Improving Your Project Management Skills: The Basics for Success

Develop comprehensive project management knowledge, practical techniques, and essential tools through this interactive workshop covering the full project lifecycle.

Who Should Attend:

This course serves individuals beginning their project management career, professionals who manage projects as a secondary responsibility, business analysts, subject matter experts who participate in projects, managers overseeing project work, and experienced project managers seeking to review current tools and methodologies.

As organizations compete in increasingly challenging markets, they undertake more projects than ever before. However, many organizations struggle to find professionals with strong project management skills. In this seminar, you will learn and practice essential project management tools and techniques proven necessary for success. Through lectures, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, you will master the fundamental aspects of managing projects.

While this course aligns with the Project Management Institute's (PMI) established framework, the emphasis is on practical, real-world application of concepts. You will return to work equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to launch your projects successfully and complete them on schedule and within budget.

How You Will Benefit:

• Structure projects correctly from the beginning to establish strong foundations for success
• Gather and document project requirements using effective techniques
• Understand and fulfill your role as project manager, and recognize the contributions of business analysts and others
• Build a comprehensive project plan with realistic scope, timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation, then execute that plan effectively
• Monitor project progress and communicate status with confidence and accuracy
• Build trust with team members and establish credibility with senior leadership

What You Will Cover:

An Overview of Key Project Management Concepts

Discussion of fundamental concepts, terminology, and roles, including:

• The project triangle and its three constraints
• The definition of what constitutes a project
• The five core PM process groups and their purposes

Initiating the Project

• Developing a project charter and linking it to business objectives
• Collecting and documenting stakeholder and business requirements
• Clarifying expectations with customers, sponsors, and team members

Identifying the Work

• Creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) based on the charter and product specifications
• Assigning clear ownership and responsibility for tasks

Estimating the Work

• Applying industry best practices to develop realistic work estimates

Scheduling the Work

• Developing precedence diagrams that show task dependencies and relationships
• Creating Gantt charts to visualize project timelines
• Calculating the critical path and determining schedule flexibility (float)

Creating the Budget

• Forecasting labor costs and direct expenses
• Tracking and managing project spending

Course Outline

• The Project Management Framework
• Initiating the Project
• Identifying the Work
• Estimating the Work
• Scheduling the Work
• Creating the Budget
• Completing the Project Plan
• Executing the Project Plan
• Closing the Project