1. A200SAM Essential Skills for the project manager
Module Leader: Sorin Piperca
Room WM112
Mo 11:00 – 12:30; Tu 13:30 – 15:00

2. Assignment

3. Coursework structure Part 1 – Project Initiation Document
Project brief
Project plan
Stakeholders management
Risk management
Part 2 – Reflection on the skills of the project manager
Essential skills of a project manager
Your skills so far (if any)
Project management skills that you plan to develop in the near future
References

4. Part 1 - Project Initiation Document
Project brief – general description of the project with the key elements (scope, budget, timeframe, etc.)
Project plan
Major activities (at least activities) – WBS
Gantt chart – with dependencies and (at least) 2 milestones
Dependencies – discuss 2-3 examples of activities with different dependencies
Stakeholders management
Identify relevant stakeholders (at least 10) and place them on the stakeholders matrix
Discuss 5 stakeholders from different ‘boxes’ – (i) explain why you consider they have that level of power and interest; (ii) explain which communication strategy you will use; (iii) suggest specific actions to apply this strategy
Risk management
Risk register – at least 15 risks
Discuss in more detail 5 risks – (i) explain why you consider they have this level of impact and probability of occurrence; (ii) propose a strategy to deal with them; (iii) propose specific actions to implement that strategy

5. Part 2 – Reflection on the skills of the PM
Essentials skills of a project manager –
From the literature, identify key skills that a project manager needs to have to be effective
Explain 2-3 of these skills in detail
Project management skills you have.
Based on the list above, identify the project management skills you already have
Explain 2-3 of them in more detail, providing proof and specific, relevant examples
The project management skills that you want to develop
Based on the two lists above, identify the project management skills that you intend to develop in the near future (2-3 years); they could be both skills that you already have and want to improve or skills that you do not have, but would like to acquire
Provide SMART objectives for 2-3 of these skills, explaining in detail how you plan to develop them (by study, training or experience) and when

6. Key ideas to remember when writing your coursework
Every time you use a framework or a theory, first briefly explain what it is, what this is used for, and what the main advantages and limitations of using it are; use references from academic sources to support your explanation;
References – see the CU Harvard guide on Moodle
Figures and tables – label them (ex. Figure 1 Stakeholder management matrix) and refer to them in the text (ex. “see Figure 1”)
Risk management: depending on the type of risk (positive or negative), there are different strategies you can use to deal with them:
Threats – avoid, accept, share, transfer, mitigate
Opportunities – exploit, accept, share, enhance
No matter which strategy you choose, also propose specific actions!
PM skills you have – be honest; also, provide proof and examples;
PM skills to develop – show a clear plan (SMART objectives – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound)

7. Figures you must have in the assignment
Work breakdown structure (WBS)
Gantt chart
Stakeholders matrix
Risk register
These are not included in the word count!

8. Figures and tables to use in the assignment

9. Stakeholders matrix - Power/interest

10. Risk register Risk No. Risk description Cause of risk (source)
Probability of occurrence
Impact on project
Risk score
Risk response strategy
Proposed response actions
Risk owner

11. Work hard!