Engineering Transformation Project
-Module Handbook-
Welcome!
This document contains key information that you need to study this
module.
Programme Information
Programme: MSc Engineering Management
Level: 7
Credits: 60
Learning Hours: 600
Module Learning Outcomes
The module learning outcomes can be found in the relevant module description form (MDF)
from your programme handbook.
Module Contact
Module Leader: Dr. Victor Vargas
Email: [email protected]
Recent Improvements
This is a new module introduced to the MSc Engineering Management programme from
September 2022.
Contents Page
Section A: Introduction to the Module ....................................................................................... 2
Overview................................................................................................................................. 2
Section B: The Research Proposal ........................................................................................... 6
Section D: Supervision ............................................................................................................ 13
Section E: Submission ............................................................................................................. 14
Section F: Recommended Reading ........................................................................................ 15
Title Page
Section A: Introduction to the Module
Overview
The Engineering Transformation Project (ETP) is your final project which is an essential part
of the process of achieving your Master’s degree. It provides you with the opportunity to work
independently while developing your ability to make critical, applied and evaluative
judgements. This final project acts as a mechanism for you to synthesise your previous
learning and ability to conduct an independent piece of work. By completing a ETP, you should
demonstrate that you are able to produce work that is relevant in practice and has an academic
standing at postgraduate level.
This module requires the initial development of a research proposal for your ETP. Once
approved, you can then start your ETP. Completing a ETP gives you a unique opportunity to
undertake an extended piece of personal research on a topic and organisation of your own
choosing. You will be allocated a supervisor. Where possible, we will aim to match your
research interests with those of the staff within the Business Faculty.
Aims and objectives
The aim of the ETP module is:
To prepare you to undertake and submit a substantial piece of independent work.
Preparation of an engineering/technology project requires you to:
• Identify a suitable engineering/technology topic and organisation for study;
• Design and undertake an appropriate investigation strategy;
• Identify and access useful sources of information;
• Plan and manage an appropriate schedule of work;
• Liaise with your supervisor;
• Write a well-presented ETP
Assessment
The ETP should not exceed 15,000 words overall, plus a 2,000-word proposal which will form
Appendix A in the final submission.
You must complete the proposal for your supervisor, for which you will receive formative
feedback and guidance. The format of this proposal must be agreed with your supervisor. The
Research Proposal is not a summative assessment (not graded) but must be approved by
your supervisor before you can continue to your full ETP.
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Process
Please note the following steps carefully:
Step One: Complete Topic Materials
You will spend the first part of your research journey working your way through the various topics,
undertaking activities, reading relevant materials, and discussing concepts with your peers.
These activities are not part of the assessment process for the module, but they will help you
develop your understanding of the research process and assist you in developing your ideas.
The module materials will, therefore, be available to you throughout your experience on the
module. In addition, a wide range of articles and textbooks are available to you in our e-library,
accessed via iLearn and Bibliu.
Step Two: Prepare a Working Title & Select a Target Business
Early in the process, you need to consider your ideas/area of interest for your project title, target
organisation and submit a chosen topic to your module leader. From the information you give,
the module leader will then allocate a dedicated supervisor, with expertise in your area of interest,
to work with you towards completion of the project.
Your topic should consider a new proposed change for a business. This may be introducing a
new product or service, expanding market share, improving a process or anything else that
gives business benefits.
Your working title is completed using the Arden University specific platform system and a
student registration link can be found on your research module page and on the A-Z on iLearn
under “E” for Ethics. Once you submit your Working Title you will be provided with a Project
number and the system provides you with full traceability of your project from start (submitting
your Working Title) to the end (final approval of your Ethics application)
Step Three: Prepare a Research Proposal
You will receive an email from Arden’s Ethics system notifying you of the name of your supervisor.
Please see Section E for more information on working with your Supervisor.
You are required to select an organisation or industry to base your project upon, applying the
theoretical and practical knowledge gained in the taught elements of the programme to
develop and argue your final project. You may choose your workplace, an organisation you
are familiar with, or a fictious business where you find sources on the real world industry.
