project management and collaboration documents/syll… · can be credited toward pmi project...

BUS 558/352 Syllabus Spring 2012 Thomas

Project Management and Collaboration

2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Mon. / Wed. All Classes in Room 421

Professor: Dominic Thomas, Ph.D. Office: 420 Email: [email protected] (forwards to my gmail [email protected] Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dominict (connect; indicate our relationship) Phone: 404-727-7903 (office) Fax: 404-727-2053 (shared, use cover sheet) Skype: dominic.thomas (be sure to indicate our relationship so I know its not spam) Web: www.dominict.net Office hours: Any day or time by appointment or dropping in when the door is open. Before class

from 1 pm to 2:15 pm is available every class day.

Teaching Assistants Rahul Gupta and James (JB) Smith III

Required Materials: • I will provide a course packet of distributable items (free). • The case and a few readings must be purchased online ($31.60):

http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/11733260 • Project Management (4th Edition) Harvey Maylor ISBN 978-0-273-70432-4

(http://j.mp/PMtextsource ($120) or at Amazon http://j.mp/atAmazon ($73.45)) • Sharepoint site (requires TA to add your account to the users list for authorization) for basic

sharing and archiving in addition to email through FirstClass: https://collaboration.bus.emory.edu/course/Project_Management/default.aspx

• We will be using Microsoft Project Software 2010 (free). You can download it for free from our (Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance [“e-academy”]) MSDNAA site through a special agreement with Microsoft. You received an email from e-academy at the beginning of the semester with a link and special password to access the site and get the software. You can also use this software in the computer lab if you have not installed it.

• Clarizen online project management software (free). (I have arranged for free accounts using your emory.edu email addresses.)

BUS 558 / 352 Thomas Sp12 Syllabus

2

Catalog Description This course provides a comprehensive introduction to project management. Projects provide businesses a time-delimited tool for improving, expanding, and innovating- the primary means for converting strategy into action. Success differentiates top performing firms. We will use Project Management Institute (PMI) materials and focus on discussion and analysis of business cases that convey core project management skills. We will particularly focus on the challenge of managing projects involving dispersed team members from multiple organizations. This course can be credited toward PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Teaching Goals This course targets its content at students with little to no background in project management as well as students highly experienced in project management. The experienced students will have an opportunity to reflect on and refine their own practice, extending their understanding to alternate contexts beyond IT or engineering to finance and marketing, for example. The students with little to no background will learn about the basics of project management including how to manage projects and use PM tools. This course assumes project management applies broadly to all strategic change efforts in firms and can enable improved effectiveness of all sorts of business activities including mergers and acquisitions, new product/service development, brand management, and product/service distribution and production. Learning Objectives • The specific learning objectives exist for each session of the course. The course materials and

techniques have been aligned with the objectives to best achieve them. For example: o Describe how effective project management enables achieving strategic goals of

firms. o Apply basic techniques for planning, implementing, and evaluating projects

effectively. o Use and manage at least one project with one project management software package

(in a case at least), and describe pros and cons of at least three other PM software alternatives as well as at least 10 project collaboration tools/techniques.

o Describe different types of projects, and evaluate appropriateness of different PM strategies for each type.

o Apply frameworks to evaluate ailing projects and craft interventions to fix them. o Evaluate a project against its portfolio brethren using portfolio management

techniques and use applicable research findings to recommend a best course of action, such as pulling the plug.


3

Extended Description Increasingly, project management serves as the primary way of organizing strategic business efforts in all sectors due to its proven ability at delivering successful change. We see companies (selected examples in parentheses) such as major investment firms (Goldman Sachs, J. P. Morgan), manufacturers (GE Energy, Proctor and Gamble and Kimberly-Clark), retailers (Sears, Wal-Mart), and especially services vendors (Sodexho) requiring PM knowledge and skills when

hiring upper-level employees in various roles including finance, marketing, and accounting beyond the traditional PM in IT and operations and implementing PM in new organizational forms. PM’s key

differentiator from more traditional change organization and delivery methods revolves around carefully planned encapsulation and delivery through goal-oriented teams. In this course we will learn key basics of project management as well as new research on how to fix projects, how to decide to pull the plug and manage a project portfolio, and how to enable better, dispersed, multi-organizational efforts. Guest speakers (not all confirmed yet) will be visiting to share their experience. Evaluation and Grading

