Course syllabus

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Welcome to IBB137 Project Management!

Lectures and seminars are held online:

Information about course content and learning goals can be read in the Course PM HERE, while an overview of schedule and preparatory work (to be done before each lecture and seminar) can be found below on this page. To join seminars, the preparatory work must be submitted individually beforehand.

Communication and questions in the course will be channeled via Cedrik Sjöblom, a previous student of this course, in order to provide you with a cohesive response. Kindly direct all questions to him at cedriks@chalmers.se.

Schedule and Preparatory work

Week

 Date

 Time

"Live" Course Activity

 Preparations (links to the articles and pre-recorded videos are available under each module)
12 23/3 13.15-15.00 Course Introduction
12 26/3 13.15-15.00

Q&A Module 1:
PM Basics (clip 1-3 & critical path)

1) Read the compulsory textbooks chapters and watch the pre-recorded video clips 1-3. 

2) Practice the critical path exercises.
15 13/4 13.15-15.00 Q&A Module 1:
PM Basics (clip 4-6 & EVM)

1) Read the compulsory textbooks chapters and watch the pre-recorded video clips 4-6. 

2) Practice the EVM exercises.
15 15/4 13.15-14.00 PM Basics Test (under Quizzes on Canvas)

Read, watch and practice on the material for Module 1.
16 20/4 13.15-15.00 Module 2:
The balance between leeway and rigour in managing projects		 Read Engwall (2002) and Olin & Wickenberg (2001).
16 22/4 13.15-15.00 Module 2:
Shadow System of Project Management		 Read Argyris (1991) and Buchanan & Badham (1999).
16 23/4 13.15-15.00 Module 2 Seminar A:
How to deal with the Shadow System in practice

1) Read Feynman (1986) and watch The Pentagon Wars by Benjamin (1998).

2) Answer and submit the questions related to Feynman (1986) and Benjamin (1998).
17 27/4 13.15-15.00 Module 3:
No project is an island		 Read Engwall (2003).
17 29/4 13.15-15.00 Module 3:
Agile and Design Thinking		 Read Takeuchi & Nonaka (1986) and Appleyard et al. (2020).
17 29/4 15.15-17.00 Module 3 Seminar B: Project Methodologies Submit summary tables for Engwall (2003), Takeuchi & Nonaka (1986) and Appleyard et al. (2020).
18 4/5 15.15-16.00 NEW: Q&A session for the PM Basics Test Retake

Practice the new exercises under Module 1.
18 6/5 13.15-16.00 Module 4 Seminar C:
Visualization in projects

1) Watch the pre-recorded lecture.

2) Read and submit summary tables for Eppler & Burkhard (2007) and van der Hoorn (2020).

3) Familiarize yourself with the virtual workspace Mural through two exercises.
18 7/5 13.15-14.00 Retake PM Basics Test (under Quizzes on Canvas) Read, watch and practice on the material for Module 1. 
19 11/5 13.15-15.00 Module 5:
´Fuzzy Front end´ of New Product Development projects		 Read Reid & de Bretani (2004) and Nobelius & Trygg (2002). 
20 18/5 13.15-15.00 Module 5:
Knowledge integration in projects		 Read Enberg (2012). 
20 20/5 13.15-16.00 Module 5 Seminar D:
Ideas and knowledge

1) Read the two articles by Govindarajan & Srinivas (2013) and Ihrig & MacMillan (2015). 

2) Fill in and submit the summary tables for Reid & de Bretani (2004), Nobelius & Trygg (2002) and Enberg (2012).
20 21/5 13.15-14.00 Module 6:
Managing complex projects in uncertain environments		 Read Shenhar (2001), de Meyer et al. (2002) and Olausson & Berggren (2010). 
21 25/5 13.15-15.00 Module 6 Seminar E:
Managing complex projects in uncertain environments		 Submit summary tables for Shenhar (2001), de Meyer et al. (2002) and Olausson & Berggren (2010). 
21 27/5 13.15-15.00 Module 6:
Closing lecture - balancing between textbook PM and the unique context of projects		 Read Segrestin (2005). 

 

Course literature

Course Books (available as e-books on the Chalmers library website HERE). 

Module 1: PM Basics

Scientific Articles 

Module 2: Navigating in the shadow system of PM

Module 3: Project methodologies

Module 4: Visualization in projects

Module 5: Ideas and Knowledge

Module 6: Managing complex projects in uncertain environments

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due