INF2040 Project Management

Winter 2012
Instructor: Professor Kelly Lyons

Section 101 (Monday 6:30pm to 9:30pm) BL 538

Section 102 (Tuesday 9:00am to noon) BL 538

This course covers an introduction to the theory and practice of project management. Students will bring past experience in project situations together with insights from the course textbook and complementary readings to develop new understandings and knowledge that will help prepare them to participate in, contribute to, lead and succeed in future project opportunities.

Learning Objectives

Instructor and TA

Course Structure

Deliverables & Evaluation

Readings & Resources

Weekly Schedule

General Expectations

Note: Questions should be posted to the discussion board of the Blackboard course site. Students are encouraged to post answers to the questions of other students where appropriate.

Important: Questions posted to the discussion board or sent by email to the Instructor or TA will be answered within two (2) business days.

Textbook: Successful Project Management 4th Edition by Jack Gido and James P. Clements this is available for purchase in the University of Toronto bookstore.

Although the original reading list for this course is based on the 4^th edition, a newer 5th edition is now available at the bookstore. The 5e page numbers are listed in the weekly readings.

Learning Objectives:

This course is intended to help prepare students for successful careers in the information professions where much of the work is organized through projects conducted by a designated project team. The course is designed to help students understand the terminology used in and theories behind project management and to help them function successfully in project environments. At the end of this course, students should be able to:

· Apply project management principles and practices (including specific techniques) in a variety project contexts (demonstrated in all three assignments)

· Describe the role and importance of project management in an organization and identify projects that support organizational goals and strategy (demonstrated through in-class activities and assignment 1)

· Determine and describe their own personal goals, motivations, and ways of working individually and within teams (demonstrated in assignment 1)

· Explain and interpret the social dynamics of teamwork and how people work individually and in teams (demonstrated in assignment 2, through in-class activities)

· Apply and describe the management and communication techniques and skills that lead to successful project outcomes (demonstrated in assignment 2 and through in-class activities)

· Determine when and under which circumstances to apply specific project management techniques (demonstrated in assignment 3)

· Identify the role of time, cost and quality management in successful projects and determine trade-offs (demonstrated in assignment 3 and through in-class activities)

· Explain the role of communication in project management and demonstrate effective communication both orally and in writing (demonstrated in all three assignments and through in-class activities)

· Put into practice effectively working on a project team and as a project manager (demonstrated in assignment 3 and through in-class activities)

Instructor and TA:

Instructor: Professor Kelly Lyons

Phone: 416 946 3839

email: kelly.lyons@utoronto.ca

Office: 45 Willcocks (south east corner with Spadina) #314

Office Hours: By appointment via email.

TA: Steven Chuang

email: steven.chuang at utoronto.ca

Course Structure:

This course has three (3) contact class hours per week. The class sessions will be a combination of lectures, discussions, teamwork, interactive exercises and in-class activities. Blackboard will be used as a learning management system to support project teams (groups), sharing of information, weekly slides, important dates, assignments, and other information about the course, as well as the facilitation of interaction among students on topics related to the course. Note that for every one (1) hour of contact, you can expect to do 2.5 hours of reading and preparation work on your own. Students are encouraged to attend and participate each week. Students will be put into groups (of 4-5 people) within their class section such that the groups will work together on activities during the classes and will collaborate for part of assignment 3 together.

This is a professional masters program course and most students have some (if not, extensive) experience working on or leading projects. As such, we will learn together, from one another, and relate the knowledge learned through the course to our past experiences and imagined future opportunities. I will provide an outline and structure for the course, present lectures, define assignments, and assign readings, but students will largely define the scope of their project assignments and will be asked to contribute and share relevant materials and readings as well. The interaction among students and their collaborative work is essential in making the course a success. Students are expected to use the experiences and knowledge they bring into the course to help define their learning objectives, identify and define projects, contribute to the course content, and complement their own learning experience and that of their classmates. See also my general teaching philosophy and class expectations.

The first part of the course covers project management principles in general and students will establish individual goals and learning objectives and scope a project in some detail. The second section looks at the organizational, interpersonal and political aspects of project management such as being a leader, managing and working on project teams, understanding cultural issues and managing diverse stakeholders. Students will use what they learn in this part of the course to work in project teams for the third section of the course. The third and final section of the course focuses on tools and techniques available to support project management. Students will work in project teams to define, scope, and produce a project plan for a project. Students will have an opportunity to experiment with different techniques and tools and share their experiences with one another, offering critiques and comparing tools that are designed to help project managers and teams plan, implement and successfully complete projects more effectively.

