PMGT5889 Project Controls
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · S2 2026PMGT5889 Overview
- The University of Sydney
- Semester 2, 2026
- a postgraduate Project Management unit
- 6 credit points
PMGT5889 Project Controls integrates scope, schedule, cost, finance, earned value and performance reporting into a controllable project baseline. It is taught within University of Sydney School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering. It is a postgraduate Project Management unit. It carries 6 credit points.
- PMGT5889 grading Early Feedback Test 1% · Assignment 1 10% · Online Test 19% · 3 more published item(s)
- PMGT5889 task mode Plan around this operating format: No final examination appears in the official 2026 PMGT5889 table.
- PMGT5889 pressure point The main transfer challenge is this: Keeping the scope, schedule and cost baselines internally consistent as assumptions change.
What you get in the full PMGT5889 Study & Assessment Guide
- 12 chapters, 33 pages — every assessed topic
- 15 original practice questions, each with a model answer
- 12 worked examples, solved the way PMGT5889 marks
- 22 computed figures, redrawn from the course’s own numbers
- Before-you-submit checklist for the Assignment 3 (35%) — what markers reward, what costs marks
Free on this page: assessment table, chapter map, one worked example, key terms, FAQ. The rest is in the full study & assessment guide.
How PMGT5889 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Early Feedback Test | 1% | Individual online quiz in Week 3 |
| Assignment 1 | 10% | Group charter, work breakdown structure and estimating task |
| Online Test | 19% | Individual 45-minute knowledge test in Week 8 |
| Assignment 2 | 30% | Group integrated scope, cost, time and earned-value control report |
| Group Presentation | 5% | Group presentation of no more than 15 minutes |
| Assignment 3 | 35% | Individual application and reflection task |
The six official weights total 100%. Attendance sources conflict: the 2026 S2 outline states at least 85%, while the captured unit introduction states an expected minimum of 90%; students must confirm the operative threshold in the current LMS or with the teaching team.
What other students are asking about PMGT5889
- Where can I find lecture notes or study guides for PMGT5889 at USyd?
- The PMGT5889 study guide in AskSia Library covers Project Controls in 12 chapters, with the assessment table, a chapter-by-chapter topic map, key terms and a worked example, free to read on this page.
- Is there a final exam in PMGT5889?
- No final exam is listed in the offering this AskSia Library guide is built from; PMGT5889 is assessed by Early Feedback Test 1%, Assignment 1 10%, Online Test 19%, Assignment 2 30%, Group Presentation 5%, Assignment 3 35%.
- What does PMGT5889 cover on integrated project controls and governance?
- In AskSia Library's PMGT5889 guide, the Integrated Project Controls and Governance chapter explains integrated project control · control account · governance threshold · assign each control signal to an owner, baseline and escalation threshold.
- What does PMGT5889 cover on charter, scope and work breakdown structure?
- In AskSia Library's PMGT5889 guide, the Charter, Scope and Work Breakdown Structure chapter explains project charter · scope baseline · work breakdown structure · decompose a deliverable until responsibility, estimate and completion evidence can be assigned.
- What does PMGT5889 cover on network logic and the critical path?
- In AskSia Library's PMGT5889 guide, the Network Logic and the Critical Path chapter explains activity network · critical path · total float · calculate earliest and latest times and explain which dependency or duration drives completion.
Current PMGT5889 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Aug 2026 · 23:59 | Early Feedback Test | 1% in-class quiz |
| 13 Sep 2026 · 23:59 | Assignment 1 | 10% group start-up assignment |
| 27 Sep 2026 · 23:59 | Online Test | 19% 45-minute knowledge test |
| 1 Nov 2026 · 23:59 | Assignment 2 | 30% detailed group application |
| 8 Nov 2026 · 23:59 | Group Presentation and Assignment 3 | 5% presentation and 35% individual assignment share the published deadline |
Dates are as published in the current course materials. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What PMGT5889 covers
Build the course in three arcs: Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control establishes the frame, Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions deepens it, and Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis tests the complete method.
Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control
1/10/19/30/5/35 architecture · project control cycle · 85% attendance expectation · link every task to a control-cycle decision and keep group evidence separate from individual judgementDefine 1/10/19/30/5/35 architecture
Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control frames a decision through 1/10/19/30/5/35 architecture, project control cycle and 85% attendance expectation.
- 1/10/19/30/5/35 architecture
- project control cycle
- 85% attendance expectation
- Applying 1/10/19/30/5/35 architecture
- Limits of project control cycle and 85% attendance expectation
Integrated Project Controls and Governance
integrated project control · control account · governance threshold · assign each control signal to an owner, baseline and escalation thresholdDefine integrated project control
Integrated Project Controls and Governance frames a decision through integrated project control, control account and governance threshold.
- integrated project control
- control account
- governance threshold
- Applying integrated project control
- Limits of control account and governance threshold
Charter, Scope and Work Breakdown Structure
project charter · scope baseline · work breakdown structure · decompose a deliverable until responsibility, estimate and completion evidence can be assignedDefine project charter
Charter, Scope and Work Breakdown Structure frames a decision through project charter, scope baseline and work breakdown structure.
