I.        Course Aims

 

This course will cover the key issues in project management: scope, quality, risk, time, and cost. You will learn about project management methodologies and how to use standard project management techniques such as PERT/CPM and Gantt charts. You will learn how to schedule, manage, and allocate resources and activities with the help of project-management software. You will also learn how to manage risk, how to recover from project failure and how to manage time, quality and cost and appreciate the trade-offs among them. This course is taught in a block in the summer period and is assessed though two pieces of coursework: MCQ and an individual reflective assignment.

 

 II.        Main Learning Outcomes

 

On completion of the course students will:

 

• Understand the context of projects, project management methodologies and the concepts.           
• of scope, quality, risk, time, and cost in project management.
• Be able to apply project management techniques to construct project plans and Gantt charts.
• Create a project as part of a group of students.
• Analyse one or more detailed elements (usually scope, quality, risk, time, or cost) 
• Evaluate own contribution to student project.
• Critically appraise key leadership and management skills in the management of projects and teams through the through the project lifecycle

 

These Learning outcomes can alternatively be seen at a Strategic, Practical and Tactical, and

Personal levels:

 

Strategic:

 

1. How to apply the nature and stage of the project lifecycle to organisations
2. The value of specific project techniques to a company’s strategy 
3. An appreciation of the need to deliver projects to time, to budget and to quality.

 

 

Practical and Tactical:

 

1. Understand the context of projects, project management methodologies and the concepts of scope, quality, risk, time, and cost in project management.
2. Apply project management techniques to construct project plans and Gantt charts.
3. Create a project as part of a group of students.
4. Analyse one or more detailed elements (usually scope, quality, risk, time, or cost).
5. Evaluate own contribution to student project.
6. Critically appraise key leadership and management skills in the management of projects and teams through the project lifecycle.

 

Personal:

 

The course content is relevant to organisa1ons seeking to improve their management of projects, therefore:

 

• You have an opportunity to describe and explain the characteristics and the role of projects in organisations.

 

However, you might firstly want to ….

 

• Set a personal objective of deciding where, if anywhere, within the broad scope of project management you see your future.

 

The course will develop the following key transferable skills in students:

 

• Team-building skills
• Written presentation skills
• Oral presentation skills
• Analytical skills

 

III.        Course Content

 

This course has been designed to allow you to investigate some of the key theories, concepts, techniques, and frameworks that underpin project management. Running in parallel with the knowledge elements of the course will be a series of activities and tasks targeted at helping you develop an awareness of how to translate project management theory into practice.

 

 

 

 

IV.        Assessment and Feedback

 

There are two parts to the course assessment.

 

1. 3 x Short Answer questions[40% of overall assessment]

 

Students will gain access to assessment on Sunday 10^th September 2023 @ 0700.

 

The 3 short answer questions will cover finance, work allocation and risk. The assessment will be open for 15 hours (between 7am to 10pm), students will have 90 minutes to complete it once started.

 

Notably, no extension will be available, and students should ensure a functional device to undertake the Test.

 

IMPORTANT Those students who do not attempt the assessment will be marked as a fail and receive a CGS of G3 (0).

 

1. 2.                        Individual Assignment [60% of overall assessment]

 

Individual Assignments (contributing 60% of the overall marks). This assignment will be discursive and analytical in nature and require additional research.

 

The assessment is as follows:

 

Please detail a Project Management failure. The ‘failure’ can be large or small, public, or private and from any country in the world.

 

Please state why the project failed with a clear definition of what you mean by failure. In your answer, please make specific reference to:

 

• What the project was.
• The type of project.
• The role of the Sponsor, Manager and Steering Board (if they existed).

 

You should describe the Project Lifecyle – where did the failure occur? It will also be important to understand the key Project Stakeholders in addition to the Process and Method employed (was there a problem with process and method?).

 

A good answer will detail and offer insight to the Project Content, Tools and Techniques that were – or were not – involved.

 

It will also be important to understand the Quality Management, Risk Management, Communication Management, Project Leadership and Project Teams. Did the problem lie here?

 

Finally, what is your personal learning in project failure. In other words, and in learning from failure, how do we ensure Project Success?

 

Word length:  2000 words including References.

Further guidance will be offered in class on structure and submission style.

A suggested structure and indicative marks are as follows: