PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MGMT 5543 – Fall 2011
Instructor: Will O’Brien
Cell: 978-793-1635
Email: wobrien@clarku.edu
Website: www.greenprof.org
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Background
Time: Thursday, 9AM - Noon
Classroom: Carlson Hall #128
Office hours: Call anytime
Dr. Hans Thamhain, Bentley University, has written over seventy research papers and five
professional reference books in project and technology management. He is the recipient of the
Distinguished Contribution Award from the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 1998.
PMI is the professional organization www.pmi.org for project managers. This course is based
on Professor Thamhain’s work.
In the late 90s, Tom Peters in the article,” The Wow Project”, said….”Fast forward 25 years.
All white-collar work is project work”. If he is right, this will be a critical period of your
professional career. In preparation for the course, I encourage you to read Peter’s article on
Cicada.
Course Overview
The course is based on the Project Managers Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) published by the
PMI. Topics include: team organization, development, motivation, leadership, and collaboration;
the project manager’s role regarding management of: scope, cost, quality, risk, human resources,
communication and procurement.
The role as team leader and change agent is examined together with important techniques for
controlling project costs, schedules, and performance. Project management concepts, tools,
methods and techniques are studied with emphasis on best practices. Students will study cases
focused on contemporary problems and challenges, including applying the latest techniques for
tracking and controlling projects, compressing the time-to-market cycle, managing
innovation under cost and time pressures, addressing environmental stewardship, ethical
considerations, managing project teams in decentralized organizations, and dealing with
interruptions, risks, issues conflict and commitments.
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Note: students interested in becoming a Project Management Professional (PMP), under the
PMI PDU Rules, this course could be worth 42 PDUs based upon PMI approval. Refer to
PMI’s “New PDU Category, Structure and Policies, Continuing Education, posted on
Cicada.
Competencies & Skills
Develops understanding of concepts, organizational behaviors, tools, and techniques for
effective role performance as project manager in today's demanding business environment,
including the effective use of tools, e.g., MS Project and modern techniques for designing
work processes, organizing projects, communicating, motivating, team building and leading
people. Develops communication skills, both in written and oral form, via case analyses,
group discussions, team presentations and written reports.
Attitudes & Values
Develops understanding and appreciation of commitment, team-based performance norms
and IT-based decision making, conflict management, issue resolution, power sharing, selfdirected team work, alliances and working in a diverse, global business environment.
Learning Approach
Employs a combination of lectures including guest speakers, case analyses, business/project
simulations, videos, Internet resources, and group discussions to develop the conceptual
understanding and operational skills needed for effective managerial role performance.
Text and Required Tools

“A Project Management Primer” – Nick Jenkins (2006) is posted on Cicada

“Project Managers Book of Knowledge” (PMBOK), 4th edition; order from:
http://marketplace.pmi.org/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101095501

Project Management Software - Microsoft Office Project is available for a 60 day
trial period through Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/project/en/us/try.aspx?cmpid=RXGOOGUSBSR&gclid=C
OGF37nLyKYCFc9w5Qod9UA2Ig

Project Management Simulation – Harvard Business Online (see information below)
Optional

