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Team Project
Team Project Introduction
The team project offers an opportunity for you to practice most of the course learning
objectives. You will practice collaborating as a team and working with others to undertake a
project that explores a business communication topic in depth. Your team will create a
detailed project plan and agreement to help you work effectively as a team and apply course
concepts related to communicating with others. The project is comprised of planning,
researching, writing, and editing a business report on an assigned topic (Appendix F) and
creating a presentation that communicates the key findings of the report including conclusions
and recommendations.

1073_Appendix_F.pdf

You will utilize the collaboration tools (MS Teams, Zoom) available to accomplish teamwork,
develop team building and conflict resolution skills, practice working collaboratively to achieve
a higher goal than what could be achieved individually, and highlight the importance of
developing a cohesive final product that demonstrates consistency of thought.
This four-part Team Project will serve to:
 develop your understanding of the tools available to you on campus to accomplish
teamwork,
 strengthen your team building and conflict resolution skills,
 develop your ability to work collaboratively to achieve a higher goal than what could be
achieved individually, and
 highlight the importance of developing a cohesive final product that demonstrates
consistency of thought.
REMEMBER: A final submission should not just be a compilation of individual contributions.
The whole document should flow together with a common purpose and goal.
The project is completed in separate parts as follows:

Part Due Description % of Final

Grade

1. Unit 3 Part 1: Project Plan and Agreement /5

2. Unit 6 Part 2: Report Research Questions and Annotated /10

References List

3. Unit 8 Part 3: Formal Business Report /10

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4 Unit 10 Part 4: Presentation /10

5 Unit 10 Part 5: Peer Evaluations Not graded

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Part 1: Project Plan and Agreement

 Weight: 5% of the final grade
 Due: no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 3

Description
This team assignment is the first part of your course project. You will apply course concepts
learned this week about working with others while also planning and setting goals for all parts
of the team project.
The purpose of the Plan and Agreement is to establish the rules and guidelines that the team
members will agree to abide by to accomplish the overall goal. Think of it as the contractual
agreement that will ensure that the project stays on track in terms of both time and quality. It
is your mechanism to hold everyone accountable and to accomplish goals.
It is at this stage of the team process when you start to form as a group, so it is important to
set the ground rules. It is better to have the difficult discussions now (what you will do if
someone misses a deadline, does not produce quality work, plagiarizes, etc.). Lay everything
on the table here and use the opportunity to reach consensus about your expectations. It is
better to discuss these points now to be sure that everyone is on the same page.
Your Part 1: Project Plan and Agreement should include a detailed schedule for completing all
parts of the course project. You will break down each of the assignments (Research
Questions/References, Report, Presentation) into subtasks, assign responsibility and due dates
for them. To get a clear understanding of expectations and instructions for each of these
assignments, look ahead to units 6, 8 and 10 to read the detailed instructions for each part.
Objectives
Part 1 of the Team Project will help you to:
 work together to plan the activities to complete a team project;
 develop contingency plans for resolving potential conflicts; and
 plan, lead, and participate effectively in team meetings and record minutes.
Instructions
Step 1: Complete the week’s readings about Working with Others.
Step 2: Work in teams assigned by the instructor.
Step 3: Review the Course Project Plan and Agreement template. 
Step 4: Meet with your team to discuss all aspects of the Course Project Plan and Agreement.
Be sure that you take minutes of the meeting and post them in MS Teams. It is recommended
that you also record your meeting. Your objective for this assignment is to make a complete
and detailed plan and agreement. As part of this process, it is advisable to spend some time
getting to know each other and understanding everyone’s individual strengths. Select a team
leader. You will need to discuss how your team will communicate and work together; your
team goals and commitments; contact information, availability, accountability, etc. After a

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detailed discussion, decide next steps to complete the template for the Course Project Plan
and Agreement.
Step 5: Complete the Course Project Plan and Agreement template (Appendix D). Plan the
Project Schedule for the Course Project Plan and Agreement, the project deliverables and
assign tasks using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). NOTE: Be very detailed here – this is
where you want to ensure everyone has the same understanding of what is involved in each
task and to what standard the team wants to strive. Also remember that there are various
ways to break out work. Read the complete assignment instructions for units 6, 8, and 10.

