Academic management

The Master’s course:

The main goal of the Master’s Degree in “Electrical Energy Conversion and Power Systems” (EECPS Master) is the training of qualified staff in areas related to electrical energy management, emphasizing in power systems for renewable energies. The Master presents a double approach: scientific and professional. In the scientific thread, training focuses on the design of two main applications: Electrical Power Systems and Electrical and Hybrid Traction Systems. On the other hand, in the professional thread, training is focused on the management of electrical energy. Thus, the subjects of this thread have been designed attending to two main issues, such as the management of energy in large consumers and the generation and transmission of electrical energy in a liberalized market. Three main lines have been considered as keystones in the Master:

·       Electrical Power Systems

·       Electrical and Hybrid Vehicles

·       Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies

The third semester (Technical-Economic-Management track):

This subject belongs to the third semester in the specialization stage (Technical-Economic-Management track), This track is focused on the acquisition of the required competences for the management of electric energy, with a special emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energies.

The subject: 

It provides skills related to fields related with project management. In this course the student will learn about the basic concepts and methods of the project management in general and particularly applied to renewable energy projects.  The course will start with a brief introduction and then topics like previous analysis, project organization and risk and scope management will be treated.  The student will acquire also knowledge in the fields of time management, cost management and purchasing management. Finally, fields like human resources, quality, communications and project closing will be studied.

Basic Competences:

·       Be original in the development and application of ideas, within a research environment. (CB6)

·       Solution of problem in new and unfamiliar multidisciplinary environments, related to its knowledge area. (CB7)

·       Integration of knowledge, facing the complexity of issuing judgments and sentences parting from some information that includes ethic and social liability constraints. (CB8)

·       Ability of communicating justified decisions and conclusions, to specialized and unspecialized listeners. (CB9)

·       Ability of autonomous learning. (CB10)

Generic Competences:

·       Writing, communicating and presenting scientific documents to specialists, within the scope of the contents of the Master Degree (electric power systems, hybrid and electrical vehicles and renewable energies) (CG1)

·       Use of computers and digital processors in the analysis, design, simulation, monitoring, control and supervision of power systems. (CG4)

·       Technical design aspects that depend on strategic, socio-politic, economic and environmental concerns  (DG8)

·       Skills related to teamwork, recognizing different roles within a group and different ways of organizing research teams. (CG9)

·       Ability to manage information: search, analysis and synthesis of the specific technical information. (CG10)

·       Ability to assimilate and communicate information in English concerning technical (CG11)

·       Ability to plan and organize work (CG12)

·       Skills for critical reasoning, making decisions and making judgments based on information that include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities of professional activity (CG13)

·       Concern forquality and achievement motivation (CG14)

Specific Competences:

·       Assimilation of concepts and procedures for management, analysis and assessment of investment projects in renewable and conventional energies (CE29)

·       Knowledge and understanding of the main stages of development and implementation of an investment project in renewable and conventional energies (CE30)

Learning Outcomes:

·       To analyze and evaluate investment projects in renewable and conventional power sources.  (RA108)

·       To define and design the development and implementation phases of an investment project in renewable energy and conventional power sources.  (RA109)

·       To apply financial knowledge acquired to the analysis of investment projects in renewable and conventional energies.  (RA110)

·       To use the acquired knowledge to maintain an active and critical attitude in the management of investment projects in renewable and conventional energies. (RA111)

·       To comprehensively manage investment projects in renewable and conventional energies. (RA112)

Topic 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

Definitions

Constraints:

·       Scope

·       Budget

·       Schedule

·       Risks

·       Quality

·       Resources

Project Management

Project agents and stakeholders

Organization

Lifecycle:

·       Launching phase

·       Organizing and planning phase

·       Execution phase

·       Closing phase

Topic 2. PREVIOUS ANALYSIS

Needs

Targets

Requirements

·       Functional

·       Technical

Project selection techniques

Topic 3. PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Project charter

Task definition

Project Team

Project process

Project Planning

Budget

Topic 4. RISK MANAGEMENT

Planning

Identification

Analysis (qualitative and quantitative)

Responses

Monitor and control

Topic 5. SCOPE MANAGEMENT

Requirement collection

Scope definition

Work breakdown structure creation

Scope verification

Scope control

Topic 6. TIME MANAGEMENT

Activity definition

Activity sequenzation

Activity resources estimation

Activity time estimation

Schedule development

Schedule control

Topic 7. COST MANAGMENT

Cost and budget estimation

Cost controlling

Topic 8. PURCAHSING MANAGEMENT

Planning

Tendering process

Administration

Aceptance and closing

Topic 9. HUMAN RESOURCES

Needs analysis

Project team integration

Project team development

Project team management

Topic 10. QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Planning

Quality Assurance

Quality Control

Topic 11. PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

Communications planning

Information distribution

Stakeholders management

Reporting

Topic 12. PROJECT CLOSING

Client’s acceptance

Administrative closing

Feedback and learnt lessons

As it can be observed in the next table, the numbers of hours assigned to this course are divided in “In-class work” and “homework”. Among the “in-class work” hours are divided in lectures, seminars, and group tutoring and evaluation sessions. Professor will use these hours to expound the theoretical basis of the subject. However, active learning methods such as “class discussions”, “think-pare-share”, “short written exercises“ or ”student debates” will be applied in order to keep an active attitude.  Concepts stated in lectures must be applied to solve different types of problems in seminars.  The group tutoring sessions will be used to discuss about the theoretical concepts explained in lectures or their application seminars.

Exceptionally, in the event that health conditions require it, non-attendance teaching activities may be included. In this case, students will be informed of the changes made.

When all classes are finished there will be a multiple-choice text, which will cover all the concepts shown in the different lessons of the subject.  The evaluation of the test will count a maximum of for 70% for each student.

The professor will commission the students a practical assignment that must be developed in a written form. The evaluation of such work will count a maximum of 20% for each of the team members.

Other observation techniques like logs, check lists, attendance activities will count a maximum of 10% of the final grade. Late homework will not generally be accepted. 

Exceptionally, in the event that health conditions require it, non-presential evaluation methods may be included. In this case, the student body will be informed of the changes made.

    Managing projects ESI (+George Washingong University)

·       A guide to the project Management body of knowledge (PMBOK), PMI-Pensylvania 

PRINCE 2  (PRojects IN Controlled Environment ) Practitioner level, Government Commerce UK,  Frank Turley