Built Environment

BSc Architectural Design & Technology BSc Building Surveying
BSc Construction Project Management BSc Quantity Surveying

Procurement and Administration
Coursework
Submission Deadline: Friday 24th April 16:00hrs
This assessment contributes 50% of the marks for the above module. 4000 word limit

1. BRIEF

1.1 About You

You are employed by the GMSA as independent construction procurement professional for this project.

1.2 Background

The Greater Manchester Strategic Alliance (GMSA) is a partnership of universities, colleges, work based learning providers and other stakeholders who collectively deliver a Lifelong Learning Network (LLN) and promotes the progression of vocational learners into Higher Education. GMSA have identified within their strategic plan for 2014 – 2019, the opportunities presented by recent government commitment to fund a significant increase in the delivery of Higher Apprenticeships. As a result, GMSA are consulting on the viability of a new “Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre” situated alongside the M62 Corridor in Greater Manchester. The centre will draw on the specialist skills of both the four Greater Manchester universities together with a series of local colleges

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including those in Rochdale, Oldham and Bury together with leading business organisations located in the Greater Manchester area.

Important features of the development to note:

•   10 storey, 30,000m2 main building including 3 250 seat lecture theatres,

  30 seminar rooms, a central catering facility, Coffee shop styled area,

  office accommodation and student support areas.

•   2 storey, 5.000m2 ‘advanced engineering’ centre, providing specialist

  engineering laboratory and workshop facilities.

•   4 Storey, 8,000m2 central learning centre, providing student services

  including open access rooms, silent study areas, group study rooms and a

  library facility

•   External works including infrastructure development.

  The Client requires the building to be carbon neutral. In addition, to illustrate both aspirations of both Central Government and the GMSA the facility should make a clear architectural statement and must be constructed to the highest aesthetic and qualitative standards. Value for money given the current economic climate is also a key consideration.

  The budget to cover the total development cost, inclusive of construction works, external works, statutory and professional fees is estimated to be £71 million. The completion date is critical, as the building requires handover by August 2017 at the very latest, to accommodate the new academic year.

  Title to the land is currently under negotiation. As the scheme forms part of the ‘Northern Power House’ vision, public funding (provided by the Department of Education) has been approved. Who will operate the facility on completion is yet to be decided.

  1.3 Assessment Requirements

  Task 1 (word limit 3000):

  GMSA have commissioned you to recommend the most appropriate procurement strategy to meet their requirements. They have requested that you produce a report of no more than 3000 words which provides an analysis of the key procurement issues for the organisation to consider. The report should be addressed to this client and it must provide a clear recommendation for the most appropriate procurement strategy and system to meet their requirements.

  While value for money is a key consideration given the current economic client, GMSA is also eager to embed both socio-economic and environment sustainability within their project. They are particularly concerned with the consequences of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

  You should make a justified recommendation for an appropriate procurement strategy, detailing the advantages and disadvantages for the Client of your preferred procurement strategy and system.

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It is also a requirement to identify a suitable main form of contract to match the procurement strategy and to enable the University to realise their strategic objectives.

Task 2 (word limit 1,000):

The GMSA is eager to embed both socio-economic and environment sustainability within their project. In no more than 1,000 words, as part of the same report, explain how your procurement strategy helps them to embed socio-economic sustainability into the procurement decision-making and outcomes of the project.

2. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

FORMAT

All submissions should have a cover sheet identifying the module, the date and the student’s name and roll number. In addition to the in-text citations, all submissions shall have a reference list (and an optional bibliography), listing the sources used in the preparation of the report. [The School has adopted the Harvard system (APA 6th) as standard

LENGTH

Maximum 4,000 words report excluding references, bibliography, cover sheet or appendices (if any).

SUBMISSION

This assignment MUST be submitted electronically through Turnitin®
Further information and support for students using Turnitin can be found here:

http://www.salford.ac.uk/library/help/blackboard-and-collaborate

3. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Item

Marks

The report should provide a critical analysis of the Client 30 requirements and evaluation of appropriate parameters.

Appraisal of alternative procurement strategies and 35 systems with a justification for your recommended
strategy and system

Identifies the drivers for the client requirements for socio- 25 economic sustainability and how they can be delivered
through the project – reference to the Public Services
(Social Value Act) 2012 is necessary.

Presentation of information required for each task 10

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4. MARKING SCALE

At Undergraduate Level 4, 5 and 6 the following marking scale shall be used:

Outstanding Excellent Very good Good

Fair
Adequate Unsatisfactory Poor
Very poor Extremely poor

90% – 100% 80% – 89% 70% – 79% 60% – 69% 50% – 59% 40% – 49% 30% – 39% 20% – 29% 10% – 19%

0% – 9%

5. LEARNING OUTCOMES ADDRESSED

Critically evaluate client objectives and determine the appropriate selection of procurement systems

Analyse project objectives under time, cost and quality, sustainability issues Use techniques such as procurement matrices to assist in decision making Develop an understanding regarding the selection of appropriate contract forms Appreciate issues and implications in connection with contractor selection Develop skills in report writing

Develop skills in procurement research

6. RETURN & FEEDBACK ARRANGEMENTS

Coursework marks and feedback will be available within 15 working days of your submission and will be loaded into Blackboard.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION I. OBLIGATION TO KEEP COPIES OF ALL WORK

Students MUST keep a spare copy of all work which they hand in as well as the receipt which is issued to them at the time of submission.

