Process Management on a Process Level

Project management is a key engineering skill, which encompasses several technical and transferable skills and competencies, necessary to ensure the successful completion of complex engineering projects. In this chapter, a definition and a brief history of project management is provided, and some reflections on its importance for engineers are offered. Then, a practical example is described that shows how to help students to develop the set of skills embedded in project management: a program designed within a Joint Education Institute by Queen Mary University of London Engineering School at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China. Students at this university undertake Professional Engineering Skills (PES) modules during the first three years of study, which are designed to support students to develop academic, professional, and employability skills. The example shows the importance of a progressive and developmental approach to project management to ensure student success. Finally, the chapter discusses some considerations and lessons learned about teaching project management to engineers.