Project Flexibility

As unique endeavours, projects are frequently exposed to the unexpected. . The course describes how projects are managed and designed for flexibility all project phases. The course also includes a critical perspective, and addresses drawbacks of project flexibility. In addition to flexibility, key words include resilience, adaptability and governance. The following topics are addressed: stakeholder analysis, project governance, project models, flexible designs of both the project processes well as the project delivery, assumption surfacing, change management, project resilience, agile project management, project evaluation and uncertainty management. The course provides the foundation for the Specialisation Project (TPK4520) and Master Thesis (TPK4920) and comprises (a) selected topics covering research on projects and their management and (b) modules on Master Thesis related research skills.

Knowledge:

In the project management part, the candidate gets knowledge about:

• Key concepts within the field of project management.
• Different approaches to flexibility.
• Understanding of advantages and disadvantages of flexibility.
• How flexibility is seen from different stakeholder's perspective.

In the research skills part, the candidate gets knowledge and understanding of the key methodological challenges and choices relevant for successful completion of a master thesis in project or quality management.

Skills:

the candidate can:

• Apply different approaches to achieving flexibility in projects.
• Understand the incentives for different stakeholders related to flexibility.
• Apply key tools for change management in projects.
• Handle literature reviews and apply critical thinking to analyse existing literature and develop own research.

General competence:

the candidate can:

• Understand basic relationships between organisations, projects and the outside world.

Lectures and seminars. Evaluation will be based on a report and an exam. To get admission to the exam, a preliminary course report must have been submitted and approved. The lectures and exercises are in English. Students are free to choose to write reports in Norwegian or English. Students shall write a report on a topic relevant to the course. The report shall be based on the course material, supplemented by further literature that students are expected to find as a part of the course.