PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio: Systems Thinking in Project Management

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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Week 1 Topic: Explain the relevance of systems thinking to PM.
Reading samples Learning outcomes
of the unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and prior
unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any prior
learning
Mandatory
Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK:Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2013)
1. Explain the
relevance of
systems thinking
to the project,
program and
portfolio
manager.
The objective of this week’s topic is to make sure you have abroad
understanding of
 The unit’s fundamental objectives
I identified the unit’s fundamental objectives are to enhance
knowledge regarding the relevance of system thinking possessed for
the program, portfolio and project management.
 Systems Thinking
I learnt that the concept of systems thinking indicates the holistic
approach used for the analysis of inter-relationship shared among
parts of a system and evaluating the way of undertaking system
operations over the lifecycle in the context of big systems.
 Systems Engineering
Systems engineering has been understood as the integrative
approach for applying technological, management and scientific
methods; and concepts and principles of systems for the successful
PPMP20012Unit
Profile
PPMP20012 Moodle
Web site
Have you any
insights you can add
from other units you
have studies or
readings you’ve
made?
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning outcomes
of the unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and prior
unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any prior
learning
Chapters 2.1;
2.6 - 2.8; 2.21;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO
21504:2016
Project,
programme and
portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
utilization and retirement of engineered systems (Bessis, et. al.,
2018).
 Project, Program and Portfolio management;
I learnt that project management defines as the integration of
knowledge, skills, processes and methods for the attainment of pre-
determined project aims and objectives considering the acceptance
criteria of the project determined at an early stage.
Program management has been learned as the holistic approach of
applying specific management knowledge, skills and techniques for
managing the program constituted by different but inter-related
projects.
The portfolio is made up of different projects and programs within
an organization. I learnt from these readings that project
management is the concept of managing these projects and
programs while maintaining coordination with strategic and
corporate objectives and goals.
 The Deepwater Horizon and Texas City disasters
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning outcomes
of the unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and prior
unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any prior
learning
The disaster of Texas City occurred on 23rd March 2005 and this
was the refinery explosion. This disaster happened at the BP
refinery's isomerization process unit where a hydrocarbon vapour
cloud was developed and exploded over the unit. The main cause of
this disaster was identified as ignition at BP's process unit
(D’andrea, 2018). Considered as the severest marine oil spill
disaster, another disaster of the Deepwater Horizon occurred on 20th
April 2010 due to the poor system management of BP. This disaster
occurred in the form of an explosion in oil rig due to high pressure
of oil rise on concrete well. The after-effects of this disaster had
made it so severe and the biggest marine oil rig disaster.
 The challenges that face organisations like BP, it’s partners
and the broader community
Both the disasters were occurred back to back within five years and
the common thing in both the disasters was identified as weak
system thinking and system engineering management of BP. The
key challenges were realized with BP's personnel being culturally
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning outcomes
of the unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and prior
unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any prior
learning
diversified. The personnel lack skills necessary for systems
management such as management and thinking skills. They
possessed insufficient knowledge of systems thinking and this had
led to the happening of both the disasters. However, they could
have prevented these disasters with the effective implementation of
systems thinking expertise and skills.
References
 Bessis, Zhai, & Sotiriadis. (2018). Service-Oriented System Engineering. Future Generation Computer Systems, 80, 211-214. Retrieved
from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0167739X17326122
 Mark A D’andrea. (2018). Adverse Health Complaints of Adults Exposed to Benzene After a Flaring Disaster at the BP Refinery Facility
in Texas City, Texas. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 12(2), 232-240. DOI:
https://doi-org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1017/dmp.2017.59
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