York Business School - Operations and Project Management, BMB6001M 2023-2024
ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
Module Code Module
Tutor
Module Title Operations and Project Management
Level 6 Credit
Value of
Module
20
Assessment
Task
Written Report
Word Count 1750
Assessment
No
1 of 2 Weighting 50%
Type of
Submission
Written Report
Method of
Submission
Online via Moodle
Publication
Date
Due Date
Expected
Feedback Date
Format of
Feedback
Typed feedback within Moodle, available via the relevant assignment link
Learning Outcomes
LO 1. Demonstrate practical application and a critical understanding of project management
and the relevance of effective project management, critically appraising appropriate
operations management techniques to provide solutions to practical operations
problems in a variety of organisational situations.
LO 2. Critically analyse and evaluate the role and importance of project management in the
operating environment of organisations.
York Business School - Operations and Project Management, BMB6001M 2023-2024
Assignment Description
Written Report - 1750 word report

Drawing on two real-world examples of projects, and applying theory and models from
the module, what factors are critical in determining the success or failure of a project?
For this report you will be required to carry out research using reputable newspapers,
magazines, web sites and reports to find examples and case studies of projects. One of
these case studies should be a successful project, the other should be a failed project.
Using these real world examples, you must then apply theory and models from the course to
demonstrate critical factors in determining a project’s success or failure. Key concepts from
the module you may wish to engage with include:
• The project management lifecycle
• Project governance
• Stakeholder management
• Risk management
• Project management methodologies
• Leadership
Your report should include an overview of these concepts, along with useful models and
theories, citing relevant academic sources. You should clearly explain these concepts, and
then apply them to your cases, in order to make clear the relationship between theory and
practice.
The assessment is a report and should follow a report structure. You are recommended to
use an appropriate structure, dividing the report into an introduction, main body, and
conclusion, and then apply subheadings within your main body to cover all aspects of the
brief. It is essential that you engage with theory and academic sources. For the case
studies, you should ensure you are using appropriate sources for the background
information. These may include academic sources (students are reminded that there is a
textbook of project case studies on the reading list), but otherwise may include reputable
journalistic sources; links to company documentation etc. Students should avoid
questionable sources such as Wikipedia, online blogs, and so on.

The suggested report structure is as follows:

Introduction (c.250 words)

This should briefly outline what projects you will be covering, what key concepts/theory you
will be using, and a brief overview of the report structure.

Main body (c.1250 words)

This section must include clear but brief case studies of your chosen projects. These cases
should cover all the key information necessary to understand what happened but should not
stray into overly long descriptive narration of the project.

York Business School - Operations and Project Management, BMB6001M 2023-2024

This section should also include an overview of your chosen concepts that you will be using
to analyse why these projects succeeded or failed. For example you may wish to talk about
stakeholder management, providing a clear description and key theory/models.

This section should also include analysis and discussion by applying your theory/models to
your case studies, and explaining how e.g. good stakeholder management contributed to the
success of a project, whilst poor risk management contributed to failure of another. Students
are encouraged to critically evaluate on what is essential for projects to succeed in the “real
world” based on what theory and models applied to practice tell us.

Conclusion (c. 250 words)

This should neatly summarise your report, and show a clear understanding of the applicable
lessons from your finding.

References

Students are reminded of the importance of properly citing and referencing using the Harvard
referencing system. Students must engage with academic sources (textbooks and peer-
reviewed journal articles); whilst it is not possible to give a definitive list, a high-scoring
report is likely to have at least 10 academic sources that are relevant, properly cited and
referenced, and properly used and applied in your analysis.



Additional Information
This assignment is a critical report that evaluates your level of analysis and evaluation of
operations and project management from a theoretical and practical perspective. You should
start the task early in order to meet the deadline.

Your report should be fully referenced using the Harvard referencing system.
Assessment Regulations
York Business School - Operations and Project Management, BMB6001M 2023-2024
•
•
Your student number must appear on all pages.
Pages must be numbered.
Work should be submitted to Moodle.
You are required to add the following declaration: “I ………… [name] declare that I am the
sole author of this assignment and the work is a result of my own investigations, except
where otherwise stated. All references have been duly cited”.
The assignment must be word processed.
York Business School - Operations and Project Management, BMB6001M 2023-2024
General
Characteristics
High First (100 - 85) First (84 - 70) 2:1 (69 - 60) 2:2 (59 - 50) 3rd (49 - 40) Fail (39 - 30) Fail (29 - 0)
Thinking skills This work successfully combines
existing knowledge(s) to create
new insights. It applies critical
thinking throughout and
develops your body of knowledge
beyond the taught content.
This work has proposed avenues
of investigation with viable
approaches to generating data
and / or potential answers. To
formulate these questions, you
have applied critical thinking
skills throughout your body of
knowledge beyond the taught
content.
Through critical thinking (such as
critical analysis or evaluation of
source materials), this work has
identified new questions or
problems about the taught content
and / or responded with
independent research expanding
on the taught content.
The submission has
successfully applied thinking
skills (analysis, evaluation, or
general problem solving) to
demonstrate a deeper
understanding of the taught
content.
The submission
appropriately applies
some thinking skills to
the core taught content.
The work is currently
limited by some
misunderstandings,
misapplication or gaps
in important areas of
knowledge from the
taught content.
The work does not
address the important
areas of knowledge
from the taught
content or apply the
required thinking
skills.
Research
Methods and
Methodology
The work is supported by an
appropriate methodological
approach to its design. The
research methods used in this
work demonstrate a strong
competency and understanding
of their purpose and function.

The work demonstrates a strong
competency and understanding
of research methods and how
these research methods are
selected and deployed as part of
a research methodology.

The work applies research methods
from the taught content and
independent studies. It carefully
selects and uses these methods to
generate data and / or insights to
solve complex problems or to
answer bespoke research
questions.
The work applies appropriate
research methods from the
taught content to approach
or solve problems and
answer research questions
presented (in class activities
and also independent
research).
The work incorporates
the research methods
discussed in class,
appropriately to attempt
to solve problems and /
or to answer research
questions presented.
The work has not yet
demonstrated
successful application
or understanding of
the research methods
discussed in taught
content.
The work does not
address or apply the
research methods
discussed in the
taught content.
Communication The mode of communication is
clear, coherent and confident
with expressiveness and flow. It
applies language, tone and
conventions of that medium
effectively to persuade and / or
inform in an accessible way.
The mode of communication is
clear, coherent and confident. It
uses language, tone and
conventions expected of that
medium to explain or express
complex ideas in an accessible
way.
The mode of communication in this
work is comfortably clear and
coherent It is mostly successful in
applying language, tone and
conventions of the mode as
appropriate to the audience,
making your understanding /
position reasonably clear.
The mode of communication
is this work is clear and
coherent on the topic and /
or expresses your position to
the intended audience.
The mode of
communication in this
work is comprehensible
although there is the
possibility of
misunderstanding or the
work leaves too many
questions unanswered.
The work does not yet
make clear your
thoughts, ideas or
understandings and
could leave the
audience uninformed
or confused.
The work does not
adequately attempt
to communicate to an
audience.