PRJ5108 Project Delivery and Procurement Assignment 3 Sample

PRJ5108 Project Delivery and Procurement ASSESSMENT-3

Assessment 3: Case Studies - Scenario/Problem Solving Project

In this assessment task, students critically analyse provided case study and project scenario supported by project management theories

Assessment 3 Details:

Following are some of the high priority infrastructure projects in Australia which are currently in construction phase. After completion of these projects the Australian people will get huge benefits from the outcomes.

1. Stage 2 of Pacific Motorway, Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill Upgrade (QLD)
2. Ichthys Gas Field Development (WA)
3. Mount Peake Vanadium-Titanium-Iron Project (NT)
4. Gawler rail line electrification Project (SA)
5. Sunrise Battery Materials Complex Project (NSW)
6. Western Sydney Airport (NSW)
7. Metro Tunnel Project (VIC)

8. Level Crossing Removal Project (VIC)

In this assessment task, students are required to choose ONE of the above six projects and answer all the questions stated below. There are three parts of this assessment task:

Part I: In this part of the assessment task, students are required to write a report based on the answers to the following questions and submit the report in week 5. Although this part of the assessment task will not provide any grading points, but the lecturer/tutor will provide feedback based on which students are required to write part II and the final part of the assessment task. Students are reminded that this part of the assessment task must do because the performance of the final part of the assessment task will depend upon the incorporation of the feedback of this part of the assessment task.
Answer the following questions in Part I of the assessment report:

1. Briefly describe the background and the objectives of the case project.

2. What is the delivery method of this project? What are the reasons behind the choice of this project delivery method for the case project?

3. Which organisation is the main construction contractor of this project, briefly describe the background of the construction contractor organization?

4. Briefly describe the bidding processes and the selection of the construction contractor.

5. Briefly describe the current updates of the case project.

Part II: In this part of the assessment task, students are required to summarise about the improvement of the first part of the assessment task based on the feedback obtained from the lecturer/tutor and students are also required to answer the following questions. There are no grading points for this part, but it is a must do task because the performance of the final part of the assessment task will depend upon the incorporation of the feedback of this part of the assessment task.
Answer the following questions in Part II of the assessment report:

1. Write a summary about the improvement of the first part of the assessment task based on the feedback provided by the lecture/tutor.

2. Are there any variations of contract types (fixed-price, cost-type or labour and material) for different works of this project such as design, construction, construction management or operation and maintenance?

3. Are there any issues (environmental, source of funding or political) associated with the case project which are obstructing the project progress?

4.Is there any cost overrun or schedule delays for the case project? Discuss about these issues using numerical values such as cost overrun in millions and schedule delays in months or years etc.

Final part of the Assessment task: In this part of the assessment task, students are required to summarise about the improvement of the first and the second parts of the assessment task based on the feedback obtained from the lecturer/tutor and students are also required to answer the following questions.

Answer the following questions in the final Part of the assessment report:

1. Write a summary about the improvement of the previous two parts of the assessment task based on the feedback provided by the lecturer/tutor.

2. Finally, you need to interpret the findings in the discussion section, draw conclusions, and make recommendations. The conclusions and recommendations must be directly related to the data about the case project that you have collected and analysed based on the literature review on the case project.

3. You are also required to verbally present the analysis of the case project in week 12. Please see the presentation details in Assessment 4.

Solution

1. Improvement Summary as Per the Feedback 

The feedback provided by the tutor/lecturer on the first part of the assessment task could be insightful and help improve the quality of the report. The tutor may highlight the need to provide a clear definition of the project and also suggested the inclusion of more information on the project's background and context. The revised report now includes a clear definition of the project, along with a detailed description of its background and context. As per the MBA Assignment Expert, It can be suggested to providing more information on the project's delivery method, which has now been added to the report. In addition, the tutor might recommend including more details on the project's main construction contractor, which has also been addressed in the revised report (Cimic, 2022). Moreover, the tutor can provid feedback on the format and organization of the report. The revised report now includes a clear structure with headings and subheadings to improve the overall readability and flow of the report. The feedback provided by the tutor/lecturer will be extremely helpful in improving the first part of the assessment task. The revised report now provides a more detailed and structured analysis of the Western Sydney Airport project, meeting the requirements of the task.

