MACE60071 Introduction to Project Management 1. · PDF file5 MACE60073 Planning and Resource...

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MACE60071 Introduction to Project Management 1. General information

Title Module 1: Introduction to Project Management

Unit code MACE 60071

Credit rating 15

Pre-requisite units MSc Compulsory – To be taken as the first module

Co-requisite units None

School responsible MACE

Co-ordinator Mr. Callum Kidd

Teaching staff Mr. Callum Kidd

2. Aims By the end of this unit, students should be able:

1. To understand the basic building blocks of project management and develop a better understanding of how projects are organised and managed to add value to an organisation.

2. To develop a higher level of critical awareness of the importance of managing projects, and how the role of context plays a crucial part in the development of an effective project management strategy.

3. To better appreciate the range of tools and techniques that allow an effective project plan to succeed in a modern business environment.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description: This course, the first in the PMPDP delivery schedule, is primarily designed to develop a broad understanding of the basic building blocks of project management. It does not go into great depth on any particular technique or tool, but more importantly covers great deal of scope. It is designed to support the student who already understands the project environment, but has knowledge of some principles to a greater degree than others. This module will develop that understanding across a broader spectrum and bring a level of knowledge and understanding across the full project context, so allowing the delegate to study the other PMPDP modules more effectively.

Syllabus:

1. Foundations of Project Management: 2. Project Strategy, Stakeholder Management and Selection: 3. Life Cycle management: 4. Bodies of Knowledge and Project Management Maturity: 5. Case Study: 6. Project Planning 1 (Scope and Risk Management) 7. Project Planning 2 (Project Scheduling) 8. Commercial Law and Project Procurement Practice: 9. Human Side of Project Management: 10. Project Organisation: 11. Cost and Value Management: 12. Management of Projects:

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The unit, and its content balance involves:

1. the study of topics and applications which broaden and enhance the degree / unit in which students likely already hold a degree in (20%)

2. the study of multidisciplinary topics (20%) 3. the study of non-technical topics which complement the technical content (60%)

The unit assessment comprises three distinct elements, which are designed to constructively build a high level awareness of project management in their own environments.

1. Undertake a review of their current PM context, using the APM BoK Version 6 as the framework (30%)

2. Develop a literature review and critique of how either HSE or Sustainability is currently impacting the world of managing projects (30%)

3. Depending on which topic was chosen in part 2, how does the delegate’s organisation currently address that topic in their project organisation, and how will it be addressed in the future. (40%)

4. Coursework deadlines Coursework is evenly spaced out over the study period, with part one being due after week 4, and part 3 being delivered at the end of the delivery cycle

5. Reading list

Course Text: ‘Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage’ – Pinto, (2014) 4th Edition, Pearson

6. Last update

Date: 12th February 2017 by: Callum Kidd

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MACE60072 Integration Management, Integration Master Scheduling, and Governance 1. General information

Title Module 2 Integration Management, Integration Master Scheduling, and Governance

Unit code MACE60072

Credit rating 15

Pre-requisite units None


School responsible Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Co-ordinator Dr Paul Blackwell

Teaching staff Dr Paul Blackwell

2. Aims The unit aims to:

Examine how integrated programme management promotes the successful delivery of projects.

Outline the potential benefits and drawbacks of integrated information systems together with the factors that need to be considered before and after implementation.

Explain the theory and practice of strategy and the associated organisational issues of governance, compliance, reputation and business continuity.

Ensure delegates are aware of the procedural and cultural aspects needed to improve the successful delivery of projects, programmes, and portfolios.

Ensure delegates are aware of the factors that need to be considered for successful delivery of systems for their life cycle.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description:

The unit involves the study of non-technical topics that complement the engineering content. It discusses role in integrated programme management in the successful delivery of projects, the potential benefits and drawbacks of integrated information systems, the links between organisational strategy and risk tolerance levels, the procedural and cultural issues that need to be considered for effective governance, and the issues that need to be considered for the successful delivery of systems through their life cycle. Syllabus:

1. Integrated Programme Management (IPM) - Explains the differences between managing projects, programmes, and portfolios. Defines what IPM is and highlights some of the potential benefits for organisations adopting an integrated approach to programme management. Explains the links between organisational maturity and IPM. Explains the four pillars of IPM.

