Outline

Overview

The Leading Project Management unit of study equips students with the knowledge and skills to affect successful organisational change by leading efforts to improve project management practice in their organisations. The unit provides an understanding of project management methodologies that are deployed by organisations (including PMBOK) - their body of knowledge and their management. The effective leadership of projects and of the organisational change that ensues from their implementation is the focus of this unit. Through a number of key industry speakers, the unit develops an understanding of the complexities of managing projects and programs (groups of projects) - with particular attention on why projects frequently fail. Successful project outcomes that are critical to the survival and growth of todays businesses depends on good project leadership. The Leading Project Management unit of study equips students with the knowledge and skills to affect successful organisational change by leading efforts to improve project management practice in their organisations. The unit provides an understanding of project management methodologies that are deployed by organisations (including PMBOK) - their body of knowledge and their management. The effective leadership of projects and of the organisational change that ensues from their implementation is the focus of this unit. Through a number of key industry speakers, the unit develops an understanding of the complexities of managing projects and programs (groups of projects) - with particular attention on why projects frequently fail. Successful project outcomes that are critical to the survival and growth of todays businesses depends on good project leadership.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	SMBA6001
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Bradley Hastings, bradley.hastings@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Bradley Hastings, bradley.hastings@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 14 August 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Individual assignment Reflective report	50%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Aug 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 02 Sep 2026	2000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group presentation Oral presentation	20%	Week 11 Due date: 28 Sep 2026 at 18:00 Closing date: 28 Sep 2026	30 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Group report Written report	30%	Week 12 Due date: 11 Oct 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 21 Oct 2026	5,000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Individual Assignment
Individuals will submit a 2000 word report critically examining a project failure - either from their own experience or a publically available case. This will be worth 50% of the overall assessment. Individuals must choose an analysis lens from one (or more) of the discussion topics and themes covered in the first three Modules. Students should apply this lens to the project failure to provide both a critical analysis of the project failure, then draw out broader lessons for key stakeholders.

Assessment Criteria:
1. Clarity of writing and presentation
2. Demonstration of breadth of research
3. Quality of analysis of the chosen data
4. Application of the course concepts to the analysis
5. Strength of the recommendations made

Group Report
The group assignment will be carried out in teams of 4-5. It is a major assessment item for the unit and will constitute 30% of the overall mark. The team will be asked to carry out a review of a project (either in execution or close-out phase) in an organisation of your choice. Teams for the assignment will be formed on the first day of lectures. The purpose of the group report will be to critically review the chosen project in the context of the project management principles and frameworks learnt during the course. The assignment should be written from the point of view of a consulting group asked to perform a review of the project. The team will be expected to gather data by interviewing key stakeholders on the project including, but not limited to the project manager, the project owner or sponsor and at least one of the end users of the product or service the project was delivering. The team will also need to review the relevant project documentation including, but not limited to project plans, business cases, schedules, requirements, designs and test cases. The report is to be no more than 5,000 words in length (excluding appendices).
Assessment Criteria:
1. Clarity of writing and presentation
2. Demonstration of breadth of research
3. Quality of analysis of the chosen data
4. Application of the course concepts to the analysis
5. Strength of the recommendations made

Group Presentation
On the second last module, the group will also provide a presentation of their interim Group Report to the rest of the class (i.e. a progress report as the final Group Report is not due until
the last week of term). The presentation will be worth 20% of the overall assessment. The presentation should be no more than 25 minutes in length. 10 minutes will be provided for questions from the rest of the class and the lecturer at the end.
Assessment Criteria
1. Clarity of presentation
2. Demonstration of familiarity with the research
3. Quality of response to questions from the group

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

A penalty of 10% per day will be applied to late submissions.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Projects, Project Leadership and Project Management. 2. Team formation and group assignment workshop	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 02	1. Project failure from three lenses. 2. What are the cures?	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 04	Projects that aim for change: 1. Why planned change almost never works. 2. What does leading change mean? 3. Human-centred change. 4. Navigating the planning/emergence and social/technical paradoxes	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 06	1. Leading into the unknown: how to make sense of ambiguity and uncertain futures? 2. Vertical development framework for understanding project leadership.	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 07	1. Project case study 2. Project management skills	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 08	1. Guest speaker - what's it like at the front line? 2. Who is who in the project zoo? Identifying and navigating stakeholder relationships	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 09	1. Playing the game: managing the social, political, and environmental context of the project; 2. Who are your stakeholders, what do they want, and how do you keep them satisfied?; 3. The increasing challenge of stakeholder management in a ‘connected’ world	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 10	Looking out for “black swans”: managing risks to the project and managing the risk of the project to the organisation - system versus non-systemic risks, and the impact of highly improbable events	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 11	1. Group report presentations 2. Looking forward, what's new and emerging in project organising?	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 13	Debating the unanswered questions: 1. Outputs versus Outcomes, 2. Planning versus Emergence, 3. Leadership versus Management	Lecture (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: Note that MBA classes held at the CBD campus are not systematically recorded and 100% class attendance is expected for each unit of the MBA program. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why you are not able to attend a particular class, please contact your unit coordinator as soon as possible, and also notify your group members (if the unit has a group work component).

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. apply project management principles to any organisation or firm
LO2. examine the supporting structures of projects within an organisation, and understand the opportunities and constraints those structures enable
LO3. negotiate the human elements of project management, and develop an appreciation of the complex inter-relationships between competing stakeholder interests.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit has been updated to better reflect the challenges of project leadership in a changing world. No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Business School Policies

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

SMBA6108: Leading Project Management

Session 2 Early Census, 2026 [Normal evening] - Castlereagh St, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links