Whatever your choice, it is important that you can gather the required information from sources
in the public/academic domain, and/or you have access to individuals providing you with the
information via interviews etc. It is essential that the finished project resembles a credible
‘work product’ that would be valuable to the target business in analysing the proposed
transformation. The Proposal should be submitted to your supervisor. Section B of this document
provides detailed information on the proposal stage.
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Step Four: Complete the Project Proposal and Ethics Form
Your allocated supervisor will contact you by e-mail once they have been appointed. Please
see Section E for more information on working with your Supervisor. You should inform your
supervisor of an indicative timeframe by which you intend to complete your research. A Gantt
chart would be appropriate to set out your timeframe for your supervisor.
Arden Ethics system registration is available on the My Assessment part of the module website.
Supporting documentation is also available on the My Assessment part of the Module website.
Section B has further information on the completion of the proposal part of this form.
Ethical approval is needed from the university prior to the recruitment of any participants for your
research work. No participant recruitment or data collection can be carried out until you receive
formal notification from your supervisor that your study has been approved by the Module
leader/ethics panel. Failure to gain ethics approval will prevent you being able to submit your final
ETP document. Within the first month of ETP commencement an Ethics Approval application
should be made. Ensure your application form is complete and all supporting evidence
including forms are attached to the application.
For a primary research, you must include the following with your application:
a) Participant information sheet (follow Arden template)
b) Participant informed consent form (follow Arden template)
c) Completed Participant debrief sheet (follow Arden template)
d) Provisional (early draft) interview questions – (interview questions may
change and evolve as you further progress your research, at this stage just
an indicative list of questions is required)
e) Institutional approval (an official email or a confirmation letter on letterhea d) –
If the data you collected requires access to another organisation you must
seek their approval and gain documentary evidence confirming your access
to their employees.
Steps in getting Ethics Approval:
1. You are required to submit your completed Proposal and Ethics Form to your Supervisor
(for first sign off – this happens automatically when you press the submit key). Provided
that your Supervisor is satisfied that your proposed project is viable, and Ethics is
completed to the required standard, they will submit it and the Module Leader will approve
if Ethics is completed to the required standard (for Institutional approval) and, if
necessary, to the ethics panel for ethical approval. Once the Proposal and Ethics form
has been approved, you can then start your data collection for your project.
2. In the event of the Proposal not being approved, you are required to re-design and
resubmit Ethics based on your Supervisor’s recommendations. Again, once the revised
Proposal and Ethics has been approved by the Module Leader, you can then start your
data collection for your project. Your proposal is assessed on a pass/fail basis.
Note: No participant recruitment or data collection must be carried out until you receive
formal notification that your study has been approved by the ethics panel.
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Step Five: Formative Feedback of Project Chapters
Whilst collecting data your project will be taking shape. To make sure you are on the right
track throughout the writing process you will share chapters with your supervisor allowing for
a formative feedback opportunity which will help the final submission to take shape.
Step Six: Project Submission
The deadline for submission of the final project should be agreed with your supervisor, being
mindful of the timing of your registration on the programme.
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Section B: The Research Proposal
This is a gatekeeping stage for your final project. You will work with your appointed supervisor
to complete your proposal by the agreed deadline. The supervisor will review the proposal and
grade it as a pass or fail, and you will know that it has been approved when you receive an
automated email from Arden Ethics informing you that your Project (Proposal and Ethics) has
been sent from your supervisor to the Dissertation Module Leader. The proposal does not
impact the grade for the module, passing simply allows you to move to the project completion
stage of the module. You cannot submit your project without your proposal being
approved and ethical approval granted.
Your proposal must also be included as Appendix A within your later final full ETP submission
Your proposal should cover all of the following area:
Project Title
Your tentative project title is a refined version from your project working title.
Rationale
The target business context should be summarised, with a clear link between the current sta te
of the business and its later changed state due to your project. This should contain an
explanation of the problem/issue which your ETP improves, with an outline justification as to
why it is important to your target business.
A question for the focus of the study and the main questions to be investigated.
You should also demonstrate your knowledge of some relevant literature by identifying key
debates, which you will later expand upon within your full ETP, to clearly show how this will
inform your research.
Method, Data & Ethics
You must give a description of how and what data will be collected, plus the means of
collection. In your discussion, identify a set of options for data collection and give your
justification for your proposed option. You also need to make reference to ethical issues.
In addition, you should also discuss relevant practical issues relating to the research to be
undertaken. For example, the possible need to obtain organisational consent .
References
You must include references in support of your proposal, which should be used in
accordance with Arden Harvard refencing.
Outline Plan (Appendix A)
A plan for your work, which outlines the proposed timescale for completion of your final
submission including significant activities, should also be attached to the proposal. It is
understood that the timescales shown in the plan may change, but it is important to give
consideration and to set out your proposed timescales at this early stage of the process.
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Section C: The Project Structure
Helpful guidelines on developing your project are contained within the lesson materials and a
summary is provided here:
Structure and Content
The project itself is made up of a number of chapters each of which serves a specific
purpose. All of the chapters are tied together by the threads of the research
problem/challenge and should represent a coherent and complete picture of the work
undertaken. You must use page numbering at the bottom of each page (except the title
page). All text should be justified, so that it is straight edged (like a book). The
recommended format/font is A4 paper with double spaced size 12 Arial for the main content
and larger font sizes for sub-headers and headers etc.
The Overall length of the project (excluding formatting pages and appendices) must not
exceed 15,000 words plus 10% allowance, exceeding the limit will result in a grade reduction
as per the Arden wordcount policy.
Sections Approx. no. of words Final Grade
Percentage
Title, Acknowledgements, (not included in word count) 0%
Table of Contents
Executive Summary Approximately 500 words 5%
Introduction (incl. Aims & Approximately 2,250 words 15%
Objectives) 
Background Research Approximately 3,250 words 15%
Method Approximately 2,000 words 15%
Results and Analysis Approximately 2,000 words 15%
Transformation Project Approximately 4,000 words 30%
Definition
Reflection Approximately 1,000 words 5%
TOTAL 15,000 words
References (not included in word count) 0%
Appendices (not included in word count) 0%
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You should follow the following structure (unless your supervisor advises you to do
something different):
Title, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents
The project takes the form of a formal academic report including a title page (stating the
student name and ID number, course title, project title and word count), declaration,
acknowledgements, 300-word abstract with 5 key words listed. The declaration should
include three signatures, where appropriate, from the student showing that it is i) their own
work, ii) that the work is not confidential, iii) agreeing for Arden to store and use the work as
a reference.
Followed by a contents page and a list of tables and figures. These set the shape for the rest
of the report and do not form part of the word count.
Followed by a single page of acknowledgements for those you would like to mention in
helping and supporting your studies, this also does not form part of the word count.
Executive summary
This is a brief summary of your project (normally no more than 500 words) that includes: a
summary of the situation or problem you have researched; an overview of the methods you
have used to investigate it; what you found out and your key findings and recommendations.
The broader implications of the ETP for the organisation/function/sector should also be
highlighted.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Background Research
2.1 Sub section
2.1.1 Sub sub section etc.
Chapter 1: Introduction
You need to provide an effective introduction which may include the
following:
• An explanation of the nature and significance of your engineering/technology
transformation topic including its scope and value
• Context of your chosen organisation and an overview of the sector your organisation
operates in
• What your interest/motivation for working on this topic is (for example, relevant previous
work experience, or personal links with a company or issue).
• The aims and objectives of your business project
• Overview of the structure of the document (signposting to following chapters)
Chapter 2: Background Research
Draws upon and analyses a range of current sources, not just limited to academic material,
for example:
• Industry trends
• End-user trends
• Similar transformations in other businesses or organisations or sectors
8|Page
You are encouraged to source material from a wide range of locations, for example,
professional journals, industry reports, academic journals, management consultations
projects, trade associations, thought leader blogs, etc.
Reviews existing literature relevant to your ETP. Formation and explanation which makes
the link to the Transformation Project Definition and Method chapters.
An effective chapter will critically review and analyse the available research (including
market research) to support the rationale for your business project by:
• Comparing and contrasting different perspectives in the background research or market
research
• Evaluating the relevance, reliability and validity of the different sources of background or
market research
• Identifying connections between the background or market research and current
knowledge of the subject or business idea
• Identifying how the background or market research is relevant to the topic of your
business project
At the end of this chapter, you should highlight the gap you have identified in your
background research that would be helpful to further understand. This could be due to
industry trends that are global where you would like to understand additional local dynamics
for your projects, or you would like to understand the user trends at a greater depth etc.
Chapter 3: Method
Briefly restates the aims and objectives of the study in light of the background research. Then
explains how you will fill your identified gap in the background research including the details
of the research method(s) that has/have been used in the study and why they were chosen.
Your methodology could be structured as follows:
Research approach and rationale – explains the type of research you are doing (i.e.
qualitative or quantitative) and why you have chosen this method for the study.
Sample – explains the sample of people and/or organisation(s) and/or sector(s) that you have
chosen to approach to collect data from.
Research instrument – Explains how you developed the instrument that you are using to
collect the data from the sample, i.e., interview or questionnaire or focus group.
Data collection – Describe how you will collect the data, what is the procedure and timings,
what is the backup plan?
Data Analysis – Explain how you will analyse the data that you will collect. This is not the
actual analysis (that is in chapter 4) it is just an explanation of what you will do.
Ethics – Explain that you have obtained ethical approval for your study from the University
Chapter 4: Results and Findings
This is where you present the primary and/or secondary data you have collected for this study.
Do NOT include any data that was previously collected or analysed by other people – that
belongs to Chapter 2!
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Present the results in as complete, clear and helpful way as possible, and analyse the results
in a useful way, critically comment on the quality of responses and the reliability/limitations of
the findings. It is common to use tables and figures in this section to communicate your data
clearly and concisely. Tables and figures should be numbered and titled. Refer to tables and
figures in your text by using the table or figure number. For example (see Table 4.1 or see
Figure 4.1 below). You should highlight the key findings of the research.
Chapter 5: Transformation Project Definition
This chapter will integrate some of your findings where suitable. You should cover the following
topics:
Expected project benefits: Your expected benefits should result from the desired outcomes
to be achieved through the use of your project outputs. It is likely that some of your research
results and findings will justify the achievement of your expected benefits which should be
clearly stated.
Alternative business options: Identify alternative project ideas where the company could
spend your identified project investment and give a short rationale why your proposed project
benefits are more viable, desirable, and achievable.
Expected project disbenefits: Identify at least one major disbenefit of the project which might
be perceived as negative by one or more stakeholders. Don’t forget, dis-benefits are actual
consequences of a project activity whereas risks are uncertain and will be discussed further
below.
Project Approach: Reflect on traditional, agile and/or possible hybrid modules and justify the
best approach for delivering your project.
Proposed project management team structure: A chart showing who will be involved within
the project. You should also include a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and
Informed) matrix.
Project Plan: Describe how and when the project’s objectives are to be achieved. Identify the
major projects to illustrate the scope (project breakdown structure) as well as activities (work
breakdown structure). The work breakdown structure should link back to the RACI matrix.
Project cost: You need to include a summary of your project costs. The project cost should
be deduced from your project breakdown structure and/or work breakdown structure.
Identify major risks: Give a summary of at least 2 key strategic risk that would jeopardise
the viability of the project as a whole. Furthermore, include a summary of 2 operational risks
associated with the project. For all your identified risks you need to state the likely impact and
probability as well as your mitigation plan. Also consider aspects in terms of quality (incl.
standards), sustainability and supply chain, if necessary.
Communication management: Define possible stakeholders for your project. Explain their
interest in the project and the means and frequency of communication. Create a stakeholder
engagement plan including a justification of this plan.
