Introduction.
These guidelines have been compiled to provide you with additional information in preparation
for when you are ready to start your Project Proposal Management Plan assignment. The
guidelines will help you to structure your assignment in a logical and comprehensive way.
Importantly, the guidelines will also help you to work towards the achievement of the following
Module Aims and Learning Outcomes. Please read these guidelines carefully.
Module Aims.
The aims of this module are to enable students to:
• Design a work-based practice project proposal within their specialist field of nursing
which is underpinned by appropriate evidence.
• Review and further explore research and evidence-based issues within nursing
generally and within the student’s own field of nursing specifically.
• Understand how the underpinning module knowledge, skills and attitudes apply to their
specific fields of nursing and to the essential needs of all service users.
Module Learning Outcomes.
Knowledge and Understanding.
Successful students will typically:
• Contextualise the choice and clearly define the focus of the project proposal generated
from and informed by practice.
• Critically discuss the evidence supporting the proposed project and strategies through
undertaking a literature review.
Skills and Attributes.
Successful students will typically:
• Create a sound and coherent argument for an appropriately selected work-based
project.
• Construct a project management plan with rationale to achieve the identified aims and
objectives of the proposed project.
• Discuss how the plan will enable the proposed project to be guided to a successful
conclusion and identify strategies of evaluation to evidence this.
When you are ready to start your assignment please download the Project Proposal Management
Plan template onto your computer/laptop desktop.
The assignment template is accessible in the ‘Module Assessment Unit’ and the ‘Assignments
Submission Portal’ (tab on the left-hand side of the module homepage).
Project Proposal Briefing Paper (500 Words).
Submission of the Project Proposal Briefing paper (Final version) in the Project Proposal
Management Plan template which will then be marked as the module Summative assignment.
The briefing paper must outline a Project Proposal (innovation) which focuses on an area of
work-based practice that has the potential to be improved within your specific field of nursing.
The proposal must be for the benefit of patients/service-users.
1. Proposed Project/Innovation (Suggested 200 words)
Contextualize the choice & clearly define the focus of the project proposal that has been
generated and informed from your area of practice. For example, what is the proposed
project and where are you proposing the project could be implemented?
* Please include supporting literature/evidence in this section.
2. Project Aim/Objectives (Suggested 50 words).
The project aim should be clear and precise and inform the marker about the main intention
of the project. The objectives should be more specific and provide the marker with an
insight into what your project sets out to achieve. Try to ensure the objectives are,
Specific, Manageable, Achievable, Realistic and Time scaled (SMART Objectives).
3. Rationale (Suggested 200 words).
Create a sound and coherent argument for an appropriately selected work-based project.
The rationale should provide an explanation was to why you have chosen to focus your
project on an area of practice within your own field of nursing. For example,
what has caused you to identify this area of practice? The rationale provides the
opportunity to put your argument forward to support the proposed project.
* Please include supporting literature/evidence in this section.
4. Potential / Intended Outcome (Suggested 50 words).
Consider how will your project proposal/innovation meets the NHS Outcomes Framework?
*Include supporting literature/evidence in this section.
5. Reference List.
Please reference the literature you have quoted in your assignment accurately, ensuring they
are complete, correct and in accordance with the University of Hertfordshire Guidelines –
Referencing & Bibliographical citations (2019/2020).
Project Proposal Management Plan template (4,500 words).
Introduction (Suggested word count 150 words).
Begin the introduction by discussing the aim of the assignment. Then briefly highlight what the
project proposal/innovation is. This will set the scene and signpost the marker towards the main
content of the Project Proposal Management Plan template.
Literature Review (Suggested 2,500 words).
The literature review will create the foundation for your chosen project and will provide you
with the opportunity to use your existing skills in research awareness to access, review and
critically analyse the research/evidence that is available.
In addition, the review will enable you to identify what has already been published on your
project proposal to build sound evidence. This will convey to the marker that knowledge and
ideas have already been established on the topic and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
The review must be relevant, appropriate and useful. It should not be just a list of describing or
summarising one piece of literature after the other. Therefore, you are not aiming to list all
the material published, you are synthesizing and evaluating it according to your project proposal
topic area.
Be mindful of what you are reading. Ask yourself if what you are reading is relevant to your
project. If it is not, move onto another piece of evidence. This will help you to select relevant
information more efficiently and allow you to make more efficient use of your time. Once you
have found relevant sources read and take notes of the main points, conclusions, strengths and
weaknesses of the research.
Additional information regarding the literature review will be given during the lead lecture
‘Preparing the Literature Review’ which is module timetabled to take place -Theory Week 36
(Friday 25th October 2019).
Project Management Plan (1,700 words).
