OVERVIEW

This course provides a structured and comprehensive overview of the main Project Management approaches, methods, and tools, understood as an integrated set of managerial competencies required to initiate, plan, and lead projects of different types, levels of complexity, and sizes. In any organization, projects represent a primary driver of change: from the development of new products and services to entry into new markets, from the introduction of innovative technologies and digital transformation initiatives to the redesign of business processes. Within this perspective, the course aims to provide students with a practical and up-to-date understanding of Project Management as an essential discipline for enabling innovation and delivering value.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The goal of the course is to provide a common lexicon, methods and tools for an effective project management, integrating a set of best practices recognized at an international level. Predictive and agile approaches are explored, analyzing all the project management process groups (initiating, planning, execution, monitoring and control, closing), as well as the knowledge areas (integration, scope, time, cost, quality, resource, communication, risks, stakeholders).

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is designed to help students understand the strategic role and growing importance of Project Management in any organization, as a capability that is now essential in environments shaped by continuous change, complexity, and the need for organizational agility—hallmarks of the so-called Project Economy. Within this context, the course provides a structured overview of the approaches, methods, tools, and competencies that define the discipline, equipping students with the conceptual, analytical, and managerial foundations required to plan, govern, and lead projects effectively and with sound judgment.

In particular, the course aims to achieve the following learning objectives:
understand and correctly use the basic terminology of Project Management;
understand the role of projects in change, innovation, and organisational development processes;
distinguish between projects, programmes, and portfolios, and recognise the main characteristics of a project life cycle;
describe the main phases and management areas of a project, with reference to schedule, cost, scope, quality, risks, resources, communication, and stakeholders;
understand the differences between predictive, adaptive, and agile approaches to project management;
recognise the role of governance, the project manager, the team, and stakeholders in project success;
apply, at an introductory level, selected project planning, monitoring, and control tools;
analyse simple project cases and make reasoned decisions based on the available information.

PREREQUISITES

No specific prerequisites are required to follow this course effectively. However, knowledge of business dynamics, work organization, and general management skills will be beneficial.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, case studies, and group exercises.

The course, in Italian, is delivered in 8 sessions of 3 hours each .

THE COURSE IS TAUGHT IN ITALIAN. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.

Students with disabilities, SLD or SEN 
Students with disabilities, with SLD or with SEN are reminded that, to request exam accommodations, they must first upload their certification to the University website at servizionline.unige.it  <https://servizionline.unige.it/> , in the “Students” section. The documentation will be checked by the University’s Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with SLD. 

At the beginning of the course, students are advised to contact the lecturer to agree on exam arrangements which, while respecting the learning objectives of the course, take individual learning needs into account. 

To request compensatory tools or dispensatory measures, students with disabilities or SLD must fill in the dedicated Webform available athttps://unige.it/disabilita-dsa, at least 7 working days before the exam. 

Students with SEN may instead send their request by e-mail to the lecturer, copying the Department Representative, Prof. Elena Lagomarsino, atinclusione.economia@unige.it<mailto:inclusione.economia@unige.it>, and the Inclusion Office atinclusione.studenti@info.unige.it<mailto:inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it>. 

Requests from students will be assessed by the lecturer and may be approved or rejected.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Project Management:

Definitions, principles of project management, the value of a project, project/program/portfolio, management models, project life cycle, human factors, and team dynamics.

Project Context and Governance:
Organizational objectives, impact of corporate culture, strategic aspects, roles and responsibilities, governance and stakeholder influence, stakeholder engagement matrix, governance-related risks.

Operational Planning and Management:
Scope management, governance (costs, time, quality), project charter, work breakdown structure (WBS), adaptive and agile approaches, planning, and change management.

Risk and Quality Management:
Risk analysis, mitigation tools, quality management plan.

Communication and Stakeholder Management:
Communication planning, stakeholder engagement techniques.

Real-life cases and examples.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the analysis of concrete, real-world project cases; one module of the course is specifically devoted to the examination of a major industrial transformation project of strong current relevance.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The study material primarily consists of slides prepared by the lecturer, featuring concise content in Italian and explanations in Italian, along with supplementary materials (articles, website pages, in-depth resources) published on the course's AulaWeb page, available in both Italian and English. Recommended reference texts include: 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth and Seventh Edition'. Additional bibliography for further study is suggested during the course and on AulaWeb.

The course material (handouts/slides) will be available on AulaWeb. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the AulaWeb e-learning portal, where extensive updated bibliographical information is provided to support specific thematic insights for exam preparation."

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes are held in the second semester according to the schedule defined by the Department of Economics. The timetable and classrooms are available at the 'EASYACADEMY' 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Attending the lessons is mandatory to sit the exam.
The exam consists of a test (in Italian) with 30 multiple-choice questions covering the entire syllabus. Passing grade is achieved with a score of 18/30 or higher.

In the interest of the student and in line with the course structure, it is strongly recommended to take the exam during the first session at the end of the lessons.

The course is classified as 'Other educational activity,' and the exam result is expressed in terms of eligibility.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is designed to verify, in a balanced way, the student's level of learning of concepts and tools and the ability to make informed decisions through reasoning in the light of proposed example cases. The test responds to the criteria adopted by international bodies that use this evaluation method to issue certifications, i.e. the presence of questions that aim to verify the knowledge acquired through study and questions that require reasoning and orientation in a described scenario.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The instructor analysed and considered the results of the teaching evaluation questionnaires relating to the previous academic year.

Please contact the instructor for any further information not included.

The instructor is available to meet students after each lesson or by appointment to be requested to guido.chiappa@edu.unige.it