Project Management for Long-Form Work

This module teaches postgraduate researchers how to manage dissertation- and thesis-scale projects without missing deadlines or losing scope control. Students learn to decompose a thesis into a work breakdown structure, build Gantt and milestone charts, identify the critical path, and keep a living risk register. By the end, learners can diagnose scope creep and apply buffers that absorb Hofstadter's law in practice.

Learning Outcomes

Decompose a long-form project into a work breakdown structure of deliverables and tasks.

Construct a Gantt chart that shows task duration, dependency and milestones.

Identify the critical path and recognise its implications for schedule risk.

Maintain a risk register with likelihood, impact and mitigation entries.

Diagnose scope creep and apply change-control to decide what, if anything, to admit.

Build buffers (schedule and content) that absorb planning-fallacy and Hofstadter's law effects.

Run short-cycle status reviews that compare plan to actual and re-plan.

Communicate progress and risks to supervisors and stakeholders in writing.

Topics Covered

Work breakdown structure (WBS) for a thesis

Deliverables, tasks and milestones

Gantt charts and dependencies

Critical path method (CPM)

Float, slack and task reserves

Risk register (likelihood, impact, mitigation)

Scope creep and change-control

Buffers for Hofstadter's law and planning fallacy

Milestone reviews and go/no-go decisions

Stakeholder communication and status reporting

Earned value in academic projects (lite)

Dependencies on data, ethics approvals and participants

Tooling: Gantt, Kanban and simple spreadsheet trackers

Learning curves and rework estimates

Backward planning from a viva or submission date

Skills Developed

WBS construction Gantt and dependency mapping Critical path identification Risk register maintenance Scope control and change-control Buffer design Status reporting Backward planning

Suggested Resources

{'title': 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)', 'author': 'Project Management Institute', 'source': 'PMI, 2021, 7th edition'}

{'title': 'Projects: A Very Short Introduction', 'author': 'Andrew Davies', 'source': 'Oxford University Press, 2017'}

{'title': 'How to Write a Thesis', 'author': 'Umberto Eco', 'source': 'MIT Press, 2015'}

{'title': 'Managing Your PhD', 'author': 'Pat Cryer and Lesley McCulloch', 'source': 'Open University Press, 2006'}

{'title': 'The Mythical Man-Month', 'author': 'Frederick P. Brooks', 'source': 'Addison-Wesley, 1995, anniversary edition'}

{'title': 'Critical Chain', 'author': 'Eliyahu M. Goldratt', 'source': 'North River Press, 1997'}

{'title': "The Hofstadter's Law reference", 'author': 'Douglas R. Hofstadter', 'source': 'Gödel, Escher, Bach, Basic Books, 1979'}

Assessment

A thesis-planning portfolio comprising a WBS, Gantt, risk register, scope statement and monthly status reports.

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Practice bank: 200 MCQs · Timed mock & self-paced modes

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