Although the project is conceived as primarily being a proposal at this point this part of the
assignment requires you to think about and plan how the project proposal could be implemented
into the practice area and evaluated. It is important therefore to consider the following when
preparing/writing the Project Management Plan.
1. Who could lead the change?
Identify an appropriate change agent.
2. Who else will be involved in the change? (Key Stakeholders).
For example, the key stakeholders involved in the proposed change could be the practice
area staff, patients/service-users, carers/relatives and other health care professionals.
3. How could the proposed change be communicated to ensure success?
Identify strategies here that could be used by the change agent to communicate the
proposed project. (For example, one such strategy could be the organisation of team
meeting(s).
4. How could the proposed change be implemented?
Drawing on relevant theory identify a Change Management model and a Leadership
Style/Theory that could be applied by the Change Agent to lead the change in the identified
practice area.
5. What are the potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (internal and
external) of the proposed project?
This could be presented in the form of a SWOT analysis table.
6. Time frame – what is the time frame for the implementation of the proposed project?
Illustrate in the form of a Gantt chart how the proposed project could be implemented in
the field specific identified practice area. It is permitted to embed the Gantt chart in the
Project Management plan or alternatively you may present it in the appendices.
7. How could the proposed project be evaluated following the period of implementation?
Identify an appropriate evaluation tool. For example, this could be a questionnaire.
In addition to the academic writing and the inclusion of supporting literature, it is permitted to
include tables, graphs or clip art images (where appropriate) in the Project Management plan.
To help there will be a module timetabled lead lecture and analytical workshop which will be
covering the Project Management Plan, Change Management Theory/Models and Leadership. It
is strongly advised that you attend.
Conclusion – Project Proposal Management Plan template (150 words).
Try to avoid introducing new topics here. The conclusion requires you to sum up the key
factors/issues that have been discussed in the assignment.
Reference List.
Please complete the reference list for the Project Proposal Management Plan template in
accordance with the University of Hertfordshire Guidelines for Referencing & Bibliographical
citations (2019/2020).
Marking Criteria and Feedback Form – Level 6 Written Coursework
Student Name or SRN Number (for anonymous marking) ……………
Module Title……………………Module Code: ………………………
Combined Project Proposal Briefing Paper/ Project Proposal Management Plan.
Module Code: 6NMH1040-0906, 6NMH1063-0906 & 6NMH1070-0906.
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
• Contextualise the choice and clearly define the focus of the project proposal generated from and informed by
practice
• Critically discuss the evidence supporting the proposed project and strategies through undertaking a literature
review.
Skills and attributes:
• Create a sound and coherent argument for an appropriately selected work-based project.
• Construct a project management plan with rationale to achieve the identified aims and objectives of the proposed
project.
• Discuss how the plan will enable the proposed project to be guided to a successful conclusion and identify
strategies of evaluation to evidence this.
Markers: Select criteria appropriate to the assignment and omit irrelevant ones. Use yellow highlight to indicate
which feedback statements are relevant to this student.
Indicative
classificat
ion
1
st Class
Honours
/
Distincti
on
1
stClass
Honours /
Distinctio
n
1
st Class
Honours
/
Distincti
on
Upper 2nd
Class
Honours /
Commend
ation
Lower 2nd
Class
Honours
/ Pass
3
rd Class
Honours /
Pass
N/A N/A N/A
Descriptor Outstandin
g
90-100
Excellent
80–89
Very Good
70-79
Good
60-69
Clear Pass
50-59
Marginal
Pass
40-49
Marginal Fail
30-39
Clear Fail
20-29
Little
or
nothin
g of
merit
0-19
Structure
and
organisation
5%
The
structure,
organisation
and
presentation
of the work
is exemplary
throughout.
The work is
structured,
organised
and
presented in
a highly
effective way.
The work is
logically
structured,
and the
organisation
and
presentation
of
information
is very
effective.
The work is
logically
structured,
and the
organisation
and
presentation
of information
is effective.
The work is
logically
presented,
and the
organisation
and
presentation
of
information
is mostly
good.
The work is
illogically
structured in
places and
some of the
information is
presented
poorly or in a
disorganised
way.
The structure
of the work is
inconsistent
or illogical.
Information is
often
presented
poorly or in a
disorganised
way.
There is
insufficient
structure and
logic in the
work and
information is
either poorly
presented or
absent.
There is
little or
nothing
of merit
to
award
marks
for.
Writing
clarity,
fluency and
accuracy
5%
Highly
articulate
and fluent
writing style
with no
errors in
grammar,
punctuation
or spelling.
Highly
articulate and
fluent writing
style with very
few (minor)
errors in
grammar,
punctuation
or spelling.
