Unit name | Project Management |
---|---|
Unit code | MGRCM2028 |
Credit points | 15 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Lloyd Fletcher |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Management - Business School |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Project management has been adopted by a wide range of organisations in industry, commerce and the public sector to help handle many varied one-off undertakings. Also known as projects, such endeavours tend to entail higher levels of complexity and uncertainty, and therefore risk, than more routine operational activities. The problems involved in managing projects have led to the development of project management as a specialised branch of management. As the use of projects has become more commonplace, this established discipline requires an introduction that enables students to critically examine concepts, theories, and techniques to which they will be exposed in almost any organization.
The main aims of the unit are to introduce the topic and help students to develop an integrated, holistic understanding of what projects ‘are’ and how they are managed in organisations. Further aims are to show how effective project management contributes to organisational success and to encourage students to think critically, analytically, and systematically about projects and their management. Rather than teaching basic tools and techniques, the emphasis is on critical reflection on assumptions, methods, and procedures. The unit offers a grounding in relevant concepts, models, and theoretical frameworks that students can apply in developing their managerial thinking within project contexts.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
ILO 1: Demonstrate a holistic, integrated understanding of basic project management concepts and theories.
ILO 2: Show how project management techniques are used in order to manage project outcomes.
ILO 3: Critically analyse common approaches to managing projects.
ILO 4: Recognize how projects interact with the wider managerial, strategic, political, and social environment.
ILO 5: Demonstrate theoretical and experiential understandings of the challenges and practicalities of group work as a form of project organizing.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions including lectures, seminars, drop-in sessions, discussion boards and other online learning opportunities
Assessment 1 (15% of final mark) This summative test is delivered online as a timed and open-book 'mid term' exam. It assesses students' understanding of foundational concepts and theories. (ILO 1 and some of ILO 2)
Assessment 2 (40% of final mark) For this summative assessment, each student produces their own written work of between 1,500 and 2,000 words. (ILO 3, ILO 4, and some of ILO 2)
Assessment 3 (45% of final mark)
This summative group assignment is enacted as a project that produces a piece of coursework ('deliverable') on a given project management topic, problem, or case situation. Both the 'deliverable' and the group's project management 'performance' are assessed. (ILOs 1-5)