Introduction:

This intensive 5-day program is designed to equip project professionals with advanced skills in project scheduling, with a strategic focus on aligning project timelines with broader organizational goals. Through practical exercises, tools, and real-world case studies, participants will gain the ability to develop, monitor, and optimize project schedules to ensure efficiency, accountability, and timely delivery.

Target Audience:

• Project Managers and Coordinators

• Project Planners and Schedulers

• PMO Members

• Engineers and Technical Leads

• Anyone involved in project planning, execution, or control

Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Develop realistic and strategically aligned project schedules

• Apply critical path and resource optimization techniques

• Use scheduling tools and software effectively (e.g., MS Project, Primavera P6)

• Identify schedule risks and implement mitigation strategies

• Align scheduling activities with organizational KPIs and objectives

Outlines:

Day 1:

Foundations of Strategic Project Scheduling

• Overview of project scheduling in strategic project management

• Key terminology and scheduling principles

• The role of scheduling in project lifecycle and success

• Understanding stakeholder expectations and business alignment

• Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that supports strategic goals

Day 2:

Building and Structuring the Project Schedule

• Activity sequencing and dependency logic

• Estimating durations and effort

• Critical Path Method (CPM) and Float analysis

• Milestone identification and phase structuring

• Strategic prioritization in time-constrained projects

Day 3:

Tools, Software, and Real-Time Scheduling

• Introduction to MS Project and/or Primavera P6 for scheduling

• Building schedules using scheduling software

• Using Gantt charts, calendars, and baseline views

• Schedule compression techniques (Crashing and Fast Tracking)

• Hands-on exercise: Building a strategic schedule in software

Day 4:

Risk-Aware Scheduling and Resource Optimization

• Identifying schedule-related risks and constraints

• Integrating risk registers with scheduling activities

• Resource leveling vs. resource smoothing

• Strategic allocation of resources to high-impact tasks

• Case study: Responding to schedule delays and recovery planning

Day 5:

Performance Monitoring and Strategic Alignment

• Schedule performance indicators (SPI, SV, EVMS overview)

• Schedule reviews, variance analysis, and reporting

• Aligning schedule updates with changing strategic priorities

• Stakeholder communication and schedule governance

• Final workshop: Presenting a schedule aligned with a strategic scenario