Project Evaluation
- Management Sciences
- 400 level
- 3 credit units
- 183 pages
- 25 units
This course provides an in-depth understanding of project evaluation, covering essential aspects from the project cycle to financial and economic analyses. It explores project planning, demand and market analysis, risk assessment, and cost-benefit analysis. Students will learn to prepare project plans, evaluate project proposals, and analyze profitability. The course aims to equip students with the skills to evaluate new and existing projects, ensuring they meet investment criteria and contribute to economic growth.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 156 hours
- Maths
- Intermediate
- Content
- Theoretical, case study, problem solving
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of BFN409, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
BFN409 · MODULE 1 PROJECT MEANING
What a project is not; project should not be confused with everyday work. A project is not routine, repetitive work! Ordinary daily work typically requires doing the same or similar work over and over, while a project is done only once; a new product or service exists when the project is completed.
What you should be able to do
- Evaluate project proposals using various financial and economic criteria
- Prepare project plans and financial statements
- Analyze market demand and supply for project feasibility
- Assess and manage risks associated with projects
- Apply cost-benefit analysis to project decisions
What it prepares you for
- Project Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Investment Analyst
- Business Development Manager
- Consultant
- Banking
- Finance
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Consulting
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Project Income and Evaluation
Unit 3: The Projected Balance Sheet
Requires a strong understanding of accounting principles and financial statement analysis to accurately project future financial performance.
- Module 4: Risk and Cost Analysis
Unit 5: Cost Benefit Analysis
Involves complex calculations and understanding of various economic factors that influence project outcomes.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 50 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Project Meaning
Unit 1: The Meaning of Project · 2 hours
Define project. Explain characteristics of a project. Differentiate between project and programme.
Unit 2: The Project Cycle · 2 hours
Describe the project cycle. Identify the stages of a project cycle.
- Week 2Module 1: Project Meaning
Unit 3: Project Evaluation – An Introductory Format · 2 hours
Explain the format for project evaluation. Discuss the technical and engineering segment.
Unit 4: Factors Affecting the Location of Projects · 2 hours
Explain factors affecting project location. Discuss the nearness to markets and raw materials.
- Week 3Module 1: Project Meaning
Unit 5: Capacity and Production Planning · 2 hours
Explain capacity and production planning. Describe the concepts of capacity.
Unit 6: Techniques of Project Identification · 2 hours
Understand the meaning and steps in project identification. Explain the top-bottom and bottom-up approaches to project identification.
- Week 4Module 2: Project Planning and Analysis
Unit 1: Manpower Planning and Evaluation · 2 hours
Explain manpower planning and evaluation. Discuss the practical applications in industry.
Unit 2: Demand Analysis · 2 hours
Explain what a demand analysis is. Discuss how to conduct demand analysis.
- Week 5Module 2: Project Planning and Analysis
Unit 3: Supply Analysis · 2 hours
Explain what a supply analysis is. Discuss it in relation to project evaluation.
Unit 4: Competition and Marketing Plans · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of competition. Discuss marketing plans and how they are designed.
- Week 6Module 2: Project Planning and Analysis
Unit 5: Project Cost Analysis · 2 hours
Explain what project cost analysis is. Discuss how the analysis can be prepared.
Unit 6: Elements of project analysis · 2 hours
Identify the elements of project analysis. Explain six main elements of project analysis.
- Week 7Module 3: Project Income and Evaluation
Unit 1: Projected Income Statement · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of projected income statement. Discuss its application in project evaluation. Prepare a projected income statement.
Unit 2: Projected Cash Flow Statements · 2 hours
Explain what a projected cash flow statement is. Explain how it can be prepared. Explain the usefulness.
- Week 8Module 3: Project Income and Evaluation
Unit 3: The Projected Balance Sheet · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of a projected balance sheet. Explain the preparation of the projected balance sheet. Prepare a projected balance sheet.
Unit 4: Project Evaluation Criteria · 2 hours
Discuss project evaluation criteria. Distinguish between the traditional criteria and the discounted cash flow relative to project evaluation.
- Week 9Module 3: Project Income and Evaluation
Unit 5: Introduction to Economic Analysis · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of an economic analysis. Distinguish between an economic analysis and a financial analysis.
Unit 6: Cashflow Dimensions · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of cashflow. Discuss the dimensions of cashflows and its methods of preparation.
- Week 10Module 4: Risk and Cost Analysis
Unit 1: The Evaluation Methods · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of Evaluation. Analyse the purpose of evaluation and classify difference types of project evaluation.
Unit 2: Concept of Risk in an Organisation · 2 hours
Explain the potential risk to mankind. Differentiate between speculative risk and operational risk.
- Week 11Module 4: Risk and Cost Analysis
Unit 3: Risk and Uncertainty · 2 hours
Explain the term uncertainty. Distinguish between risk and uncertainty. Differentiate between objective and subjective risks.
Unit 4: Assessment of Social Profitability · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of profit. Discuss social profitability plans and how they are designed.
- Week 12Module 4: Risk and Cost Analysis
Unit 5: Cost Benefit Analysis · 2 hours
Explain the principles of CBA. Discuss the challenges of CBA. Explain the benefits of CBA.
Unit 6: Evaluation Techniques · 2 hours
Explain evaluation. Discuss evaluation techniques as well as identify their merits and demerits.
- Week 13Module 4: Risk and Cost Analysis
Unit 7: Assessment of Private Profitability · 2 hours
Explain profitability assessment. Identify the main and proxy criteria for assessing private project profitability.
Preparing for the exam
- Focus on understanding the project cycle and its various stages (Module 1)
- Practice preparing projected financial statements (Module 3)
- Master the different project evaluation criteria (Module 3, Unit 4)
- Understand the concepts of risk and uncertainty (Module 4, Units 2 and 3)
- Review the case studies and examples provided in the course material
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts
- Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly
Questions students ask about this course
What is BFN409 about?
This course provides an in-depth understanding of project evaluation, covering essential aspects from the project cycle to financial and economic analyses. It explores project planning, demand and market analysis, risk assessment, and cost-benefit analysis. Students will learn to prepare project plans, evaluate project proposals, and analyze profitability. The course aims to equip students with the skills to evaluate new and existing projects, ensuring they meet investment criteria and contribute to economic growth.
How many units does BFN409 have?
BFN409, Project Evaluation, has 25 units across 4 modules, over 183 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is BFN409?
BFN409 carries 3 credit units, at 400 level in Management Sciences.
Is BFN409 hard?
BFN409 is rated intermediate level, with intermediate mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, case study and problem solving work.
How long does BFN409 take to study?
About 156 hours of study, spread across its 25 units.
How is BFN409 assessed?
BFN409 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assignments and final examination.
What can I do with BFN409?
Project Manager, Financial Analyst, Investment Analyst, Business Development Manager and Consultant.