Description
Project management, with its focus on the accomplishment of unique outcomes with limited resources under critical time constraints is an important aspect of contemporary management.
This module discusses the challenge of managing all types of projects - public, business, engineering, information systems etc. and introduces the specific techniques inherent to project management.
It deals with the problems of selecting projects, initiating them, and operating and controlling them. It also focuses on the demands made on the project manager and the nature of the manager's interaction with the rest of the parent organization.
Project management is markedly different from traditional functional management, and all managers today will engage in projects of one form or another during their career.
Good project managers require a combination of good technical skills, an ability to manage people effectively, and very particular leadership skills related to the political subtleties within organizations.
The module combines the techniques of project planning with the practice of project management. The weekly topics will be:
- Projects and project management defined
- Organizational and leadership issues
- Project objectives, definition and design
- Milestone Planning and Critical Path Analysis
- Resources scheduling and project control
- Project management methodologies
- Risk management for projects
- International project management
- Project closure
- Project evaluation and audit
These topics are taught in lectures, supported by exercises and video discussions. Students are expected to have completed background reading, work on exercises, and prepare for case studies outside of class time.
Each topic will be accompanied by reading from chapters in the core text book, and students are expected to read these throughout the lecture programme to consolidate learning. There will be a balance between the "tools and techniques" and the "organizational and team management issues" inherent in the effective management of projects.
Assessment
100% Exam – 2 hours
Key skills
By the end of the module participants will have improved their ability to manage projects effectively. In particular they will be better able to:
- Operate more competently as a member of a project team, and ultimately as a project manager
- Understand the competencies a project manager needs and the organizational and leadership challenges they face
- Logically plan, schedule and control projects using project management tools and techniques
- Understand the basic principles of the main project management methodologies, such as PMBoK and PRINCE2