Course content

The subject focuses on the application of project management methods and tools during initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing processes. Examples from real-life project cases are used extensively in this subject to present and discuses the fundamental theory and approaches used to manage projects successfully. The subject covers the following topics: - A through introduction to project characteristics - Key concepts of stakeholders management - Project success, dimensions and factors - Project life cycle - Project organising - An array of tools and techniques for planning, including identification of project scope, work breakdown structure, resource planning, estimates, budgeting, and scheduling. - Through introduction to the principles of project risk management -Through introduction to the principles of project evaluation and earned value method

Learning outcome

After completing the course, you will be able to:

Knowledge:

• Identify and analyze the pitfalls and challenges related to project initiation phase and to identify important conditions for success in projects.
• Explain key knowledge areas in projects and project processes.
• Describe how the project objectives can be broken down to deliverables and work packages using the project breakdown structure (WBS).
• Be familiar with the main methods for time and cost estimation
• Identify and discuss the importance of risk management in projects and to identify important pitfalls and success factors for the implementation of risk management process.
• Describe the main components of the project estimates and central causes of overruns
• Describe various methods of project control.
• Describe the main categories of project organizations structures (project, classical and matrix) and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different structures.

Skills:

• Prepare good project goals and success criteria.
• Perform a stakeholder analysis.
• Illustrate how the WBS can be established.
• Describe and set up various tools that can be used in a risk management process.
• Set up logical relationships between work packages in a project, perform network analysis and identify the critical work packages in the network.
• Solve challenges related to resource limitations in projects using; resource leveling, float or by changing relationships.
• Use of indices (cost and time indices) for monitoring project status and for the establishment of future forecasts.

General competencies:

• Recognize the importance of involving stakeholders to identify project goals, risk factors and mitigation methods.
• Consider conditions for success of project work in their own business.
• Analyze project status based on information about time and cost indices, and develop forecasts for the scope of work upon completion
• Evaluate and select appropriate project organization model based on project characteristics as duration, size and complexity.
• Recognize challenges caused by organizational factors in projects (such as structure, culture, authority, and responsibility).

Learning methods and activities

Combination of lectures, in-class- assignments, hand-in exercises and group based assignments. Instructions are given in English and the Examination papers will be given in English only.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Required previous knowledge

None

Course materials

Bassam Hussein. The Road to Success. Narratives and Insights from Real-life Projects. Fagbokforlaget 2018.

Supporting literature: Jeffery K. Pinto. Project Management - Achieving Competetive Advantage. fourth edition. Pearson 2016.

Credit reductions