COURSE SYLLABUS

OPRE 6372 Initiation

2007-2008

This course covers project selection, interpersonal and organizational issues related to the initiation of projects. Specific topics
include investment criteria; project selection models; negotiation techniques and related interpersonal considerations.

Instructor’s Information:
Dr. Gerald Turner
Dr. Sue Freedman
Jim Newstead
Dr. Armin Brinkman
turner.g.a@worldnet.att.net
suefreedman@sbcglobal.net
JRNewstead@aol.com
A.u.G.Brinkmann@t-online.de

Course Materials:

Textbook:
1. The Project Management Body of Knowledge
2. Project Management: The Managerial Process, 2nd Edition: Clifford Gray and Erik Larson
3. PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide (Sybex)
4. Champoux
5. Natemeyer
6. Managing the Project Team : Vijay Verma

Cases:
1. The Strategy That Wouldn’t Travel (HBR 96602) Case Study

Articles:
From Natemeyer:
1. Principles of Scientific Management: Taylor
2. Bureaucracy: Weber
1
 3. The Individual and the Organization: Argyris

DVDs:
1. 12 Angry Men

CD:
1. Simulators for high level Petri Nets (includes three simulators – HPSim, VisualObjectNet and PACE)

2
 Course Schedule:
Date Title Description Objectives Module Assignments
Mod#
Project Selection Discuss: What is a project? Why • Explore the world of project selection models, Required Reading:
Criteria launch projects? What value methods and techniques typically used to 1. Project Management: The Managerial
- Dr. Gerald Turner does the enterprise derive from launch and justify major corporate initiatives Process, 2nd Edition: Clifford Gray and
- Module 09 successfully selected, planned and projects. Erik Larson, Chapter 2, pp. 23-45,
and managed projects? Who are • Review some of the rationale behind the Aligning Projects with Organizational
the key stakeholders and selection of these change projects and Strategy.
Feb 20 - beneficiaries of this process? initiatives 2. PMP Project Management Professional
26 Study Guide (Sybex), Chapter 3, pp. 86-
96, Using Project Selection
Methodologies.
3. PMBoK sections 5.1, all sections

Prepare “Film Prioritization” case, pp. 50-53 for

teleconference discussion (5pts)
Introduction to This session introduces you to • Describe their organizations, applying Required Reading:
Organizational the study of organizational accepted definitions of culture and structure to 1. Gray and Larson chapters 1-3
Behavior behavior and the relationship known organizations. 2. Champoux, chapters1-2
- Dr. Sue Freedman between OB and successful • Recognize the complexity, challenge, and 3. Briefly review the following 3 articles in
- Module 10 project management. opportunity of the people side of project and Natemeyer
enterprise management ƒ Taylor: Principles of Scientific
• Apply project leadership and change Management)
management insights to address relevant case ƒ Weber: Bureaucracy
studies ƒ Argyris: The Individual and the
Feb 27 – Organization
Mar 05 Assignments:
1. Prepare 2-3 page summary of
Organizational Context Description
(4pts)
2. Individual assignment on “Strategy that
wouldn’t travel”( 3pts)
3. Team assignment on Moss and
McAdams case and Orion Systems
case(3pts)

Groups and Group Explores the research and tools
Process for participating in and
- Dr. Sue Freedman managing effective groups.
Mar 06 –
- Module 11 Practice identifying and
Mar 12
applying the principles and tools
of group process to both internal
and external groups.
• Identify and provide strategies for generating Reading Assignments:
the characteristics of successful project teams. 1. Chapter 10, Champoux
• Analyze a functioning group in terms of: 2. Review the following chapters in
o Membership & Organizational Natemeyer:
Context a. Schein, Groups and Intergroup
o Communications Relationships
o Influence b. Tuckman and Jensen Stages of
3

