SOL11 Project Management

• Topics

  Projects are a widespread form of work in companies, and competence in project management is increasingly in demand. The purpose of the course is to give you knowledge and practical skills in project management.

  There are many benefits to organizing and completing a task as a project. However, project management differs from traditional management in several areas, and requires specific competence and methods.The course first discusses what characterizes projects as a working method and what it means to be a project manager. On the basis of general project methods, we then look into how projects are planned, organised and managed. We employ both traditional methods and agile methods. We work on practical assignments to concretize the topics, and to practice the use of relevant techniques and tools such as MS-Project. Success factors, risk management, benefit realization, and ethical dilemmas related to successful project management will be discussed. We will also talk about agile approaches to projects and about digital tools can be used to plan and manage projects. On the basis of lectures and assignments, the students will work in groups on a project assignment.

  Topics

  • The project as a working method
  • The initiation, evaluation, and choice of projects
  • The project manager role
  • Planning and organizing projects
  • Management and follow up of projects
  • Procurement and contract strategy
  • Critical success factors and risk management
  • Project conclusion and benefit realization
  • Agile project methods
  • Digitalization of the project process
  • Project completion

• Learning outcome

  Knowledge

  Upon course completion, the candidate has:

  • Good understanding of what characterizes projects as a working method.
  • Good understanding of what distinguishes project management from other types of management.
  • Good knowledge of key topics, challenges and methods in project management.

  Skills 

  Upon course completion, the candidate can:

  • Plan, organize and manage a project. 
  • Apply relevant techniques and tools. 

  General competence

  Upon course completion, the candidate can:

  • Explain critical success factors and ethical dilemmas in relation to project management.
  • Disseminate key subject matter such as theories, issues and solutions.

• Teaching

  The topics in the course are introduced and reviewed through a series of videos published in Canvas. Plenary sessions will be used for work on exercises related to the various topics, techniques, and tools.

  Other:

  Students in the course will be offered the opportunity to complete a publicly approved certification in project management. The certification is based on PRINCE2, a widely used project methodology. A course fee must be paid to take the certification test. The fee also includes an e-learning program in project management. The offer is voluntary and is not a course requirement.

• Required prerequisites

  None

• Compulsory Activity

  Approved individual multiple choice test after the last session in the course. Conducted through Canvas. A minimum of 50% correct answers is required to pass. Multiple attempts are allowed.

• Assessment

  The assessment form consists of a group-based written project assignment. There can be a maximum of three people per group, and students have two months to complete the project assignment.

• Grading Scale

  Grading scale A-F.

• Computer tools

  The course involves training and assignments in Microsoft Project.

• Literature

  • Jan Terje Karlsen (2023): Project Management. From Startup to Success. Universitetsforlaget.
  • Selected articles available through Leganto.