Faculty of Business, Environment and Society/ The Failure of Fire Control

Order Description

1. Evaluate current issues in project management and its application in the business environment.
2. Critically evaluate different tools and techniques used in project management.
3. Assess the impact of hard and soft skills on the management of a variety of different projects.

Assignment Information

The FiReControl project aimed to improve the resilience, efficiency and technology of the English Fire and Rescue Service by replacing 46 local control rooms with a

network of nine
purpose-built regional control centres using a national computer system to handle calls,
mobilise equipment and manage incidents.

The project commenced in 2004 and was expected to be complete by October 2009. In 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government contracted European Air and

Defence Systems (EADS) (now Cassidian) to design, develop and install the computer system underpinning the project. However, the project was subject to a number of

delays and costs escalated over its lifetime.

The Department cancelled the project in December 2010 after concluding that it could not be delivered to an acceptable timeframe. At the point the decision was made,

the Department estimated it had spent £245 million on the project and calculated that completion would take the total cost of the project to £635 million, more than

five times the original estimate of £120 million.

National Audit Office (2011)
You have been asked to write a report for the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure that the organisation learns lessons from the mistakes made on

this project.
Drawing on relevant project management theory, you should critically evaluate the project, focussing your report on two of the following areas of project management,

providing clear recommendations for future projects:
1.    How projects should be selected effectively (the business case)
2.    How stakeholders were and should be managed
3.    Effective project governance
Structure
Your assignment should be presented as a report, using the following structure:
Report section
Included in word count
?    Executive summary    No
?    Introduction to the report    Yes
?    Brief background of the project    Yes
?    Main discussion on two topics    Yes
?    Conclusions    Yes
?    Recommendations    Yes
?    Reference list    No
The word count for this assignment is 2000 words.  There is a 10% word limit tolerance.  (Maximum/minimum range: 1800 to 2200 words.)
Tables, diagrams, appendices and references are omitted from the overall word count:
Sections contributing to the word count are indicated.  You may also include tables, diagrams and models.  These do not count towards the word count.  Ensure that all

tables, diagrams and models are labelled, include a citation and are discussed in the text.  Appendices and reference list are also not included in the word count.
You must state the number of words used on the front cover of the assignment.
Source material

You are required to research both the project and project management theory in order to successfully complete this assignment.  As a guide, you should use a minimum of

10 separate sources, including a minimum of 3 textbooks and 3 journal articles.  An initial reading list will be provided on Moodle.  However, this should be viewed as

a starting point for your research.  You should also consider material that does not appear on the list.

How to submit your assessment

The essay must be submitted via Turnitin by 23.55 on 20.03.2015. No paper copies are required. You can access the Turnitin link through the module web.

•    Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Should you submit work on time but fail the assignment, you will be

offered a resit opportunity but the resit mark will be capped at 40%.
•    All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero. Please note that a non-

submission is not the same as a failed submission; a failed submission counts as an attempt whereas an absent mark does not necessarily allow you to resit the

coursework.
•    Short deferrals (extensions) of up to three calendar weeks can only be given for genuine “force majeure” and medical reasons, not for bad planning of your

time. Please note that theft, loss, or failure to keep a back-up file, are not valid reasons. The short deferral must be applied for on or before the submission date.

You can apply for a short deferral by submitting an Examination/ Coursework Deferral Application Form. Application Forms along with the supporting evidence should go

to the relevant Student Support Office (WMG03). For a longer delay in submission a student may apply for a long deferral.
•    Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
•    Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THIS ASSIGNMENT

This assessment will assess the entire module learning outcomes and makes up 50% of the overall module mark.

Word Count Limit

Your word count includes in text citations but not the final references or appendices. If you are more than 10% over or under the word count limit you will receive a

10% penalty.

The contents of your References and Appendices are not normally given a specific mark (though they will contribute to your overall mark, as detailed in the assessment

criteria). We therefore recommend that you only use Appendices for supporting material and not for the substantive part of your work.

Plagiarism

As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge

someone else’s writing or thoughts and that you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work.  Doing so is known as plagiarism.  It is not acceptable to copy from

another source without acknowledging that it is someone else’s writing or thinking. This includes using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to

correctly cite and reference the works of others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure, please visit

www.coventry.ac.uk/caw.

Turnitin includes a plagiarism detection system and assessors are experienced enough to recognise plagiarism when it occurs. Copying another student’s work, using

previous work of your own or copying large sections from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. Please familiarise yourself

with the CU Harvard Reference Style (on Moodle) and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or cheating being brought.  Again, if you are unsure, please contact

the Centre for Academic Writing or a member of the course team.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have marked work returned to you 2 weeks after the submission date. Marks and feedback will be provided online. As always, marks will have been

internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed his / her

review.

Module learning outcomes being assessed
1. Evaluate current issues in project management and its application in the business environment.
2. Critically evaluate different tools and techniques used in project management
3. Assess the impact of hard and soft skills on the management of a variety of different projects.

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