Project Management (Free PMP Prep) Videos www.instructing.com

“Microsoft Project for Dummies: (paperback), Martin Doucette
Cases Analyses:
Each case write-up should consist of a maximum of three typed, double-spaced page of
narrative in 12-point font. The assignment is to analyze each case and upload to Cicada in
the appropriate folder under MGMT 5543, Assignments prior to class. Late papers will not
be accepted.
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You will need to purchase these cases from Harvard Business Publishing:
1. The Pacific LNG Project
2. Teradyne: The Aurora Project
3. Lack of Coordination in Management of the Three Cross Harbour Tunnels in Hong
Kong
4. Reson: Making Development Teams Accountable for Short Project Cycles
5. An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)
To obtain the cases, please go to this link:
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/9961116
You need to register on the site to create a user name if you do not already have one.
Some course materials are PDF documents and you can open them with Adobe Reader.
eLearning materials include a link you can use to gain access to them.
You will have access to the course materials for 6 months.
After you register, you can get to the coursepack at any time by doing the following:
1. Visit hbsp.harvard.edu and log in.
2. Click My Coursepacks, and then click Project Management - FA11
For technical assistance, please contact the Harvard Business Publishing Tech Help line at
(800) 810-8858 (outside the U.S. and Canada, call 617-783-7700); or email
techhelp@hbsp.harvard.edu. Our business hours are 8am-8pm ET, Monday-Thursday, and
8am-7pm ET on Friday.
Cicada
This course will be supported by the Cicada (http://www.cicada.clarku.edu) course
management system. Cicada provides course documents, assignments, and announcements. It
will also contain PowerPoint slides presented in class. If you encounter difficulties with the
use of Cicada, please contact sos@clarku.edu.
Project Management Simulation
During the last 5 weeks of the course, you will work on a Project Management Simulation
provided by Harvard Business Online. The fee is $12.50 to enroll.
In this single-player simulation, students make both quantitative and qualitative decisions as
they manage a critical new product development project for a printer manufacturer. The
students' primary objective is to bring a competitive product to market on time and on budget,
ahead of the competition. Faculty can choose from among five distinct and realistic scenarios,
each designed to highlight specific learning objectives. The simulation contains powerful
administrative tools which allow for real-time reporting of student decisions.
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Subjects covered include: Project Management, Operations Management, Managing
Resources, Scheduling, Project Planning, Managing Budget, Project Implementation, TeamBuilding, General Management, Managing Teams and Team Leadership.
Explores trade-offs among the 3 major project management levers: scope, resources, and
schedule. Illustrates importance of and trade-offs associated with level, timing and type of
communication Shows the value of coaching and training Examines importance of team
member morale on productivity Aids in illustrating the concept of earned value management
Highlights importance of appropriately timing changes in project resource allocation Forces
students to navigate projects through uncertainty and unanticipated events Illustrates the
concept that correcting problems early in the course of the project provides significant
benefit.
Final Exam
Similar to the PMI testing for CAPM and PMP Certification, a multiple choice, true/false test
with some scenarios will be given to ascertain that students have learned the basic terms,
concepts, tools, techniques and processes of Project Management. The final will be “open
book” exam; i.e., PMBOK, the PMI Code of Conduct & Professional Responsibility and other
relevant documents may be referenced; two hours will be allowed to complete the exam.
A “Paperless” Course
To enhance awareness of and reduce our own resource use at our own university, this course
will strive to be a “paperless” course. To facilitate our collective learning, we will rely
heavily on technology including Cicada, email, and a projector in class sessions for
presentations and discussions. All written assignments will be submitted electronically, and
all feedback on written assignments will be made electronically. All readings will be
available electronically on Cicada, and students are encouraged to read the assignments
without printing out the readings.
Professionalism
Most students already have these habits; i.e., preparing for class, arriving on time, and
contributing to class discussions.
For the exceptions that do not, these requirements will help you in the work environment:




it is essential that you are fully prepared for “meetings”; in this case, for class.
as a young professional, it is important that you be on time; i.e., arrive before class
starts.
it is important that you focus on your work; e.g., the use of laptops and/cell phones
during class is not allowed.
you are expected to contribute to the class discussion just as in your work
environment.
Class sessions start on time; if you arrive late, one point will be deducted from your final
grade for the class.
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Student Team-Led Discussions:
During the first class, teams of two students each will be formed for the purpose of leading
future class discussions on assigned topics and cases. Ideally, teams will be composed on one
student with project management experience and one with none or minimal experience.
How to Prepare to Lead Class Discussions
Project Management Topic
• Read PMBOK chapter
• Prepare a lecture
• Provide a few examples possibly from your experience
• Maybe show a short video
• Other creative ways to engage students…..
Case Analysis
• Read the case
• Prepare your analysis
• Discuss with your team
• Present different analyses, recommendations
• Engage class for their feedback for discussion
How NOT to Lead a Class Discussion
•
•
Cut and paste pages from PMBOK
Read each section to the class.
Academic Integrity
The Graduate School of Management (GSOM) at Clark University maintains standards of
academic conduct that have preserved integrity and excellence in institutions of higher
learning over the centuries. Under these standards of conduct, all work submitted to fulfill
course requirements is presumed to be the student’s own, unless credit is given for the work
of others in a manner prescribed by the course instructor. Cheating, plagiarizing, and
falsifying data constitute academic misconduct, as does submitting the same paper in
different courses without prior approval of the instructor to do so. It is the student’s
responsibility to consult the faculty when in doubt whether a particular act constitutes
academic misconduct.
If a student is found guilty of cheating, plagiarizing and/or falsifying data in a course, the first
offense will result in the student failing that course; if a student is found guilty of a second
offense involving cheating, plagiarizing, and/or falsifying data, that student will be
dismissed/expelled from GSOM.
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Evaluation and Grading
Grades will be determined on the following basis:
Case Analysis (5 cases; 5 pts. each)
Professionalism
Student Team-Led Discussions
MS Project Exercises (5)
Project Management Simulation
Exam (based on PMBOK, PMI Code of Conduct)
25%
20%
15%
10%
10%
20%
Snow Days:
On days for which “dangerous driving conditions” are predicted, the class will probably be
conducted remotely. You will receive an email from me the night prior to class if we are
going to use Webex www.webex.com
Exam:
Similar to the PMI testing for CAPM and PMP Certification, a multiple choice, true/false test
with some scenarios will be given to ascertain that students have learned the basic terms,
concepts, tools, techniques and processes of Project Management. The final will be “open
book” exam; i.e., PMBOK, the PMI Code of Conduct & Professional Responsibility and other
relevant documents may be referenced; three hours will be allowed to complete the exam.
Below are links to sample PMP exams:
http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm
http://certification.about.com/od/projectmanagement/a/pmp_test_whiz.htm
http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/pmp.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/pmp-exams/pmp_sample_questions.htm
http://www.preparepm.com/mock1.html
Instructor Information:
www.clarku.edu/gsom/faculty/facultybio.cfm?id=783&progid=20&
www.greenprof.org
www.sustainablebusinessleader.org
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Class Schedule:
The class starts on Thursday, September 1st with weekly sessions until December 15th.
#
Date
Discussion Topics
1
9/1
Course Introduction:
 Introductions
 Syllabus
 PM Overview
2
9/8
3
9/15
PM Overview continued:
 PM Roles
 PM Knowledge & Skills
 PMBOK Guide Structure
Project Life Cycle &
Organization
Readings & Exercises in
Preparation for Class
Assignments
Due for Grading
Team Members
“A Project Management
Primer”
 “The Wow Project”. Tom
Peters
 Lectures on Cicada
PMBOK: #1

PMBOK: #2
Case #1: The Pacific
LNG Project
Case #1
3
4
9/15
9/22
Program Management Office
Project Management Processes
Lecture on Cicada
PMBOK: #3
Will O’Brien
Case #2:Teradyne:
The Aurora Project
Case #2
5
9/29
Project Integration Mgmt.
PMBOK #4
Cross Harbour
Tunnels in Hong
Kong
Case #3
5
9/29
Consulting Skills
Case #3: Three
Will O’Brien
Lecture on Cicada
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#
Date
6
10/6
Discussion Topics
Scope Management
Readings & Exercises in
Preparation for Class
PMBOK: #5
8
10/13
Time Management
10/20
Case #5
No Class – Fall Break
10/27
Cost Management
Making Development
Teams Accountable for
Short Project Cycles
Case #5: An ERP
Story: Choosing a
Project Leader (B)
PMBOK #6
PMBOK #7
Orientation to Simulation
9
11/3
Will O’Brien
Steve Forde, PMI
President Central MA
PMI Overview

MS Project


10
11/10
Quality Management
Check-in re: PM Simulation
(review questions)
11
11/17
Human Resource
Management
Communications
Management
11/24
Team
Case #4: Reson -
Case #4
7
Assignments
Due for Grading
Install MS Project (60 day trial)
on your laptop / PC
Exercises # 1-5 w/ MS Project
Upload MS Project
Exercises #1-5 to
Cicada
PM Simulation –
Scenario A
PMBOK #8
Start Project Management
Simulation
Will O’Brien
PMBOK #9
PM Simulation –
Scenario B
PMBOK #10
No Class - Thanksgiving
Page 8 of 9
#
Date
Discussion Topics
Readings & Exercises in
Preparation for Class
12
12/1
Risk Management
PMBOK #11
12
12/1
“
“
Distressed Projects
Lecture on Cicada
13
12/8
Procurement Management
PMBOK #12
PMI Code of Conduct &
Professional Responsibility;
PMI Code of Conduct &
Professional Responsibility
Assignments
Due for Grading
PM Simulation –
Scenario D
N/A
Team
Mike Nollet, PMP
Will O’Brien
Complete PM
Simulation Simulation E
Change Management
“Leading Change..” John P. Kotter
Project Management
Simulation – Lessons Learned
14
12/15
Final Exam using Cicada
Open book exam including: PMBOK,
PMI Code of Conduct & Professional
Responsibility, “Leading Change…”
article
Page 9 of 9
N/A
N/A