Item Group/Individual % Exercises I 25 Debate (MBAs) / Survey Activity (BBAs) G / I 15 Quiz I 15 Project G 45 Peer Evaluation of Contributions I * Self Evaluation of Contributions I *

* These evaluations are used to adjust the Project and Debate grades. Instructions for the Quiz I will administer one quiz during the semester. It will cover content in the reading materials and will come close to midterm. It will take approximately one hour and include short answer questions targeting you identifying concepts of project management, explaining them effectively to me in your own words and examples, and analyzing discrete project contexts using some techniques we have learned and information provided. The exact date of the quiz will be determined based on the pacing of our course as it progresses. The best way to study is to read the materials, complete the exercises, and participate actively. Instructions for the Exercises You have exercises to complete at home. Each is worth about 3% of your grade. They build core Project Management skills. Upload your answers as MS Project, PDFs or Word documents as appropriate to the Assignments area of our First Class conference. Be sure to type the exercise letter followed by your full name, last name first, in the file name and your email


4

subject line. Again, complete all exercises as a digital file and submit them using the following file naming convention: [Exercise].[Last_name].[First_name] So, for example, if I submit exercise A, my file would be called: A.Thomas.Dominic.mpp

Instructions for the Debates (MBAs) The debates are framed on topics you may encounter in meetings with peers when discussing project management. The goal is to build your understanding of both sides of the argument around each topic. I want each team to be as objective as possible and to support their arguments with evidence and any research they can find as opposed to trying to convince through authority and personal attacks. To this end, we evaluate the debates on how logically persuasive each team presents and rebuts the arguments of the debate. You may find useful research within the PMI library online, particularly in the Project Management Journal or in common other sources, such as the Harvard Business Review or Sloan Management Review. Try to find high-quality sources. Feel free to access materials from prior debates during prior sessions of our course. It is an Oxford-style debate. The pro side will go first and present their arguments for 20 minutes. Next, the con side will present arguments for 20 minutes. We will take a 5-minute preparation break for both sides to develop their rebuttal. You can staff the speaking and preparation as you wish. If you want one or two people to handle all of the talking, that is fine. If you want everyone to speak, that is fine too. It may be useful to have a couple of people preparing rebuttal points and taking notes while others are speaking. The pro side will then have a chance to rebut the con side for 5 minutes. The con side will rebut the pro side next for 5 minutes. Following these presentations we have 10 minutes for questions

Exercise Work Load Description Due * A Medium New Wine Brand – Part 1 using MS Project Feb. 1

B Light Write your answers to the questions for “Three Project Managers” page 18-20.

Jan. 25

C Heavy New Wine Brand – Part 2 using MS Project Feb. 15

D Light Write your answers to questions 1, 2, 4 and 7 on page 47 of the textbook.

Feb. 1

E Heavy New Wine Brand – Part 3 using MS Project (we will only do an intro in class, you will finish this at home )

Feb. 29 (Leap Day!)

F Medium Prepare your solution to the Wells Fargo Case: I will pass out questions for each part.

Feb. 8

G Light Answer the case questions on page 234-5 of the textbook for the “It’s a Risky Business” case.

Mar. 21

H Heavy Answer questions 1-10 on pages 235-236 of the textbook.

Mar. 21

* Exercises are in start date order (the in which I want you to start working on them in order to be done by the due date).


5

from the audience at the end of which we vote through a Qualtrics survey emailed to your email account listed in the Google spreadsheet. Please make sure the email address listed for you is the best one to reach you and one you can access during class time. My grading of the debate will take into account the preparation and solid argumentation as well as the voting by the audience. I will deduct credit for any personal attacks and ploys to use American political debate-style tactics of sensationalism, though being engaging and evidential is highly valued.

