demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues in project management
Prepare a formal academic essay (word guide 3,000) that examines various criticisms (from the lecture programme on contemporary issues) of project performance.
1. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues in project management
2. identify and evaluate the range of current research and development
3. critically evaluate a specific aspect of current research or development

This module provides an opportunity for masters students to look at the the issues that exist in the development and delivery of projects at this moment in time (The ContemporaryIssues).
Contemporary Project delivery is far from successful and much criticism exists.
This is not perhaps surprising, the management of the development and delivery of projects, many of which are complex and involve large capital sums and resource commitments, and have lots of various stakeholder interests, layering many expectations on the outcomes.
A theoretical underpinning for Project management is largely missing from the subject and this course and this module seeks to address that issue. The insertion of theoretical support to the subject might help (perhaps) to reveal and explain some of the issues that bedevil the profession.
This theoretical understanding allows the researcher/student to better consider what a most effective project future might look like.

Here are some issues, in the contemporary management of projects that will be examined in class. We can readily imagine a future where these issues will be addressed.

Defining what a ‘project’ is: “it has a beginning and end, and consumes resources” say some sources, but so does a carrot!
o Why is it there’s confusion?
o Why is this important?
o What practical purpose would a ‘theory of project management’ serve?

? Project Methodology confusion “methodology issues”:
o Is a ‘process for everything’ the conceit of Project management?
o Looking at Systems theory.

? Resource Procurement & Contract Management: PM’s missing piece?
o Do PM courses overlook contract management?
o Much of project delivery seems to rely on contracted (or procured) resources.
o Many of our project team might be contracted in.
o Our whole project might be the ‘contract’.
o The Latham report: Constructing the ‘team’.

? The growing realisation of the criticality of People.
o Motivation; Communication; Emotional Intelligence & Negotiation.
? Defining Success: Beyond Time, Cost, and Quality.

Course Programme:

item Course content Notes and delivery
01 What is the project definition as contemporary?
Project Management, The separation between process and practice.
Anticipatable disaster! (The lifecycle view).
The trouble with methodology.
Project methodology approaches, their limitations and what to look for (in terms of planning techs & special features)
Problem Definition (RCA) Examples: Getting the right project! And Worthy.

Problems with Method over strategy.
Systems theory.
Salient features of Waterfall, Agile, & Proprietary examples: PRINCE2, DSDM Our own Approach “Governance”) [Might have to do the Gov Method later under PMO].
Lifecycle view, (Horizontal chunking)
PRINCE2 The Emperor’s new clothes?
AGILE?
What can we learn from them?
What’s mis

03 The trouble with Contracts, Procurement process & Contracting. The Latham Report, “Construction the team”
And the NEC3 EEC solution.
04 How the Business case fell foul of Game Theory and how this overshadowed Value concepts The Gray Report.
Should the project manager be concerned with the investment case?
PFI failure: Houses of Commons Committee report