Chapter 6: Reflection
This section is the only section in which you should use the first person rather than the third
person. You should reflect on your personal learning and development during the ETP
process. A good guide is to identify THREE key learnings. You can relate the learnings to
other experiences and learning on your MSc Engineering Management programme, but the
key focus should be what you have learned from carrying out this final project. Remember this
is about the process of doing the business project, for example, the development of the idea,
contacting organisations, designing the study, conducting the actual research, writing up the
10 | P a g e
findings and self-motivation during the whole process. It is not a reflection of the actual content
of the research project, as this is already substantially covered in the previous chapters.
However, you may also reflect on how the ETP can help you in your future career.
References and Appendices
A good reference list is essential in achieving a good mark. The list should only contain
references that are directly cited within the text. The required approach must be taken as
specified in the study skills area. As with all assessments, a bibliography is not required.
Ensure your referencing conforms to the Arden Harvard standard.
Your earlier completed ETP proposal must be included as Appendix A
Appendices B onwards are opportunities to include supporting documentation such as a copy
of a survey or interview schedule that the reader can be directed to. If appendices are used ,
they must be referred to in the main body of the work. Marks cannot be awarded for work
contained in appendices, but these can assist in the understanding for arguments and
discussions made within the project.
Presentation
There are marks available for presentation, these are embedded within each of the section
marks rather than being expressly stated. When considering this the marker will look at the
use of language, the overall structure and coherence of the document and the referencing. A
consistent use of font size and spacing is essential.
References must be used as required by the appropriate referencing convention and spelling
and grammatical errors should not be present in the final document. With some care these
are easy marks to add to your overall score.
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Assessment Criteria: Level 7 (Learning objectives covered - all)
Level 7 is characterised by an expectation of students’ expertise in their specialism. Students are semi-autonomous, demonstrating independence in the
negotiation of assessment tasks (including the major project) and the ability to evaluate, challenge, modify and develop theory and practice. Students are
expected to demonstrate an ability to isolate and focus on the significant features of problems and to offer synthetic and coherent solutions, with some
students producing original or innovative work in their specialism that is potentially worthy of publication by Arden University. A clear appreciation of ethical
considerations (as appropriate) is also a prerequisite.
Mark
Grade Generic Assessment Criteria
Bands
Excellent analysis of key issues and concepts/. Excellent development of conceptual structures and argument, making consistent use
of scholarly conventions. Excellent research skills, independence of thought, an extremely high level of intellectual rigour and
Distinction 70%+ consistency, exceptional expressive / professional skills, and substantial creativity and originality. Excellent academic/intellectual
skills. Work pushes the boundaries of the discipline and demonstrates an awareness of relevant ethical considerations. Work may be
considered for publication by Arden university
Very good level of competence demonstrated. High level of theory application. Very good analysis of key issues and concepts.
Merit 60-69% Development of conceptual structures and argument making consistent use of scholarly conventions. Some evidence of original
thought and a general awareness of relevant ethical considerations
A satisfactory to good performance. Basic knowledge of key issues and concepts. Generally descriptive, with restricted analysis of
existing scholarly material and little argument development. Use of scholarly conventions inconsistent. The work lacks original
Pass 50-59%
thought. Some awareness of relevant ethical considerations.
Satisfactory professional skills (where appropriate).
Limited research skills impede use of learning resources and problem solving.
Marginal Significant problems with structure/accuracy in expression. Very weak academic / intellectual / professional skills. Limited use of
40-49%
Fail scholarly conventions.
Errors in expression and the work may lack structure overall.
A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical
considerations.
39% and Little evidence of research skills, use of learning resources and problem solving.
Fail Major problems with structure/ accuracy in expression.
below
Professional skills not present. Very weak academic / intellectual / professional skills. No evidence of use of scholarly conventions
Page 6 of 7
Title Page
Section D: Supervision
Each student should know that the project component requires significant thought and
preparation. The student should be the driver here and initiate activity around the project and
be reading and investigating their topic. Students should be able to work unaided in the main.
This is an activity that is yours and for you alone to progress and be responsible for , with some
advice from a supervisor.
