Engineering Project Management: Mastering Project Complexity
Offered By: Delft University of Technology via edX
Course Description
Overview
Underestimating project complexity is widely accepted as one of the major causes of project failure. Based on international benchmarking activities (Merrow, 2010), we know that an average of 40% of projects do not deliver what they promised.
So how can you as an engineer with a technical background improve your project performance?
In this program, you will learn the project management skills you need to successfully manage engineering projects. First you will focus on the early project phases, which are crucial to achieve project success. The areas covered include the project manager and the team, the project process and the project context. At the end of this part of the program you will have created your own project execution plan.
But how will you deal with the inherent uncertainties linked to the length and scale of engineering and infrastructure projects and their constantly changing environments? As with most external factors, many of the causes and consequences of these uncertainties are difficult to avoid or control. Attempts to overcome these challenges by simply trying to reduce their causes is not enough.
In the second part of the program you will learn our approach to mastering project complexity, focused on front-end development and teamwork. You will develop the skills you need to make timely actions in order to tackle complexities and improve your chances of project success.
You will learn to identify what makes a project complex and how to perform a complexity assessment. You will analyze these elements in the context of your own project. Then, based on our complexity framework, you will identify the complexity footprint of your project and use it to adapt your management processes.
This course has been designed by TU Delft’s international experts on Project Complexity, and is based on more than 60 years of practical experience as well as relevant research in the field. “We see projects still fail and there is a need to do things differently. That’s what this course is about: delivering the best practices for project execution based on our state-of-the-art research.” – Professor Hans Bakker.
Syllabus
Course 1: Project Management of Engineering Projects: Preparing for Success
Create your own project plan and learn the importance of the early project phases in achieving project success. People are key!
Course 2: Project Management: Mastering Complexity
Develop the project management skills you need to handle complexity in engineering, infrastructure and other large projects.
Courses
-
Are you a (project) engineer with a technical background but lack – or wish to enhance – your management skills? Are you eager to improve project performance and optimize your project outcomes?
This business and management course will equip you with the necessary project management skills to successfully manage projects, concentrating on three key areas:
- The project manager and the team
- The project process
- The project context
The course focuses on the early project phases, drawing practical insights and real-world examples from a diverse array of technical projects spanning multiple sectors and industries, including, but not limited to, infrastructure and construction.
At the end of this course, you will have created your own project execution plan, either independently or collaboratively as part of a team.
New cases and activities
The demands of project management in engineering are continually evolving. In response to this, several enhancements have been made to this course, including new examples that draw from today’s dynamic project management landscape. These resources, which reflect the current challenges faced by professionals in the field, offer invaluable insights, combining theory with practical application. By integrating these updates, we ensure that engineers are equipped with the latest tools and knowledge to excel in their project management roles and tasks.
Our project management courses
This course is part of our Engineering Project Management series. Each program consists of two courses – this introductory course, plus one of these specializations: Project Financing or Mastering Project Complexity.
-
Underestimating project complexity is widely accepted as one of the major causes of project failure. International studies reveal that a staggering 40% of projects fail to deliver on their promises¹.
As with most external factors, many of the causes and consequences of complexity are difficult to avoid or control. Therefore, attempts to overcome these challenges by simply trying to reduce their causes is not enough.
Conventional project management practices often overlook the nuanced uncertainties inherent in engineering and infrastructure projects, usually linked to their length and scale. This is further exacerbated by the constantly changing technological and societal landscape.
In this course, you will learn our approach to mastering complexity, focused on front-end development and teamwork as catalysts for success. This will help you develop the skills you need to make timely actions to tackle complexities and improve your chances of project success.
Our hands-on approach
Project success starts with recognizing the main drivers of complexity, which can be highly subjective and highly dynamic. In this course, you will learn to identify what makes a project complex and how to perform a complexity assessment.
Examining the elements of a project – such as interfaces, stakeholders, cultures, environment, technology, etc. – and their intricate interactions is key to mastering complexity.
You will analyze these elements in the context of your own project. Then, based on our complexity framework, you will identify the complexity footprint of your project and use it to adapt your management processes. With personalized guidance and feedback from our world-class instructors, you will learn how to recognize what competencies you need to develop project plans, how to adapt your management style accordingly, thus not only improving project performance but also enhancing your own decision-making capacity.
“Being aware of complexity and embracing it might be the way forward,” – Associate Professor Marian Bosch-Rekveldt
New cases and activities
The demands of project management in engineering are continually evolving. In response to this, several enhancements have been made to this course, and new examples are presented not only to enhance your project management skills but also to empower you so that you can thrive in complex project environments.
Our project management courses
This course is part of our Engineering Project Management series. It is an ideal course for learners who want to build on the basic knowledge gained in the course Project Management of Engineering Projects: Preparing for Success and want to better navigate the complex challenges posed by engineering and other large projects. This series also offers a complementary course on Project Finance: Funding Projects Successfully.
¹ Merrow, 2010
Taught by
Marcel J. C. M. Hertogh, Marian G. C. Bosch-Rekveldt and Hans L. M. Bakker
Tags
Related Courses
3D-печать для всех и каждогоTomsk State University via Coursera A la découverte des métiers de l’ingénierie industrielle de demain
Syntec-Ingénierie via France Université Numerique Introduction to Agent-based Modeling with NetLogo
Coursera Project Network via Coursera Аддитивные технологии (3D-печать). Вводный курс
St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University via Coursera Advanced Models in Smartpls
Coursera Project Network via Coursera