Assignment1-PC-Template_F.docx

HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

An Introductory Point

This template is not designed to provide a full Project Charter (PC). It only includes sections that will be pertinent to the assignment. If you want to see what a full Project Charter looks like, you can generally find free copies of templates on the internet. Most major organisations also have their own standards for these, so you would typically use theirs when you need to develop one for that company.
Whichever template you use, the PC will typically be created during the Pre-Initiation/Initiation phase for the project. The intended audience is normally senior management (e.g. the Board (as applicable), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), etc.), the Project Sponsor, and stakeholders whose support will be required to complete the project tasks. In other words, the PC should aim to explain to these types of stakeholders what the project will be about, so it facilitates decision making.

Using this Template

Firstly, after downloading this template from the LMS, make a copy on your computer using the naming convention discussed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.
This template provides some of the standard types of information that you can expect to find in a PC. Therefore, text that is provided in black Times New Roman font will remain in your final version. You will then need to add the information that is required for each section of the PC. These requirements are defined using blue font text shown in square brackets (e.g. [these are the instructions for the information that you need to include]). Read these instructions carefully, before you do your drafting, as this material provides important hints and guidelines.
When drafting your responses for each section, the key is clarity. Therefore, think clearly about the real-world issues when assessing each element of this template. Consequently, you do not need to provide long detailed prose. Clear, well-thought-out, easy-to-read sentences are required, and short dot-point sentences are appropriate in many situations.
Once you have drafted the required content, you should remove the [blue font instructions], so your draft would then be ready to be forwarded to the Project Sponsor and then the Board for final approval (as simulated by uploading this completed document into the LMS). Additionally, you should remove the information on this page, so your response just starts with the material on the following page.
In practical terms, once you have completed this PC (by taking the preceding steps) and the other required documents, these should be uploaded to the LMS in accordance with the Assignment 1 Information Sheet instructions.

Apart from the changes discussed in the preceding elements on this page, you must not change this template. This reflects real-world imperatives. Companies generally want you to conform with the templates that they provide. Therefore, get used to utilising standard templates now.

Section G1 Name of Person

Assignment 1 – Project Charter EduStream

Murdoch University Page 1
INTRODUCTION
This Project Charter (PC) relates to the EduStream Pilot Project, which is under consideration for initiation by EdMedia International Pty Ltd (EdMI). The intent of this document is to provide a clear synopsis of some of the key issues that need to be considered, so stakeholders can determine whether this project will be viable.
[Instructions for what to include in the Project Charter: Much of the basic information for the assignment has been given in the provided materials. The intent is that you will read and assimilate the material and then put it into your own words. This approach is important because this is what is required in the ICT industry. They do not just want people to copy content without giving any thought to the issues. Consequently, the assignment aims to give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you can explain the ideas/details provided in the materials by using your own words and insights.
Additionally, if you just include the information that has been provided, you will receive about 60% for those sections as a maximum mark. Where you will get the best marks is by including real-world insights. Once again, the objective is to get you to think about the practical implications of the situation. It is your ability to go beyond the basic information and think about the issues realistically and sensibly that would make it more likely that you can gain success in an ICT career. The intent of these assignments is to give all of our team members the opportunity to grow this skill now.
Therefore, you can use the material that has been provided, but you need to change this into your own words. As explained in the assignment material, just copying content will be treated as plagiarism. The objective is not to catch people out, but to ensure that everyone can build critical skills that can help them gain success in the industry. Just as importantly, please go beyond what has been supplied, as developing your ability to think about real-world issues can greatly help you in your future career.
Finally, there is no word limit for Assignment 1. However, being succinct and to the point is highly valued in the industry. Consequently, get used to covering the pertinent information briefly.]
Analysis

