成人大片

Program Director Contact Details:
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Name: Gary Hancock
Phone: +61 8 8313 0125


Teaching Staff

Term 2 & 4
Name: Doris Yee

Term 4: 8th October to 20 December 2016

Consultation session:
With Doris Yee
30 Sept 2016 7:00 pm
For times and location, please refer to advice from Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre, Singapore

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Apply the tools and techniques taught throughout the course to evaluate the factors that contribute to the success/failure of an enterprise
2. Construct and research the plans for a business based on a perceived opportunity
3. Present a coherent business plan to a panel in a concise manner

No textbook required

You will be expected to draw on all the resources that you have collected during your studies in the Program. You will also need to demonstrate an ability to source your own reference materials, and show you have a sound understanding of what is relevant and appropriate.

Library Resources
The 成人大片’s Barr Smith Library provides a range of learning resources including texts, journals, periodicals, magazines, and access to online databases and information services. It also offers a virtual library which is accessible via the University’s website. The University Library web page is:
From this link, you are able to access the Library's electronic resources.

MyUni is the 成人大片's online learning environment. It is used to support traditional face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops at the University. MyUni provides access to various features including announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments for each online course of study (see: )

This course is offered in blended learning mode with significant field work applying the concepts and theories taught throughout the course as well as face-to-face consultations with the Lecturer.

The project
Each student will negotiate with the course co-ordinator a series of activities that will satisfy the objectives outlined above. The project component is made up of a 6 unit course, so should be treated as a full time 3 month project.

Being entrepreneurial and innovative is something that people develop through experience as well as formal education. The project component of this program is very important in that it allows students to learn from both success and, more importantly, failure in a safe environment under the guidance of teaching staff with experience in these areas.

The candidate will propose the setup of a business enterprise (either a new enterprise or a spin-off of an existing enterprise). The candidate will then undertake field work to verify the viability and assumptions related to his business proposal. Candidates will also be given ample opportunities to practise their presentation skills ( a key requirement) to an audience who will assess the viability of the plan.

As a guide, a 3 unit course comprises a total of 156 hours work (this includes face-to-face contact, any online components, and self directed study).

This is a draft schedule and session dates are a guide only. The timetable may be changed during the course delivery if necessary. 

Week	Activities	Deliverable
1	Briefing on Project -Objectives -Scope/Expectations -Milestones -Assessment
1-3	Form Teams, Work on Project Proposal, Assumptions, Verification Plan
3	Submit Assignment (Proposal, Assumptions,	Group Proposal for Own Business highlighting: 1. Opportunity 2. Product/Service 3. Market Strategy 4. Industry & Competition 5. Team 6. Financials/ Business Proposition Assumptions, Group Verification Schedule/Plan: 1. Assumptions on Opportunity, Size, Business Model, Competition, Marketing/Distribution, Value Proposition in support of Proposa l2. Project Schedule for Verifying each Assumption with description of planned verification activities Individual Essay 1. Describe the process of arriving at this Proposal. What were the considerations? 2. Write a one page pre-mortem: Imagine it is 3 years since you started the company, the company is close to bankruptcy, staff are totally demoralised. Write a story of how the company came to this position.
4	Feedback & Oral Assessment (Proposal, Assumptions, Verification Plan) Submit Revised Proposal (if necessary)	Answer questions regarding group/individual submissions
5-9	Fieldwork: Verify your Business Conduct Market Research Test Opportunity Build Prototype Product/Service Verify Proposition (Cost, Price etc) Competitor Analysis Build Financial Model,Test Feasibility
7	Mentoring Session to update progress and give Feedback	Show: -Results of Surveys/Vendor Quotations -Interviews/Observations/Experiments -Research/Readings Related to Project -Compare Progress against Verification Plan
9	Peer Group Review	Presentation with Visual Aids/Prototypes to Lecturer, Peers Peers to query other Presenting Teams, Award Bonus, Demerit Points, Overall Participation/Contribution
10	Submit Final Report	Group Final Report: Final Business Plan Group Report: Deviation from Original Proposal arising from verification Individual Essay 1. Would you invest in this Business Plan? Why/Why not? Discuss both Financial and non-Financial reasons. 2. Describe 3 learning points from this project. 3. On hindsight, what could you have done differently in terms of validating any part of the project?
11	Feedback & Oral Assessment	Answer questions regarding Final group/individual submissions

Workshop exercises are found in the course PowerPoint files.

