module specification

This module will introduce the student to the fundamental theories and concepts for successful project management. It examines the theory behind project management and best practice in the built environment industries in a local and a global context. It will consider how organisational strategic objectives drive projects and the role the project manager performs in the early stages of the project lifecycle, including the development and use of models to drive portfolio and project management. Following this it will move the focus to the operational stage of the project and how the key project objectives are identified and managed towards a successful project completion.

The syllabus is guided by professional body project management bodies of knowledge and codes of practice (such as the APM and CIOB). The module explains the strategic context within which projects operate to enable the students to understand that a project needs to have a strategic fit with the organisation's wider aims and ambitions.  By the end of the module students should be able to critically evaluate the following:

• the link between organisational strategy, programmes, and projects
• project economics
• project finance mechanisms
• project management methodologies and their underpinning theories
• the challenges of leading a complex project
• the contribution project management makes towards a sustainable built environment
• the responsibilities of the modern global project manager
• strategies to monitor and control the complete project lifecycle

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The syllabus is informed by the project management bodies of knowledge and codes of practice such as those defined by professional bodies such as the Association for Project Management (APM) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).  Topics will include:

• Strategies for project implementation (LO 1,3)
• Project economics and finance mechanisms (LO3)
• Project inception stage (LO 1,4)
• Governance and oversight (LO 2,3)
• Project feasibility (LO 1,4)
• Project pre-construction and early lifecycle (LO 1,5)
• The project management professional bodies and their bodies of knowledge (LO 1,2)
• The sustainable project manager (LO 2,3,5)

Student’s teaching and learning will consist of weekly classes comprising a combination of lectures, seminars, discursive sessions, and workshops totalling 36 hours of contact time. Students will be given the opportunity to engage in seminar activities in which the use of case studies from around the world stimulates discussion and helps them to develop a deep understanding of project management in context and within the framework of the existing project management bodies of knowledge and codes of practice.

Workshops will facilitate group study of authentic case studies, presenting typical project management challenges which will require the students to propose and test solutions to them and then evaluate the outcomes.

A blended/ technology enhanced learning approach will be employed in the delivery of this module. Formal lectures will introduce and develop themes that relate to the core subject. The delivery of the module will be broken down into key elements that have discrete tasks. Tasks will be performed through group and independent study, to develop critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. Throughout the module student output’s will be reviewed, and formative feedback will be given to ensure clarity and comprehension.

Study will be supported via online lectures, tutorials and seminars that will be captured and made available to allow asynchronous access.

The learning and teaching in classes will be supported by the University’s VLE and a blended learning approach, sharing class materials, recommended reading, and case studies. Group tutorials will also be offered to support students in the preparation of their assessments, with opportunities for students to receive forward feedback.

On completion of the module the learner, operating independently and applying their knowledge and skills, should be able to:

1. Investigate and critically evaluate the theories and concepts behind the project management discipline
2. Examine the nature of the built environment sector and the contribution professional bodies and professional ethics and values make towards sustainable construction.
3. Appraise a project measuring its aims and objectives against an organisation's strategic objectives and available finance mechanisms.
4. Design and deliver appropriate strategies to control and monitor key elements within the project life cycle and a client setting that is complex and unpredictable.
5. Autonomously display a deep and systematic understanding of how high performing management teams within a dynamic project environment are developed.

There is no single text currently in publication that provides a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of this module. There are several books which cover various parts of the module in some detail, and these are included in the core text list. There is excellent coverage of the subject available via the Construction Information Service (CIS).  

CIS is accessed via Construction Information Service  and provides a huge range of information relevant to this module. Useful books and articles for this course are listed below:

Link to library reading list