Project Management and Education

Many scholars have criticized formal project management education as being based on various Bodies of Knowledge (BOKs), lacking real-world application and representing a narrow view of the profession. Through a survey questionnaire, this research inquiry has examined the alignment of project management professional needs with the aspirations of project management education within Australian universities. The research findings show positive links between project management education, increased employability, better workplace performance and successful professional careers. However, the research has also identified poor alignment of current project management education in Australian universities with project management practice and recommends possible revision of project management education programs to meet the knowledge requirements expressed by project management professionals. The findings of this research contribute to the debate in respect of bringing project management education closer to project management practice.

A major challenge in Information Systems and Information Technology is to improve the ability to conceptualize, design, develop and deliver information systems that meet customer requirements. Project management is often adopted to create solutions that work and meet customer needs. The principles of project management as defined by the Project Management Institute, can improve project success rates. Researchers in the project management need to help practitioners understanding the impact of different principles on the success of IS development. This study undertakes a survey of project management experts on the state of practice and research to examine the need for improving project management, and suggest areas that can be improved. Research may be the most effective means of defining opportunities for enhancing project success rates by tapping the wealth of literature and complementing it with the expertise of project management practitioners. INTRODUCTION Software development applications require frequent changes and updates in order to support enterprise systems. These frequent changes to IS/IT comprise a large volume of software development efforts. These efforts, undertaken as projects, are generally complex and take place in a dynamic environment where business conditions and technologies change frequently during the life of the project (Chen, et. al., 2004). The factors of project success include user involvement and project size, management and planning (Schmidt, et al., 2001). A fully operational project management system in enterprise offers the best opportunity for project success through the implementation of methods and tools for planning, organizing, and managing team-based activities to accomplish specific directives (Jurison, 1999). Project management is widely adopted in Corporate America embraces project management to implement system changes (Muriithi & Crawford, 2003; Park & Pena-Mora, 2003; Yilmaz & Phillips, 2007), which are even considered as too significant to outsource (Fish & Seydel, 2006) or having high risk of leading to undesirable consequences (Wei & Peach, 2006). However, many projects fail, even when performed using project management techniques. Such project failure reduces the capability of technology components. The 2004 Chaos report by the Standish Group found that only 28% of IT projects were successful, down from 34% in earlier report; The proportion of IT projects canceled before completion increased to 18% (from 15%), and a further 51% of IT projects were considered challenged as they are seriously late, over budget and missing expected features (The Standish Group, 2004; The Standish Group, 2007). Possible causes for these findings are the size and expense of large projects, a return to traditional development practices on large projects (Boddy, 1993), the absence of user involvement (Turner & Cochrane, 1993; Akbulut & Motwani, 2005), and lack of executive support (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996). Thus, scope management is regarded as a key area of successful project management in practice (Hayes, 2004). Although some project failures are because of technical reasons, most are directly related to the failure of stakeholders to embrace the principles of good project management (Jurison, 1999). As part of the project management process, project teams must understand the standards to which their projects are being held in order to ensure that project performance is emphasized appropriately (Crawford, 2005). The Field Guide to Project Management (Cleland, 2004) suggests that project management should be an easy sell to organizations because it enhances business performance and increases revenue. An organization can manage project effectively by identifying its goals in applying project management principles (Aladwani, 2002). For most organizations, these goals are to apply a proven practice, optimize resources, serve customer needs and save time and money (Turner & Cochrane, 1993). …

Projects are one of the most important organizational patterns in industry and society. Projects drive change and change takes place in a projectized world. Therefore, project management is a competence field which is required in many areas and on various competence levels. Master education in project management is a special type of delivery for project management competence. It combines a scientific approach with an education for a professional domain. Master programmes are an established way of competence delivery in project management – both for graduate students and professionals. With the ambition to define a European way of Master education in project management, the partners of the consortium of the European Master in Project Management (EuroMPM) developed a portfolio of six Master programmes at different European universities. These programmes are closely interlinked with exchange formats for students, scientists and lecturers, double degrees and a joint research community. The programmes follow a similar philosophy and didactic model. They have a synchronized and aligned curriculum. The intended competence profile for the graduates is aligned, too, while still being differentiated by local specialization modules and different target groups. The comprehensive approach in terms of content development, delivery, didactics, community of practice and intended learning outcomes forms a unique model – the EuroMPM model. This contribution aims to define and describe the EuroMPM model. The intention is to serve as a position paper and starting point for the development of a de-facto standard in project management education on Master level.

