Continuous Improvement of a CDIO Program Using Management by Means

The Vehicle Engineering program at KTH was one of the first programs that adopted the CDIO-model for engineering education. The implemented changes was during the first three years subjected to a number of internal and external evaluations, with very positive judgments. Perhaps, the most important task for the program management after such a major overhaul of a program is to motivate faculty for continuous improvement work. Faculty have put a lot of effort into the change process, and they are in general not easily susceptible to further demands from the program management. Thus, there was an appropriate opportunity to try a new management philosophy. 

This paper describes how the management by means concept is introduced in the continuous improvement work of the Vehicle Engineering program. This concept, that is in contrast with traditional management by results concepts, has been used successfully in industrial engineering development work. The main feature of the management by means concept is that the development work is driven not by explicit preconceived targets, but by common values and principles.

The paper presents the development of common values and principles for the Vehicle engineering program, and the implementation of them in the practical work, carried out in a change group covering all first year courses. Benefits and difficulties are described and the experiences gained so far are discussed, particularly, the dual loyalties of faculty that arise in the educational system at KTH where a program, in general, is not owned by a department.