Project Management for Research (WS 2009/10)

some photos of the course

Project management is a skill being increasingly demanded on the job market both within and especially beyond academia. The PhD research project offers an ideal context to learn the basics of project management; participants apply the tools and methods to their own project environment. In doing so, the doctoral students increasingly understand the importance of using their limited resources in an efficient and effective manner.

Course objectives

 After this course, the participants are able to:

• structure, plan, control and document a project
• identify project risks and develop measures for managing them
• analyse the project's stakeholders and produce a concept to inform them adequately
• apply selected project management methods and tools effectively to their own research project
• use aspects of project management for working constructively with others in a project environment

Target group

Doctoral students who are actively working on a research project (i.e. the research proposal has been written and approved). The course can be attended at any stage of the doctoral work, to greatest advantage during the first half of the project.

Maximally 14 participants.

Contents

• Defining a project and project management
• Formulating project objectives (for the whole project or for the next phase)
• Structuring projects in phases; designing work packages; setting milestones
• Planning project time and capacity in detail
• Project tracking and controlling
• Stakeholder analysis and information concept
• Risk assignment and risk management
• Documenting projects; also project-management documents to provide evidence of project-management skills

Requirements

No prior knowledge of project management is assumed for the course

Methods

Short theoretical inputs, exercises, small-group discussions. Participants work on applying the theory to their own projects and on exchanging results of the exercises with others in the course.

The success of the course depends on the willingness of the participants to contribute ideas and share experiences from their own projects, as well as to show an interest for the questions and needs of the other doctoral students in the course.

Target date

Part 1:
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Starting: 8:45 a.m.
Ending: 5:30 p.m. 
Lecture Hall of the BCCN, Hansastr. 9a 

Part 2:
Friday, January 15, 2010
Starting: 8:45 a.m.
Ending: 5:30 p.m. 
Lecture Hall of the BCCN, Hansastr. 9a 

Part 3:
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Starting: 8:45 a.m.
Ending: 5:30 p.m. 
Lecture Hall of the BCCN, Hansastr. 9a 

Comments of participants

•  "An insightful course on means to handle research projects - helping even those who thought that research projects cannot be managed at all. Organized by a motivated & motivating trainer who commits herself to the individual problems of each participant and who tries to help with hands-on experience."
• "The course content is well organized, and it tells you how to make plan in your project and also manage your personal time as well as how to solve the risks in the reality. I think it is definitely worth to attend."
• "I would recommend this course to everyone! It is not about science or projects in industry but about being organized and working together with other effectively.
  Who does not need that? And by the way, Pam does a great job.
  Main advantages for my Phd project:
  AWARENESS of risks, the time my project will take etc.
  Realizing what I am doing and why I am doing it, e.g.
  Knowing what is important with my own diploma student."
• "I really enjoyed the course.
  For me it was certainly useful, especially since I realized that I´ve done project management before (for example in this mentoring programme), just not being aware of the tools you could use and the project management language.
  The biggest point of discussion during the course was whether project management actually makes sense in a research setting since objectives and schedules are changing on a daily basis and since researchers often do not have defined goals or objectives.
  I think that it`s very useful for PhD students who are working with chaotic supervisors and are looking for organization and structure and it is certainly recommendable for everyone who would like to finish his PhD in three years because it spurs awareness of timelines and capacity restrictions. On top of that almost every job ad nowadays asks for experience with project management.
  I would actually recommend the course to students who just started their PhD because they might benefit most because it will also be very helpful when writing a thesis proposal." 
• "Those who are new to project management will learn some neat methods to organize and execute their work in a more efficient and productive way.
  Those who have already some experience in project management will have to put some additional effort in order to adapt traditional PM methods to scientific research."