Project Management Fundamentals

Project Management Overview and Project Initiation

• Project management and the project life cycle
• Initiating a project
• Developing a project charter
• Identifying and establishing a project governance

Participants will be introduced to project management terminology and the importance of project management of organizations to realize the business benefits for their projects.  After selecting the class case studies based on actual participant projects, participants will develop their project governance structure.

Project Planning

• Stakeholder analysis and communication planning
• Scope definition
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Defining task dependencies, resources, and estimating the level of effort for the project schedule
• Determining critical path and float

Based on the class case study, participants will identify and analyze project stakeholders, as well as develop a communication plan for each. Afterwards, the attendees will develop a WBS for their case study prior to identifying task dependencies and level of effort estimates for their project schedules.

Project Planning and Project Execution

• Planning for quality
• Procurement planning
• Project risk analysis
• Project change control

Attendees will participate in a quality project competition and continue with the class case studies from the previous two days. Participants will identify, assess, and develop risk strategies for their project and complete a project risk register. Additionally, the importance of project change control will be discussed in detail.

Project Execution Simulation and Project Monitor/Control

• Project simulation game (OilSim Construction planning and execution)

Participant teams will compete in the OilSim project simulation game where the concepts from the previous three days will be put into action. Project planning, risk analysis, resource procurement and management, and the ability to re-plan based on project progress will be the keys to success. Bonuses will not only be awarded for the team that delivers their project first, but also for how well they did according to their planned budget and schedule they submitted.

Project Monitor/Control and Project Closing

• EVA analysis
• Project quality reviews
• Closing processes and conducting lessons learned
• Organizational change management

The course will wrap up with several hands-on EVA exercises, a simple methodology on how to conduct lessons learned will be practiced, and a brief session to organizational change management will be presented. Lastly, the course will end with a review of the PMP® certification requirements and process.