SZENT ISTVN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF APPLIED AND PROFESSIONAL ARTS

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR PERSONNEL IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FIELDS Written b Dr! R"ni Le#i

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Dr! R"ni Le#i

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR PERSONNEL IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FIELDS

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An increasing number of organizations are recognizing that they are project based (That is the majority of their added value work is carried out through projects). This organizations are not limited to tradition project based organization such as heavy industries constructions !T and consultancy sector but they are a whole range of industries as well as government agencies and educational institutes all over the world regardless their size and sectors. There is a significant change the interest of individual and organizations to know more about project management as the result of the above mentioned trend. "e are today in a rapid evolution of practices and process of project management. #rganizations are devoting significant effort to improving the project performance which does have a major economic benefit to them. $owadays it is almost impossible to be in any organization without being involved in project management in one way or another. %roject management today is a matter of survival for many organizations. The importance and uni&ueness of project management is well reflected and implemented by the many bodies of knowledge that have been devolved in the project management area as well as the establishment of recognizable graduation of project managers. Pr"1e2t 3$n$4er( in "r4$ni)$ti"n( 'or many years project management has been referred to as accidental profession where people have not selected it but ended up doing it any way. As project in most sectors become more important to those organizations so too do the project managers an their need and importance are increasingly being recognized.. 'urthermore project managers are considered as agents of change and innovation. A parallel career pats are being developed for managers allowing them to be promoted either through line activity or through their e(cellence in project management. %roject management is now an advanced and specialized, therefore project management is organization and individuals. A 5i(t"r 6er(6e2ti#e "n 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent !n theory we should be able to learn from how humans have managed projects since the start of civilization. Although re&uirements resources and constraints have been significantly change the fundamental issues of project management such as performance and time still sustain. )ecently the nature of project management has changed from contraction industry to all kind of organizations.The first formal tools and techni&ues such as *%A %+)T which are in use up to day were developed during the ,-./0s. These tools focused almost e(clusively on the project planning phase Re2ent 7e#e8"63ent in 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent The growth and acceptance of %1 has changed significantly over the past forty years !n the recent two decade a accelerate development occur in project management research

development of tool process and techni&ue. Today a (tr$te4i2 $66r"$25 rather the re$2ti#e $66r"$25 is taking to the design of project process this stage is greatly influenced by the changes that have occurred in the conte(t of which modern projects operate such as the availability of technology powerful software etc0. 3everal 4odies #f 5nowledge (4#5) were established in the area of project management such as The %1! %)!$*+6 A%1 etc0. Their objective is to provide project management with common vocabulary ant to present the 7Best Practice.

M"7ern 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent %rojects are relevant today to all fields and sectors nowadays projects which can broadly defined as set of activities which have a defined start and a defined end state and which pursue a defined goal and use a defined set of resources come in many various form and in almost any area. There is a growing recognition in the need to employ professional project managers to carry out projects As a result of this demand there are more training programs for project managers. !n the near future even more focus will be directed towards the development of teaching and training aids in the field of project management training project managers now undergo formal training in special programs. Today #rganizations do not have the choice whether or not to adapt pm approach any more. The survival of org. may very well rest on how well project management is implemented and how quickly *ompanies are graded by their project management 1aturity. This grade plays a significant role in potential clients0 considerations when choosing a service provider F$2t"r( 8e$7in4 t" t5e in2re$(e7 9(e "% 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent The number and scope of projects being carried out is on the rise. This is due to8 *ompression of the product life cycle 9lobal competition 5nowledge e(plosion *orporate downsizing !ncreased customer focus )apid development of Third "orld and closed economies 3mall projects that represent big problems M$1"r "9t2"3e( %"r t5e ,/(t Cent9r An increase in the scope of project management and system integration. The focus of projects has shifted from tactical to strategic. An increasing discipline in the way projects are managed.

