Education 615-O: Project Management and Implementation
Fall 2012, Hills South 275
Thursdays 4-6:30 p.m.
Instructor: Cristine Smith
Office Hours: 264 Hills House South, Wednesdays noon-2 p.m.
E-mail: cristine@educ.umass.edu
Purpose and Objectives of the Course
The purpose of this course is to help participants prepare to manage international
development education projects. The course will cover both theory and practice of
managing projects, and participants and instructor will have a chance to talk about their
past experiences in project management.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
1. articulate their philosophy of and approach to management, leadership and
implementation of education projects
2. explain which management tools they would utilize in managing project
implementation, why they would use these tools, and how they would adapt them
based on culture, gender and other relevant factors.
Some of the specific topics to be covered will include:
 The difference between management and leadership
 Balancing scope, resource and time for the optimal project quality
 Managing staff and building teams
 Cultural and gender differences in management
 Overseeing budgets and work plans
 Dealing with consultants, stakeholder and advisory groups, and funders
 Tools for facilitating meetings, participatory decision making
 Disseminating information, outcomes and products of the project
 Dealing with corruption in project management
 Technological tools for managing projects
Course requirements, evaluation and grading

This course requires the active participation of all class members: listening as well as
talking, helping others develop their ideas, and expressing your own thoughts in class
discussions and small-group work.

Regular, ON-TIME attendance and participation is required to receive the full 25%
towards your grade.

For your participation to be helpful to everyone, it is essential that you attend all classes
and complete the required readings before class. Please let me know in advance if you
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
1
must miss a class. If you do, I expect you to talk with classmates to get handouts and
an update on what was learned in class; you may find it helpful to talk with more than
one person.

I encourage you to use my office hours as a time for us to discuss your paper, the
readings or questions you have about the course. All assignments are due when
indicated.

Proofreading your work and catching mistakes is a sign, to me, of thoroughness and
academic rigor.

You will be graded on a pass-fail basis, UNLESS you wish to have a grade. If you want a
grade for this course, you must let me know via Moodle course website (NO EMAILS!) by September 17, 2012. After this date, no changes will be made in your
grading status (i.e., you can’t ask me for a grade, rather than pass-fail, 3 weeks before
the end of the class, nor can you ask me for pass/fail rather than a grade after
September 17, 2012)
The specific course requirements/ assignments, along with the grading calculation for each,
are presented below. The purpose of the two written assignments is that you will
leave the class with something that you can refer to later when you are actually
managing a project: a philosophy of management and leadership, along with a set
of tools (one of which you will have facilitated in the class) that you can use to
manage.
Requirement
Participate in class
Demonstrate a
participatory
management
technique
Write a paper on
your Philosophy
and Approach to
Management,
Leadership and
Implementation
Description
Grade
Calculation
25%
Be fully prepared to participate in class by coming to
all class sessions on time, having read the assignments
for each session, and being ready to discuss them
critically.
In small groups of 3 or 4, using a participatory
management technique found in the Kaner book, lead
the class in a discussion/decision-making activity on a
topic of your choice. We will set up a schedule for
these demonstrations after the class starts.
25%
Write a 3 page single-spaced essay about your own
philosophy and (anticipated) approach to project
management. Include references to any existing
theories, research or approaches from the literature.
DUE October 25, 2012.
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
20%
2
Make and share a
“toolkit” of the
Management Tools
You Will Use
Create a “toolkit” (a table with backup documents)
listing the favorite tools you anticipate using as a
project manager (such as specific workplans, charts,
decision-making tools, negotiation tools, meeting
techniques, etc.), including the name of the tool, a brief
description of the tool, why and when you would use it,
and how you would adapt each tool based on culture,
gender and other relevant factors. There is no page
limit on this, but a good toolkit would probably run
between 7-10 pages of table (single-spaced) DUE
December 6, 2012. Everyone will make copies of their
“toolkit” for others in the class, and we will have
round-robin sharing on December 6 in class.
30%
Required Readings and Texts
There is one book required for purchase for this course, which can be found at Food for
Thought books in downtown Amherst.
Kaner, S. (2007). Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making (Second
Edition). Jossey-Bass
I will place all other readings for the course on the SPARK course website, and you will be
able to download and/or print out readings from the site.

If you are officially registered in the course, you are automatically allowed into the
course website. If you are auditing, see me so that I can permit you to enter the website.

ALL course readings, by date, are available on the SPARK website. There will also be
handouts that I may give during class.

You will turn in ALL assignments via SPARK. I will not accept e-mailed or paper copies
of your assignments.

If you have never used SPARK before, see me after class or ask another student to show
you how to get into the course website from the UMass home page.
Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete course requirements within the allotted time because
of severe medical or personal problems may request a grade of Incomplete from me by
Thursday, November 15, 2012. Normally, incomplete grades are warranted only if a
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
3
student is passing the course at the time of the request and if the course requirements can
be completed by the end of the following semester (May 2013). If I grant you an incomplete,
I will require, by November 15, a one-page write-up from you including
1. a description of the work that remains to be completed,
2. a description of how you intend to complete the unfinished work, and
3. the date by which the work is to be completed.
Accommodation Statement
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing an equal educational
opportunity for all students. If you have a documented physical, psychological, or learning
disability on file with Disability Services (DS), Learning Disabilities Support Services (LDSS),
or Psychological Disabilities Services (PDS), you may be eligible for reasonable academic
accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have a documented disability
that requires an accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester
so that we may make appropriate arrangements.
Academic Honesty Statement
Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires
honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University. Academic dishonesty
includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty.
Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of
academic dishonesty. Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic
misconduct. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic
dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course
instructor as soon as possible. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific
course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department Head or Chair.
Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted
standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient
evidence of lack of intent.
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
4
Date and Focus of Class
September 6: Session One
Overview
September 13: Session Two
Setting the Context:
Development Education
Projects
September 20: Session Three
Philosophy of Leadership
September ?: Session Four
CLASS POSTPONED TODAY
BECAUSE OF CIE RETREAT:
NEED TO RESCHEDULE!
Philosophy of Management
October 4: Session Five
Core Project Management
Roles, Tasks and Tools
October 11: Session Six
Readings to be completed
Assignments Due
No Readings
--
PM4DEV: Introduction to Project Management (19 pages)
--
Thomas: What makes good development management? (12 pages)
Crawford, et al: A day in the life of a development manager (7 pages)
Wiggins: Against the Odds: Managing Agricultural Projects in Africa.
Evidence from Sierra Leone and Zambia (13 pages)
Kaplan: Leadership and Management (18 pages)
--
Senge: The Leader’s New Work, Chapter 18 from The Fifth Discipline (21
pages)
Bolman and Deal: Reframing Leadership, Chapter 20 from Reframing
Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership (18 pages)
Suda: Linking Strategy, Leadership and Organization Culture for Project
Success (9 pages)
Sign up in class to lead a
participatory decision making
activity.
Smith: A Power Framework for Project Management (9 pages)
Stoner and Wankel: The Evolution of Management Theory, Chapter 2 (23
pages)
SABES: Notes on Four Approaches to Management: Structural, Human
Resource, Political, Symbolic (18 pages)
PM4DEV: The Project Management Cycle (14 pages)
--
PM4DEV: The Project Management Processes (17 pages)
Sample Logframe, Gantt Chart, Action Plan, Logic Model
Kaner, et al: Part I: Grounding Principles from Facilitator’s Guide to
Participatory Decision Making (31 pages)
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
5
--
Balancing scope, resource
and time for the optimal
project quality
October 18: Session Seven
Managing staff and building
teams; dealing with funders,
consultants, stakeholder
and advisory groups
October 25: Session Eight
Tools for facilitating
meetings, participatory
decision making:
Working with Groups
November 1: Session Nine
ME IN GAZA
Tools for facilitating
meetings, participatory
decision making:
Team Work
November 8: Session Ten
ME IN GAZA
Overseeing budgets and
workplans; Dealing with
corruption in project
management
Wilemon and Baker: Some Major Research Findings Regarding the
Human Element in Project Management (11 pages)
Berkun: The Art of Project Management: How to Make Good Decisions (17
pages)
Thamhain and Wilemon: Team Building in Project Management (12
pages)
Gadeken: Project Teams for the 21st Century: Myths versus Realities (17
pages)
Kormanski: A Situational Leadership Approach to Groups Using the
Tuckman Model of Group Development (8 pages)
Kaner, et al: Part II: Facilitator Fundamentals from the Facilitator’s Guide
to Participatory Decision Making (Specific chapters to be assigned)
Packet: Group Problem Solving/Decision Making tools
Kaner, et al: Part II: Facilitator Fundamentals from the Facilitator’s Guide
to Participatory Decision Making (Specific chapters to be assigned)
First Paper Due: Your
Philosophy and Approach to
Management, Leadership and
Implementation
First student demonstration
Second student
demonstration
Packet: Team Work
Tanaka: Corruption in Education Sector Development: A Suggestion for
Anticipatory Strategy (8 pages)
Berkun: The Art of Project Management: What to do when things go
wrong (21 pages)
Hallak & Poisson: Ethics and Corruption in Education: An Overview
Kramer: Corruption & Fraud
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
6
Third student demonstration
November 15: Session Eleven
Cultural and gender
differences in management
Anbari, et al: Cross Cultural Differences and their Implications for
Managing International Projects (8 pages)
Fourth student
demonstration
Fowler: Human Resource Management
November 29: Session Twelve
Fifth student demonstration
Kendrick: Writing Skills-Clarity (30 pages)
Report writing;
disseminating information
about the project
December 6: Session
Thirteen
Skim two examples of project reports
 ATLAS 2008 annual report
 Literacy for Life Final Report
No readings
Toolkit Table due: The
Management Tools You
Will Use
Technological tools for
managing projects
Copies of your toolkit to
share and talk about with
others
Sharing Toolkits
Final assignments are due on December 6, 2012, the last day of class. Any assignments turned in after 5:00
pm on Friday, May 14, will not be graded before the Fall 2012 grading deadline, and you may receive an
incomplete for the class, but ONLY if we have previously agreed to this (see above re: Incompletes).
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
7
Education 615-O: Project Management and Implementation
Format: Management “Toolkit” Table
Name of
Management Tool
When and Why to Use
Brief Description of Tool
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
8
How to Adapt for Culture, Gender
or other Relevant Contextual
Factors
Name of
Management Tool
When and Why to Use
Brief Description of Tool
EDUC 615-O, Project Management and Implementation
Cristine Smith: 264 Hills House South; 545-2731; Office hours Wednesdays 1-4 pm, cristine@educ.umass.edu
9
How to Adapt for Culture, Gender
or other Relevant Contextual
Factors