You will be required to undertake significant field work in this subject. This may include working in another organisation, commencing your own enterprise, interviewing existing entrepreneurs, conducting surveys, building prototypes/models, obtaining market data on costs, competition and forming and maintaining teams.

Assessments will comprise written assessments and oral interviews/presentation. Assessments will be conducted to determine the candidate’s understanding of the key principles, theories taught during the course as well as the level of skills in applying them to an enterprise.

An overview of the course assessment appears in the following table. Details appear in the following section:

 

#	Form of Assessment/ Collaborative Task	Length (in word count)	Weighting	Due Date	Learning outcome covered
1a	Proposal for own businessAssumptions, Verification Plan	<2000 words Gantt Chart	10%  5%	see MyUni	2
1b	Individual Paper	< 500 words	10%	see MyUni	2
2	Oral on Group, Individual Submission of Proposal		30%	see MyUni	2
	Mentoring Session			see MyUni
3	Presentation to Lecturer, Peer GroupOverall Participation/Contribution/Feedback to other Team(s)	Oral presentation with Visual Aids/Prototypes	10% 5%	see MyUni	1, 2
4a	Group Final Report:Final Business PlanGroup Report Deviation from Original Proposal	<5000 words	10% 5%	see MyUni	1, 2
4b	Individual Paper	< 500 words	15%	see MyUni	1, 2
5	Oral on Group, Individual Submission of Final Report		20%	see MyUni	1, 2
	Total		100%

Students must complete all course assessment requirements and must attend mentoring sessions/oral assessments to be eligible to pass the course. Course results are subject to moderation by the ECIC Board of Examiners

Candidates who are consistently late in their submissions/interviews or exhibit signs of poor attitude will suffer a penalty in their final grade score.

Assessment 1a: Proposal for own business
Weighting: 10% for Proposal and 5% for the Verification Plan
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Online through MyUni

Task:
Proposal for the Setup of a Business and a Verification Plan (a Gantt Chart) identifying key assumptions made in the business proposal and a schedule to verify these assumptions over the course of 5 weeks

Candidates must submit a proposal for the setup of a business enterprise articulating clearly:

• Business opportunity/observation
• Proposed product/service to be offered
• Strategy for reaching the intended market
• Industry and Competition
• Team to be put together to execute the plan
• Financial assumptions made in support of the business proposition

The Verification Plan shall be submitted in the form of a Gantt Chart, clearly identifying each assumption to be verified, the time frame and the mode of action to be taken which can include literature search, conducting surveys, interviews, cold calls, observations, gathering of data on markets, costs, prices, competition as appropriate.

Length and Presentation:
Written report no longer than 2000 words.
Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
The breadth and depth of the proposal including the description of the business (team, opportunity, market strategy, competition, financials), the identified assumptions and an executable plan to verify the assumptions made.


Assessment 1b: Individual Paper
Weighting: 10%
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Online through MyUni


Task:

• Describe the process of arriving at this Proposal. What were the considerations?
• Write a one page pre-mortem: Imagine it is 3 years since you started the company, the company is close to bankruptcy, staff are totally demoralised. Write a story of how the company came to this position.

Length and Presentation:
Written proposal no longer than 500 words.

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
Ability to give coherent and substantive explanations to questions posed on written submissions.


Assessment 2: Oral Interview on Group Proposal and Individual Submission
Weighting: 10%
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Oral Interview arranged with Lecturer

Task:
An oral assessment will be conducted after receipt of the written proposal to assess the candidate’s understanding and seek clarification on any points in relation to their written submissions.

Length and Presentation:
Varies depending on engagement with Lecturer

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
The breadth and depth of the proposal; the source and coverage of the data/information as well as the methodology and questions proposed to gather the information.


