This course seeks to assist the student in:
1. Understanding the basic concepts of Project Management
2. Understanding the role and skills of project managers
3. Understanding the relationship between business and project management
4. Developing strategic project management skills
5. Developing data analysis and project selection skills
6. Developing project portfolio management skills
7. Developing leadership and team management skills
8. Using a set of tools and techniques:
a. Ability to identify and select projects
b. Ability to relate business strategy to project planning
c. Ability to manage teams
d. Ability to analyse and assess project progress
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students should be able to have achieved the objectives set up for this course and have developed the competences listed above.
Competences:
- Team management and leadership skills
- Communication, conflict management and negotiation skills
- Development of written and oral communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Cross-cultural skills and teamwork
- Creativity and critical thinking
- Data analysis to enable project selection
- Strategic management
- Project programme and portfolio management
- Development of value management skills
- Development of stakeholder management skills
Course Syllabus:
1) Project Management and Business
2) Strategic project management
a) Project programme management
b) Project portfolio management
c) Data analysis and project selection
d) Stakeholder management
e) Value management
f) Managing change within the organisation
3) Leadership skills and Team Management
a) Team dynamics
b) Managing teamwork: motivation, delegation and professional development
c) Managing relationships: conflict management and negotiation skills
d) Communication skills
Methodology:
The learning experience is based on a mix of theoretical classes and workshops with various simulated scenarios where students will use a learning-by-doing approach. This course seeks to foster the understanding of the management of projects and the development of managerial skills. A hands-on approach is crucial throughout the course with in-class and out-of-class readings, teamwork activities, exercises and discussions and individual and group assignments and presentations.
EVALUATION
The Course grade will be based on the following point breakdown:
- 10% Attendance
- 15% Class participation, attitude and effort
- 20% Individual exercises
- 25% Group assignment
- 30% Mid-term and Final exams
Students must achieve a minimum of 50% in their individual grade for the group grade to be taken into consideration
Attendance counts for 10%. Students are permitted 2 absences without penalty (or need for medical or other justification). The 3rd absence results in the loss of 0.50 points, the 4th absence in a further 0.50 points, the 5th absence in a further 0.50 points, and with the 6th absence the student receives a 0 for attendance. From this point onwards, the student receives an NP (incomplete) grade for the subject, meaning that the student has not attended and participated sufficiently to follow the subject and its contents.
RETAKE POLICY:
Point breakdown for the retake exam:
- 70% Written exam
- 30% Exercises to be submitted
Retake grade will not be higher than 5
Reference Textbooks
All books can be found in La Salle library
Title: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)
Author: Project Management Institute
Publisher: Project Management Institute
ISBN: 978-1-935589-67-9
Edition: 5th Edition
Title: Making Things Happen
Author: Scott Berkun
Publisher: O´Reilly
ISBN: 978-0-596-51771-7
Edition: 1st Edition
Title: 101 Project Management Problems and how to solve them
Author: Tom Kendrick
Publisher: Amacom Books
ISBN: 978-0-814415573
Edition: 1st Edition
Title: Leading Change
Author: John P. Kotter
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
ISBN: 978-1422186435
Edition: New Edition
In addition, for some of the workshops there will be reading material that students will need to review in advance.