Lahore University of Management Sciences

DISC 346 – Project Management

Fall 2021

Instructor Areeb Pasha

Room No. TBC
Office Hours TBC
Email areeb.pasha@lums.edu.pk
Telephone TBC
Secretary/TA Malik Imran Abass (Admin Assistant)
TA Office Hours TBC
Course URL (if any) TBC

Course Teaching Methodology (Please mention following details in plain text)

 Teaching Methodology: Mix of Synchronous and Asynchronous 

 Lecture details: Live, with recordings available. Recordings only when unable to hold live class.

Course Basics
Credit Hours 3
Lecture(s) 3 Per Week Duration 75 mins
Recitation/Lab (per week) N/A Duration N/A
Tutorial (per week) N/A Duration N/A

Course Distribution
Core No
Elective Yes
Open for Student Category 3rd and 4th Undergraduate Students
Close for Student Category N/A

COURSE DESCRIPTION
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
Project management is increasingly being used in public sector as well as the private sector. Projects are undertaken in a variety of industries,
some of which (such as the software and construction sectors) rely entirely on them. There are no ‘typical’ projects: projects range from
orchestrating events to installation of new IT systems, introducing new processes and procedures, office moves, opening of new branches,
disaster management, launch of new products / services, launch of advertising campaigns and even bidding for major customer contracts.
Sometimes consultancy may also take the form of a project.

Given the nature of the corporate world these days, students undertaking this course can be expected to be involved in projects during some part
of their careers. The course, therefore, equips these students with working knowledge of project management theory and techniques and helps
them understand the environment within which projects are conducted. During the course, they will also become aware of project processes as
well as project stakeholders’ whole needs must be understood and satisfied during projects.

COURSE PREREQUISITE(S)

None

LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Understanding the nature of projects in business and non-business environments
 To create an awareness of the skills, attributes and knowledge requires by project managers as well as ethical
implications of running projects
 To develop the practical knowledge of project skills pertaining to scope definition and stakeholder management
 To equip students with the practical knowledge of the various project knowledge area defined by PMI and practiced
worldwide
 Define the concept of the ‘project’ in relation to commercial and social organizations in the government and private
sector
 Perform tasks including project assessment, defining the scope, performing key stakeholder analysis and creating a
project charter
 Explain how project plans and work breakdown structure (WBS) are developed and used in projects for scheduling and
cost control
 Articulate how a project team performs the work necessary to achieve the stated objectives of the project through
monitoring, quality management, stakeholder management and risk management
 Explain the needs, tools and the success / failure indicators in projects
 Demonstrate an understanding of the skills, knowledge and attributes required of a project manager

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

General Learning Goals & Objectives

Goal 1 –Effective Written and Oral Communication

Objective: Students will demonstrate effective writing and oral communication skills

Goal 2 –Ethical Understanding and Reasoning

Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify and address ethical issues in an organizational context.

Goal 3 – Analytical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify key problems and generate viable solutions.

Goal 4 – Application of Information Technology

Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to use current technologies in business and management context.

Goal 5 – Teamwork in Diverse and Multicultural Environments

Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to work effectively in diverse environments.
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
Goal 6 – Understanding Organizational Ecosystems
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they have an understanding of Economic, Political, Regulatory, Legal, Technological,
and Social environment of organizations.
Major Specific Learning Goals & Objectives

Goal 7 (a) – Discipline Specific Knowledge and Understanding

Objective: Students will demonstrate knowledge of key business disciplines and how they interact including application to real
world situations (Including subject knowledge).

Goal 7 (b) – Understanding the “science” behind the decision-making process (for MGS Majors)
Objective: Students will demonstrate ability to analyse a business problem, design and apply appropriate decision-support tools,
interpret results and make meaningful recommendations to support the decision-maker.

GRADING BREAKUP AND POLICY

Quizzes – 20% (5 quizzes in total, all announced, n-1 will apply.)
CP – 10%
Mid-Term – 25%
Final – 25%
Project – 20%

*Maximum 3 absences allowed after which there will be a grade deduction.

