49002 Managing Projects

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

UTS: Engineering: Systems, Management and Leadership
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks


There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 48260 Ver 4 Engineering Project Management

Handbook description

This subject introduces project management principles and tools. Students develop an understanding of the importance of sound management practices and their application to the successful performance of engineering projects and engineering works. What students learn in this subject enhances their ability to make and implement decisions for strategic and operational management within an engineering setting.

Subject objectives/outcomes

The objective of this subject is to provide students with the knowledge to:

• Emphasise the roles of management in engineering projects

• Realise and use effective management techniques

• Realise the ethical responsibilities of engineers and managers

• Realise the importance of quality and safety in construction

• Develop skills in collaborative communication and team work

• Develop competence in presenting concepts through constructive oral and written communications

• Appreciate the role of people in management and engineering

• Develop Problem solving techniques

• Understand and evaluate the impact of their decisions on interrelated systems

Upon completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:

• Discuss and debate definitions of project management

• Dicuss the role of project mangers in contributing to the effectiveness of their organisations

• Uderstand the nature of projects and how they differ from processes and operations

• Uderstand and use project management tools such as Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt chart and CPM or network charts

• Uderstand and appreciate the role of ethics in engineering

• Apreciate key aspects of project management including quality, scope, time, cost and risk

• Aalyse problems involving people management and consider alternative ways of dealing with them

• Consider different ways by which people can be motivated

• Understand the role of organisational structure and its interaction with information technology in managing technical knowledge and task interdependence.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is offered in two modes: standard and distance.

In standard mode, students are expected to attend lectures and participate in class and group activities. Classes are 3 hrs per week x 1 semester. Students are expected to enrol and remain in a particular session all semester.

In distance mode, students undertake the subject without attending classes thus enabling those who would have difficulty attending, for geographic or other reasons, to undertake the study of the subject.

The subject's learning objectives and content are the same for both modes. There are differences in emphasis for some of the assignments because of teamwork and presentations to staff and peers. While these aspects are mandatory for students participating in standard mode, they are not required for distance mode students.

To achieve the objectives of this course, a combination of lecture presentations, tutorials and assessment exercises are used. Theses methods introduce general management principles to students to enable them to critically reflect on how these principles are employed in the real world. Students’ experiences and readings should be reflected through active contributions to class and tutorial discussion to facilitate learning from each other.

By their nature, most management practices are not rigid and are not solved by mathematical equations. The teaching and learning methods listed in Table 1, together with the assessment items listed in Table 2, are designed to allow students to reflect on the management topics covered in this course, and encourage brainstorming and investigation.

Lecture notes, and suggested references, tutorial material and other resources are provided to assist you in this endeavour.

The fundamental approach to learning in this course can be summarised as follows:

•Understand rather than memorise

•Take responsibility for your own learning

•Explore and test ideas, without limiting yourself to textbook situations

•Work collaboratively with others

•Above all, enjoy the experience

Content

Teaching and Learning strategies:

Lectures

• Find out what you must learn

• Follow worked examples

• Hear announcements on course changes

Tutorials

• Be guided by the tutor

•Practice principles and theories learnt in lectures

•Practice solving set problems

•Ask questions

Private Study For each hour of contact it is expected that you will dedicate at least 1.5 hours to private study

• Students are expected to prepare for the lectures by reading the designated chapters of the textbooks and/or the material

suggested by the lecturer

• Review lecture material, textbook and references

• Do set exercises and assignments

•Join in discussions

• Reflect on class and tutorial material

• Keep up with notices and find out marks

Assessment

• Demonstrate your knowledge and skills

•Demonstrate higher understanding and problem solving

Assessment

Assessment Item 1: Assignment 1 - Individual Research

Weighting:

20%

Assessment Item 2: Assignment 2-Report

Weighting:

30%

Assessment Item 4: Final Exam

Weighting:

50%

Minimum requirements

Students are advised that a 50% pass in the Final Examination is a mandatory requirement for passing this subject. Students who fail the Final Examination will be given a mark of 44Z or their total mark whichever is the lesser.

Recommended texts

Bagia R, Eager D, and Walmsley M, Project Management in Engineering and Information Technology, McGraw-Hill, Australia & New Zealand, 2011 (ISBN 978 112 106 2771). rrp $96.95

Co-op Bookshop at 3 Broadway, City Campus

The Textbook recomended for this subject is available from the Co-op Bookshop at 3 Broadway. During the semester the bookshop is open 7 days a week: Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 6pm, Friday 9.00am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

The Co-op will also mail you the book: order through www.coop-bookshop.com.au, phone (02) 9212-3078 or fax (02) 9212 6303. Please have ready your credit card details, your student ID number and Co-op number if you are a member. They will charge you the cost of the book as well as postage by express post.