Reason for the Project and General Approach
[Instructions for what to include in this section: This section should begin by providing a clear Executive Summary of the project objectives and explain why this will be important to EdMI. In other words, this should be the synopsis pitch to the Board, so you can convince them to provide funding. Additionally, you need to supply a very short synopsis of the implementation approach that will be applicable. When doing this second part, remember that the key concept is risk management. Therefore, deliver a short set of statements that would indicate to the Board that the general approach will help to manage the associated risks.
In both of these aspects, your content must be convincing. Consequently, don’t just describe the project, make sure that the Board will understand the importance of implementing EduStream. You can get background on these reasons within the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (available in the LMS under the Assessments Heading). Additionally, make sure that the risk management is treated as a positive approach. For both aspects, you will need to think carefully about the real-world issues.
Here are some general rules to remember, when you are drafting this section:
· Keep this relatively short and to the point (aim for 500 words or less).
· Write it so it would convince the Board to proceed with the project (remember – in the real-world, you may not have a job if the Board does not agree to fund this).
· This section should also be a preamble that will lay the foundation for the following sections. Therefore, develop this first section so it flows into the stakeholder analysis.]
Finally, when drafting this section use the following structure:
· Always begin by stating the problem. This is an important part of the logic flow that you will need to apply when working in the industry. In this situation, carefully read the scenario provided in the Assignment information and work out EdMI’s problems (Hint: Think about their market share and the impacts on revenue – this is the type of problem that will have resonance with a Board). Once you have done this, write a short paragraph that gives a clear statement defining EdMI’s problem.
· Next, identify the cause of the problem. You can get this content from the Assignment information (Hint: Think about why our clients are not interested in the existing product offering and what they are seeking – In other words, what do our clients really want?). Then write this in one or two clear sentences.
· As a next step, broadly explain the solution to the problem. Remember, this type of Problem/Solution logic is really important. If you apply this approach in your persuasive writing, you are more likely to convince your reader. The solution must be focussed on giving the clients what they want, so it is a direct follow on from the previous point.
· Now that the readers understand the broad solution, in a few sentences list the key deliverables. In other words, introduce the EduStream project to the Board and outline what the project will actually deliver (Hint: see the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview document and cover the headings). Remember, make the project deliverables really clear. At this stage, don’t go into detail, just broadly explain what will be delivered. Additionally, work on the fact that the Board will not understand what is being delivered by EduStream and certainly will not know about the technology issues. Therefore, give them just enough information to explain the project, without including too much about the technology as this may confuse the discussion at this stage (i.e. keep it simple). Finally, in this paragraph, make it clear how EduStream will address the identified problem and also deliver a useful opportunity (e.g. we can now focus on the mass market as well as our traditional clients).
· In the following paragraph, explain why it is important to do the EduStream project soon. This is where you need to address the practical implications of the situation. (Hint: think about what our competitors could do if we don’t change our current product offering). In the industry, the best way to explain these issues is to link them to risk (e.g. what are the risks to EdMI if we do nothing – key terms relate to business risk and financial risk).
· In the final part of this section, give a very short overview of key steps that will be needed. When defining these, it is always useful to explain that this will help to minimise implementation risks for the project.]
Insert your material here (and then remove this line).

Stakeholder Analysis
[Instructions for what to include in this section: This section needs to be a sensible and thoughtful analysis of what EdMI, and the clients, are actually seeking from this project. Consequently, there are two parts to the following table. Enter information into these two table cells as follows:
·
Part 1 – What do we want from this Project?
You need to think about EdMI’s real business objectives for implementing this project. Some insights on this are provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet, and others are covered in the Topic 1 to Topic 4 lectures and associated Workshops. In addition to these points, you need to think about the real-world issues related to this case. It is expected that you will provide a minimum of six (6) clear, concise and focussed dot point sentences, which explain the imperatives for EdMI and outline what we really want to achieve. As a hint, this section should act as an expansion/clarification of the issues that you covered in Section 2.1 (Reason for the Project and General Approach and General Approach).
·
Part 2 – What do our clients want from this project?
The first key step here is to identify who our clients really are. Advice on this aspect is provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the Topic 1 to Topic 4 lectures. Once you have identified who will be using this system, think about what they will actually want to gain from using EduStream. As a hint, remember that we are looking at selling this to schools, companies, Government departments, and individuals (particularly school children). Across these various groups, there will be some aspects that will be common (e.g. easy to use), but there will be some issues that will be quite specific for different groups (e.g. a primary school student will be looking for different types of content to those needed for a Government department wanting to provide adult education). It is expected that you will provide a minimum of seven (7) clear, concise and focussed dot point sentences, which explain what you believe the clients will want from the EduStream system. As another hint, begin by listing universal requirements, and you can then include specific requirements that you would expect from different user groups.
In both of these sections, you need to think realistically about the issues, as these aspects would normally shape the design of the system. Consequently, think about this carefully, and make sure that the content that you develop would help the Board to understand the issues, and the system designers to focus on what will be most important.]
The following tables provide a synopsis of key aspects that have been identified through a detailed stakeholder analysis.

