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ence 662 Fundamentals of Project Management Learn to deliver valuable complex systems that exceed client expectations by leading teams through initiation, planning, execution, controlling, and closing of project deliverables.
 
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Why ENCE 662

Project managers are in high demand across every engineering discipline. To be succesful requires techincal and leadership skills, as well as business acumen - and the right processes to maximize the likelihood of success. In this course, you'll learn to lead a project throughout it's lifecycle using predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches to delivery. This changes how you develop requirements, schedule and plan work, identify and manage risks, and ensure delivery within budget. More importantly, it requires a diverse set of leadership skills to set the goal and motivate project teams to deliver value. And you'll need to do this while ensuring that projects work within the constraints of the business and drives progress toward your company and your customer's strategic goals.

ProfessorGregory Baecher, PhDGregory Baecher, PhDProfessorJohn Johnson, PMP, CSMJohn Johnson, PMP, CSMStats Credits 3 Offered* Fall On-Campus, Spring Online

Topics

Project Management Context

Project management is about execution and getting the job done. We discuss the evolution of project management as a discipline, the execution models, business context, and project selection concepts. PM's are much more successful when they understand the context within which they are working.

Initiation

Project success is only possible if the project is launched properly. We cover organizational strategies, contract types, attributes of effective managers and teams, and the relationships of the parties.

Planning

Creating the project plan is a dynamic process that is ongoing throughout the life of a project. The level of detail is a function of the degree of uncertainty. Planning includes defining the work to be accomplished, defining the relationships of the tasks, estimating, budgeting, risk analysis, managing uncertainty, and communications planning.

Execution

Implementing the project plan is a function of proactive thinking, quick response to changes, leadership, monitoring, control, and quality control. A firm grounding in ethical behavior and professional responsibility is essential.

Closing

Closing a project starts in project planning and is carried on throughout the project. Actions include: performance evaluations, auditing, releasing resources, closing all of the contracts and financial instruments, and coordinating with the customer. Lessons learned are critical to building future success for the organization.

Student Feedback

Books*

51US63c2IJL._SX383_BO1,204,203,200_ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)–Sixth Edition By Project Management InstituteProject Mgmt In Practice 7th Book Cover Project Management in Practice Seventh Edition By Jack R. Meredith, Samuel J. Mantel Jr., Scott M. Shafer and Margaret M. Sutton

Schedule

Offered: Fall On-Campus, Spring Online*
Week 1Project Management Overview + global context
  • Capability Maturity Models
  • PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge "PMBOK"
  • Individual Time Management
Week 2Initiating 1 - Project selection
  • Project Context
  • Project Selection
  • Project Initiation
  • Project Charter
Week 3Initiating 2 - Project Delivery
  • Project Delivery Strategies
  • Execution Models
  • Types of Contracts
Week 4Initiating 3 - IT Tools for Managing Projects
  • IT Tools for Managing Projects
Week 5Initiating 4 - The Project Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Managing Teams
  • HR: Performance Evaluations
Week 6Planning 1 - Project Planning
  • Project Planning
  • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Managing Effective Meetings
Week 7Planning 2 - Project Communications
  • Project Communications Plan
  • Communications process
  • People to People
  • Personality types
Week 8Mid Term Exam
Week 9Planning 3 - Project Cost & Risk
  • Project Cost Management
  • Resource Planning
  • Estimating, budgeting, & control
  • Project Risk Management
Week 10Planning 4 - Project Scheduling
  • Project Time Management
  • PERT & CPM
  • Critical Chain
  • Resource Planning
  • Project Expediting
Week 11Project Execution - Leadership
  • Leadership Principles
  • Risk Aversion & Change Resistance
  • How to motivate & build trust
  • How to influence others
Week 12Project Monitoring and Control
  • Schedule dynamics & risk
  • Scope creep & change control
  • Performance reporting
  • Quality concepts
Week 13Closing the project
  • Project Evaluation
  • Auditing
  • Termination and Closeout
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility
Week 14Project 2 Due
  • Project 2 Presentations
Week 15Final Exam


*All course content, including schedule, topics, and books are subject to change semester-to-semester. Course costs are dependent on students' individual situations, including but not limited to, online vs on-campus enrollment, in-state vs out-of-state enrollment, and scholarships. Not all books on this page may be required readings and additional readings may be assigned. Please check the UMD Schedule of Classes for most up to date semester offerings. Instructors give students specific semester details once they are enrolled.

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