- project charter
- scope baseline
- work breakdown structure
- Applying project charter
- Limits of scope baseline and work breakdown structure
Network Logic and the Critical Path
activity network · critical path · total float · calculate earliest and latest times and explain which dependency or duration drives completionDefine activity network
Network Logic and the Critical Path frames a decision through activity network, critical path and total float.
- activity network
- critical path
- total float
- Applying activity network
- Limits of critical path and total float
Estimating Duration, Effort and Uncertainty
bottom-up estimate · three-point estimate · estimating contingency · compare estimate methods and expose the assumption that contributes most to uncertaintyDefine bottom-up estimate
Estimating Duration, Effort and Uncertainty frames a decision through bottom-up estimate, three-point estimate and estimating contingency.
- bottom-up estimate
- three-point estimate
- estimating contingency
- Applying bottom-up estimate
- Limits of three-point estimate and estimating contingency
Budgeting, Cash Flow and Cost Baseline
project budget · time-phased cost baseline · project cash flow · reconcile work-package estimates, contingency, funding timing and the performance baselineDefine project budget
Budgeting, Cash Flow and Cost Baseline frames a decision through project budget, time-phased cost baseline and project cash flow.
- project budget
- time-phased cost baseline
- project cash flow
- Applying project budget
- Limits of time-phased cost baseline and project cash flow
Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions
net present value · discount rate · funding constraint · compare project cash flows on one valuation date and test the decision under a changed rateDefine net present value
Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions frames a decision through net present value, discount rate and funding constraint.
- net present value
- discount rate
- funding constraint
- Applying net present value
- Limits of discount rate and funding constraint
Baseline Integration and Status Data
performance measurement baseline · status date · progress measurement rule · validate that scope, schedule, budget and progress rules refer to the same work and reporting dateDefine performance measurement baseline
Baseline Integration and Status Data frames a decision through performance measurement baseline, status date and progress measurement rule.
- performance measurement baseline
- status date
- progress measurement rule
- Applying performance measurement baseline
- Limits of status date and progress measurement rule
Earned Value, Cost and Schedule Performance
planned value · earned value · actual cost · calculate variances and indices, then explain the baseline relationship that each comparison measuresDefine planned value
Earned Value, Cost and Schedule Performance frames a decision through planned value, earned value and actual cost.
- planned value
- earned value
- actual cost
- Applying planned value
- Limits of earned value and actual cost
Forecasting Estimate at Completion
estimate at completion · estimate to complete · to-complete performance index · select a forecast formula by stating whether current efficiency is expected to persistDefine estimate at completion
Forecasting Estimate at Completion frames a decision through estimate at completion, estimate to complete and to-complete performance index.
- estimate at completion
- estimate to complete
- to-complete performance index
- Applying estimate at completion
- Limits of estimate to complete and to-complete performance index
Variance Diagnosis, Change and Communication
variance analysis · integrated change control · performance report · move from variance signal to cause, forecast, options, approval path and stakeholder messageDefine variance analysis
Variance Diagnosis, Change and Communication frames a decision through variance analysis, integrated change control and performance report.
- variance analysis
- integrated change control
- performance report
- Applying variance analysis
- Limits of integrated change control and performance report
Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis
control plan · team evidence trail · reflective application · present one integrated control decision and then distinguish team output from individual learningDefine control plan
Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis frames a decision through control plan, team evidence trail and reflective application.
- control plan
- team evidence trail
- reflective application
- Applying control plan
- Limits of team evidence trail and reflective application
It is positioned as a project controls unit in the Master of Project Management suite.
Assessment follows the control cycle itself: define the charter and work breakdown structure, estimate and baseline the work, measure performance through earned value, communicate variance, and reflect on application.
Group artefacts and individual judgement are both visible in the final result.
Assessment in PMGT5889 is distributed as follows: Early Feedback Test 1%, group Assignment 1 10%, Online Test 19%, group Assignment 2 30%, Group Presentation 5%, and individual Assignment 3 35%
The operational assessment conditions matter here. No final examination appears in the official 2026 PMGT5889 table.
The 19% online knowledge test runs in Week 8 under the mode-specific instructions published for the enrolled class.
What makes PMGT5889 demanding is concrete: Keeping the scope, schedule and cost baselines internally consistent as assumptions change.
Earned-value numbers are easy to compute mechanically; the difficult part is tracing each variance to the baseline, forecasting its consequence and recommending a control action that does not hide uncertainty.
Two current sources publish different attendance figures: the official 2026 S2 outline states at least 85% and says failure may result in a fail grade, while the captured unit introduction states an expected minimum of 90%.
No weighted assessment is labelled as a component hurdle.
Students must confirm the operative attendance threshold in the current LMS or with the teaching team.
For enrolment planning, The 2026 unit outline publishes no prerequisite.
Build the course in three arcs: Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control establishes the frame, Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions deepens it, and Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis tests the complete method.
Coverage note: the attendance consequence is conditional and is not assigned to an invented assessment row.
Worked example · free
Read earned-value signals before recommending control
- 1Calculate cost variance and schedule variance.
- 1Calculate CPI and SPI from the same status date.
