Commerce 4KF3 Project Management Fall 2014 Course Outline- Tentative. Information Systems Area DeGroote School of Business McMaster University

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1 4KF3 - Fall of 9 COURSE OBJECTIVE Commerce 4KF3 Project Management Fall 2014 Course Outline- Tentative Information Systems Area DeGroote School of Business McMaster University The need for project management is evident in all areas of modern organizations. The purpose of this course is to develop the core set of technical and managerial skills needed to select, plan, organize, lead, and control projects for future career development using a combination of lectures and experiential learning methodologies. INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION Dr. Nicole Wagner Reza Ariaeinejad Pouyan Elsami Instructor Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant nwagner@mcmaster.ca Office: DSB 307 Office: DSB A211 Office: DSB A211 Office Hours: by appointment Office Hours: TBD Office Hours: TBD (905) xtbd (905) x26398 (905) xtbd Class Location: DSB/AB102 Tuesday 11:30 14:20 Course Website: The course website will be the primary mode of information dissemination. Please check this website regularly for posts concerning the course. COURSE ELEMENTS Credit Value: 3 Leadership: Yes IT skills: Yes Global view: Yes Avenue: Yes Ethics: No Numeracy: Yes Written skills: Yes Participation: Yes Innovation: Yes Group work: Yes Oral skills: Yes Evidence-based: Yes Experiential: Yes Final Exam: No Guest speaker(s): No

2 4KF3 - Fall of 9 COURSE DESCRIPTION This course covers the basic functions and concepts of project management and integrates them into a project management framework. This course incorporates a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, in-class activities, case studies, individual assignments, group work, presentations, readings and the use of computers for MS Project. Topics covered include all the stages of managing and controlling a project using different qualitative and quantitative methods to do so. The nine project management knowledge areas (integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, and procurement) identified in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) are all covered in this course. Following this course, students could pursue the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification or eventually a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of this course, students will be able to complete the following key tasks: Assist a Project Officer in developing a project plan, scheduling activities, tracking progress, and managing change. Discuss and apply project management processes, knowledge areas, concepts, tools, and techniques covered in the PMBOK. Use and understand specific project management software (MS Project) to manage projects at a beginner to intermediate level. Perform the duties of a junior project analyst in a corporate Project Management Office. Plan and manage a small project as the project manager or team member. REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS Avenue registration for course content, readings and case materials Project Management: The Managerial Process, 6th edition, Larson & Gray purchase a copy at the bookstore 4KF3 Custom Courseware purchase a copy at the bookstore $ FREE $ CAD $ CAD OPTIONAL COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Fifth Edition purchase online from PMI ( $ CAD

3 4KF3 - Fall of 9 EVALUATION Learning in this course results from completing readings, attending lectures, participating in class discussions, attending lab sessions, and completing individual and group assignments. For group work, all team members share the same grade, adjusted for peer evaluation. Final grades will be calculated as follows: Components and Weights Participation In-class Contribution (individual) including attendance, in-class activities, homework 15% Assignment #1 Case Study Analysis Part 1 (individual) 10% Assignment #2 Case Study Analysis Part 2- MS Project (individual) 15% Mid-Term Exam In-class Test 30% Term Project Group Project Management 30% Total 100% NOTE: The use of a McMaster standard calculator is allowed during examinations in this course. See McMaster calculator policy at the following URL: Grade Conversion At the end of the course your overall percentage grade will be converted to your letter grade in accordance with the following conversion scheme. LETTER GRADE PERCENT LETTER GRADE PERCENT A C A C A C B D B D B D F 00-49

4 4KF3 - Fall of 9 Communication and Feedback Students who are uncomfortable in directly approaching an instructor regarding a course concern may send a confidential to the respective Area Chair (hassank@mcmaster.ca) or the Associate Dean (adbusac@mcmaster.ca). Students who wish to correspond with instructors or TAs directly via must send messages that originate from their official McMaster University account. This protects the confidentiality and sensitivity of information as well as confirms the identity of the student. s regarding course issues should NOT be sent to the Area Administrative Assistants. Instructors are required to provide evaluation feedback for at least 10% of the final grade to students prior to Week #8 in the term. Instructors may conduct an informal course review with students by Week #4 to allow time for modifications in curriculum delivery. Students who wish to have a course component re-evaluated must complete the following form: In order for the component to be re-read: the component must be worth 10% or more of the final grade in the course students pay a fee of $50 in Gilmour Hall #209 (receipt is then brought to APO) the Area Chair will seek out an independent adjudicator to re-grade the component an adjustment to the grade for the component will be made if a grade change of three points or greater on the 12 point scale (equivalent to 10 marks out of 100) has been suggested by the adjudicator as assigned by the Area Chair if a grade change is made, the student fee will be refunded Assignment #1 Case Study Analysis Part 1 (individual) Assignment value: 10%. Assignment 1 is to be completed individually. All case questions should be answered and filled in on the assignment template to be provided on Avenue. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce students to early project considerations in a real project as described in the assigned case study. This assignment is a precursor to assignment 2, which will examine the specifics of the case project in more detail. All answers to the assignment must be uploaded to Avenue as per the assignment instruction sheet. Assignments will be accepted after the due date but a late penalty will apply where 20% will be deducted off the assignment for each day late. It is each student s responsibility to submit the assignment in advance of the deadline. Note that work-in-progress can be uploaded to Avenue the last version uploaded only will be marked.

5 4KF3 - Fall of 9 Assignment #2 Case Study Analysis Part 2- MS Project (individual) Assignment value: 15%. Assignment 2 is to be completed individually. This assignment is designed to improve students' analytical skills and provide the experience of planning a project with Microsoft Project. Using the same case study as assignment 1, this assignment will consist of a series of exercises. Students will work through the exercises and learn how to carry out basic tasks such as creating network diagrams, understanding GANTT charts, creating performance reports, modifying calendar settings, and managing activities. Students are to answer all case questions. An instruction sheet for the assignment will be posted on Avenue. All answers to the assignment must be uploaded to Avenue as per the assignment instruction sheet. Assignments will be accepted after the due date but a late penalty will apply where 20% will be deducted off the assignment for each day late. It is each student s responsibility to submit the assignment in advance of the deadline. Note that work-in-progress can be uploaded to Avenue the last version uploaded only will be marked. Mid-Term Exam Exam value: 30%. There is one exam for the course and it will take place in class November 4, 2014 and will be a closed-book exam. The mid-term exam will be a mixture of True/False, multiple choice, problems, and short essays or answers. It will cover all material, concepts, and techniques covered in class and in the text up to the date of the exam. Case content material and optional readings with NOT be covered on the exam. Term Project Term Project value: 30%. The term project is to be completed in groups. All group members are expected to contribute to the assignment and will share the same grade, adjusted for peer evaluation. The term project is designed to give students the experience of working on a small project team and planning a project on their own. This project will demonstrate understanding of project management processes learned in class, including initiating, planning, executing and controlling a project using project management tools. The details of the term project requirements will be posted on Avenue. In general, groups will need to establish a contract of roles and responsibilities for team members, penalties for poor performance, and when they will meet (5%). The team will submit a two page document proposal to the instructor for the project they wish to manage stating the business case and justification for the final project (15%). Once approved, students are to apply what they learned in class to develop and manage the project. A 20 page report consisting of professional quality writing is to be submitted on the project (40%). All members of the team will also deliver a presentation on the project during the last class (40%). Team members will be judged on their depth of analysis, content, delivery, and presentation skills.

6 4KF3 - Fall of 9 Participation Participation value 15%. Name cards and class pictures are used to help give credit for your participation. You must have a name card with your full first and last name clearly written and displayed in front of you for every class. If you are absent from any class for a legitimate reason, you should indicate that to the instructor so that you are not penalized for lack of participation during that class. Students are expected to attend class on-time, participate in discussions, read assigned material, and survey recent news to stay informed of major projects discussed in the news. In-class activities will be assigned including scenario analysis and problems. Students must complete the in-class activities to get the assigned activity marks. Students are expected to demonstrate professional business behaviour and attitude. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty ), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, located at The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty: 1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one s own or for which other credit has been obtained. 2. Improper collaboration in group work. 3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations. REQUESTING RELIEF FOR MISSED ACADEMIC WORK Students may request relief from a regularly scheduled midterm, test, assignment or other course component in the following two ways: a) for missed coursework worth less than 30% of the final grade (and/or absences lasting less than 5 days); or b) for missed coursework worth 30% or more of the final grade (and/or absences lasting more than five (5) days