2. Integrated Information Systems – Examines the typical business environment in which today’s manufacturing organisations operate. Describes the historical development of integrated systems from material requirements planning (MRP) through to manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Highlights the issues that organisations need to consider prior to implementing an integrated system, together with the resources and factors that might impact the level of integration selected. Identifies the potential problems associated with integrated information systems.

3. Strategy – Explores the theory of strategy and the need to align it with the organisation’s projects, programmes, and portfolios. Explains how strategy aligns with risk management at the enterprise

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level so that risk tolerance levels are better understood by the board. 4. Governance - Highlights the procedural and cultural aspects that need to be in place to improve

the successful delivery of projects, programmes, and portfolios. Explains the need for approval gates for making and communicating decisions, the need for the organisation’s management board to accept responsibility for governance, and the need for appropriate procedures that allow independent scrutiny of projects, programmes and portfolios.

5. Systems Engineering - Explains the issues that need to be considered for the successful delivery - in terms of cost, schedule, quality, and customer requirements – of systems for their life cycle.

5. Feedback

Personalised written feedback on coursework will be provided in Blackboard 3 weeks after each of the assignment submission dates.

6. Coursework deadlines Coursework 1 issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard within 3 months of handout. Coursework 2 issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard within 6 months of handout.

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MACE60073 Planning and Resource Management

1. General information

Title Module 3: Planning and Resource Management


Credit rating 15




Co-ordinator Dr Fiona Saunders

Teaching staff Dr Fiona Saunders


To develop critical awareness of the fundamental concepts and techniques in planning and controlling a project, including the need to select, secure and manage appropriate levels of resources;

To evaluate and apply a range of tools and techniques to addressing planning and resource management problems in the context of the management of projects – whether engineering, IT or business focused.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description: This course, Planning and Resource Management, addresses the fundamental concepts and techniques in planning and controlling a project, including the need to secure and manage appropriate levels of resources. This course is also the basis for implementing projects as it provides key information on the upfront planning necessary to successfully run projects. During the course, you will learn a variety of skills required to understand project planning and the effective use of resources in project management. Included in this will be the process of developing comprehensive project plans and schedules, managing resources to their maximum effect and responding to crises and unanticipated events by adjusting plans and resource requirements. We would like to encourage you to think about the ways you can use the course knowledge to enhance your organisational experiences. Because you will learn more when course readings are coupled with exercises, we have also provided you with activities and exercises that can be used to enrich your learning experience.

Syllabus:

1. The nature of project management (introduces project management concepts, differences between projects and business as usual, key features of projects, the importance of project scope and managing project risks)

2. Project strategy (the difference between corporate and project strategy, and the importance of linking project strategy to corporate strategy)

3. Introduction to planning and control (overview of initial steps in planning and resourcing a project) 4. Project scope and work breakdown structures (including types, construction and coding) 5. Network Analysis (project network terminology, activity on arrow and activity on node, critical path

methods and network analysis) 6. Reducing project duration (understand why project durations sometimes need to be reduced and

implement methods for project crashing) 7. Scheduling resources (resource definition, allocation, aggregation, levelling, smoothing and

computerised resource scheduling)

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8. Planning and Control techniques (understanding the difference between plans and schedules, using milestones and gantt charts)

9. Project control: charts and S curves (understand the principles of project control, use of milestones, gantt charts and s-curves to control a project).

