Essentials of Project Management Skills

Course Introduction

Many people take on a project management role alongside their other organizational responsibilities whilst others have dedicated project management roles. This Essentials on Project Management training course offers complete guidance in the essential knowledge, skills and competencies of managing projects holistically and in how to adopt a project management ‘mindset’. This will include how to make use of best practice project management processes (based on the Project Management Institute’s Body of Knowledge), tools and techniques as well as how to lead the people involved in and impacted by projects. This ensures that projects are conducted as efficiently as possible and meet the requirements and expectations of relevant stakeholders.

This training course explores how to ensure projects deliver outcomes which are both client-focused and organizationally relevant. It covers key aspects of project initiation, planning, monitoring and control to ensure the delivery of relevant scope and quality within time, budget and resource constraints. It also considers how to manage uncertainty through the use of risk management techniques.

This Essentials of Project Management Skills training course will highlight:

• An introduction to the world of Project Management
• Project Initiation and Risk Management
• Project Planning, Estimating and Scheduling
• Project Resourcing, Monitoring and Control
• Managing Performance, Project Reporting and Closure

Objectives

At the end of this Oxford Management Centre Essentials of Project Management Skills training course, you will learn to:

• Apply a project management ‘mindset’ to projects
• Write clear project initiation statements and manage risks
• Plan project quality, timescales, resources and costs
• Monitor and control projects and project teams
• Deliver successful projects and lessons learned

Training Methodology

This Oxford Management Centre training course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. Small group discussions will enable delegates to share their own experiences and discuss the course concepts. Hands-on exercises and case studies will provide the opportunity to practice the use of the models, techniques and competencies covered. Personal assessment, reflection and action planning will ensure that delegates know how they will put the learning into practice.

Organisational Impact

As a result of sending delegates on this Essentials of Project Management Skills training course, the organization will benefit by:

• Better project selection decisions
• Better alignment of projects with organizational goals
• Clearly defined project goals and scope
• Comprehensive project plans which reflect organizational constraints
• Application and visibility of appropriate performance measures
• Beneficial projects delivered to quality, on time and within cost

Personal Impact

As a result of attending this Essentials of Project Management Skills training course, delegates will benefit by:

• Developing an understanding of the organizational context of projects
• Knowing how to clarify and enhance what you are committing to deliver
• Using effective project planning techniques to gain confidence that you can deliver
• Reducing uncertainty by incorporating risk management techniques
• Having a framework for learning lessons from every project you engage with
• Gaining practical tips, advice and insight from an experienced project manager

Who Should Attend?

This Oxford Management Centre Essential on Project Management training course is designed for anyone involved in the delivery of projects. That includes those who have overall responsibility for whole projects, are members of project teams or have responsibility for delivering parts of projects.

This Essentials of Project Management Skills training course is suitable for a wide range of project professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Existing Project Managers
• New Project Managers
• Project Management Team Members
• Project Technical Leads
• Project Management Professionals

Course Outline

DAY 1

The World of Project Management

• What is a project?
• The problems and difficulties of projects
• The project life cycle
• Project roles: responsibilities, authority and accountability
• The key dimensions of project management
• Project Management processes

DAY 2

Project Initiation and Risk Management

• Identifying project stakeholders
• Collecting project requirements
• Determining project objectives
• Project scope and constraints
• Managing risk on projects
• Documenting and communicating the project

DAY 3

Project Planning, Estimating and Scheduling

• The contents of a Project Management Plan
• Using a Work Breakdown Structure
• Creating the Project Network
• Project estimating
• Time scheduling: Critical path and float

DAY 4

Project Resourcing, Monitoring and Control

• Resource scheduling and budgeting
• Preparing for project execution and communicating the plan
• Project monitoring
• Analyzing project performance
• Project control
• Change control

DAY 5

Managing Performance, Project Reporting and Closure

• Managing the performance of the team and its members
• Managing stakeholder relationships
• Project communication and reporting
• Successful project hand-over
• Project closure
• Learning lessons from the project