Project Management

COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
Projects that managers must accomplish are increasingly complex. On the other hand, tools for project
management are no more dense software packages running in heavy machines but powerful friendly
programmes available in every personal computer and easily integrated with other applications. However,
users of these tools are not familiar with the underlying concepts and models and their performance can
easily be improved with a systematic approach to Project Management. Moreover, a successful project
leader must also be an effective manager of people

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGY
After an overview of the Project Management approach students will present and discuss a collection of
cases that illustrate that approach. Then, we will present the models and tools for the management of
projects and for each model there is asset of exercises to be solved in class and top be delivered each
week. Many of these exercises will be solved using MS Project.

REQUIRED BACKGROUND
This course has been designed assuming that students have successfully completed Statistics I, Statistics
for Business and Economics or any other course that includes the study of the distributions of random
variables and an extensive use of the Normal distribution.

COURSE CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 Defining Project Management (PM). Trends in PM and PM as a profession.
2. THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE AND PROJECT PROCESS GROUPS
 2.1. Project Life Cycle
 2.2. Project Process Groups as defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).
An overview of Initialization, Planning, Execution, Control and Closing.
3. PROJECT INITIALISATION AND PLANNING
 3.1. Definition of project scope
 3.2. Developing the work breakdown structure (WBS)
 3.3. Planning and sequencing of project deliverables
 3.4. Visualizing the project: networks and GANT charts
 3.5. Creating the project schedule: CPM
 3.6. Resources levelling
 3.7. Cost estimation and budgeting
4. PROJECT EXECUTION AND PROGRESS EVALUATION
 4.1. Schedule and cost control: the earned value method (EVM)
 4.2. Project quality control
 4.3. Project learning and knowledge acquisition
5. COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT CLOSURE
 5.1. Communication within the project team: data collecting and reporting
 5.2. Communication between project team and sponsors or stakeholders
 5.3. Managing change and conflicts
 5.4. Post-project audits
6. RISK MANAGEMENT
 6.1. Risk identification, management and analysis
 6.2. Statistical models for project risk management
 6.3. Monte Carlo simulation
 6.4. Response to high risk-events
7. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 7.1. From functional to projectized organizations
 7.2. Selecting the project manager
 7.3. Building the project team
 7.4. The project office