Project management at OsloMet

What is project management?

1. What is a project?

   We distinguish between line organisation tasks and project tasks.

   Line organisation tasks are recurring tasks that can be solved by a permanent team, with a low degree of uncertainty and within the normal line management.

   Projects are larger tasks or measures of a limited scope, that are carried out once to achieve a specified objective within an agreed time and resources framework and with a higher degree of uncertainty. A project also normally requires a temporary interdisciplinary team.

   We use projects to be able to handle uncertainty and complexity and to achieve the set objectives. This enables management to follow up the work through a project manager and through governance tools that are not used for line organisation tasks.

   (In this context, we do not mean research projects; see the separate research project guide).

2. What is portfolio-managed and large-scale projects?

   Portfolio-managed and large-scale projects, i.e. projects that affect OsloMet in a manner that requires cross-cutting coordination and management or projects that are large-scale in terms of scope, duration or complexity. OsloMet’s project model for these projects is based on the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency’s Prosjektveiviseren. You will find an overview of ongoing, portfolio-managed projects in Prosjektportalen (project portal) (sharepoint.com).

3. What is a small-scale project?

   Small-scale projects that do not require any external resources and that only have a limited impact on the organisation.

4. Courses in project management and project tools

   The courses below are available via the OsloMet Academy (Norwegian Digitalisation Agency’s Virksomhetsplattformen). Log in with Feide before using the links below.

   • Finn Veien – et e-læringskurs basert på Prosjektveiviseren (virksomhetsplattformen.difi.no, in Norwegian) .
   • En innføring i prosjektledelse ved OsloMet (virksomhetsplattformen.difi.no, in Norwegian).
   • Microsoft Teams i prosjekter (virksomhetsplattformen.difi.no, in Norwegian).
   • Microsoft Planner til oppgavestyring i prosjekter (virksomhetsplattformen.difi.no, in Norwegian).
   • Managing large-scale and portfolio-managed projects at OsloMet (under preparation)
   • OsloMet Prosjektportal – tips and tricks (as needed)

   OsloMet has a further education programme in project management (in Norwegian):

   • Prosjektledelse 1 – Styring mot verdiskapende prosjekter (oslomet.no)
   • Prosjektledelse 2 – Prosjektledelse, teamarbeid og smidighet (oslomet.no)

   OsloMet also has a framework agreement with Metier (see the agreement catalogue) for training in management of projects and programmes.

5. Project office

   The project office is organised under the IT Department and is a support function for project implementation at OsloMet. The project office can help with:

   • project management
   • providing one-on-one guidance to project managers
   • courses and training in project methodology and tools

   If you would like assistance from the project office, contact us by email.

6. Project manager forum

   The project manager forum is a forum for all project managers and people who are interested in projects at OsloMet. It is coordinated by the project office.

   The purpose of the project manager forum is to:

   • contribute to professionalising project work at OsloMet
   • offer a network where project managers can discuss project work, exchange experience and support each other

   The forum meets once a month. We bring in representatives of important parties at OsloMet that the projects must typically cooperate with and have discussions about relevant topics.

   Here are some examples of topics from 2020:

   • Testing – Why must a project manager think about testing and what is a test plan?
   • Communication - How to involve the Department of External Relations and Communications in the communication work. How can the department contribute?
   • Prosci – brief introduction to the Prosci change management methodology.
   • Benefits realisation and planning – theory and a practical example at OsloMet.
   • How should the projects collaborate in the best possible manner with the information, discussion and negotiation meeting (IDF) and the working environment committee (AMU)?
   • What is design and why do we need it in development projects?

   In addition, the forum has a special team in Teams for sharing project-related information, such as free webinars. Would you like to participate? Contact The project office by email.

7. Contact us?

   Wondering about something? 

   • Contact The project office by email.
   • Come join our team/network ("Prosjektlederforum") on Teams (ask to be a member).