Assessing Project Management Learning How can it make a difference? Presented by Steve Barron Steve Barron is Director of the MSc/Diploma in Project Management (in Practice) ‘One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try’ - Sophocles, 400BC

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Content of the Presentation Effectively managing projects today Learning and Assessment The Lancaster MSc

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Audience for PM Learning Mature practitioners Experience with project working in organisations Some knowledge of PM language and process Majority have a “ technical ” background

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Project Management versus “Technology” Project Work (maximises chance of success and minimises chance of failure) “Real Work” (often concentrates at low level) Facilitates Frames Do they demand different types of thinking/action? Project Management Knowledge Industry-specific Technical-expert Knowledge

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Assembly line, 1913

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) 3 Types of Management? Effective ‘Doing the right job’ Efficient ‘Doing the job right’

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Changing with the times….

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Projects demand “joined-up” thinking A SystemA Heap “A system is an entity that maintains its existence and functions as a whole through the interaction of its parts” O’Connor & McDermott (1997)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Project Requirement WBS RisksEstimates Network Schedule & Budgets Objectives, Strategy, MoS. Deliverables, Milestones, Assumptions Constraints Traceability Mitigation Id. Risks Resource Projects demand “joined-up” thinking Grossly simplified

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Project Management today o Technical or Management? o Unskilled or Knowledge workers? o Repeated or Unique? o Complicated or Complex? o Tricks or Systems?

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Learning and Assessment How can learning and assessment theories inform how programmes can provide successful project managers?

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Approaches to Learning Surface Learning: Busy doing nothing Deep Learning: Climb every mountain, ford every stream Strategic Learning: Just reviewing the situation Entwistle (1996)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Hierarchy of Learning Novice Advanced Beginner Competent Proficient Expert From Dreyfus 1986

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Learning Transfer Knight & Yorke (2003)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Assessment Provides Focus “ Assessment is the most powerful lever teachers have to influence the way students respond to courses and behave as learners. ” Gibbs (1999)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Assessment Provides Focus Personal qualities, e.g. self-awareness, initiative, E.I. Core Skills, e.g. self-management, listening, creativity Process Skills, e.g. prioritizing, influencing, decision making Knight & Yorke (2003, p151)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Learning and Assessment Strategic learning Level of Expertise Near transfer Far transfer Assess process application

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) The Lancaster MSc "If the relevant skill is unicycling, we should not be asking the students to write a history of the Unicycle or to describe the parts of the unicycle or indeed give instructions on how to mount a Unicycle: instead we should assess them on doing it! ” Brown and Glasner (1999, 8)

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) The Lancaster MSc Project NOT Technical Management Systems Approach Strategic Approach to Learning Process Skills Focus on Far Transfer Project NOT Operations Management Real Project Work

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Personal Engagement Real stakeholders Real Deadlines Real Deliverables Personal commitment

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Personal Engagement Real stakeholders Real Deadlines Real Deliverables Personal commitment

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Group Project Real stakeholders Real Deadlines Real Deliverables Personal and Shared commitment Team working Behaviours and values

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) In Summary The nature of today ’ s projects Learning and assessment challenges Real projects and “ Far transfer ”

Steve Barron, Project Management (in Practice) Learning by Doing ‘ One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try ’ - Sophocles, 400BC