Handbook

Projects play a central role in business. It’s important to understand how they impact on organisational objectives, the effect of organisational decisions on project success or failure, the organising principles of project governance, and the project manager’s role in managing stakeholder expectations and delivering project outcomes. These are dynamic processes because projects are complex activities that are performed by a range of people and that rely on relationships formed through social interactions. The course is about projects as activities that are conducted by people, who make conscious decisions about the types of tools and techniques that are used. All this means that, together with technical skills, effective communication including the ability to persuade, critical thinking, problem-solving, people management, and leadership are essential project management skills. It is the business, organisational, cultural, and social, or human, aspects of project management that are the focus of this course. At the end of the course, you will use key project management concepts to explain the interactions between people and processes in projects, formulate evidence-based solutions to complex challenges that projects face, and develop skills in communicating those solutions to diverse stakeholders.