The Course

By definition, all projects are unique, have constraints, and involve at least some aspects that have not been done before. Despite best efforts and intentions, there are plenty of problems and challenges that can – and often will – arise during any project phase to derail your hard work. This course will provide you – right away – with practical tools and field-proven strategies to effectively manage your project. These tools and strategies will sharpen and reinforce your existing managerial skills so you to become more effective in dealing with the unforeseen obstacles you’ll encounter throughout your project.

The course will further your knowledge of the capability of effectively managing projects across the business and/or engineering applications. It offers a comprehensive and deep understanding of how to employ project management principles and techniques, according to internationally-acknowledged best practices, to most effectively manage projects. Moreover, it will assist you in identifying successful project management techniques and patterns, and their impact on project performance. The focus of this course is on project integration, project governance, project leadership, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and performance monitoring. Techniques to improve the maturity level of how projects are currently being managed within the organization are also explored.

Course highlights include:

• Providing practical ways to effectively deal with project complexities
• Offering solutions to deal with whatever unexpected challenges come your way
• Comprehensive coverage of how to select and implement appropriate project management processes
• Critical examination of project leadership, including effective communication and people management
• Evaluation of the maturity level of project management processes being applied by your organization

The Goals

Attendees will:

• Master the knowledge and skills needed for managing projects effectively
• Apply a solid foundation of generic project management skills to deliver projects
• Organize, plan, launch, track, and close a project balancing the constraints of scope, time, cost, and quality
• Master project planning, execution, and control skills
• Identify the skills necessary to lead or serve on a project team

The Process

The course is an interactive mixture of speakers’ input, discussion, activities, and practice on project management skills. It provides definitions, examples, discussions, and activities designed to promote skill building. Activities and work on practice case studies and role-playing are used to deliberately highlight concepts covered and allow participants to practice project management skills. The course is carefully designed to provide the best mix of experience, theory, and practice in a friendly learning environment

The Benefits

By participating in this course, attendees will gain:

• A comprehensive understanding of the various processes of project management
• An understanding of issues such as time management, cost estimation, stakeholder analysis, resource management, and project performance analysis.
• Insights into how the different project management processes interact and the effective ways of integrating scope, time, cost, and risk.
• Deeper knowledge of the art and science of delivering effective solutions, planning, and problem-solving.
• A greater ability to work with a set of project management tools and techniques for monitoring and measuring project progress.

The Results

The organization will benefit by:

• Having highly competent staff with greater skills in effectively managing projects according to best practices
• Developing and refining project managers’ skills in applying a structured approach to project

management thus having a consistent and streamlined process across the organization

• Empowering staff to focus on keeping projects on track despite unavoidable interruptions
• Having equipped staff to tackle challenges encountered throughout projects in a more effective manner
• Increasing ability to succeed in the face of threatened budget cuts, or unreliable outside collaborators

The Core Competencies

Attendees will develop the following competencies:

• High-level project management skills including project integration and scope management
• Project risk management
• People management
• Project planning incorporating uncertainty
• Time and cost management (and their integration)

The Programme Content

Day One

Project Scope and Time Planning

• Plan, manage and protect the project scope
• Define and map project activities
• Estimate activity durations
• Develop a project schedule
• Project planning tools
• Deal with risk and uncertainty in time planning

Day Two

Project Selection and Initiation

• The project environment
• Overview of the project management process
• Project feasibility and project management terminology
• Project lifecycle, governance, and stakeholders
• Key knowledge areas of Project Management
• Project integration management and maturity levels

Day Three

Project Cost and Risk Planning

• Accuracy and reliability of estimates
• Cost estimation techniques
• Contingencies and allowances
• Examine the impact of risk on cost parameters
• Establish baselines and implement cost control
• Prepare for contracting

Day Four

Habits of Highly Effective Project Managers

• The Project Manager: Role, Skills, and Accountabilities
• Identify your outcomes and plan for achievement
• Sharpen interpersonal skill
• Gain and maintain a commitment
• Deal effectively with project conflicts
• Take massive action and stay focused

Day Five

Project Procurement and Execution

• Contractor/Vendor selection
• Track project performance by integrating scope, time, and cost
• Identify critical performance indicators
• Report project progress
• Trouble-shooting: putting projects back on track
• Project closure & closing of the contract