Welcome to MGMT 260: Foundations of Project Management. Over the duration of the course, you will be asked to work on a course project starting in Week 1, and ending in Week 6. In an effort to make the project relevant to you and to enhance your learning of the subject matter, we are asking that your project choice either be based on a current need or an existing project at your place of work or a substantial project-based need in your personal life. Given that you’re likely to read this message before you dive into the content of Week 1, it’s important that you understand what we mean by a “substantial project.”
What is a Project?
According to PMI, a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. A project is an endeavor that satisfies the following criteria:
- It has a start and end date.
- It requires resources to complete the project. In project management, resources are:
- People
- Tools
- Finances
- Time
- Results in new products, services, or changes that meet personal or business needs.
your project must also be a substantial project. The (non-negotiable) criteria for a substantial project in this course are:
- It must have at least 50 unique tasks associated with completing the project.
- It must have at least three resources working simultaneously.
- It must have a project duration of at least three months.
- It must have a budget of at least $5,000.
To give you some context, here are some examples of substantial projects to “whet your appetite:”
Professional Examples
1. Create a content strategy for your marketing agency’s clients
2. Organize a company event
3. Create an app and landing page for your own company
4. Improve an existing project happening at your place of work
5. Develop a plan to improve customer service
6. Develop an employee training manual
7. Launch a new product or service
8. Planning a company meeting with major stakeholders
9. Develop an employee training and development program
10. Acquiring a new or modified information system
Home-Based Examples
1. Plan a major social event like a retirement party or Bar/Bat Mitzvah
2. Plan a major home remodeling project – a full kitchen renovation, a full bathroom remodel, or new major landscaping project
3. Plan a wedding weekend (rehearsal dinner, weekend activities, wedding, reception, brunch, etc.)
4. Plan a community-based event such as hosting a community garage sale, or leading a fundraising event for your local school or religious organization
5. Plan an expedition to the North Pole
6. Plan a move to a new state with your family
7. Plan a vacation with your family
8. Make a video documentary
9. Managing a political campaign for a local politician
10. Developing an app to help build a second income source
The course project is broken down into weekly deliverables. Each deliverable will build upon the last and we have provided helpful templates and instructions for you to use and follow in the assignment areas for each week.
It is our hope that through the process of developing your project using these traditional project management approaches, you will have a better understanding of the foundations of project management, and an appreciation for the attention to detail and planning it takes to be a project manager.
Topic Outline
- Week 1
- PM Overview
- Definition of a project
- Scope Triangle
- Project Life Cycle / PMI Process Groups
- PMI Knowledge areas
- Initiation
- Charter
- Frameworks
- Traditional
- Agile
- Extreme
- Week 2
- Planning the Project
- Scope Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Week 3
- The WBS
- Schedule Management
- Week 4
- Estimating
- Resource Planning
- Week 5
- Budget Management
- Procurement Management
- Week 6
- Risk Management
- Quality Management
- Week 7
- Communication Management
- Project Close
- Wrap Up
