Project Management Essentials

Projects are how organizations turn ideas into real business results—but without the right approach, even the best ideas can struggle to succeed. Project Management Essentials is a two-day course that introduces participants to modern project management practices based on the latest standards from the Project Management Institute’s PMBOK Guide 8th Edition. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how projects create value within organizations and learn the essential activities involved in starting, planning, supporting, and closing projects effectively.

Through a mix of practical tools, hands-on activities, and real-world examples, participants will learn how to build a strong business case, engage stakeholders, plan scope and schedules, manage risks, and track project performance using both Predictive and Agile approaches. By the end of the program, participants will have a practical framework and toolkit they can immediately apply to help their teams deliver projects more effectively and achieve meaningful results.

At the end of this course, participants should be able to

• Describe the standards of project management according to the PMBOK Guide 8^th Edition
• Discuss the essential activities performed when starting a project
• Perform essential planning activities needed to manage a project
• Discuss the essential activities needed to support team performance
• Discuss the essential activities needed when closing a project

Course Outline

• The Standard for Project Management
  • Foundational Elements of Project Management
    • Characteristics of a Project
    • Project Governance
    • Operations and Project Management
    • Projects, Programs, Portfolios, and Operations
  • System for Value Delivery
    • Creating Value
    • Understanding the Project Environment
    • Product Management Considerations
    • Functions associated with Projects
    • Project Management Roles
  • Project Management Principles
  • Performance Domains
  • Project Life Cycles
    • Project Phases
    • Project Development Approaches
      • Predictive
      • Adaptive (Agile)
      • Hybrid
    • Considerations for choosing the Development Approach
    • Delivery Cadence
    • Project Management Focus Areas
• Starting a Project
  • Creating your Business Case
  • Identify and Engage Stakeholders
  • Build a Shared Understanding
  • Determine Project Approach
  • Secure Approval to Proceed
  • Online Activity
• Planning a Project
  • Predictive Projects
    • Creating the Project Management Plan
    • Determining the Project Scope using a WBS
    • Activity – WBS
    • Determining the Schedule using a Schedule Network Diagram
    • Determining resources to be used using a Resource Breakdown Structure
    • Activity – Project Schedule
    • Determining the Budget
    • Activity – S-Curve
    • Determining Project Risks
    • Activity – Risk Register
    • Planning for Quality, Communications, Procurement, and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Adaptive Projects
    • Adaptive Planning Approach
    • Timeboxed or Continuous Flow
    • Team Roles
      • Product Owner
      • Project Team
      • Team Leader / Agile Coach / Scrum Master
    • Determining the Product Vision / Product RoadMap
    • Activity – Product RoadMap
    • Determining the scope using a Product Backlog
    • Activity – Product Backlog
• Supporting Team Performance
  • Managing Project Execution
    • Managing Team Performance and Motivation
    • Managing Knowledge and Communication
    • Managing Issues and Impediments
  • Monitoring and Controlling Work Performance
    • Predictive Projects
      • Planned vs Actual
      • Earned Value Management
      • Activity – Earned Value Management
      • Project Change Management
    • Agile Projects
      • Burn down and burn up charts
      • Velocity
      • Kanban Boards
      • Continuous Flow Diagrams (CFD)
• Closing a Project
  • Why Projects Close
  • Transitions /Handovers
  • Benefits Realization
  • Lessons Learned and Retrospectives
  • Closing the Project with a Project Closure Report

Course Duration

• 2 days – face to face

Delivery Methodologies

• Lecture
• Team-based activities
• Individual activities
• Online Quizzes
• Plenary Discussions

This course is recommended for

• Project Managers and Project Team members with little or no formal PM training
• Project Executives
• Project Stakeholders
• Anyone involved in the development and implementation of projects
• Project Managers who would like to know the updates to the PMBOK 8th Edition

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