Identify a generic cost- and scheduling-related project management topic. Examples may be schedule discrepancies, cost overruns, poor product or service design, high levels of internal or external failures, and so on.

Instructions

For the Team Research Paper assignment, there are two parts. The first part of the paper is due this week and must include the following sections.

·        Title page (One page)

·        Introduction (One page)

·        Problem Statement (One page)

·        Literature Review (Three pages)

·        References (One page)

For the assignment this week, you must select a topic.

1.     Identify a generic cost- and scheduling-related project management topic. Examples may be schedule discrepancies, cost overruns, poor product or service design, high levels of internal or external failures, and so on. Feel free to add to this list if you need to.

2.     You may want to drill down the topic per the following.

o   Project management principles: quality, risk, change, stakeholders, leadership, complexity, adaptability, team, value, tailoring, stewardship, or systems thinking

o   Project management domains: planning, project work, delivery, measurement, life cycle, development, or uncertainty

o   Program management or AI-driven PPM (program, portfolio management) systems

3.     Follow the guidelines for the research sources, paper formatting, tables and figures, and quotations and citations provided.

4.     Review the grading rubric.

 

 

 

Research Sources

1.     All papers must have a minimum of eight scholarly sources (other than textbook) cited within the text of the paper and identified in the References section.

2.     Additional research sources can be attached in an appendix.

3.     All sources must be in two places: They need to be identified in the References section and must also have a corresponding citation within the body of the paper.

4.     All resources for the paper must be of scholarly or journal quality. Ask the librarians for assistance in accessing materials.

5.     Please note: Articles found online (consulting company websites, internet magazines, or other blogs) will not be considered acceptable scholarly resources. (Conduct your research through a library where you can be assured that the sources are of scholarly quality. For example, please do not use Wikipedia!)

Paper Format

1.     All papers must be double-spaced and written in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1″ top, bottom, left and right margins.

2.     The paper must be not less than 5 and not more than 7 pages, excluding the title page, reference pages, and appendices.

3.     The title page should include the title of the work, names of all group members, course number, date, and instructor’s name.

4.     Follow APA style for general format and citations.

5.     Paper sections must adhere to the guidelines and each section must be labeled in the text. Use APA first and second level headings to organize your paper.

6.     The language should be clear, concise, and precise.

7.     The tone should be professional, consistent, and not filled with jargon.

8.     Grammar and syntax (sentence structure) must be correct.

9.     The report must be free of misspellings and typos.

 

Tables and Figures

1.     All figures and tables must be referred to in your text before they appear on the page.

2.     Figures and tables should appear on the same page as the text that refers to them or on the next page.

3.     All figures and tables need captions. Captions are placed below figures and above tables.

Quotations and Citations

1.     Quotations and citations are crucial components of a research paper.

2.     Failure to properly cite research sources and borrowed ideas is plagiarism.

3.     Papers submitted without citations and references will be returned to the student with no grade.

4.     Refer to the APA style guide for assistance with properly citing quoted and/or borrowed materials and ideas.

 

Grading Rubric

Section	Description	Points
Title Page (One page)	This should contain the title of your research paper; the course number and title; the instructor’s name; and the date AND the names of all group members.	5
Introduction (One page)	Identify a generic cost- and scheduling-related project management topic. Examples may be schedule discrepancies, cost overruns, poor product or service design, high levels of internal or external failures, and so on. Feel free to add to this list if you need to.	25
Problem Statement (One page)	Identify and clearly state the problem. The problem statement should identify the major reason(s) for the recommended direction to implement an initiative. A well-formed problem statement has the following. Focus: The problem should be well-defined and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the cost management and scheduling area and the direction of your study and research. Structure: If the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper. Significance: The significance section is the area where you need to answer the magic question: “So what?” The significance makes your research worth it to the reader. It is great if you can link this more to cost management and scheduling issues and provide numbers to support your direction.	30
Literature Review (Three pages)	You must address a minimum of four scholarly resources in this section (excluding the textbook). Provide an analysis and synthesis of the various authors from the research that significantly informed your analysis and proposed solutions. You may have found conflicting opinions or theories related to your topic area. Identify and discuss any such contrasts and/or describe in detail significant agreement among your sources. Your literature review should be separate and distinct from your analysis section; it is a summation of your research. The best practices of cost management and scheduling that were covered in the course and that link with your direction should be cited in this section. Use APA first and second level headings to organize your paper. Citations are a must!	40
Total		100