COURSE NUMBER: MBA290P.1
COURSE TITLE: Project Management Case Studies
UNITS OF CREDIT: 2.0
INSTRUCTOR: Omar Romero-Hernandez
E-MAIL ADDRESS: oromero@haas.berkeley.edu
CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: http://bspace.berkeley.edu
MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Tuesdays 2:00-4:00PM
PREREQUISITE(S): None.
INTRODUCTION:
Business leaders constantly compete for executives’ attention, resources, and to deliver projects on time, within budget and with a degree of quality that matches their reputation. Only one of every three projects lands to successful completion. You will be taught what it takes to lead successful projects.
The primary objective of this
course is to develop critical skills and the knowledge needed to successfully
pitch and lead projects. This will require understanding the concepts of
project initiation, planning and organization, control, communications, and
project life cycles. Methodologies, frameworks, tools and international
standards are presented along with a series of business cases in diverse fields,
including IT, construction, product development, business reorganization and
strategy. Students will also learn on the use of Project Management software
and risk analysis.
Two
computer simulations are an integral part of this course. This is a 2 credit
course so simulations have been designed to take no more than one week each
and still be insightful experiences. In the first
one, students face the challenges associated with implementing an
organization-wide project initiative. Students will be assessed on their
ability to achieve the greatest percentage of adopters within the company while
simultaneously using the fewest resources. The primary objective of the second
simulation is to bring a competitive product to market on time and on budget,
ahead of the competition.
The
course represents a strong foundation for those interested in pursuing
certification by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
CLASS FORMAT:
The class format includes case discussions, lectures, guest speakers, computer simulations and software tools. The success of this course relies upon your effort to arrive prepared for class and be actively involved. Students will work individually and in teams to review real-life situations which were faced by managers and are then required to propose assertive solutions.
REQUIRED READINGS:
The course will use a packet of readings and
case materials available at study.net
Briefs with class material and take-away
points will be available.
Textbook: Meredith, J., Mantel, S. J. Project
Management, A Managerial Approach, 8th Edition, Wiley and Sons.
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE:
20% Class participation
55% Case study questions, assignments,
simulations
25% Team Project
ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND
OBJECTIVES:
The
primary objective of this course is to develop critical analysis skills needed
to successfully lead projects. This will require understanding the concepts of
project initiation, planning and organization, control, communications, and
life cycles. In addition, students are expected to learn several
basic project scheduling techniques including WBS, CPM, Pert, Gantt Charts, and
resource constrained scheduling. Case studies presented in class will
help students to understand the related concepts of organizational forms,
conflict resolution, and issues related to leadership
and task management in a project environment. Concepts are aligned with
PMI standards and global best practices.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Prof.
Omar Romero-Hernandez has been an academic and project practitioner for more
than 15 years. Omar has worked for a diverse range of public and private
organizations such as Procter & Gamble, PEMEX (Oil & Gas), Accenture, Ministry for the Environment, United Nations, the
Stock Exchange and several more.
He is a
Chemical Engineer with graduate studies in Economic Policy and Government and a
PhD in Process Economics and Environmental Impact from Imperial College, London,
UK. Currently, he is a National Researcher, and author of various books
including: Renewable Energy Technologies and Policies, and Industry
and the Environment and several international publications on project
management, business and sustainable development.
He has
led various internationally awarded projects in the field of sustainable
business strategies and implementation – Prof. Romero-Hernandez was the
recipient of the 2010 Franz Edelman Award, the world’s most prestigious award
on Operations Research and Management Science.