COURSE SYLLABUS

OPRE 6376 Advanced Project Management and Simulation

This course explores advanced topics in project management including maturity models, project portfolio management, program
management, PM offices, leadership and management perspectives; power and politics in organizations, quantitative management and
decision making tools, and concludes with a simulation modeling all five of the project management process groups.

Instructor’s Information:
Jim Joiner: jamesj@utdallas.edu
Lothar Katz katz@utdallas.edu
Jim Newstead jrnewstead@utdallas.edu
Jim Szot: jimszot@utdallas.edu
Course Materials:

Readings: PMI, Organizational Project Management Maturity Model Knowledge Foundation

Cook-Davies, Project management maturity models: does it make sense to adopt one?
PMI, Translating Corporate Strategy into Project Strategy: Realizing Corporate Strategy Through Project Management
Cooper and Edgett, Portfolio Management in New Product Development: Lessons from the Leaders – I and II
PMI, Portfolio Management Draft Standard
Pellegrinelli, Programme management: organizing project-based change
PMI, Program Management Draft Standard
Thiry, “For DAD”: a programme management life-cycle process
Cooke-Davies, Consistently Doing the Right Projects and Doing Them Right – What Metrics Do You Need?
Verma, Managing the Project Team

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 Course Schedule:

Date Title Description Objectives Module Assignments

Mod#
Jan 14 – Organizational These modules explore the
Feb 17 Project Management processes for aligning an
organization’s projects with its
Mod 50-54 Points: 50
strategic objectives and
Jim Szot techniques used to assure they
are effective and efficient.
Topics to be Covered
ƒ Project Management
Competence
ƒ Project Management
Maturity Models
ƒ Project Portfolio
Management
ƒ Program Management
ƒ PM Offices
As a result of these modules you
will be better prepared to:
ƒ Discuss the relationship
between overall organization
strategy, project portfolio
management, program
management, and project
management
ƒ Discuss the process, benefits,
and risks of organizational
maturity assessment
ƒ Discuss the benefits,
shortcomings, and types of
PM Offices
ƒ Assess the maturity of project
management in your
organization, identify high
impact improvement
opportunities, and develop
action plans to capitalize on
those opportunities
Reading Assignments
PMI, Organizational Project Management Maturity Model
Knowledge Foundation
Cook-Davies, Project management maturity models: does it make
sense to adopt one?
PMI, Translating Corporate Strategy into Project Strategy:
Realizing Corporate Strategy Through Project Management
Cooper and Edgett, Portfolio Management in New Product
Development: Lessons from the Leaders – I and II
PMI, Portfolio Management Draft Standard
Pellegrinelli, Programme management: organizing project-based
change
PMI, Program Management Draft Standard
Thiry, “For DAD”: a programme management life-cycle process
Cooke-Davies, Consistently Doing the Right Projects and Doing
Them Right – What Metrics Do You Need?
Individual Assignment (25 points) – See instruction sheet
• Post the document with your answers to BlackBoard prior to
Noon, Sunday, February 24, 2008.
Team Assignment (25 points) - See instruction sheet
• Post your completed questionnaire to your team’s discussion
board on BlackBoard by Noon, Sunday, January 20, 2008.
• Post your team response to the questions to BlackBoard
Assignments by Noon Sunday, January 27, 2008.
• Post your presentation to BlackBoard Assignments by 8 AM,
Sunday, February 17, 2008.
• Evaluate your team members’ contributions to completing the
team assignment by completing the peer team assessment on
BlackBoard by 8 AM, Wednesday, February 20, 2008.