A supervisor will be assigned to you based on the proposed area of investigation, once you
have submitted the working title. Your supervisor will then work with you towards completion
of the proposal stage, ethics approval and then for the project. Your supervisor will provide
you with feedback as to the project’s viability and discuss with you any amendments that need
to be made before you can proceed. In order for this to happen you should ensure that your
supervisor has made contact with you within the FIRST week of being appointed to work with
you (you will receive an automatic email from Arden Ethics once the Module Leader has
assigned you to your supervisor).
Your supervisor will discuss specific details of how the ‘working relationship’ will be
implemented in practice. This is an ideal time to raise any concerns about the development
of the initial proposal and how the project process will work in practice. Further general
guidance on the supervision process is detailed below.
The emphasis of the supervision will be upon:
• Encouraging you to carry out a comprehensive review of relevant background
materials in support of your research and to formulate a proposal and project
commensurate with study at level 7.
• Planning appropriate data collection methods.
• Encouraging you to keep appropriate records of action/progress, such as reference
sources, interview and contact logs.
• Providing general support, direction and guidance as required throughout the
research project process.
You will be required to conduct all stages of the project independently but with advice and
guidance given by your academic supervisor. Your supervisor is an invaluable resource to you
and every effort should be made to liaise with your supervisor throughout the entire research
process.
Title Page
Section E: Submission
The conditions of an Arden Master’s degree require that you complete a substantial
piece of independent research. Therefore, the responsibility for the final submission of
the proposal and later the project, is yours and not your supervisor’s. Ultimately, you
must be the judge of what the proposal and the final project will contain. It is not the
role of the supervisor to provide detailed comments on drafts. While you can expect
some feedback on drafts this will be of a general nature and will not be a detailed
analysis of your submission. The supervisor will not comment on amendments made
in the light of this feedback.
The work is yours and not the Supervisors.
It is very important that your supervisor is allowed sufficient time for the reading of drafts.
You MUST NOT EXPECT your Supervisor to read work instantly when a deadline is near.
Ideally, a full draft should be sent between two weeks and a month before the relevant
deadline to allow time for changes and amendments - subject of course, to the supervisor’s
schedule.
Submission Arrangements:
Hand-In Date
The date for final submission of your project should be agreed with your supervisor, there is
the opportunity to submit approximately on the 15th of every quarter from January (subject to
confirmation). When you are ready to submit your project work for marking, you are required
to upload an electronic copy of your project to iLearn. There is no need to submit a hard copy
to Arden University. Commented [VVDSCC1]: This information might not be
completed true. Submission period is defined by the study
plan or ITS.
Your ETP module can be undertaken alongside other Level 7 modules, you do not
have to wait until you have completed all other Level 7 modules.
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Section F: Recommended Reading
There is a range of texts on Research Methods available on the EBSCO and EBook Central online
libraries. References are formatted according to the convention of the relevant programme.
In the topics on iLearn, we will direct you to a range of sources. There are therefore no set textbooks
as such. However, the following sources are particularly useful and can be found in the e -library.
Siegel, N. G. (2019) Engineering Project Management. Wiley. Available at:
https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781119525790/epub/OPS/navigation.html#page_1
Beech, J. (2014). Doing Your Research Project. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Available
at: https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781473906280/epub/OEBPS/toc.xlink.html#page_v
Fenton, A., Fletcher, G. and Griffiths, M., 2019. Strategic Digital Transformation:
a results driven approach. Routledge. Available
at: https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9780429670374/epub/OEBPS/xhtml/content.html#pa
ge_v
Gill, J. and Johnson, P., 2010. Research methods for managers (4th edition). London: Sage.
Available at:
https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781446244791/epub/OEBPS/contents.html
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A., 2018. Research methods for business
students (8th ed). Harlow: Pearson. Available
at: https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781292208800/epub/OEBPS/xhtml/Cover.html#pag
e_1
Magalhães, R. (2014) ORGANIZATION DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. London, Palgrave
Macmillan UK. Available at:
https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781137351579/epub/OEBPS/html/cover.html#
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