COM5011 IT Project Management Project and Reflection Assignmnt Brief 2026 | Arden University
COM5011 Assignment Brief
As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a IT Project Management assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing the module, you should be able to:
1.Understand the philosophies and principles underlying different IT project management approaches,
2.Critically evaluate the approaches with respect to planning, people management, risk management and project delivery
3.Select and apply resource scheduling and allocation techniques, such as Critical Path Method, Work Breakdown Structure and IT project management techniques to deliver a project plan.
4.Reflect on their employability skills such as team-work, people management and time management in the context of project management.
Graduate Attributes
Responsible Global Citizenship: Understand global issues and their place in a globalised economy, ethical decision-making and accountability. Adopt self- awareness, openness and sensitivity to diversity in culture.
All learning outcomes must be met to pass the module.
Guidance
Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module name, the submission deadline and the exact word count of your submitted document; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list in AU Harvard system(s). You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.
You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.
Maximum word count: 4000 words
Please refer to the full word count policy which can be found in the Student Policies section here: Arden University | Regulatory Framework
Please note the following:
Students are required to indicate the exact word count on the title page of the assessment.
The word count includes everything in the main body of the assessment (including in text citations and references). The word count excludes numerical data in tables, figures, diagrams, footnotes, reference list and appendices. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count.
Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a 10-percentage point deduction.
Assignment Task
BUSINESS CHALLENGE – Jack Ventures Ltd LTD and ITnetics Consultancy Group
Jack Ventures Ltd LTD is a world-leading travel agency that offers discount rates on airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, and overseas wedding packages. Their packages are also sold by the high street travel agents. In order to meet the expectations of travel price-hunters, the Jack Ventures Ltd site currently features the following components:
- A functional web interface to search, book, and advertise trips based on a particular trip requirement
- Back-end systems to manage deals and other business-related data
- An interface for travel agents to fill in their offers
Rapid growth and market expansion strained the company’s in-house IT resources, while the need for technology upgrades and new architecture solutions continued increasing. Outsourcing the professional services and allowing the core staff to stay focused on critical projects was the obvious solution. Jack Ventures Ltd wants the below functionality: - A web application that eliminates the extra cost of developing two separate systems, designed for use by both travel agents and travel price-hunters.
- Support for travel agents who bring in multiple bookings.
- Alternative interfaces for travel agent data management
- Email notifications to travel agents when deal status changes
- Excel report generation, distribution, and filtering, in order to increase data visibility
- Integration with the existing MIS system.
- Project Timeline: The project should be completed in 8 months’ duration.
- Budget: £75,000 (Seventy Five Thousand Pounds)
ITnetics Consultancy Group has been chosen for their strong record of successful project delivery using PRINCE2 methodology and working seamlessly with offshore and onshore teams. ITnetics often outsource parts of financial aspects of projects to Dosh Sage Ltd, a firm specialises in integration payment portals.
Below are the stakeholders:
ITnetics Consultancy Group will be providing the below resources:
- Project Manager (Letitia Moon)
- Team Manager (Perry Dot)
- Project Analyst (Eleanor Rudd)
- Analysts (Henry Hawk and Portia Bella)
- Web developer (Marc Antony and Patricia Mari)
Jack Ventures Ltd will provide the below resources;
- Team Manager (Jim Ben)
- Analyst/programmer (Zain Pedro)
- Access to other staff, data, documentations, training and testing
Project Board
- Jack Ventures Ltd Customer Service Manager – Raymond Weils
- Jack Ventures Ltd Executive Director – Ben Opalo
- Jack Ventures Ltd Senior User – Mallam Isa
- ITnetics Ltd Senior Supplier – Yakubu Alfa
- ITnetics Ltd Project Assurance – Pascal Gerrald
Assignment Tasks
NOTE: The assignment MUST be submitted with the headings and sections provided at the end of this document.
SECTION 1: PROJECT PLAN
Task 1 – Business Case and Project Initiation Document
In the context of the case study, you are compiling a report to the Project Board. As a part of this task, you should produce a business case and a Project Initiation Document. The content guidance is provided in the assignment template at the end of this brief.