Debate Pro Con 1: “The best person to manage a project is a person with deep area knowledge of the target business unit (not just PM know how).”

1 2

2: “It is a waste of time and money to establish a project management office for a large corporation.”

3 4

Instructions for the Survey Activity (BBAs) We will conduct a survey of peer and personal experiences of project collaboration on teams from student coursework. Each person will need to get five complete examples (surveys of all team members) without duplicating any project experiences. More information will be given in class about how we will conduct the data collection and pooled analysis. Instructions for the Projects One major vehicle for the course learning will be projects conducted in small groups. Ideally, these projects will be conducted within the contexts of the students’ own work. I particularly encourage the any working student to bring their own work into the course as a project to help organize and analyze as a win-win that can benefit the course and the student hosting the project. The non-working students often are studying fulltime and do not have a current work context. For them, I can organize project hosts or they can join projects in their peers’ work contexts. I will make this decision based on your preferences. Please contact me ASAP if you have a project you would like to use with the course based on your own work so that we can co-plan for how a group may help you and get the learning they need from the course. You will define the deliverables of your project with the Project Host once you have a project. They might include a business case, scope definition, WBS, resource allocation, stakeholder analysis, risk assessment and / or intervention plan. I expect you to have at least three PM deliverables in your project. Notes on the Peer/Self Evaluations of Project and Course Contribution These evaluations will be conducted through online surveys and will seek to distinguish low-pass, passing, high, and distinguished performance in our course. I use these evaluations directly in the grading, provided that they are supported by evidence that you provide. On any given day, come to class prepared to discuss the Topics and Discussion Questions for the day, having reflected on the readings. I may occasionally take structured attendance by passing a list or having TAs observe to check compliance with passive participation.


6

Work-Breakdown Structure (WBS) for our Course


7

Course Schedule and Readings (subject to progressive elaboration!) Date Topics & Discussion Questions Class Activities Class Preparations Jan. 18

1. What are projects and why manage them? • How are projects different from

‘normal’ work? • Which types of project need

formal management? • How does the project manager

matter? • Why does the technology of

project management matter? • What types of projects are

there, how do we recognize them, and why do the types matter to managers?

Reflection and Inquiry • What are the special needs of

strategic projects?

• Course Overview • Activity – What are

your strengths as a PM and how might they affect your team?

• Interactive

Discussion

(do before next class) Textbook: Chapters 1 & 2 Packet: 4 articles Study.net: nothing

Jan. 23 - 25

2. Scope Project Work • What are the key elements of

defining a project’s scope? • What really needs to be

defined and why? • How do our project

performance metrics influence our thinking about scope?

Reflection and Inquiry • Due to which special

circumstances would project scope be particularly difficult to define?

• Orientation to our online resources

• Exercise A: – New Wine Brand – Part 1 using MS Project (we will only do an intro in class, you will finish this at home and upload the result to First Class by due date)

• Interactive

Discussion

(do before class) Textbook: Chapters 3 & 4 Packet: nothing Study.net: 3 articles Install: If you have a laptop and want MS Project, download it, burn it to a DVD, and install it from MSDNAA before class or use a laptop in class. TAs can help you. Exercise B: Write your answers to the questions for “Three Project Managers” page 18-20. Upload your answers to the assignments area in First Class.

Jan. 30 – Feb. 1

3. Plan Interaction • What does a project plan

entail? • Why do we make the project

plan?

• Exercise C: New Wine Brand – Part 2 using MS Project (we will only do an intro in class, you

Textbook: Chapters 5 & 6 (7 optional) Packet: 2 articles


8

• Will we actually use the pieces of the plan when we execute the work?

• How will collaboration tools help us execute the project plan?

• How do we build their usage into the plan?

Reflection and Inquiry • How will the average worker

engaged in a project get value out of typical project plan deliverables?

will finish this at home and upload the result to First Class by due date)

• Activity: Project Network Diagramming

• Exercise F: I will

hand out questions or post them.

• Interactive

Discussion

Study.net: 1 article Exercise A Exercise D: Write your answers to questions 1, 2, 4 and 7 on page 47 of the textbook. Upload your answers to the assignments area in First Class.