II. PROVISIONAL NATURE OF MARKS & GRADES

All marks and grades issued to students are provisional until ratified by examination boards.

III. LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS

Submissions made after 16:00hrs on the fourth working day following submission will be deemed inadmissible and recorded as a non-submission.

IV. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS

If the submission document file up-loaded to Blackboard is corrupt and cannot be viewed – This is classed as a NON submission. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their submission material can be opened by others.

To ensure your submission can be opened please follow this simple step:

Go back to the submission area and the blue button that was labelled Submit will now be a button labelled View – select this button and what you see upon doing so will be the file/format that your Lecturer can see. If you can open and view the document then so can the lecturer.

V. PENALTIES FOR LATE SUBMISSION

Where coursework is submitted late, the following penalties shall be applied to the mark:

(a) if the work is no more than four working days late, then five marks shall be deducted for each working day (08:30-16:00 Mon- Thursday or part thereof) , but if the work would otherwise pass then the mark for the work shall be reduced to no lower than the pass mark for the component

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(b) if the work is no more than four working days late and marked and the mark is lower than the pass mark, then no penalty shall be applied;

(c) if the work is more than four working days late then it cannot be submitted and shall be recorded as a non-submission (NS).

VI. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

The University takes a serious view of all acts of academic misconduct. Such acts are considered dishonest and as attempts to gain unfair advantage. Acts of academic misconduct can take many forms. They are likely to fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. a)  Plagiarism
   Plagiarism involves taking the work of another person or source and using it as if it were one’s own.
2. b)  Self plagiarism
   Self plagiarism (or double submission) is resubmitting previously submitted work on one or more occasions (without proper acknowledgement). This may take the form of copying either the whole piece of work or part of it. Normally credit will already have been given for this work.
3. c)  Collusion
   Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval (e.g. in the case of group projects), two or more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is ultimately submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented
   as the student’s own.
4. d)  Falsifying experimental or other investigative results
   This could involve a range of things that make it appear that information has been collected by scientific investigation, the compilation of questionnaire results etc whereas in reality it has been made up or altered to provide a more favourable result.
5. e)  Taking unauthorised material (including electronic devices) into an examination
6. f)  Contracting another to write a piece of assessed work / Writing a piece of assessed work for another
   This involves any means whereby a person does work on behalf of another. It includes assessments done for someone else in full or in part by a fellow student, a friend or family member. It includes sitting an

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g) h)

VII.

a)

examination for someone else. It also covers obtaining material from internet ‘cheat sites’ or other sources of work. Penalties for this type of unfair means will normally apply both to a student of the University who does work on behalf of another and a student of the University who has work done for him/her.

Copying from, or communicating with, another examination candidate during an examination

Bribery
This involves giving money, gifts or any other advantage to an academic member of staff which is intended to give an unfair advantage in an assessment exercise.

Particular care should be taken in respect of the following:

Getting help from others / helping others

Students are encouraged to discuss and share ideas and information, however those who knowingly assist others to commit academic misconduct whether or not for payment (e.g. by giving another student the opportunity to copy part or all of a piece of work, by providing copies of assessments or by providing bespoke assignments to another student) will be subject to the same penalties as those who use unfair means. Students must ensure that they protect their own work, submit it themselves and do not allow other students to use their memory stick and/or print off work on their behalf.

b) Use of Readers/Note Takers

Students with special learning requirements who require the services of readers or note takers are advised to use appropriately trained individuals. Further advice can be obtained from the Disability Service Team within Student Life Directorate. http://www.advice.salford.ac.uk/disability

c) Referencing

Students using work which has been produced by other people within an assignment will need to ensure that they acknowledge or reference the source of the work. Students should check with their Schools for particular requirements. Marks may be deducted for poor referencing. If poor referencing is extensive throughout a piece of work it could appear that the student is trying to claim credit for the work and he/she may be deemed to have committed plagiarism. Guidance on good referencing practice is available from Schools or may be provided through research training programmes, the Study Skills Programme located in Student Life and on-line guidance provided by Information & Learning Services. Some useful resources are: http://www.advice.salford.ac.uk/

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Penalties

If satisfied that unfair means has occurred, a penalty will be imposed on the student. Penalties vary depending on whether the matter is referred to the School Academic Misconduct Panel or the University Disciplinary Committee and on the particular circumstances. A range of penalties may be imposed including:

• –  A penalty of 0% for the assessment component attempted using unfair means;
• –  A penalty of 0% for the module affected by unfair means;
• –  A penalty of 0% for the module affected by unfair means and the marks of all other modules at that academic level being capped at the pass mark

  (40% for undergraduates, 50% for post graduates).

  In the most severe cases, where there are aggravating factors (e.g. that this is a repeated case of the use of unfair means by a student at an advanced stage in their studies), a student found guilty of using unfair means may be permanently expelled from the University.

  Further details of the Academic Misconduct procedure are available from:

  http://www.governance.salford.ac.uk/page/student_policies

  Pre-submission checklist

  Before submitting your assessment; ask yourself the following questions, just to be sure you’ve met all the requirements:

•   Have I correctly referenced all the sources which I have used?
•   Have I used Turnitin to check my referencing and bibliography so that my

  tutor knows where I have found all my information?

•   Have I completed the assignment within the word limit and/or stated my

  word count?

•   Have I used a spell checker and proof read my work?

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