MSc Commercial Project Management / Course details

This unit involves developing specific skills in the commercial management of projects and the different guises this can take across a range of project-types, industries and organisation-types. Specifically, it will concentrate on the basic divide, or conflict, between buy-side and sell-side activities in the project lifecycle as defined by the main project management bodies and leading research in the area. Underpinning theories from economics and strategic management are used to analyse and develop insight into commercial situations and relate action in this category of project work to the outcomes of projects and project-organisations. In terms of the full range of activities regarded as ‘contract & commercial’ it covers processes up to contract award but does not involve itself in contract management. The unit involves  study in depth to acquire coherent and detailed knowledge, most of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the relevant (engineering) topic / discipline and study of non-technical topics which complement the engineering content.

To develop knowledge and practical understanding of commercial management, in particular the principles and practice of competitive bidding, pricing and bid evaluation, producing and evaluating proposals, procurement, outsourcing and the relation of these to the outcomes of projects and project-organisations.

ILO 1 - Identify value propositioning in the various cycles involved in commercial work in projects and produce the typical social value decisions and documents involved in sustainable project commercial relationships. This encompasses social value identification, evaluation and monitoring.

ILO 2 - Apply commercial management practices, to sustainable buy and sell side processes. To undertake tender, tender analysis, contract administration and contract analysis while being aware of the limitations in the context of the management of engineering projects. Explain and differentiate the term social value and list the range of areas in project work covered by this term, as identified in sustainable practices e.g., BS ISO 20400:2017 Sustainable procurement (Guidance), PMBOK and cutting-edge research.

ILO 3 - Relate the practice of commercial management and the work of the commercial manager to the successful outcomes of projects and project organisations.

ILO 4 - Relate the practice of commercial management to contemporary themes in the projects area such as decarbonisation, digitalisation, digital transformation, environmental, social and governance (ESG) and social value.

What does ‘Commercial’ Mean?
- The scope of Commercial Management, including; origins and definition of ‘Commercial’, fundamental conflict of profit maximisation, fundamental constraints in commercial exchanges, areas in project work covered by this term as identified by PMI, APM and leading research in the field, the relation of commercial management to the successful outcomes of projects
The Past, Present and Future of Commercial Management
- The emergence of the Commercial Manager, Contemporary Commercial Management, Relation of commercial work to contemporary themes in the project discourse, i.e. outsourcing, innovation, project marketing, sustainability. Future challenges for commercial work in projects
Underpinning Theories in Commercial Management of Projects
- The Uses of Management Theories, Competitive Advantage Theories, Transaction Cost Economics, Principal/Agent Theory, Application to the Commercial Exchange

The ‘Sell Side’
- Pre-Bid Processes, Evaluating Requests, The Decision to Bid, Managing the Bid Process and the Win Plan, Constructing the Bid, Proposal Development, Price Setting and Pricing Tactics, Bidding Tactics, Negotiated Terms, The Winner’s Dilemma, Project Marketing
The ‘Buy Side’
- Corporate objectives for Procurement, Procurement Strategy, Costing, Payment and Contract Types,  The PMI Procurement Process, Procurement Routes, Value for Money, RFx’s, Competitive Tendering, Bid Evaluation, Award
Who is a Commercial Manager?
- The work of commercial management as described by commercial managers, Competencies and Capabilities of Commercial Managers
Cases in Commercial Management
- Heathrow T5, Football Stadia, others

Students obtain feedback through:
• Personal interaction with lecturer via email or electronic bulletin boards
• Participation in lectures
• Participation in group work
• Participation in presentations
• Written feedback on individual and group assessment

Commercial management: theory and practice by Lowe, David J. Wiley Blackwell, 2013. ISBN: 9781118486122

Commercial Management of Projects. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2006. ISBN: 9781405124508

Developing a social value model for Oman’s national infrastructure planning: a hermeneutical approach by Al-Hinai, Ahmed Mahmood Zahir ; Ejohwomu, Obuks ; Abadi, Mohamed. Sustainable and resilient infrastructure, 2024. DOI: 10.1080/23789689.2023.2280741

Spatial-temporal dynamics of social value: Lessons learnt from two UK nuclear decommissioning case studies. Mulholland, Cara ; Ejohwomu, Obuks A. ; Chan, Paul W. Journal of cleaner production, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117677

Fostering Digitalization of Construction Projects through Integration: A Conceptual Project Governance Model by Liu, Zhixue ; Ding, Ronggui ; Gong, Zheng ; Ejohwomu, Obuks. Buildings (Basel), 2023. DOI: 10.3390/buildings13030825

Framework for standardising carbon neutrality in building projects by Too, Judy ; Ejohwomu, Obuks A. ; Hui, Felix K.P. ; Duffield, Colin ; Bukoye, Oyegoke Teslim ; Edwards, David John. Journal of cleaner production, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133858

The Exposure of Workers at a Busy Road Node to PM2.5: Occupational Risk Characterisation and Mitigation Measures by Ejohwomu, Obuks A. ; Oladokun, Majeed ; Oshodi, Olalekan S. ; Bukoye, Oyegoke Teslim ; Edwards, David John ; Emekwuru, Nwabueze ; Adenuga, Olumide ; Sotunbo, Adegboyega ; Uduku, Ola ; Balogun, Mobolanle ; Alani, Rose. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084636

Applications of Industry 4.0 digital technologies towards a construction circular economy: gap analysis and conceptual framework by Elghaish, Faris ; Matarneh, Sandra T. ; Edwards, David John ; Pour Rahimian, Farzad ; El-Gohary, Hatem ; Ejohwomu, Obuks . Construction innovation, 2022. DOI: 10.1108/CI-03-2022-0062

Modelling the relationship between digital twins implementation barriers and sustainability pillars: Insights from building and construction sector by Kineber, Ahmed Farouk ; Singh, Atul Kumar ; Fazeli, Abdulwahed ; Mohandes, Saeed Reza ; Cheung, Clara ; Arashpour, Mehrdad ; Ejohwomu, Obuks ; Zayed, Tarek. Sustainable cities and society, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2023.104930