KM1073_NCPM_Booklet_v3.1_0713

National Centre for ProjectManagement (NCPM)University of HertfordshireHatfieldHertfordshireAL10 9AB

+44 (0)1707 [email protected]/ncpm

National Centre for Project Management

ContentsAbout NCPM 2Qualifications 4Executive Qualifications 6Business & Corporate 8Training 10Publications 12Research 14Knowledge Transfer 16Partnership

National Centrefor ProjectManagementThe National Centre for Project Management(NCPM) is an inter-disciplinary centre ofexcellence based at the University ofHertfordshire, operating in collaboration withindustry, government, charities, NGOs and thelearned societies.

We foster a trans-disciplinary perspective thatcovers all aspects of implementing successfulproject and programme management,regardless of sector.

Vision NCPM is concerned with providing impartialexpertise and competence in the form ofstudies, recommendations, advice, consultancy,research, education and training in projectmanagement.

• Vision statement: NCPM aims to set thenational agenda and establish projectmanagement as a major profession anddiscipline in the UK.

MissionNCPM will promote the understanding andappreciation of project management anddevelop the foundation for championing

improvement and growth within the discipline. Itwill endeavour to share insights gained withinsmaller disciplinary constraints and make thisavailable to the wider community.

• Mission statement: To foster active dialogueabout the integration of successful practiceand theoretical research within projectmanagement.

Strategic objectives• To liaise with organisations interested in the

development and promotion of excellence inproject management.

• To undertake research and disseminatefindings to further the body of knowledgeand practice of project management.

• To deliver high quality education, training anddegree qualifications for the development ofexcellence in project managementperformance.

• To foster collaboration and exchange ofproject management practice throughoutcommerce and industry.

• To promote the University of Hertfordshire asa centre of excellence in project managementnationally and internationally.

NCPM About NCPM

About NCPM32

Successful projects are an important focus of theNCPM.

We have developed a suite of programmesdesigned to improve project managementcapabilities.

Our part-time courses are specially designed forworking professionals from any sector, and blendon-campus teaching with distance learningactivities and work-based projects.

Become a better project manager Our Project Management Practice programmescan help you become a better project managerthrough reflection on how the techniques learnedsolve real-life problems in your projectenvironment.

MSc Project Management PracticeThis Master's programme is aimed at experiencedmanagers who are moving into project work, orpractitioners who have some experience and areplanning to take on more responsibilities.Throughout the course you will gain exposure tonew perspectives, approaches, frameworks andideas. Assessment is based around how youapply the learning to your professional practice,making the learning highly relevant.

Another unique feature of the course is that itencourages a high degree of peer learning andsharing of best practice. Students consistentlyreport that they derive great value from the

extended discussions, multiple perspectives andthe sharing of previous and current experienceon offer.

The programme is based around monthly sessionsthat encompass formal contact, group interaction,group exercises, group projects and peerfeedback and discussion to support thedevelopment of reflective practitioners. Eachmodule involves three sets of monthly contactdays (for example using the last Thursday andFriday of each month as the regular meeting slot)for a total of six contact days.

For more information on this course, visitgo.herts.ac.uk/PMP

Postgraduate Certificate If you are new to projects or planning to move intoa leadership role, our intensive PgCert in ProjectManagement Practice focuses on themanagement and leadership aspects of projects,and will help you develop your knowledge andlearn new skills. If you want to go on to furtherstudy, the programme structure allows successfulPgCert graduates to progress to the full MSc.

These programmes can be studied in Hatfield,London, in-company, or at an agreed venue.

“The support for the course can only bedescribed as exceptional! Having been outof education for nine or so years I find thislevel of support very reassuring.”Shane Dewhurst, Project Engineer, HSBC Rail

“ In addition to the learning I got from thewhole course and assignments is theunderstanding of the processes used inmanagement, leadership and projectmanagement. As an engineer I am used todealing in facts and figures and I havestruggled with some of the more subjectiveelements. However I have now realised thebenefit from valuing these approaches andI will definitely pass this learning on to mycolleagues at work.”Carl Connor, Control Systems Engineering Manager,Sellafield

Qualifications

NCPM Qualifications 54

Improve your executive levelmanagement skillsChoose from a range of MSc courses aimed atexperienced practitioners wanting to improve theirproject, programme and change managementskills.

These programmes run in partnership with awardwinning industry experts, and include modulesfocusing on change management, decision-making, organisational problem-solving and themanagement of major projects and programmes.You will also study research methods andconclude the course with a 60-credit dissertation.

MSc Managing Organisational ChangeMSc Managing Major ProjectsThe executive programmes are designed for thosemanaging challenging business transformations ormajor product developments who wish to developtheir professional value. The programmes areprovided jointly with CITI, a company whichspecialises in change management throughproject and programme management consultancyand development.

