PJM560: Project Management Office
Credit Hours:
3
Contact Hours:
This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of
material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can
expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as
well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per
week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing
papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Faculty Information
Name:
Phone:
CSU-GC Email:
Virtual Office Hours:
Course Description and Outcomes
This course emphasizes the Project Management Office (PMO). Students will learn the elements of a PMO,
which include defining, and maintaining standards, policies, processes, and methods for project management
within the organization. Learners will also identify the responsibilities of the Project Management
Professional (PMP) to include guidance, documentation, and metrics related to the practices involved in
managing and implementing projects within the organization. A PMO may also get involved in projectrelated tasks and follow up on project activities through completion. The office may report on project
activities, problems, and requirements to executive management as a strategic tool in keeping
implementers and decision makers moving toward consistent, business- or mission-focused goals and
objectives. Organizations around the globe are defining, borrowing, and collecting best practices in the
process of project management and are increasingly assigning the PMO to exert overall influence and
evolution of thought to continual organizational improvement.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify and communicate the elements of a Project Management Office (PMO).
Identify and articulate the responsibilities of the Project Management Professional (PMP).
Create, implement and assess a project management office mission statement.
Create, implement and assess project management office goals and standards.
Assess and evaluate project portfolio management techniques.
6. Assess, evaluate and demonstrate “best project management office practices.”
7. Assess and evaluate the role and scope of project management offices.
Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus.
Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some
reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget
your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical
problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your
instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials
Required:
Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge. Newtown
Square, PA: Project Management Institute. ISBN 9781935589679
Vaidyanathan, G. (2013). Project management process, technology, and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780132807180
Course Schedule
Due Dates
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.
 Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 12 midnight MT and Peer
Responses posted by Sunday 12 midnight MT. Late posts may not be awarded points.
 Mastery Exercises: Students may access and retake mastery exercises through the last day of class until
they achieve the scores they desire.
 Critical Thinking Activities: Assignments are due Sunday at 12 midnight MT.
Week #
Readings

1

Chapter 1 in A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge
Chapter 1 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice
Assignments


Discussion (25 points)
Critical Thinking (100 points)


2


3


4

5


6


7



8
Chapters 2 & 3 in A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge
Chapter 2 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice



Discussion (25 points)
Critical Thinking (50 points)
Portfolio (0 points)
Chapter 4 in A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge
Chapter 4 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice


Discussion (25 points)
Critical Thinking (100 points)
Chapters 3 & 5 in A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge
Chapter 5 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice


Discussion (25 points)
Critical Thinking (100 points)
Chapter 13 in A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge
Chapters 6 & 10 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice
Chapter 7 in A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge
Chapter 9 & Appendix D in Project Management
Process, Technology, and Practice
Appendix A in A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge
Chapter 11 & Appendix B in Project Management
Process, Technology, and Practice
Chapter 12 in A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge
Chapter 12 in Project Management Process,
Technology, and Practice


Discussion (25 points)
Critical Thinking (100 points)

Discussion (25 points)

Discussion (25 points)