Throughout the course, students are expected to practise project management principles in every aspect of their coursework and interactions (see “Practicing Project Management Principles”). Lecture topics will be augmented with in-class group-based activities and guest lectures.

Deliverables and Evaluation:

Assignment 1	A. Setting Learning Objectives	Part A: Report due week 3: Jan. 23/24 start of class	5%
Assignment 1	B. Scoping an Information Project	Part B: Report due week 4: January 30/31 start of class	20%
Assignment 2	Managing Teams, Leadership, and Effective Communication	Case Analysis and Implementation Recommendations due week 8: March 5/6 start of class	30%
Assignment 3	Scoping and Planning a Project and Project Management Tools	Report due week 13: April 9/10 start of class	35%
Participation	In addition to general participation, as part of the participation evaluation, each student is expected to present results of in-class activities on behalf of their group at least once during the course	Throughout the class	10%

Each of the course requirements will be completed using a slightly different format but all papers and reports should be prepared in the following way: double spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 pt font. You must include a cover page with report or paper title, your name, student number, your group number and project title of your project team. Each page MUST contain only the title of your report and page number in the header or footer (but NOT your name or student number).

The first assignment is an individual assignment which will be submitted in two parts as reports. Reports follow a pre-specified outline (which will be supplied as part of the assignment details). They must be well-written, concise, and communicate the necessary information effectively.

Near the beginning of term, students will be put into groups and assigned a project that they will refer to for the rest of their work in the class and in assignment 3. The tools, techniques, and practices discussed throughout the course will be studied within the context of this assigned project and within the student’s assigned group. Students will not implement the project but will go through the process of planning, scoping, scheduling, budgeting, and allocating resources to the project.

The second assignment is a paper that presents a case analysis and implementation recommendations that demonstrate students’ ability to apply management and leadership techniques to a particular project situation.

The third assignment will be submitted as a report. In this assignment, students will conduct their research and discussion in their groups (teams) but will submit an individually written report. Students should appropriately cite their group members’ contributions in their individually written work. The required report sections will be provided in the assignment definition. Having a group assignment with individual submissions enables students to learn from their peers and share ideas to help guide their overall perspectives and thoughts that will make up the content of the report but allows students to be assessed on their individual contribution. Assessment of individual contribution will include how well students have been able to synthesize ideas and knowledge developed within their groups.

For all assignments, see important details about what is expected in your papers and reports under General Expectations.

Groups / Teams: Project groups (teams) of size 4-5 will be selected by the instructor based on your course goals and learning objectives submitted in Part of A of Assignment 1. The intention is to put together project teams of people who bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives and whose learning objectives and goals complement one another’s. In addition to demonstrating how project managers build teams with diverse strengths, it is hoped that this strategy will maximize individual learning opportunities and create some interesting and thought-provoking discussions and situations

Readings and Resources:

The main textbook for the course is Successful Project Management Fourth Edition by Jack Gido and James P. Clements. It is available for purchase from the University of Toronto Bookstore and available for loan at the Inforum. Some additional journal readings are listed below and will also be available on the course Blackboard site.

Weekly Schedule:

The course is divided into 3 sections:

Section 1: Introduction, Overview, Projects, Portfolios, Organizational Goals

Section 2: Organizational, Interpersonal, Leadership, and Political Issues in Managing Projects

Section 3: Tools and Techniques for Planning, Managing, Closing, Auditing Projects

With the exception of the first part, we will spend roughly the same amount of class time on each section and there will be one assignment that corresponds to each section.

Section 1: Introduction, Overview, Projects, Portfolios, Organizational Goals

Week 1 (Jan 9/10) Overview of Course and Introduction to Project Management

Assignment 1 available this week

Readings:

· Todhunter, Barrie (2011). Future practitioners of project management – are we disciples of Stanley Kubrick or Ridley Scott? Proceedings of the 25th IPMA World Congress: Project Management - Delivering the Promise, October 9-12, 2011, Brisbane, Australia.

· Froemke, S., Eisenhardt, B., & Maysles, A. (1997). Concert of Wills: Making the Getty Center [A documentary]. (Available at the Inforum)

Week 2 (Jan 16/17) Defining and Scoping a Project

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 1, pp.2-27].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 1, pp.2-25].

· Library and Archives Canada. (2008). Recordkeeping Assessment Projects - Project Charter. Test of the Recordkeeping Delegation Instrument. Retrieved from http://www.lac-bac.gc.ca/obj/007001/f2/007001-5105.4-e.pdf

· Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. (2008). An Enhanced Framework for the Management of Information Technology Projects – Project Charter Guide. Retrieved from http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/emf-cag/project-projet/documentation-documentation/guide-guide/guide-guidetb-eng.asp

· Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. (2008). Project Charter Template. Retrieved from http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/emf-cag/project-projet/documentation-documentation/template-modele/template-modele-eng.rtf

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Steve Szigeti, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), The Teletoon Web Re-Design Project Case Study

Week 3 (Jan 23/24) Projects, Portfolios, Project Management

Assignment 1 Part A Due: at start of class

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 2, pp.28-49].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 2, pp.31-52].

· Bygstad, Bendik & Lanestedt, Gjermund. (2009). ICT based service innovation – A challenge for project management, International Journal of Project Management, 27(2009), 234–242.

· Pellegrinelli, S. (2011). What’s in a name: Project or programme? International Journal of Project Management Vol. 29 (2), pp.232-240.

Week 4 (Jan 30/31) Organizational Strategy, Organizational Structure, and Projects

Assignment 1 Part B Due: at start of class

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 13, pp. 402-425].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 13, pp.430-446].

· Aubry, Monique; Hobbs, Brian & Thuillier, Denis (2007). A new framework for understanding organisational project management through the PMO, International Journal of Project Management, 25 (2007), pp.328–336.

· Jane, Kinkus (2007). Project management skills: A literature review and content analysis of librarian position announcements. College & Research Libraries, Vol. 68 (4), pp.352-363.

Section 2: Organizational, Interpersonal, Leadership, Political Issues in Managing Projects

Week 5 (Feb 6/7) Leadership and Management in Projects

Assignment 2 Handed out

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 10, pp. 300-329].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 10, pp.320-345].

· Goleman, Daniel & Boyatzis, Richard (2008). Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership, Harvard Business Review, September 2008, pp.74—81.

· Zaleznik, A. (2004, January). Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, 82(1), pp.74-81.

Week 6 (Feb 13/14) Building a Project Team

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 11, pp. 330-369].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 11, pp.352-389].

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 12, pp. 370-390].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 12, pp.396-415].

· Gratton, Lynda & Erickson, Tamara J. (2007). Eight Ways to Build Collaborative Teams, Harvard Business Review, November 2007, pp.101—109.

Reading Week (no classes) Feb 20/21

Week 7 (Feb 27/28) Managing Inter-organizational Relations, International Projects

Readings:

· ~~Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 12, pp. 392-401].~~

OR ~~Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 12, pp.416-428].~~

· Roberto, Evaristo (2003). The Management of Distributed Projects across Cultures. Journal of Global Information Management, Vol. 11(Issue 4), pp.58-70.

· Cubberley, M., Skrzeszewski, S. & ASM Advanced Strategic Consultants (1999). Discussion Paper on Outsourcing in Canadian Heritage Institutions (Libraries and/or Museums). Retrieved from http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collection_2007/ch-pc/CH52-6-1999E.pdf

Week 8 (March 5/6) Organizational Culture and Projects

Assignment 2 due at start of class

Readings:

· Gray, Roderic J. (2001). Organisational climate and project success. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 19, pp.103—109.

· Kazman, R. & Chen, H.-M. (2009). The Metropolis Model: A New Logic for Development of Crowdsourced Systems, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 52, (No. 7, July 2009). Pp.76—84.

· Google (2012). Google Ten Things. Retrieved on January 7, 2012 from http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html

· Palmisano, S. (2012). Our Values at Work on Being an IBMer. Retrieved on January 7, 2012 from http://www.ibm.com/ibm/values/us/

Guest Lecturer: Gary Bridgens, PMP, Deputy Director, Projects and Operations, and Liaison Manager, Art Gallery of Ontario

Section 3: Tools and Techniques for Planning, Managing, Closing, Auditing Projects

Week 9 (Mar 12/13) Project Scheduling and Planning

Assignment 3 Handed Out

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Planning: Chapter 5, pp. 121- 153]

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Planning: Chapter 4, pp.97-129].

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Scheduling: Chapter 6, pp. 154-207].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Scheduling: Chapter 5, pp.142-185].

