Suitable for participants who have some or no project management knowledge for immediate project management application.
Course Overview
This course is intended for managers and executives in technical and non-technical work areas, who need to acquire managerial and working knowledge and skill in monitoring or tracking, measuring the implementation of client’s projects (for both generic, engineering, and IT specific projects). Their participation through an action-learning methodology will facilitate an immediate transfer of such competency to workplace.
This course is compliant to Project Management Institute PMBOK, and is carefully designed to provide the best mix of experience, theory and practice in an adult learning environment. Formal presentations are used mainly to introduce key concepts and significant elements of project management. Emphasis is on practical applications through “hands on” action learning.
A high level of participation and team involvement is required. Maximum opportunities will be given to participants to inject their own examples and issues into the course and continually relate the material to their own contexts. Scenarios of project stakeholder conflicts, and ways to resolve them are taught; including project problem-solving and decision-making techniques.
Participants are encouraged to bring their projects to the session. The appreciation of project management software and techniques will be used to help participants better understand project management concepts; reflecting on their current project practices, and knowing how to improve them. Ample case studies, examples and interactive individual/group exercises are provided.
Objectives
To provide project management fundamentals (i.e., the project management framework) for participants to understand the project management methodology.
To understand the use of project management tools for initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects.
To apply soft skills when managing the team, which includes motivating, resolving conflicts, developing the team and exercising different leadership styles for different project scenarios and team member mix.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Have comprehensive understanding of the various processes of project management.
Understanding the Project Management methodology and terminologies (PMBOK compliant), and making it the backbone of a project organisation.
Exercise the required soft skills when managing the team, which includes motivating, resolving conflicts, developing the team and exercising different leadership styles for different project scenarios and team member mix.
Evaluate risk management planning of projects.
Determine worst-case, best case and most likely case for task/project durations, and costs.
Simulating project risks and uncertainties using Monte-Carlo technique.
Determine which task(s) has overwhelming influence in project duration and costs.
Determine project stakeholder roles and responsibilities.
Track project progress and making project reports.
Use Earned Value Management technique to analyse schedule and cost management performance of a project.
Have a working set of project management tools and techniques for monitoring and measuring projects.
Appreciate MS Project 2003 for planning, scheduling and tracking project progress.
Detailed Course Content (course content timings are approximate)
Day 1: Morning
Project Management Background
The time-cost-quality & project scope triangle.
Project management stakeholders and their implications on projects.
Stakeholder conflicts of interest, and how to resolve them. Activity: identifying stakeholder conflicts in the client’s organisation.
Motivating, resolving conflicts, developing the team and exercising different leadership styles for different project scenarios and team member mix.
Project management context and roles.
The project life cycle – initiating-planning-executing-controlling-closing phases.
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
Day 1: Afternoon
Project Initialising Process
Project manager and team member roles, accountability, and responsibilities.
Defining project needs, functional and technical requirements.
Defining measurable objectives to meet project requirements (scoping).
Developing the project charter.
Initial cost estimates (order-of-magnitude/top-down/budget estimation techniques).
Project feasibility studies (financial), e.g. Benefit-Cost ratio, Present Value, Net Present Value, Payback, Return On Investment.
Day 2: Morning
Project Planning Process
Scope definition & planning. Activity: creating a project charter.
Work breakdown structure (WBS). Activity: constructing a WBS.
Work task listing. Activity: constructing a work task list.
Work sequencing and scheduling (Network diagram, Gantt & milestone diagram). Activity: constructing a Gantt chart and a milestone chart of a project.
Understanding Critical Path Method.
Day 2: Afternoon
Network logic analysis – earliest start and end times, latest start and end times, and
float. Activity: calculating start and end times, and float of a hypothetical project.
Establishing baselines.
Resource listing – human, material, facility, equipment, etc.
Identifying controllable costs – direct and indirect costs. Activity: creating a resource list.
Using bottom-up estimates for scheduling and cost control.
Time-phased distribution of costs – cumulative cost curve (S-curve).
Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM). Activity: constructing a RAM.
Project risk management.
Monte-Carlo risk management simulation (software)
Planning for risk with contingency (risk management plan and risk management strategies).
Day 3: Morning
Project Execution Process
Executing the project plan.
Tracking project schedule progress using Gantt Chart. Activity: Using project management software to track project progress. Activity: Gantt Chart and project progress.
Tracking schedule and cost using Earned Value Analysis technique. Activity: EVA game.
Performance reporting using Earned Value Analysis technique. Activity: Earned Value analysis and reporting game.
Control schedule and cost using Earned Value Analysis technique.
Responding to project risks (executing risk responses, monitor and control the execution of the responses).
Work-around risk responses (for risks unidentified in risk management plan).
Risk monitoring. Activity: Risk response activation and rules.
Verifying project scope deliverables and stage sign-offs.
Day 3: Afternoon
Project Control Process
Change control system – change request, change control board, change impact assessment approve/disapprove, change implementation schedule, and updating configuration documents.
Project Closeout Process
Administrative close-out checklist. Activity: Product verification (formal acceptance and handover sign-offs), closing project books, post-mortem, documenting lessons learned, archiving project documents, disbanding, rewarding and thanking the team.
Contract close-out administration checklist. Activity: Scope verification of supplier deliverables (as per contract), document lessons learned, closing the contract, and thanking the supplier.
The training uses practical exercises that take individuals outside their comfort zones. By giving the participants help and guidance during the process, confidence and skills are strengthened. We make the sessions challenging and practical through the use of role-play, experiential learning and group exercises. Participants will quickly discover their strengths and weaknesses in communicating with others. Moreover, this interaction makes classes enjoyable and motivational.
The tempo of the training is light-hearted and fast-paced. Our experience suggests that this makes people actually look forward to attending our training sessions and reinforces the motivational effects. Peer group pressure, structure and relaxed atmosphere are the key elements to the success of our courses.
Methodology
Presentation, case studies, and hands-on activities.
Who Can Benefit
Managers and executives who are directly involved in planning, estimating, scheduling, monitoring (tracking), and measuring the implementation progress of projects.
Items, Logistics & Others
Training Items:
Post-It notes
Flipchart paper
Flipchart easels
Whiteboard
Computer projector (up to XGA resolution)
Writing paper
Whiteboard markers
Paper tape
Pencils
Course material (in a binder and tabbed)
Scientific calculator
Logistics:
Round table seating 5 participants.
Breakout table arrangement (conducive to group exercises).
Others:
Costs pertaining to training venue, training items and logistics (course material copying and binding, markers, flipcharts, whiteboards, writing materials, AV equipment) are at the expense of the organiser or the client. If outside Malaysia travel is required of the trainer, the organiser or the client will bear travelling and accommodation expenses of the trainer.
