Project Management Course

Projects are fast becoming an important way of working within organizations to achieve new levels of performance, new products and services at less cost than routine operational activities. At one or other point in time, many people will find themselves taken out of their routine jobs and placed in a project. It is thus important to become familiar with the principles, processes, and techniques of project management.

Upon completion of this course, the participants should:

• Apply the principles and theories of project management
• Apply a range of project management tools and techniques
• Conduct project documentation management to support project processes
• Contribute to project initiation, scope definition and scope change control
• Contribute to the management of project risk within own field of expertise
• Develop a simple schedule to facilitate effective projects execution
• Explain the fundamentals of project management
• Identify, suggest and implement corrective actions to improve the quality of project work
• Monitor, evaluate and communicate simple project schedules
• Participate in the estimation and preparation of cost budget for a project or sub project and monitor actual expenditure against budget
• Plan, organise and support project meetings and workshops
• Work as project team member
• Evaluate and improve the project team's performance
• Supervise a project team of a small project to deliver project objectives
• Support the project environment and activities to deliver project objectives
• Assess the program using various methods, including Portfolio of Evidence
• Provide assistance in implementing and assuring project work meets quality requirements
• Work effectively with others to create a cohesive team
• Organize and manage oneself and ones activities to maintain autonomy and at the same time to collaborate with others while exercising self-control.
• Collect, analyze, organize and critically evaluate information concerning aspects that might affect the team as a whole.
• Communicate effectively with team members to gain their trust and support
• Demonstrate and understanding of the world as a set of related systems whereby team cohesiveness and spirit impacts on team output and image.
• Demonstrate an understanding of project management tools and techniques
• Use a range of project management tools and techniques
• Apply corrective action steps where project management tools and techniques usage problems occur.

• Project Definition - Clarify the main elements of a project through examination of definitions by practitioners in the field and the project management institute.
• Project structures - an analysis and evaluation of how to draw together a team. Structures for planning, decision making, reporting, control.
• Facilitation Skills - Team functions - leading, executing, motivation, planning and problem solving.
• Project Management Cycle - initiation, definition, planning, implementation, closure.
• Problem Analysis - Look at a practical example of an opportunity/problem in your organisation which gives rise to the need for a project.
• Business Case and Scope - prepare an outline of the scope of your project. Name of project, reason for project, management, implementers, cost, time frame, location.
• Project Planning - setting goals and objectives, Gantt chart, work breakdown and structure, schedules.
• Feasibility studies: technical, financial and operational.
• Resource and Cost Estimation - setting up of a budget, variance analysis.
• Project Monitoring -controlling resources, time, budget, & quality.
• Conflict Management - managing conflict by identifying competition, collaboration, avoidance, compromise, accommodation as key tools in the process.
• Time Management - prioritization, Covey's time management matrix, setting long term and short term goals.
• Quality - evaluate what is meant by quality, role of scope document, criteria such as economy, efficiency, reliability, safety, functionality.
• Risk Management -types of risk, risk matrix, and management of key risks.
• Project Evaluation - external and internal evaluation of outcomes of project against scope and plan, evaluation of project product as well as process and performance.
• Project Closure - reasons for closure ie, legal, performance, relations with customers; closing plan, close down, procedures, contract finalization, handover of functions, asset disposal, document results.