Project Management: Fundamentals

Course length: 1 day

Project Management: Fundamentals overviews the basics of project management. It provides the theory and core methodology you will need to manage projects or participate on project teams.

This course does not make use of any project management software application, but instead focuses on the conceptual underpinnings that students must know in order to use any project management software application effectively.

Target Student: Students enrolling in this course should be planning to lead a project (primary audience) or serve on a project team (secondary audience).

Delivery Method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery (including “virtual” electronic classroom) learning model with structured minds-on and hands-on activities.

Benefits: Students will learn how to use project management techniques to plan, organize, control, document, and close out their projects successfully and with minimum risk.

Performance-Based Objectives

     • Discuss the phases of the Project Management Life Cycle and a project manager's role in each phase.
     • List and discuss basic project success criteria and common reasons for project failure.
     • Discuss techniques for setting up a strong project team.
     • List and discuss elements of a Risk Management Plan.
     • Discuss techniques for planning and sequencing project activities, including the Work Breakdown Structure and
        the Network Logic Diagram.
     • Identify the Critical Path for completing a project on schedule.
     • List and discuss the cost elements that should be included in a project budget.
     • Discuss techniques for controlling for deviation from budgets and schedules.
     • Discuss key elements of project management communications and reporting tools. 
     • Discuss key activities of project close-out.

Course Content
Lesson 1: The Project Management Life Cycle

     Topic 1A: What is a Project?
     Topic 1B: The Project Management Life Cycle
     Topic 1C: The Role of the Project Manager

Lesson 2: Setting Up for Success
    
     Topic 2A: The Meaning of Success
     Topic 2B: What Happens in the Initiation Phase?
     Topic 2C: Project Definition and Scope
     Topic 2D: Putting Together a Statement of Work
     Topic 2E: The Project Charter

Lesson 3: The Project Team
  
     Topic 3A: The Teamwork Challenge
     Topic 3B: Selecting Team Members
     Topic 3C: The Team Charter

Lesson 4: Risk Management
  
     Topic 4A: Project Risk

Lesson 5: Project Plans
 
     Topic 5A: The Work Breakdown Structure
     Topic 5B: Work Package Sequencing

Lesson 6: The Project Schedule

     Topic 6A: The Scheduling Process
     Topic 6B: Time Estimates

Lesson 7: The Project Budget

     Topic 7A: What is a Budget?
     Topic 7B: Creating a Preliminary Budget
     Topic 7C: Budget and Schedule Balancing

Lesson 8: Project Tracking and Control

     Topic 8A: Moving the Project Forward
     Topic 8B: Monitoring for Project Progress
     Topic 8C: Earned Value Analysis
     Topic 8D: Getting Back on Track

Lesson 9: Project Reports

     Topic 9A: Communications Overview
     Topic 9B: Project Performance Reports
     Topic 9C: Project Change Requests

Lesson 10: Project Close-out

     Topic 10A: Elements of Close-out
     Topic 10B: Evaluation of People and Projects