Master of Project Management

Unit Description:

Working in a global, cross-cultural role requires effective communication with individuals and groups from different parts of the world. The success of a leader depends on his or her ability to work effectively with people who may understand and react to situations differently. Therefore, the ability to communicate and negotiate effectively is a foundational skill for professionals of every type and industry. Everyone negotiates frequently with internal and external customers, suppliers, employees, department leaders, bosses and more.

This unit will allow students to communicate more effectively, identify negotiation opportunities, address conflicts and gain an understanding of the unique challenges that exist when individuals, groups and organisations face potential or existing conflict through the exploration of a broad spectrum of negotiation strategies, new tactics to solve ongoing differences and models for securing cooperation and agreement in competitive environments.

Unit Description:

The aim of this unit is to develop a student’s understanding of the influence culture, politics and power have on the behaviour of others in an organisational context. Students will understand the key influences which affect the behaviuour of individuals and teams within organisations, and how these in turn affect them.

This will be achieved through a strong appreciation of working in a team, having a more profound perspective of what makes people and organisations do what they do, and how to adjust one’s own behaviour to reflect the circumstances and situation. Students will be able to undertake the Clifton Strengths Finder Assessment to help them gain security when working as part of a team.

They will be introduced to agile leadership so that they become aware that leading through difficult times requires agility to leverage, not react to, the turbulence around them, and manage their teams, networks, and themselves by cultivating a flexible, responsive and collaborative culture at work.

Unit Description:

In project management, understanding the importance and relationship between organisational context and projects is paramount.

In this unit, students will learn the internal and external organisational context in which projects are formed, executed, supported and evaluated. Engagement with project stakeholders and the impact organisational context has on defining the roles, responsibilities and level of collaboration required by a project team for successful project delivery will also be discussed.

Unit Description:

Providing insights and principles of best practices in project management, this unit offers clear methods and an overview of standards associated with successful project management. Essential in today’s project-driven world,
the unit will equip students with the relevant skills to meet the demands of projects and employers from across the globe. Tools, techniques and skills will be explored as well as the language used by practitioners as recognised by
the relevant professional bodies such as the Project Management Institute and the Australian Institute of Project Management.

With a focus on contemporary issues facing organisations, students will explore a range of steps in the project management process and develop the skill set, insight and knowledge to professionally manage a range of projects with ease.

Unit Description:

Project management domains are a group of related activities that are critical for the effective delivery of project outcomes. As project management can be a complex task consisting of many challenging domains, project tools and techniques assist project managers to successfully plan, monitor and deliver projects within the required timeframes.

In this unit, students will learn the tools and techniques available for project management including an understanding of their purpose, when they can be used and the desired results they provide. As no project is similar, students will also learn how to identify and select the most effective tools and techniques based on the project domains and desired project outcomes.

Unit Description:

The aim of this unit is to prepare students to anticipate, plan and deliver organisational change. In addition, students will be able to predetermine appropriate and timely interventions required to maximise the benefits and minimise the risk of organisational change. Through the use of ad-hoc simulations they will: Practice diagnostic, identifying/analysing situations which require organisational change and action-planning skills with regard to leading organisation-wide strategic change. Gain insight into why individuals might resist change and how to overcome that resistance. Develop an appreciation for contextual contingencies when implementing change, such as the power of the change agent and the urgency to produce results. Identify common missteps of change agents and how to avoid them.

Unit Description:

This unit focuses on the aspects of project initiation. Students will go through the actions involved in project initiation such as the selection of the project manager, collection of project historical information, division of large
project into phases, identification of stakeholders their influences and expectations. Determination of initial constraints, assumptions and risks. Collection of agreements. Students will also explore how the organisation does business and what governance, procedures and policies are already in place to use on the project. Through practical exercises created to develop project management skills, students will acquire a greater understanding of successful project initiation and develop a range of specialised competencies.

Unit Description:

Contracts and contract management are a critical components in a project manager’s role and ability to deliver on a project successfully. This unit aims to introduce the fundamentals of contract management and ethics as it relates to project management. Students will develop an understanding of the various contracts that are available and the processes to follow to identify and select the right contract for a project. Contract terms and conditions, potential issues, and ethical considerations will be discussed, providing students with the confidence to use contracts and avoid potential risks and conflicts.

