Duration
3 days
Suitable for participants who have some or no project management knowledge.
Course Overview
This course is intended for executives in technical and non-technical work areas, who need to acquire advance working knowledge and skill in planning, monitoring or tracking, measuring the implementation of client’s projects (for both generic, engineering, and IT specific projects). Their participation through an action-learning methodology will facilitate an immediate transfer of such competency to workplace.
This course is carefully designed to provide the best mix of experience, theory and practice in an adult learning environment. Formal presentations are used mainly to introduce key concepts and significant elements of project management. Emphasis is on practical applications through “hands on” action learning.
A high level of participation and team involvement is required. Maximum opportunities will be given to participants to inject their own examples and issues into the course and continually relate the material to their own contexts.
Participants are encouraged to bring their projects to the session. The appreciation of project management software and techniques will be used to help participants better understand project management concepts; reflecting on their current project practices, and knowing how to improve them. Ample case studies, examples and interactive individual/group exercises are provided.
Objectives
- To provide advance project management tools and techniques for managing single and multiple projects.
- To understand advance project management knowledge.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Have comprehensive and advance understanding of the various processes of project management.
- Evaluate risk management planning and monitoring risks of projects.
- Simulating task/project durations, and costs.
- Determine which task(s) has overwhelming influence in project duration.
- Track project progress using earned value technique.
- Have a working set of project management tools and techniques for monitoring project progress - appreciate use of MS Project for planning, scheduling and tracking project progress.
Detailed Course Content
The sessions will normally start at 9.00 am and end at 5.00 pm, or at client’s timing preference; with two 15-minute tea breaks and an hour lunch.
DAY 1: Project Management of Single and Multiple Projects
- The time-cost-quality & project scope triangle.
- Project management stakeholders and their implications on projects.
- Stakeholder conflicts of interest, and how to resolve them.
- The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).
- Factors which make managing projects easier and difficult.
- Challenges unique to multiple projects.
- Using bottom-up estimates for scheduling and cost control.
- Time-phased distribution of costs – cumulative cost curve (S-curve).
- Computerised simulation on schedule and cost using Monte-Carlo technique and sensitivity analysis using Tornado Diagramming technique.
- Visualizing multiple projects and critical paths using Microsoft Project.
- Activity: An event management program.
- Project resource management and multiple project resource pooling.
- Assess schedule and resource conflicts to determine resource availability loading.
- Resource-sharing among multiple projects.
- Expediting schedules and reducing costs.
DAY 2: Project Risk Management
- Review of the Work Breakdown Structure.
- Principles of project uncertainties.
- Definition and characteristics of “risk”.
- Variation of risk within the project management lifecycle.
- Elements and factors of risk.
- Types of risk – external, cost, schedule, technology, operation risks, etc.
- Components of risk management.
- Risk identification by work/activity.
- Activity: Participants may present their contractor project or use a prescribed case. Participants in groups work by decomposing the project using Work Breakdown Structure, brainstorm to identify threat risks, and using Ishikawa Diagramming technique to uncover possible causes to threat risks.
- Risk classification into types of risk.
- Risk assessment (using probability of risk occurrence, and impact consequences).
- Risk expected value analyses.
- Risk trigger (determining when the risk occurs).
- Risk impact studies (determining how the risk will impact on schedule, cost, quality and scope of the project).
- Prioritizing risks.
- Monitoring high profile risks – risk watch list.
- Managing Intra- And Inter- Projects Risks
- Risk response strategies – risk avoidance, mitigation, transfer/deflection, and acceptance.
- Activity: Establish the expected risk reserve (contingency funds) to set aside
- Activity: Creating a Project Risk Register (using a pre-formatted template).
- Activity: Provide risk response(s) for each threat risk
- Risk response control.
- Executing risk strategies.
DAY 3: MS Project Familiarisation Hands-On
Delegates will have hands-on experience in MS Project (preferably version 2007 for easy grasp) and will be able to relate to Work Breakdown Structure development and Monte-Carlo Simulation through exercises
Project Management Basics
Time-cost-quality & project scope triangle, About MS Project 2007, Explore Project, Create a New Project, Set the Standard Calendar, Construct a Work Breakdown Structure.
Managing Tasks
Construct a Task List, Enter Tasks, Edit and Organise Tasks, Outline Tasks, Create a Work Calendar.
Managing Time
Set Task Durations, Link Tasks, Create Task Relationships, Use Lag and Lead Time, Determine the Critical Tasks and Path.
Managing Resources
Construct a Resource List, Assign Resources, Assign Costs to Resources, Levelling Resource Loads.
Tracking and Supervising
Save a Baseline, Enter Task Actual Start/Finish, Actual Task Cost, Manage Task Progress, Analyse Resource Allocations.
Views and Reports
Work with Reports, Create a Cost Chart with MS Excel.
Training Approach
The training uses practical exercises that take individuals outside their comfort zones. By giving the participants help and guidance during the process, confidence and skills are strengthened. We make the sessions challenging and practical through the use of role-play, experiential learning and group exercises. Participants will quickly discover their strengths and weaknesses in communicating with others. Moreover, this interaction makes classes enjoyable and motivational.
The tempo of the training is light-hearted and fast-paced. Our experience suggests that this makes people actually look forward to attending our training sessions and reinforces the motivational effects. Peer group pressure, structure and relaxed atmosphere are the key elements to the success of our courses.
Methodology
Presentation, case studies, and hands-on activities.
Who Can Benefit
Executives who are directly involved in planning, estimating, scheduling, monitoring (tracking), and measuring, and reporting the implementation progress of projects. Examples, case studies and templates are provided.
Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.