Discussion (25 points)
Portfolio (320 points)
Assignment Details
This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Module 1
Critical Thinking: Analysis Assignment (100 Points)
Scenario:
As a member of the PMO office you will see many new products claiming to enhance the company’s products and
portfolio. Using a series of metrics and personal intuition, it is your responsibility to act on behalf of the
corporation to vet these proposals for their potential success or failure.
Below is an example of a new product development cycle for pharmaceuticals after the completion of the basic
research phase. Knowing that new products are the lifeblood of a pharmaceutical corporation, consider the
information below.
Basic
Research
Preclinical
Testing
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
FDA Review
Avg. Duration (yrs.)
6
2
2
2
2
2
Avg. Compounds
per/yr.
10
6
4
2
2
1
Ag. Cost of
compound in $
(Mill.)
20
25
30
60
120
80
Market Entry
Your office is asked to provide initial feedback to senior management regarding the project’s viability. Using the
guiding questions below, develop a 2-3 page summary report. Your report should include at least 3 references and
follow the CSU-Global APA guidelines for APA formatting and style.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The ability of the effort to succeed
Difficulties you envision in the project and why
The average total value of this project
Consider the average output rate out of the FDA review. If there are 200 projects in the pipeline for basic
research, how does this project fare?
What kind of performance is required to warrant a financial investment?
Module 2
Writing a Mission Statement Assignment (50 Points)
In the previous module, we investigated the viability of a new product development for a pharmaceutical industry
project. The PMO is asking you to align your project outcomes with the mission statement of the corporation;
therefore, your project was slated for approval “with conditions.”
Use the Internet to review at least five different PMO mission statements. In addition to providing a link to the
mission statements you reviewed, compose a mission statement for a corporation that you create. The only
requirements are that the corporation must be part of one of the following industries: information systems,
healthcare, accounting/financial services, or construction. Your mission statement should be at least 20 words long
and follow the CSU-Global APA guidelines for APA formatting and style. You will be graded on clarity, specificity,
and ability to address a range of proposals.
PORTFOLIO:
Portfolio Part 1 (0 points)
Choose an industry which best aligns with your future career aspirations as a project manager from the following
list:
1.
Information Systems
2.
3.
4.
HealthCare
Accounting/Financial Services
Construction
First decide on an industry. Then select a real corporation that is large enough to house a Project Management
Office (PMO). Find the organization’s mission, vision, and values statement. Also review the strategic plan of the
organization. This can often be found in the annual report that corporations share with their shareholders and the
general public online.
Your assignment is to write a 2-3 page report that provides an overview of the corporation where you are
interested in starting a PMO. You will need to define and explain the organization’s mission, vision, and values as
well as how they generate a profit or meet their goals. You will need to explain how the organization currently
utilizes project managers, which can often be found by calling the human resources unit.
This first assignment will serve as a checkpoint with your instructor and will lay the groundwork for your final
Portfolio Project in Module 8. While this is not worth points in Week 2, failure to submit this Portfolio Project
deliverable in Week 2 will result in a loss of points on your final project.
Module 3
Aligning Organization Missions with Goals (100 Points)
This assignment will have us continuing on with the theme of pharmaceutical development. The PMO is requiring
you to further align your project with its goals and standards in mind. Though their vision is fairly broad -- “…to
provide an enterprise-wide approach to identify, prioritize, and successfully execute portfolio initiatives and
projects that are aligned with Corinthian strategic goals and vision” -- they want your project to state explicitly
with which goals it aligns.
Based upon your prior research on PMO mission statements, assess and review the goals of each of those
companies/institutions, choose two of them and write a 1-2 page review addressing how you believe each
organization's goals align with its mission and vision. Afterwards create three goals that align with your previously
written mission statement. These goals can be brief (a sentence) but should align with the organization's mission.
Module 4
Make-Or-Buy Analysis Assignment (100 Points)
Continuing the theme of pharmaceutical product development that we started in Module 1, the senior
management is pleased with your work, but they require more information than the project update has provided
thus far.
Your deliverables for this assignment are two-fold; first, use Microsoft (MS) Project to develop a make-or-buy
analysis for a pharmaceutical component assuming costs, and then answer the following questions in the notes
feature in MS Project.
If the expected profits after the drug development were $2 billion for the first year, the growth rate for the next
five years is predicted to be 15 percent, and the growth rate for the following 10 years is predicted to be 5 percent,
is this a good project or not? What are the IRR, the ROI, and the payback period?
Explain your responses in 1-2 pages. Ensure your work is well written and adheres to CSU-Global APA and writing
guidelines.
Module 5
Approaching Risk at the PMO Level Assignment (100 Points)
As a member of your organization’s PMO, it’s important to recognize that you deal with risk in a much different
way than a project manager who works for you. At the PMO level, how can you mitigate risk? Are there risks that
you know will occur but choose not to address? Are there common risks that you learn to anticipate?
