CORPORATE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT - 2021/2

Module Overview

The aim of this module is to give the student the ability to operate in the varying and changing environment of construction. It is also the aim of the module to develop students’ ability to appreciate the principles and techniques in the management of a construction organisation and to give Construction Project Managers a working knowledge of modern project management.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

BRISTOW Abigail (Civl Env Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Normal entry requirements for FHEQ Level 7 Non-requisite - This module may not be studied by those who have previously taken ENGM238 and/or ENGM239

Module content

Indicative content includes:
• Development of management thought
Historical development of management theory, from Classical, Organisational, Human Resources era through to system and contingency theories.
• Leadership and motivation
Examination of Trait, Style and Situational Leadership Theories. Motivational Theories from Maslow, Hertzberg, McGregor. Through to modern theories of best fit.
• Company culture and management styles
Organisational Theory including Handy’s 4 Culture Theory and Autocratic/Democratic styles.
• Organisation theory – systems theory
Development of Systems/Black Box concepts, PEST Theory.
• Roles and responsibilities of people and parties involved in the project
Project management team selection, communications, Golden Triangle.
• Production and efficiency of construction organisation and projects
Use of systems and sub-systems approach for the control of projects.
• Introduction to project planning and control
Explanation as to the purpose and use of planning techniques in the construction industry.
• Benefits of planning a project
Setting out a strategy to achieve stated construction project objectives, explanation of strategic, tactical and short term planning.
• Project programming requirements
The planning and control cycle, project planning development, WBS and scope management.
• Project planning methods
Bar-charts, critical path analysis, precedence diagrams, elemental trend analysis, cost optimisation techniques, PERT cost techniques.
• Work breakdown structures
The purpose of WBS to sub-divide the scope of the work into manageable packages.
• Planning sequences and forecasting work packages
Explanation as to the value of Construction Work Packages and their use on major projects.
• Method statements for planning
Explanation as to the development and use of analytical and descriptive method statements.
• Planning – establishing outputs
Basis for calculating how long activities will take, including, reference to unit rate estimating, synthetics and analytical estimating.
• Computer programming and use of project management software
Overview of the use of software packages for planning.
• Resource analysis, time limited and resource limited
The effects of resources such as material, labour on activities, and the limitations that this causes on projects by time or level of resource.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate an overall knowledge of management theory and its applications to the construction industry, and to demonstrate a working knowledge of planning techniques and methods as well as an understanding of the management of risk and other project variables.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
• Examination (2 hours) (60%)
• Coursework 1 (10 hours) (20%)
• Coursework 2 (10 hours) (20%)
All learning outcomes will be assessed as a result of the summative assessment process for the module.
Formative assessment and Feedback
Formative assessment will be through a range of self-assessment questions provided within the comprehensive teaching notes and on SurreyLearn.
Students will receive written feedback on their coursework assignments as well as general verbal feedback in class.

Module aims

• A comprehensive overview of the development of management thinking in relation to construction and civil engineering organisations.
• A broader view of leadership, motivation, company culture and management styles.
• An understanding of the roles and responsibility of the roles of people and parties involved in construction and engineering projects.
• An appraisal of current organisational theory related to companies and projects.
• An explanation of the use of value engineering in pursuit of improving efficiency.
• A comprehensive overview of the tools of project management.
• An explanation of the control of time, cost and quality (performance) on construction and civil engineering projects.
• An appraisal of resource and value analysis techniques applied to projects.
• A broader view of the application and use of project management software.
• A knowledge of the application of the contractual requirement to manage and cost risk of construction and civil engineering project.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
Deliver this module principally by lectures and the use of in-class case studies where appropriate to provide an appreciation of the principles and techniques in the management of a construction organisation and the initiation of construction projects, and to give construction project managers a working knowledge of modern project management and techniques.
The learning and teaching methods include:
• Development of management thought lecture (2 hours)
• Leadership lecture (2 hours)
• Motivation; Company culture and management styles lecture (2 hours)
• Organisation and systems theory lecture (3 hours)
• Roles and responsibilities of people and parties in a project lecture (3 hours)
• Production efficiency of construction organisations and projects lecture (2 hours)
• Introduction to project planning & control including benefits of planning lecture (2 hours)
• Project planning requirements lecture (2 hours)
• Project planning methods lectures (6 hours)
• Resource analysis & work breakdown structures lecture (3 hours)
• Method statements, outputs & planning sequences lecture (3 hours)
• Computer planning lecture (3 hours)
• Module Revision for Examination and preparation for end of module exam. (3 hours)
• Preparation and writing of coursework assignments (20 hours)
• Independent, directed and guided reading (92 hours)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM293

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.