Improving Your Project Management Skills: The Basics for Success

Build a solid foundation of project management knowledge, techniques and tools in this hands-on workshop that covers the entire project life cycle.

As the business world grows more competitive, organizations find it necessary to take on an increasing number of projects. Unfortunately, these same organizations often don’t have skilled project managers to handle the work. In this seminar, you will learn and practice the critical tools and techniques that have been proven necessary for project
management success. In lectures, discussions and exercises, you’ll cover the essential aspect of managing projects.

While aligned with the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) framework, this course is specifically designed to focus on the practical application of concepts. You’ll return to work with the knowledge and tools you need to get your projects started right and completed successfully.

Who Should Attend

Individuals who are new to project management
“Accidental” project managers (professionals for whom PM is a secondary part of their jobs)
Business analysts; subject-matter experts from any field who contribute to projects; managers responsible for projects; and experienced project managers looking to review current tools, techniques and processes

How You Will Benefit

• Ensure that your projects are set-up for success from the start
• Learn the basics for effectively gathering and documenting requirements
• Understand the role of the project manager, business analyst, and others in managing projects
• Develop an integrated project plan including realistic scope, schedules, budgets, and risks—and turn that plan into successful action
• Learn how to effectively track and report on project progress
• Gain the respect of your project team and build credibility with top management

What You Will Cover

An Overview of Key Project Management Concept

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

• The project triangle
• The definition of the "project"
• The five core PM process groups

Initiating the Project

• Creating a project charter and tying it to the business case
• Gathering and documenting requirements
• Setting customer, sponsor, and team member expectations

Identifying the Work

• Creating the work breakdown structure (WBS) based on the charter and product requirements
• Assigning ownership to tasks

Estimating the Work

• Discussing industry best practices for creating realistic estimates

Scheduling the Work

• Creating precedence (network logic) diagrams to show task dependencies
• Producing Gantt charts to graph project timelines
• Determining the critical path and calculating float

Creating the Budget

• Estimating and tracking personnel and (out of pocket) expenses

Course Outline

• The Project Management Framework
• Initiate the Project
• Identify the Work
• Estimate the Work
• Schedule the Work
• Create the Budget
• Complete the Plan
• Execute the Plan
• Close the Project