Overview
This unit provides an understanding of cost planning and cost control procedures in the building and construction industry including: Cost effectiveness and cost control of construction projects; Cost management, cost monitoring, control systems, cost reporting and forecasting, variation control, cash flow co-ordination, work packaging, scoping, projections, and budgets throughout the design and construction phases of a project; Principles of construction cost control systems; budget maintenance; analysis of performance; cost reports; contract cost administration; Cost Planning: Objectives and parameters, Data gathering, data analysis, analysis of design, project implementation plans, procurement plans, financial analysis, scope audits. It will also provide you with an introduction to the project value management process and the establishment of client cost targets, time targets, risk allocation, cost breakdowns, end cost, and project alternatives for construction projects.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments Report- T3- 2023
Learning content reinforcing the importance of payment terms and cashflow to running a business was a major highlight of the enhanced student learning experience.
The same teaching strategy is recommended to be adopted for next and future deliveries.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments Report- T3- 2023
It is suggested to frequently include current examples of projects or current market analysis in unit learning and teaching.
It is recommended to take current examples of projects or current market analysis in lectures and class discussions where possible. Future deliveries will consider same possible application in designing assessment tasks.
- understand how site, market, design and construction choices impact on the project cost
- apply cost planning and control techniques to all phases of the project procurement
- understand project cashflow and ways to correct variances
- understand trends in cost data analyses
- demonstrate communication skills
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 4 - Written Assessment - 10% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Written Assessment - 10% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Head phones or integrated headset
- Microphone
- MS Office or similar
- Webcam
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
q.tushar@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
The design and development process
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Project cost control
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost implications of design variables
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost implications of construction methods
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Influence of site, market conditions and prefabrication on cost
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost elemental analysis
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No teaching. It's catch-up time. Enjoy and utilize the break efficiently.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No teaching. It's catch-up time. Enjoy and utilize the break efficiently.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost planning at the conceptual stage
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost planning at the design documentation stage
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost data
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost indices
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost modelling
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cost modelling (continued)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No exam for this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
AI Assessment Scale = AI Collaboration (You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use).
Week 5 Monday (8 Dec 2025) 12:00 am AEST
See Moodle instructions.
Week 7 Monday (5 Jan 2026)
Within two weeks of the submission due date.
The assessment will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Adequate coverage of topics discussed.
- Use of supporting information where appropriate and associated references.
- Original thought.
- Overall presentation and the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly.
- Where appropriate the use of graphs, illustrations and other diagrams that visually support the context of your submission.
- Demonstration of the core knowledge associated with this unit and appropriate application of this knowledge.
- understand how site, market, design and construction choices impact on the project cost
- understand project cashflow and ways to correct variances
- demonstrate communication skills
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
2 Written Assessment
AI Assessment Scale = AI Collaboration (You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use).
Week 8 Monday (12 Jan 2026) 12:00 am AEST
See Moodle instructions.
Week 10 Monday (26 Jan 2026)
Within two weeks of the submission due date.
The assessment will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Adequate coverage of topics discussed.
- Use of supporting information where appropriate and associated references.
- Original thought.
- Overall presentation and the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly.
- Where appropriate the use of graphs, illustrations and other diagrams that visually support the context of your submission.
- Demonstration of the core knowledge associated with this unit and appropriate application of this knowledge.
- understand how site, market, design and construction choices impact on the project cost
- apply cost planning and control techniques to all phases of the project procurement
- understand project cashflow and ways to correct variances
- understand trends in cost data analyses
- demonstrate communication skills
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Written Assessment
AI Assessment Scale = AI Collaboration (You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use).
Week 12 Friday (13 Feb 2026) 12:00 am AEST
See Moodle instructions.
Wednesday (18 Feb 2026)
Within two weeks of the due date of the submission and before the certification of grades
The assessment will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Adequate coverage of topics discussed.
- Use of supporting information where appropriate and associated references.
- Original thought.
- Overall presentation and the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly.
- Where appropriate the use of graphs, illustrations and other diagrams that visually support the context of your submission.
- Demonstration of the core knowledge associated with this unit and appropriate application of this knowledge.
- understand how site, market, design and construction choices impact on the project cost
- apply cost planning and control techniques to all phases of the project procurement
- understand project cashflow and ways to correct variances
- understand trends in cost data analyses
- demonstrate communication skills
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
4 Written Assessment
The full assessment details are available on the Moodle website.
This assessment relates to all learning outcomes.
This assessment will take the form of an online quiz in Moodle and will have 20 questions.
The quiz will be available from the beginning of Week 11 and closes Wednesday of Exam Week.
AI Assessment Scale = AI Collaboration (You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use).
Exam Week Wednesday (18 Feb 2026) 12:00 am AEST
Refer to instructions on Moodle home page
Exam Week Thursday (19 Feb 2026)
Within 24 hours of due date or submission date (whichever is the latest).
The assessment will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Selecting the correct answers from various options available.
- Comprehension of all topics and resource materials covered in this unit.
- understand how site, market, design and construction choices impact on the project cost
- apply cost planning and control techniques to all phases of the project procurement
- understand project cashflow and ways to correct variances
- understand trends in cost data analyses
- demonstrate communication skills
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
