This course examines leadership roles and project management concepts for efforts that are intended to implement public policy or that have a significant impact on the public. Like their private sector counterparts, government and non-profit organizations are responding to rapid changes and increased demands by organizing more and more of their work as project work. A project is a unique set of activities that has a beginning and end. Projects require different management approaches than those used for ongoing operations. The tools of project management for public sector initiatives traditionally have been used for public works engineering. Today, the use of project management is valuable for any public policy field.
The course explores how project management leadership and tools--including project scoping, planning, scheduling, launching, and monitoring--can contribute to project success, particularly when unanticipated developments occur. It examines the organizational context in which a project manager must navigate, discussing the impacts of authority, power, and culture on managing a project team and working with clients. The course also considers the unique challenges a project leader faces in projects that are highly visible, such as changing stakeholder expectations, involvement of political leaders, conflicts with sponsors and the public, and media coverage. It introduces the emerging concepts of "agile" and "extreme" project management for dealing with situations of complexity and uncertainty.