Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Project Management
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
by confirmation by e-mail mayxela@uic.es or in person
Introduction
Project Management is a vital tool for driving change and achieving tangible results in the fields of cooperation, development, and social economy. It involves the structured process of planning, organizing, executing, and monitoring activities to address specific social and economic challenges, ensuring that limited resources are utilized effectively and impactfully.
In the context of cooperation and development and social economy, project management provides a framework to:
- Design and implement initiatives that tackle pressing global issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability.
- Align project goals with the priorities of local communities, fostering participation and ownership.
- Ensure projects are financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable for long-term impact.
This subject introduces students to the methodologies and tools that underpin effective project management, emphasizing their application in social and economic contexts.
Objectives
Students will gain a solid working knowledge of the basic concepts of project managementin the field of development and social economy. In particular, after the course they will be able to:
- Define what a project is and its key characteristics in the field of development and social economy.
- Differentiate the different stages in the project life cycle.
- Define the scope of the project, develop project planning, estimate the budget, define and allocate resources, identify risks and evaluate the impact of the project.
- To design, manage, implement and evaluate projects
- To provide practical and methodological tools adapted to the context of cooperation and development.
- To promote a focus on sustainability, social impact and community participation.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
32 - Acquire problem-solving skills based on quantitative and qualitative information.
37 - Have the ability to apply management techniques, methods and tools.
39 - Acquire problem-solving and decision-making skills: use relevant information, apply appropriate methods and situate the problem within an organization as a whole.
51 - Develop skills in decision-making.
52 - Be able to develop skills in interpersonal relations and teamwork.
54 - Be able to express ideas and arguments in an orderly and coherent manner both orally and in writing.
60 - Acquire knowledge that favours respect towards other cultures and customs.
61 - Develop skills to facilitate adaptation to new situations.
62 - Acquire mechanisms that facilitate the adoption of ethical commitments.
65 - Acquire the capacity to apply knowledge in practice.
68 - Develop mechanisms that favour sensitivity to social welfare issues
Syllabus
MODULE 1: Introduction to Project Management
- Definition of a project: What is a project, cooperation project vs. social economy project, project vs. program, purpose of a project
- Life cycle of a project: phases and their interrelation.
- Project manager ROLE and current challenges
MODULE 2: Project Identification and Design
- Results-based approach (Theory of Change)
- Context analysis and participatory diagnosis.
- Analysis tools: problem tree and objectives.
- Formulation: structure, indicators and verification sources.
- Introduction a Project Canvas as a tool of designing and communicating projects
MODULE 3: Project Planning and Management
- Resource Management: Financial, Human, and Material
- Scheduling and Time Management
- Risk Management: Identification, Analysis, and Mitigation
- Strategies for Economic and Social Sustainability
MODULE 4: Project Execution and Supervision
- Coordination and leadership in development projects.
- Supervision and monitoring: concepts and tools.
- Importance of flexibility to adapt to contextual changes.
- Digital management tools (Trello, Asana, Google tools).
MODULE 5: Innovation and Trends in Social Project Management
- Use of agile methodologies (SCRUM, Kanban) in social projects.
- Social innovation and co-creation of solutions.
- Digitalization in project management (big data, AI).
MODULE 6: Evaluation and impact measurement
- Introduction to project evaluation
- Indicators of Social Impact
- Communicating results to stakeholders
Teaching and learning activities
In person
1. Theoretical classes (40%): Presentation of concepts and tools.
2. Practical learning (40%): Workshops and case studies adapted to real contexts.
3. Participatory dynamics (20%): Group discussions and reflection exercises.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
- Relevant class participation (60%)
- Group work: (40%)