Fundamentals of Project Management

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This 1-day project management course will help you organize, implement and manage your organization’s projects in a superior and efficient manner. After taking this workshop, you can be assured that your project will be clearly communicated, acted on and achieve superior results.

 The Fundamentals of Project Management course is designed for companies seeking to implement effective, profitable and practical skills so you can confidentially face and conquer even the toughest challenges. This workshop provides a common language between individuals at the implementation level – marketing, sales, project management, engineering, manufacturing or construction, test and assembly, shipping, installation as well as executive leadership.  It will ensure all members of the team are on the same page.

LEARNING OUTCOME:

  • Provides a common thinking methodology and language for project management at all levels of the organization
  • Provides clearly defined project outcomes
  • Assures a strong customer focus
  • Gets the right people working together
  • Helps make sound project decisions
  • Assures plans and schedules are realistic and represent commitments
  • Assures the “hand-offs” are effectively managed
  • Makes skill usage, progress and results measurable
  • Identifies project risks and takes action to avoid or mitigate them
  • Assures that key data is clearly communicated and acted on
  • Identifies and prevents performance problems

COURSE OUTLINE:

Project Management: Fundamental Concepts & Philosophies

  • What is a Project?
  • Projects vs. Operations
  • Progressive Elaboration
  • What is Project Management?
  • PM Hierarchy: Portfolio, Programs & Projects

Project Dimensions & Triple Constraints
The module on Project Dimensions & Triple Constraints will give an understanding on the critical areas of knowledge that a Project Manager must be proficient in. The dynamics among Cost, Scope and Time will be discussed together with three other success criteria of a project.

  • The PM Area of Expertise
  • The Trade-off Among the Triple Constraints
  • Criteria for Project Success

Project Roles & Responsibilities
In most cases, the Project Manager is not directly involved in the intricate details of the work. However, the assigned PM must employ a wide range of skills to achieve the project objective/s. In this module, the discussion will focus on the different roles played in a project.

  • The Role of the Project Manager
  • The Role of the Project Sponsor
  • The Project Team Members
  • The Customers & Users
  • The Project Management Office
  • The Project Stakeholders

The Five Phases of Project Management as per Project Management Institute (PMI)

    1. Initiating Phase
    2. Initiating Tasks
    3. Need for a Project Objective Statement (POS)
    4. Defining the POS
    5. SMART POS
      • State the POS
      • Define Project Scope and Deliverables
      • Prioritize Project Constraints
    6. Planning Phase
      • Planning Project Resources
      • “Core Team”
      • Which People to Use
      • Matching Skills to Tasks
      • Project Organization
    7. Project Schedule
      • Building the Project Schedule
      • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
      • Project Plan
      • Components of the Work Plan
      • Schedule Risks
      • 3 Methods for Charting Project Schedule
        • GANTT
        • CPM
        • PERT
    8. Planning the Budget
    9. Laws of Project Success
    10. Analysis of Project Stakeholders
      • “You”
      • Conflict Among Key Stakeholders
      • Types of Power in Organizations
      • Power and You
      • Developing Stakeholder Strategy
      • Stakeholder Strategy
    11. Executing Phase
      • Hold Regular Review Meetings
    12. Controlling Phase
      • Controlling Tasks
      • Change Management Process
      • Risk Management to include Safety
      • Risk Identification
      • Risk Quantification
      • Risk Management Measures
    13. Closing Phase
      • Problems at the End of the Project
      • Closing Tasks

DELIVERABLES: At the program’s conclusion, the participants will have an understanding and acquire the ability to successfully manage projects: using a to-do list, prioritizing the items on it and working better with others.

Target Audience:

Anyone who is involved in deciding business strategies and activities, managing projects, or is otherwise responsible for delivering results within an organization, (e.g. CEO, CFO, manager, supervisors, etc).

Interactive Format

This workshop is fast-paced, highly interactive, participatory, and productive. It includes discussions, games, demonstration and practice, lecturettes, storytelling, role plays, and problem solving. Participants will be working individually, in small and large groups.

 

Approach & Duration:

As the trainer comes with more than thirty years of real-life corporate experience, the methodology will involve the following:

  • Individual Assessments
  • Use of participant manual/worksheets
  • Use of a combination of presentation and group activities
  • Story telling of real-life situations
  • Interactive group discussions
  • Challenging the thinking of participants
  • Providing input to participants’ real-life situations

Case Studies- Several short case studies will be pre-circulated for participants to read and undertake some directed initial analysis.  These will be used to illustrate data analysis techniques and as a basis for group discussions.