Course - Project Flexibility - TPK4420
Project Flexibility
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About the course
Course content
As unique endeavours, projects are frequently exposed to the unexpected. To manage such uncertainty, flexibility is often required. 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. These topics will be illustrated with examples from applications within manufacturing, construction, IT and organizational change projects.
Learning outcome
Knowledge:
the candidate gets knowledge about:
- Key concepts within the field of project flexibility management.
- Different approaches to flexibility.
- Understanding of advantages and disadvantages of flexibility.
- Tool box for analyzing flexibility.
- How flexibility is seen from different stakeholder's perspective.
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.
General competence:
the candidate can:
- Understand basic relationships between organisations, projects and the outside world.
Learning methods and activities
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. As a part of the course, students shall write a report on a selected aspect of project flexibility. 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.
Compulsory assignments
- Preliminary reports and presentation
Further on evaluation
Final exam (report and written examination) provides a basis for the final grade in the course. The final grading includes a report that counts for 51% and a written exam that counts for 49%.
Assessment of the parts is stated with letter grades according to the grade scale for the percentage assessment method.
Compulsory activity from the previous semester can be approved by the department by repeating the course if there have been no significant changes in the program later.
Report can be in English or Norwegian. Presentation of report is mandatory and is done in English. Exam is in English.
All assessments must be passed before the overall result can be calculated in the course.
At postponed exam (re-sit exam), the examination form may be changed from written examination to oral. Re-sit/re-sit examinations will be held in August.
Continuation and voluntary repetition / improvement can be carried out for some sub-evaluations without having to reassess both sub-evaluations in a topic. There is an opportunity to complain about partial assessments in this topic before all sub-evaluations have been completed.
Recommended previous knowledge
This course is designed for students who take TPK4520 Project and Quality Management, Specialization Course. Students should have a background that corresponds to at least five of the obligatory courses in the first year of the Master of Science in Project Management MSPROMAN. Deviations from this can be accepted depending on previous experience and topic for the specialization project and master thesis.
Required previous knowledge
The course requires good knowledge of general project management principles.
Course materials
Course material include a textbook and selected academic publications on the topic. In addition, it is a part of the course that students shall find literature to be used in the project report.
Credit reductions
| Course code | Reduction | From |
|---|---|---|
| TPK4505 | 7.5 sp | Autumn 2014 |
Subject areas
- Production and Quality Engineering - Production Management
- Industrial Economics
- Machine Design and Materials Technology - Product Development
- Production and Quality Engineering - Manufacturing Systems
- Project Management
- Construction Management
- Production and Quality Engineering - Production Management
- Technological subjects
Contact information
Course coordinator
Lecturers
Department with academic responsibility
Examination
Examination
Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025
School exam
The specified room can be changed and the final location will be ready no later than 3 days before the exam. You can find your room location on Studentweb.