Managing by Project

Course Overview

Work is increasingly done by project teams. As organizations shrink, better use must be made of the resources that remain and of contractors, temporaries, and part-timers. The complex resource management challenges that result are natural applications for project management skills. These skills facilitate any activity comprising defined interrelated tasks that must be completed on time and within budget, while meeting specified customer requirements.

This course is designed specifically for those who must create projects from the ground up and then manage them. This is what participants learn to do by actually practicing it in the course. Participants may or may not be senior-level managers, but they typically spend the majority of their time managing projects, may manage larger and more complex projects, and often manage multiple projects. The course is equally valuable for technical and non-technical managers and is useful to individual contributors as well as to project leaders. Both line and staff functions will benefit from attendance, and whether you are a seasoned project manager or new to management, you will grow and learn from your experience.

Key Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Manage by project
• Use fundamental principles and tools
• Organize and lead a project team
• Plan, schedule, and control a project
• Get quality work done on time and on budget
• Emphasize the human side of project management
• Experience a project from beginning to end
• Value the customer’s viewpoint

Course Outline

Introduction

• Agenda
• Objectives

Project Management Tools

• Develop a work breakdown structure
• Establish a critical path
• Plan a kickoff event
• Identify key performance indicators for project success

Project Simulation

• Run a 21-week project with your team
• Use and maintain project status reports
• Redirect project work and resources based on project work
• Plan team member development activities as part of the plan
• Close the project

Project Debrief

• Review the results of the project
• Analyze project problems and alternative solutions
• Celebrate project successes
• Develop an action plan