Project Simulation (Group Project)
Program Overview
Project Simulation (Group Project) (SPCE0019)
Key Information
The Project Simulation module is offered by the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, specifically the Space and Climate Physics department. This module has a credit value of 15.
- Faculty: Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- Teaching department: Space and Climate Physics
- Credit value: 15
Restrictions
This module is available only to students on the MSc Management of Complex Projects programme. Students must have completed SPCE0018 Delivering Complex Projects and SPCE0025 Risk Reliability Resilience before taking this module, or complete them in the same year.
Alternative Credit Options
There are no alternative credit options available for this module.
Description
Content
The project simulation aims to give students practical exposure to topics covered in Delivering Complex Projects. This is a group-based research module where students face challenges that might be encountered when managing a real, complex project.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
- Analyse data to extract key information
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for a project, including risk mitigation strategies and calculations of residual risk
- Understand the importance of optimism bias in estimation and the risks associated with low maturity technologies
- Perform a stakeholder analysis and understand how to manage these through a complex international environment
- Understand different roles in a project team and exercise initiative and personal responsibility, both as a team member and as a team leader
- Understand the benefits of different contract types and suggest suitable incentives to improve contractor performance
- Make decisions to control risk and cost, schedule and technical performance in a realistic, time-limited project context
- Understand conventions in academic writing, and write a research report in an academic style
- Present to an audience to explain lessons learnt in managing the projects and respond to questions
Themes for the Module (Module Outline)
The module is divided into four themes, each corresponding to a particular project that will be simulated in the module.
Teaching Delivery
The module consists of two 3-day workshops, one held in Term 2 and one in Term 3/Summer, with the final report due at the start of July.
Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year
- Intended teaching term: Terms 2 and 3
- Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)
Teaching and Assessment
- Mode of study: In person
- Methods of assessment: 100% Group activity (2 assessments)
- Mark scheme: Numeric Marks
Other Information
- Number of students on module in previous year: 18
- Module leader: Dr Chekfoung Tan