Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Project Planning and Management Syllabus

In SMART objectives, what does 'Time-bound' require?

The objective has a clear deadline or timeframe by which it must be completed.

Rewrite the vague objective 'Read about climate change' as a SMART objective.

'Read and summarise five peer-reviewed articles on UK climate policy by 15 October' — it is specific, measurable (five articles), achievable, relevant and time-bound.

What is a 'deliverable' in project terms?

A tangible, defined output that the project produces — e.g. a 5000-word essay, an artefact, a report, a prototype, or a presentation.

What are 'success criteria'?

The pre-defined standards or measures used to judge whether the project (and its objectives) has been completed successfully — the benchmarks against which the final outcome is evaluated.

Why should success criteria be defined at the PLANNING stage rather than the end?

So evaluation is objective and against agreed standards, progress can be tracked throughout, and the project stays focused on what 'done well' actually means rather than shifting goalposts.

What is meant by 'project scope'?

The defined boundaries of the project — what it will and will not include in terms of content, depth, deliverables and effort.

What is 'scope creep' and why is it a risk?

Scope creep is the gradual, uncontrolled expansion of a project's boundaries beyond the original plan. It is a risk because it consumes time and resources, threatens deadlines, and can make the project unmanageable.

What is 'over-ambition' in an EPQ and how is it avoided?

Over-ambition is planning a project too large or complex to complete well in the available time. It is avoided by narrowing the question, setting realistic objectives, and defining clear scope boundaries.

What is a project 'milestone'?

A significant checkpoint or key event in the project timeline marking the completion of a major phase (e.g. 'research complete', 'first draft submitted') — it has no duration itself.

How does a milestone differ from a task?

A task is an activity with a duration that consumes time/effort; a milestone is a zero-duration marker of a point in time signalling that a stage or deliverable is reached.

What is a project timeline (schedule) and what is its purpose?

A planned sequence of tasks mapped against dates/deadlines; its purpose is to organise work, allocate time realistically, track progress and ensure the project finishes on time.

What is a Gantt chart and why is it useful in project planning?

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart showing tasks against a timeline, displaying start/end dates, durations, overlaps and dependencies. It is useful for visualising the schedule and tracking progress.

What is a 'work package' when breaking a project down?

A discrete, manageable chunk of work — a grouped set of related tasks/deliverables — created by decomposing the whole project into smaller pieces that can be planned, assigned and tracked.

What is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

A hierarchical decomposition of the total project into progressively smaller work packages and tasks, ensuring all the work needed is identified and nothing is overlooked.

Why break a large project into smaller work packages/tasks?

It makes the project less overwhelming, allows accurate time estimation, clarifies dependencies, makes progress easier to track, and reduces the risk of missing essential work.

What is a task 'dependency'?

A relationship where one task cannot start or finish until another is completed (e.g. you cannot write the analysis before the data is collected).

What is 'prioritisation' and why does it matter when deadlines compete?

Prioritisation is ordering tasks by importance and urgency so that the most critical work is done first. It matters because time is limited and competing deadlines force choices about what to do now versus later.

Describe how the Eisenhower (urgent/important) matrix helps prioritise tasks.

It sorts tasks into four quadrants by urgency and importance: do important+urgent now, schedule important+not urgent, delegate/minimise urgent+not important, and drop not important+not urgent.

What is the difference between an 'urgent' and an 'important' task?

Urgent tasks demand immediate attention because of an imminent deadline; important tasks contribute significantly to your goals/outcomes. A task can be one, both or neither.

What is 'contingency planning'?

Preparing in advance for things that might go wrong by identifying possible problems and deciding how you will respond if they occur — a 'plan B' to keep the project on track.

What is a 'buffer' (contingency time) in a schedule?

Extra time deliberately built into the timeline beyond the estimated task durations, to absorb delays, overruns or unexpected problems without missing the final deadline.

Why should you add buffers/contingency time to a project plan?

Because tasks often take longer than estimated and unforeseen issues arise; buffers protect the deadline and reduce the pressure and risk caused by delays.

What is a project 'risk'?

Any uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, would have a negative (or positive) effect on the project's objectives, timeline, resources or quality.

Give three examples of typical risks in an EPQ project.

Sources/data being unavailable, illness or losing work, underestimating how long tasks take, equipment failure, an interviewee dropping out, or competing exam/coursework demands (any three).

How is the SEVERITY of a risk commonly assessed?

By combining its likelihood (probability of occurring) with its impact (how serious the consequences would be), often expressed as risk = likelihood × impact and plotted on a risk matrix.

Name the four common strategies for responding to an identified risk.

Avoid (eliminate the cause), Reduce/Mitigate (lower likelihood or impact), Transfer (shift it elsewhere, e.g. backups), and Accept (tolerate it and monitor).

What does 'resource planning' involve in a project?

Identifying and arranging everything needed to complete the project — time, materials, equipment, software, money, information sources and people/expertise — and ensuring they are available when required.

What is a 'budget' in project planning and what should it include?

A budget is a planned estimate of the money required for the project; it should list anticipated costs (materials, printing, travel, software, equipment) and ensure they are affordable within available funds.

What key health and safety consideration should be planned for a project involving fieldwork or experiments?

A risk assessment identifying hazards, who could be harmed and the control measures/precautions to reduce risk, ensuring activities are carried out safely and within regulations.

What ethical considerations must be planned for in research involving people?

Obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality/anonymity and data protection, avoiding harm, allowing withdrawal, and gaining any required approval before collecting data.

Why must a project plan be adaptable when circumstances change?

Because real projects rarely go exactly as planned; monitoring progress and revising the timeline, scope or methods in response to delays or new information keeps the project realistic and achievable while still meeting its aims.