(1400 words)
(30 marks)
(LOs: 1 & 4)
Task 2 – Project Plan
Select and apply IT project management techniques to deliver a project plan for the given case study. Select and apply resource scheduling and allocation techniques, such as Critical Path Analysis and Work Breakdown Structures.
As a part of this task, you will produce:
1.Produce a detailed project plan appropriate phases and detailed activities and clear sequence to the activities with meaningful timelines
2.Demonstrate the application of milestones, checkpoints and relevant constraint and contingencies applied in the plan.
3.Produce Work-Based Structures for each of the deliverables
4.Conduct Critical Path Analysis of the final project plan demonstrating lead and lag times
(1000 words)
(30 marks)
(LOs: 3 & 4)
Task 3: Approaches to Project Planning
In the context of the case study, critically evaluate YOUR approaches to planning, people management, risk management and project delivery. Where appropriate, underpin your writing with relevant and valid literature to support your arguments and reflection.
(800 words)
(20 marks)
(LOs: 2 & 4)
SECTION 2: REFLECTION
In the context of the above Case study, reflect on the employability skills and competencies required for IT project management such as teamwork, people management and time management and the extent to which you either have or need to develop these skills. Where appropriate, underpin your writing with relevant and valid literature to support your arguments and reflection.
(800 words)
(20 marks)
(LOs: 4 )
Assessment Criteria (Learning objectives covered – all.
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Level 5 reflects the continuing development in knowledge, understanding and skills from Level 4. At Level 5, students are not expected to be fully autonomous but are able to take responsibility for their own learning with appropriate guidance and direction. Students are expected to further develop their theoretical knowledge within a more intellectual context and to demonstrate this through more complex forms of expression which move beyond the descriptive or imitative domain. Students are expected to demonstrate skills of analysis in both problem-solving and resolution. |
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Grade |
Mark Bands |
Generic Assessment Criteria |
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First (1) |
80%+ |
An outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and any associated ethical considerations. There is sophisticated use and management of learning resources, and a high degree of autonomy is demonstrated. Writing is outstandingly well structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, outstanding professional skills are demonstrated. The work is original and with some additional effort could considered for internal publication. |
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70-79% |
An excellent knowledge base within which the discipline is explored and analysed. There is a degree of originality in the approach. The work demonstrates confidence and autonomy and extends to consider ethical issues. Learning resources have been managed confidently. Writing is exceptionally well structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, an excellent level of professional skills is demonstrated, and the work demonstrates a high level of intellectual and academic skills. |
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Upper second (2:1) |
60-69% |
A very good knowledge base which explores and analyses the discipline, its theory, and any associated ethical issues. There is evidence of some originality and independence of thought. A very good range of learning resources underpin the work and there is evidence of growing confidence and self-direction. The work demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and apply theory with good academic and intellectual skills. Academic writing skills are very good, expression is accurate overall, and the work is consistently referenced throughout. |
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Lower second (2:2) |
50-59% |
A good understanding of the discipline which begins to analyse the subject and apply some underpinning theory. There may be reference to some of the ethical considerations. The work shows a sound level of competence in managing basic sources and materials. Academic writing skills are good and accurate overall, and the work is planned and structured with some though. Professional skills are good (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought, but academic and intellectual skills are moving into the critical domain. The work is referenced throughout. |
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Third (3) |
40-49% |
Satisfactory level of performance in which there are some omissions in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and ethical considerations. There is little evidence of independent thought, and the work shows a basic use of sources and materials. |
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Academic and intellectual skills are limited. The work may lack structure overall. There are some difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). There is an attempt to reference the work. |
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Marginal Fail |
30-39% |
A limited piece of work in which there are clear gaps in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and ethical considerations. The work shows a limited use of sources and materials. Academic and professional skills are weak and there are errors in expression and the work may lack structure overall. There are difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought and is largely imitative. |
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Clear fail |
29% and Below |
A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The work shows little evidence in the use of appropriate sources and materials. Academic writing skills are very weak and there are numerous errors in expression. The work lacks structure overall. Professional skills (where appropriate) are not developed. The work is imitative |