Project Management Course: Consolidated Portfolio and Analysis Report

This consolidated portfolio provides a comprehensive overview of project management principles, emphasizing the significance of system thinking, system engineering, and application systems. The assignment explores how these concepts aid project managers in organizing and managing projects effectively. It details the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of various project elements, including the application of tools like tree diagrams and graphical analysis. The portfolio highlights how system engineering manages technical aspects, monitors risks, and ensures timely project delivery, while application systems facilitate smooth project operations. The student reflects on the course's impact on their understanding of a project manager's roles and responsibilities, the selection of appropriate application systems, and the application of various tools to address project challenges. The course helped in understanding the basic roles and responsibilities of a project manager and how the usage of the application system would be helping the project managers in handling the projects.

Running head: CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Consolidated Portfolio
[Name of the Student]
[Name of the University]
[Author note]

1CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Introduction:
The course that has been conducted in the last few weeks helped in gaining an
overview of the concept of what a project actually is and how the project management is used
in order to control each and every aspect of the project. A Project is generally considered to
be a temporary endeavour which is responsible for the production of the certain product or a
service. Project is something which is consisting a well-defined beginning as well as end
time. Along with there is also exists a scope and resources which are well defined in nature.
A project team is the team who are responsible for conduction the operations in a project and
this team is generally headed by the project manager. Project management is generally
considered to be the process which is associated with helping the project manager in
managing the project in a proper way and in the project management some other kind of
concepts are also used along with the tools based on this concepts so as to control and
manage the project as well. Some of this concepts generally includes the application system,
system engineering, system thinking and many more. All this tools are associated with
assisting the project managers in in efficient control of the project along with addressing the
various kind of issues arising in a project. Some of the major learning from the course have
been provided below in which some important aspects of the project management have been
discussed.
Learning outcome 1
Summary
The first thing which I learnt from the course is that system thinking is totally a new
process that has been introduced in the field of project management. This is something which
has not yet been realized by majority of the project managers and they lack in adopting the
benefits as well as advantages of this kind of approach while addressing the different type of

2CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
complex situations. For understanding this it is very important to understand the basic
concept of a system. A system is generally considered to be a group of entities that are
generally dependent upon one another in order to achieve a particular goals. In relation to this
there exists the system thinking which helps in understanding the relationship that exists
between them as well as in between the different kind of entities who are generally situated
outside the system. This system thing process helps the project managers in having a better
understanding of the different kind of behaviours that a system is having. This in turn helps in
finding out an easy solution for the problem. The major aim of the system thinking is to find
a proper answer to the questions that are arising and are mainly related to the requirements
that a project is having. In addition to this the course also helped in understanding the various
kind of system designing tools as well which mainly includes the tree diagram, 18 word
statement, graphical analysis, affinity diagram and the influence diagram and many more.
Learning outcome 2
Summary
The second thing which was put forward during the course is the concept of system
engineering. This is something which is having a close relevance with the two type of BP
catastrophes but in a direct way. Which means they are indirectly relevant with one another.
For understanding this it is essential to understand the basic concept of the system
engineering. System engineering is generally considered to be all the technical aspects that a
project is having. Besides this the process of system engineering is also associated with the
monitoring and management of the different kind of risks along with ensuring the successful
delivery of the project within the provided deadline. In addition to this the concept of system
engineering is also associated with sharing of its scope with the project management. In this
concept of system engineering there also exists various kind of methodologies that are
associated with providng assistance to the project managers in organizing the project in a

3CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
better way. There also exists certain type of tools in the system engineering that helps in
handing the complexities of a project in a more efficient and effective way. Some of this tools
includes the matrix diagram, system maps and may more. Besides this there also exists the
application system which also have other kind of tools associated with allowing the project
managers in addressing the various kind of changes taking place in the scope of the project
and this in turn is associated with having an severe impact upon the other aspects of the
project.
Learning outcome 3
Summary
The third and the most important thing which I learned from the course is the concept
of the Application systems. The application systems are associated with playing a very vital
role in making the project run in a smooth way. Besides this the nature of the project is also
defined in a proper way by this system as they are responsible for managing the project. Easy
management of the project would also be associated with putting forward the different kind
of benefits that the project would be bringing after its implementation. Besides this the
project managers are greatly favoured by the application system. The application systems are
consisting of high handling power which makes it capable of responding to the different
issues and aspects of the project at a faster rate. There exists different kind of application
system, an application system can be of complex nature or of simple nature. Selection of the
application system is to be done in accordance to the complexity of the project. For instance
if an complicated system is chosen for a simple system then it might be leading to failure of
the project along with consuming a lot of time as well as effort form the team.it is easy to
avoid this kind of complexity if the scope of the project is defined in a proper way and
besides this the project managers should also understand the project in a proper way before
selecting the appropriate application system.

4CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Conclusion
From the learning outcomes it is clear that the course is mainly regarding the project
management technique and the usage of the application system in the process so as to make
the process much easier. The course helped me a lot I understanding the basic roles and
responsibilities of a project manager and how the usage of the application system would be
helping the project managers in handling the projects. Along with the application system the
course also helped me a lot in understanding the concept of system engineering as well as the
concept of system thinking. Besides this the course also helped in understanding how this
concepts are used by the project managers in understanding and managing the projects. In
addition to their applications the course also provided an overview of the different kind of
tools as well that are used for the application of both this concepts. By application of the
different kind of tools the process of tackling the different kind of problems would become
very easy and a better solution would be provided for each of the problem that is faced by the
projects. Handling of all the processes in a project also becomes easy if all this concepts
taught in the course are applied in a project.
References:
Boyle, G. (2017). Design project management. Routledge.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change
management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2),
291-298.
Joslin, R., & Müller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology
and project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of
Project Management, 33(6), 1377-1392.

5CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Kaiser, M. G., El Arbi, F., & Ahlemann, F. (2015). Successful project portfolio management
beyond project selection techniques: Understanding the role of structural
alignment. International Journal of Project Management, 33(1), 126-139.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to
measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons.
Sears, S. K., Sears, G. A., Clough, R. H., Rounds, J. L., & Segner, R. O.
(2015). Construction project management. John Wiley & Sons.
Serra, C. E. M., & Kunc, M. (2015). Benefits realisation management and its influence on
project success and on the execution of business strategies. International Journal of
Project Management, 33(1), 53-66.
Todorović, M. L., Petrović, D. Č., Mihić, M. M., Obradović, V. L., & Bushuyev, S. D.
(2015). Project success analysis framework: A knowledge-based approach in project
management. International Journal of Project Management, 33(4), 772-783.

6CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Appendix:
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
unit readings and assignments
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
1. Explain the
relevance of
systems thinking to
the project,
program and
portfolio manager.
Systems thinking is an approach that allows a user or a project manager t
complex problems by taking a holistic view of the problem. It’s based
understanding that no entity is existing by itself and there are always d
other entities that affect each other. Trying to understand and analyse their
on each other and determining their interdependency on each other i
systems thinking is all about. They are very relevant to the project mana
they give them a complete understanding of the problem. There are man
that one can use to address the complex problem by using the systems thin
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
2. Identify different
systems thinking
tools and
techniques to aid
project managers
solve project
problems.
Some systems thinking tools that exists are as below:
Tree Diagram: This is a tool that allows managers to organise a large num
ideas opinions, issues into a meaningful information and structure. This
clear representation of the problem. 2. Graphical Analysis: Allows for se
for patterns in the data variations.

7CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
unit readings and assignments
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
3. Assess the
relevance of
systems
engineering to
project cases.
Systems engineering pertains to the technical aspect of the project. It m
and manage the risks and ensures the delivery of the product on time. S
Engineering shares its scope with project management except that
management is more about the entire project and not just the technical aspe

8CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
unit readings and assignments
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
4. Describe how
systems
engineering
concepts and
methodologies can
help a project,
program and
portfolio managers
organise a project.
There are a many concepts and methodologies that can help managers
organise a project. Some of the tools in systems engineering to better
complexities are: 1. Matrix Diagram. Usually the relationships between
are very complex and it is not one dimensional. The complexity requi
understanding of these relationships accurately and in a simple manner.
2. System Maps: It defines system boundaries clearly, It also indica
subsystem within the system along with the other external related items.
clearly mentions the relationship between system, subsystem and the e
environment.
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
5. Explain the
importance of
appropriate
selection of project
management (PM)
application
systems in regards
to meeting the
Based on my understanding after the suggested readings, I have co
the conclusion that choosing a right application system is very imp
for any project. This will determine how successful or unsuccessf
project would be. The application systems can be very complex just
complex project. If we do not choose the right one it might l
wastage of our time and resources trying to handle the application s
and use it to control the project. Sometimes the project is really

9CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
unit readings and assignments
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
internal and
external objectives
of a project.
and does not require us to choose a very complicated application s
to handle it. Its important that we understand the scope and comple
the project and then choose our application systems based on that in
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
6. Describe how the
use of project
management (PM)
application
systems can lead to
effective PM
knowledge
management and
decision making.
Project management application systems are a great way for a manger to
project in control. It allows the project manager to monitor, track, e
manage risks, communicate with stakeholders, set budgets and do many
important things which are necessary for a smooth running of the proje
application systems have different tools in them that even allows re
capabilities to the manager and turn the entire data fed in to the system
out a meaningful information which can then be used for making decisio
application system is a boon for any project manager that allows him to m
and track various complexities of the project.

10CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
unit readings and assignments
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
7. Compare and
contrast the
advantages and
disadvantages of
different manual
and electronic
project, program
and portfolio
(PPPM)
application
systems within
each PPPM
knowledge area
over the life cycle
of a project,
program or
portfolio.
I believe there are many advantages of using application systems and
disadvantages. Application systems as mentioned above are a great t
managing various complexities of a project. They keep a track of every
stage in the project life cycle. It allows the project manager to monitor
execute, manage risks, communicate with stakeholders, set budgets and do
other important things which are necessary for a smooth running of the p
All application systems have different tools in them that even allows re
capabilities to the manager and turn the entire data fed in to the system
out a meaningful information which can then be used for making decisio
application system is a boon for any project manager that allows him to m
and track various complexities of the project.
Mandatory Readings 8. Identify how
project, program
Application systems have a different tool that allows project managers to

11CONSOLIDATED PORTFOLIO
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
unit readings and assignments
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
Chapters 2.3 - 2.5;
2.22;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Introduction;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO 21504:2016
Project, programme
and portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
management;
and portfolio
(PPPM)
application
systems can assist
project managers
to monitor
performance and
manage changes
within a project.
the changing scope of the project which in turn can effect other aspects
project. By allowing the manager to accurately monitor any change and ad
accordingly, the application systems are a great tool to monitor performan
changes within a project.
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
SEBoK'
 SEBoK:
'Introduction to
Systems
Engineering';
 SEBoK: Part 7:
Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples
 Kerzner (2017)
9. Propose
appropriate
project, program
and portfolio
(PPPM)
application
systems to support
successful project,
program and
portfolio execution
in different
industry domains.
Microsoft Excel
SAP
Oracle Primavera
Microsoft Project
IBM Maximo and Tivoli BSM