10. Critical chain project management (understand the principles of CCPM, use of buffers, advantages of CCPM and how to implement it)

11. Agile project management (principles of agile, differences between agile and traditional project management, implementing agile principles in a project)

The unit and its content balance involves :

1. the study of topics and applications which broaden and enhance the degree/PDP unit in which students are likely to hold an BEng Honours degree (20%) 2. the study of multidisciplinary (engineering) topics (20%) 3. the study of non-technical topics which complement the engineering content (60%)

Unit assessment comprises one short presentation (worth 20% of the unit marks) and a written report analysing a real world planning and resource management issue (80% of unit marks)

4. Feedback

Coursework feedback to be given via VLE Bb within four weeks of submission of tasks.

5. Coursework deadlines Coursework issued in Week 1; Presentation is delivered mid-way through the 6 month cycle. Hand in of written report is 5 months after handout.

6. Reading list

Larson, E. W. & Gray, C.F. (2014). Project Management: The Managerial Process. 7th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education Guided workbook topics found in Blackboard 9.

7. Last update

Date: 10/1/2017 by: Fiona C Saunders

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MACE60074 Project Cost, Risk and Benefits Management


Title Module 4 Project Cost, Risk and Benefits Management

Unit code MACE60074

Credit rating 15




Co-ordinator Dr Obuks Ejohwomu

Teaching staff Dr Obuks Ejohwomu, Dr Paul Blackwell


Provide an overview of the main costs that must be considered when managing budgets and projects.

Ensure delegates are aware of the different tools and techniques available to the estimator and be able to determine when and how they should be used during the project life cycle.

Outline the importance of effective risk management, the differences between risk and uncertainty and the impact they have on the cost estimating process.

Explain the use earned value management to measure project performance.


The unit involves the study of non-technical topics that complement the engineering content. It discusses the issues involved with pricing projects, financial and management accounting, the approaches used to develop cost estimates, the importance of risk management in the estimating process, and the importance of measuring project performance. It discusses how investment appraisals can be carried out and the different approaches to budget management and control.

Syllabus:

1. Financial and management accounting - Explains accounting concepts used within organisations and the differences between financial and management accounting, how organisations manage future business requirements by gathering information and how management accountants use this information to support senior management in their decision-making activities.

2. Cost management and business performance - Identifies the different costs encountered within organisations and explains economies of scale, break-even analysis, the main approaches to cost management, and the ratios used to assess the performance and financial position of a business.

3. Cost estimating - Examines what cost estimating is, how it is used, how to develop estimates, and the benefits, limitations and challenges of estimating. It analyses the different types of estimate, cost modelling, the estimating process, the main cost estimating techniques, data collection, and the application of inflation. Explains how to estimate labour, materials, schedule, and risk.

4. Risk management - Defines how risk management is an integral part of the cost estimating process, the problems with developing single-point estimates for projects, the differences between risk and uncertainty, risk management planning, and the use of three-point estimating to balance cost, risk, and uncertainty

5. Investment appraisal - Explains the purpose of investment appraisals, outlines a process that

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can be followed to make sound investment decisions, and explains how organisations can measure the return on investment of projects.

6. Earned value management (EVM) - Explains EVM as a means of monitoring the progress of a project, its business benefits, when it should be used, the different methods and techniques for measuring and analysing performance, and the use of previous EVM data to predict future performance and to develop cost estimates and budgets for new projects.

7. Budget management and control - Explains what budgets are, the uses of budgets, the budget-setting process, different budget types, budgetary control, and variance analysis.

8. Whole life-cycle costing - Explains the basis of the life cycle cost estimate, the relationship between cost estimating and the different phases of the project life cycle, and the objectives, estimating challenges and responsibilities, and exit criteria for each of the life cycle phases.

4. Feedback Personalised written feedback on coursework will be provided in Blackboard 3 weeks after each of the assignment submission dates.

5. Coursework deadlines

Coursework 1 issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard within 3 months of handout. Coursework 2 issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard within 6 months of handout.

6. Reading list

Wanner, R. (2014). Earned Value Management: The Most Important Methods and Tools for an effective Project Control, Amazon Distribution ISBN 978-1500850234 Rad, P.F ‘ Project Estimating & Cost Management’ ISBN 978-1-56726-144-8

7. Last update

Date: 30/01/2017 by: Paul Blackwell

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MACE60075 Project Contract, Commercial and Procurement Management 1. General information

Title Module 5 Project Contract, Commercial and Procurement Management

Unit code MACE60075

Credit rating 15




Co-ordinator Dr Obuks Ejohwomu

Teaching staff Dr Obuks Ejohwomu


Provide an understanding of the legal and commercial issues, particularly regarding procurement and contracting strategy, in the management of projects.

Provide an understanding of the commercial interests and relationships between companies involved in project organisation and how these relationships are shaped by legal and other constraints.

Present the choices and consequences for projects and project managers in strategies for the procurement of goods or services.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description: The unit involves the study of non-technical topics that complement the engineering content. It discusses the justification for investment of resources and objectives to be attained, procurement strategy, risk allocation policy and management, requirements for a contract, the law and the commercial relationship, contract types, contract negotiation process, and contract management. Syllabus:

1. Business Case – Explains commercial interests and relationships between organisations involved at different levels in projects, relationship development, legal and other constraints, procurement and contracting strategy options, legal rules that govern contracts and liability, and consequences for project managers.

2. Procurement Strategy and Supply Chains – Analyses different types of procurement and contracting relationships, risk allocation and responsibilities, procurement and contract planning, supply chains and sub-contracting.

3. Procurement Bidding Process – Identifies tendering process and key steps, tendering options and negotiation, purchasing contract options, impact of European legislation on tendering processes.

4. Types of Contract – Examines different pricing, specifications, payment methods and reporting, risk allocation and the approaches available in context of different contract types.

5. Introduction to Law and Contract – Examines how law is made and applied, courts and application for commercial contracts both UK and European, how contracts are made, legal contract types, law of agency, misrepresentation, and contract validity.

6. Liability Law – Explains law and commercial relationships, liabilities from the law, conditions and warranty terms, interpretation and importance of language, liability laws, impact of risk exclusion clauses and Unfair Contract Terms, law of breach and contract performance, use of bonds in contracts, criminal versus civil liabilities.

7. Dispute Resolution – Assesses different forms of dispute resolution, the options and impact of

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those options for contracting choices, and how they operate in law.

4. Feedback Personalised written feedback on coursework will be provided in Blackboard 3 weeks after the assignment submission dates.


Coursework issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard at 2-monthly stages with all three stages uploaded to Blackboard within 6 months of handout.

6. Reading list

Construction Contracts: Law & Management – 5th edition, Will Hughes, Ronan Champion & John Murdoch

7. Last update

Date: 30/01/2017 by: Obuks Ejohwomu

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MACE60076 Project Scope and Quality Management 1. General information

Title Module 6: Project Scope and Quality Management


Credit rating 15

Pre-requisite units MSc Compulsory



Co-ordinator Mr. Callum Kidd

Teaching staff Mr. Callum Kidd


To understand the basic building blocks of quality management in a project context.

To develop a higher level of critical awareness of the importance of managing scope throughout the project lifecycle, and how better managing through life requirements has a positive impact

To better appreciate the need for Front End Loading (FEL) in managing projects

Understand the contribution played by configuration management and interface management in managing changes to through life requirements and project scope.


This unit explores the critical relationship between managing projects and managing quality. In many cases, the functional design of a business separates the management of both, and as such they are managed quite independently of each other. This leads to intervention costs being required when things go wrong, or we fail to meet the objectives / desired outcomes of an audit or review. A critical element in the managing of effective projects is the concept of Scope Management. Research clearly identifies that not clearly identifying scope, and more significantly not managing changes to scope, is a major contributing factor to project failure. At the root of this failure is our inability to manage requirements effectively. This unit studies the dynamic relationship of scope, quality and requirements management in the context of managing projects.