Pr"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent %9t9re tren7( The growth and acceptance of %.1 are e(pected to continue well into the 6,st century. 3ignificant growth are especially e(pected in the area of multinational %1 %roject will be more dynamic and comple( :ong term solution sought M"re e%%"rt( 0i88 be %"29( "n te$25in4 $n7 tr$inin4 $i7(

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W5$t i( $ 6r"1e2t: Characteristics ; *ollection of interrelated activities ; 9iven timeline and budget ; 3pecific objective(s) Basic features ; #ne time effort ; *omple(ity ; *oordination between e(perts organizations De%initi"n "% $ 6r"1e2t 4ased on these criteria there are many versions of definitions such as "A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service (PMI 2000)" "A unique set of co-ordinate activities with a definite startin and finishin points! undertaken "y individua# or or ani$ation to meet specific performance o"%ectives within defined schedu#e! cost and performance parameters (&' (0)*+ 2000)" An2ient 6r"1e2t( !t often claim that that the first project to be managed is the 1anhattan project that created the first atom bomb however ancient history is replete with projects e(amples 3ome of the better known ones are8 < The +gyptian pyramids < The palace of king 1inos in *rete < The %arthenon in 9reece < The 1aya temples in central America < The great wall of *hina < The temple in =erusalem Pr"1e2t( "% t"7$ Today large projects come in many and various forms The *hannel tunnel )enovating the 4russels airport *onstructing the facilities for the #lympic "inter of 3ummer games *onstructing bridge dam highway or building #pening a new store >esigning a new plane %lanning a wedding >eveloping new computer software )elocating a factory !ntroducing a new products to the market !mplementing a new information system %erforming major maintenance or repair %roducing and directing a movie

)eengineering a company )eorganization

Pr"1e2t( in e792$ti"n !"amples from the field of education The implementation of a new curriculum@ The computerization of an educational system@ )enovating teaching programs The design of an 14A course >evelopment of workshops for Apper management levels 3tudying towards an academic degree. %rojectB4ased teaching C"33"n 25$r$2teri(ti2( "% 6r"1e2t To a great e"tent all these projects seem to have some elements in common #$lack et al. #%&&') ( goal or o)jective. A definable end product result or output that is typically defined in terms of cost &uality and timing of the output from the project activities. *niqueness. A project is usually a oneBatBaBtime not a repetitive undertaking even Crepeat projectD such as the construction of another plant to the same specifications may have distinctive differences in terms of resources used and the actual environment in which the project takes place. Comple"ity. The relationships between the various tasks that have to be performed to achieve the projectDs objectives can be very comple(. Temporary nature. %roject has a defined start and end which usually means that a concentrated use of resource is needed to carry out the project. . *ncertainty. %rojects are planned before they are e(ecuted and therefore carry an element of risk. Ancertainty is the nature of the beast. +ife cycle. M"ti#$ti"n t" i368e3ent 6r"1e2t( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,hy organi-e the .ork as a /project01 *omple(ity8 customized goods or services 5nowledge8 e(ponential e(pansion *ompetition8 cost time &uality Benefits of systematic planning )educe uncertainty *reate 7common languageE +stablish teamwork and define responsibilities +nable learning

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%roject 1anagement definition8

Project 2anagement is the application of kno.ledge! ski##! too#s! and techniques to pro%ect activities in! order to meet or e,ceed stakeho#ders- needs and e,pectations from a pro%ect. (PM&/01! 2000) Pro%ect mana ement 2 An activity entai#in the a##ocatin and timin of resources to achieve iven o"%ectives in an efficient and e,pedient manner (&adiru! 3**33. P5$(e( "% 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent Conceptual design phase B during which the organization realizes that a project may be needed or receives a re&uest from a customer to propose a plan to perform a project. 4efinition phase 5 in which the project objectives the project deliverables and the work content are defined and it is decided on how the organization is going to achieve the project objectives and meet the various performance measures Planning phase Bcan start which involves breaking down the project into manageable work packages consisting of specific activities which need to be performed in order to accomplish the project objectives !"ecution phaseB during the e(ecution of the project its progress must be taken when necessary. Termination phase5 finally the project enters its termination phase that involves the delivery of the project result (products andGor services) S922e((%98 6r"1e2t 4oth the uncertainty and comple(ity make project management a formidable task. ( successful project is project that is finished on time .ithin the )udget and according to the preset specifications.