Assessment 3: Presentation of business plan with visual aids to Lecturer and Peer Group
Weighting: 10% and 5% (Overall Participation and Contribution/Feedback to Peers)
Due Date:
Submission Details: Oral presentation including any visual aids or apparatus such as powerpoint slides, models, simulations and/or prototypesTask:Candidates must present the merits of the proposed business plan to the Lecturer and Class. Candidates can utilise various tools (powerpoint, flash, props, prototypes, models etc) to highlight their presentations and capture their audience attention. This will be a highly interactive session with Class members querying the presenting teams.

Length and Presentation:
Oral presentation 20 minutes; Q&A 20 minutes

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:

Presentation	30%	Clarity, Comprehensiveness, Delivery, Effectiveness of Presentation Aids
Rigour	30%	Feasibility, Consistency, Appropriateness of Assumptions, Extent of Verification, Execution
Investability	40%	Attractiveness of proposition, Credibility of team, Competitiveness/Protectable Advantage, Sustainability, Growth potential, Innovativeness

Assessment 4a: Group Final report
Weighting: 10% written report and 5% report highlighting deviation from Proposal
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Online through MyUni

Task:
The Final Report will comprise:

• Final Business Plan (after amendments based on earlier verification and feedback received)
• Report comparing the areas which deviated from the original business proposal and the reasons for these

Length and Presentation:
Written report no longer than 5000 words; including the Executive Summary ( 1 page)

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
Include the description of the business (the opportunity, team to be recruited, the competition, market penetration strategy and the financials), the results of the verification exercise and how these results have impacted the final business plan.


Assessment 4b: Individual Paper
Weighting: 15%
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Online through MyUni

Task:
Essay to answer:

• Would you invest in this Business Plan? Why/Why not? Discuss both Financial and non-Financial reasons.
• Describe 3 learning points from this project.
• On hindsight, what could you have done differently in terms of validating any part of the project?

Length and Presentation:
Written submission no longer than 500 words.

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
Depth and breadth of analyses and rationale for answer.



Assessment 5:Oral Interview on Final Group and Individual Submissions
Weighting: 20% oral interview
Due Date: see MyUni
Submission Details: Oral Interview arranged with Lecturer

Task:
An oral assessment will be conducted after receipt of the written proposal to assess the candidate’s understanding and seek clarification on any points in relation to their written submissions.

Length and Presentation:
Varies depending on engagement with Lecturer

Criteria by which your assignment will be marked:
The breadth and depth of the proposal; the source and coverage of the data/information as well as the methodology and questions proposed to gather the information.

All text based assignments must be submitted via MyUni.
Please refer to step by step instructions:

There are a few points to note about the submission of assignments:

• Assignment Submission:  Assignments should not be emailed to the instructor; they must be lodged via the MyUni Course site (unless specified to do both). Note that assignments may be processed via TURNITIN, which is an online plagiarism prevention tool.
• Cover Sheet:  Please submit, separate to your assignment, the completed 成人大片 Assessment Cover Sheet providing details of yourself and your team members (if applicable), your assignment, the course, date submitted, etc. as well as the declaration signed by you that this is your (your team’s) work.  Note that the declaration on any electronically submitted assignment will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed declaration.
• Backup Copy of Assignments:  You are advised to keep a copy of your assignments in case the submitted copy goes missing.  Please ensure that all assignment pages are numbered. If your assignment contains confidential information, you should discuss any concerns with the Course Lecturer prior to submission.
• Extensions of Time:  Any request for an extension of time for the submission of an assignment should be made well before the due date of the assignment to the Course Lecturer.  Normally, extensions will only be granted for a maximum of two weeks from the original assignment submission date.  Extensions will only be granted in cases of genuine extenuating circumstances and proof, such as a doctor’s certificate, may be required.
• Failure to submit: Failure to submit an assignment on time or by the agreed extension deadline may result in penalties and may incur a fail grade.  Note that a late penalty of 5% of the total available marks for that assessment item will be incurred each day an assignment is handed in late (Unless otherwise stated in 'Assessment Related Requirements' or 'Assessment Detail' above).  Assignments handed in after 14 days from the due submission date will fail even if a 100% mark is granted for the work.

Resubmission & Remarking
Resubmission of an assignment for remarking after reworking it to obtain a better mark will not normally be accepted.  Approval for resubmission will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds.