Assignment:
Create a 2000 words:
Advanced Project Management
The purpose of assignment is to highlight both your theortical and practical knowledge of advances in project management. The assignment has three distinctive sections, which are linked to theory, practice and reflection. Moreover, these sections are informed by the module learning outcomes. In the theory section, the student is encouraged to undertake a critical literature review through the book chapters and papers that are identified in the workshops. Furthermore, students are expected to employ harvard style referencing. Reading around the topic areas is also encouraged for it demonstates scholarly initiative. In the practice section, findings and conceptual models from your group project work can be used, and also inform both the theortical and reflective sections of the assignment. The final section requires the student to reflect upon your theortical findings, and use of methodologies or methods during the group project work. Additionally, the student is expected to generate some lessons learnt which may lead to possible future project management learning and development actions. The style guide of the assignment is given in Applendix B, and marking scheme is given in Appendix C.
1.0 Theory Section
(Some possible ideas for guidance to each section (not every idea has to be covered))
• Limitations of the Traditional Approach to Project Management
- Characteristics of traditional project management;
- Identify relevant methods and tools associated with traditional project management;
- Connectivity with technical core (level 1 of Management of Projects);
- Symptoms (factors and measures) and causes of unsuccessful projects;
- Traditional life-cycle models and product creation;
- Factors and measures connected with efficiency;
- Doing the project right (‘the who', ‘the how');
- Emerging factors associated with project success;
- Projects as a given, hard systems thinking, analytical thinking;
- Instrumental image of project management, technical rationality, conditions for success;
- Role of the traditional project manager.
• Broader Factors, Besides the Technical Ones, to Enhance Project Performance
- Characteristics associated with strategic envelope (level 2 of Management of Projects);
- Connectivity of strategic envelope with the technical core;
- Projects as social processes, alternative process models to deal with problematic situations;
- Characteristics associated with complexity, uncertainty and problematic situations;
- Stakeholder and communication management;
- Factors and measures connected with effectiveness;
- Choosing the right project (‘the why');
- Project front-ending, value creation, project strategy and business strategy;
- Project success factors;
- Value and benefits;
- Broadening the role of the project manager, reflective practitioner;
- Systems thinking, soft systems thinking and soft systems methodology.
• Evolution of a Project Management System within Organisations with the Aim of Improving it (15 marks)
- Characteristics associated with institutional context (level 3 of Management of Projects);
- Organisational context;
- Portfolio, Programme and projects (traditional, agile) approaches;
- Front-ending and back-ending;
- Institutional context connectivity with strategic envelop and technical core;
- Project Management Office (PMO);
- Project Management Maturity Model;
- Sponsorship and Governance;
- Connectivity between business strategy and PMO;
- Features associated with project management system;
- Consistent project success;
- Learning organisation;
- Strategic resource and procurement.
• Importance of Context for, and its Effects on, the Management of Projects
- Management of projects characteristics - institutional context;
- Environmental changes, new methodologies, methods and standards for project management (PMBOK, APMBOK);
- Emerging methodologies and methods from different disciplines (e.g. operational research; strategy) used in Management of Projects - an emerging interdisciplinary approach to project management;
- Importance of the Project Management office (PMO);
- Evolutions in the Business environmental , awareness of business changes, new innovations (e.g. technology), competitive advantage;
- Importance of value creation - working with external customers (and theirs strategies and values);
- business strategy influencing innovative projects and vice-a-versa;
- Business organisations influencing the environment through innovative projects.