consolidated portfolios

Reading samples

Learning outcomes of the unit

Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and prior unit readings and assignments

Supporting documentation including any prior learning

Mandatory Readings

· SEBoK: 'Introduction to SEBoK'

· SEBoK: 'Introduction to Systems Engineering';

· SEBoK:Part 7: Systems Engineering Implementation Examples

· Kerzner (2013) Chapters 2.1; 2.6 - 2.8; 2.21;

· AS/NZS 15288:2015 Introduction;

Optional Readings

· AS ISO 21504:2016 Project, programme and portfolio management—Guidance on portfolio management;

Explain the relevance of systems thinking to the project, program and portfolio manager.

I have learnt by reading the mandatory and supporting materials that Systems Thinking and Project Management both are similar to each other. To avoid the pitfalls and develop the complex projects with the improved quality, the Systems Thinking is used in the contrast of project management.

Systems Thinking is an outline which is used to analyse the interrelations between the things rather than things. It is used to find the patterns rather than static shots. This outline is used in the diverse fields to manage the complex projects. To follow this outline in the project management, the technical leaders and managers understand each other’s requirements and needs so that they can work constituently in a collaborative and integrated way.

This outline integrates the system science and systems approach to manage and practice the complex systems. It is considered as the part of systems knowledge which ensure the intellectual foundation. It is used to find the concepts, patterns, principles and tools so that they could be accessible to systems engineering. Overall it is focused to understand the problem situations.

Systems Engineering is an approach associated with Systems Thinking in which technical and managerial efforts are required to transform the system according to customer expectations, needs, and constraints. Systems Thinking help to learn the situations of the complex problem based on which the technical team and management build the innovate project.

The Agile approach is based on the Systems Engineering as well as Project Management which is used to build the project based on the innovative needs, expectations and constraints of the customers.

The project manager, program manager or portfolio manager of an organization follow the SEPM (Systems Engineering and Project Management) to ensure the success of a project, program or a portfolio with the changing needs, constraints and expectations of the customer. This joint approach has been used in the diverse sectors to put technical and managerial efforts for ensuring the success of project, program or a portfolio.

If I consider some big project failure, then I can find that some of the project failure are claimed due to technical

glitches and some of them are due to managerial issues. Thus, it has concluded by me that to have a successful project it must need the technical efforts and managerial efforts. Here, the Systems Thinking based SEPM plays a vital role.

Apm, A. (2013). Systems thinking in portfolio, programme and project management | APM. [online] Apm.org.uk. Available at: https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/find-a-resource/systems-thinking-in-portfolio-programme-and-project-management/ [Accessed 17 Mar. 2018].