Chapter 33 — Group project I: plan
Lesson map
Lesson 33 published. Map, example, EX097.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["33.1 The project"]
N2["33.2 Understanding members"]
N3["33.3 Dividing work"]
N4["33.4 Project risks"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4
N4 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX097"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["33.1 The project"]
N2["33.2 Understanding members"]
N3["33.3 Dividing work"]
N4["33.4 Project risks"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> Q["EX097"]
[Learning outcomes]
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v
[33.1 The project]
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v
[33.2 Understanding members]
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v
[33.3 Dividing work]
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v
[33.4 Project risks]
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v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX097]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) plan a team security project; (2) divide work fairly; (3) manage risks to the project.
33.1 The project
Aisha's group project, with three classmates, is to design a security awareness campaign for Ashfield's members, focused on avoiding fraud. The client, Ashfield's marketing manager, wants members to recognise scam calls and messages claiming to be from Ashfield. The group must deliver campaign materials, a delivery plan and a way to measure impact within ten weeks. Dr. Carrow supervises and meets the group fortnightly. The group meets the marketing manager in the first week to agree the scope, the deliverables and how often they will report progress, and records the agreement in a one-page project charter.
33.2 Understanding members
The group starts by understanding members. Using synthetic data, they find that many members are older, many use online banking but some rely on branch visits and phone calls. Fraud reports show scammers impersonating Ashfield staff by phone, asking for one-time codes. The group decides the core message: Ashfield will never ask for your code. They choose formats suited to different members: posters, leaflets, emails and short branch conversations. They also interview six members in a branch, who confirm that scam calls sound convincing and that members feel embarrassed to report being fooled.
33.3 Dividing work
The group divides work by strength: one member designs materials, one plans delivery, one designs measurement and Aisha coordinates and writes the final report. They agree weekly check-ins and a shared task list. Dr. Carrow warns that coordination roles can become invisible, so Aisha also takes on the member interviews. The group writes a short agreement on deadlines and how to raise problems. The agreement also states what happens if someone misses a deadline: the group discusses it at the next check-in, and if it repeats, they raise it with Dr. Carrow together.
33.4 Project risks
The group lists project risks: the client may be slow to approve materials, members may not respond to interview requests and one teammate has a part-time job limiting availability. They plan responses: early drafts sent to the client, interviews arranged through branch staff and work scheduled around the teammate's shifts. Aisha learns that projects need their own risk management, just like the systems they protect. They record each risk with its owner and response in their shared task list, and review the list at every weekly check-in to see whether any has become more likely.
Worked example
Aisha's group plans a member fraud awareness campaign, finds code-request scams, sets the core message, divides work and plans for project risks.
Synthetic case. The project is synthetic.
Errors and limits
Coordination work can become invisible in group projects.
Exercises
- EX097 — Core message. What is the campaign's core message? Rubric: 3 = Ashfield will never ask for your code;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX098 — Scam method. How do scammers impersonate Ashfield? Rubric: 3 = by phone asking for one-time codes;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX099 — Aisha's roles. What roles does Aisha take? Rubric: 3 = coordination, report and member interviews;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = some;; 0 = none.
Continue studying — lesson 33 (chapter 33 of 40)
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