Business Proposal

Name: ___________________________________________ (______ /12)

· Poorly written
· Lacking details
· Wordy

· Satisfactorily written
· Missing details

· Concise, detailed and very well written

· unclear.
· Poorly written
· Contains many errors
· Missing details
· Incomplete
· Plagiarised

· Poorly written
· Lacking details
· Wordy

· Satisfactorily written
· Missing details

· Concise and well written

· Concise, detailed and very well written

· unclear.
· Poorly written
· Contains many errors
· Missing details
· Incomplete
· Plagiarised

· Poorly written
· Lacking details
· Wordy

· Satisfactorily written
· Missing details

· Concise and well written

· Concise, detailed and very well written

Criteria	Fail (<50%)	Pass Save Time On Research and Writing Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper. Get My Paper (50% – 64%)	Credit (65% – 74%)	Distinction (75% – 84%)	High Distinction (85% – 100%)
Structure (0.25 pt): How is the structure of the proposal?	· Structure & physical layout detract from work · Many inaccuracies · Considerable lack of detail in presentation	· Poor attempt at structure and physical layout · Many inaccuracies in presentation of work	· Fair attempt at structure and physical layout · Some inaccuracies in presentation	· Very good logical structure, physical layout and attention to detail · Work presented in coherent and accurate manner	· Excellent logical structure, physical layout and appropriate attention to detail · The work is presented in an accurate, concise and coherent fashion
Grammar / spelling (0.25 pt): Are there grammar and/or spelling errors?	· Numerous spelling mistakes and/or grammar errors detract from work · Writing is	· Multiple spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors · Errors make reading difficult	· Occasional spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors · Errors distract from reading	· Minimal spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors	· No spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors
Conclusion and References (0.5 pt): Have all statements been referenced? Has referencing been done properly? How is the structure of conclusion?	· Failures to appropriately acknowledge the work of others · Several errors in referencing or bibliography formatting. · No references · Unattributed statements · Plagiarised statements · Incomplete conclusion	· Poor use of referencing · Multiple errors in referencing and/or bibliography formatting · Poor attempt to acknowledge the work of others. · Most statements are unsubstantiated. · Poor conclusion	· Fair use of references · Errors in referencing and/or reference list · Mostly acknowledges the work of others · Many statements are unsubstantiated. · Satisfactory conclusion	· Good use of references · Appropriate referencing style with a correctly formatted reference list · Appropriately acknowledges the work of others · Many statements are substantiated with references · Concise and well written · conclusion	· Excellent use of references · Appropriate referencing style with a correctly formatted reference list · Appropriately acknowledges the work of others · All statements are substantiated with valid references · Excellent conclusion
Executive Summary (0.5 pt.): Does the summary address the whole proposal?	· Summary is unclear. · Poorly written · Contains many errors · Missing details · Incomplete · Plagiarised		· Poorly written · Lacking details · Wordy				· Satisfactorily written · Missing details	· Concise and well written · Addresses all or most sections within the business case.	· Concise, detailed and very well written · Addresses all sections within the business case.
Reasons for doing the project (0.5 pt): What are the reasons for doing this project		· unclear. · Poorly written · Contains many errors · Missing details · Incomplete · Plagiarised	· Concise and well written ·				· Concise, detailed and very well written
Objectives (1 pts)		· unclear. · Poorly written · Contains many errors · Missing details · Incomplete · Plagiarised			· Poorly written · Lacking details · Wordy	· Satisfactorily written Missing details			· Concise and well written
Quantitative Analysis (2 pts)
List the Business Options (1pt): What are the Business Options?
Project Requirements (1.5 pts): What are the requirements to carry out this project?	· Project requirements are not accurately identified · Omitted · Unclear, shows lack of understanding · Plagiarised	· Some project requirements are accurately identified;	· Most project requirements are accurately identified	· Project requirements are accurately identified	· Project requirements are accurately identified and presented in an excellent manner
Costs (1.5 pts): How much does this project cost?	· Estimate is unrealistic and inaccurate · Missing evidence to substantiate costs · Omitted · Unclear, shows lack of understanding · Plagiarised	· Most estimates are unrealistic · Most estimates lack substantiation	· A somewhat accurate and realistic estimate of the project is given; · Missing some evidence to back up costs	· An accurate and realistic estimate is given with evidence to back up the cost	· A very accurate and realistic estimate of the project is given with evidence up the cost
Risk (1.5 pts): What are the risks associated with the project?	· Risks are not correctly identified · Omitted · Unclear, shows lack of understanding · Plagiarised	· Few risks are correctly identified nor discussed in a clear manner · Missing details · Irrelevant or vague	· Most risks are correctly identified	· All risks are correctly identified and discussed in a detailed manner.	· All risks are correctly identified and discussed in an excellent manner.
Timescale (1.5 pts): How long is the project?	· Missing most important milestones · Missing out evidences to back up estimates · Omitted · Unclear, shows lack of understanding · Plagiarised	· Missing many important milestones · Missing evidences to back up estimates	· Some milestones are correctly identified · Unrealistic time estimates	· Includes most crucial milestones · Segments are well written · Realistic time estimates	· All necessary milestones are correctly identified and included. · Realistic time estimates

The report of this assignment is worth 12%. As explained in the class, the milestones of this assignment are worth 3% (each 1%).