OverviewEmphasis is placed on topics that are critical tothe success of transformational change initiativesand major product delivery, managed usingprojects and programmes. The subject areas thatmake up the MSc have been identified throughapplied research and consultancy services carriedout by CITI, the National Centre for ProjectManagement and other expert bodies. Since1989, CITI has profiled over 14,000 programmeand project managers and reviewed well over1,000 programmes and projects, carried out ingovernment organisations, multinationals,engineering, IT, financial services and utilities. Thefindings from this applied research have helpedshape a highly practical programme developinghigh performance behaviours and focused ondelivering value from the first module.

PgCert Delivering Organisational ChangeThe programme is designed to provide practitionerswith the knowledge, skills and insights tosuccessfully run major change projects. Theprogramme contains a mixture of academic andpractical elements and, through its modularstructure, enables students to take highly practicaltechniques and tools back into their workplace.The PgCert can be studied independently or can beused as a bridge to further learning at MSc level.

“Anyone completing this course will comeout a better project manager and havemore confidence in project success.”Gavin Ross, BT

“The course has helped me progress atwork by understanding different levels ofleadership and management. It has alsohelped me understand the importance ofmonitoring, and also issues aroundperformance and how this is measured. It'shelped me understand how to plan for thejourney in planning a project. My work isnow more structured and more organised,and both I and my team are reallybenefitting from this.”Obstetrics/midwifery manager, NHS

ExecutiveQualifications

NCPM Qualifications 76

Business &Corporate

8 NCPM Business & Corporate

Project management has become a keycompetence for most organisations in the publicand private sectors. Driven by recent businesstrends such as fewer management layers,greater flexibility, increasing geographicaldistribution and more project-based work,project management has grown beyond its rootsin the construction, engineering and aerospaceindustries to transform the service, financial,computer and general management sectors.

NCPM provides a variety of services tobusiness, including:

• Access to our expertise in research anddevelopment

• Work-focused degree programmes whichcan be run in-company

• A wide range of short courses which can beadapted to suit the needs of your business

• Tailored workshops and masterclasses• Research studies and reports• Consultancy services• Project rescue services• Corporate research services• A programme of business-focused events

and talks

National Project Management Library andResource CentreWe host the National Project ManagementLibrary and Resource Centre in collaborationwith the Association for Project Management(APM). This resource can be consulted by

businesses, researchers and practitioners. Weoffer research, background bibliographies andconsulting services.

A selection of organisations that wework with:

“Connecting up with the NCPM at theUniversity was a no-brainer for us. We reallysupport their vision of helping organisationsovercome key challenges and together we arestronger in supporting business growth.”Shane Suter, Commercial Business Manager,Mitsubishi Electric

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Training10 NCPM Training

Short courses on key projectmanagement skills and competenciesOur non-conventional courses cover many keyproject management skills and are designed tobring fresh insights, new approaches and abroader prospective.

All of our training can be tailored to suit theindividual requirements of an organisation wantingto improve the skill-set of its project staff.

Our courses include:

Project management fundamentals This course provides delegates with insights to thebasic ideas, concepts and techniques of projectmanagement.

Leading projects Determine and develop the core leadership skillsand competencies required to lead project teamseffectively.

Project auditing Designed to look at ways of performing projectaudits in order to maximise benefits to theorganisation.

Making decisions This masterclass will focus on some of theprejudices, influences and predispositions thatreduce the effectiveness of decision making andthe quality of the resulting decision.

Project risk management This course covers key topics in current riskmanagement thinking, introducing leading-edgeconcepts in a practical framework.

Reality risk management Concentrating on simple techniques that canenable a project to reduce both the likelihood andimpact of risks, but at the same time minimise theoverheads of managing these risks. This courseconcentrates on sample standard risks commonto most projects.

Earned value management Understand the principles and practicalities ofearned value management and get an up-to-the-minute perspective on how government andindustry are/will be using EVM.

Reality time management Understanding and implementing the principles oftime management into daily life can bring dramaticimprovements to the quality of life. This courseprovides practical time management principlesthat can be easily implemented.

Stakeholder management criticalsuccess factorsWhy are you undertaking this project? This courseis designed to help with the identification ofstakeholders and their critical success criteria, howto use this information to manage expectationsand formulate meaningful key performanceindicators for your projects.

New trends in project management This one-day masterclass is aimed at practicingproject managers interested in the latestdevelopments in PM thinking.

Managing externally funded projectsLearn how to deal with the unique issues posedby managing and coordinating externally fundedprojects.

Requirements engineeringThe most difficult task in many projects is gettingthe specification right. The next most difficult iskeeping it so. Learn about the principles andpractice of successful requirements engineering,with tools and techniques that are relevant to allprojects in every sector.

