INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: A SOCIO-TECHNICAL APPROACH
2024 EVERGREEN RELEASE
CHAPTER NO. 01: MODERN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Define a project. What are five characteristics which help differentiate projects from
other functions carried out in the daily operations of the organization?
A project is a complex, non-routine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resource, and
specifications. Differentiating characteristics of projects from routine, repetitive daily work
are below:
a. A defined lifespan
b. A well-defined objective
c. Typically involves people from several disciplines
d. A project life cycle
e. Specific time, cost, and performance requirements.
2. What are some of the key environmental forces that have changed the way projects are
managed? What has been the effect of these forces on the management of projects?
Some environmental forces that have changed the way we manage projects are the product
life cycle, knowledge growth, global competition, organization downsizing, technology
changes, time-to-market. The impact of these forces is more projects per organization,
project teams responsible for implementing projects, accountability, changing organization
structures, need for rapid completion of projects, linking projects to organization strategy
and customers, prioritizing projects to conserve organization resources, alliances with
external organizations, and so on.
3. Describe the four phases of the traditional project life cycle. Which phase do you think
would be most the difficult one to complete?
1. Defining: Project specifications objectives are defined, and teams are formed with major
responsibilities assigned. Much of this is referred to as defining the Scope of a project.
2. Planning: The creation of a comprehensive plan that includes schedules, budgets,
staffing and risk assessment.
3. Executing: Work begins, deliverables are produced, and progress is monitored.
4. Closing: Putting the project to bed includes customer delivery, post project review or
audit, and redeployment of project team.
, All things being equal, one would think that Closing would be the easiest phase to complete.
However, there are times when this phase is the most problematic. Disagreements at the
customer acceptance can lead to rework, tension and in many cases litigation. Veteran project
managers answer to this question would be “It all depends.”
4. What kinds of projects is Agile PM best suited for and why?
Projects in which the scope or how the project will be completed are not well defined or
stable. These kinds of projects would include software development, R&D work,
technological breakthroughs, and creative endeavors.
5. The technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides to the
same coin. Explain.
The technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides of the same
coin because successful project managers are skillful in both areas. The point is successful
project managers need to be very comfortable and skillful in both areas.
Snapshots from Practice: Discussion Questions
1.1 The Project Management Institute
1. If you were a student interested in pursuing a career in project management how
important do you think being a CAPM would be?
There is no data available on the value of the CAPM in the job market. Experts suggest at a
minimum it demonstrates a strong interest in project management and a good understanding
of the project management processes. Given the growing demand for people to work on
projects, the CAPM may just separate you from other applicants.
2. How valuable do you think being a certified PMP is?
Reliable data is hard to find. PMI reported that the median salary for a PMP is $115,000.
Non certified project managers, on the other hand, showed a median income of $92,000.
According to a different survey eighty percent of high-performing projects used PMP
certified project managers.
1.3 London Calling: Seattle Seahawks versus Oakland Raiders
1. Why was it important to give players and staff a chance to explore London one evening?
, This will be a tough question for those not familiar with intense team sports. They will not
be aware of the importance coaches devote to eliminating distractions that can disrupt team
concentration and focus. Coach Carroll reportedly said, “There was no avoiding the fact that
we were in a foreign country. Players and staff were curious and excited, so we decided
instead of denying it we would let them explore London.”
2. What are one or two lessons you learned from this Snapshot?
Several lessons can be gleaned from this Snapshot:
• High performance projects need to devote significant attention to providing a work
environment that supports high performance.
• The importance of interjecting fun on intense projects.
• The impact time zone changes can have on individual performance.
• The attention to detail exhibited in the project.
• The importance of managing the rhythm and pace of a group to accomplish project
objectives.
Sports fans will draw attention to coach Carroll driving the players to the stadium the day
before the game. This eliminated the distraction of not knowing what the field or locker room
would be like. It answered the question of what kind of shoes the players would be wearing.
Players like quarterback Russell Wilson like to form vivid, mental images of big plays the
night before a big game.
1.4 Ron Parker
1. Do you agree with Ron Parker’s statement “To be successful, you must also be willing
to run at problems/opportunities when everyone else is running away from them”?
This is somewhat of a philosophical question. While not the only way to become successful
this is one path to success especially when other opportunities or advantages are not
available. Tackling tough projects is a great way to gain visibility and establish a reputation.
The flip side is that these projects are risky, and failure may damage one’s reputation.