Introduction One of the challenges faced by students that are involved in the acquisition of an academic degree, as Higher Education or a PhD., are related to the difficulties of development of a Academic Research Project. Such challenges are surrounded by incorrect determination of the research scope and complexity, the erroneous estimatives for the research conclusion (or even the time demand due to problems occurring during the research development) or even finishing with poor quality as something that were not expected by the advisor and other evaluators. These elements culminates in the application of Project Management Theory that is being studied by institutions such as the Project Management Institute--PMI (PMSURVEY.ORG, 2010) over the years and which aims to improve the process of project development in general, including academic projects aimed at scientific research in the university accordingly to MUSTARO & ROSSI, 2013. PMI is responsible for developing guidelines for project management as defined on the Project Management Body of Knowledge--PMBoK (PMI, 2008). From the presented scenario, the general objective of this paper is to establish link between academic research projects with the Project Management Theory. As specific objectives, this paper considers: 1) present the types of academic research projects that can be treated according to the precepts of the project, 2) provide project management theoretical foundations, and 3) present part of the process groups of PMBoK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), a framework widely used in over a hundred countries, linking these process groups to the academic research projects. To develop the proposed objectives and present the research results this paper is organized as follows: initially is described the Project Management Principles, then the processes involved in Initiating and Planning Process Groups are detailed based on PMBoK as well their relation with Academic Research Project. For each process group, their relation with the Knowledge Areas from PMBoK are detailed, and specific templates, as an Academic Research Project Plan Template, are presented. Finally, the conclusions are related and future works are suggested. Project Management Principles It is considered that the man have been using actions that turns to practices of project management since long time ago. It is also considered that some important monuments created throughout the history of modern man were built under the precepts of project management although these were not formalized at the time. Valle et al. (2010) show historical analyses that consider the concept of project management can be older than it looks. According to the authors, the construction of the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China and the Coliseum in Rome represent examples of man's efforts that must have been regimented by principles of project management. In the contemporary era is verified, as Valle et al. (2010), that several works were done under management of big monetary amounts and the work force of thousands of workers, which generated the need to implement project management practices. According to the authors, Taylor (1911) was a pioneer in the science of Project Management and Gantt (1919) was another student of these sciences. Both contributed greatly to the practices of modern project management. Although great events of the past suggested the theories of project management, it was only in the early twentieth century that the theories, methodologies and frameworks aimed at project management were in fact established. A timeline, according to Carvalho & Rabechini Jr. (2011), present great landmarks of project management from the twentieth century. This is able to present the evolution of project management practices and represents milestones in this setting, as shown in Table 1. In general, project management practices bring many benefits. …

The implementation of project management in the education system is impossible without the development of new types of competencies by teachers, which will allow the use of project management methods in professional activities. The article substantiates the need for training teachers who are competent both in managing student projects and in organizing their own project activities, as well as in project activities and project management of an educational institution. The article describes the experience of building competencies in the field of project management among students — future informatics teachers studying in the field of training 44.04.01 “Pedagogical Education” (master’s program “Information Technologies in Education”) at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University. Based on the requirements of the professional standard 06.016 “Project Manager in the Field of Information Technologies”, the requirements for the competence of specialists in the field of project activities, etc., the author examined indicators for the formation of competency UK-2 “Able to manage a project at all stages of its life cycle” for academic discipline “Project Management in Education”. The methodology of forming competencies in the field of project management in education for masters of teacher education using the digital educational resource developed by the author is highlighted.

Supply chain integration (SCI) is crucial for the success of innovation projects led by focal firms in collaboration with customers and suppliers. However, prior research offers limited insights into how SCI configurations may vary according to project characteristics and project management (PM) methods. As alternatives to the traditional stage‐gate PM approach have emerged, SCI has become increasingly complex. Drawing on project complexity theory, we seek to understand how different SCI configurations and PM methods intersect in 15 cases of collaborative innovation projects across 11 multinational firms. Our findings reveal that projects with varying levels of supply, customization, and technological complexity require distinct arcs of integration, paired with appropriate PM methods. The implementation of these strategies hinges on the PM capabilities of the focal firm and its supply chain partners. This study contributes to the SCI literature by theorizing how different sources of project complexity shape choices regarding PM methods and the arcs of integration that focal firms adopt.

