University of Technology Sydney

15346 Organisational Project Management

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: School of the Built Environment
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 15315 Project Management Principles AND 144 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10413 Bachelor of Design Architecture Master of Architecture
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject covers essential aspects of organisational project management which enable the execution of an organisation's strategies through a combination of project governance, portfolio management, program management and project management. Topics covered include business strategy and corporate governance and their relation to projects, project governance roles, structures and processes, portfolio management, program management, role and responsibilities of project sponsors, project management offices and the strategic alignment of portfolios, programs, and projects for project success. Students work on case studies to enable them to apply the concepts learnt in the subject in practice. The subject contributes to graduate attributes of critical thinking, project management knowledge adaptation and application, communication, organisational management and improving practice.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Analyse how organisations develop structures and processes, to deliver their strategies through organisational project management (OPM)
2. Develop an ability to discuss, formulate and present suitable governance structures for managing OPM in organisations.
3. Elaborate the relationship between corporate governance, governance of projects and project governance
4. Formulate an integrated governance structure and processes for managing portfolios, programs and projects in an organisation, by evaluating the current capability of an organisation, the requirements of this organisation by integrating the elements of the subject.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Communicate effectively through oral communication in projects at a professional level (Oral Communication) (C.1)
  • Communicate effectively through written communication in projects at a professional level (Written Communication) (C.2)
  • Develop and adapt project management knowledge to meet contextual demands (Knowledge Adaptation) (I.2)
  • Apply and extend advanced project management knowledge (Advanced Knowledge) (P.2)
  • Manage project activities from an organisational perspective (Organisational Management) (P.3)
  • Apply methods and tools to analyse data and information for managing projects (Information Analysis) (P.4)
  • Lead and manage project teams, and work as a project team member at a professional level (Teams and Leadership) (P.6)
  • Think critically and synthesise complex data (Critical Engagement) (R.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

Delivery of this subject will include lectures on key concepts, presentations by guest lecturers on applications of concepts, and active learning opportunities through targeted activities that will be integrated throughout the sessions through group work and in-class presentations by student groups. In addition, some flipped learning strategies have been integrated into the subject learning philosophy, including the use of pre-readings and/or multimedia content which must be completed prior to the first session. These pre-readings will lead to a pre-workshop assignment to assess your understanding and preparation for the sessions. In addition, online reference and resource material is provided that will be available throughout the semester, and relevant topics that relate to subject topics will also be posted from time to time to demonstrate relevance on the subject content. Feedback will be provided on formal assignment submissions either during the workshop or through REVIEW.

Content (topics)

Organisational project management (OPM)

Relationship of OPM to Portfolio Program and Project Management

Value of OPM

Overview of the strategy process

Overview of corporate governance

Linking strategy to projects

Project Governance

Governance of projects

Portfolio and Program Management

Project Management Office (PMO)

Introduction to data management for governance

Case Studies

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Online test based on pre-readings

Intent:

Preview of essential concepts before attending the block workshop

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2 and R.1

Type: Quiz/test
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 10%
Criteria:

Assessment criteria will be provided separately in the Assignments Marking Criteria document on UTS online.

Assessment task 2: Daily group exercises and presentation

Intent:

Apply tools and techniques to exercises provided during the block workshop

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, I.2, P.2, P.4 and P.6

Type: Exercises
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 30%
Criteria:

Assessment criteria will be provided separately in the Assignments Marking Criteria document on UTS online.

Assessment task 3: Individual Assignment

Intent:

Apply knowledge gained from subject to practice

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2 and 4

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, P.3 and R.1

Type: Essay
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 60%
Criteria:

Assessment criteria will be provided separately in the Assignments Marking Criteria document on UTS online.

Required texts

Müller, R., Drouin, N., & Sankaran, S. (2019). Organizational project management: Theory and implementation. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Available as an e-book at UTS Library

Recommended texts

See Reading List on Canvas

References

Books:
Axelos 2011. Management of Portfolios, 1st edn., The Stationery Office, London
Clarke, T., (ed), 2003, Theories of Corporate Governance: The Philosophical Foundations of Corporate Governance, Routledge, London.
Clegg, S. R., Schweitzer, J., Whittle, A., & Pitelis, C. (2019). Strategy: theory and practice. Sage.
DAMA 2017. DMBOK Data Management Body of Knowledge, 2nd edn., Technics Publications, Basking Ridge, NJ.
ISO 2017, 21505:2017: Project, Programme and Portfolio Management: Guidance on Governance, International Standards Association, Geneva.
Jensen, M.C., 2000, A Theory of the Firm: Governance, Residual Claims, and Organizational Forms, Harvard University Press, Boston.
Morgan, G., 1997, Images of Organization, 2nd edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Morris, P.W.G. and Jamieson, H.A., 2004, Translating Corporate Strategy into Project Strategy: Achieving Corporate Strategy Through Project Management, PMI, Newtown Square, PA.
Müller, R. (Ed.) 2016 Governance and Governmentality of Projects: Enablers, Practices and Consequences, Routledge, London.
PMI, 2021. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 7th edn., Project Management Institute, Newton Square, PA.
PMI 2017. The Standard for Portfolio Management, 4th edn., Project Management Institute, Newton Square, PA.
PMI 2018. The Standard for Program Management, 4th edn., Project Management Institute, Newton Square, PA.
Thiry, M. 2010. Program Management, Gower, Aldershot.
Tricker, R.I. (Bob). 2015. Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies & Practices, OUP, Oxford.
Turner, J.R., 2009, Handbook of Project-based Management, McGraw-Hill, London.
Turner, J.R, Huemann, M., Anbari, F.T and Bredillet, C.N., 2010, Perspectives on Projects, Routledge, London and New York,
Williams, T. & Samset, K. 2012 (Eds.) Project Governance: Getting Investments Right, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Williamson, O.E., 1996, Mechanisms of Governance, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Williamson, O.E., (ed), 1995, Organization Theory, Oxford University Press., Oxford.

Book chapters:
Ang, K.C.S. & Biesenthal, C. 2017, Multilevel value creation in projects, programs and portfolios: Results from two case studies in Sankaran, S., Müller, R. & Drouin, N. (Eds), Cambridge Handbook of Organizational Project Management, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 295-310.
Müller, R., 2010, Project governance, in Morris, P.G.W., Pinto, J.F. and Söderlund, J.(Eds.),The Oxford Handbook of Project Management OUP, Oxford,

Research papers:
Clegg, S., Killen, C. Biesenthal, C. & Sankaran. S. 2018. Practices, projects and portfolios: Current research trends and new directions, International Journal of Project Management, 36 (5), 762-772.
Killen. C.P., Jugdev, K., Drouin, N. & Petit, Y. 2012. Advancing project and portfolio management research: Applying strategic management theories, International Journal of Project Management, 30 (5) 525-538.
Martinsuo, M. 2013. Project portfolio management in practice and context, International Journal of Project Management, 31(6), 794-803.
Müller, R., Drouin, N., & Sankaran, S. (2019). Modeling organizational project management. Project Management Journal, 50(4), 499-513.
Petit, Y. 2012, Project portfolios in dynamic environments: Organizing for uncertainty, International Journal of Project Management,30(5), 539-553.
Thiry, M. & Deguire, M. 2007. Recent developments in project-based organizations, International Journal of Project Management, 25(7), 649-658.Too, E.G. & Weaver, P. 2014. The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance, International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 1382-1394.

Note: More references can be found on the Canvas Reading List for this subject.