- 1Interpret the four signs against the approved baseline.
- 1Name the causal evidence needed before recommending corrective action.
Key terms
- Earned value management
- A project-control method integrating planned value, earned value and actual cost to measure performance and forecast outcomes against a baseline.
- Work breakdown structure
- A hierarchical decomposition of the complete project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages used for planning and control.
- Critical path
- The longest-duration path through a project network that determines the earliest possible completion under the stated schedule assumptions.
- Cost baseline
- The time-phased approved project budget used as the reference for measuring and controlling cost performance.
- Cost performance index
- The ratio of earned value to actual cost, indicating the amount of budgeted value earned per unit of cost spent.
- Schedule performance index
- The ratio of earned value to planned value, indicating progress against the time-phased value baseline at the status date.
- Estimate at completion
- A forecast of total project cost at completion derived from current actual cost, remaining work and explicit performance assumptions.
- Change control
- A governed process for evaluating, approving, documenting and implementing changes to project scope, schedule, cost or other baselines.
PMGT5889 FAQ
Which current PMGT5889 dates are captured?
Early Feedback Test: 23 Aug 2026 · 23:59; Assignment 1: 13 Sep 2026 · 23:59; Online Test: 27 Sep 2026 · 23:59; Assignment 2: 1 Nov 2026 · 23:59. Confirm any change and the exact submission setting in the live LMS.
How is PMGT5889 assessed?
Early Feedback Test 1%, group Assignment 1 10%, Online Test 19%, group Assignment 2 30%, Group Presentation 5%, and individual Assignment 3 35%
Where do students usually lose marks in PMGT5889?
Keeping the scope, schedule and cost baselines internally consistent as assumptions change. Earned-value numbers are easy to compute mechanically; the difficult part is tracing each variance to the baseline, forecasting its consequence and recommending a control action that does not hide uncertainty.
How does cost performance index appear in PMGT5889?
Cost performance index equals earned value divided by actual cost. A value below one indicates less budgeted value was earned per dollar spent than planned, but diagnosis still requires the baseline, measurement date and cause of the variance.
Does PMGT5889 have a hurdle or component-level pass rule?
Two current sources publish different attendance figures: the official 2026 S2 outline states at least 85% and says failure may result in a fail grade, while the captured unit introduction states an expected minimum of 90%. No weighted assessment is labelled as a component hurdle. Students must confirm the operative attendance threshold in the current LMS or with the teaching team.
What is the PMGT5889 final assessed-task format?
No final examination appears in the official 2026 PMGT5889 table. The 19% online knowledge test runs in Week 8 under the mode-specific instructions published for the enrolled class.
Is this PMGT5889 resource an official university guide?
No. It is an independent PMGT5889 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation.
Questions students ask in each PMGT5889 chapter
- What is the main task in Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control?
- Link every task to a control-cycle decision and keep group evidence separate from individual judgement. Chapter 01 · Integrated Baselines, Assessment Milestones and Control
- What is the main task in Integrated Project Controls and Governance?
- Assign each control signal to an owner, baseline and escalation threshold. Chapter 02 · Integrated Project Controls and Governance
- What is the main task in Charter, Scope and Work Breakdown Structure?
- Decompose a deliverable until responsibility, estimate and completion evidence can be assigned. Chapter 03 · Charter, Scope and Work Breakdown Structure
- What is the main task in Network Logic and the Critical Path?
- Calculate earliest and latest times and explain which dependency or duration drives completion. Chapter 04 · Network Logic and the Critical Path
- What is the main task in Estimating Duration, Effort and Uncertainty?
- Compare estimate methods and expose the assumption that contributes most to uncertainty. Chapter 05 · Estimating Duration, Effort and Uncertainty
- What is the main task in Budgeting, Cash Flow and Cost Baseline?
- Reconcile work-package estimates, contingency, funding timing and the performance baseline. Chapter 06 · Budgeting, Cash Flow and Cost Baseline
- What is the main task in Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions?
- Compare project cash flows on one valuation date and test the decision under a changed rate. Chapter 07 · Financial Appraisal and Funding Decisions
- What is the main task in Baseline Integration and Status Data?
- Validate that scope, schedule, budget and progress rules refer to the same work and reporting date. Chapter 08 · Baseline Integration and Status Data
- What is the main task in Earned Value, Cost and Schedule Performance?
- Calculate variances and indices, then explain the baseline relationship that each comparison measures. Chapter 09 · Earned Value, Cost and Schedule Performance
- What is the main task in Forecasting Estimate at Completion?
- Select a forecast formula by stating whether current efficiency is expected to persist. Chapter 10 · Forecasting Estimate at Completion
- What is the main task in Variance Diagnosis, Change and Communication?
- Move from variance signal to cause, forecast, options, approval path and stakeholder message. Chapter 11 · Variance Diagnosis, Change and Communication
- What is the main task in Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis?
- Present one integrated control decision and then distinguish team output from individual learning. Chapter 12 · Control Plan, Presentation and Individual Synthesis
How to prepare for the assessments
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—define the approved scope, schedule and cost baseline, measure status consistently, diagnose variance, forecast consequence and recommend a governed control action—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
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