1. Variations of Contract Types

Yes, there are several variations of contract types utilised for different-different works of the Western Sydney airport project. The project involves different phases, which include planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance, which require different contract types (Contractscounsel, 2023). The following is the contract types used in different phases of the project –

a. Design contracts- this phase involved the development of detailed design, concept design, and lastly final design of the airport infrastructure. The design contracts for the WSA project are generally cost-reimbursable constructs, wherein the contractors are paid for the actual cost of work of design and fees for their extra services (The Constructor, 2023). 

b. Operations and maintenance contracts- When the construction of the airport is complete, the next step will be operation and maintenance. Long-term contracts for the project's operation and maintenance are standard, and they might be either fixed-price or cost-plus arrangements.

c. Construction contracts- this phase typically involves constructing the building of the airport as per the finalised designs, the construction contracts for the project are typically fixed-price contracts, where the contractor agrees to a set price for completing the work. Contracts are typically fixed-price, but depending on the nature of the job, they may be cost-reimbursable or a hybrid of the two (Ellis, 2022).

d. Construction management contracts- this phase of WSA construction involved overseeing the construction work being carried out as well as ensuring that it is being completed in time as well as within the budget limits as to the required quality standards (Henry, 2019). 

3. Issues Associated with the Case Project

The project has faced several issues, multiple factors prevented the development of the Western Sydney Airport. Concerns about the environment, and how they could affect nearby people, plants, and animals, are a major issue. Land clearing for the airport has been extensive, which may have negative consequences on animal habitats and overall biodiversity. The airport's activities may also negatively affect the health and well-being of neighbouring communities due to noise pollution and air pollution. Concerns about noise and air pollution have been addressed by careful environmental study and monitoring of the project, as well as through the building of noise barriers and the usage of electric cars on the airport. The availability of financial resources is another challenge facing the Western Sydney Airport project. The bulk of the project's anticipated $5.3 billion price tag will come from the Australian government. Cost overruns and the private sector's willingness to contribute financing as planned under the PPP model have been cited as sources of worry. The government has negotiated revisions to the PPP model to give greater security for private sector investors and boosted its financing commitment to the project as a means of resolving this problem. The Western Sydney Airport project has also faced some political challenges (Infrastructure Pipeline 2022). There has been some criticism of the project's planning and consultation processes, with concerns raised about the impact on local communities and the lack of transparency in decision-making. Additionally, the project has faced opposition from some political groups who argue that the airport is not necessary and that the funding should be directed towards other priorities. Despite these challenges, the project has continued to move forward, with the support of the government and many local stakeholders who see the airport as an important economic driver for the region (Hanna, 2022).

4. Cost Overrun and Project Scheduling 

No, there have not been any cost overruns observed. The table below is representing the estimated cost and timeline for the Western Sydney Airport project- 

As per the data shown above in the table, the project is scheduled to cost AUD 11.3 billion and be completed between the years of 2018 and 2026. The construction contractors have done their best in order to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in the table. 

References

The Constructor. (2023). DESIGN & BUILD CONTRACTS - The Constructor. [online] Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/const-management/design-build-contracts/6365/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Contractscounsel. (2023). Design-Build Contract: Definition, How They Work, When to Use. [online] Available at: https://www.contractscounsel.com/t/us/design-build-contract [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Ellis, G. (2022). 8 Main Types of Construction Contracts. [online] Digital Builder. Available at: https://constructionblog.autodesk.com/construction-contracts-types/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

NIST. (2023). Earthquake Risk Reduction in Buildings and Infrastructure Program | NIST. [online] Available at: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/earthquake-risk-reduction-buildings-and-infrastructure-program [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Henry, G. (2019). What is a construction management contract? [online] Turtons.com. Available at: https://www.turtons.com/blog/what-is-a-construction-management-contract [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Cimic. (2022). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.cimic.com.au/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Hanna, K.T. (2022). public-private partnership (PPP). [online] WhatIs. Available at: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Public-private-partnership-PPP [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].