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The project manager is responsible for assuring that the project (tasks) are completed on time and within budget but often has no authority on those actually performing the work Pr"1e2t 3$n$4er r"8e The %roject 1anagerDs (%1) role is to ensure schedule management processes are applied in order to support the projectDs objectives. He is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across multiple functional lines. !n addition the project manager is responsible with support of the %G3 for the development guidelines plan approval work e(ecution and performance control of the !13 and ensuring the institutional processes and procedures necessary resources and tools and techni&ues are applied to ensure re&uirements are adhered to by the project team. Pr"1e2t 3$n$4er re(6"n(ibi8itie( 1arketing and continued contact %ersonal preparation 1anpower planning and assembly of the project team 1anaging the project Iuality management *lient relation %roject status reporting 4illing and collection

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%roject management has long been considered as an academic field for planningBoriented techni&ues and in many respects an application of engineering science and optimization theory. 1uch research has also been devoted to the search for the generic factors of project success. %roject management has however in the last decade received wider interest from other academic disciplines including the field of education. W5 t" 8e$rn 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent in e792$ti"n: %roject management and education are mutually connected almost more than to any other areas T5e bene%it( "% 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent in e792$ti"n %roject management tools are re&uired in education when implementing large scale projects as well as creating a single educational program +ducational staff are continuously involved in educational projects %roject management have been recognized as being an effective tool for teaching %roject based learning might increase studentsD autonomy selfBdirected learning skills problem solving ability etc. as well as their interest in learning both in the school and in the future. %roject based learning might help to better development of %roject management tools techni&ues and programs. Pr"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent $(6e2t( in e792$ti"n %roject management tools are re&uired in +ducation when implementing large scale projects as well as creating a single educational program %roject 1anagement practices must focus concurrently on people processes and technology. 3tudents must be provided with an environment in which to learn apply and evolve their team and project knowledge. 3ince the beginning of ,--/0s %rojectBbased learning is a comprehensive approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in investigation authentic problems. 2anaging educational projects B educational projects are the same in nature as projects in any other field. 4evelopment of P.2 educational programs 6 >eveloping educational tools and techni&ues in %.1 are essential and they are the need of the hour. 4eveloping P.2 )ased teaching 6 %.1 principals and techni&ues may be implemented in other teaching programs C9rrent tren7 in 9(in4 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent in e792$ti"n Active approach not passive !nteraction rather then transfer >ynamic not static $ew learning paradigmB 5nowledge is not delivered 4ut is constructed and created ("ang 6//2) A7#$nt$4e( "% 9(in4 6r"1e2t 3$n$4e3ent in e792$ti"n !ncreases studentsD in the subject !ncreases the relevance of the subjects being taught

!ncreases Autonomy self learning problem solving skills !ncreases studentsD motivation in learning and both in the class and afterwards Pr"#i7e t5e (t97ent( 0it5 6r$2ti2$8 t""8!

Pr"1e2t&b$(e7 8e$rnin4 >PBL? Project5)ased learning is a teaching method where teachers guide students through a problemBsolving process which includes identifying a problem developing a plan testing the plan against reality and reflecting on the plan while in the process of designing and completing a project. %rojectBbased learning (%4:) is a constructivist pedagogy that intends to bring about deep learning by allowing learners to use an in&uiry based approach to engage with issues and &uestions that are rich real and relevant to the topic being studied. !t is designed to be used for comple( issues that re&uire students to investigate in order to understand (4arron ,--J). %4: is more than just a webB&uest or internet research task. "ithin this type of learning students are e(pected to use technology in meaningful ways to help them investigate or present their knowledge. %4: is generally a less structured approach than traditional teacherBled classroom learning. However working in nonB or lowBstructured environment can introduce significant side effects. !n such an environment it is difficult for students to clearly identify project designBflow phases.

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Si398$ti"n 3imulation is set of computerB based techni&ue that illustrate the behavior of dynamic comple( systems A7#$nt$4e( "% (i398$ti"n( *reate dynamic environment !terative !ndividual interaction %redictive tool )eplace e(pensive and time consuming alternatives )educe cost of risks associated with mistakes "hat if analysis Alternative development

T5e 9(e "% (i398$ti"n( Training +ducation Testing +stimation >ecision 3upport 3ystem (>33) "hat if analysis )eplace heuristics methods 9ames Si398$ti"n $n7 e792$ti"n

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Intr"792ti"n t" t5e 9(e "% (i398$ti"n( t" $i7 8e$rnin4 +lectronic :earning (+B:earning) environments and the digital university became increasingly pervasive with the advent and popularity of the !nternet and !ntranet in the end of ,--/ and the beginning of the new millennium. #ld and new teaching methods and instructional strategies are being e(plored and developed. The common thread among all is that the learning process in most cases is individual. 3imulations are recognized as an efficient and effective way of teaching and learning comple( dynamic systems as well as a tool to avoid the cost of risks associated with #=T with new technologies. 3imulationB based education products are recognized as an e(cellent 7illustrative toolsE ; used e(ceedingly in students centered learning methodologies. I368e3ent$ti"n "% (i398$ti"n( in e792$ti"n 3imulation sometimes recognizes as a third way of doing science in contrast to both induction and deduction. 3imulation can be an effective tool for discovering surprising conse&uences of simple assumptions it is used to provide e(perience creation of new knowledge either for its own sake or aid decision maker in a decision process Si398$ti"n&b$(e7 te$25in4 $n7 8e$rnin4 3imulationBbased teaching is one of the tools in the new developed trend in education ; learning5)y5doing. A simulator is selfBpaced learning approach which can incorporate special teaching and learning mechanisms to support the individual learner. !n particular simulations are becoming an integral part of management and engineering education as students learn by using and building simulations of comple( systems and processes. !n contrast to the real world which is being simulated to various degrees of fidelity the students using a simulator are able to CCstop the worldDD and CCstep outsideDD of the simulated process to review and understand it better. . A7#$nt$4e( "% Si398$ti"n&b$(e7 te$25in4 %rovide controlled environment allowing to demonstrate specific methods and techni&ues which can be directed by the instructor !nteraction with subject rather than with teachers. 3tudents are provided with an environment in which to learn apply and evolve their team and knowledge +nhance self learning processes +nhance individual learning I((9e( 0it5 re(6e2t t" (i398$ti"n&b$(e7 te$25in4 $n7 8e$rnin4! 3imulations are recognized as an efficient and effective way of teaching and learning comple( dynamic systems. +fficiency is gained by reducing the time it takes to reach a specified level of learning +ffectiveness is gained by achieving better results in performing the tasks learned. !n particular simulations are becoming an integral part of education as students learn by using and building simulations of comple( systems and processes

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The %roject Team 4uilder (%T4) presents a new approach to the teaching and training of project managementKan approach based on a software tool that combines an interactive dynamic case study and a simple yet effective %roject 1anagement 3ystem. The %T4 applies recent developments in the area of learning histories in simulationBbased teaching. The %T4 is

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designed to support individual training in project management and to provide an environment for practicing teamwork in managing dynamic stochastic multiple projects. The new concept of a simulationBbased training environment with a builtBin learning history recording and in&uiry mechanism is employed in the %T4. The %T4 can be used as a standBalone system as it contains models for scheduling budgeting resource management cash management monitoring and control. The %T4 can be used with 1icrosoft %roject to plan the project to monitor and to control it by transferring information from the %roject Team 4uilder (%T4) and analyzing it using 1icrosoft %roject. T5e PTB 6rin2i68e( The %roject Team 4uilder (%T4) is a training aid designed to facilitate the training of project management in a dynamic stochastic environment. !t is based on the following principles8 A simulation approachKthe %T4 simulates one or more projects. The simulation is controlled by a simple user interface and no knowledge of simulation or simulation languages is re&uired. A case study approachKthe %T4 is based on a simulation of case studies called scenarios. +ach case study is a project or a collection of projects performed under schedule budget and resource constraints in a dynamic stochastic environment. The details of these case studies are built into the simulation while all the data re&uired for analysis and decisionB making is easily accessed by the user interface. A userBfriendly case study generator facilitates the development of new case studies as re&uired. A dynamic approachKthe case studies built into the %T4 are dynamic in the sense that the situation changes over time. A random effect is introduced to simulate the uncertainty in the environment and decisions made by the user cause changes in the state of the system simulated. 4eferences

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