The purpose of the proposal is that, once you have selected a project case, you should provide some
basic background of the case, explain why you believe it is important, and what was learned from it.
When selecting a project case, first be sure that the case you are selecting actually is a project. Do not
select operational failures or program failures. For example:
The Space Shuttle Program is not a project. The Challenger and Columbia disasters could be
considered individual projects in the Program.
Three Mile Island is an operational failure. The recovery from the incident could be considered
a project.
The September 11th terrorist attacks are not projects. The reconstruction of the World Trade
Center is a project.
The Ford Pinto could be considered a project as it is the design and development of one model
of car.
The Tylenol Scare is not a project. The recovery from it was.
If you have any concerns that your project case may not qualify as a project, refer to your notes from
Chapter 1 on “What is Project Management?” If it is still not clear, ask for guidance.
Presentation
Your presentation should be a PowerPoint presentation with an audio track (or something similar), and
be of professional quality. Fourth year and graduate students should demonstrate solid presentation
and communication skills as part of a professional development effort. Further, presentations should
capture the interest of the audience with leading to distraction, and consistency with the proposal is
critical. Use of the Conceptual Model from the journal articles is essential for demonstrating mastery of
the relevant concepts. Ask yourself, “How would the model reflect the conditions of the outcome of this case?” Finally, presenter quality will leave the most impactful impression of your work. Presenters
should avoid slang terms, conversational or rhetorical questions (i.e. “Do you know what I mean?”,
“Wouldn’t you agree?”). The rubric below outlines how presentations will be evaluated. If there are
any questions, ask for guidance.
