PMgt 791: Strategic Management in Projects (2Chrs)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In most project environments we see projects as beset with environmental uncertainty, interdependencies,
struggles to allocate resources strategically, and a complex organizational environment. Following from
this, traditional project management is not up to this challenge, and needs to be augmented by other
perspectives. By integrating the more strategic perspectives into traditional project management, something
more powerful and effective can emerge. Businesses need to manage complex projects by combining
business strategy and project management techniques in order to implement the business strategy and to
deliver organizational breakthroughs.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course students will be able to:

 identify the phases of strategic management

 understand the benefits of strategic management
 engage in turning business strategies into implementations through project management;
 work on internal, cross-functional or within-functional projects at a strategic level;
 manage projects properly as part of the overall programs
 prepare accurate and realistic project plans
 use strategic thinking into more micro project management
 manage complex projects by combining business strategy and project management techniques

CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

1.1. The study of strategic management

1.2. Phases of strategic management

1.3. Benefits of strategic management

1.4. Impact of globalization, innovation and sustainability

1.5. Theories of organizational adaptation

1.6. Model of strategic management

1.7. Strategic decision making

CHAPTER TWO: MANAGING PROJECTS STRATEGICALLY

2.1. Deficiencies in conventional project management

2.2. The relevance of strategic thinking to project management

2.3. Strategic Project Management Process

CHAPTER THREE: LINKING PROJECTS WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY

3.1. The strategy mix

3.3. The role of instrumentalism

3.4. Understanding the internal competitive environment

3.5. Project programs, interdependencies and strategic breakthroughs

3.6. Seeing business strategy as a stream of projects

CHAPTER FOUR: DEVELOPING PROJECT STRATEGY AND PLANS

4.1. Developing project options and strategies

4.2. Force-field analysis

4.3. Stakeholder analysis

4.4. How-how and activity analysis

4.5. Critical path analysis (and uncertainty)

4.6. Project interdependencies

CHAPTER FIVE: STRATEGIC PROJECT EVALUATION

5.1. Evaluating project strategically

5.2. Stages in strategic project appraisal

5.3. Options for defining the project

5.4. Targeting and collecting data

5.5. Evaluating the assumptions

5.6. Analyzing importance and uncertainty of assumptions and project scenarios

5.7. Understanding the dynamics of uncertainty and scenarios

5.8. Exploring the base case

5.9. Intangibles and interdependencies

CHAPTER SIX: STRATEGIC PROJECT MOBILIZATION, CONTROL AND LEARNING

6.1. Project mobilization and roles

6.2. Project milestones and indicators

6.3. Project learning

6.4. Project dynamics

CHAPTER SEVEN: BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT

7.1. Exploring strategic behavior

7.2. Strategic projects and strategic behavior

7.3. Diagnosing team roles

7.4. Specific techniques for understanding strategic behavior in projects

CHAPTER EIGHT: MANAGING STRATEGIC PROJECTS: CHECKLISTS

8.1. Organic business development projects

8.2. Selling more to existing customers

8.3. New value-creating activity projects

8.4. New distribution channel projects

8.5. New technologies

8.6. Organizational change projects

8.7. Understanding the macro context of change

8.8. Project managing the change process

8.9. Specific change applications

8.10. Projects involving strategic and financial planning

8.11. Restructuring projects

8.12. Change projects affecting specific roles and management style

8.13. Quality management projects

8.14. Culture change projects

8.15. Information systems projects

8.16. Performance management rewards systems projects

8.17. Management development projects

8.18. Project managing individual role transitions

8.19. Management buy-out projects

8.20. Acquisitions, alliance and joint venture projects

8.21. Cost management and efficiency

Mode of Delivery

Lecture on major conceptual frameworks strategic management

Role play in practicing the role of project management for strategy implementation

Individual and group presentation on main topics of the course

Mode of Assessment

 Details of the assessment techniques that will be applied in the course progress are summarized
below:
→ Individual Assignment (term papers) 40
→ Attendance and class activity 10
→ Final Exam 50
→ Total 100

Text Book

Barclay C. and Osei-Bryson K. (2016). Strategic project management: Contemporary issues and strategies
for developing economies. Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. London.

REFERENCES

Callahan Kevin R. and Brooks Lynne M. (2004). John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New Jersey.

Cleland David L. and Ireland Lewis R. (2002). Project management: Strategic design and Implementation.
4th ed. McGraw Hill, New Jersey.

DyReyes J. (2008). Strategic project management: aligning strategic business objectives with project
management strategy. University of Oregan, Portland.

Grunday T. and Brown L. (2002). Strategic project management: creating organizational breakthroughs.
Thomson Learning. London.

Moeere S. (2010). Strategic project portfolio management. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New Jersey.

Schmidt T. (2009) Strategic project management made simple. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., new Jersey.