1073_Appendix_D.do
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Step 6: List the expectations for time management and team involvement. Set concrete
deadlines that allow sufficient time to review drafts and make adjustments. Develop a
communication plan that explains the participation, and accessibility of each team member.
You should include contingency plans to approach the instructor in the event that the team
plan seems to be veering off course.
Step 7: Ensure fair and even contribution and collaboration by presenting detailed conflict
resolution strategies. What is your plan to ensure that all team members are contributing and
collaborating appropriately? Describe the communication plan if a team member is not
contributing and collaborating effectively. How will team members’ conflicts be managed?
Step 8: Proofread your completed template and use MS Word to check the spelling and
grammar. Each team member should read, agree to, and sign the final document.
Step 9: Submit your MS Word document to the unit 3 assignment page. Make note of the
submission requirements below.
Submission Requirements
Your overall submission will include:
1. Title page: (include assignment title, student name, date, course code/title, instructor
name). If there are team members who have not contributed to the assignment, do not
include their names on the title page.
2. Completed template: all sections completed in detail.
Submit to the link on the assignment page. Submit all assignments in this course as MS Word
documents.
Evaluation and Feedback
The Team Project and Plan will be graded out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria
and their relative weights for this assignment grade.

Activity/Competencies Demonstrated   % of Final Grade

1. Format (10%)

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  a. Completion of all segments of Course Project Plan and Agreement /10

template.

2. Project Deliverables Schedule (50%)

  a.  Demonstrated a solid understanding of the effort required to

complete the overall project by including all assignments (Plan and
/25
Agreement, Research & References, Report, Presentation) and breaking
down into manageable and realistic tasks

  b.  Identified accountabilities and realistic due dates /15

c. Identified meeting schedules and conduct /10

3 Expectations, Fairness, Collaboration (30%)

  a.  Teams demonstrate a solid understanding of how expectations are to

/15
be managed, problems solved, and conflicts resolved

  b.   Includes well defined contingency plans to hold members to account

/15
and keep the project on track

4 Writing Style (10%)  

  Professional quality work with minimal errors in spelling, grammar and

/10
syntax.

  Total /100

Part 2: Research Questions and Annotated References List

 Weight: 10% of the final grade
 Due: no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 6
Objectives
Part 2 of the Team Project will help you to:

 Distinguish between two types of reports (informal and formal).

 Demonstrate effective business research and information literacy skills for planning a
business report.
 Research and plan a formal business report.

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Description:
This assignment is the second part of your Team Project. At this stage, you already have your
team and topic assignment. You have completed your Course Project Plan and Agreement, and
you are now ready to begin the planning of your report. The assignment will be developed
through two steps. The first step is writing the research questions, and the second step is
conducting research and completing an annotated references list.
Instructions
Step 1: Complete the unit readings, including the Yorkville Write a Report.
Step 2: Your team will write 5 research questions. Your research questions will identify the key
dimensions of your overall topic, which has been assigned by your instructor. The unit 6
reading describes how to write research questions.
Step 3: If you have not already done so in the Team Plan and Agreement, ensure that you
assign research questions and tasks to individual team members, so everyone is clear about
their contribution to the final report.
Step 4: Begin collecting research in the YU Library guided by your research questions. For each
research question, identify three (3) academic references from the YU library.
Step 5: Review the research and create an annotated references list. (You will find instructions
about how to create an annotated reference list in the unit 6 readings.)
Step 6: Draft the report introduction including the statement of the purpose of the report.
Submission Details
Your overall submission should include:
1. Title page (include assignment title and topic, name, date, course code/title, instructor
name). If you have team members who didn’t contribute to this assignment, do not
include their names on the title page.
2. Research Questions
3. Annotated References List (full references with annotations). The references page must be
completed for this assignment and should be APA formatted.
Submit on the unit 6 assignment page. Submit all assignments in this course as MS Word
documents.
Helpful Hints
 Papers written with double-spacing allow easier review and editing.
 Use APA referencing guidelines for citations and references.

APA_Style.pdf

 Do not write in first person; write in third person (he, she, they).

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 Ensure all references are academic sources. If an article is found in an academic journal in
one of the library databases, then you can assume it has been peer reviewed and thus
acceptable. Many articles found readily online may not have been exposed to any editorial
vetting process, and thus should not be used as a resource.
Evaluation
Team Project Part 2: Research Questions and Annotated References List will be marked in its
entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and
their relative weights to the assignment overall.

Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of
Final
Grade

1. Content (30%)

a. Completion of all segments of Assignment (Research questions, introduction, purpose /15

statement, annotated references list)

a. Research questions are clear, well written, and appropriate to the assigned topic. /15

2. Research/Annotated References List (30%)

a. Students should identify a minimum of three academic references for each of the five /30
research questions (15 references total). All external sources are properly cited and
referenced. References are properly annotated. References list is properly formatted in
APA.

3. Critical Thinking and Analysis (20%)

a. Teams demonstrate ability to synthesize topic, research questions, and research to /20
demonstrate solid understanding of assigned topic.

4. Writing Style (20%)

a. Students present professional quality work with minimal errors in spelling, grammar and /20
syntax.

Total /100

Part 3: Formal Business Report

 Weight: 10% of the final grade
 Due: no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 8
Objectives
Part 3 of the Team Project will help you to:
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 Identify the elements of a formal business report.

 Prepare an Executive Summary.
 Write and edit a formal business report using appropriate professional business writing
standards.
 Apply formal business report format.
Description
This assignment is the third part of the Team Project, and is comprised of planning,
researching, writing, and editing a formal business report on an assigned topic. You will utilize
the collaboration tools available to accomplish teamwork, develop your team building and
conflict resolution skills, practice working collaboratively to achieve a higher goal than what
could be achieved individually, and highlight the importance of developing a cohesive formal
report that demonstrates consistency of thought. Your report will be formatted as a formal
business report.
Instructions
Using the initial research conducted for Part 2 and more focused research that you complete
now, write a 10-page report (2,500 word, double-spaced, 12-point font) on the topic assigned
by the instructor. Your report should be formatted according to the table included in the Unit 8
Notes. Use the report template (Appendix E) to create your assignment.

1073_Appendix_E.do
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Step 1: Write the report.

a. Organize your assignment as a formal business report including a cover memo, title
page, table of contents, executive summary, introduction (including your statement
of purpose), body (background, methods, results, analysis or discussion, conclusion,
and references. Apply headings to each section. Build a table of contents in Word
using level 1, 2, and 3 headings.
b. Address your five research questions as included in your part 2 assignment. Each
question must have at least three reference sources.
c. Write the executive summary last, as it is a summary of the report.
Step 2: Proof-read and edit the report.
a. Check spelling and grammar and proofread the entire report. Make any appropriate
edits. All team members should review the final report before it is submitted.
b. Review the in-body references (Are they properly cited? Are they also listed on the
references page?)
c. You must have at least 15 academic or peer reviewed references for the paper.
Step 3: Submit the report.

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Select one team member to submit the assignment on the assignment page.
Submission Details
Your overall submission should include:
1. Cover Memo (purpose, acknowledgements, actions to be taken).
2. Title page (include title, name, date, course code/title, instructor name).
3. Table of Contents
4. Executive Summary (Summarize the topic, methods, data/evidence, results, and
conclusions/recommendations)
5. Introduction (Introduce your topic, include a clear purpose statement, preview the
structure of the report)
6. Body (May include background, methods, results (answers to research questions),
analysis or discussion of research questions)
7. Conclusion and Recommendations (summary of findings, recommendations, action
plan)
8. References (full references for all work cited in body)
Helpful Hints
 Papers written with double-spacing allow easier review and editing.
 Use APA referencing guidelines for citations and references.

APA_Style.pdf

 Do not write in first person (I) but rather the third (they, he, she).
 Ensure all references are academic sources. If an article is found in an academic journal in
one of the library databases, then you can assume it has been peer reviewed and thus
acceptable. Many articles found readily online may not have been exposed to any editorial
vetting process, and thus should not be used as a resource.
Evaluation
Team Project Part 3: Report will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric
indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment
overall.

% of Final
Grade
Activity/Competencies Demonstrated

1. Report Content and Report Structure (40%)

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a. Completion of all segments of Report Assignment (cover memo, title page, executive summary, /8
table of contents, introduction, body (including discussion, findings), conclusion &
recommendations, references).

b. Executive Summary effectively summarizes topic, methods, data/evidence, results, and /8

conclusions/recommendations

c. Introduction – introduces topic, states purpose of report, previews structure of the report. /8

d. Body – includes key element of the report including addressing research questions, analysis, /8
discussion, findings, effectively uses headings.

e. Conclusion/Recommendations – Summarizes findings and recommendations and actions to be /8

taken.

