Writing a Project Review Some Hints

Purpose of the Review?  Demonstrate Competence in 3 key areas Ability to learn at a higher level Subject matter Project management

What Should Be in the Review?  Restate the purpose of the project and the aims. Have the aims been achieved? Make sure aims are specific, realistic and measurable Produce evidence that aims have been achieved? Be constructively self-critical

Ability to Learn  Identify strengths of the project  Identify issues and areas where further development is needed  Suggest further development/research  Explain how the findings can be used, disseminated or transferred

Knowledge of the Subject  Identify new things you have learned Research Project – don’t forget philosophy of research, methods Development project – new languages  Explain how this new knowledge/new skills will help you in future  Are there things you did not have time to cover that would be useful?

Project Management  What is PM?  Why is it important?  How SHOULD you manage a project?  What were the good things you did?  What did you fail to do that would have helped you?  What has working on the project really taught you about managing projects?

Project Management  Using project tools  Understanding the problem domain  Scoping the problem  Identifying requirements  Specifying quality criteria  Managing your relations with others  Organising and documenting your work

Some Tips  Reminder the reader what the project was about  Highlight achievements  Avoid being too negative about problems  Turn negatives into positives – what did you learn from the experience  Use words such as ‘analyse’, ‘evaluate, ‘reflect on’, ‘synthesise’, ‘debate’  Write a few sides