PMN608 Managing the Program

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit integrates the knowledge and skills required to plan, manage and execute a major and complex program comprising multiple and related projects within a topical case study involving a real-world styled venture. This unit will occur within robust governance and assurance settings, which will guide the program and projects through a well-defined stage-gate process, into commissioning and hand-over, and finally benefits realisation after the transition to business as usual.  In this unit, you will develop and acquire practical program/project management experience in a ‘real-world styled’ venture within an authentic learning environment.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply advanced project management skills and concepts to manage complex program problems.
2. Identify, analyse and resolve typical program management challenges and issues which arise in real world ventures using appropriate tools and techniques.
3. Reflect on the value of program management skills for future career progression.
4. Manage and lead multiple stakeholders and program teams in the execution of major programs.
5. Present program management plans to senior executives to ensure successful program outcomes.
6. Formulate appropriate responses to social, cultural, environmental and ethical issues in global programs/projects.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Forums

You will engage in both individual and group activities designed to develop your theoretical understanding and assist your exploration of the application of those theories to a range of 'real world styled' situations using topical scenarios and case studies. This unit is program/project based, and incorporates experiential learning using a real world styled case study.

Through in-depth analysis and discussion, you will learn how to apply relevant frameworks, methods, tools and techniques to understand, evaluate, and manage projects and programs in context. The unit learning objectives will be achieved through a combination of lectures, interactive class discussions, consulting sessions, case studies, readings, and your assignment submissions.

The emphasis throughout this unit will be on professional learning within an authentic environment. You will be asked to consider a work based case study to integrate and apply learnings gained through completing the units across the MPM.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

 Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

• Written feedback on summative assessment works in addition to CRA sheets.
• Ongoing peer and lecturer feedback on activities in class
• Generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas and Canvas Grade Centre
• Dedicated program/project team consulting sessions providing an opportunity to discuss your various approaches to the team assignment.

Assessment

Overview

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Discussion Forum

You will record a video reflection on your participation in the Discussion Forums. Prior to participation in the Discussion Forums, you will research topical aspects of program management in response to given scenarios. During the Discussion Forums, your learnings from your research will be shared with your peers and discussed. Following the Discussion Forums, you will record a reflection on your experience participating in them, what you learnt about program management from your discussion with your peers, and how program management will contribute to future career progression.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation

You will develop a detailed Program/Project Execution plan for a topical real-world styled case study that impacts on First Nations people and other major stakeholders. The plan should also cover Operational Readiness and Benefits Realisation of the Program/Project.  Your plan will be delivered in two parts.

- Part A (Due Week 10) - presentation to a mock CEO/COO and Board of Directors who will determine whether the program/project is ready for execution.

- Part B (Due Week 13) - finalised program team report submitted. Part B of this assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Program Recovery Report

In this assessment, you will prepare a Program Recovery Report for the CEO/COO for a major scenario involving program failure on the previous case study. The report will need to consider the impact on the First Nations people and be delivered to all the major stakeholders, including First Nations and multi-national organisation representatives.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the online/classroom/lecture/tutorial activities in this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

PM20 Master of Project Management

1. Appraise and adapt contemporary project management methodologies to projects of different types and complexities
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Discussion Forum, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation, Program Recovery Report
2. Research and critically analyse data and extant literature to inform evidence-based project management practice
   Relates to: ULO2, Discussion Forum, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation, Program Recovery Report
3. Communicate, negotiate and manage diverse stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes
   Relates to: ULO4, ULO5, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation
4. Synthesise and apply leadership and team development theory across dynamic and complex project environments
   Relates to: ULO4, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation
5. Apply ethical, professional and risk-based judgements to inform decision making in project environments.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO6, Discussion Forum, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation, Program Recovery Report
6. Create project plans to effectively deliver strategic business and organisational objectives.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO5, Discussion Forum, Program/Project Execution Plan and Presentation, Program Recovery Report