Note – Readings in the course outline point the students to the relevant text, however before classes each week, the specific elements that
students need to read will be shared

EXAMINATION DETAIL
Yes
Combined
Midterm
Duration: 75 mins
Exam
Preferred Date: Lecture 14
Exam Specifications: Course Covered from W1 to W7
Yes
Combined
Final Exam Duration: 120 mins
Preferred Date: Exam Week
Exam Specifications: Course Covered from W8 to W13
     

COURSE OVERVIEW
Recommended
Week Topics
Readings / Viewings
 PMI – 50 most influential
projects
 PMBOK Chapter 1
W1 Introduction to Project Management  Lester Chapter 1 / 2/ 3/ 4
 Discussions
o Playing with Lego
W2 Organizational Influences and Project Lifecycle  PMBOK Chapter 2
Organization Structures  Lester Chapter 9 / 10 / 11
 Turner and Muller, 2003:
On the nature of projects
Objectives/
Application
Understanding how important
project management is to deliver
impactful results. Running through
the basics of project management,
how they seem easy but are difficult
to deliver
Understanding that not all projects
are the same and one size does not
fit all. Each project has individual
needs and requirements and
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
as temporary organizations
 Discussions:
therefore requires different planning
o Honda vs. Descon
in accordance with cultural needs
o FCG / EMPG /
OLX Integration
 PMBOK Chapter 3
 Lester Chapter 5 / 6
Students will understand that
 Reading: New trends in
projects usually have to deliver
Processes (Methodology) project management; Agile,
within cost constraints to be
W3 Business Case and Investment Appraisals Scrum, Sprints
successful, and this can only be done
 Discussions
by understanding the end to end
o CarFirst
processes and planning ahead
Additional Sales
Channel
 PMBOK Chapter 4
 Lester Chapter 14
A successful project cannot be
 Reading: linking projects to
delivered without strategically
Integration Management strategy
W4 planning ahead. Starting with a
Planning  Case - British Council
charter to a full-blown plan is what
 Discussions:
students will learn to do
o KONE Project
Charters
 PMBOK Chapter 5
 Lester Chapter 12 / 17
 Reading: turning projects in Defining the scope of the project and
Scope Management to bit sized morsels of work then managing it throughout the
W5 Change Management packages process using detailed work
Work Breakdown Structures  Case - Emporium Mall breakdown structures to pin-point
 Discussions: tasks to be delivered
o Interloop – the
smile curve
 PMBOK Chapter 6
 Lester Chapter 25 / 27
 Reading: what it takes to
Scheduling activities to ensure that
Time Management be a project manager
W6 timelines are met and stakeholders
Progress Reporting and Milestones  Discussions:
remain satisfied
o EPD Punjab
o Current State vs.
Future State
 PMBOK Chapter 7
Ensuring that the project does not
 Lester Chapter 13
Cost Management run in to over-runs and impacts the
W7  Case - Heathrow Terminal 5
Estimations profitably both in the short and long
o Virgin Media
run
Audit
W7 Mid-Term
 PMBOK Chapter 8
 Lester Chapter 8 / 16
 Reading – Public sector Quality control in operations and
Quality Management project management quality assurance as the project runs
W8
Success Criteria  Discussions: through its lifecycle are essential to
o Guest Engineer ensure success
o QC Team Honda /
CarFirst
W9 Human Resource Management  PMBOK Chapter 9 Perhaps the most important element
Team Building, Motivation and Leadership  Lester Chapter 39 / 40 of project management is keeping a
 Reading – why should motivated team which can deliver on
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
anyone be led by you
 Discussions all the other elements of the project
o Guest HR management methodology
Consultant
 PMBOK Chapter 10
 Lester Chapter 37 / 38 / Information is key, missing the
Communications and Information
41 / 42 slightest detail in a project can result
W10 Management
 Case - E-Gateway Project in mega disaster at a later stage of
Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
 Discussions: the project lifecycle
o DFE UK
 PMBOK Chapter 11
 Lester Chapter 15 / 35 / 36
Risks, both quantitative and
 Case - Orange Line
Risk Management qualitative have to be identified
W11  Discussions
Value, Health, Safety and Environment timely to develop a controls program
o World Bank –
that can mitigate these
Investment
Climate Reform
 PMBOK Chapter 12
 Lester Chapter 34
Maintaining a healthy pipeline of
 Case - Orange Line
supply; specially for construction
W12 Procurement Management  Discussions
projects is essential to ensure timely
o Guest Engineer /
completion
Procurement
Specialist
 PMBOK Chapter 13
 Lester Chapter 7
 Case - Wall City of Lahore
The most important element is to
W13 Stakeholder Management Authority: The Royal Trail
ensure that
Project
 Discussions
o EPD Punjab
Exam Week Final Exam

Textbook(s)/Supplementary Readings

 A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – PMI

 Project Management, Planning and Control – Albert Lester