The Final Report is the culmination of your capstone project and serves as a summary of all the work you have done throughout the project. This report is relatively straightforward and should not take long to complete if you have kept up with your previous deliverables.
The primary focus of the Final Report is on reflecting on the project experience through lessons learned, providing recommendations to future students who will undertake the capstone, and offering constructive feedback to improve the JHU systems engineering program. This report serves as a platform to showcase your ability to apply systems engineering principles and to contribute to the continuous improvement of the course and its content.
Focus on Reflection: The Final Report should center on what you have learned throughout the project. Highlight challenges you encountered, how you addressed them, and the insights you gained in the process. Be candid about both successes and shortcomings.
Provide Recommendations: Offer advice to future students who will be completing their capstone projects. This might include strategies for managing time, dealing with unexpected challenges, or navigating aspects of the systems engineering process. Additionally, provide constructive feedback for the systems engineering program itself, suggesting improvements that could enhance the learning experience for future cohorts.
Earned Value Management (EVM) Assessment: A significant component of the Final Report is the evaluation of EVM throughout your project. You should be able to demonstrate your understanding of EVM principles and defend your use of EVM to track project progress. Discuss how you managed project scope, schedule, and notional cost, and how EVM helped in making decisions (if any). Be prepared to justify your EVM metrics and their impact on project outcomes.
Simplicity and Clarity: The Final Report should be clear, concise, and straightforward. It is not a detailed rehash of previous deliverables but rather a reflective summary that emphasizes the most important aspects of your journey.
Do Not Attach All Other Deliverables: While your Final Report will reference previous work, it should not include those documents in full within the main body of the report.Â
Last but not least, if this is your last class, don't forget to apply for graduation if you have not done so already!