2. Research (20%)

a. Students identify a minimum of three academic references for each of the five research /20
questions (15 references total). All sources are properly cited and referenced. In text citations are
included and cited in APA format.

3. Critical Thinking and Analysis (20%)

a. Teams demonstrate ability to synthesize topic, research, research questions, and logical /20
observations to demonstrate solid understanding of assigned topic.

4. Writing Style (20%)

a. Students present professional quality work with minimal errors in spelling, grammar and syntax. /20

Total /100

Part 4: Presentation
 Weight 10% of the final grade
 Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 10
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this assignment, students will be able to
 Practice strategies for analyzing and addressing an audience in a professional presentation,
 Plan and organize a presentation,
 Apply concise writing skills, and
 Orally deliver a presentation in class or online.

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Description
As business professionals and future business managers, you will be expected to make
presentations both in person and virtually. This assignment is part 4 of your Team Project. You
will learn how to develop and deliver an effective presentation by creating a report to present
the key findings from your business report.
Instructions and Submission
Step 1: Review the unit readings.
Step 2: Plan your presentation based on what you have learned from the readings.
Step 3: Build your presentation in a Power Point file. Prepare a 10-15 slide presentation to
convey the key findings from your formal report.
a. The submission must include major findings from your research, key conclusions and
recommendations, and action plan.
b. Ensure that your presentation is annotated (i.e. that all concepts are fully explained
in the Notes section of each slide. These are your speaker’s notes.).
Step 4: Edit and proof-read the presentation.
Step 5: Select a team member to submit the presentation to the assignment page.
Submission Details
Your presentation should include the following slides:
1. Cover Slide (include title, names, date, course code/title, instructor name)
2. Agenda Slide (Lists what will be included in the presentation.)
3. Introduction Slide (Introduce the topic and include a clear purpose statement)
4. Body Slides (3-4 relevant points related to topics, each supported by at least one
reference), in-text citations must be used for the slides.
5. Recommendations Slide
6. Conclusion Slide (confirms what was said in body)
7. Action plan
8. References Slide (full references for all work cited in body, use the same references from
your report).
Helpful Hints
 Use APA referencing guidelines for citations and references.

APA_Style.pdf

 Do not write in first person (I) but rather the third (they, he, she).

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 Ensure all references are academic sources. If an article is found in an academic journal in
one of the library databases, then you can assume it has been peer reviewed and thus
acceptable. Many articles found readily online may not have been exposed to any editorial
vetting process, and thus should not be used as a resource. 
Evaluation:
Team Project Part #4 – Presentation will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following
rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the
assignment overall.

Activity/Competencies Demonstrated % of Final

Grade

1. Presentation Assignment (20%)

a. Completion of all components of the Presentation Assignment (Cover, Agenda, /20

Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Recommendations, Action Plan, References).
Includes speaker’s notes in Notes section of file.

2. Research (20%)

a. Students should identify a minimum of 15 academic references. All external /20

sources are properly cited and referenced.

3. Critical Thinking and Analysis (20%)

a. Teams demonstrate ability to synthesize research with their topic and present /20
sound and logical observations that demonstrate solid understanding of assigned
topic.

4. Creativity (20%)

a. Slides are designed with a consistent look and theme. There is not too much text /20
on each slide; details are in the speaker’s notes/script. Design, font, and style are
professional and consistent throughout the presentation.

5. Writing Style (20%)

a. Students present professional quality work with no errors in spelling, grammar /20
and syntax.

Total /100

Part 5: Peer Evaluations

 Weight 0% of the final grade
 Due no later than 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 10
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Description
While not graded, these forms, affiliated with the Team Project, will provide objective and
confidential assessment of the contributions of your peers in the group project. The results of
this assessment may inform part of the individual grade each member of the group will
receive, depending on the result and subsequent review by the professor.
Instructions and Submission
Individually complete your peer evaluations. (Every team member completes their own peer
evaluation. It is only seen by the instructor)
Download the Peer Evaluation Form. Think carefully about how your team has collaborated
and how each member has contributed.  The peer evaluation gives each student the
opportunity to assess his/her teammates on preparation, participation, interpersonal relations,
and collaboration. You also have the opportunity to reflect on your learning outcomes from
the group experience.

Peer_Evaluation_For
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