About the Book
- Page ID
- 49167
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Project Management – A Practicum is a hands-on, scenario-driven learning experience designed to transform students from passive learners into active project leaders. Unlike traditional textbooks that focus on abstract theory, this book immerses students directly into the life of a real project—introducing issues, constraints, documents, and decisions that mirror professional environments.
This textbook is built around C-Bay Inc., a fictional but highly realistic organization undertaking a series of scenarios. Through the project lifecycle—Initiation, Planning, Execution, and Closeout—students learn to navigate ambiguity, analyze real project artifacts, communicate with vendors, and make defensible management decisions.
Rather than teaching project management solely through definitions and frameworks, this book uses a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach enhanced by authentic artifacts. Students move beyond vocabulary and theory—into the mindset and responsibilities of project leadership.
🎯 Who This Book Is For
This OER textbook is designed for:
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College and university students learning project management
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New project managers seeking real-world practice
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Educators who want to teach through authentic, hands-on scenarios
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Professionals transitioning into PM roles
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Anyone who wants to build confidence in communication, analysis, and leadership
Whether you’re studying project management for the first time or looking to strengthen your applied skills, this book gives you immersive, repeatable practice that builds professional competency.
📚 What Makes This Book Different
1. A Complete End-to-End Project Simulation
You don’t just “learn” about initiation, planning, execution, and closeout—you experience each one inside the NovaMed project.
2. Real-World Artifacts
Everything you work with is modeled after actual PMO documents used in industry.
3. Professional Communication Emphasis
You will learn how to write executive-ready memos, vendor escalations, corrective action plans, acceptance statements, and closeout reports.
4. Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
Each chapter is anchored by a scenario that forces you to think, interpret, analyze, and act—not memorize.
5. Incremental Skill Building
Each chapter builds directly on the last, culminating in a complete project package including:
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Project Charter
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Definition & Approach
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Cost Model & Schedule
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Risk & Control Plan
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Execution Worksheets
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Final Closeout Report
6. Vendor Management and Leadership Focus
You learn not just how to “run a project,” but how to lead people, hold vendors accountable, and navigate unexpected problems.
🧭 How to Use This Book
Each chapter includes:
🔹 Scenario Brief
A realistic memo or directive launching the chapter.
🔹 Plan of Attack
Step-by-step guidance on how to approach the deliverables.
🔹 What You Will Submit
Clear expectations for graded work.
🔹 Learning Resources
Templates, checklists, examples, and technical artifacts.
🔹 Reflection Questions
Prompts to deepen learning and build leadership awareness.
🔹 Instructor Notes
Evaluation criteria and teaching guidance.
This structure makes the book suitable for:
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Individual study
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Team-based courses
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Remote and hybrid classes
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Professional development workshops
🏗 The Pedagogical Vision
This book is built on the belief that:
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Project management is best learned by doing.
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Leadership grows out of practice, not definitions.
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Clarity, communication, and judgment are teachable.
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Realistic constraints develop real skills.
By working through NovaMed, readers not only learn project management—they learn themselves. They discover how they respond under pressure, how they make decisions with incomplete data, and how they lead when others are depending on them.
🏁 The Outcome
By the time you finish the final chapter, you will have:
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Managed a complex vendor-driven software project
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Practiced schedule, cost, risk, and scope control
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Written dozens of executive-caliber communications
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Diagnosed real-world project failures
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Built a complete closing package
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Learned to think like a project manager
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Gained the confidence to lead real projects
This book helps you build more than academic knowledge—it helps you build a professional identity.
💛 Dedication
This book is dedicated to
Dr. Ray Bareiss
My mentor, teacher, and guide.
Dr. Bareiss fundamentally shaped the way I think, lead, teach, and solve problems. His passion for learning, his gift for making complexity accessible, and his unwavering belief in the potential of his students have stayed with me long after our time together.
He taught me:
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to question deeply,
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to design thoughtfully,
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to communicate clearly,
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to teach with purpose, and
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to lead with integrity.
His influence lives in this book, in every effort to help students grow not just as project managers, but as thoughtful, capable professionals.
Although he passed away in January 2024, his impact continues through the lives and work of those he inspired. I am honored to carry forward a small piece of what he shared with me.
Thank you, Dr. Bareiss.
Your lessons continue to guide this journey.