Project Evaluation

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
L1	Introduction and motivation; Initial discussion of project	Statement of interest out
L2	Introduction to public and private projects, evaluation methods and project evaluation checklists	Statement of interest due Problem set A1.1 out
R1	Excel/spreadsheets refresher
L3	Stakeholder analysis and multi-attribute analysis
L4	Project costs and revenues; Stakeholder perspectives (public vs. private)
R2	A1.1 discussion
L5	Time value of money; Equivalence relationships	Assignment A1.1 due Assignment A1.2 out
L6	Discount rates, minimally acceptable rate of return (MARR), rate of return on investment (IRR)	Project teams formed
R3	A1.1 review; A1.2 discussion
L7	Benefit cost analysis; Comparing alternatives; Financial and economic analysis
R4	Review of MARR, IRR, discount rates
L8	Financing
L9	Case: Panama Canal	Assignment A1.2 due Assignment A2 out
R5	A1.2 review
L10	High speed rail (HSR) case	P1: Project descriptions due
L11	Term projects from previous years
R6	Term project mini-presentations
L12	Quiz review
L13	Quiz (open-book, open-note)
R7	Discussion of quiz
L14	HSR Case (cont.)
L15	Introduction to uncertainty, stakeholder analysis and Mitchell framework	Assignment A3.1 out
R8	A3.1 discussion
L16	Dealing with uncertainty	Assignment A2 due
L17	Dealing with uncertainty: Decision trees	P2: Project progress report I due
R9	A3.1 discussion
L18	Dealing with uncertainty: Real options
L19	Case: Spent nuclear fuel, transportation to Yucca Mountain, Nevada	Assignment A3.1 due Assignment A3.2 out
R10	Review 3.1; A3.2 discussion	P3: Project progress report II due
L20	Project evaluation in developing countries, Case: Pure Home Water in Africa
R11	A3.2 Discussion
L21	Public private partnerships
L22	Infrastructure banks	Assignment A3.2 due Assignment 4 out
R12	A3.2 review
L23	Project presentations	P4: Project presentation due
L24	Project presentations (cont.)
R13	Work time for written project reports
L25	Project presentations
L26	Wrap-up and summary	P5: Project report due Assignment 4 due