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Date Title Description Objectives Module Assignments
Mod#
Web Conferences
• January 13, 2008, 10 AM CST – Requirements for
completing modules 50-54
• January 20, 2008, 10 AM CST – OPM3 Process
• February 17, 2008, 10 AM CST – OPM3 Team
Presentations

On-campus Retreat – February 20 – 23, 8 AM – 5 PM

In this module, we will explore This module introduces the use of Reading Assignment:
20 Feb AM Behavioral
Assessment
human behavior, how we a behavioral measurement ƒ Verma, Managing the Project Team
Mod 55 perceive ourselves as behaving, instrument as a tool to improve
Points: 10 pts and how others perceive that project team effectiveness. Other assignments will be completed during class.
same behavior. We’ll measure
Jim Newstead
our behavior under both normal There are three critical
and stressful conditions by considerations regarding project
completing a widely used and team member behavior:
effective behavioral instrument, 1. Understanding the behavioral
LIFO, or Life Orientation. strengths of each team member
2. Understanding the behavioral
We will use the Dr. Stuart
strengths of the project manager
Atkins’ LIFO Instrument to
3. Understanding the behavioral
first measure our own
strengths of team members and
behavioral strengths, followed
project managers under both
by others’ perception of our
normal and adverse
demonstrated behavioral
conditions…such as high stress.
characteristics.
A team that is well aware of the
behavioral strengths and
characteristics of the manager and
the team members before the
stress environment occurs is a
team that is better prepared to
work efficiently and effectively
under stress.

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Date Title Description
Mod#
In this module, we will explore
20 Feb PM Individual Behavior
Reward Systems
various elements of what
Mod 56 motivates people to perform,
Points: 10 how to leverage that knowledge
and how this impacts project
Jim Newstead team performance.
We will review the aspects of
managing people’s
performance, focusing on what
motivates people…Looking at
theorists such as Maslow,
Mayo, Herzberg and
McClelland, we will focus on
one of them - David
McClelland. Key elements of
McClelland’s motivation model
are as follows:
1. Achievement
2. Affiliation
3. Power and Influence
21 Feb AM Executing Projects in We will explore how
Mod 57
a Global differences in cultural values
Environment and beliefs affect project
management practices in areas
Points: 10
such as project initiation,
stakeholder management,
Lothar Katz
progress monitoring, conflict
prevention and resolution, and
ongoing communication.
21 Feb PM Accounting and Review of accounting and
Statistics Preparation statistics principles that will
Mod 58
assist you in the next phase of
Joiner/Wiorkowski
the program
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Objectives Module Assignments
The purpose of this module is to Reading Assignment:
provide the basic skills and ƒ Verma, Managing the Project Team
knowledge required of project
teams and project management to Other assignments will be completed during class.
accomplish the following:
• Gain understanding of the
elements that motivate people
to perform
• Discuss and gain
understanding of the various
theorists on the topic of
motivation.
• Gain a comprehensive
understanding of how to
apply the motivation tools
provided.
• Gain an appreciation of how
motivation interviewing can
be an effective tool to
achieve project objectives..
• Provide the platform and
tools for the team to gain a
comprehensive understanding
of the motivation
measurement of each
individual team member.
• Identify what cultural
Reading Assignment
knowledge is critical for
success in cross-cultural ƒ Read Gray and Larson, pp. 489-511 (Chapter 15)
projects Pre-work
• Gain understanding of ƒ Complete “Chattanooga Challenge” Case Study for the
effective task balancing in module prior to the class (Team Assignment, 5 points)
global projects ƒ Come prepared to discuss and share own international project
• Discuss and gain work experiences (5 points)
understanding of how to
prevent cultural friction
4
Date Title Description Objectives Module Assignments
Mod#
22 Feb AM Simulation Project Simulation Demonstrate your ability to plan
and execute a simulated project.
22 Feb PM Points: 20
23 Feb AM Tom Shieves
23 Feb PM

Mod 59 - 62

Major Assignment: There is no major assignment for 6376!

Grading Information:

50- Szot 50%

54
Organizational Project Management
55- Behavioral Assessment and
56
Newstead 20%
Individual Behavior Reward Systems
57 Executing Projects in a Global Environment Katz 10%
59- Joiner 20%
62 Project Simulation
Total 100 %

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