Master of Global Project Management

The capstone experience is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of principles, concepts and content presented throughout the subject. In this subject students apply relevant project management bodies of knowledge and standards in completing a consultancy project. Students can apply their analytical skills to solving a project management problem. The subject will involve the identification of a particular problem or issue through a proposal phase, followed by investigation using a survey, interviews, focus groups, workshops or other forms of data collection. The final report will contain a project background, discussion of methods, reporting and analysis of findings, and managerial implications. The students are expected to analyse the problem in terms of relevant concepts and develop feasible options and recommendations for solving the problem.

Prerequisites: All core MGPM subjects.

This subject introduces course participants to the nature and importance of concepts that go beyond the twin imperatives of time and (financial) cost. Specific topics include sustainability in terms of social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental performance; project management life cycles; resource management; and change management. Students learn how to assess and evaluate the performance of multiple projects, and how to apply a range of tools and techniques when managing project portfolios, along with the nature of sustainability in project management in terms of how project management processes align with the three fundamentals of sustainable development: social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental performance.

One role of the project manager is to lead teams in complex and diverse organisational settings while concurrently communicating with all stakeholders. In this subject, students examine how to support and motivate team members to perform to the best of their ability, producing quality results within the required time and cost limits, and how individual and group behaviour impacts organisational effectiveness. Students learn ways to design projects to support organisational goals and how to build and engage organisational capital (intellectual, human, physical, financial, and structural). They also assess communications management as a tool to manage internal and external relationships with stakeholders, partners, vendors, and customers.

Procurement and contracts are integral to successful project management. In this subject, students learn about procurement and contracts in a global setting, and also understand the importance of leadership, governance and organisation to ensure successful outcomes. Discussion will include planning for purchases and acquisitions, requests for proposal, vendor selection, contract administration, and contract closure. Students learn how to approach key issues with regard to short and long-term contracts, and small and large contracts. Topics covered include the examination of procurement strategies, responsiveness, performance-based contracting, ethical relationships and supplier development initiatives. Students will also examine tendering, bidding and order management processes, relevant legal and commercial implications, as well as managing the relationship between buyer and seller, assessing vendor performance, contract change control, and conflict resolution. Discussion will include case studies, emerging trends and best practices.