An Example of Application: The Design of an International Master in Project Management Program

The model has been used to design a new academic program in project management. The objective was to meet several purposes. One was to provide cutting-edge education in project management, based on international standards and on the main development in the field. Another one was to build a common platform between the academic partners (ESC Lille, France; University of Washington, Seattle USA; University of Technology, Sydney Australia) with a flexible design enabling each partner to meet its local constraints and enabling future new partners to join. Another one was to give the opportunity to the students to work on real-life projects and to involve their companies, including companies on the same "value chain" or competitors looking for creation of value through common projects.

Thus, the design framework (see Figure 6) was used on a global basis to build a common platform in terms of competencies to develop (knowledge, attitudes, aptitudes) and apply them according to three dimensions (people, team, organization) based on common principles, international standards, and best practices. The underlying idea was that the architecture would promote a self-improvement cycle (innovation-implementation-integration-invention) between the organizations involved (academic and companies) and between the different groups of students (from one year to another). To ensure the lifelong learning aspect, both former students and their companies are part of the learning network.

Figure 6: Linking People, Teams, Organizations, and Competence through the Lifelong Learning Architecture

In practical terms, students have a mix of self-training (online basis, but also research and course development on specific topics) and tutorials, work on a real project (or several) as part of a project team, usage of collaborative tools (Internet-based software and tools) and shared methodologies to work with their international project team, attendance at workshops around the world (USA, Europe, Australia, Asia), and both educational (for them) and business (for their companies) objectives. The steering group of the program includes the academic staff involved, but also top management of the companies involved, and some experts who are lecturers. (This is a very good way to provide organizational learning within the companies involved.)

The assessment of the first three years for this organization provides an excellent feedback both from students, building strong competencies and networks, and from companies testing new paths to project excellence, having projects developed in a very competitive way, and receiving a high return on their education investment. For example, one of the projects was to develop a recycling water shower for business jets. A company has just been created to produce and sell this product.