Overview

The objective of this assignment is to learn how to prepare a professional project proposal based on a prescribed request for proposal (RFP). Students will form the group by themselves. A team of two students or an individual student will work to prepare a project proposal

Assessment details

Tasks

Based on a supplied request for proposal (RFP), each team is required to prepare a project proposal which consists of project scope planning, priority identification, and detail description of major deliverables for clients.

Each team is required to prepare a ‘project plan’ that offers a documented project proposal to satisfy a client’s need (further details about the RFP will be available on Canvas shell under the assignment 2). Students need to study relevant topics from week 1 to 4 and apply them when preparing the project plan. Please note that planning is not an exact science, so you need to make many assumptions, use market data, or use historical project information (if available).

Project Proposal Report Content:-

The report needs to include the following contents:

1. Project scope 

Define project scope clearly following the week 1 content. Project should be defined with a clear scope statement. Remember project scope is considered as the mission of the project and a clear scope definition will help the client to understand that your team clearly understands the project outline.

2. Project priority 

Develop project priority matrix based on the information provided on RFP. Discuss the key points from the matrix.

3. Project products or deliverables description

Client expects an outline of your plan for the project products that you are going to deliver. Here, you can provide project product descriptions (say if you are supplying software here you can describe the features of the software and price etc.)

4. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A fully specified WBS indicating the deliverables, sub-deliverables (if required), work packages/activities, WBS codes, and the individual(s) responsible.

5. WBS Dictionary 

The contractor will provide a description of each work package/ activity within WBS Dictionary. You can prepare a Table or descriptive format.

6. Schedule 

• With the outlined project activities, precedence relationship and time and cost estimations develop a project network plan and Gantt chart showing the weekly schedule of the project tasks, milestones to complete the project by the required project finish date. You can use Microsoft Project software to prepare the schedule.

• It is not enough to provide only software output. Discussion on key points of the schedule is essential. For example, major milestone completion dates, client’s approval dates, critical activities and critical path durations, etc. It is expected to see some discussion on assumptions you have made for generating the project schedule.

7. Staffing and resource allocation and project budget 

• In your project, resources could be direct labour, material, equipment. Assign resources to the required project activities, show workload of each resource. Identify any additional expertise that may need to be bought in for the project. Develop a responsibility matrix of the major tasks. Here you can make a realistic assumption on- what type of resources do you need and how much is hourly salary.

• Cost estimation of the project is important. Dollar costs can also be submitted based on cash flow data (from MS Project software). It is expected there will be some discussion on key points.

8. Stakeholder identification and management plan 

• Identify major stakeholders and develop a stakeholder management plan based on week 4 contents. Here you can identify at least four-five stakeholders and then prepare power-interest grid and discuss the key points (basis of identification and output of power-interest grid analysis).

9. Risk evaluation 

• Following the risk management processes, identify possible risks factors (at least five), assess risk factors (by using risk assessment form) and develop risk response strategy for top three risk factors (using risk response matrix).

RFP