FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Transcription

1 THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OLG 622- PROJECT PROCESS, PLANNING AND CONTROL INTRODUCTION: Experience in recent decades has shown that failure of most of projects is attributed to lack of skills and professional knowhow, when it comes to selecting, planning and implementing of projects. This situation is mostly prevalent in developing countries where failure of these heavily funded projects has been responsible to deterioration of the countries economy as well as welfare of its people. Given the abovementioned scenario, it has become imperative for individuals managing projects be equipped with necessary skills for running projects. Project process, planning and control is course designed to furnish students with knowledge on managing in the following areas of project management; project management concepts and definitions, project planning and scheduling, project budgeting, project execution and evaluation and managing e-projects. AIM OF THE MODULE The course is project process, planning and control is intended to broaden your view as well as building the foundation on important aspects of projects management. The course seeks to impart you necessary perquisites for a purpose of producing conversant and competent project management professionals who are ethically and socially responsible, and sensitive to the needs for promoting sustainability. The course will enable you to apply appropriate techniques on making rational decision at all stages of the project life cycle. It will shade light on all critical aspects of the project management from project idea generation through execution to monitoring and evaluation.

2 MODULE OBJECTIVES After successively completion of this course you will be able to: Compare and analyze different criteria used to select, implement various projects. Describe the critical stages in the project lifecycle and design appropriate controls for effective implementation of projects. Set key performance indicators for evaluation of projects during and after implementation. Apply appropriate techniques for allocating resources to various planned activities of projects. Employ necessary methods for project scheduling process. LECTURE ONE: PROJECT MANAGEMENT-FUNCTIONS, ATTRIBUTES AND PROCESSES The lecture intends to enlighten students awareness on general aspects of managing projects. Furthermore, it determines to describe the research lifecycle from the inception to completion. Define project and project management. Understand various attributes of a project. Explain different phrases in the life of a project. Understand the role and responsibilities of project managers

3 Project and Project Management-an overall perspective Project attributes Project life cycle The role of a project manager. LECTURE TWO: GENERATION OF PROJECT IDEAS The lecture aims teach students on the best approach to follow at the initial stages of designing projects. It focuses on aspects need to be analyze before embarking on implementation of projects. Know how to search for project opportunities and ideas. Understand how resources are allocated at both corporate and business unit level. Conceptualize various strategic analyses such as PEST, Porter s five force model, value chain analysis, BCG growth matrix and flexibility analysis. Understand how creativity and idea generation can be achieved by individual and group effort. Resource allocation at the corporate level Environmental analysis Analysis of strategic capabilities Creativity and idea generation

4 LECTURE THREE: APPRAISAL METHODS IN PROJECT SCANNING AND SELECTION The lecture attempts to equip students with appropriate assumptions and methodology used in project preparation, an in-depth review of the work plan, cost estimates and proposed financing, an assessment of the project's organizational and management aspects, and finally the validity of the financial, economic and social benefits expected from the project. A well formulated and thoroughly appraised project ensures achievement of intended goals. Know how to identify a target market for a project Discuss how to conduct a market survey and forecast market demand Understand project purchase, vendor selection and contract administration. Understand pollution prevention and environmental regulations. Analyze various social appraisal approaches such as UNIDO, LM, etc. Understand the linkages between CSR and project management. Market appraisal Technical appraisal Environmental appraisal Social appraisal Financial appraisal CSR in project management

5 LECTURE FOUR: PROJECT SCHEDULING PROCESS The lecture attempts to equip students with basic concept of project (activity) network, the development of work breakdown and organizational breakdown structures, critical path meth the network presentation of activities and event and the Gantt chart. Know activity networks Understand the work breakdown structures Analyze organization breakdown structure Understanding the applicability of critical path method in project scheduling. Understanding the conditions for crashing of project network. activity networks work breakdown structures Organization breakdown structure Critical path method crashing of project network

6 LECTURE FIVE: MULTIPLE PROJECTS-CONSTRAINTS & SOLUTIONS The lecture will endow students with appropriate skills to handle multiple projects, more specifically on the issues of conflict ranking, and capital rationing. Understand the kind of issues involved in prioritizing multiple projects by a firm. Know about conflict in ranking various cases and be able to find suitable solutions. Understand capital rationing and choose a project amidst many. Understand approaches to select more than one project from numerous alternatives Conflict in Ranking- Various Cases. Solutions to conflicts in Ranking. Capital Rationing Techniques for Selecting More than One Project from a Group. LECTURE SIX: PROJECT PLANNING The lecture aims at providing students with the knowledge of project planning. Issues discussed under this lecture include; definition of project planning, time and cost elements of the project, project failure and success. Define project plan and understand its importance

7 Know the process of planning and the components of good plan. Conceptualize reasons for the future of the project. Understand the reasons for time overrun and cost overrun. What Is Project Planning? The Process of Planning. Attributes Of A Good Plan. Various Components of Project Planning. Project Success and Failure- Attributes and Measures. Time Overrun and Cost Overrun. Enhancing the Success of a Project Key Areas and Issues. LECTURE SEVEN: PROJECT EXECUTION The lecture aims at providing students with insights of how best can project be executed to achieve its intended objectives. Specifically, the lecture will focus on how to organize projects, staffing and scheduling. Understand Project Organization Understand The Matrix Form Of Project Organization Explain The Recruitment Procedures for a Project Understand The Attributes of An Effective Project Manager. Define Various Costs Involved in a Project and Budget Procedures. Understand Project Scheduling and Estimation.

8 Explain Various Steps in Project Estimation. Project Organization Project Staffing Project Budgeting Project Scheduling LECTURE EIGHT: PROJECT CONTROL AND AUDIT The lecture aims at equipping students with necessary knowledge on project control and audit issues. The focus will be on monitoring and control as well as termination of projects. Understand how to monitor, review and control project costs. Explain the termination of a project, its types and symptoms. Understand the requirement and process of project audits. Project Monitoring and Control Termination of a Project Project Audit LECTURE NINE: MANAGING E-PROJECTS

9 The lecture attempts to furnish with basic concepts of e-projects, specifically the focus will be on features of e-projects, merits and demerits and the role of computer and software in project management. Define e-project and understand its various features Understand the merits and demerits of an e-project. Identify future trends of e-projects. Know the role of computer and software in project management. What is an E-project? Features of an E-projects. Merits and Demerits of an E-Project. Future of E-Project Role of computer and software in project management Course Evaluation: Timed Test 30% Final Examination 70% Total 100.0% Recommended Readings: 1. Chapman, C,. & Ward, S. (2003). Project risk management: Processes, Techniques and insights. 2nd edition, West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons Ltd

10 2. Hagin, R.L. (2004). Investment Management Portfolio Diversification, Risk, and Timing Fact and Fiction. New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 3. Kerzner, H. (2004). Project management: A Systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. 10th edition: New Jersey, John Willey & Sons, Inc. 4. Khatua, S. (2011). Project management and appraisal. New Delhi, Oxford University press. 5. Koster, K. (2009). International project management. Great Britain, TJ International Ltd. Padstow, Cornwall. 6. Nicholas, J.M. (2004). Project management for business and engineering: Principles and practice. 2nd edition: Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann.