Project Management Fundamentals

Project management is being increasingly recognized as a vital skill-set for many management positions, not just those with the title of “project manager”. This course provides in-depth, practical, project management fundamentals training. You will discuss projects from your own organization, and review tools and templates we use every day to manage real projects.

Who should take this Project Management Fundamentals course?

This course is for existing project managers who are interested in learning more about formal project management techniques, and anyone who is interested in becoming a project manager.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Understand the language and structure of the Project Management Institute’s Body of Knowledge.
• Discuss the advantages of different life cycle approaches.
• Understand the value of project charter documents.
• Identify and engage stakeholders more effectively.
• Consider the impact of the environment or context in which your projects occur on your planning processes.
• Develop work breakdown structures to better define your project and reduce the likelihood of missed scope.
• Develop network diagrams that model how your project will be executed.
• Schedule your project and identify the critical path.
• Use various tools and reports to improve project communications.
• Add resource and cost information to your plans.
• Run better project status meetings.
• Better estimate your project costs and durations.
• Identify, prioritize, respond to, and manage, project risks.
• Track issues and action items in a more systematic manner.
• Update your project plans on a regular basis.
• Measure how your project is progressing.
• Work with schedule delays and modify your project plan appropriately to minimize their impact.

Course Content

Day One:

• What is a Project?
• What is Project Management?
• What’s Driving the Need for Project Management?
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide®)
• The Ten Knowledge Areas
• The Five Process Groups
• Predictive Project Life Cycles
• Adaptive (Agile) Life Cycles
• Tailoring The Role of the Project Manager
• Project Balance
• Organizational Considerations
• The Project Management Office
• The Role of Project Sponsors
• A Simplified Project Management Process
• Project Charters

Day Two:

• Progressive Elaboration
• Stakeholders
• Identify Stakeholders
• Power-Interest Grid
• Stakeholder Management
• Phase Gate Reviews
• Define Project Scope
• Work Breakdown Structures
• Rolling Wave Planning
• WBS Checklist
• Project Resource Management
• Assignment Matrix
• Network Diagrams
• Estimating Durations
• Analogous Estimating
• Parameter Estimating
• 3-Point Estimating
• Develop Schedule
• Critical Path Scheduling
• The Importance of Total Float
• Schedule Optimization
• Reporting the Project Schedule
• Gantt Charts
• Estimate Costs
• Common Estimating Themes
• Types of Costs
• Contingency Reserves
• Accuracy of Estimates
• Why do Plans Fail?

Day Three:

• Management Plans
• Baselines
• Project Management Plan
• Successful Status Review Meetings
• Status Meeting Agenda
• Meeting Notes
• Tracking Issues and Action Items
• Control Schedule Collecting “Actuals”
• “Actuals” Collection Strategies
• Control Costs
• Cost Tracking
• PMI’s Approach to Quality
• Customer Satisfaction
• Prevention over Inspection
• Management Responsibility
• Quality Management Plan
• What is a Risk ?
• Identify Risks
• Qualitative Risk Analysis
• Plan Risk Responses 
• Contingency Plans
• Risk Register
• Monitor Risks
• Change Management
• Project Communication Management
• Close Project or Phase
• Portfolio Management
• Next Steps