PMnetwork Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Project Management Edinburgh 08

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PMnetworkExcellence in Teaching and Learning
for Project ManagementEdinburgh 08

• Roger Atkinson

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PMnetwork

• Background
• 3 Conferences Time, Reflections, Rhythm
• IJPM 26(3) 2008
• Bid to BMAF
• The Team

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PMnetwork

• Objectives of the PMnetwork
• Identify participants
• Do something e.g. Create an External
  Examiners Group
• Distribute that something

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PMnetwork

• Activities to date
• Lancaster University 7th Apr 08
• Emergent ideas/outputs
• Create a Guest Lecture Group
• Vienna in May
• Pmnetwork.org.uk

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PMnetwork.org.ukBuilding the Web Presence

• Steve Barron

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PMnetwork.org.uk

• Evolving Purpose of the site
• 1. A presence to attract a community
• 2. Promote the 1st Workshop
• 3. Communicate Outcomes from W1
• 4. Broaden the Purpose Capture Information and
  Support the Community

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PMnetwork.org.uk

• Capture Information
• Who Are We? 31 Institutions at W1
• External Examiner Community
• Guest Speaker Database
• PM Courses Database
• Bournemouth University Conferences

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PMnetwork.org.uk

• Capture Information
• Wiki examples of excellence in teaching and
  learning
• Wikispaces (has keywords)
• PBwiki

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Educating Professional Project Managers

• Denise Bower Miles Shepherd

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Some questions for HE

• Is project management a profession?
• Can project management develop into a profession?
• What are the implications of profession for HE
  institutions?
• adherence to a recognised body of knowledge?
• accreditation of HE courses by professional
  bodies?
• Can HE courses produce professional project
  managers?

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Is Project Management a Profession?

• In sociological studies of professions and
  professionalism, there is no mention of project
  management.
• Under most definitions of profession, project
  management does not qualify (Zwerman and Thomas
  2001).
• Many countries do not even recognise PM as an
  occupation

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Can PM Develop into a Profession?

• Project Management Institute (PMI) mission is to
  further the professionalization of project
  management.
• APM pursuit of a Royal Charter.
• General implications
• barriers to entry
• market closure
• lack of effectively from either major users or
  from government

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Taught Programmes and BoKs?

• Professional societies recognise importance of
  knowledge.
• Traditional professions have unique body of
  knowledge
• Extensive range of publications
• Segmented
• Not owned by segments of the societies
• Professional knowledge includes what is known but
  not recorded (body of tacit knowledge in any
  profession)
• Mastery of this body of knowledge critical

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HE and BoKs?

• PMAs have defined their own Bodies of Knowledge
  (BoK) and claim ownership
• Current BOKs seen as narrow and opinion based
  (lack of formal research)
• Purpose undeclared (Certification base or guides
  for practitioners.
• Many university courses are based closely on BoKs
  and this too is a cause for concern (Winter and
  Thomas 2004)

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Accreditation by PMAs?

• Linked to BoK issues
• US domination of profession via PMI (260,000
  members in 171 countries)
• Lack of academic credibility
• Poor course design

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Professional Closure

• PMI aim to further the professionalization of
  project management is clearly seeking formal
  recognition as a profession.
• International Project Management Association
  (IPMA) aim the enhancement in Project Management
  and the advancement of Project Management as a
  profession.
• Largest IPMA member association, Association for
  Project Management (APM), is seeking a Royal
  Charter .

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Can HE Courses Produce Professional Project
Managers?

• Answer must be a resounding NO!
• But this is not our role
• However, there is a place for us alongside the
  Professional Societies

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Exploring the Actuality of Complex Projects to
improve practitioner development
Miles Shepherd Roger Atkinson
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Problematic Projects

• Well articulated literature of sub-optimal
  project performance
• Crosses all disciplines, from engineering through
  Information Technology to Social Sciences and
  society as a whole
• Wasted resources cannot be tolerated,
  particularly in the public sector

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Problematic Projects
Well Applied
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Changing Emphasis
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Actuality

• A participative cooperative enquiry based on a
  range of atypical events and activities
  experienced by actors in context
• Allows holistic and shared understanding of
  practice
• Encouragesa multiple perspectives approach
• Requires a conscious effort to understand the
  relationship between actor and structure in
  context

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Research Design
Secondary Data
PM Literature
Pedagogical Literature
Synthesis
Primary Data
Actuality of Projects
Review of Results
Actuality of Learning
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Actuality of Learning

• Outcomes expected to discuss
• Levels (undergraduate vs postgraduate)
• Content (possible curricular content)
• Professional arguments
• Pedagogic possibilities
• Rhythms (speed, cadence and syncopation)
• Approaches