The role of the project office in organizing the research activities of the university

Досова Сенимгуль Наурызбаевна Начальник отдела бизнеса и управления

Abstract

The article discusses approaches to the organization of project management of research activities in Kazakhstan universities in the context of the implementation of research projects and programs. The focus is on the work of the project office, the roles of the participants of the research project, their functions and interaction. It has been determined that purposeful activities on the application of project management methods in the organization of research activities of the university will improve the quality of the organization of scientific work and use the full range of possibilities of this type of activity.

Keywords: project, project management, project office, research activity.

Introduction

Formulation of the problem. In recent years, considerable interest in project management of research activities in universities has been developing in connection with the adoption of a number of regulations to support their research and innovation activities.

The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On State Support of Industrial Innovation” of January 9, 2012 No. 534-IV stipulates that the technological parks created by the national development institute in the field of technological development provide industrial-innovative activities to the subjects at the initial stage of their functioning including project management. The consolidation of such a legislative norm indicates the recognition by the state of the progressive nature of project management approaches.

In the Message of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the leader of the nation N. Nazarbayev to the people of Kazakhstan "Strategy" Kazakhstan- 2050" : a new political course of the established state" states that "higher education institutions should not be limited to educational functions. They need to create and develop applied and research units. Higher education institutions, to which we guaranteed academic autonomy, should not be limited to improving their curricula and actively develop their research activities” [1].

The research activity of the university is aimed at the development of education, culture and applied science through applied and fundamental research. The organization and conduct of research work at the university is carried out by the project office and the commercialization of innovative technologies. Sources of financing of the scientific sphere in Kazakhstan are the state budget, own funds of enterprises and raised funds of commercial and non-profit organizations. The forms of financing of scientific, scientific and technical activities from the budget are core, grant, program-targeted.

At the moment, one of the main problems in the development of science in the republic is the low applied nature of the work of scientists and the low commercialization of results, due to the lack of well-established relationships of scientific organizations with the commercial sector to ensure successful technology transfer. There are also internal reasons for reducing the potential of science (reducing the number of researchers, funding, etc.), which are manifested in the reduction of its effectiveness - in a smaller number of patents created by new innovative technologies, publications in leading journals.

At the same time, in most universities, the hierarchical organization of the management of scientific activities (functional or linearly functional), which is poorly adapted to the horizontal integration of subdivisions necessary for research activities, remains. However, this does not mean abandoning the system of scientific activity management that has been established at the university. On the contrary, we are talking about the need to develop processes aimed at changing the spheres of influence, roles and responsibilities, areas of interaction between university departments in unity with the construction of an organizational management structure.

In addition, not all projects of university scientists prove to be effective, since they are not well organized. Universities traditionally consider a science project as a weakly structured subproject that does not have a predetermined order. Overcoming this problem is the creation of a project management system for the scientific activities of the university. The practice knows various organizational mechanisms, for example, it is a functioning project office on a temporary and permanent basis.

The purpose of this article is to consider and define the role of the project office in organizing the research activities of a university in the context of the implementation of research projects and programs.

Presentation of the main material

To understand project management theory, it is necessary to define its key categories such as ''project“, ''project management“ and 'project office”.

A project is a time-limited, purposeful change of a single system with established requirements for the quality of the results, a possible framework for the expenditure of funds and resources and a specific organization" [2]. And, although the concept of "project" in science and art has been used only recently, somewhere in the mid-twentieth century - an atomic project, a project to create a feature film, a project of theatrical production, etc. - but historically the first was the project type of organizational culture of artistic activity (since the Renaissance). Then, by the end of XIX-beginning of XX century, the project type of organizational culture "penetrated" into science - when in scientific research in many branches of scientific knowledge it became almost mandatory to build scientific hypotheses as cognitive models [3], and scientific research was thus designed. In full force, the design and technological type of organizational culture "earned" only in recent decades - when it was in demand on a mass scale practice. Traditional understanding of the project, which existed previously in engineering, construction, etc. - this is a set of documents (calculations, drawings, etc.) to create any structure or product[4]. It was replaced by a modern understanding of the project as a complete cycle of productive activities: an individual, a team, an organization, an enterprise or joint activities of many organizations and enterprises. Based on the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK Manual), project management should be understood as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and methods to the project work to meet the requirements of the project [5]. At the same time, according to the international standard for project management ISO 21500, the term "project" means a unique set of processes consisting of coordinated and managed tasks with start and end dates taken to achieve the goal. Achieving a project goal requires results that meet pre-defined requirements, including restrictions on obtaining results such as time, money, and resources.

