Effective Project Management Seminar

Planet Digital Training Center in association with 3PM, LLC

People Projects Processes

2 Day Effective Project Management (EPM) Seminar

Presented by: Alex Walton MSEE, MBA, PMP

Introduction

There are confirmed fundamental principles associated with project success and good project management. The following modules, along with your selected special interests, are woven into a two day seminar that help participants become familiar with good practices and principles associated with project selection, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure.

Unless a specific focus is requested, the examples come from multiple industries.

The aim of this seminar is to provide you with valuable ideas and insights that help you and those that work for you to do a better job serving your organization, provide value to your clients, get more enjoyment from your work, and inspire those who work around you. Other benefits include:

· You can step back and analyze your patterns of managing people and information.

· You will think creatively about specific projects and problems you are, or will be, dealing with in the near future.

· You will leave this seminar with useful reference materials on organizational effectiveness.

· You'll learn from each other.

Your organization depends upon its managers to define, develop, lead and successfully complete its key projects. This seminar shows you important principles and results discovered by the current “best” practices in project management.

2 Day EPM Seminar Modules (Day 1)

Module 1: Project Management Concepts

This module describes project management, how it compares to operation (process) management, and the fundamentals (e.g. balancing time, cost, and scope). Common terms are defined and the effects of “distributed” projects (customers, team members, and partners) are discussed.

Module 2: Planning Basics

Planning is a process. This module provides a quick overview of the basic steps and tools, how they relate, and how planning fits into the overall project management process.

Module 3: Project Objective: Scope

This module describes tools and techniques for clarifying the project objectives - “When we are complete with the project, how will we measure success?”

Module 4: WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

A fundamental project planning tool, the WBS is used to break the project down into manageable pieces and to account for everything with the project. Concepts covered include styles, deliverables, tasks, how to “break down the project” and how detailed to get. The special needs of customer specific projects are highlighted.

Module 5: Estimating

Describes the basic methods for estimating the project’s costs and durations, using the WBS and Scope for reference. A combination of techniques is promoted.

Module 6: Networking and Scheduling

Simple techniques for identifying the “critical path” tasks on a project and clarifying task dependencies, along with presentation techniques, are learned.

Module 7: Overview of a Project Planning Workshop (PPW)

Describes a highly successful method of starting and planning projects, combining the benefits of traditional “team building” and good project planning. A detailed “how to” article is included as a reference. Techniques for international project are highlighted.

2 Day EPM Seminar Modules (Day 2)

Module 8: Monitoring and Control of Projects

This module covers the basic concepts and suggestions for monitoring and controlling projects, once the project is planned and the team begins execution of the plan. Reporting styles and the concept of “earned value” are discussed for small and large projects. “Distributed” teams are specifically addressed.

Module 9: Risk Management

This module describes risk management and simple techniques to begin managing risks. Topics include the difference between risks and problems, and the process of identifying, assessing, selecting, and handling the most important risks. How different cultures and organizations address the topic of risk management is included in this seminar.

Module 10: Project Communications

This module describes a common set of effective tools for communicating within projects and across projects. The focus is on how to minimize efforts and maximize clear communications. Topics include the management of small to large, “distributed,” and cross-functional teams.

Module 11: Change Control

“Things” are going to change. This module describes basic techniques for managing the inevitable change. Identifying the right techniques to maximize results for projects, including the considerations of company politics and various cultures within a project, are included in the discussions.

Module 12: Project Closure

Usually overlooked until the end, this module describes good techniques for making closure simple and effective. Production transition, rollout, launch, and celebration issues are specifically addressed.

Module 13 – Working with People

This module introduces simple effective ideas and techniques for dealing with conflicts, delegation, and other issues created by working with people in any project. Areas of special interest to the participant’s environment are highlighted. This module is a “subset” of other standard modules on the topics reviewed.

Summary and Actions

We review the results of the seminar, what was most important for each participant and give participants time to clarify action items for themselves - moving forward.