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Applied Business Project

Module description

In this module, you are required to undertake an organisation-critical project which will enable you to demonstrate your project proposing and initiation skills in your organisation. The project will be undertaken following discussions with your module lead and your workplace mentor to identify a digital and technology solution to be the focus of your project. You will be required to act autonomously in leading the project, present your solution to senior stakeholders and construct a professional project report.

This module is a part of MSc Digital and Technology Solutions (Integrated Degree Apprenticeship) programme. It cannot be taken as an elective by students on other programmes.

The apprenticeship standard and other documentation relating to the Level 7 Digital and Technology Solutions (IT/Digital Futures Specialist) Apprenticeship can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/digital-and-technology-solutions-specialist-integrated-degree/

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims for you to apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours gained in other modules in a significant digital and technology solution project. This project carries out a business-critical mission in your organisation. You will write a compelling technological project proposal aligned with your organisation’s strategy. This must highlight a critical awareness of the project requirements, specifications, a design road map on how to implement the technological strategy to support the development of new products, processes and services that align with the organisation’s strategy, along with related ethical, social and management issues. After implementation and deployment phases, you will reflect on the project outcomes in a professional report and presentation with appropriate visualisation, which resonates with senior stakeholders.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Select digital technology foresight planning tools to identify and select new digital technology capabilities to deliver on the organisation’s strategy, and stable and robust digital services.
• 2. Synthesise digital technology roadmaps, implementation strategies and transformation plans focused on digital workplace transformation.
• 3. Appraise alignment of digital strategy and planning with organisational goals to create engaging, connected and cost effective digital workplace environments.
• 4. Analyse policies and guidelines that direct the selection and implementation of digital solutions.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Calculate return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to develop business cases for digital solutions.
• 6. Identify, document, review and design complex IT enabled business processes that define a set of activities that will accomplish specific organisational goals and provides a systematic approach to improving those processes.
• 7. Demonstrate self-direction and originality in solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing digital and technology solutions specialist tasks at a professional level
• 8. Collaborate with stakeholders to provide a systematic approach to digital planning that is resilient, capable, adaptable, scale-able, user-friendly and focussed on meeting organisational needs.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Create professional reports and presentations for senior stakeholders on specialist digital and technology solutions.
• 10. Demonstrate negotiating and closing techniques in a range of interactions and engagements, with key stakeholders.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follow:

• Identification of suitable projects from within the apprentice’s organisation
• Presentation of the project proposal and approval of the project proposal by module lead, the employer, the apprentice and the EPA assessor
• A project terms of reference prepared and used as the basis of defining, setting the scope and deliverables of the project.
• Approval of the project terms of reference by module lead, the employer, the apprentice and the EPA assessor.
• Application of previous taught content to the project proposal, development, implementation and review,
• Creation of a project plan and specification.
• Implementation of the project.
• Presentation of progress updates.
• Writing of the project proposal report, which will be developed into the final full project report for the End Point Assessment for the apprenticeship (written after Gateway).

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Key words search

Digital strategy, digital project