BST 2531 Project Management
BST 2531 Project Management
The course will give an introduction to project management. The students will be given an understanding of what a project is and a basis for planning, organizing and controlling projects.
Please note
This course has some overlapping issues with the elective courses ELE 3709 Project Management (7,5 credits) and ELE 3725 Project Management (7,5 credits). Consequently, a combination of these courses can not be approved in a Bachelor's degree.
After completed course student shall:
- Have acquired thorough knowledge of the various elements within the modern project profession.
- Have thorough knowledge of how a project can be broadly defined in terms of objectives, characteristics, content, scope, duration, cost, stakeholders. Concepts such as goal formulation, planning, organisation, implementation, follow-up, management, risk assessment, management must be given a solid theoretical grounding in the student.
- Get to know how projects in different areas such as e.g. product development and marketing are designed and implemented in practice.
- Build up knowledge of the requirements placed on projects and have an understanding of how a company can strategically use these.
- Have knowledge of the processes, tools, methods and concepts that are part of project management.
- Students will develop some practical skills in planning, organizing and following-up projects so that the defined project goals are achieved.
- Students will be able to apply techniques, methods and tools for effective implementation of projects.
- Students will be able to effectively participate in or lead projects.
- Students will understand the role of projects in organizations and communities, and be able to reflect on ethical issues related to projects.
- Students will be able to understand what it means to work in a project team where you have to show respect for the other team members' knowledge, beliefs, roles and personality.
1. Project Concept
- What distinguishes a project? Different types of projects. The project's purpose and goals. The project life cycle/phases.
- Project stakeholders/sponsors. Introduction to key instruments such as planning, organizing, monitoring, management, etc. Varied and illustrative examples of practical project activities in business and management.
2. Project Planning
- What is project planning? What is to be planned? Why and how is it planned? Who plans?
- Planning levels. Project mandate. Planning of strategic and operational perspective. Milestone planning.
- Work Breakdown Structures (WBS).
- Task scheduling using the network. AON network. Critical path and critical activities. Gantt charts.
- Slack/float. Resource planning. The relationship between the strategic planning and detailed scheduling.
- Project budget and finances. The planning aspect in light of the different types of projects.
3. Project organization
- Project versus line organization.
- Organization models/principles.
- Responsibility chart.
- Steering group.
- Project manager.
- Selection of organization structure for different project types. Organization of a project team.
4. Project Uncertainty
- What could be uncertain in projects?
- Dealing with uncertainty/risk/opportunities.
- Repetition of basic knowledge of statistics.
- Uncertainty regarding the duration of the project (PERT).
- Determination of safety margins.
- Decisions under uncertainty.
- Risk reduction by means of contracts, insurance, etc.
5. Project implementation and monitoring
- What can go wrong in projects?
- Control Factors. Plan and reality.
- Variance analysis.
- Planning as a continuous process.
- Identification, reporting, analysis, decision, action. Monitoring the costs, "earned Value", S-curves, etc.
6. Project management and project manager
- Project manager selection. Responsibility, tasks and motivation.
- Management styles, leadership.
- Information and communication.
- Project culture.
- Cooperation and conflict.
- Meetings - implementation of project meetings.
7. Project - Strategic Perspective
- Strategic business planning.
- Selection of projects.
- Project and programme.
- Multi Project Planning.
- The project organization. The history of project management, status and likely future.
- Project "schools".
- The relationship between project elements, the different teaching modules in the context.
At the beginning of the semester there will be a detailed curriculum plan that connects the modules to the literature and the individual chapters.
The course is completed with 70 hours of lectures.
During the course it will be given tasks, as a part of the Learning process. Students will solve the assignments related to the seminars, as these will form the basis for discussions and feedback from the lecturer in class.
For marketing students: The course shall include tasks and cases related to marketing.
E-learning
In course delivery as online courses, lecturer will, in collaboration with the student administration, organize an appropriate course implementation, combining different learning activities and digital elements on the learning platform. Online students are also offered a study guide that will contribute to progression and overview. Total recommended time spent for completing the course also applies here.
Two years of college education in economics and business administration, marketing or equivalent is required for taking the course.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
The course is based on basic courses from the first two years of the bachelor's study.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Submission PDF Exam/hand-in semester: First Semester Weight: 100 Grouping: Individual Duration: 5 Hour(s) Comment: Take-home exam Exam code: BST25311 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
This course has some overlapping issues with the elective courses ELE 3709 Project Management (7,5 credits) and ELE 3725 Project Management (7,5 credits). Consequently a combination of theese courses can not be approved in a Bachelor's degree.
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 70 Hour(s) | |
Prepare for teaching | 170 Hour(s) | |
Group work / Assignments | 160 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 15 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 400 hours.