Cambridge TECHNICALS OCR Level 2 CAMBRIDGE TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN IT Project planning using IT A/601/3259 LEVEL 2 UNIT 16 GUIDED LEARNING HOURS: 60 UNIT CREDIT VALUE: 10
Project planning using IT A/601/3259 LEVEL 2 Aim and purpose of the unit The aim of this unit is to help learners understand how to prepare for a project and appreciate the factors that can influence a project s success or failure. Learners will learn how to produce an outline and a formal and follow this to track the project s progress. Finally, learners will review the project s progress to ensure that it has met its goals. 2
Project planning using IT Level 2 Unit 16 ASSESSMENT AND GRADING CRITERIA Learning Outcome (LO) Pass Merit Distinction The learner will: The assessment criteria are the pass requirements for this unit. The learner can: To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to: To achieve a distinction the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to: 1 Know how to prepare for a project 2 Be able to produce a 3 Be able to follow a to implement a project 4 Be able to review a project to ensure it meets its goals P1 identify the factors that influence projects P2 describe the activities which comprise the project life-cycle P3 gather information required for a project P4 outline the scope of an intended project P5 produce an outline P6 monitor the progress of a project against the, making adjustments as necessary P7 review a project against a M1 explain problems that could arise at each stage of the project lifecycle M2 create a formal project plan from the outline ideas M3 make recommendations to colleagues for consideration in future s D1 justify the decisions made within the formal D2 justify any modifications made to the 3
Teaching content The unit content describes what has to be taught to ensure that learners are able to access the highest grade. Anything which follows an i.e details what must be taught as part of that area of content. Anything which follows an e.g is illustrative, it should be noted that where e.g. is used, learners must know and be able to apply relevant examples to their work though these do not need to be the same ones specified in the unit content. LO1 Know how to prepare for a project factors that influence projects costs staff timescales resources restrictions risks. different project methods, (e.g. Waterfall, Prince 2, etc) project life-cycle stages initiating (e.g. meeting with client, project specification/proposal, costings, resources) planning and design (e.g. designs, timescales) implementation (e.g. completion of project, support documents) evaluation (e.g. reviewing, reviewing product). information required existing system (e.g. problems/limitations with existing system, information for new system) client requirements (e.g. objectives for project) resources (e.g. hardware, software, cost, staff) methods used (e.g. questionnaire, interviews, observation, use existing system). project problems unclear objectives provided by client poor communication inadequate planning, (e.g. poor design, staff not having the skills required, resources not available, etc.) over budget missed or unrealistic deadlines restrictions (e.g. software unavailable, client or users unavailable). project management software software (e.g. Microsoft Project, OpenProj, Gantt Project, Microsoft Excel) considerations (e.g. price, user interface, ease of use). LO2 Be able to produce a scope of a project purpose objectives 4 outline budget client requirements deadlines resources constraints (to include contingency) legal or regulatory requirements. formal (could include a Gantt Chart) tasks and dependencies timescales resources milestones justification of decisions made communications risk management. LO3 Be able to follow a to implement a project project management/progress monitoring review at milestones recording changes reviews with clients update justify changes to. LO4 Be able to review a project to ensure it meets its goals review project timescales appropriate resources identified correctly what went well what went not so well improvements. Making recommendations ensure the recommendations improve the overall be aware of any technical or business constraints make the recommendations specific and clear include specific examples to aid clarity.
Project planning using IT Level 2 Unit 16 Delivery Guidance This whole unit could be addressed by learners planning, implementing and reviewing a real project. It is, therefore, suggested that this unit is run alongside another practical unit, e.g. Database Systems, Spreadsheet Modelling, Setting Up an IT Network, Website Development or Interactive Media Production. This will help learners experience a more realistic project as they will have timescales and resources required to create the product. Know how to prepare for a project For learners to start this unit, they would need to have been taught what a project is, using examples of previous projects (e.g. Wembley Stadium, NHS Patient Record System) to support discussions. Learners working in pairs could be provided with a project management method (e.g. Waterfall, Prince 2 etc) they could then be asked to research the various stages and then feedback to the group what the stages are and what is involved at each stage. They could use one of the previous projects (e.g. Wembley Stadium, NHS Patient Record System) to help them explain what would happen at each stage. Learners should then be encouraged to identify the factors that influence projects. This could be done as a class task, whereby the learners are encouraged to identify as many factors as they can. They could then identify the kinds of information that they would require at the start of a project and how the information could be obtained. Learners working in a group could be provided with a large project that has been unsuccessful and given time to research it. They could then feedback to the group explaining why they feel the project was unsuccessful and at what stage in the life-cycle it started to go wrong. It would be advisable to use a variety of different projects with a range of reasons for failing in order for the class to find out about all possible reasons for projects being unsuccessful and then linking these to the various stages in a project life-cycle. Learners working in pairs could be asked to research different project management software, they would need to research price, user interface and ease of use. Using this information, the learners could then feed their findings back to the group and discussions could then be encouraged to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of software. scenarios, and encouraged to discuss the purpose of the project, how the solution would benefit the client, who the target audience and users are as well as any resources that may be required or