Ms Alina Lebed
MBA, BSc., G.Cert. Ed., Dip. Mngmnt & Int Trade

Alina Lebed is a practical hands-on lecturer with extensive management and consulting experience. She is recognised by her clients for her conceptual and analytical abilities, strategic thinking, dependability and excellent organisational skills. She has an MBA degree from the University of Adelaide with outstanding results and prestigious awards (Best Graduating Student, Director’s List, Guy Lloyd scholarship, awards in Finance and Strategic Management). She also holds a Science degree from Moscow University and qualifications in Education from Vilnius Pedagogical University and Management and International Trade from the Italian Institute of Foreign Trade.
Alina is currently managing a consultancy business that helps a variety of clients in Australia solve complex business problems. Prior to founding this consultancy she lead the Business Advisory practice for a global consulting firm, worked with a large utilities company and held management positions in R&D, manufacturing and consulting companies in Australia and overseas. Alina’s business activities include the provision of business and strategic advice to a portfolio of clients. This involves the development of strategic planning outputs, planning and implementation of projects, financial analysis, business improvement, problem solving, facilitation of workshops and liaison with stakeholders and Boards. Alina has developed and implemented project management frameworks, conducted complex organisational reviews and process improvement projects, prepared persuasive business cases for companies in various industries and translated them into effective implementation strategies. Through management of a wide variety of projects she has developed a structured and well-organised approach to meet business challenges and achieve results.
Alina has been teaching at executive and postgraduate level since 2000. She has designed and delivered multiple training and executive development courses on various topics in Australia, Europe, Middle East, Malaysia, South Pacific and the USA. She is a lecturer of Masters programs at Torrens University and University of Adelaide and conducts intensive workshops and seminars for clients and employees on strategic management, business case development, project management, financial modelling, risk management, contract management, performance evaluation, team dynamics and problem solving, decision making and influence, business research, business statistics and quantitative methods and others.

email: alina.lebed@adelaide.edu.au
Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au

The course is offered in an intensive mode, comprising three 2-day sessions on 3-4 June, 17-18 June and 5-6 August. The sessions are scheduled for 9am-3 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, but an alternative frontloading schedule of 9 am – 5 pm for the June sessions is preferable and will be discussed during the first session.

• An understanding of the strategic context of effective project management and the role it can play as a source of competitive advantage
• An understanding of the role of projects in value creation through the integrated management of project portfolio
• An understanding of the basic theories and tools that support managerial decisions in project design, planning and implementation
• Capacity to apply relevant tools and techniques to the demands of business and management practice
• Ability to identify potential project issues, ascertain their causes and effects, develop feasible and constructive solutions and contingency plans
• An appreciation of the constraints facing project managers in solving day to day project challenges as they balance the application of management theories to practical situations
• Ability to critically assess project management practices in organisations and identify areas for improvement

The recommended text for this course is
Jeffrey K. Pinto, Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage, Pearson, Global Edition (4e), 2016

There are many textbooks that students can use as references. If fact, students will find any text in project management useful in supplementing the materials provided in the course text, the course outline and the readings.

In addition, I strongly recommend that you register on the PMI website (http://www.pmi.org) and access the resources available there (many of them for free).
For example, the following optional resources may be useful:
• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Fifth Edition available for purchase online from PMI
• Free exposure draft of the new sixth edition of the PMBOK® Guide (if still available)
• Standard for Program Management
• Standard for Portfolio Management
• Organisational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3 ®)
• The exposure drafts of the Standard for Program Management and the Standard for Portfolio Management are expected to be available in Q3-4 of 2016
• Pulse of the Profession
• Thought Leadership topics
• Practice Standards and Frameworks and
• Practice Guides.

Important messages, topic notes, power point slides and other materials relating to the course will be placed on MyUni throughout the course. MyUni can be found at (www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au ).
Please e-mail the lecturer if you can not access the course on myuni.

In this course, we focus both on building the knowledge of project management concepts, tools and techniques and on their application. The course aims to provide a hands-on, stimulating learning experience. It is highly interactive, with opportunities to advance your opinions and ideas and share experiences in a supportive environment. To ensure the concepts introduced during the program are understood, they will be reinforced through a mix of learning methods, including lecture style presentation, open discussion, case studies and group work.