7 4KF3 - Fall of 9 a) For missed coursework worth less than 30% of the final grade (and/or absences lasting less than 5 days) Students must use the MSAF (McMaster Student Absence Form) for their first incidence of missed coursework worth less than 30% for each term. This is an on-line, self-reporting tool, for which submission of medical or other types of supporting documentation is normally not required. Students may use this tool to submit a maximum of one (1) request for relief of missed academic work per term as long as the weighting of the component is worth 29% of the final grade or less. Students must follow up with their course instructors regarding the nature of the relief within two days of submitting the form. Failure to do so may negate the opportunity for relief. It is the prerogative of the instructor of the course to determine the appropriate relief for missed term work in his/her course. If the value of the component is worth 30% or more, students must report to the APO to discuss their situation and will be required to provide appropriate supporting documentation. b) For missed coursework worth 30% or more of the final grade (and/or absences lasting more than five (5) days Students MUST report to the APO to discuss their situation and will be required to provide appropriate supporting documentation. If approved, students will be given access to the MSAF system where they will be required to enter the details of the missed coursework for which they were approved. Students must follow up with their course instructors regarding the nature of the relief within two days of submitting the form. Failure to do so may negate the opportunity for relief. It is the prerogative of the instructor of the course to determine the appropriate relief for missed term work in his/her course. Students who wish to submit more than one request for relief of missed academic work per term cannot use the online MSAF tool without permission. They must report to the APO and discuss their situation with an academic advisor. They will be required to provide supporting documentation and possibly meet with the Manager. The MSAF cannot be used during any final examination period. Regarding Midterm Conflicts Students unable to write a mid-term at the posted exam time due to the following reasons: religious; work-related (for part-time students only); representing university at an academic or varsity athletic event; conflicts between two overlapping scheduled mid-term exams; or other extenuating circumstances, have the option of applying for special exam arrangements. Please see the DeGroote Missed Course Work Policy for a list of conflicts that qualify for academic accommodation:

8 4KF3 - Fall of 9 Such requests must be made to the Academic Programs Office at least ten (10) working days before the scheduled mid-term along with acceptable documentation. Instructors cannot themselves allow students to unofficially write make-up exams/tests. Adjudication of the request must be handled by the Academic Programs Office. If a mid-term exam is missed without a valid reason, students will receive a grade of zero (0) for that component. STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES Students who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a Program Coordinator. Academic accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Student Accessibility Services can be contacted by phone ext or sas@mcmaster.ca. For further information, consult McMaster University s Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities. POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

9 4KF3 - Fall of 9 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE COMMERCE 4KF3 FALL 2014 WEEK DATE READINGS/LECTURES DELIVERABLES 1 Sep 9 CH 1: Modern Project Management CH 18: Project Management Careers Term Project Group Formation 2 Sep 16 3 Sep 23 4 Sep 30 5 Oct 7 6 Oct 14 7 Oct 21 8 Oct 28 CH 2: Organization Strategy and Project Selection CH 3: Organization Structure and Culture Distribute Assignment 1 & Term Project details Finalize Term Project Groups CH 4: Defining the Project CH 5: Estimating Project Times & Costs CH 6: Developing a Project Plan o MS Project CH 8: Scheduling Resources & Costs o MS Project Distribute: Assignment 2 CH 7: Managing Risk CH 9: Reducing Project Duration CH 13: Progress and Performance Measurement and Evaluation CH 10: Leadership- Being an Effective Project Manager CH 11: Managing Project Teams Due: Term Project Contracts Due: Assignment 1 Due: Project Proposal Due: Assignment 2 9 Nov 4 MID-TERM (IN CLASS) 10 Nov Nov 18 CH 12: Outsourcing- Managing Interorganizational Relations CH 14: Project Closure Term Project Check-in CH 17: An Introduction to Agile PM Special Topic: Crisis Management 12 Nov 23 Term Project Presentations (I) 13 Dec 2 Term Project Presentations (II) Due: Term Project Reports