Co-op Bookshop at Kuring-Gai Campus, Blg 2, Level 5

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 12pm. Closed weekends and public holidays. Email: kuringai@coop.com.au; web: www.coop-bookshop.com.au; phone (02) 9514 5318, fax (02) 9415 6553.

Indicative references

Carbone, T.A. 2004. ‘Project Risk Management Using the Project Risk FMEA’, Engineering Management Journal, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 28–35.

Crawford, J. 2002. Project Management Maturity Model: Providing a Proven Path to Project Management Excellence, Marcel Dekker, New York.

Fleming, Q. & Koppelman, J. 2006. Earned Value Management, Project Management Institute, 3rd ed., Project Management Institute; 3rd edition (February 2006).

Flyvbjerg, B. 2006. ‘From Nobel Prize to Project Management: Getting Risks Right’, Project Management Journal, Research Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 3, Special PMI Research Conference Edition, August 2006.

Gonçalves, M. 2005. Managing Virtual Projects, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Grant, K. & Pennypacker, S. 2006. ‘Project Management Maturity: An Assessment of Project Management Capabilities Among and Between Selected Industries’, IEEE Transactions On Engineering Management, vol. 53, no. 1.

Gray, C. F. & Larson E. W. 2006. Project Management: the Management Process, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York.

Kerzner, H. 2005. Project Management, A systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling, 9th ed., Wiley.

Kerzner, H. 2006. Project Management Case Studies, McGraw-Hill.

Kwak,Y. & Ibbs, C. 2000. ‘Calculating project management’s return on investment’, Project Management Journal, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 38–47.

Leach, L. 2004. Critical Chain Project Management, 2nd ed., Artech House Publishers.

Leach, L. 2006. Lean Project Management: Eight Principles for Success, BookSurge Publishing, New York.

Lewis, J. 2005. Fundamentals of Project Management, 3rd ed., AMACOM/American Management Association.

Lloyd, S. & Simpson, A. 2005. ‘Project Management in Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative Research’, 2005 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference Proceedings.

Loch, C., Meyer, A. & Pich, M. 2006. Managing the Unknown: a New Approach to Managing High Uncertainty and Risk in Projects, Wiley, New York.

Lock, D. 2003. Project Management, 8th edition, Gower, Vermont.

Loosemore, M. 2006. Risk management in projects, 2nd ed., Taylor and Francis, London.

Meredith, J. & Mantel, S. 2005. Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 6th ed., Wiley.

Pollock, S. 2005. ‘Create a Simple Framework to Validate FMEA Performance,’ Six Sigma Forum Magazine, August 2005.

Project Management Institute 2004. Project Management Body of Knowledge, 3rd ed.

Rad, P. & Levin, G. 2003. Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams, J. Ross, Publishing.

Regev, S. Shtub, A. & Ben-Haim, Y. 2006. ‘Managing Project Risks as Knowledge Gaps’, Project Management Journal, Research Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 5.

Rozenes, S., Vitner, G. & Spraggett S. 2006. ‘Project Control: Literature Review’, Project Management Journal, Research Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 4.

Taylor, H. 2006. ‘Risk Management and Problem Resolution Strategies for IT Projects: Prescription and Practice’, Project Management Journal, Research Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 5.

Wysocki, R. F. 2006. Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme, 4th ed., Wiley.

Other resources

Lectures and Reading Material (LRM)

Students enrolled in the Standard Mode can obtain the LRM from UTS Union, Level 3 Building 1. The LRM is sold at cost to students enrolled in this subject. For more information, visit:
http://www.eng.uts.edu.au/current_students/distance/wheretobuyspring.htm

Lecture Support Notes (LSN)

Students enrolled in the Standard Mode can obtain the LSN from UTS Union, Level 3 Building 1. The LSN is sold at cost to students enrolled in this subject. For more information, visit:
http://www.eng.uts.edu.au/current_students/distance/wheretobuyspring.htm

The LSN is a printout of the Powerpoint presentations. The LSN printout may vary slightly from the actual electronic material delivered as the ppt may be updated after printing. Also individual lecturers may vary their material to suit the needs of their class.

Faculty Student Guide

For further information see the faculty’s Student Guide at: http://my.feit.uts.edu.au/ modules/myfeit/downloads/ StudentGuide2011Spr_Online.pdf