CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Assessment Type
Practical Assessment

Task Description
This is an individual assignment comprising two parts:

• Part A (30%): You are required to submit an anonymised written report responding to the specific tasks; and
• Part B (10%): Represents a “peer assessment” report evaluating your peers' submissions. Marks will be awarded based on the quality of your evaluation.

The assessment contains descriptions and the scope of work for a multi-component real-world case study. The case study and assessment requirements will be provided on the unit Moodle website.

Note: 

• Assessment re-take is not allowed for this assessment. 

Part A: You are required to submit a written report considering the followings:

• Critically analyse the case study and propose the most suitable procurement route for two (2) subcontract packages of your choice. The characteristics of the client, constraints, conditions, and available resources for each sub-project will be given.
• Justify the proposed procurement route for the packages and explain why this route is the most suitable to make the project successful.
• Propose the most suitable contract type for 2 subcontract packages for parties involved to
  complement the procurement strategy of the main contract.
• Discuss the associated risks and the key components which must be covered in the selected subcontracts.
• For one subcontract package, develop a hypothetical budget and an expenditure forecast as control mechanisms.
• Your report should evidence your understanding of the chosen procurement options in the context of the project, the program, and the main contract procurement strategy.

Part B: The peer assessment aims to enhance your understanding and allows you to learn from this assessment by exchanging knowledge with your peers considering the followings:

• You are required to evaluate ONE (1) submission by your peers, which will be randomly and anonymously assigned to you.
• You will be asked to submit your evaluation reports along with your constructive feedback and comments.
• You will evaluate the submissions based on the assessment criteria and using the marking tool provided.
• Your evaluation will be checked and moderated to ensure the quality of the feedback and the peer assessment.
• Failing to submit the evaluation report by the deadline will result in zero (0) marks for this part.

Assessment criteria – Part A - Written Report: Peer evaluation: 10%, tutor evaluation: 20% of term marks

• The introduction clearly defines the aims of the report and identifies the sub-project objectives, explaining how the recommendations ensure value for money (1.5 marks)
• Characteristics of the project and subprojects are aligned with appropriate selection criteria to be considered for the best procurement strategy (3 marks)
• The chosen procurement strategy aligns with the needs of the chosen subprojects, and is reflected in a number of subproject aspects (7.5 marks)
• The proposed contract type for each sub-project is appropriate, and their contribution towards project success is explained. (7.5 marks)
• Identification, analysis and impact of the risks associated with the proposed contract types for each sub-project for both the owner and the contractor are listed (3 marks)
• A budgetary estimate for one (1) of the sub-projects is provided by listing main expense heads including assumptions (3 marks)
• A well structured closing statement is provided (min 150 words) summarizing the main points discussed and stating a personal conclusion (1.5 marks)
• Clarity of expression, grammar, spellings and references provided (3 marks)

Assessment criteria – Part B - Evaluation of the peer assessment: Peer evaluation: 5%, tutor evaluation: 5% of term marks

1. Introduction:
   - Evaluate the stated aim and understanding of project objectives (1 mark).
   - Provide meaningful comments on the Value for Money (VFM) statement in the introduction (0.5 marks).
2. Selection Criteria and Subcontract Types:
   - Assess the proposed mapping of selection criteria against subcontract types (1 mark).
3. Sub-Project Strategies and Contract Types:
   - Evaluate chosen sub-project strategies and their reasons (1.5 marks).
   - Review proposed contract types and their explanations (1.5 marks).
4. Risk Analysis and Mitigation:
   - Provide relevant comments on identified risks, the risk analysis matrix, and evaluate the proposed risk mitigation actions (1.5 marks).
5. Estimating Technique and Cost Items:
   - Comment on the appropriateness of the estimating technique and assess the realism of the list of cost items (1.5 marks).
6. Report Summary and Conclusion:
   - Evaluate the report summary and the author's conclusion (1 mark).
7. Format and Referencing:
   - Identify areas for improvement in the report format and referencing technique (0.5 marks).

Assessment Type
Online Quiz(zes)
Task Description
This assessment item involves an online quiz which is worth 10% of the unit marks. The quiz will evaluate your knowledge and understanding of topics covering this assessment's learning outcomes.

• Only one attempt will be allowed.
• The quiz will consist of 20 questions.
• There will be a time limit of 30 minutes to complete the quiz.
• If the quiz is not submitted within 30 minutes, it will automatically be submitted after your attempt expires.
• The online quiz will be held in class during tutorial classes in Week 9.
• On-campus students must attend their tutorial class in Week 9 to complete the quiz whereas online students will be given a specific timeframe to complete the quiz.
• The online quiz will consist of multiple-choice questions which will be randomly selected from a pool of questions from the related topics.
• The online quiz will cover the content from the lectures, tutorials, and recommended reading material.