Feb. 6 - 8

4. Forecast Strategic Value • What is the difference between

strategic value and financial value?

• How do we assure ourselves that both types of value will be achieved?

• Why do we get fooled into thinking there is value where there is none?

Reflection and Inquiry • What is the ultimate 'value’ of

a project? • In your experience, does this

value get lost in the PM processes?

• How is it represented?

• Activity: Earned Value

• Case: Wells Fargo Online Financial Services (A) & (B)

• Interactive

Discussion

Textbook: Chapters 8 & 9 Packet: 1 article Study.net: 1 article, 1 case Exercise F: Be prepared to discuss the Wells Fargo Case. Prepare your solution. Upload your answers to the Assignments area in First Class.

Feb. 13 - 15

5. Design Team • How do we identify and

represent the stakeholders in any given project team?

• How do we setup team expectations?

• In today’s distributed projects, how do we connect and empower team members?

Reflection and Inquiry

• Activity: Personality and Team Cohesion

• Exercise E: – New Wine Brand – Part 3 using MS Project (we will only do an intro in class, you will finish this at home and upload

Textbook: Chapters 10 & 11 Packet: 1 article Study.net: 1 article Exercise C


9

• What special team dynamics emerge in specific industry settings, such as healthcare?

the result to First Class by due date)

• Interactive

Discussion

Feb. 20 - 22

6. Allocate Resources • What are the resources for a

project and how do we allocate them?

• What benefit(s) does resource pooling give us? How do we achieve it?

Reflection and Inquiry How do you join ‘silo’ resources to pool for strategic projects?

• Activity: Resource Leveling

• Introduce Exercise G and H in class.

• Setup Clarizen

accounts for project teams

• Interactive

Discussion

Textbook: (Chapter 14 optional) Packet: 2 articles Study.net: nothing

Feb. 28 - 29

7. Monitor and Lead • What do we need to monitor? • How do we monitor,

particularly when we are not regularly face-to-face with team members?

• What sort of leadership will best affect the outcomes we desire in our projects?

• Who are we leading in our project teams? Do we lead all of the stakeholders as project managers?

Reflection and Inquiry • What particular project

leadership challenges can you forecast for strategic projects?

• Debate 1: “The best person to manage a project is a person with deep area knowledge of the target business unit (not just PM know how).”

• Review exercise E • Debate Debrief

• Interactive

Discussion

Textbook: Chapter 12 Packet: 1 article Study.net: nothing Exercise E

Mar. 5 - 7

BBAs ONLY – come to class to work on project management and collaboration survey activity. No MBA Class sessions due to Mid-semester Module. This is a good time to meet with me, catch up, or observe at your host site. I am available to meet during these weeks by appointment. Exercises G & H: Answer the case questions on page 234-5 of the textbook for the “It’s a Risky Business” case. Answer questions 1-10 on pages 235-236 of the textbook. Upload answers to the assignments area of the First Class conference by the due date.

Spring Break


10

Mar. 19 - 21

8. Fix • How do we improve projects

when they are not working as well?

• Why might projects not work as expected in our project plans?

Reflection and Inquiry • What particular project

leadership interventions must a leader be prepared to make in distributed projects?

• Review exercise G & H

• Project Management

and Collaboration survey activity Debrief

• Interactive Discussion

Textbook: Chapter 13 Packet: 2 articles Study.net: nothing Exercise G & H

Mar. 26 - 28

9. Update • Who needs to know what when

during the project? • How do we enable the flow of

communications needed for parallel, distributed updating?

• How accurate are our updates? Reflection and Inquiry • Who needs to update a project? • Why might they fail to give

timely, accurate updates?

• Guest Speaker TBD


Textbook: (Chapter 15 optional) Packet: 2 articles Study.net: nothing

Apr. 2 - 4

• Project Team Meeting time. No Class Session

• Project Time

• Discuss your project progress with your team and me via remote monitoring process.

