PPMP20012 Portfolio: Systems Thinking Relevance to Project Management

This portfolio assignment focuses on the relevance of systems thinking to project, program, and portfolio management, particularly within the context of the PPMP20012 unit. It emphasizes that systems thinking is a discipline enabling managers to view a project holistically rather than focusing on individual parts, aiding in making informed choices that contribute to project development and growth. The portfolio highlights the benefits of using systems thinking, such as considering all aspects of project delivery, facilitating stakeholder buy-in, improving problem-solving precision, and enabling better problem definition by understanding the entire system and its environment. It also touches on anticipating emergent behavior and dynamic complexity to leverage opportunities within the project. The assignment references several academic sources to support its claims about the value of systems thinking in project management.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit 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)
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
Relevance of systems
thinking to the project,
program and portfolio
manager
The primary activity of this week was to be introduced with the definition of the
system thinking and the identified definition of the system thinking states “it is a
discipline that allows the manger to consider the entire project rather than
emphasizing on its parts and consider the best choices those could contribute in
the development and growth of the project.”
System thinking can allow the project managers to cope up with the
complications adhered to the modern projects and manage them in an efficient
and effective manner without altering the quality and standard of the project as
it was promised during the planning stage. System thinking allows the project
manager to analyse and identify the interventions those will have the greatest
impact and take them seriously while delivering the project. There are many
benefits of utilizing the system thinking in a project by the project, portfolio
manager as it can provide the following benefits:
Buy-in from the stakeholders and contributed in the facilitation: it allows the
project manager to develop a better and effective understanding on the aspects
related to the scenario and problem being faced while executing the project and
considering the every sector of the problems and its impact.
More precise and effective problem solving: the project manager can consider a
broad area for the identification and estimation of the course of action and take
the best suited action as per the demand of the project.
Better Problem Definition: System thinking allows the managers to understand
the problems through understanding and emphasizing the entire system,
related behaviour and the environment and thus, define the problems those are
capable of influencing the entire project. The project manager can also
PPMP20012 Unit Profile
PPMP20012 Moodle
Web site
System thinking can
allow the project
managers to consider all
the aspects of the project
delivery and changes,
and based on that
identify the best course
of the action.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit 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
management; anticipate the emergent behaviour and the dynamic complexity of the problem
and thus, manipulate them towards availing the opportunity within the project.
References
Kaiser, M.G., El Arbi, F. and Ahlemann, F., 2015. Successful project portfolio management beyond project selection techniques: Understanding the role of
structural alignment. International Journal of Project Management, 33(1), pp.126-139.
Paquin, J.P., Gauthier, C. and Morin, P.P., 2016. The downside risk of project portfolios: The impact of capital investment projects and the value of project
efficiency and project risk management programmes. International Journal of Project Management, 34(8), pp.1460-1470.
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