Unit Outline

This unit will introduce leadership, people management and communication skills and techniques to support effective interaction with construction people and teams, clients, contractors, suppliers and external stakeholders. You will learn and apply negotiation and conflict resolution techniques and communication mindsets that address contemporary issues in the workplace and motivate teams to deliver on construction objectives. In conjunction with the discipline theory, this unit introduces learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment, so you have the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. You will be introduced to: - a range of methods, tools, techniques and approaches to practice - principles and perspectives such as values, ethics, empathy and leadership in real world scenarios - reflection and deliberative thinking as a means of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and aspirations - ways of understanding problems and developing solutions through active inquiry.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Identify key people and roles in construction projects, and their information requirements.
2.	Explain the principles and challenges of leading and managing people in the workplace.
3.	Apply communication strategies and skills for the construction industry
4.	Discuss ethical principles for communication and contemporary behaviours and perspectives in the workplace.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

To be determined

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	AT1: Communication Requirements Table and Email	Week 3	25 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	AT2: Team Motivation Plan	Week 7	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Case Study: Negotiation	Week 14	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: AT1: Communication Requirements Table and Email

Task Description:

Part A: Communication Requirements Table
The purpose of this assessment task is for you to identify key people and roles in construction projects and their information requirements, and to summarise this in a table. You will also need to identify the communication formats that are most appropriate for exchanges with these different people, by including brief explanatory notes for each person/group.
Therefore, based on your current role or a role you would like to be promoted into:
1. Describe the main responsibilities of your role in 1–2 paragraphs.
Then, in a table format, include
2. The key groups and individuals that you communicate with in your role and the kinds of information that need to be exchanged between you and each of the groups and individuals to complete construction-related projects and tasks within the organisation.
3. The communication styles and formats that are most appropriate for the communication exchanges between you and the groups and individuals identified above.
Part B: Email response
You will be provided with information about a hypothetical construction project along with an email from a hypothetical construction contractor asking questions and requesting information about the project.
1. Read the email and the project information provided.
2. With yourself in the role of project manager, provide a professional email response (maximum 1 page) to the construction contractor using the information provided.

Task Length:

Task length Maximum 3 pages Part A; Maximum 1 page Part B

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and present key stakeholders and their roles using the appropriate format (Part A)	LO1
2	Identify information requirements and communication formats appropriate for each role (Part A)	LO3
3	Apply written communication skills to prepare a professional email response (Part B)	LO3

Assessment Task 2: AT2: Team Motivation Plan

Task Description:

The purpose of this task is for you to apply team leadership and management strategies to develop a plan to motivate a team at the start of a project.
1. Consider a team from your own workplace and a project that they are currently working on or have worked on in the past.
2. Imagining that the project is about to start, develop a plan for how you would motivate the team to get the project successfully completed. Include:
a. A brief description of the project and the project team.
b. A description of the main leadership and management strategies you would use to motivate the team during the project.
c. A brief description of the challenges in motivating teams during construction projects.

Task Length:

Maximum 4 pages

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply people management strategies for motivating teams	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Explain the challenges of motivating teams	LO2, LO4
3	Communicate ideas and information relating to team motivation strategies and challenges using the specified format	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Case Study: Negotiation

Task Description:

The purpose of this assessment task is for you to apply negotiation, conflict resolution and people management strategies in a hypothetical construction workplace or construction business scenario.
1. Read the case study of the hypothetical scenario and complete the following:
a. Briefly describe the key issues involved in the scenario. Are there any ethical issues at play in this situation? If so, briefly describe them.
b. Design a negotiation and conflict resolution plan. Include a description of the most appropriate communication techniques, strategies, styles and formats for resolving the conflict situation.
c. Prepare a script of what you would say at an initial face-to-face meeting with the key people involved in the scenario.
d. List the possible reactions of the person/people in the meeting and describe appropriate ways for you to respond.
2. Explain the key challenges of negotiation and conflict resolution in construction, including consideration of ethical principles and social responsibility.

Task Length:

Maximum 8 pages

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Describe the key issues in the conflict scenario	LO1, LO4
2	Design an appropriate negotiation strategy.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Explain the challenges of negotiation and conflict resolution in construction.	LO2, LO4
4	Communicate conflict resolution ideas and information using the specified format.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.