Advanced Diploma in Business Project Management

Purpose

To educate and develop entry-level project managers and project team members who work in the business sector. Candidates should preferably be working as a project manager or in a project team. The Diploma provides students with a broad but in-depth introduction to the project management discipline with a strong business focus.

Learners will demonstrate how project management integrates with management theories and organisation theories which will ensure the learner understands the context of a project in a business setting. Learners will be exposed to a variety of knowledge from the professional bodies and project management research journals which will allow them to develop an understanding of knowledge sources and academic rigour.

Project management consists of both hard skills and soft skills. Learners will be able to combine different approaches to managing complex problems in projects.

A key competency for project managers, learners will develop skills in problem-solving through their assignments and case studies.

Learners will develop ethical knowledge appropriate to project management. Decision-making based on a variety of information is a key competency of this course and learners will develop this skill to an advanced level.

Learners will produce business reports for different stakeholders relating to the project management lifecycle.

Rationale

The purpose of the Advanced Diploma in Business Project Management is to provide specialised academic and professional studies for candidates who hold a Degree qualification or a Diploma qualification. The Diploma opens up new markets for University of Cape Town (UCT). This is the first of several proposals to provide distance and blended learning courses in business-related subjects to South Africa and in due course, to southern Africa and the African continent.

South Africa, like many other developing countries, requires well-equipped project managers to deliver new services and products. Given the shortage of project management skills in South Africa and across the continent, this programme will enhance the University's contribution to addressing these scarce skills.

There is a pressing and urgent need for well-educated project managers across the different sectors in South Africa. The field of business is a fundamental discipline central to the economy; and many professionals find themselves managing projects without a thorough grounding in the discipline. Research has shown that there is significant demand for a distance learning qualification in Project Management. It is anticipated that this programme will fulfil a vital need in meeting scarce skills. The programme offered in this mode significantly widens access to students who would not be able to attend an on-campus version.

Low university enrolment rates in many African countries is a factor that limits the continent's innovation and growth potential, and UCT is well-situated to contribute to providing access to tertiary studies for students across the continent. This qualification proposes to assist in fulfilling our Afropolitan mission. It also advances our transformation agenda, through minimising or eliminating existing constraints of time and place applicable to the classroom experience. Financial, family or distance-related constraints are partly mitigated, allowing for the student pool to be more diverse than is currently the case.

The social media platform to be used also promotes interaction between students who might otherwise never have encountered each other in a classroom. Strategic partnerships, friendships and more generally, cross-cultural interaction and understanding will be facilitated, allowing for UCT to serve as a meeting-point for a diverse group of individuals, enhancing the graduate attributes of UCT's students, in line with our strategic goals.

The economies of scale available with a blended-learning/distance model allow us to capitalise on the need for affordable tertiary education in Africa, playing a direct role in meeting the developmental needs of the continent through building capacity. Staff will experience a range of research opportunities they might otherwise not have, through interaction with students from across Africa.

The proposal opens up and exploits a significant source of new revenue.

It is a matter of urgency for UCT to establish itself in the blended-learning/distance market. Other institutions (South African and international) are emerging to compete in this area, and we need to demonstrate that we can offer high-quality blended-learning products in order to leverage our brand value into capturing a share of that market.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Applicants who do not have a Degree or relevant Diploma but have at least 5 years' experience in project management may apply and will have to pass an entry examination. RPL will also be applied to learners for credits into modules completed in the field.

Entry Requirements

Learners must have either of the following to qualify them entry for the Advanced Diploma in Business Project Management:

• Diploma or equivalent.

Or

• Bachelor's Degree.

The qualification consist of one module worth 120 Credits.

• Business Project Management, 120 Credits.

1. Define a business project and its business, social and political environment, building a suitable business case.
2. Understand the various bodies-of-knowledge and their relevance to the local setting.
3. Understand the complexities of the project environment in a local and international setting.
4. Develop advanced communication skills relevant to the project environment.
5. Resolve issues of challenges emanating during the project.
6. Develop a detailed project plan of a suitable business project.
7. Conduct a human resource audit of an organisation and explore the strategic implications.
8. Conduct financial resource analysis.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 1

• The importance of studying the environment of the organisation is explained.
• The main environmental influences on the organisation and the Degree of change to prescriptive and emergent strategic approaches are outlined.
• The political network of an organisation is analysed and its strategic implications are assessed.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 2

• Various project management knowledge areas are described (e.g. project quality and project risk) and specific activities needed to manage them are developed.
• Decision-making is based on a variety of information as key competency.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 3

• An understanding of techniques used to control and monitor a project is demonstrated.
• Organisational and people factors that affect the successful implementation of a project are identified.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 4

• Relevant communications requirements in a project are applied.
• Communications distribution channels and frequency are determined.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 5

• Solve problems by means of exploring and critically evaluating abstract, personal situations and work related problems.
• Appropriate techniques and strategies to manage project conflict are utilised.
• Demonstrate competency in communicating and using language in writing and orally.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 6

• Key issues and success factors in a project are described.
• Approaches required in successfully managing self; key stakeholders and a project team are applied.
• Project planning frameworks in line with recognised standards are used.
• Effective estimating techniques are used when developing project plans.
• A detailed work-based project plan of a relevant project is developed using own knowledge and skills.
• An understanding the context of a project in a business setting and the current thinking when moving to a project-based organisation is demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 7

• Strategic management implications of four major types of human resource approaches to strategy development are explained.
• An understanding of basic types of financial management decisions and the role of the financial manager is demonstrated.
• Implications of the different forms of business organisation are outlined.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit for Level Outcome 8

• Sources of funds available to an organisation are identified.
• An analysis of an organisation's current financial resources is carried out.
• An organisation's potential for further funding and the costs of risk involved are assessed.
• Financial benefits of strategies and their cash flow implications are identified and quantified.

Integrated Assessment

Each module will have formative assignments and there is a final summative exam. During the year the results of the assignments held during the year will constitute the year mark for the course.

Year mark - 45% (based on weekly assignments, project plan presentation).

Final Examination - 55%.

The policy for student authentication for assignments is as follows

• Where applicable all submissions will be submitted through Turnitin to identify the extent of plagiarism if any.
• The nature of blended/distance learning is that the extensive lecturer engagement and review supported by extensive data analytics will enable changes in style or pattern of submissions to be identified.
• The nature of formative assignments is such that without that individual preparation there is little chance of success in the summative assessment.