Week 1: Introduction

Welcome to the Project Management Course

In today’s global marketplace, complexity and speed are important factors for survival. If we try to have close look on different projects taking place in various corners of the world, they all are being initiated under tight budgets with fewer resources than ever before. Apart from this, project-based business is growing bigger and bigger every single day. Moreover, more key business initiatives are now subject to a defined project plan, with specified deliverable and time constraints. These days every manager is expected to do more with less.

Project management is a critical role within a project that acts as the ‘glue’ in bringing diverse competencies together and coordinating the current of information between them. In fact it is the demand of present scenario and project manager must be able to play several functions including an adviser, a planner, a manager, and effective communicators and a businessperson. The challenge for the Project Manager consists of attracting the correct resources, shaping a solid team, keeping the team motivated, meeting individual aspirations and getting the work done - all within scope, cost, time, and customer satisfaction.

The course is targeted at Masters university students with an engineering background. You have managed projects but probably lack the project management knowledge, skills, processes, methodologies and tools. This course strives to equip you in these elements.

You are expected to

1. have some experience in project management so as to be able to share experiences
2. have little knowledge on project management knowledge, skills, processes, methodologies and tools.
3. have sufficient knowledge of web based tools such as emails, weblogs, forums etc.

Learning Objectives

This subject presents a view of project management that accounts for the environmental and future impact of single project decision. The general macro considerations in project definition, selection, and planning are discussed first followed by the implementation aspects of project management. Finally, the organization, being an on-going system must retain the ability to learn from its previous projects.

At the end of the module, you will be able, to in a written examinations,and within 2 hours:
1. Describe what are the elements involved in project management
2. Identify some of the problems associated with project management.
3. Identify the factors associated with successful project management.

At the end of the module, you will be able to
4. Acquire basic project management skills.
5. Use the tools in project management.
through a team project and complete it within 12 weeks.

At the end of the module, you will be able to
6. Use weblog with proficiency to access materials and contribute.