- TOPIC: Critical analysis of a project business case
Word length
Assignment 1 should be 2000 words approximately, exclusive of tables, figures, appendices,
etc.
Provide the following:
Title page: Ensure that your essay includes a normal cover sheet or title page that would be expected of a professional document to provide details of essay title, author, date, student number, etc. (this is in addition to the electronic mark sheet discussed above). This assignment is a professional academic paper so should be presented as one.
(Note: No executive summary is required for this assignment as it essay style).
(Note: No table of contents is required as it is essay style).
Critical analysis of a project business case chosen by you (around 2000 words)
Consider the following statement:
It has been suggested that a project business case provides ‘justification for undertaking
a project, in terms of evaluating the benefit, cost and risk of alternative options and the
rationale for the preferred solution. Its purpose is to obtain management commitment
and approval for investment in the project. The business case is owned by the (project)
sponsor’.
(Source: Association for Project Management 2006, Body of Knowledge, 5th edn, APM, UK, p. 129)
(Note: bolding has been added.)
Think about your chosen project for analysis in assignment 1 and/or 2. Write a critical analysis of the chosen project business case in the form of an essay about the issues that you\ mthink are important in the context of the business case for your chosen project. Your responses will differ depending on whether your project is completed, is under way or is yet to start. The focus of this essay is the ‘business case’. Make sure you clearly understand what
a business case is before you try to complete this assignment.
Important note
THIS IS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT BUSINESS CASE AND
NOT OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
Refer to your Communication skills handbook to understand how to structure and write an essay. It is expected that you would provide an introduction, the body of your essay, a conclusion and recommendations, and a list of references. You may use headings for sections if you wish.
This assignment is deliberately open-ended to give you an opportunity to do some research about project-related business cases in the context of project management. There are no right or wrong answers. This assignment will allow you to explore the text books, journal articles and other sources on the importance or otherwise of business cases in project management.
● As part of your analysis, ensure that you make reference to the relevant theory (or theories) covered in the study materials, text, selected readings and other relevant sources. Make sure you use figures and tables to clearly and concisely illustrate and support your analysis where this is appropriate.
List of references – (using the Harvard AGPS system): Provide a complete list of
references providing full details of all citations used in the body of the essay.
