Unit Description and General Aims

The objective of this unit is to prepare students to plan, develop, manage and successfully implement and deliver projects in their area of practice. The unit takes a holistic interdisciplinary view of project management theory, considering and applying innovative solutions to end to end project life cycle issues.

The subject matter covered in this unit will enable students to transition from formal education to professional practice. The unit focuses on real-world engineering projects through case studies applicable in the context of their country and area of practice.

In this unit, students will learn to define and develop the foundations of a project management plan; produce project requirements documents; create work breakdown structures; schedules; budgets; estimate and control costs; manage risks; and manage other resources. Students will also gain an understanding of the philosophy and principles of quality management, human resource management, communications management, and both qualitative and quantitative approaches to risk management.

There is a project component in this unit whereby students will undertake case studies of engineering projects in the context of their country and sub-discipline. At the conclusion of this unit, students will understand the critical role played by effective project management in successful engineering projects. They will also understand the obligations of an individual in the engineering profession, occupational safety and health considerations, and ethical conduct.

Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate the fundamentals of sustainable and ethical project management.
   Bloom's Level 5
2. Identify the elements of project life cycle, including plan, control, organize and allocate resources.
   Bloom's Level 3
3. Assess problems arising from planning, scheduling and managing engineering projects and choose appropriate solutions.
   Bloom's Level 5
4. Analyse the application of modern project management tools and techniques for effective and successful completion of engineering projects.
   Bloom's Level 4
5. Discuss professional responsibilities, occupational safety & health and ethical conduct of engineering technologists.
   Bloom's Level 6
6. Apply effective and professional teamwork, reporting and communication practices.
   Bloom's Level 3
7. Assess project risks and formulate strategies to avoid potential risk impact.
   Bloom's Level 5

Student Assessment

Overall requirements: An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit once all assessment, including the exam, has been completed.

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Course Textbook(s)

• Nicholas, J. M. and Steyn H, 2011, Project Management for Engineering, Business and Technology, 6th Edition, Routledge, ISBN-978-0-367277345

Reference Materials

• Lester, A 2013, Project Management, Planning and Control: Managing Engineering, Construction and Manufacturing Projects to PMI, APM and BSI Standards, 8th edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN-13: 978-0128243404
• Baranoff, E, Brockett, P & Kahane, Y 2009, Risk Management for Enterprises and Individuals, Open Textbook Library, ISBN 13: 978-0-9823618-0-1
• Bahr, N. J. (2014). System Safety Engineering and Risk Assessment: A Practical Approach, Second Edition. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. ISBN: 978-1-4665516-0-2
• Darnall, R, Preston, J 2010, Project Management from Simple to Complex, Open Textbook Library, ISBN 13: 978-0-9823618-8-7
• IDC Technologies 2001, Project Management for Engineers and Technicians, IDC, Perth.
• Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI) 2013. Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6th edition. Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI). ISBN: 978-1-628251845.
• Lester, A 2007. Project Management - Planning and Control. 8th edn. Elsevier. ISBN: 978-0-128243398.
• Brzozowska, A., Pabian, A., & Pabian, B. (2021). Sustainability in Project Management. Milton: Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 978-0-3675187-4-5
• Peer reviewed Journals
• Knovel library: http://app.knovel.com
• IDC Technologies publications
• Other material and online collections as advised during the lectures

Unit Content

Topic 1

Engineering Project Management

1. Project management concepts
2. Project management objectives
3. Project failure (reasons)
4. Project vs operations
5. PMBOK

Topic 2

Systems Engineering

1. The Systems method
2. Project System characteristics
3. Life Cycle
4. Systems Development Life Cycle (conception, definition, execution and operation)
5. Introduction to project management software

Topic 3

Contracts and Supply Chain

1. Types of contracts
2. Law of contracts and project delivery contracts (payment under contract, superintendent, variations, subcontractors, termination, arbitration etc.)
3. Procurement Process
4. Request for Quote
5. Request for Proposal (RFP); Proposal
6. Managing contracts
7. Logistics management

Topic 4

Cost estimating and Budgeting

1. Cost estimation methods
2. Cost escalation
3. Cost estimating and systems development cycle
4. Elements of budgets and estimates
5. Budget types (risk allocation)

Topic 5

Building a high-performance project team

1. Leadership responsibilities
2. Positive team culture
3. Team building and management
4. Conflict management
5. Stakeholder communication
6. Continuous learning

Topic 6

Specification

1. Specification – problems, management
2. Scope and work definition
3. Master plan definition
4. Change control process

Topic 7

Work Breakdown Structure

1. Work Breakdown Structure
2. Responsibilities
3. Gantt Charts
4. Project Management software

Topic 8

Scheduling

1. Planning overview
2. Network diagrams
3. Critical path characteristics

Topic 9

Project Control

1. The control process
2. Project control emphasis
3. Performance analysis
4. Variance limits
5. Activity variability
6. Z values and probability
7. Evaluation of PERT

Topic 10

Risk Management

1. Risk definition
2. Risk Identification
3. Risk Assessment
4. The effects of uncertainties
5. Risk Response Planning
6. Risk management
7. Case studies

Topic 11

Quality Management and Project Evaluation

1. Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
2. Project evaluation
3. Case study
4. Multiphase QFD
5. Project extensions

Topic 12

Ethics in engineering management and workplace

1. What is Ethics?
2. Code of Ethics & professional conduct in engineering
3. Projects and ethical decision making
4. Ethical issues
5. Ethical dilemma
6. Global trends
7. Case studies

Unit Review

In the final week, students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work and to clarify any outstanding issues. Instructors/facilitators may choose to cover a specialized topic if applicable to that cohort.

Software/Hardware Used

Software

• Software: N/A
• Version: N/A
• Instructions:  N/A
• Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

• N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback