BUSINESS SCHOOL
INFS6071
Project Management in Business
Semester 2 2022 Individual assignment 2
Due date: 15 November 2022(23:59)
Weight: 35%


General instructions
In order to undertake the assignment, students should do the following:
• Submission: You should submit the assignment at the link provided on Canvas. You should
name the submission file as follows: SID.doc or SID.pdf, e.g., 123456.doc or 123456.pdf.
Please note that you SHOULD NOT provide your names (first names or family names) in the
assignment document.
• For further information, please refer to the business school policies:
http://sydney.edu.au/business/currentstudents/policy.
• Note: You can submit the assignment only once! Please make sure that the file that you
submit is the final version.

The following format details are suggested for the report
1. Cover page - including course name, title of report, and student ID
2. Table of contents
3. Section headings of the report specified under “Requirements” for each part in the next page.
4. Use Portrait orientation
5. Use Arial font, size 11 points
6. Use 1.5 spacing
7. Use A4 paper
Word limit
Maximum 2500 words. Cover page, table of contents, executive summary and bibliography are not
included in word count. You may exceed the word count by 10%.
General Expectations:
• Clear, well-structured and written report that captures major aspects of the topic in a succinct
manner.
• Conduct your own research to support your arguments. Please carry out online searches at the
USYD library web site for relevant references.
• Proof-read and sense check your report before submitting it.
• Remember requirements of in-text referencing and avoiding plagiarism (please see slides in the
assignment section of Canvas).

2


Topic
Confronted with the challenges and attracted by the benefits offered by rapidly changing business and
technology environments, many organisations are becoming increasingly project focussed. Yet, the
high failure rate of projects in meeting project objectives of scope, time and cost and in supporting
organisational strategic goals remains a major concern. Measuring and enhancing organisations’
maturity in managing their portfolio of projects effectively have been a major area of interest for
researchers and project management practitioners. Based on your research, this assignment asks
you to explore organisational factors which may hinder the capability of organisations to manage
projects effectively and recommend appropriate actions which organisations need to take to raise their
competence in project management.
Requirements
The assignment must contain the following sections:
1. Executive summary - A one-page summary of the key points of your report.
2. Introduction – Discuss the rationale of the research and provide an overview of how the report is
structured.
3. Body – You must use the following themes (headings) to organise the body of the report (you may
use subheadings within each of these themes). Please use research evidence/case study
references to support your discussion of these themes.
a) Analysis of key organisational aspects which may hinder the capability of organisations to
manage projects effectively
b) Discussion of the concept and importance of project management maturity1 of organisations
c) Review of approaches to improve organisational project management maturity
d) Evaluation of the effectiveness of approaches to improve organisational project management
maturity
e) Well-argued recommendations to enhance the capability of organisations to manage projects
effectively.
4. Conclusion - This is not a summary, but a discussion of the key findings from your research/analysis
and their implications.
5. Bibliography: Use the Business School Referencing Guide (APA 6th or 7th edition).

Marking criteria are given in the next page.

Some useful references
Crawford, J.K. (2021), Project management maturity model; CRC Press
Kerzner, Harold (2019), Using the project management maturity model, International Institute of
Learning, Inc.



1 Organisational project management maturity refers to the level of an organisation's ability to deliver the desired strategic
outcomes in a predictable, controllable, and reliable manner (PMI (2013), Organisational Project Management Maturity Model,
accessed via USYD Library)

3

Marking criteria

Maximum
marks
Executive summary, introduction to the topic which includes the rationale for the
research and structure of the report
3
Effective use of research evidence to support arguments in the following areas of
analysis:

Analysis of key organisational aspects which may hinder the capability of
organisations to manage projects effectively
5
Discussion of the concept and importance of project management maturity of
organisations
3
Review of approaches to improve organisational project management maturity 6
Evaluation of the effectiveness of approaches to improve organisational
project management maturity
5
Well-argued recommendations to enhance the capability of organisations to
manage projects effectively
5
Clear conclusions which are integrated with the content of the report including
discussion of key issues identified in the research and their implications
3
Logical development of the content and arguments 3
Clarity in writing and use of correct grammar, spelling, citations and references 2
TOTAL 35