Horine, G. (2009). Absolute beginner's guide to project management (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Que Publishing.

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1 BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management Course Syllabus Course Description This course explores the history and development of project management and general aspects of project management as presented in the project management process framework. This course will provide an overview of the five project management process groups and the nine knowledge areas. Course Textbooks Horine, G. (2009). Absolute beginner's guide to project management (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Que Publishing. Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Define the meaning of project management as a series of activities and tasks. 2. Explain what is meant by the project triple constraint, and how it is used to manage a project. 3. Analyze the growth of project management from 1945 until present day. 4. Explain how projects are initiated, planned, executed, monitored, and controlled. 5. Discuss project integration and scope and be able to carry out key functions associated with each. 6. Demonstrate how to implement a basic project schedule. 7. Explain the ways in which project costs are estimated, budgeted, and controlled. 8. Create a general overview of project quality management techniques. 9. Discuss how project teams are acquired, developed, and managed in the context of effective project management. 10. Discuss risk as a measure of probability and consequence of not achieving a defined project goal. 11. Design a simple project communication plan. 12. Explain the role of project procurement. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Unit Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 2. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses unit material. 3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 4. Key Terms: Key Terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to Key Terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 1

2 5. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with the Unit I-VIII Assignments. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. 6. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 7. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU Online Library There is a virtual library with resources, including both journals and ebooks, to support your program and your course at Columbia Southern University. eresources are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from the CSU Online Library gateway page. To access the library, log into mycsu, and then click on CSU Online Library. Resources are organized in the library by title, but if you click on Research Guides, you will find eresources arranged by subject. The Library Reference service is available 7 days a week; you can reach CSU s virtual librarians by ing thevirtuallibrarian@columbiasouthern.edu. These professional librarians will be glad to help you develop your research plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Librarian responses may occur within minutes or hours, but it will never take more than 24 hours for a librarian to send a response to the address you have provided. Replies to reference requests may include customized keyword search strategies, links to videos, research guides, screen captures, attachments, a phone call, live screen sharing, meeting room appointments, and other forms of instruction. Unit Assignments Unit I Web Assignment A Day in the Life of a Project Manager Conduct an Internet search for articles and web sites relating to a day in the life of a project manager and project manager skills. Answer the following two questions: 1. What do you believe are some of the most important things a project manager has to handle on a daily basis? 2. What are at least three skills a project manager will need in order to be successful? Submit this assignment as one comprehensive MS Word document of no less than 800 words. You are required to use at least one reference as a source material for your response. You must also use one outside source. Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 2

3 Unit II Project Project Charter Using the Project Charter Template, choose either planning a birthday party or planning a ten year high school reunion as your base project to work with. Remember this is your project definition, so write out your information clearly in business language. Be sure to fill out each section in detail using as much information as possible. The charter has guidance on it in red font, so please follow this and then remove any template evidence from your assignment. There may be information that is not easily accessible, so you may have to conduct some nominal research, as this is a fictitious project. Make this document as professional looking as possible. You are the project manager for the reunion or birthday party. Therefore, present the documentation as if this is going to the client that hired you as the project manager to plan their special occasion. Follow the guidance and instructions in each section of the template. Click here to access the template for this assignment. Unit II Assignment Work Breakdown Structure Using the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) template, choose either planning a birthday party or planning a ten year high school reunion as your base project to work with. (Use the same information you did for the Project Charter.) Choose either the graphical (tree) or outline (list view) from the template document and create a work breakdown structure for your reunion or birthday party. Make sure each task is clear. Your textbook and the written lecture can serve as a refresher for this assignment. Make sure the verbiage in the template is changed to fit your project. Change all the wording from the template. None of the same tasks from the template should be in your Project. Click here to access the template for this assignment. Unit III Assignment Ten Year Class Reunion Estimate/Schedule Project You are planning a ten year class reunion for your former high school. You have been selected as the project manager to plan this event. Your high school has given you a firm budget of $15,000 to plan this event. Answer the following questions: 1. Make a list of things you must consider when creating your estimate for the reunion (i.e. food, entertainment, do you need a team of people to help?). Give approximate costs when you are creating this list. You do not have to go out and call hotels or restaurants, but put numbers to the items you have on your list. Make sure that your totals do not exceed the $15,000 firm budget. 2. The date the reunion will take place will be one year from this coming Saturday. Create a schedule with dates (mm/dd/yyyy format) leading up to the date of the reunion. List specific tasks that you need to do, or have done to plan a complete reunion (hint: you may want to go back and read about the process groups of initiate, plan, execute, and close to help with your schedule). You can search for free project schedule templates on the Internet to help you. 3. Discuss some of the schedule risks you may encounter putting together this type of estimate in a paragraph or two (what can go wrong?) BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 3

4 Unit IV Project Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) Failure Project This week is focused on project control and change management in order to keep a project on track. Conduct an Internet search for The Channel Tunnel Project as an example of poor project management. Searches are generally conducted under Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, and Chunnel. Answer the following two questions: 1. Summarize the situation with the Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel). Explain why poor project planning in terms of project control and change management made this project a failure. 2. What project control and change management strategies would you have used to prevent some of the issues? Submit this assignment as one comprehensive MS Word document of no less than 800 words. You are required to use at least one reference as a source material for your response. You must also use one outside source. Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism Unit IV Web Assignment Analyze Your Style Under Stress On pages of the textbook, there are instructions and an assessment to test your own style under stress. Use the following link to take the assessment electronically. This is free, but you will have to register an account on the Vital Smarts website. Take this assessment and answer the following three questions: 1. Summarize your test results and your style under stress. 2. Are you surprised by the results? Why or why not? 3. Knowing this information, what aspects of your style do you like and what aspects of your style would you like to work to change and how? Submit this assignment as one comprehensive document of no less than 600 words. References and citations are not needed since you are discussing your own personal style. Unit V Assignment Jillson s Custom Home Risk Management Plan You are the owner of Aspenwell Design Custom Homes, which specializes in building custom and high quality homes in the Oakland, New Jersey area. You have just been hired by the Jillsons to build their dream home. They would like a three bedroom, three bathroom home. Since you own the company, you act as both the main project manager and general contractor. You employ only a part-time accountant and the rest of the work is subcontracted local trade professionals (plumbers, electricians, lumber, etc.) The housing market in Oakland, NJ is booming. You are tentatively scheduled to complete 14 houses this year. You have promised the Jillsons that the final costs will range from $650,000 to $850,000 and that it will take eight months to complete the house once the lot has been cleared and the foundation digging has begun. The Jillsons are willing to have the project delayed in order to save some money. You are now brainstorming potential risks associated with this project with your client and subcontractors. Using the above scenario and the risk template, create a risk plan for the Jillsons and all of your stakeholders. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 4

5 Click here to access the template for this assignment. Make sure each risk and mitigation plan is as specific as possible. Owners should be the person to contact in case the risk becomes an issue. List at least detailed risks. Remember to rank the highest risk items first. Unit VI Web Assignment Answer the following questions: 1. Conduct an online search for free leadership style quizzes (hint it may help to search the words what is your leadership style or similar). Give a summary of your leadership style and whether you believe you would make a better leader or manager after taking a free online assessment of your leadership style (you can take more than one to validate your findings). 2. Conduct an online search regarding the difficulties of communication and how to overcome them. Summarize the article and how you will use the information to become a more effective communicator. 3. Conduct an online search regarding managing expectations. Summarize the article and how you will use the information to help you manage expectations on your next project. 4. Go back and review The Four Methods of Decision Making in the textbook. Give a summary of the last major decision you made (professionally or personally) and discuss how the decision was made and then how it should have been made (hint: use the four important questions from the Crucial Conversations textbook). How will this information help you make better decisions in the future? Submit this assignment as one comprehensive MS Word document of no less than 300 words. You are required to use at least one reference as a source material for your response. You must also use one outside source. Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism. Unit VII Case Study Netbook Case and Broken Promises Click here to access the Case Study, Netbook Case and Broken Promises. Read the Case Study and answer the following questions in detail. Submit this assignment as one comprehensive word document of no less than 800 words. 1. What do you believe is the best way to handle this situation if you were Nicholas? If you were Ting? 2. This contract has been signed by both parties and is in the administer phase of the procurement process. How would you continue managing this relationship if you were Nicholas? 3. How do you share this situation with your Project Manager, Evelyn? How do you think that the Project Manager and Nicholas could have worked better as a team? Do you think teamwork was exhibited in this situation? 4. What are your next steps if you were in Nicholas s position? Unit VII Essay Teamwork Essay Describe in your own words what you believe are the four most important characteristics of high-performing project teams. Discuss why you believe each characteristic you chose is so critical. Explain how they are related to each other. Give an example of when you were part of a high performing team and what made the team you were part of successful (it can be a personal or professional example). This essay should be no less than 500 words. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 5

6 Unit VIII Essay Putting It All Together Please answer the following questions in your own words: 1. Refer to the textbook. What is the most important lesson you have learned during this course about crucial conversations and communications? How will you handle your conversations differently? Was the book of value to you? 2. What are four important things you have learned about the field of project management? Will you use this information in your current line of work and how? Both of these questions should be answered in no less than 800 words (400 words per question). APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Students can find CSU s Citation Guide in the mycsu Student Portal by clicking on the Citation Resources link in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Assessment (Written Response) and (2) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting Tools and then My Grades. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Assessments and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Once you have completed Unit VIII, you MUST unsubscribe from the forum; otherwise, you will continue to receive updates from the forum. You will not be able to unsubscribe after your course end date. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 6

7 Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Web Assignments 7%) = 21% Projects 9%) = 18% Assignments 9%) = 27% Essays 12%) = 24% Unit VII Case Study = 10% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 7

8 BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Some Basics of Project Management Chapter 1: Project Management Overview Chapter 2: The Project Manager Chapter 3: Essential Elements for Any Successful Project Chapter 1: What s a Crucial Conversation: And Who Cares? Web Assignment Unit II Project Definition and Work Breakdown Structure Chapter 4: Defining a Project Chapter 5: Planning a Project Chapter 6: Developing the Work Breakdown Structure Chapter 2: Mastering : The Power of Dialogue Project Assignment Unit III Estimates, Schedules, and Budgets Chapter 7: Estimating The Work Chapter 8: Developing the Project Schedule Chapter 9: Determining the Project Budget Chapter 3: Start with Heart: How to Stay Focused on What You Really Want Assignment BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 8

9 BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management Course Schedule Unit IV Controlling and Managing Chapter 10: Controlling a Project Chapter 11: Managing Project Changes Chapter 12: Managing Project Deliverables Chapter 4: Learn to Look: How to Notice When Safety Is at Risk Chapter 5: Make It Safe: How to Make It Safe to Talk About Almost Anything Project Web Assignment Unit V Issues, Risks, and Quality Chapter 13: Managing Project Issues Chapter 14: Managing Project Risks Chapter 15: Managing Project Quality Chapter 6: Master My Stories: How to Stay in Dialogue When You re Angry, Scared, or Hurt Chapter 7: STATE My Path: How to Speak Persuasively, Not Abrasively Assignment Unit VI Leading, Communication, and Managing Expectations Chapter 16: Leading a Project Chapter 17: Managing Project Communications Chapter 18: Managing Expectations Chapter 8: Explore Others Paths: How to Listen When Others Blow Up or Clam Up Chapter 9: Move to Action: How to Turn into Action and Results Web Assignment BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 9

10 BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management Course Schedule Unit VII Team, People, and Vendor Management Chapter 19: Keys to Better Project Team Performance Chapter 20: Managing Differences Chapter 21: Managing Vendors Chapter 10: Yeah, But: Advice for Tough Cases Case Study Essay Unit VIII Project Closure, Reality, and Interesting Concepts Chapter 22: Ending a Project Chapter 24: When Reality Happens Chapter 25: Intriguing Project Management Concepts and Topics Chapter 11: Putting It All Together: Tools for Preparing and Learning Essay BBA 2926, Introduction to Project Management 10