PART 1: WHAT DO WE WANT FROM THIS PROJECT?

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PART 2: WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS WANT FROM THIS PROJECT?

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SWOT Analysis
[Instructions for what to include in this section: A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) matrix is used to analyse internal and external factors that can have an impact on the viability of a project. The first two dimensions are internally focussed on EdMI’s issues and the latter two address related issues outside the company (e.g. competitors, clients, etc.). Identifying these aspects is important, because it allows you to leverage your strengths and manage your weaknesses, so you can take advantage of opportunities and control threats. In other words, use these as a way of looking at key issues that you will need to use/address to gain success from the project. However, when doing this analysis, look beyond the project-specific issues and identify the broader implications of the situation. This is what you will need to do when you get out into the industry (we do not operate in a bubble).
Within this framework it is important to think about the fundamentals as follows:
·
Strengths.
In this section address the aspects of EdMI’s situation and capabilities that can be considered as strengths. In other words, what will make EdMI more competitive in relation to implementing and operating the EduStream Project? Remember these are factors that are currently internal to the organisation (Hint: Think about these in terms of finance (how much money do we have and how easy will it be to get additional capital?), market share (how much of the market do we control?), market base (how diverse and robust is our portfolio of existing clients? – if we have lots, this greatly reduces risks), staff (what skills do we have in the organisation that can help?), what products do we have, which we can reuse for this project (what proportion of the available content do we control and is it any good?), reputation (what is our reputation? – in the business world this is known as ‘Good Will’ and it is actually valued because it is a valuable strength), where is our footprint (where do we have staff who can support the activities?), and many other aspects).
·
Weaknesses.
What characteristics of EdMI’s business situation can be considered as weaknesses (e.g. which could have an adverse impact on our ability to implement the EduStream project successfully, and gain a market advantage)? Don’t forget that these are internal factors. In many respects, the broad context for Weaknesses is similar to what is included for Strengths. (Hint: Think about this in terms of market base and market share (is there an issue with our existing market share?); cashflow (how does the existing business approach help to ensure that we have good money coming in all the time? – if this is not the case, this could be a weakness), staff (do we have the skills required to do the project? – if not this could be a weakness, particularly if we can’t engage contractors), do we have access to enough material (games and videos) for use in the EduStream product (do we actually have enough games and videos to do this currently? – think about this in terms of the information provided and the real-world issues), finances (do we have the finances required to pay for this in-house? – if not, this could be a weakness), culture (do we have the right culture to make this change in our business focus and approach, including the mass marketing? – remember that EdMI has been doing business one way and now needs to change – this can be a weakness), organisational structure (will our existing organisational structure be suitable for this project and the management of the EduStream product in future? – if not, this can be a weakness that will need to be addressed), and many others).
·
Opportunities.
In relation to this aspect, you need to think about the conditions outside of EdMI that could provide opportunities or advantages. For example, issues such as the economy, changes in technology, evolving client expectations, and the changing business situation for competitors or future clients can all be of importance. (Hint: Think about things like the: Australian market opportunity (is there anyone doing this in the market at the moment in Australia? – look at the internet and see if there are other companies doing this), overseas market opportunity (is there scope to deploy EduStream overseas? – again, look at the internet), expansion opportunities (how easy will it be to expand our market base – for extra marks, think about this in terms of Porter’s Five Forces), client interest (how interested are the likely customers in this type of offering? – think carefully about the scenario information that has been provided and the real-world implications), technology (how well does the existing technology support this proposal?), the economy (think about local and global economic issues that could provide an opportunity for us), and many others).
·
Threats.
In this dimension of the analysis, you need to think carefully about issues outside of EdMI that could adversely affect EdMI’s ability to deliver the EduStream project. For instance, you would think about competitors, or other external factors such as economic conditions, etc. For extra marks think about this in terms of Porter’s Five Forces. (Hint: Think about aspects like competition (what competition is out there in Australia and overseas?), skills availability (how difficult will it be for us to get access to the right skills to develop this project? – think about this in terms of our scenario), geopolitical issues (are there any geopolitical issues that could affect our proposal?), economic (are there any macro-economic issues that may present problems for us?), contractual issues (are there any contractual issues that could affect our approach – e.g. current licensing of games and videos? – remember if we lose access to the material we would not have a product to sell), and many others).
It is expected that you will assess these issues rigorously, as they would have a significant impact on the possibility of success. Therefore, within each of the following tables, you need to insert a minimum of six (6) clear, short, dot-point sentences that give a synopsis of the issues that may have an impact on EdMI’s ability to deliver the project successfully. As another key hint, you should not be directly assessing aspects of the EduStream project deliverables. What you should be doing is looking at issues that could have a significant impact on EdMI and our ability to actually implement and deploy a project of this type.
As a final important point – Don’t just put in the identified Strength, Weakness, Opportunity or Threat. What you need to do is include the implications for each statement. In practice, this means also explaining what this really means to our project. For instance, for Weaknesses and Threats, broadly identify what you will need to do to manage these, and for Strengths and Opportunities state how this will help with achieving the objectives of the project and how we can take advantage from them.]

