MGMT1007 Project Management Assignment 3 Winter Semester 2026

Fundamentals of Project Management

Winter Semester 2026

Assignment 3: Work Breakdown Structure, Risk Management, Cost Estimation, and Scheduling

Due Date: Week 12, Friday 10 April 2026, 11:59 PM
Submission: Electronic submission via FOL (Fanshawe Online) only
Weighting: 30% of final grade
Format: Single Microsoft Word document with embedded Excel tables/charts

Assignment Overview

You are the Project Manager leading the development of a new mid-size electric SUV for your automotive company. Key decisions include:

• Vehicle segment focus: premium performance or family-oriented practicality
• Battery technology: lithium-ion, solid-state, or sodium-ion
• Primary body material: high-strength steel, aluminium alloy, or carbon fibre reinforced polymer

The overall timeline is 24 months from project kick-off to start of production. Design decisions and supplier shortlists must be presented to senior management within 6 weeks.

The existing manufacturing plant requires retooling for EV production. Old assembly lines must be dismantled before new robotic systems and battery assembly stations can be installed. Dismantling and site preparation is estimated at 6–8 months. Design and fabrication of new equipment will take 7–9 months. Installation and commissioning requires 5 months, with at least 4 months needed before production start for testing, validation, and workforce training.

You oversee plant retooling, equipment procurement, and training. The current union contract expires in 4 months, and negotiations are tense with potential strike risk. Supplier options carry varying risks related to quality, supply chain stability, and innovation.

Requirements

1. Develop a hierarchical Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) identifying at least 25 tasks required to deliver the project up to production readiness. Group vehicle assembly tasks into 5–7 summary activities. Present in numbered hierarchical format.
2. Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment identifying at least 15 potential risks across technical, organisational, supplier, and external categories.
3. Create a risk matrix (in Excel, embedded in Word) plotting risks by probability and impact (use 5×5 grid with red/yellow/green zones).
4. Develop detailed mitigation strategies for all risks ranked in the red (high) category.
5. Prepare a categorised cost estimate listing all major cost items and totalling the project budget.
6. Create a pie or bar chart (Excel, embedded) categorising costs into at least eight types (e.g., labour, materials, equipment, engineering, testing, training, contingency, overhead).
7. Construct a Gantt chart (using Microsoft Project or Excel) showing task durations, dependencies, and milestones based on timelines provided and reasonable estimates for design/supplier activities. Include critical path highlighting.

Sample Response Excerpt (Risk Assessment)

Labour disruption from failed union negotiations poses a high-probability, high-impact risk to plant retooling and training schedules. Prolonged strikes could delay dismantling and installation phases by months, pushing production readiness beyond the 24-month deadline. Supply chain delays for solid-state batteries represent another critical risk if selected, given emerging technology maturity. Supplier quality issues at new entrants could require costly redesign iterations. External regulatory changes in EV incentives or safety standards may affect design compliance timelines. Effective risk management requires proactive monitoring and contingency planning throughout execution (Project Management Institute, 2021).

Assessment Criteria

• Completeness and logical structure of WBS (20%)
• Depth and relevance of risk identification and matrix (25%)
• Quality of mitigation strategies for high risks (15%)
• Accuracy and categorisation of cost estimates with chart (15%)
• Professional Gantt chart with dependencies and milestones (15%)
• Overall presentation, clarity, and integration (10%)

Suggested References (Harvard style)

• Project Management Institute (2021) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 7th edn. Project Management Institute.
• Kerzner, H. (2022) Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 13th edn. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119805373
• Schwalbe, K. (2020) Information Technology Project Management. 9th edn. Cengage Learning.
• Heldman, K. (2023) Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam Prep. 11th edn. Sybex.
• Meredith, J.R., Shafer, S.M. and Mantel, S.J. (2021) Project Management: A Strategic Managerial Approach. 11th edn. Wiley.