Real Life Project Management Course Outline
(Now available on GSA. GS-02F-0046P)

Focus

Project success emerges from a good foundation: clearly articulated objectives, supportive, well-informed clients, and most critically an orientation to outcomes, not just tasks and activities. Many projects focus too early on task management and planning tools, missing the fundamentals of the project. Once a basis for success is created, the Project Manager can take charge, delegate, control and use adaptive behavior to reach the project goals regardless of obstacles.

Attendee Profile

This module is designed for individuals throughout the enterprise (any and all functions) who manage projects or who have significant project responsibilities. Some will be new to project management, while others are looking for more formal project management training to complement their PM experience. Many of our most successful workshops have included people across the spectrum of experience.

Learning Objectives

Participants will learn to:

• Articulate “SMART” project objectives in cooperation with the project’s client(s)
• Plan by Milestone before developing task lists
• Understand the importance of value addition and project benefits
• Identify the universe of project resources: core, extended and management teams
• Cope effectively with planning and controlling at activity/task level
• Learn to develop effective risk management and contingency plans and other responsive/adaptive actions
• Understand the ‘manager’ in project management: people and team components of successful projects
• Apply industry-standard and client-specific tools, techniques and methods that can contribute to project success with minimal overhead

Course Topics

See detailed Course Schedule attached; workshop may be modified for client-specific situations. Course is highly interactive and is case-based, with extensive group exercises and presentations.

Module, Duration Number of Participants

2 Days Minimum 10; Preferred 12-15; Maximum 20

REAL LIFE PROJECT MANAGEMENT - COURSE OUTLINE

DAY ONE

9:00-9:30 Unit One - Getting Started
Introductions and Expectations; course objectives and agenda
Team Exercise

9:30-11:15 Unit Two: Building a Foundation
The nature of a project; its components and processes
Requirements, Clients, Constraints, SMART Objectives, Scope: geography, people, processes
Group Exercise One - Project Celtic: Client and Objective

BREAK

Exercise One Debrief
Value Addition and Sources of Benefits

11:15-3:30 Unit Three: The Project Manager and the Planning Process
What’s a Project manager?; Dimensions of the PM job; Activities of the PM
Planning defined, Common troubles; Planning for success: Milestones, Objective Breakdown Structure; Selecting milestones; a milestone plan

Group Exercise Two - Project Celtic: Milestones

LUNCH

Exercise Two Debrief
Statement of Work; Objective Breakdown Structure
Group Exercise Three - Project Celtic: Objective Breakdown

BREAK

Exercise Three Debrief

3:30-5:30 Unit Four: The Project Team
Organizing and Staffing; Team identification, recruiting; Implicit team, Core team, Extended team, Management team
Class Brainstorm: Project Celtic: Implicit, Core and Management Team
Linear Responsibility Chart
Effective PMs; Directing and Leading defined; Models of Leadership
Readings to be completed: Providian Trust Case

5:30 End of day one

DAY TWO

9:00-11:00 Unit Four: The Project Team, continued
Team Exercise: Overboard
Success Factors affecting teams; Stages of team formation; Team roles

BREAK

Effective / ineffective meetings; Team ground rules; Meeting guidelines

11:00-2:45 Unit Five: Change and Control
Managing change in a project context; The “Manager” in PM
The activity of controlling; The Controlling Process; Detailed Planning; Identifying Tasks; Estimating; Dependencies; Critical Path
Class Walkthrough - Project Celtic detailed task list

LUNCH

Resource Assignment; Optimization and tradeoffs
Risk Management and Alternate Plans
Brainstorm - Project Celtic: Project risks and contingencies
Reporting; Responsive/Adaptive Action; The Communication Plan
Closing a Project; Natural End, Premature End
Tools, Techniques and Methodologies; Gantt, PERT, Visio, etc., War Room, Group tools; Formal Methodologies

BREAK

3.15-5:00 Unit Seven: Final Exercise
Recommendations to the Board of Providian Trust
Group Presentations

5:00-5:15 Unit Ten: Course Evaluation and Wrap-Up
Wrap-up, Next steps, Course Evaluation

Click here for sample slide presentation/course overview >>