Level 4 – Managing a Professional Engineering Project

Pearson/Edexcel BTEC Level 4 Engineering – Managing a Professional Engineering Project

This unit can be studied  as part of a BTEC HNC or HND in Engineering. 

Unit Introduction

The responsibilities of the engineer go far beyond completing the task in hand. Reflecting on their role in a wider ethical, environmental and sustainability context starts the process of becoming a professional engineer – a vial requirement for career progression.
Engineers seldom work in isolation and most tasks they undertake require a range of expertise, designing, developing, manufacturing, constructing, operating and maintaining the physical infrastructure and content of our world. The bringing together of these skills, expertise and experience is often managed through the creation of a project.
This unit introduces students to the techniques and best practices required to successfully create and manage an engineering project designed to identify a solution to an engineering need. While carrying out this project students will consider the role and function of engineering in our society, the professional duties and responsibilities expected of engineers together with the behaviours that accompany their actions.
Among the topics covered in this unit are: roles, responsibilities and behaviours of a professional engineer, planning a project, project management stages, devising solutions, theories and calculations, management using a Gantt chart, evaluation techniques, communication skills, and the creation and presentation of a project report.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to conceive, plan, develop and execute a successful engineering project, and produce and present a project report outlining and reflecting on the outcomes of each of the project processes and stages. As a result, they will develop skills such as critical thinking, analysis, reasoning, interpretation, decision-making, information literacy, and information and communication technology, and skills in professional and confident
self-presentation.

This unit is assessed by a Pearson-set assignment.

The project brief will be set by the centre, based on a theme provided by Pearson (this will change annually). The theme and chosen project within the theme will enable students to explore and examine a relevant and current topical aspect of professional engineering.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Formulate and plan a project that will provide a solution to an identified engineering problem.
2. Conduct planned project activities to generate outcomes which provide a solution to the identified engineering problem.
3. Produce a project report analysing the outcomes of each of the project processes and stages.
4. Present the project report drawing conclusions on the outcomes of the project.

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