Syllabus:

1. Foundations of Quality and Scope Management: 2. Quality Management – Techniques and Standards: 3. Scope Management – Principles and Practices: 4. Development and importance of the ‘Iron Triangle’: 5. Case Study: 6. Requirements Management and Front End Loading (FEL): 7. Configuration Management: 8. Interface Management:

The unit, and its content balance involves:

the study of topics and applications which broaden and enhance the degree / unit in which students likely already hold a degree in (20%)

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the study of multidisciplinary topics (20%)

the study of non-technical topics which complement the technical content (60%) The unit assessment comprises three distinct elements, which are designed to constructively build a high level awareness of project quality management in their own environments.

1. Undertake a review of how Quality Management is currently addressed within the delegates project context (30%)

2. Develop a literature review and critique of how either Requirements Management or Configuration Management has an impact on Project Scope (30%)

3. Identify a recent or current issue in the delegates own contextual environment that involved managing scope and resulted in a negative outcome. What could have been done to address this issue earlier, and what lessons can the delegate take away for future projects. (40%)

4. Feedback

Coursework feedback to be given via VLE Bb within 4 weeks of submission of tasks


Coursework is evenly spaced out over the study period, with part one being due after week 4, and part three being delivered at the end of the delivery cycle.

6. Reading list

Course Texts: Visualizing Project Management: Models and Frameworks for Mastering Complex System - Forsberg, K - 3rd ed Project Quality Management – 2nd edition, Kenneth Rose

7. Last update

Date: 12th February 2017 by: Callum Kidd

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MACE60077 People, Organisations and Culture


Title People, Organisations and Culture

Unit code MACE60077

Credit rating 15



School responsible School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Co-ordinator Dr. Paul W Chan

Teaching staff Professor Andrew Gale


To develop critical awareness of a wide range of people and organisational issues relevant to the management of projects;

To critically reflect on a range of theoretical perspectives that can be used to problematise people and organisational issues relevant to the management of projects, and;

To apply a range of theoretical perspectives in appropriating and evaluating possible interventions to addressing people and organisational problems.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description: In this unit entitled People and Organisations, a number of topics will be explored, including inter alia leadership, motivation, team working, communication, conflicts and negotiation, and organisational culture. These topics will be discussed in a two-hour keynote lecture during the Plenary Session, and set within the backdrop of contemporary trends in the way we think about (project) organisations. These trends, e.g. increasing project-based working, globalisation, outsourcing, and greater awareness of social responsibility, serve to disrupt classical models of organisations and challenge the way we make sense about human relations in organisations. The keynote lecture is designed to give a snapshot of current thinking, and this must be supplemented by personal, directed and self-directed reading. Syllabus: Introduction to People and Organisations: In this topic, we will be covering some of the high-level trends in society that are changing the nature of organisations and the ways in which human relations are conceptualised and enacted. These trends include globalisation and the rise of the virtual organisation, intensification of outsourcing and the ‘hollowing out’ of organisations, and increasing projectification of organisations where the management of projects (after Morris) and management by projects (after Gareis) are becoming the norm. In this introduction, we will also question definitions of what a ‘project’ means, attending to more current perspectives of project organisation, including projects as temporary organising, non-routine contexts, and imagination. Organisational Theories: In this topic, we will be tracing developments in the theories and practices of organisation, from classical notions of organisation as monolithic, coherent structures to more contemporary, postmodern ideas of organising without organisation. In this topic, we will explore and question a variety of structural arrangements (e.g. role, task, and power structures), and discuss their relevance to current trends at the (project) workplace. These trends include greater flexibility and mobility at and in between project sites, and more networked and virtual forms of coordinating work. We will also discuss ambiguities of control that are intensifying given more inter-organisational forms of coordination, especially in project-based environments.