Status and scope of project management in the hospitality industry

The aim of this research is to examine the level of adoption and application of project management practices in a not-for-profit organization within a case study of performance for all northwest. The growing competition for limited resources amongst organizations, both profit making and not-for-profit, continues to be a major driver for these organizations to adopt project management practices that can improve project performance efficiency and increase project success. Many research activities carried out on application of project management principles have been focused on profit-making organization especially the large companies. However, this research attempts to investigate the level of project management application within a not-for-profit company in the United Kingdom. This research was conducted based on Performance for All Northwest (PFA) as a case study. The company is a small social enterprise in the Northwest of England. A review of literature on project management framework, methodology and best practices across various disciplines was conducted. A qualitative method was adopted in the research and semi structured interview was conducted with the founder and a selected employee. The data obtained were subjected to qualitative evaluation, review of literature and a comparative analysis of the current project management practices within the organization with project management best practices was also conducted. The study utilized purposive sampling; a targeted selection process deemed suitable for its focus on individuals with specific insights into the organization. Purposive, or judgmental sampling, is preferred when researchers aim to engage a particular segment of the population that meets predefined criteria. Despite the limited sample size due to company size constraints, two respondents were identified as fitting the criteria based on their substantial experience within the organization. The result of the analysis shows that project management best practices regarding scope, time, and cost management are still lacking within the not-for-profit industry. It also reveals that inadequate knowledge of the importance of project management to organizational efficiency and project performance exists within the organization. The research further made recommendations for Performance for All Northwest and other not-for-profit organizations. The study confirms that although an increasing number of organizations are beginning to adopt modern project management methodologies, many are still using the conventional style of managing projects. The research has highlighted some important issues relating to project management practices at PFA. The research findings have identified some crucial gaps in the adoption of project management practices and will therefore recommend project planning, training, development, and lessons learned strategies to help improve project outcomes. While other studies on project management practices are centered on profits organizations, this study goes on to indicate specifically that not-for-profit organizations have not fully understood and appreciated how project management principles and methodologies can assist them in project performance and easier attainment of organizational objectives.

The high demand for innovative products has been treated as a challenge for the adoption of traditional project management (PM) practices and methods, specially those ones developed in turbulent and complex business environments. Recently, an alternative approach to deal with these challenges emerged. This approach, entitled Agile Project Management (APM), firstly applied in the software development area, is based on a set of principles which has the purpose to keep the management process as simple as possible, becoming more flexible and self-manageable. By focusing on continuous learning using constant iterations and rapid value deliverable driven, APM aims to improve the results for clients in face of turbulent business environment. However, there is lack on the literature regarding APM principles application in new product development (NPD) projects. The aim of this research is to investigate this issue and the practical application of those principles to NPD projects, developed under turbulent and innovative business environments. To achieve this goal the following strategy was adopted: develop, implement and evaluate a method for planning and controlling scope and time. It was based on a set of principles extracted from the APM literature. The method developed was entitled IVPM2 (Iterative and Visual Project Management Method) and its creation comprised an extensive literature review combined with a pure action-research methodology carried out in two small technology-based companies from the So Carlos Technological Pole. The companies were called "Company A" and "Company B", and the IVPM2 development, implementation and evaluation activities occurred simultaneously in both companies, considering two distinct scenarios. In the "company A" the IVPM2 was implemented in a single long term project, with a high level of complexity and innovation. In the "company B" the IVPM2 was implemented in more than one project (a total of 7 projects) with less complexity and innovation aspects. In order to evaluate the IVPM2 adherence and contribution to project management a statistic descriptive approach was applied using qualitative and quantitative data. The data was collected by questionnaire, interviews and document analysis. The main purpose of this evaluation was to respond the central research problem and the specific research questions. The central research problem was described as: Is it possible to apply APM principles for planning and controlling innovative product projects? Consequently, the specific research questions considered after the method implementation were: RQ1) Did IVPM2 adhere to APM principles? RQ2) Did IVPM2 contribute to enhance project management process in the companies under study? The results showed many evidences of the presence of APM principles in the IVPM2 as stated in the literature. Moreover, the IVPM2 was capable to enhance many aspects of project management process of new product development in both companies studied. It also contributed to improve other aspects not directly addressed in the current research. Finally, the evidences collected during the research have indicated many benefits by combining principles from APM approach with traditional PM techniques and a PM software to support project management. This result is important to consider the applicability and viability of APM principles application to NPD projects in turbulent, innovative and complex business environments. Finally, this study has presented many indications of the need to explore this theme and improve the analysis and the IVPM2 components in order to implement them in different companies and project contexts.

Systems Engineering Management (SEM) is being developed hand in hand with the maturation of systems engineering, emphasizing the management of the joint project‐product ensemble.Most SEM applications use traditional Project Management (PM) methods and tools, including Gantt chart, PERT, Critical Path Method, System Dynamics, Earned Value Method, and Design Structure Matrix. Object Process Methodology has also been recently studied as a vehicle for Project‐Product Lifecycle Management. We examine how systems engineers perceive the extent to which PM methods support SEM. We verified that project and product are viewed as two complementary facets of SEM, and that certain PM methods address both domains better than others with respect to particular examined factors.

