Description
Project Management Training: Understanding Project Management
Project management isn’t just for construction engineers and military logistics experts anymore. Today, in addition to the regular duties of your job, you are often expected to take on extra assignments and to get that additional job done well, done under budget, and done on time. This course is not intended to take you from a supervisory or administrative position to that of a project manager. However, this course will familiarize you with the most common terms and the most current thinking about projects.
In this course, we will walk you through the nuts and bolts of project management, from setting priorities to controlling expenses and reporting on the results. You may still have to cope with the unexpected, but you’ll be better prepared.
Introduction
Learning Objectives
– Understand what is meant by a project
– Recognize what steps must be taken to complete projects on time and on budget
– Have a better ability to sell ideas and make presentations
– Know simple techniques and tools for planning and tracking your project
– Have methods for keeping the team focused and motivated
Outline
-
Session 1: Course Overview
- Learning Objectives
- Pre-Assignment
- Why a Project?
- How Does This Fit Into the Course?
- Applying the Learning
- Pre-Course Assessment
-
Session 2: What is a Project?
- What is a Project?
- Definitions of a Project
-
Session 3: Project Management Basics
- What is Project Management?
-
Session 4: Pre-Assignment Review
- Eight Project Categories
-
Session 5: How Can Projects Help Me?
- The Benefits of Projects
- Case Study: Mary Marvelous
-
Session 6: A Project’s Life Cycle
- The Life Cycle
- Phase One
- Phase Two
- Phase Three
- Phase Four
- Milestones
- Why Do Projects Fail?
- Overview of Success Factors
- Three Ways to End a Project
-
Session 7: Selling a Project
- Tom Peters
- Bringing Ideas Forward
- Selling Your Project
- The Priority Matrix
- Using the Matrix
- Priority Quadrants
-
Session 8: Preparing Your Project
- Things to Consider
-
Session 9: Preparing Your Project
- A Project Manager’s Skills
- To Be Completed By Proposer
- To Be Completed By Proposer’s Manager
- Bring the Team Together
- Key Skills
-
Session 10: Project Goals
- Goals with SPIRIT!
- Project Goals
- Making Connections
-
Session 11: Laying Out the Project
- The Statement of Work
- Defined Purpose
- Project Deliverables
- To Be Completed By Proposer’s Manager
- Goals and Objectives
- SWOT
- Cost and Schedule Estimates
- List of Stakeholders
- Authority Levels
- Assumptions and Agreements
- The Communication Plan
- Individual SOW
- Project Planning Worksheet
- Time Management
- Cost Controls
- Results Expected
- Approvals
- Writing Reports
- Four Stages in Report Writing
- Basic Formats
-
Session 12: Project Risks
- Risk Tolerance Exercise
- About Risks
- Reducing Risks
- Sources of Risk
- Constraints
-
Session 13: Contingency Planning
- Contingency Planning
- Components of a Contingency Plan
-
Session 14: What Really Needs To Be Done?
- Beginning to Plan
- Preparing a Basic Schedule
- Estimating Time
- Float Time
- Scheduling Checklist
- Activity Scheduling
- Scheduling My Project
-
Session 15: The Work Breakdown Structure
- The Work Breakdown Structure
- Sample WBS
-
Session 16: Planning Tools
- Two Basic Tools
- Milestone Charts
- PERT
- PERT Diagrams
- Along the Critical Path
- Gantt Charts
- The Network Diagram
- Revealing Workflow
- Five Steps to Create a Network Diagram
- More About Network Diagrams
- Network Diagrams Conclusion
- The Flow Chart
-
Session 17: Budgets
- Component Costs
- Budget Methods
- Making Connections
- Costs and Time
- Budget Controls
-
Session 18: Teamwork
- Why is Teamwork Important?
- Building a Winning Team
- Tips for Building a Winning Team
-
Session 19: Developing Teams
- Four Issues to Address with Project Teams
- Checklist for Success
- Team Development
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning
-
Session 20: Teamwork
- Introduction
- Individual Action Steps
-
Session 21: Communication Tips
- Communicating as Project Manager
-
Session 22: Closing Out a Project
- Closing Smoothly
-
Session 23: Team Meetings
- Coordinating Team Meetings
- During the Meeting
- Effective Meeting Management
- Making Committees Work
- Assigning Work
-
Session 24: Presentation Primer
- Project Management Presentation
- Presentation Strategies
- Speaking with Confidence
-
Session 25: Project Presentations
- Preparation Time
- Evaluation Worksheet
-
Session 26: A Personal Action Plan
- Starting Point
- Where I Want to Go
- How I Will Get There