constraints that may appear. Each pair could then present their outline to the group. Learners will then need to be taught how to create a formal from an outline. This could include teaching of how to create a Gantt Chart using project management software such as Microsoft Project, OpenProj, Gantt Project or even Microsoft Excel. Learners could use the previous scenario to form the and Gantt Chart. They will need to be taught how to add tasks, timescales, resources and milestones to the. If possible, it would be useful if the learners were given the opportunity to use more than one method of creating a Gantt Chart, e.g. using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project. It is important that learners understand the importance of being able to justify their decisions when creating a formal. Be able to follow a to implement a project Using the Gantt Chart previously created, learners could be taught how to review milestones in order to get the project management software to show that they have been completed. Learners could also, in pairs, be asked to identify other ways to show that they have reviewed their progress while the project has been running (e.g. regular reviews, meetings, etc.). Using the formal or Gantt Chart previously created, the learners should be encouraged to discuss any problems that a project may experience while following it. Using these examples, they could then adapt their formal or Gantt Chart to show possible changes which might need to be made. Be able to review a project to ensure it meets its goals Distributing the s, which the learners created previously, amongst the group so that they do not evaluate their own, learners should be encouraged to look at the timescales, the list of activities and the resources in order to identify any issues that may arise (e.g. timescales too tight, not all resources identified). Learners could then make recommendations on what could be improved for future s. Be able to produce a Learners working in pairs could be provided with different 5
Suggested Assessment Scenarios And Task Plus Guidance On Assessing The Suggested Tasks Assessment Criterion P1 The assessment criterion P1 could be evidenced with the use of a report or presentation supported by tutor observation and/or recorded evidence. Learners should identify the factors that influence projects, including those detailed in the teaching content. Assessment Criteria P2, M1 The assessment criterion P2 could be evidenced with the use of a report or presentation supported by tutor observation and/or recorded evidence. Learners are required to describe the activities that comprise the project life-cycle, including those detailed in the teaching content. The merit criterion M1 could be evidenced with the use of a report or presentation which should explain the problems that could arise at each stage of the project life-cycle. The explanation must include at least two problems which could arise at each of the four project life-cycles stages (e.g. initiating, planning and design, implementation and evaluation). Assessment Criterion P3 The assessment criterion P3 could be evidenced with the use of a report or presentation supported by tutor observation and/or recorded evidence. A scenario could be provided to the learner for a suitable project. Using this scenario, learners should gather the information required for the project; see list in the teaching content. This could be used as evidence for this criterion. Assessment Criterion P4 The assessment criterion P4 could be presented in the form of a mind map, report or presentation. Learners could use the same scenario previously used for P3. Learners must outline the scope of the project, including all points in the teaching content. Assessment Criteria P5, M2, D1 The assessment criterion P5 should be evidenced by learners producing an outline using a table to identify the tasks that would need to be carried out during the project as outlined in the teaching content For merit criterion M2, learners must provide evidence of their formal which must reflect the outline from P5. For distinction criterion D1, this will be an extension of M2 where learners will justify the decisions made in their formal project plan. Assessment Criteria P6, D2 The assessment criterion P6 must be evidenced by learners showing that they have monitored their progress against their. This could be evidenced with records of meetings that have taken place during the project, or by showing the milestones have been reached on the formal or Gantt Chart and then using annotated screen prints or a video diary to show that it has been monitored on a regular basis. With each monitoring of progress carried out at the milestone, learners would need to explain what they did to monitor progress, how the monitoring went and what adjustments were made to the or Gantt Chart. Screen prints showing before and after any changes are made could also be provided. The distinction criterion D1 could be evidenced under each of the modifications made to the for P6 as an extension of the work, by learners justifying the modifications that they have made and why they made them. Assessment Criteria P7, M3 The assessment criterion P7 must be evidenced by learners showing that they have reviewed their project against the plan and how the project has progressed. Learners are required to review the project process as well as the final product created or project outcome. Learners must review the project process following the guidance in the teaching content and, finally, whether the was successful. The merit criterion M3 must be evidenced by learners making recommendations to their colleagues for consideration for future s. This could be in the form of a presentation with detailed speaker notes or a report. Suggested Scenarios Create a database system for a local DVD store. Create a spreadsheet system to be used as a grade book for a local college. Create a website for a local charity or club. Create an animation for a local charity or club. 6
Project planning using IT Level 2 Unit 16 Resources Learners ideally need access to at least two different kinds of project management software; this could be Microsoft Excel (you will need to provide them with a template for the Gantt Chart) and OpenProj (free open-source software) or Microsoft Project. You will need the following software: Learners will need access to office applications as they will need to use at least word processing software. Learners will need access to project management software. Learners will also need access to the internet. 7
Mapping within the qualification to the other units Unit 6: Setting up an IT network Unit 9: Website development Unit 13: Interactive media production Unit 20: Database systems Unit 23: Spreadsheet modelling Links To NOS 6.1 Information Management 8
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