Project+Management?

Should we look into project management software to help you and help the students organize? Below is a syllabus that describes the discipline (new to me) of project management. Thirty eight students doing 3 major projects sounds confusing. Might this organize the process?

AMERICAN PATHWAYS UNIVERSITY
 * BUS 181**
 * PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS**

Instructor: Bob Kois PMP MBA


 * __Course Description__**

Entry Level Project Management Course. We will look to improve organizational effectiveness, decision-making, and create teams of high performing individuals with a shared goal of accomplishing the company’s objectives through projects. We will study how to make the team efficient through task management.


 * __Introduction to the Course__**

PMI (Project Management Institute) has set international standards in Project Management and the learning and applying of these standards help increase the effectiveness and efficiency of getting projects done. As we move to an international workforce these international standards take on increased importance, because we need a common understanding of what is expected and how it should be communicated. In the US alone there are $10 Trillion dollars worth of projects being managed. Recent studies show that less than 37% of the projects will be completed. Of those that complete, the average spending will be 288% of the original budget and the project will take 180% of the time originally forecast. Most Project Managers came into the profession by accident, from some other responsibility. This course hopes to give formal training to those who can make the biggest improvement to the above numbers, thus adding great value to their project teams.


 * __Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes__**

1. Address the basic nature of managing projects and the advantages and disadvantages to this approach 2.Introduce the characteristics, techniques, and problems associated with initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closeout of projects 3. Develop a management perspective about projects to help develop future project managers


 * __Instructional Model__**

The optimal educational experience utilizes //pedagogical//, //andragogical//, and //synergogical// learning methods. //Pedagogy// is predominately a highly structured classroom conveyance of information from teacher to student by the lecture method. There will be some, but not much, pedagogy in this course. //Andragogy// is participatory, student-centered, and focuses on individual needs and goals, with an emphasis on student initiative, independence, and responsibility. The teacher is a learning facilitator in this methodology. We will do a great deal of andragogy in this course. //Synergogy// is like andragogy in that the teacher serves as a facilitator of learning, as well as a source of information and director of learning, and it also emphasizes student collaboration, cooperation and team learning.

Total points for the course are 100, distributed as shown in the criteria. 24 points Homework Assignment (2 points each) 24 points Mid Term & Final 26 points Hard Copy Team Presentation (Shared Team Grade) 26 points Final Presentation (4 minutes) Grades are based on the % of the total points earned. (I will not round up for fractions) Grades will be updated on e-college website. A 94-100 A- 90-93 B+ 86-89 B 80-85 B- 78-79 C 70-77 F below 70
 * __Requirements__**
 * Grading Scale **

**Text: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMBOK Guide, 3rd Edition, **Project Management Institute
 * __Required Texts__**


 * Course Schedule**

Introduction to the Class and Project Management in Contemporary Organizations Project Selection Criteria, Models, Understanding Risks, Alignment The role of the project manager; characteristics and attributes of successful project managers; challenges of managing projects in a multicultural, global environment. **4 Project Organization and the Project Teams** Understanding the various types of organizations and how project teams fit into the organization? Discovering structure, nature of the team environment, success factors and problems with project teams. Developing definition of team member roles and the organization of project teams. Initial Project Coordination through Integration Management. The project planning systems, work breakdown structure analysis, negotiation and conflict resolution to facilitate planning.
 * 1 Introduction **
 * 2 Project Management & Strategic Planning **
 * 3 The Project Manager **
 * 5 Project Planning **
 * 6 Conflict and Negotiation **

Various methodologies for cost estimation; the process and guidelines for developing a schedule; the construction of Gantt Charts, CPM and PERT methods. The process and guidelines for developing a resource plan, resource loading and leveling and crashing a project. 9 Risk Management Discussion of how risks are identified and determined in a plan, the process for optimizing a plan, the risk management process and methodologies. Discussing the process of allocation scarce and non-existent resources. The guidelines and methods for proper data collection and the use of data to control a project. Earned-value analysis and other methods of monitoring the components of a PMIS system. 12 Project Control The types and characteristics of project control systems, variance analysis, and corrective actions. The project reporting methods, project termination rationale, lessons learned. Preparing the final project report. Bringing the Project together. Team Project Hard Copies are due before class. Bringing the Project together. Team Project Hard Copies are due before class. Everyone, on every team presents their portion of their Project. 4 minutes each. Remote students report remotely, like all good project mangers do.
 * 7 Budgets and Cost Estimation **
 * 8 Scheduling **
 * 10 ** **Resource Allocation**
 * 11 ** **Project Monitoring**
 * 13 Project Reporting and Termination **
 * 14 Project Integration **
 * 15 ** **Lessons Learned**
 * 16** **Project Presentations**