CMG2001 : Project Cost Estimation Assesment

Special instructions

1. Answer all questions, and ensure that your answers are appropriately numbered in accordance with Question numbers and Task numbers.
2. Present your own ideas; do not copy-paste.
3. Your answers should be correctly referenced if you have undertaken research outside the study material.
4. All submissions need to be in electronic form (PDF format only).
5. Scanned documents are not allowed. Please ensure that the text can be properly checked, as all reports will be subject to TurnItIn or other plagiarism checks.
6. All steps in any calculation procedure required in any question should be shown. We are likely to give you more marks if we can see your methodology is correct, but you have made a basic error. If the answer is wrong and we can’t see why, you will get minimal or zero marks.
7. Please note that it will result in no marks for the assignment if plagiarism or cheating is detected in this assignment. Students should ensure they clearly understand the meaning of plagiarism and other forms of Academic Misconduct. In particular, students should understand that while they may collaborate with other students on the conceptual ideas in their assignments, the final written report submitted by each student must be unique and must not contain the written or calculated material of:

(a) Any other student in the course.

(b) By any other person without due acknowledgment – which includes proper citations and referencing.

(c) By the student for any other course, project, or assignment.

(d) Use of generative AIs or outsourcing the work.

1. Please note UniSQ’s expectations for academic integrity as they apply to this assessment. For this Assessment Item, acceptable AI use is set at:

• Level 0: No AI to be Used

Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) is not to be used in this Assessment Item beyond basic editing features (spelling, grammar and text prediction) in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Grammarly and similar tools. There are many websites and apps that use AI text generation. Some websites will make small changes to ensure your grammar is correct, however, use of any websites or applications to re-write or paraphrase your work for you is poor academic practice and is an inappropriate and unauthorized use of AI.

• Additional Information Required: It is good practice to regularly save drafts of your Assessment Items as you work on them, as these can be used by you to support any claims that you have not used AI beyond what is permitted for this level. If you are unsure of what constitutes Academic Misconduct, please review the following

Question 1 - COST ESTIMATING

Ipswich City Council wants to put in a new exit after exit 33 on the Centenary Highway (A5) to provide direct access to the WhiteRock area. The council intends to buy 2 rubber tire rollers. You are appointed as the cost estimator for this project by the council and tasked to carry out the relevant cost estimation to visualize the cost and benefits of buying the rollers. The specific type of rubber tire roller costs $400,000 new, including the roller’s 08 tires, which cost $3000 each and have a life of 5000 hours. The average fuel consumption of the roller is 12 liters/hour, and it operates under good working conditions for 4500 hours per year. Assume the working life is in good condition for 20 years. Please refer to

Question 2 – PERT Analysis

All major organizations use risk management almost daily. It involves the identification, evaluation, prioritization, and monitoring and controlling the risk by analyzing the probability or impact of such events. Thus, it is an important aspect of project management. As a risk manager at RiskWhat organization, you have been tasked with conducting PERT analysis for the following project (activities shown in Table 1). Z - tables (if needed) are provided at the end of the report.

Table 1. List of activities and their durations

TASKS

1. Calculate the expected duration for all activities
2. Calculate the standard deviations for all activities 
3. Calculate the variances for all activities 
4. Determine the critical path and its duration
5. What is the probability of completing the above in 100 days? 

Question 3 – DISPUTE RESOLUTION 

As the contract manager for DELTA Builders, you look after any contractual issues and disputes for your clients. In one of your projects with Ipswich City Council and Metricon as parties, a dispute has occurred. As the contract administrator, you intervened and provided negotiation and mediation services to the parties by arranging several meetings with both parties. However, after several meetings and lengthy negotiations and mediation, the issue remains unresolved. Accordingly, you have been asked to advise the following:

1. Which alternative dispute resolution strategies would you recommend to solve the issue?
2. Explain the method(s) and the process of the suggested alternative dispute resolution.