Project Team Building Explore basic aspects of initially
- Jim Newstead building an effective project
- Module 12 team, focusing on key elements
as follows:
1. Sponsorship alignment
2. Team competency and
influence
3. Assimilating the team
members into the project
Mar 13 – 4. Launching the project as a
Mar 19 cohesive team
Systems Management Systems Management is
Mar 20 – - Dr. Armin Brinkman designed to get the complexity
Mar 26 - Module 13 of big systems or processes
under control. For this, a clearly
Systems Management structured description of the
Mar 27 – - Dr. Armin Brinkman examined system has to be
Apr 03 - Module 14 found. Based on that, everyone
involved in this system or
Systems Management process should be able to get all
- Dr. Armin Brinkman the information he or she needs.
- Module 15 This is essential for successful
project management.
Apr 04 –
Apr 10 To achieve that, a model of the
system has to be designed. This
model is a description of the
system that can be understood
o Task & Maintenance Functions Small Group Development
o Decision-Making 3. Read Chapter 11, Gray and Larson
o Conflict Management Assignments:
o Atmosphere 1. Team assignment based on 12 Angry
o Emotional Issues Men (5pts)
• Recognize and describe successful strategies 2. Individual Assignment from page 344
for building and exerting influence in a group. of Gray and Larson (5pts)
• Apply group process knowledge to the project
management environment
• Effectively align the project, the project Reading Assignments:
manager and the project sponsor 1. Chapter 3 in Managing the Project Team by
• Establish a self-discovered (team) set of key Vijay Verma
competencies and influences that will be
required to successfully complete the project. Teleconference:
• Effectively measure each team member 1. Appoint one team member to report the
against those competencies and influences outcomes of your “tool” exercises
required to determine if the “right” team is in
place or if a different mix is required. (5 pts)
• Help frame the project to the team to affect
buy-in and comprehensive understanding.
• Provide the platform for the team members to
move from individual agendas to adopt the
project as the objective
• Provide the tools necessary to identify each
team members’ expertise, concerns, how the
team will function and other critical people-
skills required to operate in a high
performance environment
• Accepting that it is a must for successful Solve exercise #1 (Order Processing) – No
project management to bring structure to Submission required.
complex systems and how to do it
• Modeling the structure of systems or processes
by using Agent Nets 1. Solve exercise #2 (Cigarette Machine-
• Modeling the behavior by using State Agent Nets) - No submission required.
Transition Diagrams 2. Solve exercise # 3 - No submission
• Modeling processes by using Petri Nets required.
• Learning the principles of computer supported 1. Solve exercise #4 (Cigarette Machine - AN)
process simulation – No submission required.
• Verifying and optimizeprocesses by 2. Solve exercise #5 (Safe) – No submission
simulation and analyzing the simulation required
results efficiently 3. Solve exercise #6 (Decision of BigBike) –
No submission required
4. Solve exercise #7 (Modified Cigarette) –
No submission required
4
 Systems Management by all people involved in the
- Dr. Armin Brinkman project. It is the basis for the
- Module 16 specialists who have to
transform this model into a real
system, but it is also the
foundation for the generalists for
Apr 11 – the requirements definition,
Apr 16 planning and decision making.
A model should be as clear and
unambiguous as possible but on
the other hand - in order to be
understandable by everyone - it
must not contain any technical
Systems Management realization aspects. For this,
- Dr. Armin Brinkman graphical methods are used
- Module 17 which describe the structure and
the behavior of the system or
Apr 17 –
process in an abstract but also
Apr 23
meaningful way and enclose
some kind of formalism.
Although the presented methods
Apr 24 – Systems Management may be used to describe any
Apr 30 - Dr. Armin Brinkman kind of systems, these modules
- Module 18 will concentrate on business and
technical systems and processes.
As these modules will mainly
have influence on the ‘way of
thinking’, the focus will be on
many examples and exercises
including some process
simulations.
Major Assignment:
#2: Covers modules 9-18
Released: March 20, 2006
Due: May 28, 2006, midnight
Topics to be covered
¾ Basic concepts of structuring
¾ Analysis and synthesis of economical and
technical systems
¾ The static structure of economical and
technical systems
¾ The behavior of economical and technical
systems
¾ Modeling of business and technical processes
¾ Simulation of business and technical
processes
¾ Analysis and interpretation of the simulation
results
1. Compare your solution of exercise #5 with
the given audio and slide presentation –
under “Solution to Safe”
2. Compare your solution of exercise #6 with
the given audio and slide presentation –
under “Solution to Decision Big Bike”.
3. Compare your solution with
Warehouse_1.hps – Warehouse _5.hps and
Warehouse_3_OUT.xls and
Warehouse_3_OUT.xls
Read Introduction to PetriNets PDF file and
work through the exercise problems – No
submission required
1. Model exercise # 9 (Order Processing) with
HPSim.
2. Compare your solution of exercise # 9 with
the given solution, Solution to Order
Processing, and simulate it
3. Solve model exercise #9 – Order Processing
- No submission required
4. Complete exercise # 10 (Traffic lights) -
No submission required
1. Compare your solution of exercise #10 with
the given audio and slide presentation –
Solution to Traffic Light and HPSim-file –
Traffic Lights_4.hps - Traffic Lights_7.hps
2. Optionally look at solution of exercise #16
in PACE-files
Velo_Ltd_0.im - Velo_Ltd_2.im and
in SimProcess-file Velo_Ltd.spm.
3. Optionally solve exercises #12, #13 and #15
and compare your solutions with the
HPSim-files Jet_Engine_Mounting.hps,
Grade_Crossing.hps and
Car_Production.hps.
Assignment:
Solve and Post exercise #14 BikeDealer (20 pts)
5
Graders: Dr. Brinkman & Dr. Sue Freedman
Format: Program Format (posted under syllabus information on Blackboard)

Grading Information:

Major Assignment #2 Dr. Brinkman and Dr. Freedman 50%

(Graders)
Module #9 Dr. Turner 5%
Module #10 Dr. Freedman 10%
Module #11 Dr. Freedman 10%
Module #12 Mr. Newstead. 5%
Module #13- #18 Dr. Brinkman 20%