Project
Management: Strategies and Tactics Details
Learning Outcomes: Participants will...
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Fully understand the key
elements of project success |
Be able to create a detailed
project definition |
|
Effectively deal with typical
project conflict situations |
Understand how and why to
control “scope creep” |
|
Improve “up-front” planning |
Be able to develop
effective team charters and ground rules |
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Learn
key elements of project success
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Learn and practice four
planning and two scheduling tools |
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Be able to develop and
defend a sound project scope |
Learn and practice two risk
assessment techniques |
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Use
phase-gate life cycle designs to control
projects |
Understand project control tools and tracking
methods |
|
Understand the
relationship between planning and success |
Be able to analyze and
overcome
implementation problems |
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Create sound
project definitions |
Creatively use project
responsibility charts |
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Be able to monitor, diagnose
and maximize team performance |
Understand Milestone and Earned Value progress tracking
|
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Learn how to evaluate scope
trade-offs |
Will understand be able
to do
resource loading and leveling |
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Understand project
productivity and limiting factors |
(Optional) Effectively deal
with personality differences |
A Typical Three-Day Outline,
Annotated
|
This section stresses the critical
importance of effective planning. It also develops the
case for fast, “up front”, planning and the critical
importance of broad involvement in planning.
Planning, standard setting and after
action reviews are reviewed and applied to real project
situations.
|
I. |
The Project
Management Process |
Understanding
Project Management
Project Management
Effectiveness
Success Elements
Project Management
Challenge Exercise
Teamwork Ground Rules
After Action Review
Effective Teamwork
Assessment
Projects: A Life-cycle View
Phase-gate Models
Planning Processes Overview
Planning: Investing in
Success
Project
Organization Models (1)
|
|
Participants review basic PM tools
such as work breakdown structures
(using
six to eight planning tools),
bar charts, CPM methods, and responsibility charts.
Most tools are practiced in exercises.
Effective use and standardization
of tools is analyzed in the client organization.
|
II. |
Project Planning
Tools |
Project
Definition and Charter
Project Charter and Team “Kick-Off”
Gaining Commitment
Planning: Introduction
Work Breakdown Structures
Multiple Pass Planning: WBS Tools
Project Management Tasks
Mitigating Risk
Estimating Task Duration and Costs
Scheduling
Bar Charts
Network Methods
Milestones
Resource Loading and
Leveling
Planning: Multiple Time Horizons
Responsibility Charts/Matrices
|
Group
decision-making and teamwork are addressed in an exercise
stressing application to participants' own experience.
|
III. |
Managing Project
Teamwork |
Group Decisions: When? Why? How?
Project
Team Exercise
Teamwork
|
|
We focus mainly on the organization's
current implementation problems here. We usually
address issues of stakeholder commitment. A team
exercise addresses the planning/implementation interface.
Selection and standardization of project
metrics for control is analyzed in the context of
participants' own organizations practices.
This section also covers
project portfolios and project system
effectiveness. Concepts are applied to the
organization's current and ideal portfolios.
|
IV. |
Implementing |
Implementing: PDCA
Implementation
Problems
Implementation Exercise
Managing Changes and
“Scope Creep”
Evaluating Scope Tradeoffs
Project
Tracking and Controlling
Before-the-Fact Control
T & C: What?
T & C: Metrics
T & C: Monitoring
Earned Value Analysis
Problem Solving and Corrective Action
Project Productivity
(Throughput)
Productivity: Organization Level View
Productivity: Task Level View
Project Organization
Models (2)
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Project transitioning to client/users and project closing
practices and issues are addressed.
|
V. |
Closing the
Project |
Transferring the Project
Implementation Problems
Closing the Project
|
| We
use a "hands-on" construction project as a capstone
exercise. Its tangible nature makes it suitable for any
group. |
VI. |
Project
Simulation |
Applying All
the Tools
Action Planning |
| |
VII. |
Appendices &
Bibliography |
Appendix
One: Project Conflict
Appendix
Two: Project Relationships
Bibliography
|
Available in two and three
day in-house versions. Tailoring and customizing is available.