Question 4 - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 

You have been hired as a contract administrator by UNISQ who intends to build a multi-story car parking plaza with parking for their students at the Springfield Campus. In your own words, describe the tasks and processes involved in the Contract Administration for this project. Descriptions of the tasks will be marked based on their clarity and accuracy. You should address all stages of the formation and execution of a contract.

Question 5 – Short Answers 

Please provide answers to the following Questions:

TASKS

1. Is it advisable for a site supervisor for a project from the client side to give directions to a subcontractor while they are working on a phone store project with very few risks? State the reasons for your answer.
2. Assume a scenario in which Michael says to Kathy, “I hear you want a spare tire, and I

Assessment Summary: CMG2001 T2 2025

Assessment Requirements:
This assessment is a multi-task project requiring students to demonstrate knowledge in cost estimation, project management (PERT analysis), dispute resolution, and contract administration. Key points to be covered include:

1. Cost Estimating – Calculate the total costs and benefits of purchasing two rubber tire rollers for Ipswich City Council. Include tire costs, fuel consumption, operational hours, and roller lifespan over 20 years. Show all calculation steps.

2. PERT Analysis – Conduct a project risk and scheduling analysis using the PERT method. Tasks include calculating expected durations, standard deviations, variances, critical path, and probability of completing within a specified timeframe.

3. Dispute Resolution – Recommend alternative dispute resolution (ADR) strategies for a contractual dispute between Ipswich City Council and Metricon. Explain processes such as negotiation, mediation, or arbitration.

4. Contract Administration – Describe the processes involved in managing a multi-story car parking project for UNISQ, covering all stages of contract formation and execution.

5. Short Answers – Address scenario-based questions, including the advisability of a site supervisor giving instructions to subcontractors and other practical issues in project settings.

General Requirements:

• Answers must be uniquely written; no copy-pasting.

• Proper referencing required if outside sources are used.

• PDF submission only; no scanned documents.

• Show all calculation steps for credit.

• Minimal AI use (editing only) is allowed.

• Plagiarism leads to zero marks.

Academic Mentor Approach

To guide the student effectively, the mentor followed a step-by-step process:

1. Understanding the Brief – The mentor reviewed the assessment instructions with the student, ensuring clarity on the expectations for each question and the marking criteria. Emphasis was placed on calculation accuracy, structure, and referencing.

2. Cost Estimating Guidance – The mentor explained the methodology to calculate roller costs, including tire replacement, fuel consumption, and depreciation. Stepwise formulas were discussed to ensure transparency of calculations.

3. PERT Analysis Coaching – The mentor walked the student through expected duration calculations, standard deviation, variance, and critical path determination. A structured table was created to organize activities, durations, and probabilities.

4. Dispute Resolution Strategy – The mentor explained ADR techniques and helped the student select appropriate strategies (negotiation, mediation, arbitration). The process steps for each method were illustrated clearly for practical understanding.

5. Contract Administration Insights – The mentor guided the student to break down the contract process into clear stages: tendering, formation, execution, monitoring, and closure. Examples from real projects were shared to link theory with practice.

6. Short Answers Assistance – The mentor provided scenario-based reasoning strategies, encouraging the student to justify each decision with project management principles.

7. Draft Review & Feedback – After initial drafts, the mentor reviewed the answers for coherence, calculation accuracy, and alignment with assessment criteria, providing constructive feedback for improvement.

Final Outcome

• Assessment Completion: Student submitted a complete, well-structured PDF report covering all five questions.

• Learning Objectives Achieved:

  • Ability to calculate and analyze project costs.

  • Understanding of PERT analysis and critical path methodology.

  • Knowledge of dispute resolution strategies in project management.

  • Competence in contract administration processes.

  • Application of scenario-based problem-solving in practical project situations.

• Skills Developed: Analytical thinking, structured reporting, accurate calculations, referencing skills, and practical project management knowledge.

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