Project Management: Effective Principles

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Picture a recent project in which you were involved.  Were you clear on the scope?  Did you have a detailed plan? Did you identify & plan for risks up front? Did you finish on time and on budget?  If the answer to any of these questions was anything but a definitive “yes,’ you need to complete this program.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

• Managers, supervisors, project team leaders and staff who are responsible for projects.
• Project managers looking for an effective framework for managing an increasing number of projects.
• Project Teams or departments about to embark on major initiatives.

PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN:

• How project managers think
• What are projects and what is project management
• Project Management tools and process that can be used in all types of projects
• How to relate competently to the project sponsor
• How to properly define a project by completing a project charter, identifying roles and responsibilities  and taking into accounts the issues  and concerns of project stakeholders
• How to use such project management tools as the work breakdown structure, network diagram, Gantt, and Critical Path as needed
• How to set up effective project risk, project change and project issue management processes
• How to provide effective reports to managers and other stakeholders as needed
• How to use a variety of new tools to get project team and/or stakeholder input and to help the team to become more effective
• How to close projects properly, including presenting the final report
• How to conduct effective project meetings
• Some “key” project management principles

COURSE OUTLINE

Project Management Overview/Conception

• The seven principles for effective project management
• Why managing expectations is the number one responsibility of the project manager
• Project management definitions
• Understanding the project life cycle
• Why projects can and do fail
• The project management matrix and the key characteristics of successful project management
• Defining the project management process

Defining Your Project

• Determining your key stakeholders
• Determining and understanding the expectations from management
• Role of the project manager, the project sponsor and team members
• Establishing deliverables to respond to your project stakeholders’ needs
• Project team structures
• Assessing the required project skill sets
• Building the project charter

Planning Your Project

• Planning and organizing a project including determining resource needs
• The key project elements – the triple constraints
• Determining key activities in each project phase – scope definition
• Use of key planning tools such as work breakdown structure, network diagram and critical path
• Determining critical time factors and key project deadlines
• Use of the Gantt chart
• Effective risk management
• Establishing a baseline schedule
• Establishing a project quality plan
• Stakeholder communication guidelines

Executing and Controlling Your Project

• Setting the “project plan” in motion
• Anticipating and planning for sudden project changes
• Keeping your project on track
• Effective issue management
• Determining what to report on and how to document it
• How to conduct effective project meetings
• Managing project information effectively including documentation
• Communicating results throughout the project management cycle

Closing Your Project

• Project close checklist
• Project evaluation
• Developing lessons learned – the process of continuous improvement
• Final report
• Follow-up review

METHODS TO BE USED

The facilitator uses a hands-on approach once given the theory. Students work through all major project management tools using a relevant case study.

Participants will be asked to complete pre-work: an electronic survey designed to identify their project management experience level, projects that they have worked on and their specific needs and issues relative to project management.  The facilitator then summarizes this information for discussion in the workshop and ensures that these issues and needs are addressed during the workshop.