Project Management Fundamentals

Course Overview

This course provides the theory and core methodology you will need to manage projects or participate in project teams. It will provide you with an overview of how Project Management tools and techniques are used to establish a firm foundation for a project. You will be able to create project plans, choose the most appropriate scheduling method, select and organize a team to perform project tasks, monitor and control ongoing project performance, and close the project upon its completion. You will also learn how to minimize risk throughout the project life cycle by using contingency planning techniques.

Duration

6 Hours. Training times can be arranged in more manageable sessions of 3 hours over 2 days.

Delivery Method

Training times can be arranged according to your date and times requirements, delivered virtually or on-site at your premises by one of our professional facilitators. Alternatively, you can join a virtual public course by clicking on the Register Now button.

Who Should Attend

Students enrolling in this course should be planning to lead a project (primary audience) or serve on a project team (secondary audience).

Prerequisites

None.

Course Content

1. The Project Life Cycle

• What is a project
• Differentiating between projects and non-projects
• Project life cycle
• Listing the steps and deliverables in a project
• The role of the project manager
• Understanding the role of the project manager
• Apply your knowledge 1-1

2. What Makes a Project Successful

• Project definition and scope
• Defining project purpose
• Defining project goals and objectives
• Defining project scope and scale
• Defining project deliverables
• Identifying stakeholders
• Defining sign-off and review hierarchies
• Defining a reporting plan
• Apply your knowledge 2-1
• Statement of work
• Putting the elements together
• Apply your knowledge 2-2

3. The Project Team

• How do you select the right people for your team
• Evaluating criteria for team member selection
• Creating a team skills roster
• Apply your knowledge
• Evaluating team rules and procedures
• Defining elements of a team charter
• Setting up internal reporting procedures
• Apply your knowledge 3-2

4. Project Plans

• Risk and how to control it
• Identifying sources of risk and approaches for controlling it
• Check your skills 4-1
• The deliverables breakdown structure (DBS)
• Creating the DBS
• Apply your knowledge 4-1
• The work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Creating the WBS
• Apply your knowledge 4-2

5. Team Schedules

• Including team members in scheduling
• Discussing the reasons for including team members in scheduling
• The Gantt Chart
• Reading the Gantt Chart
• Check your skills 5-1
• The Network Diagram
• Reading the Network Diagram
• Check your skills 5-2
• The Critical Path
• Defining dependencies
• Identifying the Critical Path
• Float
• Calculating float
• Apply your knowledge 5-1

6. Project Activity Plans

• Activity planning
• Creating an activity Plan
• Estimating time and duration of activities
• Apply your knowledge 6-1

7. Project Budgets

• What is a budget
• Listing elements of a budget
• The draft budget
• Discussing estimating techniques
• Apply your knowledge 7-1
• Budget and schedule balancing
• Discussing bringing budgets and schedules into line with reality
• Apply your knowledge 7-2

8. Project Operations and Control

• Is the project moving forward
• Discussing issues in maintaining project momentum
• Is the project on target
• Monitoring project progress
• Check your skills 8-1
• Earned value analysis
• Checking for deviation from schedules and budgets
• Check your skills 8-2
• Getting back on track
• Discussing ways to manage trade-offs
• Apply Your Knowledge 8-1

9. Project Reporting

• Types of reports
• Identifying elements of a reporting system
• Apply your knowledge 9-1
• The project status report
• Discussing a project status report template
• Apply your knowledge 9-2
• The change request
• Discussing a change request template
• Apply your knowledge 9-3

10 Project Close-Out

• Elements of close-out
• Discussing the close-out punch list
• Project hand-off
• Discussing the hand-off checklist
• Evaluation of success
• Learning from project experiences
• Discussing reporting criteria for project outcomes
• Apply your knowledge 10-1
• The people side of project close-out
• Helping the team to deal with change
• Discussing criteria for team member evaluation
• Apply your knowledge 10-2

The Secret to Success

Short courses are an easy and effective way to upskill your people. This enables them to apply their new knowledge in your workplace immediately.