The EuroMPM [1] is a pan-European cooperation on Master education in project management with seven well aligned Master programmes in different European countries dealing with the ambition to offer an academic education in project management on EQF level 7 [2]. Connecting several Master programmes in a cross-border virtual Master School is a straightforward approach for high-quality Master education — especially in domains with a high level of transdisciplinary, international cooperation (e.g. the KIC Master Schools [3], or the MSPME [4]). The EuroMPM uses the concept of the cross-border Master School to address some typical competence requirements for international project managers: intercultural teamwork & communication, interdisciplinary & international cooperation, diversity in topics and tailored approaches (driven by innovations, technology development and new business models, e.g. the digital transformation) and project complexity. The EuroMPM Master School goes beyond traditional exchange semesters. Important elements are block-oriented teaching in workshops with students and lecturers from partner universities, with industry involvement [5] and with an interdisciplinary teamwork. Exchange is fostered by a high number of interaction points between the programmes, e.g. summer schools and student conferences. Furthermore, the concept of the international classroom contributes to a unique learning experience. A virtual cross-border Master School on a European scale as the EuroMPM has the required international project culture already in its own DNA. EuroMPM conducts the research on the efficiency and effectivity of the competence delivery based on a tailored indicator framework. We will present the EuroMPM concept, excerpts of the indicator framework and examples of measurement results.

Currently, the dispersion and variety of both research and development (R&D) project management methods and their taxonomies pose difficulties in the selection of a management concept suitable for a particular type of R&D project. The paper attempts to assign a specified management concept to a given R&D project type. An in‐depth analysis of the literature was done, and dispersed information on the R&D project management were systemised and linked. More detailed classifications of R&D projects and agile project management (APM) methods were proposed. The paper as a result presents a new typology of R&D projects and a proposal of assignment of project management methods to individual types of R&D projects. Moreover, a case study of an R&D project is presented with outlining the major problems concerning its implementation, resulting, inter alia, from the selection of an inappropriate management concept made at the stage of project planning and application for funding. The authors also carried out an empirical research aimed at the confirmation of conclusions drawn from the relevant literature and the investigated case study. The main result of the paper is the assignment of different project management concepts to certain R&D project types as well as the distinction of two types of APM concepts. The final conclusion of the article is that most types of R&D projects, identified using the criterion of the degree of knowledge of their goals and methods of their implementation, should be managed by a customised concept of APM. It is, however, essential that one matches different types of Agile methods with different types of R&D project.

The article is devoted to the issues of combination of the most important components of the theory of sustainable development and the principles of project management. The current state of the problem has been analyzed, the lack of knowledge on the corresponding issues in national literature and practice has been indicated, the rare use of sustainable development elements in project management has been identified. The prerequisites for the involvement of sustainable development objectives in the components of project management have been examined. Achieving the defined purpose is possible through the implementation of projects that aim to take into account the interests of sustainable development, as well as through the implementation of other projects that include the objectives of sustainable development. Critical inconsistencies in methodological approaches to the accomplishment of the objectives of sustainable development and project management have been identified. Thus, a more profound specification of the project's priorities and objectives, as well as the elaboration of time scheduling and scope of work are needed. The objectives for minimization of the identified inconsistencies as well as for rationale for the principles of corporate social responsibility provision have been defined. The assessment of the current regulatory documents in the field of project management with the focus on the involvement of sustainable development objectives has been conducted. It is pointed out that the corresponding aspects are poorly elaborated in the most well-known regulatory documents, namely, Individual Competence Baselinet (ICB), International Project Management Association (IPMA), Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Project Management Institute (PMI), A Guidebook of Project and Program Management for Enterprise Innovation (P2M), etc. Methodological approach to the integration of management decisions into the project management, the main components of which must be the integration of the regulations of PM into the main stages of SD, the broadening of time and geography of the project indicators, the identification of the correlations between the life-cycle of the project and product, as well as the expenses on the implementation of these projects and products and significant extension of the requirements of the project manager.

PurposeThis paper analyzes project and portfolio management within a major research library, while it was undergoing a complete physical renovation and reinvention of programs and services. This is a complex, almost 100-million-dollar undertaking that implemented a project management (PM) methodology known as portfolio management. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implementation and management of this process and provide a brief overview on project and portfolio management as a discipline. Additionally, it provides strengths and weaknesses as well as recommendations when implementing PM.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis uses a qualitative research methodology case study with a theoretical foundation of inductive grounded theory. The case study is based primarily on seven interviews of project managers who are involved with the project. It also uses document analysis to assist in triangulating the findings and provide a contextual overview of a complex process. A number of themes emerged into overall categories and findings.FindingsThe key takeaways were the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the process. The strengths were improved communication and transparency, improved organization and documentation and formal decision-making process and resource allocation. The weaknesses were the hammer and the nail problem, the tools and paperwork, rigidity and the lack of agility within the process. This study also describes the process in detail and gives recommendations for improving the methods implemented in similar circumstances.Originality/valueThis paper analyzes strategic management concepts from an empirical grounded theory approach and real-world perspective with key recommendations.

Foreign language (FL) is playing a predominant role in daily life, however, there are numerous problems in university FL teaching. Through comparing project management and FL teaching, the paper finds out the similarities between the two and imports project management ideologies and methods into FL teaching to realize optimization and improve its practical character and efficiency.