Comprehensive Project Management Program

Introduction

Project management has become an important skill for organizations to ensure successful business operations across different sectors. Whether your role involves enhancing your organization’s project management capabilities or managing specific projects, this course will teach you how to handle any type of project.

The course curriculum combines the scientific principles of project management with the art of leadership to provide a firm grounding in both areas. Individuals who participate in this course will acquire deep knowledge about the key factors that lead to successful outcomes in projects.

This complete project management fundamentals course is not just about learning how to execute a project but also offers other benefits. Students are provided with a set of projects they can work on to apply theoretical aspects learned in class to practical settings.

Objectives

By the end of this comprehensive project management course, participants will be able to:

• Make better decisions about which projects to undertake.
• Improve their ability to plan, schedule, and control projects effectively.
• Develop interpersonal skills needed for effective team management during assignments or tasks.
• Enhance their capacity for designing and implementing relevant performance measures.
• Gain a better understanding of various planning techniques employed in executing programs.
• Receive tips from an experienced program manager, including mentoring sessions and expert advice.
• Explore both basic and advanced methods of project planning.
• Discuss risk inclusion in the planning process.
• Review and implement best practices in planning and control processes within a firm.

Training Methodology

• Interactive lectures and discussions involving participants
• Case study analysis
• Hands-on exercises
• Group projects
• Workshops
• Mentorship and feedback
• Examinations and assessments
• Completion of a Capstone Project
• Continuous learning provision along with various supporting resources

Course Outline

Unit 1: The World of Project Management

• Project lifecycle model
• Classic and modern project constraints and parameters
• The concept of project management maturity
• Selecting projects to meet organizational goals
• Aggregating projects into programs and portfolios
• Establishing a Project Support Office (PSO)
• Considering and confronting uncertainty in project selection decisions
• Project data, information, and knowledge management
• The art, science, and practice of project management

Unit 2: Project Planning, Scheduling, and Budgeting

• Project plan vs. Project planning
• Strategic, tactical, and operational planning
• Contents of a project plan
• Level of detail in scheduling
• Network logic and dependency analysis
• Project uncertainty (risks)
• Introducing uncertainty in planning
• Budgeting fundamentals & cost control methods
• Methods of budgeting
• Refining cost estimates
• Best practices of project planning, scheduling & budgeting

Unit 3: Project Resourcing, Monitoring & Control

• Resource allocation
• Expediting a project
• Allocating scarce resources to projects
• Critical Chain approach
• Designing the monitoring cycle
• Performance indicators & feedback mechanisms
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Designing the change-control system
• Proactive management and plan updates

Unit 4: The Project Manager's Roles & Responsibilities

• Selection of the Project Manager
• Team building for success within projects (from a PM perspective)
• Challenges of team management in projects
• Delegation as it relates to Project Managers
• Communications within your team
• Leadership skills for effective projects
• Multiproject teams: Lessons learned
• Conflict resolution

Unit 5: Project Evaluation, Reporting, Closure, and Handover

• Evaluation criteria
• Auditing projects
• Project review meetings
• Analyzing project performance
• Progress reports
• Factors responsible for the success of projects
• Transferring a project successfully
• Lessons learned and building a learning environment
• Best practices in project evaluation, reporting, and closing