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Vol. XII Issue IX - September 2010
Project Management eJournal
FEATURED PAPER
Strategic Application of Project Management Principles at a South African Graduate Business School
By Prof Wise Mainga, PhD, Ajman University of Science & Technology, UAE
Prof Pantaleo Rwelamila, PhD, University of South Africa, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
and
Jim Carden, PhD, Former Teaching Fellow, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Abstract
As part of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU)’s internationalization strategy, the Management Graduate School (MGS) had introduced a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree program in Eritrea in 2003. However, the launching of the MBA degree program in Eritrea failed due to a number of factors. The MGS later launched a Master in Business Leadership (MBL) degree program in Ethiopia. The broad research objective of this research paper was to identify and examine the critical success factors needed to facilitate inter-project learning as a strategic input in the successful launching of an online-delivered graduate degree program overseas. An exploratory post-project review indicates that, although the MGS did not have formal processes to capture and transfer ¨lessons learnt´ between two program-launch projects, they did identify some key success factors (KSFs) that may be required to underpin the launch of an ‘online’ graduate program in an African context. The KSFs identified include the need to undertake good and intensive a priori marketing, ensure a thorough feasibility study through extensive brainstorming at the conception stage, remedial preparation of prospective students through bridging courses, a thorough understanding of local bottlenecks, the incorporation of ‘lessons learnt’ from previous program launches, and an exact and complete estimation of all probable revenues and costs.
The clear recommendation for NMU is to institutionalize formal documentation procedures to systematically capture these ‘lessons learnt’ for future program-launch projects. For other educational institutions contemplating the launch of ‘online-delivered’ graduate programs in African countries, the need to pay attention to identified KSFs may be important for long term success.
To read entire paper (click here)
 About the Author Co-Author Wise Mainga is currently an Assistant Professor at Ajman University of Science & Technology, College of Business Administration, UAE. Over the years, he has taught a number of courses at various higher education institutions in Zambia, South Africa, UK, and now in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He has taught several courses, including Project Management, Feasibility Studies & Project Evaluation, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Strategic Management, Business Research Methods, World Class Manufacturing, Selected/Contemporary Topics in Management, Total Quality Management, and Entrepreneurship. He holds a BSc in Mineral Sciences (UNZA), MBA (Wales), PhD (Bradford), MSc in Strategic Project Management (Heriot-Watt/ Politecnico di Milano/Umea). He can be contacted at wmainga@yahoo.com or w.mainga@ajman.ac.ae |
Co-Author
Pantaleo D. Rwelamila is a Professor of Project Management at the Graduate School of Business Leadership (GSBL), University of South Africa (UNISA) and past president of the South African Council for Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP); Joint coordinator: International Council for Research & Innovation in Building & Construction (CIB) – W107: Construction in Developing Countries; Chairperson and non-executive director of MSINGI Construction Project Management (Pty) Ltd, a Construction project management consulting firm based in Cape Town, South Africa; non- executive director and joint owner of BEMC (Pty) Ltd. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, sections in books, and conference proceedings. He can be contacted at rwelapmd@unisa.ac.za |
Co-Author
Jim Carden was formerly Senior Director of Bank of Scotland's IT Centre where he gained 30 years of broad experience; planning business change through the implementation of a wide range of Information Technology Systems. Specifically, he is a recognized expert within the Financial Services Industry on the technology of ATM machines and payment card systems. Latterly, his primary role was the establishment of a comprehensive IT Strategy for the Bank. While working at the Bank he gained his PhD in 1985 at the University of Edinburgh. Jim joined Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK after leaving the Bank in 2003, where his role was a Teaching Fellow on the MSc in Strategic Project Planning and on the European Masters in Strategic Project Management. Since retiring in 2008, he retains an interest in the disciplined use of projects as a way of implementing strategic objectives (Strategic Leadership through Projects). Jim can be contacted at jimcarden@blueyonder.co.uk |
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