EMA brief
In this EMA you are to review a project that involved some sort of technological innovation. The project can be an example of a complete end-to-end innovation, such as a new product development project. Alternatively, you might choose a project that covers a smaller episode of innovation, such as the building of a partnership to develop an innovative technology or developing an IP strategy. The important thing is that the project should be concerned with innovation and not just be an example of continuous improvement. The project can be taken from your own experience or you can research a project using secondary sources.
The aim of the EMA is to allow you to analyse the project using knowledge you have gained from T848. Based on this analysis you will provide a critique of the project that shows how you have applied module ideas to a real-life project. The EMA provides an opportunity for you to focus in detail on a specific theme from the module.
The way in which your EMA should be structured is summarised in Table 1, together with the breakdown of marks and a suggested word length for each section where appropriate. It is important to note that although you are free to allocate the number of words between parts as you see fit, the overall length limit must not be exceeded.
Part 1
The first part of your EMA should be a description of the project and the main approaches to innovation management that were used.
You should give a clear and informative title and then provide a brief narrative of the project. The narrative should give a concise explanation of the technological innovation, the project and its history. Your narrative should be accompanied by two diagrams: a systems map and a technology road map.
• For the systems map, you should show the overall structure of the project and its environment.
• The technology road map should show the way the project’s technology has developed over time, indicating crucial events and activities. The road map should also include a projection of future development but do be careful to show clearly the current point in time.
In addition to the two diagrams, you are to summarise what you have learnt from the diagrams and some of the key findings that you would draw from your analysis.
Part 2
In the second part of your EMA, you should provide a critique of the project, building on the initial work that you did in Part 1 of TMA 03. This might be an examination of the overall approach taken to the innovation or may focus on a specific phase. For example, you might want to assess the project in terms of openness of the innovation process or application of eco-innovation ideas. Alternatively, you might want to look at a specific set of decisions and the strategy. This might entail looking at a specific issue affecting the innovation process, such as those highlighted in Activity 8 or Activity 9 in Block 2. It is important that you combine an academic perspective on the innovation approach taken with a practical perspective on how effective the approach has been in the context of the project.
Table 1 Report structure, breakdown of marks and suggested word lengths
Part number Element Marks available Suggested word length
1 Systems map
Technology road map
Narrative 15%
15%
20% 100?
100?
1000
2 Critique 50% 1800

How to draw a system map
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/computing-and-ict/information-and-communication-technologies/introducing-ict-systems/content-section-2.2