Course Resources Archive

This module examines the range of different ways in which sustainability projects at a local scale can impact on environmental behaviour and activity.  It reviews the roles of organisations and business management in such projects with a particular focus on the adjustments required to manage such changes.  Project management problems are identified and the process of project management, from planning to evaluation, is critically assessed, with emphasis on common methods and approaches.

The module examines the potentially complex relationship between a range of different sustainable environment contexts and project planning processes.

1. The principal organisational forms responsible for programme and project management, and the role of the project in business and organisational management, in particular the issue of change and managing change.
2. The defining characteristics of the range of organisations for which project planning is an essential task.  The particular challenges confronting organisations in project planning and implementation, and solutions.
3. The components of a project plan, including feasibility study, project planning, implementation, evaluations and project support / maintenance, in particular, such as Projects IN Controlled Environments (Prince2), the Programme and Project Cycle Management (PPCM) and Logical Framework (Log-frame) approaches.

Students prepare a project plan or a sustainable project, using either PPCM or Log-frame principles.  They also identify appropriate evaluative techniques for use in the evaluation of complex projects relating to managing environments in a sustainable way.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Critically appraise project proposals prepared by others, to a level at which the likelihood of project success or failure can be reasonably determined;
2. Critically and systematically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of widely used project management methodologies;
3. Prepare a ‘bankable’ project on a topic relating to sustainable environments using either the Log-frame approach or any negotiated alternative;
4. Prepare an evaluative plan for a specified project, ready for implementation;
5. Work effectively in a team or group and reflect on your contribution to the project.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.