A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted in relation to the implementation of the EduStream project. The following table provides a synopsis of the key points that were identified in this analysis.

INTERNAL ISSUES OF IMPORT FOR EdMI AND THE EDUSTREAM PROJECT

STRENGTHS

·

WEAKNESSES

·

EXTERNAL ISSUES OF IMPORT FOR EdMI AND THE EDUSTREAM PROJECT

OPPORTUNITIES

·

THREATS

·

PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
ROM Cost and Revenue Estimates
[Instructions for what to include in this section: The following table should contain the Net Present Value (NPV) adjusted figures for Year 0 (the year during which the Pilot Project will be happening) to Year 3 (the first three years of operation for the Pilot Project). You will develop these figures by entering the data developed from the NPV-ROI-Payback spreadsheet in the Project Assessment Workbook (which is available in the LMS under the Assessments heading). The instructions for doing this are provided on the Read Me First-Instructions worksheet within this workbook.
Remember that this is a ROM cost only, so round the figures to the nearest dollar.]
The following table contains the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost and revenue information for the EduStream project. These figures have been adjusted to take into account the discount rate, which includes expected inflation and the cost of capital.

Description

Year 0

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Discounted ROM Costs/Expenditures

Discounted ROM Benefits/Revenues

Expected NPV adjusted Profit/Loss

[Instructions for what to include in this section: In the following table insert the results for Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI) and Payback Period. These results should be drawn from the completed calculations within the NPV-ROI-Payback spreadsheet in the Project Assessment Workbook. Round the NPV figure to the nearest dollar. Additionally, ensure that the Payback period is provided as the number of years from the start date (rounded to one decimal place).]
The figures within the previous table were used to implement a rationalised financial analysis for the project. Results from these calculations are provided in the following table. This table lists the calculated Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI) and expected Payback Period for the EduStream project. These figures are influenced by the assumptions outlined in Section 3.2 (below).

NPV

ROI

Payback Period

[Instructions for what to include in this section: In this section, you need to explain what these figures mean in real terms. Remember that you are writing to the Board, who will understand the basic concepts, but you will need to provide a short paragraph that explains the implications of these results and also aligns them with the bigger strategic framework for the company. Hint: Do not just provide definitions of the terms. You need to explain what these financial figures really mean for this project. Please remember that this is designed to be a business paper, rather than an academic paper. In the real world, the key is to determine what the figures actually mean and then explain this in a sensible way. Just a short paragraph that explains what the figures mean is all that is required. Then finish this off with a statement as to whether this indicates whether the project is viable or not viable.]
Insert your material here.

