MGT-461

Project Management
Module Handbook

Riffat Abbas Rizvi

Faculty of Business Administration
Department of Management Sciences

Department of Management Sciences, CIIT Islamabad 1 of 10

 Table of Contents

1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 03

2 Objective....................................................................................................... 03

3 Contacting the module instructor.................................................................. 04

4 Rationale including Aims .............................................................................. 04

5 Pre-Requisites.............................................................................................. 04

6 Teaching and Learning Outcomes............................................................... 04

7 Teaching Methodology................................................................................. 04

8 Assessment Scheme................................................................................... 05

9 Reading Materials........................................................................................ 05

10 Course Requirement and Expectations........................................................ 05

11 Academic Dishonesty................................................................................... 06

12 Module Contents .......................................................................................... 07

Department of Management Sciences, CIIT Islamabad 2 of 10

Introduction
Many organisations do not employ full-time Project Managers and it is common to pull together a
project team to address a specific need. While most people do not have formal skills in a project
methodology, taking a role in a project team can be an excellent learning opportunity and can improve a
person's career profile.

Project management in the modern sense began in the early 1950s, although it has its roots much further
back in the latter years of the 19th century. The need for project management was driven by businesses
that realised the benefits of organising work around projects and the critical need to communicate and
co-ordinate work across departments and professions. One of the first major uses of project management
as we know it today was to manage the US space programme. The government, military and corporate
world have now adopted this practice.

Here is the main definition of what project management is:

 Project management is no small task.

 Project management has a definite beginning and end. It is not a continuous process.
 Project management uses various tools to measure accomplishments and track project tasks.
These include Work Breakdown Structures, Gantt charts and PERT charts.
 Projects frequently need resources on an ad-hoc basis as opposed to organisations that have only
dedicated full-time positions.
 Project management reduces risk and increases the chance of success.

Project management is often summarised in a triangle. The three most important factors are time,
cost and scope, commonly called the triple constraint. These form the vertices with quality as a
central theme. Lately quality has been added to the constraint triangle as the fourth variable to make
it a rectangle. This module aims to provide students with an overview of the key aspects required to
effectively manage /understand “Project management”. In particular, the module seeks to show the
various ways in which Project Management interfaces with other knowledge areas of Project
management such as Cost, Time, Human Resources and Quality which are crucial to any project. As
such students will learn about the Key Project Management tools that will enable then to develop the
Knowledge and Skills necessary in order to: Analyze the Project in Organizational Context, its
stakeholders, Project Management Team influencing the PM Processes.

“If the old middle managers are dinosaurs, a new class of manager mammal is evolving to fill the
niche they once ruled: project managers. Unlike his biological counterpart, the project manager is
more agile and adaptable than the beast he is displacing, more likely to live by his wits than
throwing his weight around.”

Objective

This module aims to provide students with an overview of the key aspects required to effectively
manage /understand “Project management”. In particular, the module seeks to show the various
ways in which Project Management interfaces with other knowledge areas of Project management
such as Cost, Time, Human Resources and Quality which are crucial to any project. As such students
will learn about the Key Project Management tools that will enable then to develop the Knowledge
and Skills necessary in order to: Analyze the Project in Organizational Context, its stakeholders,
Project Management Team influencing the PM Processes.

Department of Management Sciences, CIIT Islamabad 3 of 10

 “If the old middle managers are dinosaurs, a new class of manager mammal is evolving to fill the
niche they once ruled: project managers. Unlike his biological counterpart, the project manager is
more agile and adaptable than the beast he is displacing, more likely to live by his wits than
throwing his weight around.”

Specific objective includes;

 To develop understanding of project planning and management concept
 To develop the understanding the concepts of developing a project and make a plan covering
project scope management, time management, and cost management and other knowledge areas
 To develop the skills to prepare a class project report and present it to the class.
This is a 3 credit hour course, comprising 3 hours of teaching per week.

Contacting the Module Instructor

You can contact your module instructor in the following ways:

Email: riffat_abbas@comsats.edu.pk

Meeting: One hour before the class in my office and by appointment in my office on other
weekdays.
Rationale Including Aims
Project Management is based on nine knowledge areas. Like any human undertaking, projects need to be
performed and delivered under certain constraints. Traditionally, these constraints have been listed as
"scope," "time," and "cost".[1] These are also referred to as the "project management triangle", where
each side represents a constraint. One side of the triangle cannot be changed without affecting the others.
A further refinement of the constraints separates product "quality" or "performance" from scope, and
turns quality into a fourth constraint.