Unit Description

In project management, understanding the importance and relationship between operational factors and projects is paramount. Students will learn essential knowledge on the scope, time and cost planning, as well as how to create a work breakdown structure (WBS), network diagrams, and earned value for your project.

By understanding the importance of good project planning, students will fine-tune their critical thinking and their interconnected perspective to plan complex projects. In this part you will also develop specialist expertise to critically analyse complex problems and to identify adaptive approaches so agreed project outcomes are delivered across multiple boundaries, utilising innovative project practices.

Unit Description

Cost management planning begins with the process of developing cost estimates. In this process, a project manager is tasked with considering all types of costs likely to be incurred in the different phases of a project. In addition, the project manager will consider the risks likely to affect costs and any variations these risks may cause.

This unit will enable students to make more reliable and usable cost estimates and ensure that any project budget variation due to unforeseen circumstances is mitigated as much as possible. Students will learn to apply appropriate project cost management planning techniques. Students will also be able to determine project budgets and consider the steps to take throughout the project to ensure that the actual expenditure is kept within the budget specified.

Unit Description

Risk is inherent in project management and so is the need to control it to make sure a project comes in on time, within budget and of quality. Risk management processes enable project managers to predict uncertainties in a project and minimise the occurrence or impact of these uncertainties improving the overall quality and successful completion of the project and its objectives leading to reduced rework costs.

In this unit, students will be introduced to the process of identifying, analysing and responding to any risk that arises over the life cycle of a project ensuring the project quality remains on track and meets its goal. Risk management tools and techniques that project managers use to manage projects against risks, quality issues and changes will also be discussed.

Unit Description

Designed to facilitate project-integrated learning in the student’s workplace, this unit involves the undertaking of an original project to demonstrate a complete project execution. Created as an opportunity for theory in practice in project management, this project prepares students for the real world and allows for practical experience. By using skills learned within a range of units over their learning, students have the opportunity to experience project management in a real setting and work to further enhance their theory into practice.

Unit Description

This unit is a co-requisite with MPM5004. Examining the specific methods and tools that can improve key performance targets, this unit focuses on the context and principles of performance management issues in projects. The successful management and delivery of projects requires a firm understanding of the monitoring and controlling process. You will learn conceptually about benefit management, measure project performance, baseline, control changes request, validate defect repair and improve quality. Through practical exercises, the student will experience project management in a real setting to further enhance their theory into practice.

This unit will explore the bases of complexity in projects, the environmental and technological constraints that increase complexity, how complexity can impact on a project’s financial and governance risks and what tools and capabilities are needed to make informed decisions to manage project complexity.

Unit Description

This unit is a co-requisite with MPM5003 and will provide a practical understanding of key actions of the closing process in project management. Students will verify and document the project lessons learned, and check if the project meets their competition or if any exit criteria were started. Negotiate settlements, and update corporative processes, procedures and templates will be developed during the workshop. Confirm all contracts have been formally closed and celebrated.

Unit Description

Projects can fall victim to costly errors and pitfalls that can derail and significantly impact a project’s outcome. Potential errors can include increased costs, missed deadlines and non-compliance with project requirements. These errors impact on a project manager’s ability to satisfy stakeholders and can also lead to reputational damage and loss of income through payment of additional fees and charges.

In this unit, students will be introduced to the common errors made whilst managing a project and the practical tips and best practice models that can be used to mitigate these errors and reduce their impact on the stakeholder relationship and project outcome.

Unit Description

The Major Project Capstone unit is the culmination of students’ learnings from initiating and executing a workplace project (via units MPM4005 Minor Corporate Study ‘ Initiation of a Project and MPM5004 Major Corporate Study ‘ Project Execution). It is designed to facilitate project-integrated practice to real world scenarios.

This unit enables students to demonstrate their ability to think critically and strategically in order to apply contemporary project management methodologies within your chosen project. Students will apply investigative and advanced concepts, theories and knowledge of project management practice to the planning or exploration of a project that will imitate real-world consequences; one that will make an impact on the profession in their chosen field or industry of interest. The project can either be practical, an extension of the executed project from MPM5004.