & tools & tools & tools & the tools &
(35%) Provide techniques techniques techniques techniques techniques
sample of the tools selected for each selected for each selected for selected for each selected for each
& techniques issue addressed issue addressed each issue issue addressed issue addressed
selected which which relates to which relates to addressed which which relates to which relates to
should relate to the the assignment the assignment relates to the the assignment the assignment

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assignment case case study. case study. assignment case case study. case study.
study. study.

Level 3 Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation Aug 2021