Preparing a Business Case / Project Proposal

This assignment is worth 15% (12% the report, 3% the milestones) of your total grade .

· Due Date: Friday, (Week 4) by 5:00 pm (Darwin time)

· Word limit: Maximum 2000 words (excluding the Appendix and Table of Contents)

· Submission:

· Submit via Learnline as a single MS Word Document or PDF file. No attachments will be accepted.

· Title page

· Project title

· Name and student number

· Table of Contents

· All statements must have legitimate references.

Background

Charles Darwin University is offering a small business grant for a deserving student’s entrepreneurial endeavour. It has been left up to the CDU representative to oversee the business case submissions and ascertain whether they are indeed viable and worthy of funding.

To receive the funding, the project must meet the following criteria:

· It must benefit a community – either a community or a select segment of the population.

· It must be in Australia.

· It must be a unique endeavour

· It must be completed within one (1) year.

· It must have a budget between $50,000 and $100,000

· It can generate income (though not necessarily break even in the first year). If it does not generate income it must provide significant benefit to a community, which must be quantified by a high score using a weighted score model

· It must relate to your area of study (degree program)

· All statements must have legitimate references. (Refer to School of Engineering’s homepage for further details on preferred format.)

· Your tutor from Charles Darwin University is your project sponsor.

Business Case Proposal

1. Title Page

a. Project title

b. Name and student number

2. Table of Contents

3. Executive Summary

4. Reasons for Doing the Project

5. Objectives

a. Identify two objectives.

b. Develop a SWOT analysis (Minimum four in each category).

6. Quantitative Analysis
a. Use one of the following techniques to quantify the viability of the project:
a. Weighted scoring model
b. NPV
c. Payback
d. ROI
b. Identify the expected benefits.
7. List the Business Options
8. Project Requirements
a. List and describe the requirements needed to carry out this project.
b. List and describe the possible assumptions for this project.
c. List and describe the constraints for this project.
9. Costs
a. Estimate how much does it will cost.
b. Explain how you estimated costs.
10. Major Risks
a. Identify five (5) risks and quantify their potential likelihood and severity.
b. Indicate how each of the above-mentioned risks will be managed
11. Timescale
a. How long is the estimated time to complete the project?
b. List and describe the major milestones.
12. Conclusion and References

Appendix A

CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT

a. Area of Study – It’s best to do something that is related to your degree program. It can also be related to your current work or profession. The reasoning behind this is that we want you to focus on Project Management and how it will relate to your area of interest.

b. Business case does NOT mean a business

Consider hosting an event. There are thousands of charities out there that undertake some sort of clever fundraising initiatives. Google away.

c. If you’re still stuck on ideas, consider

Example:

Jane is studying business and works part-time as an assistant at a law practice. Ideally, she would choose a project that incorporates her studies and takes advantage of her working knowledge of the legal system (she’s not a barrister so can’t provide actual legal advice.)

Most likely, while in that office, she has come across a few areas that she has found to be lacking in support or in need of a bit more attention. (Think, “If only we had….”). Well, besides a coffee and muffin delivery service, she’s not having any waves of inspiration.

Now, outside of work, Jane’s interests include basketball, reading and painting. She even volunteers by teaching arts and crafts classes once a week at the local senior centre. While teaching, she hears about the woes that some of the elderly attendees have encountered with legal issues related to estates, medical bills, wills, etc. Hmmm, maybe she could work with some first-year barristers to get them to come in and provide reduced fee services. It’ would be a business and she knows the legal system. “Ok”, she thinks, “There’s an idea.”

But, as she is walking around the senior centre’s craft room, she notices that a number of the students want to take their work outside, but because of their mobility scooters, it’s proving a difficult task. If only there was a device that would allow them to attach an easel to their scooters or walkers. Hmmm, there’s an idea.

Looking further, she sees that some of those scooters are looking a little worse for wear. Wouldn’t it be funny if some of them were painted like V-8 race cars?

d. Choosing a less than ideal project for your assignment

Example

Jane also considers herself a pseudo-environmentalist. She recycles – but still isn’t quite sure if pizza boxes can go into the recycling bins. She understands the benefit of a compost pile, but since she’s in a city apartment, this isn’t really feasible. She had fans installed around the unit so she could do without air conditioning. She’s heard about solar farms and wonders if she could get something like that established in one of the rural senior centres she regularly visits. First though, she needs to figure out exactly what a solar farm entails.

Bottom line: Jane has great intentions, but let’s face it, in the amount of time it will take her to learn all about solar farms – the logistics, the legalities, the zoning – she could have written a business plan for something of which she already has working knowledge.

“Work smarter, not harder”

PMO201 Project Management