I hope you find this subject interesting and challenging, but more so, I hope that completing the required work will make a positive contribution to the way you handle the broad range of situations you encounter at work and in your private lives.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The course is offered in an intensive mode, comprising three 2-day sessions. It will require a disciplined and organised approach to manage the workload. The preparation time each student will need to spend in addition to the lectures will vary depending on existing knowledge and skills. Previous study and work experience, English language proficiency, math and technology skills and learning style all impact on how quickly different students can complete various learning activities.

It is strongly recommended that the reading materials for each session are studied over the whole period between sessions. Attempting it all the night before is likely to leave you frustrated, underprepared and unable to relate to the relevant discussions in the class.

Assignments will demand additional concentrated periods of non-classroom study, on your own or with your allocated student group. As a rough indication, you could expect to spend in the order of 120 hours of study time to complete the course, of which 36 hours would be in class. As most of the course is scheduled to run over a comparatively short time period, you will need to plan your workload carefully.

Session 1: 3-4 June
Note: please have the topic of your group project ready before this session. You may have an opportunity to work on your group projects during the class. 

Topic

Readings

Topic 1 Introduction to Project Management	Text Chapter 1,  Topic 1 readings and exercises: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7
Topic 2 Project Initiation and scoping	Text Chapter 5,  Topic 2 readings and exercises: 2.3, 2.5
Topic 3 Project Planning  Budgeting, scheduling, resource management	Text Chapters 8,9,10,12 Topic 3 readings and case study 3.4,  3.10, 3.13

Session 2: 17-18 June

Topic	Readings
Topic 4 Project Risk Management	Text Chapter 7  Topic 4 readings, videos and exercises 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 4.6, 4.12
Topic 5 Monitoring and Controlling Project Progress	Text Chapter 13  Topic 5 readings and exercises: 5.1, 5.9, 5.10
Topic 6 Project Leadership and Team Management	Text Chapter 4, 6  Topic 6 readings 6.2, 6.4, 6.5, 6.7, 6.14
Topic 7 Project Selection, Organisation and Portfolio Management	Text Chapters 2, 3  Topic 7 readings and exercises: 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 7.9

 

Session 3: (5-)6 August

Topic	Readings
Topic 8 Project completion / Termination Project Auditing and Appraisal	Text Chapter 14 Topic 8 reading 8.2
Topic 9 Advanced topics in planning and scheduling	Text Chapter 11 (optional)

Note: Topic 9 is subject to time availability.

In preparation of the course materials I have assumed that all MBA students are reasonably skilled in basic quantitative analysis techniques. No prior knowledge of project management is required.

Please make sure you prepare for each session by reading the assigned case studies and readings.

	Percentage of Total Mark
Evidence of Preparation and Participation in Class Discussion	10%
Individual Assignment – project planning	30%
Test	30%
Group Project Report	15%
Group Presentation	15%

In this course, seventy percent (70%) of the total value of a course’s assessment will be devoted to individually submitted work. Students must attain at least fifty percent (50%) for the individually assessed items, in order to achieve an overall pass for the course.

Evidence of Preparation and Participation in Class Discussion (10%)
Thorough preparation and willingness to participate in class discussion is essential to the educational process. Those who complete all exercises, self-assessments and readings and share their thoughts are more likely to learn and retain more from the course. Students can expect to be selected at random to provide a summary / critical review of each week’s readings – please come to class prepared.
The following factors will impact the assessment of class participation:
Knowledge, content and application
• thorough preparation for the class (both readings and exercises)
• demonstration of the knowledge of the course material to date and correct application of course concepts
• relevance to the topic and the stage of the debate
• evidence of critical thinking and analysis, including sound use of data to support analysis and recommendations (if required)
• insight and a sense of judgment
• completeness / comprehensiveness of the answer
Engagement, interaction and leadership
• engagement with other students’ ideas, building on their arguments
• frequency of engagement
• significance of the contribution to the discussion
• trigger for a new meaningful direction in the debate
• fellow students’ respect and feedback for the point of view raised
• display of leadership qualities
• educational value of the contributions
Expression
• logic and clarity of expression
• use of academic and professional conventions (e.g., use of business language, appropriate
• referencing, if needed)

A small amount of good quality input will be valued more highly than a large amount of poor quality. Particularly valued are insights that advance other students’ learning and understanding of the material.
You are encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning and to be proactive in seeking my feedback on your class participation.