“My capacity in managing projects hasbeen enhanced in terms of developing andproducing project proposals, and inimplementing them. My performance hasimproved, which was commented on bymy boss and my colleagues.”Project Manager, overseas development sector

“The course is very good and I believe itwill benefit me in the future. The sessionsare all about solutions - a practicalapproach - not all about theory, whichinterests me more.”Project Manager, Royal Mail

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NCPM publishes two book series, Advances inProject Management and Fundamentals ofProject Management. The Series Editor isProfessor Darren Dalcher (HonFAPM, FRSA,FBCS, CITP, FCMI) Founder and Director ofNCPM.

Advances in Project Management providesshort, state of play guides to the main aspectsof new emerging applications, comprehensivemonographs and edited anthologiessummarising key developments, includingsustainability, human factors, project capabilityand organisation improvement.

The companion series, Fundamentals of ProjectManagement, provides short guides to a set ofkey aspects of project management, includingrisk, governance, stakeholder management,costing, and programme management. Eachguide aims to provide the fundamentals of thesubject from a rigorous perspective.

Practising professionals and project studentsalike will find the books authoritative, based oncurrent research but immediately relevant andapplicable.

The books are written by acknowledged expertsand leading thinkers in project managementfrom all over the world, and have received widecritical acclaim.

“This is a little gem of a book, burstingwith information on every page.... Ibelieve there is a wide audience for thisbook, ranging from those governingprojects through to those managing andsupporting projects. Anyone interested inimproving their current approach to riskwould also find this guide a usefuladdition to their library.”John Fisher, Risk Management professional, on'Managing Risk in Projects' by David Hillson

“This book provides a complete analysisof project excellence and a uniquemeans of measuring it.”Daniel Keeling, Head of Quality, Crossrail UK, on'Managing Quality in Projects' by Ron Basu

“This book takes project riskmanagement firmly onto a higher andwider plane. For a book which tackles acomplex subject with breadth, insightand novelty - it’s remarkable that it is alsoa really good read.”Dr Martin Barnes CBE FREng, President, TheAssociation for Project Management on ‘Tame, Messyand Wicked Risk Leadership’ by David Hancock

“For me, Program Management simplyand concisely explains how realisingstrategies and bringing in the benefits tothe organisation is achievable. This is afirst - a theoretical text which reallyunderstands what I do.”Anne Boundford, Program Manager, Thomson Reuters,on 'Program Management' by Michel Thiry

Publications12 NCPM Publications 13

Project management research is normallyconducted from within traditional disciplinaryareas, such as business, IT, engineering orconstruction. NCPM is the first inter-disciplinaryforum fostering synthesis in research and drivingthe national research agenda.

NCPM undertakes research and disseminatesfindings, studies and reports to further the bodyof knowledge and established practice of projectmanagement. We focus on emerging areas inwhich many businesses are increasingly seekingadvice.

We have an active multi-disciplinary researchnetwork, with a growing group of researchersworking on innovative and thought-provokingprojects.

Take your study to the next level -Research in Project Management

PhD Project ManagementOur PhD students focus on expanding theboundaries of project management knowledgewhilst solving practical problems. NCPMresearchers work on a wide variety of subjectareas which are cutting-edge and have practicalrelevance to the profession. We welcome newapplications for study at PhD level.

Professional doctorate in projectmanagementWe are developing a professional doctorate in

project management (DPMan) for experiencedpractitioners. This programme is group-basedso will give you a thorough understanding ofgroup dynamics, people, and the way in whichthey affect change in organisational projects.

Areas of ongoing research:

• Trends in project management• Project success and failure• Evidence-based practice in project

management• Project management maturity models• Agile, extreme and lean project management• Project management competence• Knowledge management in projects• Project management benchmarking• Leadership in projects• Risk and opportunity management• Change management • Reflective project management practice• Ethics in projects

“ I've been working in industry as aproject manager and I wanted toenhance my skills with greaterknowledge by following a research route.I chose the National Centre for ProjectManagement because I felt it was amajor repository of project managementknowledge and expertise, and would beable to offer me all the expert knowledgeand guidance I need to complete myPhD successfully. I'm doing a research

degree partly for my own sense ofachievement but also because I felt thewhole adventure might open new doorsand provide new opportunities which Ihadn't previously contemplated.”John Onuga, PhD student at NCPMResearch

14 15NCPM Research

Knowledge transfer is the process of transferringknow-how, technology and skills from a highereducation institution to external partners forcommercial benefit.

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership(KTP) is a 3-way collaborationbetween:• a business • the University • an exceptional graduate (KTP Associate)

KTP gives you access to the University's ideas,expertise and technologies so you can tackle astrategic project with the latest insights andinnovation.

NCPM will work with you to embed newcapability in projects, solve your businessproblems and improve your organisation'sperformance. KTPs are an excellent fundingmechanism for companies to work withUniversities on a project that has competitive,strategic value to the partnering company.

“Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)are about co-creating the right solutionfor business. Through collaboration aKTP can help to embed new knowledgeand skills in an organisation and driveinnovation and strategic change inprojects.”Dr Phil Fiddaman

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

16 17NCPM KTP