· Cervone, Frank (2004). Managing digital libraries: the view from 30,000 feet: How not to run a digital library project. OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives, Volume 20(4), pp.162-166.

Week 10 (Mar 19/20) Project Costs: estimating, budgeting, and controlling:

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 9, pp. 264-298].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 7, pp.238-265].

· Flyvbjerg, B. (2007). Policy and planning for large-infrastructure projects: problems, causes, cures, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, Vol. 34, pp.578 – 597.

Week 11 (Mar 26/27) Project Resources:

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 8, pp. 240-251].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Resource Utilization: Chapter 6, pp.208-223].

· Engwall, Mats & Jerbrant, Anna (2003). The resource allocation syndrome: the prime challenge of multi-project management? International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21, pp.403–409.

Week 12 (Apr 2/3) Risk Management, Performance Measurement, Project Closure and Audit

Readings:

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 4, pp. 87 (bottom)-109].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Managing Risk: Chapter 8, pp. 282-292].

· Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2009). Successful Project Management. (4^th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. [Chapter 7, pp. 208-239].

OR Gido, J. & Clements, J. (2012). Successful Project Management. (5^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. [Chapter 5, pp.162-171], [Chapter 9, pp.298-310].

· Kappelman, Leon A., McKeeman, Robert & Zhang, Lixuan (2006). Early Warning Signs of IT Project Failure: The Dominant Dozen, Information Systems Management, Vol. 23(4), pp.31 — 36.

Week 13 (Apr 9/10) Project Management Careers, Summary, Review, Overview

Assignment 3 due at start of class

Readings:

· Morris, P.W.G., Crawford, L., Hodgson, D., Shepherd, M.M. & Thomas, J. (2006). Exploring the role of formal bodies of knowledge in defining a profession – The case of project management. International Journal of Project Management, Vol.24 (2006), pp.710–721.

· Hodgson, D. & Cicmil, S. (2006). Are projects real? The PMBOK and the legitimation of project management knowledge. In Hodgson, D., Cicmil, S. (Eds.), Making Projects Critical. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave McMillan, Basingstoke.

Virtual Guest Lectures: Words of Wisdom from Project Management Professionals

General Expectations:

1. General: Throughout the course, students are expected to practise project management principles in every aspect of their coursework and interactions (see “Practicing Project Management Principles”).

2. Communication Policy: Please do not email questions to the instructor or TA. If you have a question, there is a pretty good chance that other people in the course have the same question or, at least, will benefit from the answer. Please post all questions to Blackboard (using the most appropriate forum) so that everyone in the course can benefit from your questions and our answers. Questions posted to Blackboard will be answered within two (2) business days.

3. Readings: It is important to complete the required readings before your class in order to fully benefit from the class activities.

4. Late policy: Late submission of an assignment carries a penalty of one grade (e.g., from B+ to B) for each week to a maximum of two weeks; submissions will not be accepted after two weeks. Exceptions will be made only when supported by appropriate documentation.

5. Academic Integrity: The essence of academic life revolves around respect not only for the ideas of others, but also their rights to those ideas and their promulgation. It is therefore essential that all of us engaged in the life of the mind take the utmost care that the ideas and expressions of ideas of other people always be appropriately handled, and, where necessary, cited. For writing assignments, when ideas or materials of others are used, they must be cited. You may use any formal citation format, as long as it is used consistently in your paper, the source material can be located and the citation verified. What is most important is that the material be cited. In any situation, if you have a question, please post it to Blackboard. Such attention to ideas and acknowledgment of their sources is central not only to academic life, but life in general. Please acquaint yourself with the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

6. Participation and Attendance: Discussion and interaction in the classes are important ways to learn. Sharing your experiences and ideas with your classmates is central to your learning experience in this course. As such, you should attend and participate in every class. There will be exercises and discussions that you will participate in within your groups in your class. Some of the activities will be very helpful in completing your assignments.

7. Students with Special Needs or Health Considerations: All students are welcome in this course and we will make every effort to ensure a meaningful, respectful and positive learning experience for everyone. If there are special considerations that you require to help you successfully fulfill the requirements of the course, please feel free to see one of the instructors, the Faculty of Information Student Services, and /or contact the Accessibility Student Office as soon as possible so we can ensure you are able to successfully meet the learning objectives for this course.

8. Writing Resources: Please review the material you covered in Cite it Right, familiarize yourself with the How Not to Plagiarize site and UofT’s policy, and consult the Office of English Language and Writing Support as necessary.