In this assessment, you are required to propose how you are going to study your capstone project. Before you can propose, you first need to identify a project idea on which to develop your project proposal.
Assignment Task
Context
This subject allows you to synthesise the knowledge and skills gained from all other MBA subjects that you have studied up to this point. The main deliverable in the subject is a major project and, in this assessment, you will negotiate your proposed project idea with your Facilitator.
Instructions
In this assessment, you are required to propose how you are going to study your capstone project. Before you can propose, you first need to identify a project idea on which to develop your project proposal. Your project proposal must include the opportunity statement or pain/problem statement. The capstone project proposal serves two basic functions.
Firstly, it presents and explains how you are going to study and analyse the issue of your capstone project. This is essential to make clear what you aim to achieve by the end of this study period, what data you will collect and analyse and what MBA subject theory applies to your project. The aim/purpose statement of your project proposal must be a very precise, clear statement preferably in sentence.
Secondly, how you will conduct the capstone project. This is an account of the steps you will take until you produce the final report. This includes a timeline. The timeline will help you track your progress. With this information, your facilitator will be able to guide you concerning the suitability and feasibility of your capstone project idea.
Formulating a project idea
As mentioned above, before you can develop your capstone project proposal, you need to identify a problem or opportunity. Ideally, this should be a project idea that is personal to you and your context, and of immediate relevance to you in your workplace or career. A project idea may be producing a business plan, business report, a marketing plan, a project for your employer, a new venture proposal, a critique, a strategy formulation, an academic research paper in an area relevant to your studies or profession - the topic ideas are limited only by your imagination. Check out the “Broad Capstone Project Ideas” pdf file in Blackboard for some possible ideas.
You need to ‘negotiate’ the assessment with your facilitator to check that they are happy with your project idea and that it will meet the requirements of the capstone unit.
If you are not able to identify a suitable project your facilitator may specify a topic for you. Avoid randomly picking a project idea. Also avoid a project idea involving common companies. Such project ideas have been studied many times, therefore there is nothing new you can do in your study that is not otherwise commonly available online.
Once agreed’ with your facilitator, you need to present the project proposal in a manner that suits you and meetsthe marking criteria (rubric) below.
The project proposal The project proposal needs to:
- Have a clearly defined issue (‘problem’ or ’opportunity’ to address),
- A clear aim statement (advisably a single sentence only),
- Identify sources of data relevant to analysing the issue,
- Identify how analysis of the data will be done,
- Relate to a theoretical base that allows you to apply the theory to your situation to make recommendations for resolution,
- Provide a timeframe of your capstone project activities
References Note
Your capstone project itself must use and list at least six (6) peer-reviewed academic references to theoretical literature sources in addition to any references relating to the data sources you will use. You do not need to include all 6 in your proposal, but it may benefit you to identify the theoretical base at this time. The key theoretical model(s) you will utilise for the project does need to be identified and referenced in the proposal.
Individual or Group
You may complete your capstone project individually or as a group. If you choose to work on your capstone project as a group, you will have to negotiate with the facilitator about it. Your facilitator will need to be convinced that your group will perform as expected