Among the methods and means of implementing targeted managerial influences that can serve the tasks of a planned long-term development of socio - economic, a special place is occupied by the project management system. The basis for this statement is the effectiveness of this approach, confirmed by the experience of solving managerial problems of creating or transforming various types of systems. It is the project management system that allows you to manage individual events (projects) initiated in an educational organization without violating the principles of the institution's budget dependence.

So, the project approach in relation to the management of a higher education institution acts as a guiding idea that can be used as a basis for management activities. In other words, a task stands out among others, which is viewed as a project, that is, as a complex of interrelated works scheduled to be completed on time and with a given level of costs. In this case, this task focuses on the necessary resources and special control over the conduct of all phases of work, which determines the specifics and determines the effectiveness of the project. With this focus on the final result, the task set has more chances for a successful solution than with other management methods.

A project office, or a project management office (Project management office, PMO) is a unit that provides centralized coordination and management of projects that are accountable to it [6.].

Figure 1. Model ofproject management of research activities of the university

What does the Project Office (Figure 1) do in organizing research activities? How does it differ from the established practice of the work of the Department for the organization of research? First of all, the Project Office organizes on a professional basis the main processes of research activities under university agreements with customers, that is, it uses a certain set of tools, methods, methodologies, resources and procedures for managing a project. The second important task of the project office is to perform the functions of a single reporting collection center at all stages of the project life cycle based on keeping track of the direct and indirect costs of the project. Accounting of contracts in the context of projects allows you to track all receipts and payments for them, as well as form budgets for an arbitrary accounting or planning period.

In particular, the vice-rector for research of the university receives from the project office tools that provide: project management kazakhstan university

- support of research and consulting contracts, starting with the initiation and approval of projects and ending with their closure;

- keeping records of all university projects in the context of activities, structural units, cost centers, etc .;

- planning, monitoring and evaluating the achievement of results in project work.

A special place is occupied by the solution of the task of integrating the project office into the university's management structure. The project environment in the organizational environment of the university are the areas of finance, logistics and infrastructure.

The participants of a research project are scientific and pedagogical staff, structural units or third- party organizations that are actively involved in the project (the project team). They influence the goals and results of the project. For effective management of a scientific project, it is possible to apply the established methods of organizing project management. For example, a project management team should identify project participants, define their requirements and expectations, and, as far as possible, manage their influence with respect to requirements to ensure successful completion of the project.

In accordance with the project management methodology, three groups of participants are distinguished according to the degree of involvement in the project: core team, extended team, and stakeholders. The core team is a group of specialists and organizations who are directly involved in the implementation of the project in close contact with each other (the project leader and members of the working group).

An expanded team is a more extensive team than the core team, a group of specialists assisting members of the core group, but not directly involved in the implementation of the project and the achievement of its goals (for example, the project manager and management of the R & D organization).

Stakeholders are people and organizations that influence members of the core and extended teams and the progress of the project, but do not enter into direct cooperation with them (for example, the accounting department of a higher education institution).

Direct project participants include the project customer, project initiator, project manager, project team, project office manager, project manager.

The customer of a research project is a party interested in the implementation of the project and the achievement of its goals. As a rule, special requirements for the organization of project management formulate large customers of the results of scientific activity..

For universities, the leading customer is the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MES RK), which forms a new system of management of scientific programs. As the future owner of the results of a research project, the MES RK defines the basic requirements for the results, ensures its financing at the expense of public funds and therefore actively participates in the management of contracts concluded with universities. This means that it begins to perform important functions in project management of scientific activities:

- formulates clear requirements for the organization of the project;

- introduces into practice the approval of the project charter;

- introduces interaction with the project manager in order to monitor project changes;

- participates in the consideration of reports for certain time periods, and not only on the basis of the contract with the university;

- participates in the evaluation of the project results.

The project initiator is a department or employee of the university who prepares an initiative proposal for the organization of a research project. Often the initiator of the projects is the management of the organization of the research of the university, which is entrusted with the marketing functions of scientific research and services, as well as monitoring of announced tenders for the implementation of research.

A project manager is a person who manages a research project who is responsible for achieving project objectives within a budget, on time and with a given level of quality. The peculiarity of scientific projects of universities is the combination of the supervisor and the organizer in one person, which makes it difficult to organize effective management of the project team.

The project office assumes part of the labor-intensive functions of the manager-organizer, supporting the project research manager and ensuring management of the project team or project team in the context of the main management functions (management by time, cost, risk, etc.).

The main business processes of the organization of the project are shown in Fig. 2. In essence, the project office covers all the operational activities of the scientific project manager and provides intra-university service for organizing the work of the project team using project management automation systems.

