1: Foundations of Project Management
- Page ID
- 49163
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Introduction: How to Use This Book and Why It’s Different
Before you dive into your first project milestone, take a moment to understand what this book is—and what it isn’t.
This isn’t a textbook filled with passive definitions and abstract theories. It’s a practicum, built around a real-world simulation. You are not just learning project management—you are stepping into the role of a project manager from the start.
The front matter of this book gives you the foundation for that journey. It explains:
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How the book is structured
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Why we use a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model
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What tools and templates will support you
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What it means to work as a project team
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How grading, collaboration, and communication will work
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Who you are working for (C-Bay Inc.), and what kind of leader you’re becoming
This section also introduces the mindset behind your experience. You’ll learn what to expect, how to prepare, and how to grow through the discomfort of ambiguity—just like a real project leader would.
Whether you’re a beginner or have prior experience, the front matter gives you the tools, philosophy, and clarity you need to start strong.
- 1.1: Preface
- Introduces the overall purpose of the course and textbook. It explains that you are not here to study project management in theory—you are here to practice it in action. You’ll work as a consultant inside a simulated company (C-Bay Inc.), solving real-world challenges from day one. This section sets the tone: leadership through action.
- 1.2: How to Use This Book
- Explains how the book is structured around milestones, not chapters. Each milestone includes a scenario, tools, deliverables, and a reflection. It also breaks down the tools available in each section and how you can use them flexibly—just as professionals would in real consulting environments.
- 1.3: Overview
- Provides a high-level summary of the C-Bay simulation, the sequence of chapters, and the goals you’ll accomplish by the end of the course. Each chapter aligns with a specific project phase—initiation, scope, risk, execution, and closure—and helps you build a professional portfolio of work.
- 1.4: Problem Based Learning
- Introduces the instructional model behind the course: Problem-Based Learning (PBL). It explains why you’ll be dropped into messy, real-world scenarios, and how this learning style is meant to simulate actual project conditions. You’ll learn through doing, reflection, collaboration, and iteration—not from lectures or memorization.
- 1.5: Your Role
- Describes your role as an embedded project team member, not a student. You’ll take on functional roles like Project Manager, Analyst, Presenter, or Risk Lead. This section emphasizes the mindset shift: you are here to make decisions, not just follow directions.
- 1.6: Tools And Resources
- Outlines the full toolkit available to you—including templates, examples, guides, and trackers. Each tool is aligned to a real milestone and is designed to be adapted, not filled out rigidly. This section helps you navigate what’s available and when to use it.
- 1.7: Grading and Assessment Overview
- Explains how your work will be assessed: not by tests, but by the quality of your deliverables, team process, and reflective growth. Rubrics, checklists, and peer feedback may all be used. The emphasis is on professionalism, improvement, and clear communication.
- 1.8: Collaboration and Integrity
- Clarifies expectations for working in a team-based course. You’ll learn what healthy collaboration looks like, how to handle conflict, and what constitutes academic dishonesty in a practicum setting. This section stresses trust, transparency, and accountability.
- 1.9: Problem Based Student Guide
- Goes deeper into the mindset and skills required to succeed in a PBL course. Explains what to expect when things feel uncertain, how to move forward without all the answers, and how to use each challenge as a growth opportunity. Think of this as your internal compass.
- 1.10: Overview of C-Bay
- Presents the fictional company you’ll be working within—C-Bay Inc., an online real estate auction platform that is scaling rapidly. This section includes business model details, market context, organizational structure, and why your role as a consultant is vital to C-Bay’s success.
- 1.11: Forming Teams for the Practicum
- Gives practical advice on how to form, organize, and operate as a team. It introduces the Project Process Planning Sheet and Role Assignment tools, and outlines meeting schedules, file organization, and norms. If you want your team to function like a real consulting team—start here.
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