Students must have passed at least 2.5 credits from the course OL641E - Organising and Leading Sustainable Organisations (7.5 credits).

The course is included in the main area Leadership and Organisation at advanced level of 91-120 credits. This course is included in the one-year Master’s programme Leadership for Sustainability.

The purpose of the course ”Project Management and Sustainability” is to provide students with knowledge and understanding about projects as a form of organising sustainability. The course aims to develop students’ abilities to analyse and critically reflect on models and techniques for planning, implementing, communicating and evaluating projects through the lens of sustainability.

This course is based on two modules:

Module 1:Project Management in Practice and Research provides students with the knowledge about project management from a practice and research perspective. The focus of this module is on sustainable processes in both the management of and outcomes for a project. This module is based on lectures and discussions about project management models, tools and techniques and their relationships to sustainability. This module is assessed by an analysis of a comprehensive project management case in the context of sustainability.

Module 2:Projects for Sustainability is based on an independent group project where students identify a “sustainability challenge” and design a project to address this problem. Students provide a project plan using relevant models, tools and techniques and collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data in relation to the project. This includes a written project plan report and an oral presentation.

Knowledge and understanding
After successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• 1. define project and project management as an empirical phenomena and research field.
• 2. define, interpret and describe the challenges in project in regards to the sustainability of the project in both process and outcome.
• 3. identify and describe the characteristics of projects as a form of organisation through the lens of organisation and leadership especially in regards to managing stakeholders for sustainability.
• 4. name and describe different models and techniques that are used in project management to faciliate broad stakeholder involvement.
• 5. discuss the extent to which project management tools and techniques are essential to creating and sustaining a coalition of diverse stakeholders.

Skills and competencies
After a successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

• 6. assess different approaches to project management and select the relevant approach to answer an identified problem.
• 7. identify and assess ethical issues in balancing the interests of different stakeholders with an end toward sustainability.
• 8. use project management models and techniques involving qualitative and quantitative data collection and qualitative and quantitative data analysis to prepare, deliver and present a project plan in regards to sustainability.
• 9. evaluate the sustainability of the processes and outcomes of a project.

Judgement and approach
After a successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

• 10. argue for an approach to project management relevant to an identified sustainability challenge based on his/her critical evaluation and synthesis of the current research on project management.
• 11. develop and generate new thinking on how to conduct projects for sustainability based on a developed and critical understanding of project management and its implications for sustainability.
• 12. develop sustainable projects including a diverse range of stakeholders sharing one common objective, i.e. sustainability.

Learning activities for module 1 and module 2:

The moduleProject Management in Practice and Research is based on:

• An interactive lecture series.
• Casework in pair/group and discussion.
• Self-studies.

The moduleProjects for Sustainability is based on:

• An independent group project.
• A final seminar for students to present their projects and discuss other groups’ projects.

The course is assessed through three examinations as follows:

• One individual essay; 7 credits (hp) (A-E, U) (Learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• One case-based report and active individual participation at the case seminar. This activity is done in groups; 2 credits (hp) (UG) (Learning outcomes: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12)
• One project-plan report and presentation in groups; 6 credits (hp) (A-E, U) (Learning outcomes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

Information, regarding how the final course grade is determined, can be found in the course guide, course PM, or other course specific documents.

• Cobb, A. T. (2012). Leading Project Teams. (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
• Silvius. G., Schipper, R., Planko, J., Van Den Brink, J. & Kohler, A. (2012). Sustainability in Project Management. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

Additional reading material may also be provided.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text