EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA IN GENERAL MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT: PROJECT PLANNING A

FACILITATOR: CARET NDUNA NCUBE

Phd Candidate (Management), MCom (MSU), Bcom (Nust)

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. Answer all questions in one Microsoft word file

2. Use Times New Roman, Font 12
3. Line Spacing 1.5
4. Justified Alignment
5. Harvard Style Referencing
6. Ensure the sources that you use to reference are not older than 5 years (2017-
2021)
7. Logically presented work will attracted due attention.
SECTION A: (40 MARKS)

Read the case: Harare signs deals for construction projects and answer the questions that
follow

Harare City Council has signed deals with leading financial institutions that will lead to the
rolling out of major construction works covering housing, road, terminuses and industrial
buildings under its ambitious urban renewal programme. The plan also involves construction
of vending markets as council battles to contain illegal selling activities in the city. Already
council has signed deals with, CBZ Holdings for the construction of a model multiple - floor
market that will house traders of various goods. Council has also signed another multi-million
dollar deal with CBZ Bank to replace old flats, in Highfield, Tafara with new latest apartments,
among other housing developments.

"We have open spaces where they are going to put the first blocks of flats and progressively
we empty people into the new flats and build additional flats," Acting Town Clerk Josephine
Ncube said. "We are going to do the same in Tafara and we are going to have other housing
developments as well."

In terms of residential developments, council is working more with partners rather than the city
doing everything. "The city has to facilitate development. We have entered into partnerships
with financial institutions. We are going to be working with FBC developing houses in
Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa along Bulawayo Road," said Mrs Ncube. They are going to do
the servicing and build houses and also sell serviced stands so that those who cannot afford
houses can buy stands. What we want to move away from is where people get unserviced land
as the cooperatives were doing."

Harare has also entered into an agreement with Homelink to put up flats as council puts more
emphasis on high rise buildings to maximise on space and the flat sites are in serviced areas
already. "We have just recently planned for additional flat sites along Mutare Road just
opposite the NocZim depot. For St Martins, we are now working with the National Building
Society who are going to fund the servicing and give mortgage bonds," according to Mrs
Ncube.
Apart from the housing developments, council, in partnership with property owners in Rezende
Street and Robert Mugabe Avenue, has earmarked some buildings to be developed for flea
markets.

"Currently, the planners are working with the property owners to make sure that we can create
spaces there. So we will not need to have any flea markets traders on the streets they should all
be housed within the spaces provided," said Mrs Ncube.

Also, the city architect has almost completed plans for the renovations of the parkade on
SamoraMachel Avenue to make space for SMEs. As part of the urban renewal, council is also
embarking on construction of termini and vending markets around the city. "We have
designated vending areas in the CBD, at 4th Street terminus, Copacabana, Chinhoyi Street
market and the Robson Manyika Avenue and Innez Terrace market.

"We are establishing a new vending market at the corner of Robert Mugabe Street and Leopold
Takawira Avenue. It's a small one just to cater for a few people. "Also, we are looking at
accommodating a lot of the vendors in Rezende Street south as we are going towards Charter
Road," she added. Council is also planning to construct a sewer treatment plant at Lyndhurst
Farm which is between Sunway City and Epworth to service Mabvuku, Sunway City,
Caledonia and other new developments around that area.

QUESTION 1
(a) Describe the types of projects earmarked for construction. (10 marks)
(b) Discuss the project benefits derived from the above projects. (10 marks)
(c) Describe the characteristics of the stages of the project life cycle of the above project.
(10 marks)
(d) What are the partnership arrangements that Council has entered into? (10 marks)

SECTION B: (60 MARKS)

QUESTION 2 [20 Marks]

A low cost car manufacturer has decided to make a significant investment into expanding its
presence in Africa by setting up a large assembly facility in Zimbabwe. It has estimated its
initial set up costs to be in the region of USD 6, 398M. Forecast net income from the project is
detailed below:

 Year 1 USD 1,400M

 Year 2 USD 1,450M
 Year 3 USD 1,550M
 Year 4 USD 1,625M
 Year 5 USD 1,480M.
(a) Calculate the projected payback time for the project to the nearest month (2 marks).

(b) Calculate the Net Present Value of the project using a discount factor of 5% and comment
on the attractiveness of the project (10 marks).

(c) Analyse the merits and demerits of the Net Present Value Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
technique for appraising large project investment decisions (8 Marks).

QUESTION 3
Discuss any five key roles of a project manager (20 marks).

QUESTION 4
a) Examine the usefulness of the Work Break Structure (WBS) in managing the project scope
(10 marks)
b) Show how a wedding planning events company can make use of the WBS concept in
managing the wedding project (10 marks)

END OF ASSIGNMENT