The time constraint refers to the amount of time available to complete a project. The cost constraint
refers to the budgeted amount available for the project. The scope constraint refers to what must be done
to produce the project's end result. These three constraints are often competing constraints: increased
scope typically means increased time and increased cost, a tight time constraint could mean increased
costs and reduced scope, and a tight budget could mean increased time and reduced scope.

The discipline of project management is about providing the tools and techniques that enable the project
team (not just the project manager) to organize their work to meet these constraints.

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Prerequisites

No prior completion of course work is mandatory for studying this course, but professional work
experience is helpful.
After studying this course the participants should be able

 To understand the various concepts used in project management.

 To understand the basic steps, principles and methods to make a project plan based on the nine
knowledge areas.
 To have awareness of the working of markets and how to conceive new projects, make a plan
and implement it.
 To perform project evaluation to analyze various alternatives.
 To prepare a comprehensive project report and present it.

Teaching Methodology

It is important to me that each of you is successful in this course. The topic as well as the concepts will
be discussed in the classroom. Illustrations, exercises and problems will also be solved in the classroom.
Work will be assigned to the students that will be done by them at home and the problems arising will be
removed in the class discussions. The assessment and evaluation of the students will be based on the
below stated areas.
 Individual reading and study, together with lectures.
 Class discussions and participation.
 Case study analysis.
 Literature review and preparing notes
 Class project teams to prepare a project plan and present it to the class.
Assessment Scheme

First-term examination 10%

Second Term Examination 15%
Quiz/Assignments/Projects/Presentations 25%
Terminal Examination after 16 week 50%

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Reading Materials

Core Text:

 Book on Project Management Body of Knowledge by Project Management Institute of America

Internet search; material sent by me; my lecture presentations.
 Project Management: A systems approach to Planning, scheduling and Controlling by Dr. Harold
Kerzner, PH.D Ninth Edition.

(For Practical Implementation)

 Book on Project Management Body of Knowledge by Project Management Institute of America
Internet search; material sent by me; my lecture presentations.

ARTICLES FOR PRESENTATION BEFORE SECOND MIDTERM IS

GOING TO BE FROM PMI JOURNAL.
 Are We Getting Any Better? Comparing Project Management in the Years 2000
and 2008, Erling S. Andersen.
 25 Years of Stakeholder Theory in Project Management Literature (1984–2009)
Paul Littau, Nirmala Jyothi Jujagiri, and Gerald Adlbrecht
 Identifying Forces Driving PMO Changes Monique Aubry, Brian Hobbs, Ralf Müller,
and Tomas Blomquist
 Project Portfolios in Dynamic Environments: Sources of Uncertainty and Sensing
Mechanisms, Yvan Petit and Brian Hobbs
 The Dynamics of Collaboration in Multipartner Projects Perttu Dietrich, Pernille
Eskerod, Darren Dalcher, and Birinder Sandhawalia
 The Relationship Between Organizational and Professional Commitment in the
Case of Project Workers: Implications for Project Management Ravikiran
Dwivedula and Christophe N. Bredillet
 Social and Behavioral Influences on Team Process Susan L. Adams and Vittal
Anantatmula
 Attitude-Based Strategic Negotiation for Conflict Management in Construction
ProjectsSaied Yousefi, Keith W. Hipel, and Tarek Hegazy
 Aim, Fire, Aim—Project Planning Styles in Dynamic Environments Simon Collyer,
Clive Warren, Bronwyn Hemsley, and Chris Stevens.
 Creating Knowledge of End Users’ Requirements: The Interface Between Firm
and Project Sofia Pemsel and Kristian Widén.

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Course Requirements and Expectations

Grades: Letter grades will be assigned based on the university’s standard grading scale.
Being Prepared for Class: Student must go through the topics being covered that day. You should be
ready to discuss the undergoing concepts by different perspectives.
Attendance: Students are required to attend all the classes; minimum attendance requirement by rule is
80% in CIIT. You are fully responsible for the information missed in the class due to absence.
Quizzes will be announced and there will be no make-up for missed quizzes.
Assignments: In fairness to students who complete assignments on time, late assignments will not be
accepted. You must turn in the assignments at the end of the lecture on the day they are due.
Minimising disruptions: All cell phones should be turned off during class. Do not involve in side
conversations.
Class Project: Students are required to work in teams of 3-4 and prepare and present a project report.
Class Participation: Positive, healthy and constructive class participation will be monitored for each
class. Particular emphasis will be given during the presentation sessions. The manner in which the
question is asked or answered will also be noted. Your behaviour as business executives in the class will
contribute to the class participation marks.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is an offence that will not be tolerated in any form. Any student who is involved
in any such activity will be penalised to the fullest extent possible allowed by university regulations. If
you have any doubts about whether an action constitutes academic dishonesty, before consult with your
instructor before taking the action.

Plagiarism and Cheating: the presentation by a student as his or her own work but is actually stolen
from some one else. Whenever a student submits a piece of writing claiming it to be his own authorship,
it is generally understood that all the ideas, opinions, facts, figures, conclusions, revisions, words are the
student’s original work, unless he/she has explicitly indicated otherwise using citations, footnotes,
attribution in the text, and/or used quotation marks.The use of unauthorised material during an
examination in order to secure or give help will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty also
encompasses unauthorised copying and distribution of examinations, assignments, reports, projects or
term papers or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student’s own work. A

Department of Management Sciences, CIIT Islamabad 7 of 10

person failing to acknowledge and recognise the contribution of the original author will be held
responsible under academic deception. Such action will necessitate measures to discipline the student
under the University’s academic dishonesty policy. Any academic dishonesty would call for swift
punitive action by the faculty and the names of the students involved would be reported to the concerned
Head of Department.

Module Contents

Week Lecture Activity

1 1
 Introduction of the teacher
 Introduction to the course
 Instructions about the class procedure, etc; class project and
making project teams
 Definition of project, project management, and a project manager.
 How to give Article review Presentation and Project management
Plan Presentation
 Other matters pertaining to course

1 2  Project Management Processes

 Project Management Vs. Operations Management
 Project Management and Strategic Business Management
2 3  Conceive/plan a project
 What is a project proposal

2 4  Finalize class project teams

3 5
 Introduction to PM
 Project Life Cycle and Organizations, Quiz 1
 Project Scope Management (PSM) – what is PSM; Scope
Planning and Scope Management Plan; Scope Definition and
Project Scope Statement

3 6  Project Scope Management – Creating The Work Breakdown

4 7
4 8
5 9
5 10
Structure; Scope Verification; Scope Control , Quiz 2
 Two 30-minute Practical demonstration of
HEC Health and Fitness Club Work Break down Structure
 Practical Video Presentation
Making of Mobile truck Hospital Med-1 Prototype Video
 Project Time Management – Importance of Project Schedule;
Activity Definition
 Activity Resource Estimating, Networking Techniques
 Practical Implementation of Project time management
 Project Time Management – Schedule Development (Gantt
Charts, CPM,)

6 11  Project Time Management - Development (Gantt Charts, CPM,

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Week Lecture Activity
PERT) continued.
 Project Time Management Plan will be checked by the Teacher.
Quiz 3

6 12  Project Cost Management (PCM) – Importance of PCM; Basic

Principles of PCM
7 13  Project Cost Management – Cost Estimating (types of costs, cost
estimating tools and techniques, typical problems with cost
estimation, sample cost estimates)
7 14  Articles Presentation
8 15  Project Cost Management – Cost Budgeting, Cost Control
 Work on class project in teams and with the teacher’s advice
8 16  Earned Value Measurement System
9 17  Project Evaluation – Cost Benefit Ratio, Net Present Value,
Payback. Internal Rate of Return
9 18  Project Cost Management – Outsourcing; Accepting an Offer, etc.
 Project Cost Management Plan review by the Teacher. Quiz 4
10 19  Project Quality Management Plan- Basic Concepts
10 20  Quality Assurance
11 21  Quality Control, Six Sigma, ISO(International Standardization for
organizations)
 Making of Quality Management Plan
 Project Files Checked. Quiz 5
11 22  Project Communication Management Plan
 Identifying Stakeholders
12 23  Project Human Resource Management Plan
12 24  Acquiring, Training and Development, Utilization of HR
13 25  Project Risk Management
 Identifying Project Risk
13 26  Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
14 27  Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis,
 Data gathering and Analysis using SPSS

14 28  Plan Risk Responses, Strategies for Positive, Negative and

Contingency
15 29  Monitor and Control Risks
Quiz-6
15 30  Presentation of the Articles

16 31  VIVA, Work on feasibility report

16 32  Revision Project Management Class project presentations (each
team 15 minutes). Submit comprehensive project report – soft
copy

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 GOOD LUCK

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