Organizations that excel at project management recognize that these projects often fail
despite superior effort. They value experience and devote significant attention to improving
future project performance by articulating lessons learned from current projects.
PMI’s 50 Most Influential Projects 1969-2019
1. Do you agree with the top five choices? What choices would you have recommended?
This Snapshot and question are used to discuss the significance of project management in
our lives. There is no right answer, students should be encouraged to justify their choices.
, Here students should be asked whether their choice reshaped people’s expectations of what
possible, defied convention was, and/or transform an industry or culture.
The one project that students most often object to is the Euro-conversion. This is likely due
to bring unaware of how challenging the project was, given the number of countries involved
and the complexity of financial conversion. Some will argue that it is too Euro-centric. Others
will argue that European economy extends around the world.
Quite often, students downgrade the significance of Apollo 11. Some argue why not landing
on the moon. Most often achievements are a product of program(s) not individual projects.
It is important to note the wide range of projects chosen.
During the discussion, one should point out how most of these outcomes were the product of
a series of projects and ultimately program management. This reflects a tendency to
substitute project for program since the latter implies an on-going venture as opposed to a
completed product or service.
Exercises
1. Review the front page of your local newspaper and try to identify all the projects
contained in the articles. How many were you able to find?
It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper and not find articles relating to projects. Sunday
editions are especially good for this exercise. Even experienced project managers find the
number of projects far greater than they would have predicted. Each one is managed by a
project manager! This is a good illustration of the important role projects play in our daily
lives.
2. Individually, identify what you consider to be humanity’s greatest achievements in the
last five decades. Now share your list with three to five other students in the class and
come up with an expanded list. Review these great achievements in terms of the
definition of a project. What does your review suggest about the importance of project
management?
Typical responses center on technology, medical advances, space exploration—e.g.,
computer advances, laser operations and new drugs, building the space station. Often you
have to point out that many of these projects are really programs.
We usually select two or three student suggestions of projects (there will be plenty!) and ask
the students to identify the kinds of problems the project manager of the project may have
had to deal with. Again, once the students get into the exercise, the problems they can
envision are many. These problems are placed on the board. After the board is near filled and
most students have participated, we try to show or classify on the board the problems by the
content of the text chapters. The intent is to demonstrate to the class the course and text will
address many of the problems suggested by the students.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: A SOCIO-TECHNICAL APPROACH
2024 EVERGREEN RELEASE
CHAPTER NO. 01: MODERN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Define a project. What are five characteristics which help differentiate projects from
other functions carried out in the daily operations of the organization?
A project is a complex, non-routine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resource, and
specifications. Differentiating characteristics of projects from routine, repetitive daily work
are below:
a. A defined lifespan
b. A well-defined objective
c. Typically involves people from several disciplines
d. A project life cycle
e. Specific time, cost, and performance requirements.
2. What are some of the key environmental forces that have changed the way projects are
managed? What has been the effect of these forces on the management of projects?
Some environmental forces that have changed the way we manage projects are the product
life cycle, knowledge growth, global competition, organization downsizing, technology
changes, time-to-market. The impact of these forces is more projects per organization,
project teams responsible for implementing projects, accountability, changing organization
structures, need for rapid completion of projects, linking projects to organization strategy
and customers, prioritizing projects to conserve organization resources, alliances with
external organizations, and so on.
3. Describe the four phases of the traditional project life cycle. Which phase do you think
would be most the difficult one to complete?
1. Defining: Project specifications objectives are defined, and teams are formed with major
responsibilities assigned. Much of this is referred to as defining the Scope of a project.
2. Planning: The creation of a comprehensive plan that includes schedules, budgets,
staffing and risk assessment.
3. Executing: Work begins, deliverables are produced, and progress is monitored.
4. Closing: Putting the project to bed includes customer delivery, post project review or
audit, and redeployment of project team.
, All things being equal, one would think that Closing would be the easiest phase to complete.
However, there are times when this phase is the most problematic. Disagreements at the
customer acceptance can lead to rework, tension and in many cases litigation. Veteran project
managers answer to this question would be “It all depends.”
4. What kinds of projects is Agile PM best suited for and why?
Projects in which the scope or how the project will be completed are not well defined or
stable. These kinds of projects would include software development, R&D work,
technological breakthroughs, and creative endeavors.
5. The technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides to the
same coin. Explain.
The technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management are two sides of the same
coin because successful project managers are skillful in both areas. The point is successful
project managers need to be very comfortable and skillful in both areas.