Assumptions
[Instructions for what to include in this section: You will need to insert clear statements that outline the assumptions that were used when defining the expected costs and revenues. You can find many of these in the Assumptions section of the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (on Pages 5 and 6). Here are the key points to remember, when developing this section.
· Do not just copy the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Cutting and pasting any information directly from other material will be assessed as plagiarism. You will, therefore, need to put the assumptions information into your own words.
· There are also a number of other issues discussed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet that should be included in this section. Consequently, read all of the information carefully and make sure that this section covers all of the elements that are explicitly provided.
· If you only list the information that is provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet you will get a maximum of about 60% for this section. To get more marks you will need to also think about the real-world issues that are likely to be pertinent. Remember, this ability to look at the bigger picture is what will help you gain success in an ICT career. Therefore, build this skill now.
· It is expected that you will develop a minimum of ten (10) assumptions. More marks will be gained by providing a more comprehensive listing.]
The following table lists the key assumptions that are applicable to the financial analysis information provided in the preceding sections.

FINANCIAL/PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

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PROJECT PLANNING (OVERVIEW)
Key Dates
[Instructions for what to include in this section: You will need to carefully check that the dates listed in the following table are correct. These should reflect the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Make any changes you think may be necessary].
The following table lists the key dates applicable to this project.

Submission to the Board

Project Start Date

Project End Date

Key Schedule Milestones
[Instructions for what to include in this section: You need to include a listing of the key milestones that should be included, so you can outline the project. Therefore, add rows as necessary to the following table.

As a first step, you should paraphrase (put in your own words) the key milestone information listed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet (which commences on Page 2). Remember, simply copying in that information will be viewed as plagiarism and this will adversely affect your mark. Therefore, you need to put this information into your own words.
Most importantly, once you have added in the key milestones already provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet, you need to include others that are implicit (i.e. not explicitly listed). For example, look at the tender preparation issues that need to be covered (see Page 3 in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet) and work out other key milestones that you should include. There are also lots of other hints provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the Topic 3 Workshop. For instance, we need to think about training for the marketing team, engaging the Datacentres and so on. Additionally, review the EduStream Technical Architecture document that is provided in the LMS and think about any other milestones that may be required to effectively deliver this system.
It is expected that you should add a minimum of seven (7) additional milestones to those that have already been provided in the Key Milestones section of the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Obviously, the more detailed (and realistic) your listing is, the higher the mark you will receive. As a last hint, when developing your milestones, make sure that you comply with the SMART principles outlined in the Topic 4 lecture.]
The following table lists the key project milestones that have been identified. Meeting these milestones will help to ensure that the project can be delivered on time.

Date

Event/Milestone

DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS
[Instructions for what to include in this section: Provide a comprehensive listing of the meaning for the key technical terms and acronyms that are associated with this project. For example, provide descriptions for all of the technologies listed in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet and the EduStream Technical Architecture Overview. Include this information in the following table.
At a minimum, cover the terms listed in the left-hand column within the following table. However, you will do better if you add others that are pertinent. It is expected that you will provide a standard definition, and then put this into context for the EduStream project, where this is appropriate. For instance, when discussing the ‘client’ platforms align your response to the information provided in the Assignment 1 Information Sheet. Please note that the term ‘client’ listed in Table 1 refers to the hardware that will be used and not the individuals using the system.
Make sure that you define these terms in your own words, as it will be important that you understand these issues (both for the discussions of the scenario for this unit, and when you get out into the ICT industry).]
Key technical terms associated with the EduStream project are provided in the following table.

Table 1: EduStream definitions and acronyms

Term or Abbreviation

Meaning/Definition of the Term

Batch Updating (for OCA & DB)

Client (define this in terms of the scenario – e.g. define this in terms of the hardware)

CODEC (Coder-Decoder)

Colo (co-located) Datacentre

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Database replication

Firewall (software/hardware)

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

Flash Video (FLV)