Figure 2. The main business processes of the organization process

At the same time, the leader - the project organizer forms the organizational structure of the project and the project team; attracts the required resources to the project; ensures the execution of the project plan, monitoring and analyzing the current state of work, implements corrective actions; maintains constant communication with the customer, solves emerging issues and ensures that all the necessary information is received from him for the quality execution of the project; provides complete and timely project closure.

A project team (or a research project team) is a temporary organizational structure that brings together individual researchers, university specialists, temporary work teams and / or organizations involved in the work on individual project phases and responsible to the project scientific leader for their implementation. The project team is created in a targeted manner for the duration of the project.

Members of a research project team perform the following main functions:

1. providing expert opinions on the project in the field of their authority and knowledge;

2. assistance in drawing up a project plan by the project manager;

3. timely execution of the project;

4. timely information on delays in project implementation and problems, as well as on the process of carrying out work on the project.

Conclusions and suggestions

When applying project management, it must be remembered that the concept of the project itself is defined as “a time-limited, purposeful change of a separate system with established requirements for the quality of results, a possible framework of expenditures of funds and resources and a specific organization”. As you know, each project includes three phases: the design phase (goal setting), the technological phase (goal achievement), and the reflexive phase (control, evaluation, and reflection).

As the main recommendation on the application of project management methods in the organization of research and development activities is the fact that the main characteristics of the project should be regularity, consistency, algorithmism, optimality. Legally it assumes that the project should be of a scientific-reflexive nature, built in accordance with the laws and laws of the educational process. Systematic involves the systematic ordering of the structure of the project, that is, it must be represented all the components of the educational process and the relationship between them. In the procedural plan, the project is characterized by algorithmism, that is, it is a set of operations (actions) of the activities of the subjects of the educational process. From the point of view of meeting the specific conditions for the implementation of the educational process, the project should be optimal (best) for these conditions relative to the time and effort of the project participants [7].

The logical structure of the design in the development of the project of research activities in the universities of Kazakhstan should be the following:

1. Motivational stage. This stage in the design of research activities should be based on the formation of personal motivation for the project; highlighting his important problems; implementation of professional analysis of the opportunities available at the moment; search for the necessary information.

2. Installation stage. At this stage, an analysis and assessment of the pedagogical situation conducive to the implementation of research activities; development of targets; definition of tasks; the choice of methods and means aimed at achieving the goal; determining the conditions that are necessary to achieve the goal; forecasting possible difficulties in the implementation of project work; identifying opportunities to use the resulting project.

3. Activity stage. At this stage, the goal and objectives are clarified, which should be focused on the desired result of research activities; development of criteria for evaluating results; development of a model for the implementation of research detail; development of technology as a procedural component of the model; mental experimentation, that is, the implementation of the mental implementation of a future project; performing a test model verification through technology implementation.

4. Correctional stage. At this stage, an analysis of the research work carried out; reflection; correction of activity; evaluation of results; documenting the project.

At the same time, the Project Office [7] created and functioning on the basis of the university will organize the following main activity processes:

1. Methodological support - the use of a set of methodologies, widely applicable practices.

2. Organizational support - the implementation of certain roles of project management, taking into account the regulations and job descriptions, staff competencies.

3. Information support - the use of a set of procedures, workflows, document templates.

4. Technical support - the use of a set of software and hardware.

References

1. Poslanie Prezidenta Respubliki Kazahstan - Lidera nacii N.A. Nazarbaeva narodu Kazahstana «Strategiya «Kazahstan-2050»: Novyj politicheskij kurs sostoyavshegosya gosudarstva». -Almaty, - 66 s.

2. Burkov V.N., Novikov D.A. Kak upravlyat' proektami. - M.: Sinteg, 1997

3. Filosofskij ehnciklopedicheskij slovar'. - M.: Sov. EHnciklopediya, 1983

4. Sovetov B.YA., YAkovlev S.A. Modelirovanie sistem. - M.: Vysshaya shkola, 1998.

5. Rukovodstvo k svodu znanij po upravleniyu proektami (Rukovodstvo PMBOK). - Atlanta, USA: ProjectManagementInstitute, 2013

6. IPMA Competence Baseline. Version 2.0. IPMA Editorial Committee. Bremen: Eigenverlag, 1999. R. 23

7. Demchenko Z.A. Nauchno - issledovatel'skaya deyatel'nost' studentov v obra- zovatel'nom processe sovremennogo VUZa//SMAL'TA. 2016. № 1. S. 31-36.

8. Kuznecov P. A. Proektnyj ofis kak klyuchevoe zveno upravleniya innovaciyami v universitete // EHkonomicheskie nauki. - 2010. - № 10 (71).

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