Mini MBA in Built Environment Project Management
Course Overview
Highly skilled and dynamic project managers are essential to facilitating long-term partnerships, productivity, and tenable working and built environments. They are fundamental to the success of the construction and built environment industry and therefore to the UK’s economy, generating billions in output and sustaining the employment of an estimated 3.1 million workers.
Salford Professional Development is proud to present the Mini MBA in Construction Project Management and Contracts. An intensive 5-day programme designed for professionals working within construction, built environment and civil engineering eager to innovate their working practice, broaden their impact and lead more complex projects. Tackling timely sector challenges through a highly interactive and collaborative manner; delegates will cover a variety of highly relevant topics to the end-to-end management and delivery of projects.
The Mini MBA is an intensive and comprehensive programme encompassing the fundamentals of project management - without requiring a long-term time commitment. Including topics from various points within the project lifespan including procurement, contract negotiation, operational excellence and project appraisal. Delegates will engage with a thought-provoking and subversive agenda devised to produce the maximum benefit to their professional practice, whilst taking the minimum time away from work.
At a glance
About the Mini MBA in Construction Project Management and Contracts
The Mini MBA programme has been developed by Salford Professional Development to respond to the unique and complex challenges currently facing the UK built environment sector. This programme is mapped to a highly strategic and industry-aligned curriculum to equip professionals with a refreshed, pragmatic approach to managing projects from initiation to completion. This programme will inform and inspire individuals with the resilience to progress their career and further the positive impact of their organisation.
Course themes and topics
The course is designed to explore the journey of a project from start to finish. From challenges that arise from initiation, to risk management, change and negotiating contracts.
The Mini MBA is an interactive and participatory programme, focused on overcoming live industry issues. Formulated to give you a comprehensive and critical understanding of what it means to be an efficient and proactive construction project manager – enabling you to make more informed and strategic decisions to ensure of your projects and organisation.
USPs
- A programme taught to the highest industry and academic experts by sector innovators to create a network of agile, efficient, and successful professionals
- Structured to allow real-world application of teaching between modules - allowing individuals to begin disseminating theory into practice during the programme
- Applying strategic management techniques to core construction industry challenges to foster increased success in leading and delivering projects
- Join a growing network of sector leaders accelerating adaptive and innovative practice across the construction sector
How will I benefit?
This programme is suitable for professionals in construction, built environment and engineering. Contemplating timely sector challenges, the project lifespan, and implementing adaptive leadership methodologies to overcome them. This programme is designed for experienced mid-level professionals who are keen to upskill and innovate their practice to successfully lead more complex projects and negotiations.
Designed to cover the key competencies associated with all projects, the session will take delegates through:
- Understanding the client objectives and determining the most suitable procurement systems for construction/ engineering services
- Assessing supply chain relationships and developing strategies for stakeholders.
- Allowing for further critical awareness of procurement routes, strategic procurement decisions and delivering the client’s needs
- Exploring contract administration practice and implementation. Understanding systems for avoidance, management and dispute resolution
Day 5 is a forward-looking session, that is designed to assist delegates in exploring and embracing new technologies, that can ultimately ensure the future success of the organisation by maintaining a competitive edge.
- Through the presentation of sector case studies, delegates will develop a greater appreciation of the value in:
- Engaging with and deploying new technology innovations
- Developing a critical understanding of data structures and standards in data exchange as well as differentiating between tools that can be used to facilitate the construction of safe and sustainable buildings
Considering governance when communicating with stakeholders and utilising new software/ technology in collaborative projects.
Exploring the challenges of leading and managing complex projects. This session assumes a fundamental understanding of traditional waterfall project management methodologies and goes ‘beyond method’ to analyse the leadership challenges faced at every stage of the project management lifecycle.
- From project initiation to close, this session will consider
- Project complexity factors
- Stakeholder engagement
- Buy-in and expectation management
- Approaches to leading performance and controlling complex projects
Reflecting on experience from the cohort collected via pre-course delegate onboarding questionnaire, and complemented by case studies relating to well-publicised sector-wide challenges, we identify a range of projects delivery strategies and the differing management obstacles they can pose. Delegates will be challenged to consider variances in requirements, benefits positioning and timescales to predict and overcome complex factors; and develop a critical awareness of the value of effective stakeholder management, planning, governance and communication.
- The session is designed to evolve delegates' mindsets with respect to:
- risk identification and management
- inefficiencies in current processes
- greater knowledge of, and skill in implementing the latest Operations Excellence methodologies
Delegates will be challenged to consider how Operational Excellence can be achieved in Construction, by setting clear and co-ordinated goals and applying strategy when managing day-to-day, problem-solving, ensuring operational resilience and process discipline. Key topics will include:
- How to drive sustained competitive advantage through operational excellence
- Develop an advanced awareness of how modern digital technology can be used to drive organisational change in Built Environment projects to achieve sustained client value
- Develop a greater appreciation of the complex interaction between culture, leadership, employee behaviour and organisational change
- Learn how to assimilate operational resilience into management practice
Understand the importance of maintaining a strategic view to ensure the alignment of intentions, action and delivery
On day 4 delegates will develop a deeper and more pragmatic understanding of:
- Process modelling
- analysis and planning
Delegates will be introduced to the effective use of process maps in the evaluation of construction projects. The fiscal considerations associated with projects will also be covered to achieve:
- Improving management capabilities
- Meeting client expectations more consistently
- Making more informed decisions (re: procurement/ constraints etc)
- Understand legislation affecting contract management
- Learn how to utilise new governance frameworks that will help you manage contracts more effectively
- Learn how to incorporate the latest digital technologies and operational excellence models to improve project efficiency throughout the lifecycle of the project
- Be able to develop more robust strategies for key stakeholder management, and client negotiations that will optimise outcomes
- Be more able to monitor and consider the effect of national and organisational cultures on contracting and commercial activity
- Develop greater skill in writing risk management contingency, and implementation of action in contracts
- Become skilled in implementing different leadership styles, and applying multiple strategies within a project, to ensure positive outcomes through the employment of situational leadership
- Combining advanced human, physical and digital processes in the journey towards Industry 4.0
- Managing contractual disputes through collaborative practices
- Be able to ensure cohesive organisational objectives, processes, and delivery using best practice project governance approaches taught throughout the course
For Project and Contracts Managers in the Built Environment sectors, this programme offers a provocative and stimulating perspective on leadership and the application of both traditional, and more innovative project management methodologies.
Whilst the programme can be considered accessible for new Managers, it is designed to provide an opportunity for reflection for experienced practitioners, passionate about continuing to innovate their practice, and advancing their organisation ahead of the status quo.
The content will encourage delegates to develop the ability to both lead and engage in more agile, and successful projects, that derive more effective outcomes for the benefit of their organisations and their own career development.
Alistair Mason BSC MRICS MBA
Alistair is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 30 years’ experience in the UK construction industry. He currently runs a consultancy business, assisting main contractors and subcontractors with commercial, project and business management issues. His work has a particular focus on contractual advice and preparation and management of construction claims.
Ian Money
Ian is an experienced business and management lecturer, and has a wealth of experience of working in business. Ian is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the Higher Education Academy. He also has a number of teaching related qualifications and is also a Certified Management and Business Educator.
Viv Sutherland
Viv has over 30 years of business experience having held senior roles across many sectors including construction, technology and financial services. In close partnership, she now supports businesses in the development and delivery of winning strategies to ensure sustainable success. She is passionate about the development of people and supports personal development through coaching and mentoring to strengthen capabilities and open opportunities.
