Learn the most important steps in project menagement

Course Synopsis

Get a solid understanding of project management methods with this comprehensive introductory course. Gain practical experience in proven project management techniques and discover a wealth of valuable, flexible tools that you can use immediately to ensure the success of any project in any type of organization. Managing Projects gives you the foundation, techniques and tools to manage each stage of the project life cycle, work within organizational and cost constraints, set goals tied directly to stakeholder needs, get the most from your project management team, and utilize state-of-the-art project management tools to get the work done on time and within budget.

Covering the entire project life cycle, this course is built around best practices currently used in today’s fast-paced business environment. The latest insights from the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide), which incorporates information critical to project success, are also highlighted.

You’ll learn project management skills through case studies, hands-on exercises and practical experiences that can immediately be applied to your job. This approach yields a comprehensive project management experience, including the early stages of defining project requirements, developing work breakdown structures, project change control and closeout.

As the ESI Project Management Professional Development Program’s flagship course, Managing Projects opens the door to more efficient project implementation. The program’s other courses provide opportunities for you to build on the knowledge you gain during this course to enhance your project management capabilities.

Reminder: Participants taking this course should not take Managing IT Projects.

Course Topics

1. Introduction to Project Management
   1. What are "projects"?
   2. Why project management?
   3. The project life cycle
   4. Influences on a project
   5. Key stakeholders
   6. Project management process groups
   7. Project manager responsibilities
2. Project Initiation
   1. Understanding the role of senior management
   2. Needs Assessment
   3. Project selection
      • Benefit/cost ratio
      • Present value and net present value
   4. Building SMART objectives
      • Specific
      • Measurable
      • Agreed to
      • Realistic
      • Time-constrained
   5. Developing Requirements
   6. Project charters
   7. Project Requirements Document
3. Project Planning
   1. Scope planning
   2. The work breakdown structure
   3. Estimating
   4. Schedule Planning
   5. Network Diagrams - CPM
   6. Speeding up the Schedule
   7. Project Management Planning Software
   8. Cost Planning
   9. Responsibility Matrix
   10. Resource Loading and Leveling
   11. Risk Planning
   12. Procurement Planning
   13. Communication and quality planning
4. Project Implementation
   1. Baselines
   2. Developing the project team
   3. Organizations and team structures
   4. Managing change
   5. Managing Risk
   6. Performance reporting
   7. Reserves
   8. Assessing and monitoring project performance
   9. Earned value
   10. Sunk costs
5. Project Closeout
   1. Scope verification and customer acceptance
   2. Administrative and contractual closure
   3. Transferring lessons learned to future projects