Course: The Essentials of Project Management Incl. Microsoft Project

This five day training course provides the key processes and methods central to fulfilling the project manager’s role.  Its principle advantage is that the programme examines how these processes can be implemented on a day-to-day basis through the use of Microsoft® Project software and as such it is a highly practical programme of training. To support this approach delegates work through a case study throughout the programme

Training Course Outline

Project Definition and Lifecycle

• What is a project?
• The stages of the project lifecycle 
• The role of the project manager
• Project team roles and responsibilities
• Project organisational structures
• The project management system
• Defining and clarifying project objectives, scope and constraints - gaining agreement with key project roles

Project Planning - the Principles

• Planning tools and methods - work breakdown structures, network diagrams, critical path analysis and estimating
• Use Microsoft® Project to support the creation of project network diagrams and Gantt charts and to communicate the plan
• Identifying areas of risk and contingency planning
• Using Microsoft® Project to schedule and review resource workloads
• Building quality into the project

Project Leadership and Teamworking

• Mapping out the project team
• Building and developing effective project teams
• Managing remote and virtual teams
• Project team leadership and motivation
• Project Monitoring and Control
• Accurate capture of progress to date
• Risk identification, assessment and management
• Using Microsoft® Project to track and report progress
• Use Microsoft® Project to support corrective action planning
• Change control - responding to problems and changes

Project Communication

• Maintaining communication throughout the project lifecycle
• Achieving buy in from project participants and stakeholders
• Keeping people informed - using communication to keep the project visible and alive
• Understand how Microsoft® Project can support project communication

Closing the Project

• Project completion and handing over the project
• Project performance review - lessons to be learned
• Post project activities

Personal Development

• Review of your own project issues and concerns
• Creating a personal action plan throughout the programme
  

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Understand what is meant by a project and what sets projects apart from day-to-day work.
• Appreciate the range of competencies and skills needed to be an effective project manager.
• Focus the objectives of the project in line with business and client needs.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities necessary for effective project delivery.
• Comprehend the reasons why projects fail and build in the mechanisms to protect your own projects.
• Ensure that projects are planned, reviewed, controlled and implemented successfully.
• Plan for effective communication.
• Automate key processes of the planning and performance monitoring of a project.