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EG50P5: PORTFOLIO PROJECT MANAGEMENT (2020-2021)

Last modified: 05 Aug 2021 13:04


Course Overview

The course is in two parts, Portfolio Management and Programme Management.

The course teaches the Portfolio Management Process providing students with the knowledge and tools to understand why project selection, strategically aligned to corporate objectives, with the optimum mix of risk v reward is vital for an organisation’s success.

It further teaches all areas of Programme Management which helps an organisation to provide a framework for the co-ordination, management and control of all projects and business as usual activities that deliver benefits or outcomes from change.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Mr John Cavanagh

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Engineering (EG) (Studied)
  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The APM Glossary of Terms gives the following definitions:


Portfolio – A grouping of an organisation's projects, programmes and related business-as- usual activities taking into account resource constraints. Portfolios can be managed at an organisational, programme or functional level.

Portfolio Management - The selection and management of all of an organisation's projects, programmes and related operational activities taking into account resource constraints.

Programme - A group of related projects, which may include related business-as-usual activities that together achieve a beneficial change of a strategic nature for an organisation.

What is involved?

Portfolio Management involves:

Prioritising Programmes and projects based on their business cases. Managing the impact of changing priorities.
Tracking progress against key outcomes.
Taking corrective action to maintain a cohesive and achievable portfolio.

To support the Portfolio Management process it is necessary to collect in one place the pertinent information about all the Programmes and projects in an organisation.
Portfolio Management does not in itself replace the leadership and management of individual programmes and projects. However, it does provide an executive view, which can be used
to re-prioritise and re-align projects as the organisation's business scenario inevitably changes.

How does Portfolio Management relate to Programme and Project Management?

Portfolio Management has a clear relationship but is also distinctly different from Programme
Management and Project Management.


A Portfolio is a suite of business projects (all business projects not just those managed in the conventional projects environment), which are managed to optimise their overall value to the organisation (or enterprise).


Programme Management is a structured group of projects, designed to produce clearly identified business value.
Project Management is a structured set of activities concerned with delivering a defined outcome, based on an agreed schedule and budget.


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Coursework (20%)

Coursework (40%)

Coursework (40%)

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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