In 1-2 pages, describe your approach to risk at the PMO level. Your approach should include at least 3 references
and follow the CSU-Global APA guidelines for APA formatting and style.
Module 8
Portfolio Project: Final PMO Report (350 points)
In this second section of the report you will build on the research you conducted in Module 2 to create a full 15-20
page report that could be submitted to a CEO to justify the creation of a PMO.
This final report will consist of nine sections:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Introduction (1 page)
 The introduction should provide an overview of the report and describe its purpose.
Organization’s Mission, Vision, and Values (2-3 page)
 This section will draw largely from the organizational research which was conducted in
Module 2.
Current Organizational Need for a PMO (2-3 pages)
 This is where you will make your case for the creation of a PMO. What would be the benefit
to the organization of creating a PMO? How would a PMO help the organization meet its
goals more efficiently?
Five Industry/Organizational Specific Goals for the PMO (with milestones, etc.) (1-2 pages)
 What 5 specific goals will be met within the first year, the second year, etc.?
 Each goal should be well defined, include milestones, required resources, metrics, and
monitoring requirements.
Mission, and Vision of PMO (1 page)
 What is the PMO’s mission? What is the PMO’s vision? How do these align with the
organization’s mission and vision?
Process for Establishing and Staffing the PMO (including cost to establish and maintain, timeline) (2
pages)
 How many people will work in the PMO? What will the organizational structure look like?
Will you hire from within? What roles will each employee have? How much will it cost to
create the PMO (salaries, etc.)?
Organizational Chart with PMO (justification with influences and impacts on business culture,
accountability, and responsibility) (2 pages)
 Where will the PMO be housed within the organization? Who will the members of the PMO
report to? What is the hierarchy, if any, within the PMO?
 Rationale for the placement of the PMO at the point within the organization is required and
should include several outside sources to justify placement.
Recommendation (how the organization should move forward to implement PMO; Include suggested
schedule) (2 pages)
 If approved, what are the next steps to implement the PMO?
Conclusion (1 page)
 In summary, what was just presented?
Your proposal should be of business quality, follow the outline, and be ready for presentation to senior leadership.
Your recommendations and work should be supported by no fewer than 8 outside sources and follow the CSUGlobal APA guidelines for APA formatting and style.
Course Policies
Late Work
Students are permitted a 7 day grace period during which they may submit a Critical Thinking assignment after
the original due date without penalty. Papers submitted between 8 and 14 days after the original due date will
be accepted with a potential 10 percent reduction in grade for late submission. Papers submitted 15 or more
days beyond the original due date may not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the
instructor. No Portfolios will be accepted late and no assignments will be accepted after the last day of class
unless a student has requested an incomplete grade in accordance with the Incomplete Policy.
Course Grading
20% Discussion Participation
45% Critical Thinking Activities
35% Final Portfolio Paper
Grading Scale and Policies
A
95.0 – 100
A-
90.0 – 94.9
B+
86.7 – 89.9
B
83.3 – 86.6
B-
80.0 – 83.2
C+
75.0 – 79.9
C
70.0 – 74.9
D
60.0 – 69.9
F
59.9 or below
FN*
Failure for Nonparticipation
I**
Incomplete
* Students who stop attending class and fail the course for nonparticipation will be issued the “FN” grade. The FN grade may have
implications for financial aid and scholarship awards.
** An “I” grade may be assigned at the Instructor’s discretion to students who are in good standing (passing) in the course. Students
should have completed a majority of the coursework in order to be eligible for the “I” grade. Students should request an "I" grade from
the Instructor with a written justification, which must include explanation of extenuating circumstances that prevented timely
completion of the coursework. If the request is approved, the Instructor will require a written agreement consisting of a) the specific
coursework to be completed, b) the plan to complete the coursework, and c) the deadline for completion. The agreement will be kept on
file at CSU-Global Campus. An incomplete course must be satisfactorily completed within the time frame stipulated in the agreement, but
no later than the end of the following semester from the date the “I” was given. An incomplete not removed within one year shall
convert to an F and be included in the computation of the student’s grade point average.
Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other
work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating,
plagiarism, unauthorized possession of academic materials, and falsification. The Student Handbook
provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use library
and internet resources appropriately with proper citation. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for complete
policies regarding plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
APA
Students are expected to follow the CSU-Global APA requirements when citing in APA (based on the APA Style
Manual, 6th edition). For details on CSU-Global APA style, please review the APA resources located under the
Library tab in Blackboard.
Netiquette
All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in a professional and respectful manner in
accordance with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you
meant? How will the person on the other end read the words?
Any derogatory or inappropriate comments regarding race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, are
unacceptable and subject to disciplinary action.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.
Institutional Policies
Refer to the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-GC institutional policies.