Articulate
and fluent
writing style.
A few minor
errors in
grammar,
punctuation
and/or
spelling.
Ideas are
mostly
expressed
clearly but
errors in
grammar,
punctuation
and/or
spelling
impair
meaning in a
few places.
Ideas
expressed
clearly in
most places
but errors in
grammar,
punctuation
and/or
spelling
impair
meaning in
some
places.
Ideas
expressed
reasonably
clearly but
errors in
grammar,
punctuation
and/or
spelling
impair
meaning in
several
places.
Ideas not
always clear.
Various errors
in grammar,
punctuation
and/or
spelling make
it unclear /
difficult to
understand in
a number of
places.
Ideas poorly
expressed.
Numerous
inaccuracies
in grammar,
punctuation
and spelling
make it
unclear/
difficult to
understand in
many parts.
There is
little or
nothing
of
merit.
Demonstrati
on of
knowledge
and
understandi
ng
20%
Outstanding
knowledge
and
understandi
ng of topic
area
demonstrate
d. All
relevant
points and
issues
covered
plus some
novel or
unusual
aspects
which add to
the overall
quality of
the work.
Excellent
knowledge
and
understandin
g
demonstrated
. All relevant
points and
issues
covered.
Very good
level of
knowledge
and
understandi
ng
demonstrate
d.
Covers most
relevant
points and
issues.
Good
knowledge
and
understandin
g
demonstrated
. A few minor
errors and/or
omissions
noted.
A
satisfactory
level of
knowledge
and
understandi
ng
demonstrate
d. Some
minor errors
and/or
omissions
noted but
none
significant.
Sufficient
knowledge
and
understandin
g
demonstrated
. Some errors
and/or
omissions
noted.
Insufficient
knowledge
and
understandin
g
demonstrated
. Some
content
irrelevant,
inaccurate or
absent.
Inadequate
knowledge
and
understandin
g
demonstrated
. Key content
inaccurate or
absent.
Little or
nothing
of
merit.
Use of
evidence /
research to
support
work
10%
Content is
drawn from
a wide
range of
relevant
primary and
secondary
sources and
integrated
into the work
in a highly
effective
way.
Content is
drawn from a
wide range of
relevant
primary and
secondary
sources and
integrated
into the work
very
effectively.
Content is
drawn from
a wide
range of
primary and
secondary
sources and
integrated
into the
work in an
effective
manner.
Content is
drawn from a
good range of
primary and
secondary
sources and
integrated
into the work
well.
Content is
drawn from
a
satisfactory
range of
primary and
secondary
sources and
is mostly
wellintegrated.
Content is
drawn from a
narrow range
of sources
and
integration is
patchy or
incomplete
resulting in a
superficial
exploration of
the topic.
Content is not
drawn from a
sufficiently
wide range of
sources, and
integration
into the work
is limited
and/or
ineffective.
Insufficient
and/or
irrelevant
literature
used. Limited
or no
integration
into work.
Little or
nothing
of
merit.
Ability to
think
critically and
analytically
55%
Analysis
Critical
analysis
Highly
accomplishe
d piece of
work with
significant
evidence of
ability to
think
critically and
analytically.
Accomplished
work with
substantial
evidence of
ability to think
critically and
analytically.
Consistently
demonstrate
s critical and
analytical
approaches
to thinking.
Critical and
analytical
thinking
evident
throughout
majority of the
work.
Clear
evidence of
ability to
think
critically and
analytically
although
some
missed
opportunitie
s to develop
and/or
expand on
ideas more
thoroughly.
Ability to think
critically and
analytically
evident but
many ideas
could be
expanded on
or developed
further.
Some critical
thinking
evident but
inconsistent
and underdeveloped.
Mainly
descriptive.
Limited or no
evidence of
critical
thinking.
Little or
nothing
of
merit.
Use of
referencing
system
5%
Referencing
Recommend
ed
referencing
system used
with no
inaccuracies
or
inconsistenc
ies of
presentation
noted.
Recommende
d referencing
system used
with very few
(minor)
inaccuracies
and/or
inconsistencie
s.
Recommend
ed
referencing
system used
with few
inaccuracies
and/or
inconsistenc
ies.
Recommende
d referencing
system used
with several
inaccuracies
and/or
inconsistencie
s.
Recommend
ed
referencing
system used
with some
inaccuracies
and/or
inconsistenc
ies.
Recommende
d referencing
system used
but multiple
inaccuracies
and/or
inconsistencie
s noted.
Attempt to
use
recommende
d referencing
system but
numerous
errors noted.
Recommende
d referencing
system not
used.
No
recogni
sed
referen
ce
system
attempt
ed.