Project Implementation

Learners will plan, develop and work on a project which results in a finished product or a culminating event, performance or presentation. Learners will undertake a project as part of a small group or a whole class.

Learners and teachers will negotiate a suitable project, ensuring that the topic/project has the potential to provide each learner with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge identified in the Learning Outcomes and to meet all the assessed criteria.

Learners will develop a range of generic skills by undertaking different tasks related to the project. These skills will be made explicit in the context of the selected project:

• effective communication
• problem solving
• time management
• reflective practice
• working with others/in teams.

Some projects may also require learners to develop a specific set of skills and understandings (e.g. catering, boat building, film making) but the focus of this course is to provide a context in which learners will develop the generic skills.

This course provides students with the opportunity to engage in a group learning activity that is practical and community-based. It can incorporate vocational and/or community-based learning – such as visiting a workplace; liaising with coaches, advisors or business people; or assisting community groups. Linking students with the wider community provides an opportunity for specific skills to be learned in areas such as: design; construction; event management; performance; and community relations. It also enables students to increase their understanding of community-based resources and to develop their communication skills.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

1. communicate ideas and information effectively
2. apply knowledge and skills to solve problems
3. set goals and outline a plan to achieve them
4. work with focus to achieve the completion of tasks within project timeframes
5. access information from a variety of sources
6. develop specific skills related to their project of choice
7. work collaboratively with others
8. reflect constructively upon their own performance.

This course requires a learner to work as a member of a group or team.

This course has a complexity level of 2.

At Level 2, the learner is expected to carry out tasks and activities that involve a range of knowledge and skills, including some basic theoretical and/or technical knowledge and skills. Limited judgement is required, such as making an appropriate selection from a range of given rules, guidelines or procedures. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate II.

This course has a size value of 5.

This course is designed to be flexible, thus enabling schools/colleges to develop and deliver a program that meets the needs of a specific group of learners or the local community.
A project can be designed to be undertaken by a whole class or a smaller group of learners within a class.

The course can be used as a stand-alone course or in conjunction with other courses, e.g. an extension project within a learning area, an extension to a Training package or as part of an integrated program for a particular group of learners.

While the delivery of the course may be flexible, the teacher/mentor must co-ordinate the implementation of the Student Project Proposal and guide each group or class through the following stages:

1. the negotiation and planning of the project
2. developing and undertaking the project
3. final product/event/performance/presentation
4. reflection and evaluation.

It may be appropriate that a teacher guide the individual/group through the process of formulating and achieving the goals of this project, and specialist mentor(s) or community members provide guidance in the specific project field.

PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS: STUDENT PROJECT PROPOSAL

Student Project Proposals, outlining the project(s), will be prepared by the provider and submitted to TASC for approval prior to the commencement of delivery and assessment of this course.

Each provider of this course will develop a Student Project Proposal. The Student Project Proposal is the provider’s plan of how the course will be delivered and assessed. Where a provider is delivering the course to a number of groups/classes, the Student Project Proposal will include plans for individual projects undertaken by each class or small group of students within a class.

The Student Project Proposal will be submitted to TASC for approval before the students start study. The Student Project Proposal will describe the delivery of the course with regards to:

Staffing – staff allocated to the course
Nature and size of project(s) – a description of the project(s), the size of the project(s) (number of hours), the stages of the project(s) and how the learning outcomes will be achieved
Delivery – key delivery methods to be used
Assessment – description of activities and processes to ensure all criteria are assessed.

(Note: If a provider has more than one group of students undertaking the course and their projects will differ a provider might name one staff member as a course coordinator, and then structure their Student Project Proposal into sections, each section addressing the areas noted above for each student group. Please list the names of the students in each group.)

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program – is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating of ‘C’ (satisfactory standard) according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course document.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating. The ‘t’ notation is not described in course standards.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Providers offering this course must participate in quality assurance processes specified by TASC to ensure provider validity and comparability of standards across all awards. To learn more, see TASC's quality assurance processes and assessment information.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Assessment processes must gather evidence that clearly shows the match between individual learner performance, the standards of the course and the learner’s award. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

The following process will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the criteria specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process - Student Project Proposals will be developed by providers and submitted to TASC for approval. TASC will undertake audits of the providers and the learner projects against the approved Student Project Proposals. Audits will be scheduled by TASC using a risk-based approach. Unsatisfactory audit results will be reported to TASC.

The assessment for Project Implementation Level 2 will be based on whether the learner can:

• 1. Negotiate and undertake tasks
• 2. Communicate ideas and information
• 3. work with others and in teams
• 4. apply problem solving and goal setting methods

Criterion 1: Negotiate and undertake tasks

The learner:

Rating C
negotiates tasks to achieve project goals
negotiates appropriate adaptations to meet specific needs/goals as required
follows direction regarding personal preparedness (e.g. being at the right place, with the correct equipment at the specified time)
follows established safety procedures for the use of equipment and facilities as directed
works with focus to achieve project goals within proposed timeframes.

Criterion 2: Communicate ideas and information

The learner:

Rating C
clearly communicates – both verbally and in writing – basic ideas and information related to the project (e.g. its nature/scope, processes and people involved, progress towards meeting goals, evaluation of the project)
presents and explains ideas related to the project to different audiences
uses appropriate ICTs to support reporting about the project.

Criterion 3: work with others and in teams

The learner:

Rating C
correctly identifies the roles and responsibilities of people involved in the project
uses a range of personal approaches to cooperate with others
constructively contributes to achieving group goals
demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to meet changing conditions.

Criterion 4: apply problem solving and goal setting methods

The learner:

Rating C
is familiar with basic problem solving strategies
uses a range of basic strategies and processes to resolve issues in the implementation of the project
sets goals which are generally measurable, achievable and realistic
reflects on progress towards meeting goals and articulates ways in which goals can be met in the future.

Project Implementation Level 2 (with the award of):

PASS*

*Flexible Learning teachers ONLY submitting PRJ205113 final award outcomes via the TASC web-portal will select either outcome code ‘NN’ (for no award) or ‘PP’ (for pass award).

To gain an award in Project Implementation a learner must achieve C ratings in all four criteria.

The Department of Education’s Curriculum Services will develop and regularly revise the curriculum. This evaluation will be informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment.

In addition, stakeholders may request Curriculum Services to review a particular aspect of an accredited course.

Requests for amendments to an accredited course will be forwarded by Curriculum Services to the Office of TASC for formal consideration.

Such requests for amendment will be considered in terms of the likely improvements to the outcomes for learners, possible consequences for delivery and assessment of the course, and alignment with Australian Curriculum materials.

A course is formally analysed prior to the expiry of its accreditation as part of the process to develop specifications to guide the development of any replacement course.

Department of Education, Tasmania.

The accreditation period for this course is from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017.

Version 1 – Accredited version 14 November 2012. This course replaces Managing Projects (PRJ210108) and (PRJ205108) that expired on 31 December 2012.

Version 1.a – Clarification that Student Project Proposal must be approved by the TASC prior to delivery and assessment on this course, not necessarily ‘at the beginning of the year’ (as per CEO BN21/13).