Project management
PROF. LIVIO PALOMBA; PROF. VERED HOLZMANN
COURSE AIMS
The course covers the essential background of project management (PM) from
origins and philosophy to methodology, from the concepts and techniques to
practical applications. The course focuses on the typical project management
activities such as project initiation and proposal, scope and task definition,
scheduling, budgeting, risk analysis, control, project organization and all important
people aspects-project leadership, team building, conflict resolution and stress
management.
At the end of the course students shall have developed sufficient ability to manage
complex projects, to deal with team-members conflicts, to handle negotiation
processes, and to develop a medium-to-long-term plan as team manager. Thus both
strategic planning skills and leadership capabilities will be required.
COURSE CONTENT
Course contents and class activities include a) an introduction to problem analysis,
b) some theory on PM and c) developing a project work where students are
grouped in small teams (5 people) and are asked to work on a project related to one
particular topic of the course program.
Analytically, the program is structured as follows:
– CHAPTER I: Introduction.
* Project definition & attributes.
* Trends in project management.
* Project lifecycle.
– CHAPTER III: The project manager.
* Leadership and management.
* Team building and motivating.
* Stakeholders management.
* Communications management.
* Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
– CHAPTER VI: Project activity planning
* Project plan elements.
* SOW (Statement of work).
* WBS (Work Breakdown Structures).
* LRC (Linear Responsibility Chart).
– CHAPTER VIII: Scheduling.
* Activities dependencies.
* Network techniques.
* Critical path method.
* Gantt Chart.
– CHAPTER VII: Budgeting and Cost Estimation & Chapter IX: Resource
Allocation
* Resource Allocation, Loading, Levelling.
* Project Budgeting.
* Project Crashing / Crunching.
* The Critical Chain Method.
– CHAPTER X: Monitoring and Information Systems
* The Reporting Process.
* Earned Value Management.
* Risk & Opportunity Management
– CHAPTER IV: Negotiation and the Management of Conflict
* Negotiation & Partnering.
* Scope Change.
* Conflict Resolution.
– CHAPTER V: Organizational Structures
* Organizational Structures.
* Virtual Projects.
* PMO (Project Management Office).
– CHAPTER II: Project Initiation: Strategic Management & Project Selection
* Project Portfolio Process.
* Project Management Maturity.
* Project Selection.
– CHAPTER XI: Project Control
* Control Processes.
* Control Systems.
* Change Management.
– CHAPTER XII: Project Auditing
* Project Measurement & Evaluation.
– CHAPTER XIII: Project Termination
* The Termination Process.
READING LIST
J.R. MEREDITH-S.J. MANTEL JR., Project Management: A Managerial Approach, International Student
Version, 7th Edition Wiley, ISBN 978-0-470-40026-5, 2010.
TEACHING METHOD
The course is structured as follows:
– The course is held twice a week based on the academic calendar (fall).
– Students are required to participate actively to the lessons.
– Teaching support includes slides, case studies and exercises.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Attendants will be asked to develop a project in small teams (5 students).
A written paper in English will be required. The paper is the part of the final (50% of the
whole evaluation) and will focus on the project work assigned. The final will be completed
by a written test (which is the other 50% of the evaluation).
Students who have attended the course have to study chapters 1 to 11.
Non-attendats students have to study the whole book.
NOTES
There are two main requirements to be enrolled in the course: a) strong motivation and
interest for project management and team work and b) fluent written and spoken British or
American English.
Further information can be found on the professor’s webpage.