Snapshots from Practice: Discussion Questions
1.1 The Project Management Institute
1. If you were a student interested in pursuing a career in project management how
important do you think being a CAPM would be?
There is no data available on the value of the CAPM in the job market. Experts suggest at a
minimum it demonstrates a strong interest in project management and a good understanding
of the project management processes. Given the growing demand for people to work on
projects, the CAPM may just separate you from other applicants.
2. How valuable do you think being a certified PMP is?
Reliable data is hard to find. PMI reported that the median salary for a PMP is $115,000.
Non certified project managers, on the other hand, showed a median income of $92,000.
According to a different survey eighty percent of high-performing projects used PMP
certified project managers.
1.3 London Calling: Seattle Seahawks versus Oakland Raiders
1. Why was it important to give players and staff a chance to explore London one evening?
, This will be a tough question for those not familiar with intense team sports. They will not
be aware of the importance coaches devote to eliminating distractions that can disrupt team
concentration and focus. Coach Carroll reportedly said, “There was no avoiding the fact that
we were in a foreign country. Players and staff were curious and excited, so we decided
instead of denying it we would let them explore London.”
2. What are one or two lessons you learned from this Snapshot?
Several lessons can be gleaned from this Snapshot:
• High performance projects need to devote significant attention to providing a work
environment that supports high performance.
• The importance of interjecting fun on intense projects.
• The impact time zone changes can have on individual performance.
• The attention to detail exhibited in the project.
• The importance of managing the rhythm and pace of a group to accomplish project
objectives.
Sports fans will draw attention to coach Carroll driving the players to the stadium the day
before the game. This eliminated the distraction of not knowing what the field or locker room
would be like. It answered the question of what kind of shoes the players would be wearing.
Players like quarterback Russell Wilson like to form vivid, mental images of big plays the
night before a big game.
1.4 Ron Parker
1. Do you agree with Ron Parker’s statement “To be successful, you must also be willing
to run at problems/opportunities when everyone else is running away from them”?
This is somewhat of a philosophical question. While not the only way to become successful
this is one path to success especially when other opportunities or advantages are not
available. Tackling tough projects is a great way to gain visibility and establish a reputation.
The flip side is that these projects are risky, and failure may damage one’s reputation.
Organizations that excel at project management recognize that these projects often fail
despite superior effort. They value experience and devote significant attention to improving
future project performance by articulating lessons learned from current projects.
PMI’s 50 Most Influential Projects 1969-2019
1. Do you agree with the top five choices? What choices would you have recommended?
This Snapshot and question are used to discuss the significance of project management in
our lives. There is no right answer, students should be encouraged to justify their choices.
, Here students should be asked whether their choice reshaped people’s expectations of what
possible, defied convention was, and/or transform an industry or culture.
The one project that students most often object to is the Euro-conversion. This is likely due
to bring unaware of how challenging the project was, given the number of countries involved
and the complexity of financial conversion. Some will argue that it is too Euro-centric. Others
will argue that European economy extends around the world.
Quite often, students downgrade the significance of Apollo 11. Some argue why not landing
on the moon. Most often achievements are a product of program(s) not individual projects.
It is important to note the wide range of projects chosen.
During the discussion, one should point out how most of these outcomes were the product of
a series of projects and ultimately program management. This reflects a tendency to
substitute project for program since the latter implies an on-going venture as opposed to a
completed product or service.
Exercises
1. Review the front page of your local newspaper and try to identify all the projects
contained in the articles. How many were you able to find?
It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper and not find articles relating to projects. Sunday
editions are especially good for this exercise. Even experienced project managers find the
number of projects far greater than they would have predicted. Each one is managed by a
project manager! This is a good illustration of the important role projects play in our daily
lives.
2. Individually, identify what you consider to be humanity’s greatest achievements in the
last five decades. Now share your list with three to five other students in the class and
come up with an expanded list. Review these great achievements in terms of the
definition of a project. What does your review suggest about the importance of project
management?
Typical responses center on technology, medical advances, space exploration—e.g.,
computer advances, laser operations and new drugs, building the space station. Often you
have to point out that many of these projects are really programs.
We usually select two or three student suggestions of projects (there will be plenty!) and ask
the students to identify the kinds of problems the project manager of the project may have
had to deal with. Again, once the students get into the exercise, the problems they can
envision are many. These problems are placed on the board. After the board is near filled and
most students have participated, we try to show or classify on the board the problems by the
content of the text chapters. The intent is to demonstrate to the class the course and text will
address many of the problems suggested by the students.