Assessment Criteria

• Each question will carry equal marks, and there are no penalties for incorrect answers.
• The online quiz will be marked by the Moodle computer program upon submission.

Assessment Type
Group Work
Task Description
This is a group assignment comprising two parts:

• Part A (35%): You are required to submit a critical analysis report responding to the specific tasks about a real-life case study.
• Part B (15%): You are also required to give an oral presentation on your critical analysis report.

Groups will be randomly formed by the unit coordinator and each group will consist of 3-4 members. A randomly formed group is part of this assessment to work in a new team and develop interpersonal and communication skills. The assessment will be based on a real-life case study (project) along with the description and scope of the work involved. The assessment specifications and information about the case study will be provided on the unit Moodle website.

Note: 

• Assessment re-take is not allowed for this assessment. 

Part A (35%): Critical Analysis Report:
You need to investigate and critically analyse a real-life case study by applying the knowledge gained throughout the term. The layout of the critical analysis report will be provided as part of the assessment documents. The tasks each group will undertake are:

• Understanding and analysis of the case study and applying the concepts of contract and procurement strategies.
• Mapping the factors and characteristics of the case study with the factors to be considered for the best procurement strategy.
• Analysis and evaluation of the procurement routes which include a detailed description of why specific routes were selected.
• Analysis and evaluation of the contract types which include a detailed description of why specific contract types were selected.
• Identification, analysis, assessment, and mitigation of the risks associated with the case study.
• Analysis of the tendering process, the pricing, and the negotiation approaches used.
• Evaluation of legal, financial, and technical components of project contracts.
• Understanding of the application of ethics in procurement relevant to the case study.
• Clarity of expression, language, format, presentation, in-text citations, and references.

Important notes:

• The report should contain around 4000 words +- 5% (excluding title page and references).
• Marks will be deducted for the reports exceeding the word limit by more than 5%.
• You need to discuss your progress every week with your tutor.
• Only one member of the group will submit the critical analysis report.
• Group members will be awarded the same marks for the critical analysis report. 

Part B (15%): Presentation
You will give a presentation on key aspects of your critical analysis report. The presentation will give each individual team member a chance to reflect on his/her acquired knowledge and experiences throughout the teamwork and studying the unit while practicing good presentation and communication skills. All team members must attend and present an equal portion of work. Presentations should be seen as formative assessments, and comments made can be used to finalise the written assessment.

• Presentations will be held during the Week 11 and 12 tutorial classes.
• The presentation should cover all aspects of the report in no more than 15 content slides.
• Too early and late finishes of the presentation result in reduced marks.
• Presentations will be graded individually.
• The duration of the presentation must be between 14-16 minutes followed by 5 minutes of questions and answers.
• If a student is absent from the presentation, he/she will be marked zero (0/15) for the presentation although he/she has submitted the PowerPoint slides. 

The report will be assessed based on the quality of the work presented, the details, and the coherent analysis with the proper justifications of the proposed procurement routes, contract types, and the associated risks. Your submission should extend beyond the unit material and you are required to use online resources and any additional relevant information. The report will be assessed according to the following criteria:

Part A (35%): Critical Analysis Report

• 2 Benefits of the chosen procurement approach are given and it is explained how these benefits apply in the context of the project (6 marks)
• The procurement strategy, including its components, processes, and effectiveness, is analysed, 2 benefits derived from this analysis are identified and explained in the context of the project (6 marks)
• 2 examples of procurement risk from the case study are given and explained in the context of the project (5 marks)
• 2 examples from the case study are given that clearly demonstrate the benefits of NEC in risk management (5 marks)
• The alternative strategic procurement model is clearly articulated using a schematic diagram (4 marks)
• The alternative procurement strategy is described in a way that demonstrates understanding of strategic procurement principles (4 marks)
• One stand-alone NEC contract format is proposed for a chosen 'Work package' and reasons are stated (5 marks)

Part B (15%): Oral presentation:

• Students describe the procurement strategy used in the case study in a way that demonstrates understanding of strategic procurement principles (3 marks)
• Reasons given for the strategy used stand up to scrutiny and questions are answered in a meaningful way (3 marks)
• Students explain their alternative procurement strategy in a way that demonstrates understanding of strategic procurement principles (3 marks)
• Reasons given for the proposed alternative stand up to scrutiny and questions are answered in an meaningful way (3 marks)
• Reasons given for the choice of the proposed stand-alone NEC contract stand up to scrutiny and questions are answered in an meaningful way (3 marks)