Drawing on a broad range of social science and behavioural theories, in addition to current best practice professional body frameworks, this module explores at a strategic level the underlying concepts, principles, paradigms and organisational level implications of the increasingly ubiquitous project form of organizing. The dominant paradigm in traditional industries, together with the Bodies of Knowledge, have acted as major influencers on the discipline. This is however changing, with emerging paradigms embracing programme management, projects as temporary organisations, and systems perspectives to assist with challenges related to increased complexity and feedback loops. Drawing on an open systems perspective, it is also increasingly accepted that projects are deeply embedded in and have a symbiotic relationship with their context. Finally, governance actors and institutions play a pivotal role in ensuring this organisational form is aligned with corporate strategy and leads to competitive advantage for the organisation.

Bodies of Knowledge, Temporary Organisations, Systems Theory, Programmification, Benefits Realization Management, Embeddedness, Organisational Configurations, Competence in Context, Success Factors/Criteria, Stakeholder Theory and Engagement, Risk/Uncertainty Management, Governance Frameworks, PMOs, Portfolio Management, Sponsorship and Steering Groups, Project Management Maturity/Capability.

• To develop a critical awareness of and be able to distinguish between the most internationally prevalent Bodies of Knowledge (BOKs) in project management • To examine and synthesise global contemporary and emerging issues in the strategic management of projects, from both an operational and conceptual perspective • To appraise alternative theoretical lenses through which project related phenomena may be analysed within a variety of empirical settings • To critically evaluate organisational architectures and structural mechanisms facilitating effective project/programme governance at a strategic level, including portfolio management, PMOs and Steering Groups • To examine and interrogate multiple aspects of the wider context in which projects are strategically managed and the resulting organisational tensions and opportunities this can generate • To operationalize major concepts and techniques through the application of these to specific challenges related to the strategic management of projects in the learner's individual context • To identify the salient mechanisms through which senior managers might exercise leadership in and sponsorship of project/programmes more effectively • To develop an awareness of the personal and professional competences needed to manage and lead people and behaviours in project contexts

• To demonstrate an appreciation of the temporal challenges inherent in the strategic management of projects and understand the relevance of transcending conflicting temporal frames in order to create synergistic combinations of permanent and temporary organizing • To demonstrate critical thinking, specifically employing appropriate analytical/ theoretical models and applying critical reasoning processes to evaluate evidence, select among alternatives, and generate context appropriate recommendations • To demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate with a variety of other people in the completion of in-class assignments/group work • To demonstrate the ability to articulate a conceptual synthesis of extant research in this domain during the group presentation

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The module is designed to be both rigorous and intellectually demanding and it positions project management and its link with operations at a strategic level, with acareful balance between theory and practice. The pedagogical and assessment methods allow experiential learning of relevant knowledge, which is actioned and transferred by the student to real-world problems in their workplace. Guest speakersprovide students with insights into how subject content is practised in different organisational contexts. The diversity of professional backgrounds in the MBA cohort is also seen as an important resource for learning, with the rich and diverse backgrounds of the students bringing unique perspectives and insights and creating fertile grounds for exploring various concepts. Thus, in addition to more formal lectures, class discussion is seen a core component, which is intended to draw out the different disciplinary/industry perspectives and facilitate peer to peer learning. There are alsoa variety of in-class activities including case studies, presentations, group work based on scenarios etc. This module draws on the latest academic research in this emerging discipline. Through the development of a critical awareness of different theoretical perspectives, students will be in a position to apply these concepts to their individual contexts, thus ensuring their enactment of the related management principles at both an operational and strategic level has both feasibility and utility. Graduate attributes are addressed in the module via the following mechanisms - case-based scenarios, collaborative group work, presentations, academic research and application of theoretical concepts to the individual context of the learner.