Managing Projects to Achieve Results

The ability to manage projects is a vital skill for all managers. This unit focuses on the knowledge and skills required to manage projects successfully and overcome problems and challenges. It requires you to evaluate the methods and tools for planning tasks and activities, as well as knowing how to implement and manage project activities, build stakeholder relationships, manage resources and risk, monitor progress and report on outcomes.

Conducting a Management Project

Research into approaches to management and leadership can lead to dynamic results. Innovation, product development, performance improvement, change, customer service excellence, strategy and problem solving are just some of the results. Without research business can stagnate. The aim of the unit is for you to conduct management research which will have an impact on individual and/or organisational practice. You will plan and manage a genuine project in the workplace or an academic enquiry relevant to an identified business need or challenge.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this qualification, you will;

• Understand the role of projects in delivering organisational strategy
• Understand processes for initiating, planning and managing projects
• Understand the factors which contribute to effective project management
• Know how to plan a management project
• Be able to conduct a management project

Assessment Criteria

You will be required to meet the following criteria as part of the assessment process;

• Analyse the role of projects in delivering organisational strategy
• Analyse the process for initiating projects
• Examine the impact of legal, organisational and ethical factors on projects
• Discuss the use of tools and techniques to plan and manage projects in different contexts
• Analyse techniques for working collaboratively with stakeholders to achieve project aims
• Evaluate methods used for monitoring project progress
• Discuss methods for reporting on project outcomes
• Discuss methods of managing data and information in a project environment
• Assess the use of problem solving and decision making techniques when managing projects
• Examine approaches to identify, manage and mitigate project risks
• Develop the aim, objectives and scope of a proposed management project
• Specify a research approach for the proposed management project
• Specify the research methods to be used to collect data and information
• Analyse the role of stakeholders involved in the management project
• Examine the factors that need to be considered when developing a plan for the management project
• Conduct research to deliver the management project
• Analyse and interpret research findings using relevant tools and techniques
• Use research findings to analyse options to meet the project aim
• Draw conclusions and propose recommendations