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Leadership and Motivation: In this topic, we will be differentiating between leadership and management, and trace developments in the theories and practices of leading projects (e.g. traits and styles, contingency, distributed, transformational and transactional). We will also be examining leadership in process terms, and explore emergent practices of leading and development authentic leadership. We will also examine the interrelationships between leadership and motivation. We will also critique content and process theories of motivation in light of recent evidence that suggest the limits of incentivisation and motivating high-performing work environments. Conflict and Negotiation: In this topic, we will be experiencing ways in which conflicts are enacted and managed. We will explore this through an interactive workshop, which is intended to help you identify the paradoxes of conflicts; on the one hand, conflicts are dysfunctional, yet conflicts can also be extremely productive in driving creativity and innovation. We will discuss conflict and negotiation techniques through the use of the ‘body’, and explore how the nature of conflicts changes over a typical project life cycle. Teams and Organisational Culture: In this topic, we will be exploring theories of team building (e.g. Tuckman’s team development life cycle, and Belbin’s team roles), and discussing how this relates to the typical project life cycle. This discussion is also set in the context of contemporary interests in high-performing, high-reliability (project) workplaces, and longstanding interest in developing a coherent organisational culture for continuous improvement. We will also critically review the work of a number of cultural theorists, including Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Schein’s layers of organisational culture. Communication: In this topic, we will discuss communication problems in (project) organisations. We will review the classical sender-message-receiver model of communication and explore how communication often breaks down as a result of interpretation and translation across mediators and intermediaries. We will examine the concept of boundary objects, and explore its relevance in connection with communication issues in and across organisations. We will also discuss the contemporary perspective of communication-as-constitutive-of-organisation (CCO) and examine how organisational culture and identity plays a crucial part in affording effective communication practices. Human Resources and Cross-Cultural Interactions: In this topic, we will trace historical developments of human resource management from the industrial relations movement of the early-to-mid 20th century, to the rise of the personnel manager in the 1980s, to more strategic view of human resource management in organisations in the late 1990s/early 2000s. We will explore the implications of these changing trends for the management of people in project organisations. We will explore, for instance, the shift from unitarist perspective to more pluralist, stakeholding perspective. We will also examine how line managers are increasingly asked to take on more human resource management responsibilities and explore the growing challenges in this area especially in the context of cross-cultural interactions. The unit involves the students synthesising a diverse range of theories on people, organisations and culture, and to apply these appropriately to address the management of people in projects. The unit also requires the students to critically engage with a contemporary concept in the study of human relations in project-based contexts. The unit helps prepare the students to become more self-aware, and to critically reflect on the perspectives of others in the management of projects.

4. Feedback Coursework 1 entails two submission milestones (Milestone 1: Task I; Milestone 2: Tasks II-IV). Feedback on Coursework 1 Task I will be provided 2 weeks after submission. Feedback on Coursework 1 Tasks II-IV and feedback on Coursework 2 will be provided 3 weeks after submission.

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The Coursework Brief is issued in Week 1. The hand-in deadline for Task I after 6 weeks. The hand-in deadline for Tasks II-IV is after 12 weeks. The hand-in deadline for the Critical Review is after 24 weeks.

6. Reading list

McKenna, E. (2012) Business Psychology and Organisational Behaviour: A Student Handbook. 5 Ed. Hove: Psychology Press. Guided workbook topics found in Blackboard 9.

7. Last update

Date: 30 November 2016 by: Dr. Paul W Chan

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MACE60078 Managing Research Projects


Title Module 8 Managing Research Projects

Unit code MACE60078

Credit rating 15




Co-ordinator Dr Margaret Emsley

Teaching staff Dr Margaret Emsley, Dr Paul Blackwell


Provide delegates with a more advanced understanding of the management of projects by choosing one of two options: management research or professional development.

Prepare delegates for their dissertation by carrying out an assignment specifically linked to either research or reflective practice within the domain of engineering and project management.

3. Brief description of the unit and syllabus Brief description: The unit involves the study of non-technical topics that complement the engineering content. It has two options: management research (research option) and professional development (reflective option).