Individual Assignment (30%)
Due: 18 June 2016. Questions regarding this assignment, if any, will be accepted by e-mail till COB 10 June 2016
Assignment case study will be provided at the first session. You task is, based on the information provided in the case, to:
1. Develop the following project plan components:
A. Project Executive Summary – no more than 1 page
B. WBS, including tasks, their durations and dependencies
C. Network diagram, including critical path analysis
D. Gantt chart
E. Project budget
2. Propose a practical team structure and resource plan.
Word limit is 500 words, excluding diagrams and tables.
Assessment:
Pass: Acceptable answer to 1A,B,C,D,E
Credit: Good quality answer to 1A,B,C,D,E; Acceptable answer to 2
Distinction: Excellent answer to all questions
High distinction: Exceptional quality answer to all questions

Written In-Class Test (30%)
This short in-class test will consist of a small number of short questions and tasks based on the concepts discussed and skills developed during the course to date.
The test is scheduled for Saturday, 6 August (unless agreed otherwise)
Group Project Report and Presentation (30%)
Participants will be required to form into teams of three to five participants, to undertake a team project. Ideally, the groups should be formed prior to the first intensive session. Please inform the lecturer as soon as possible if you have established a team or have team preferences. Otherwise, to facilitate this process, a random allocation of teams will be proposed. Teams will be required to submit a brief (half page) outline of their selected topics and team membership by Friday 10 June, at the latest.
The team should address a specific application of project management principles and concepts. This can be for an organisation represented by one of the team members or you may use another organisation as the focus of you project. An interesting alternative is to benchmark across the organisations represented by the team members.
You should approach the project from the perspective of a consultant reviewing how the organisation applies project management principles and concepts to a specific situation.
For example:
o New product development
o IT projects
o Reengineering/restructuring project
o Plant shutdown/turnaround management
o Construction projects – buildings, plants, housing
o Organisational change project
o Research and development project
o Project prioritisation and project portfolio management
o Benefit realisation reviews, etc.

The project report should include the following:
o Brief description of the organisation and situation;
o A review of the project management practices as they are currently applied. Include examples of standard forms/work sheets, check sheets etc. as appendices;
o A discussion and critique of the observed practice against what has been covered in the subject;
o Recommendations as to how the organisation may improve their approach;
o Lessons learned.

The report length should be no more than 2,000 words excluding any materials presented in appendices. Project report is due to be submitted the day before the presentation (Friday August 5).
Teams will be required to deliver a 20 minute presentation during the final session. All members of the team will be required to present.
The assessment of group presentations will be based on the following factors:
o Identification and articulation of both the achievements and problems facing the company. Clarity and thoroughness with which the team identifies and articulates the issues which management needs to address or draws lessons from company performance
o The calibre (depth and breadth) of your team’s analysis of the situation and demonstrated ability to use the concepts and tools of project management (both quantitative and qualitative) in a competent fashion
o The breadth, depth and practicality of the team’s recommendations, degree of detail and specificity of recommended actions, calibre of supporting arguments
o Presentation structure, flow, logic and style; ability to maintain the focus of the audience
o The degree of preparation, professionalism, energy, enthusiasm and skills demonstrated in delivering the presentation
o Overall persuasive power of the presentation and ability to engage the audience
o Both business and learning value of the group project
o Report content and presentation

Peer feedback may form part of the assessment.

All assignments are to be submitted in hard copy prior to the beginning of the class on the due date.

Presentation of Assignments
• Please must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
• Please attach an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’, which is signed and dated by you before submission.
• All group assignments must be attached to a ‘Group Assignment Cover Sheet’, which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.

Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism.

Assignment Guidelines including Referencing Details
A copy of the Postgraduate Programs: Communication Skills Guide will have been given to you at the beginning of your program. This guide will assist you structure your assignments. A copy of the guide can also be downloaded from http://www.business.adelaide.edu.au/current/mba/download/2009MBACommSkillsGuide.pdf

This publication also provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc.
In preparing any written piece of assessment for your postgraduate studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. (Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.)
The Harvard system is widely used in the Business School. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide.

Further assistance with referencing is available from the Faculty’s Learning Support Advisors. The contact details are provided on page 6 of the Communication Skills Guide.

Late Assignment Submission
Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be emailed to the lecturer in charge of the course before the due date. Each request will be assessed on its merits. A late assignment (without prior arrangement) will be penalised by a 5% mark reduction for each day that it is late.

Return of Assignments
Lecturers aim to mark and return assignments to students within two (2) weeks of the due date with written feedback. Students are responsible for collecting their marked assignments from either their tutorials or lectures. If assignments aren’t collected after two (2) weeks, the assignments will be available at the Student Hub for two (2) weeks. The remaining assignments will only be posted out to the students, if the correct mailing addresses are on the assignments.