Schedule a meeting with me during this week for at least 30 minutes with your team by phone to discuss your project host, topic, deliverables, progress, etc. Update Clarizen in advance. Use Fuze Meeting, or WebEx, Skype, or any other conference call bridge for the meeting. I will plan to be available in the early mornings and evenings to simulate a partner overseas.

Apr. 9 - 11

10. Manage Project Portfolios • What is a project portfolio? • How do we manage a project

portfolio? • Why is it useful to think in

terms of project portfolios?


Textbook: (Chapter 16 optional) Packet: 1 article Study.net: nothing


11

Reflection and Inquiry • What dimensions would you

use to evaluate a portfolio of projects? Why?

Apr. 16 - 18

11. Organize for Projects • Do we need different

organizational structure to get maximal value out of projects?

• What would that ‘difference’ be?

Reflection and Inquiry • Where would you start this

analysis of an organization?

• Debate 2: “It is a waste of time and money to establish an enterprise-wide project management office for a large corporation.”


Textbook: Chapter 17 Packet: nothing Study.net: nothing

Apr. 23 - 25

12. Pull the plug? • How do we decide to terminate

a large, strategic project that is not going so well?

• Why is this so difficult? • What do we need to do to

make termination decisions executable and acceptable?

Reflection and Inquiry • Do you think pulling the plug

is a problem in strategic or distributed project environments?

• Debate Debrief

• Review of Course Concepts and Content


Textbook: nothing Packet: 1 article Study.net: nothing

Apr. 30 – May 2

Presentations (date unconfirmed; must be confirmed by registrar mid-semester; should be our normal class time)

• Presentations (schedule TBD)


Special Sessions In the past I have arranged special sessions for the class on Saturdays or on other weekday evenings for additional training on Microsoft Project and preparation for the PMP exam. If you would be interested in having such sessions, you must volunteer or volunteer someone to organize the best date for the session in coordination with me. Both Michael Thompson, PMP, and Nathaniel Poon, PMP, who I helped guide through the process, have volunteered to give an introduction session to taking the PMP exam, if anyone is interested.


12

Classroom Environment and Expectations

What you can expect of me: What I expect of you: • Come prepared to every class. • Come prepared to every class. • Stay focused on your learning. • Stay focused on your learning. • Exhibit only professional behavior. • Exhibit only professional behavior. • Design course and activities to achieve stated goals

and learning objectives. • Complete all work required on time, and with proper

attention and thought. • Listen, guide, and create environment for learning. • Listen, stay actively involved, study, and learn. • Foster mutual respectful learning environment in

classroom. • Treat classmates and instructor with appropriate

respect. • Provide a model of how experts in the field

diagnose and solve problems. • Respect instructor’s expertise in this field and emulate

the model provided. • Consider that it’s not always your fault if you do

not understand the material. • Consider that it’s not always the instructor’s fault if

you do not understand the material. • Use best professional judgment to evaluate

performance fairly, and not be capricious or prejudiced in any way.

• Recognize that instructor uses best professional judgment to evaluate performance and is not “out to get” students.

• Preserve fairness of performance evaluation by upholding high standards of academic integrity.

• Preserve fairness of performance evaluation by adhering to high standards of academic integrity.

We are bound by the Goizueta Business School Honor Code. There is a zero tolerance policy for violations of the code in this course. Violations by any one student are unfair to all other students and go against the values of the instructor, the MBA program, and Emory. If you have questions about what is acceptable, please ask. ODS students with additional needs should meet with me and provide me with copies of the appropriate paperwork by the 2nd week of classes so the appropriate arrangements can be made. During class, it is ok to your laptops, Blackberries, and other digital media. When we have guests and during presentations, please mute your devices so that they do not disrupt. On occasion, I may ask that we put away our devices if a special circumstance requires it, though I do not foresee the need at this point. It is going to be a fun and exciting semester. Thank you for joining our journey! Here is a visualization of the expected workload in our course…

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Estimated Effort

(hours)

Project Management Course Workload Reading Exercises Debate Project

project management and collaboration documents/syll… · can be credited toward pmi project...

Documents