Management Research (Research Option) This option prepares students to think about their proposed research dissertation topic, why this topic is worthy of investigation, what they hope to achieve and what methods they intend to use (and why). Emphasis is also given to searching and critically reviewing existing literature to the topic so that the research carried out by each student may be set in the relevant context. Professional Development (Reflective Option) This option focuses on how managers think and reflect in complex situations and each student is given the opportunity to reflect on their own thinking using the work of different authors. The logic here is that if managers better understand the pattern and limits of reflective thinking and judgement making, they can learn to become more effective in dealing with complex managerial situations.

4. Feedback Personalised written feedback on coursework will be provided in Blackboard 3 weeks after each of the assignment submission dates.


Coursework issued in week 1 (plenary); hand-in uploaded to Blackboard for research option within 3 months of handout. Coursework hand-in uploaded to Blackboard for research and reflective option within 6 months of handout.

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6. Reading list

Research Option Bell, J. (2010). Doing Your Research Project. Open University Press, 5th edition. Maxwell, J.A. (2012). Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. 41 (Applied Social Research Methods Series). Sage Publications. 3rd edition. Reflective Option Schön, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books. Schon, D. (1993) Reflection in action. In: Health, Welfare & Practice. Edited by J. Walmsley. Sage. Vickers, G. (1991) Judgment. Ch.14 in Creative Management, Edited by J. Henry, Sage. Claxton, G. (2001) The Innovative Mind: Becoming Smarter by Thinking Less. Ch 3 in Creative Management (2nd Edition), Edited by J. Henry, Sage. Fish D and Coles C (1998) Seeing anew: understanding practice as professional artistry. In: Developing Professional Judgement in Healthcare. Butterworth-Heinemann.

7. Last update


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MACE 61110 PMPDP Dissertation Module


Title PMPDP Dissertation

Unit code MACE61110

Credit rating 60




Co-ordinator Dr Margaret Emsley

Teaching staff Dr Margaret Emsley, Dr Mark Winter, Dr Paul Blackwell

2. Aims The student has two options to choose from: a research dissertation or a reflective dissertation. The aim of the research dissertation is for the student to apply the skills learnt in the taught part of the MSc/Diploma course to an independent piece of research that is relevant to project management. The aim of the reflective dissertation is to help the student develop three professional management capabilities through a period of deliberate reflective practice in their own organisation.


The unit involves the study of non-technical topics that complement the engineering content. It has two options: management research (research option) and professional development (reflective option).

Management Research (Research Option) The topic the student selects will be influenced by their work experience. The research dissertation requires an aim and objectives related to the chosen topic to be established and then demonstrate that they have been achieved. Reviewing the relevant literature and using an appropriate research method (often a questionnaire survey, interviews or a case study) to carry out some empirical research are the two main foci of the dissertation work; a comparison is then often carried out to identify if what is suggested in theory occurs in practice and recommendations are made about how practice can be improved.

Professional Development (Reflective Option) The student is required to write a reflective dissertation about their work experience over a period of approximately nine months. The dissertation is driven by the student’s personal interests and they have to select three personal capabilities they would like to develop, such as leadership, decision making, and building a team. These capabilities form the basis for the reflective process and dissertation: review of relevant literature, comparison of literature with their own knowledge and experience (i.e. reflection-on-self), application of ideas and insights (i.e. conscious reflection-in-action), and critical reflection on the experience.

4. Feedback

Research option: Formative feedback is given at meetings, be they virtual or face to face, between the student and the supervisor assigned to that student. Reflective option: Formative feedback is given at the three workshops and on individual drafts after workshop 3.

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Handed out on day 1 with final dissertation uploaded to Blackboard within 12 months.

6. Reading list

Research Option Bell, J. (2010). Doing Your Research Project. Open University Press, 5th edition. Maxwell, J.A. (2012). Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. 41 (Applied Social Research Methods Series). Sage Publications. 3rd edition. Reflective Option Mintzberg, H (2013). Simply Managing, FT Prentice Hall. Schön, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books.

7. Last update


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