UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

SYLLABUS OUTLINE

COLLEGE Business and Management

SCHOOL/DEPT School of Business Administration/Production and Operations

Management

COURSE OF STUDY Bachelor of Business Administration

LEVEL 4

MODULE TITLE Project Management

MODULE CODE POM 4004

DURATION (Hours) 45 hours

CREDIT VALUE 3

PREREQUISITES Introduction to Management (MAN1006) or

Organization & Management (MAN3004)

1.0 MODULE DESCRIPTION

We live in an environment which has become highly “projectized” and which has seen
project management become the central theme within the business models of several
organization.

This course thus takes a holistic, all inclusive approach to the managing of projects while
providing a strategic view to the solution of their accompanying technical and managerial
challenges.

2.0 MODULE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES

General Objectives

Upon completion of the module, the student should be able to:

1 Evaluate the approaches to the managing of projects

2 Recommend solutions to the technical and managerial Challenges facing projects.
3 Prepare network diagrams using prescribed software.
4 Justify the use of applicable models.

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3.0 MODULE CONTENT AND CONTEXT

Unit-1 Introduction: General project characteristics.– 3 hours

Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:

1 Recognize the basic properties of projects, including definitions

2 Differentiate between project management practices, and process oriented practices
3 Deduce the concept of project success

Content
I project definitions
II project characteristics
III the importance of projects
IV The determinants of project success.

Unit-2 Organizational context of project management – 3 hours

Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:
1 critique the importance of managing critical stakeholders
2 Compare the strengths and weaknesses of three basic forms of organizational structure,
and their implications for managing projects.
3 Evaluate the effects of organizational culture on project management practices.

Content
I Projects and organizational strategy
II Stakeholder management
III organizational structure
IV forms of organizational structure
V Project management offices.
VI Organizational culture

Unit-3 – Project selection and portfolio management 3 hours

Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:
1 Prioritize the use of project selection models
2 Employ Financial Analyses to evaluate the potential for new project investments.

Content
I Introduction to project selection

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 II Approaches to Project screening and selection
III Financial Models
 payback period
 net present value
 discounted payback
IV project portfolio management

Unit-4 Scope management– 6 hours

Specific Objectives
1 To construct a Work Breakdown Structure for a project.
2 To design a Responsibility Assignment matrix for a project.
3 To examine the importance of scope management for project success.

Content
1 Conceptual development of projects
 The statement of work
II The scope statement
 The work Breakdown Structure
 Purposes of the work Breakdown Structure
 Organization of the work Breakdown Structure
 Responsibility Assignment Matrix.
III Work Authorization
IV Scope Reporting
V Control systems
VI project Closeout

Unit-5 Cost Estimation and budgeting - 3 hours

Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:
1 To differentiate between the various forms of project costs
2 To calculate cost estimates for the projects.
3 To create project budgets, and budget contingencies.

Content
I Cost Management
II cost estimation
 Learning Curves in Cost Estimation
 Problems with Cost Estimation
III Creating Project Budgets.
IV Developing Budget Contingencies

Unit-6 Project scheduling 1: Networks, duration estimation, Critical Path. 6 hours

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Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:
1 Interpret Scheduling Terminology.
2 Apply the logic used to create activity networks.
3 Design Networks, using activity-on-node (AON) techniques.
4 Calculate activity duration estimates based on probabilistic techniques.
5 Construct the critical path for a project schedule, using forward and backward passes.

Content
I Introduction to Project Scheduling.
II Key Scheduling Terminology.
III Developing Networks
IV Duration Estimation
V Constructing Critical Path.

Unit-7 Project scheduling 2: Lagging, Crashing, Activity Networks. 6 hours

Specific Objectives
Students should be able to:
1 Illustrate the use of lag relationships to project activities.
2 Prepare Gantt charts.
3 Assess the tradeoffs required in the decision to crash project activities.
4 Compare the differences between the AOA and AON techniques.

Content
I Lags in Precedence Relationships
II Gantt Charts
III Crashing Projects
IV AOA vs AON Networks
V Controversies in the use of Networks.

Unit- 8 Project Evaluation and Control – 3 hours

Specific Objectives

Students should be able to:

1 Assess project portfolios with the use of the Earned Value Management technique.
2 Analyze Human Issues in the evaluation and control phase of project management
3 Evaluate “S” curves.

Content

I A General Model of Control Cycles

II Monitoring Project Performance
III Earned Value Management

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 IV Using Earned Value to Manage Project Portfolios.
V Issues in the effective use of Earned Value Management
VI Human Factors in Project Evaluation and Control

Unit 9 Risk Management- 3 hours

Specific objectives

Students should be able to:

1 Discuss the concept of project risk.
2 Assess the four stages of Project Risk Management
3 Critique the four primary Risk Mitigation strategies.
4 Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative risk mitigation strategies. 5
Evaluate the PRAM process of risk management.

Content
I The Four Stage Process of Risk Management
 Risk Identification
 Analysis of Probabilities and Consequences
 Risk Mitigation Strategies
 Use of Contingency Reserves
 Control and Documentation
II An Integrated Approach to Risk Management

Unit 12 Project Closeout and Termination 3 hours

Specific objectives
Students should be able to:
1 Distinguish among the four main forms of project termination.
2 Assess the key reasons for the early termination of projects.
3 Create a final Project Report.

Content
I Types of Project Termination
II The Natural Termination
III Early Termination for Projects
IV Preparation of the Final Project Report

4.0 LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES

i. Lecture – Impart to students core information on various units outlined above.

Usually done in a face to face format in the classroom.

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 ii. Discussions – Usually conducted in tutorial sessions to ensure that students gain
knowledge from lecture sessions, and are able to apply
principles to real world problems. In areas of weaknesses,
knowledge is reinforced.

iii. Case Analyses – This provides students with opportunities to identify, analyze, and
recommend solutions to real world problems.

iv. Problem Solving – a class format in which the lecturer provides a structured
context for students working collaboratively to solve
problems.

v. Independent Learning – is a learning environment where students are actively

engaged in mastering module content and in
developing essential skills by working
independently or in self-managed teams. Oral and/or
written reports are submitted to the lecturer to
ensure coverage of the material.

5.0 ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Mini-tests 3(15,30,15) 60%

Project 30%
Presentation 10%
Total 100%

6.0 BREAKDOWN OF HOURS

Classroom/Lectures 13 hours
Tutorial 26 hours
Assessment 6 hours

7.0 TEXTBOOK REFERENCES

Required Text:

Pinto, J. (2010). Project Management (Achieving Competitive Advantage) Pearson Education

2nd Edition.

Additional Readings: Will be assigned as is necessary.

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8.0 NAME OF SYLLABUS WRITER/DEVELOPER

Milton Bernard

REVISED BY

Dennis May

9.0 DATE OF PRESENTATION OR REVISION

June , 2020

10.0 DATE OF ACCEPTANCE

___________________________ ______________
Programme Director Date

_______________________________________ ______________
Office of Curriculum Development & Evaluation Date