Project Management
Project Management for IT Professionals
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Overview
Based on the project-orientation of most organizational initiatives, the ability to successfully manage projects has therefore emerged as one of the most critical capabilities that an organization must possess to remain successful. Despite the importance of solid project management skills, most project managers are forced to learn on the job, which is typically a very risky, costly and inefficient way to learn.
Project Management Foundation is designed for students interested in entering the field of project management or for current project managers who desire to supplement their experience with formalized education and training. This course covers the subjects that a project manager must know in order to plan, schedule, and control a project. The primary objective of this course is to help project managers to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be able to successfully meet their project objectives on time and on budget.
Upon completion of Project Management Foundation, students will be able to:
- Identify and formulate project tasks
- Consistently estimate individual task time and cost within a tolerance of 10%
- Schedule resources for each task
- Compute total project time and cost
- Use Earned Value Management (EVM) to identify project status and project future outcomes.
- Identify project slippage and formulate corrective actions
- Communicate status to management and other stakeholders
- Apply common charting techniques such as TASK, Gantt, personnel loading, and PERT
- Conduct meetings efficiently and achieve results
This course addresses the following FAC blueprint objectives:
- Define project components to the task level in preparation for developing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Define requirements in terms of performance-based outcomes, where appropriate
- Identify the role of an estimate in Total Ownership Cost (TOC)/Life Cycle Cost process
- Describe the risk and opportunity management process
- Explain the systems life cycle management concepts used for information systems
- Explain the need for a comprehensive Test and Evaluation (T&E) phase
- Identify the need to implement alternative logistics support
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Schedule
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Course Outline
Introduction
- What is a project?
- Common reasons why technology projects fail
- Critical factors for project success
- How project management relates to project life cycle processes and activities
- The role of the project manager
- The project leader as part‑time manager
- Successful and unsuccessful common traits
Basic Functions of a Project Manager
- Defining objectives
- Identifying and ordering tasks
- Establishing estimates and other measurement criteria
- Organizing resources
- Providing a reporting mechanism
- Establishing a change procedure
- Establishing an acceptance procedure
Planning/Estimating
- Starting at the beginning
- Defining project scope (SOW)
- The importance of establishing measurable objectives
- Estimating vs. planning
- What needs to be estimated
- Planning the project
- Creating the task list
- The work breakdown structure
- Creating task estimates
- Using the PERT formula: a proven method for improving the quality of the estimates
- Matching resources to tasks
- Assigning activities
- Obtaining commitments for outside resources
- Using a network diagram to denote task relationships and dependencies
- Using a GANTT (bar) Chart
- Using Project Management Software
Risk Analysis
- Assessing the project’s exposure to adverse consequences
- Components of risk
- Using the risk analysis questionnaire
- Communicating the results
- Using sensitivity analysis to refine the plan
Potential Problem Analysis: The Key to Success
- Assessing adverse consequences
- Determining probability and seriousness
- Adding preventive actions
- Adding contingent actions
- Building-in “triggering” mechanisms so you will know that something has gone wrong!
Controlling the Project
- Basic tenet: You cannot control what you cannot measure!
- Establishing the proper elements of control
- Using objectives
- Knowing the right questions to ask to evaluate progress
- Developing the change control procedure
- Using a “trouble log” to manage project problems
- The use of briefing boards
- Employing Earned Value Management
- Determine Planned Value, Actual Costs, and Earned Value
- Calculate cost and schedule variances
- Calculate Cost and Schedule Indices
- Predicting likely outcomes
Project Reporting
- Reporting to Management
- Levels of reporting
- Determining information needs
- What to report
- When to report
- Types of reports
- Problem
- Plan
- Status
- Approvals
Managing the Project Manager’s Time
- List of what must be done
- Frequency of preparation
- When to prepare
- Breaking down the list for control
- Value of a project journal
- Using folders to organize people and to prepare for meetings
- How to delegate to avoid misunderstandings
- Control your loss of time at meetings you attend
- How to manage your own meetings
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FAQs
Is there a discount available for current students?
UMBC students and alumni, as well as students who have previously taken a public training course with UMBC Training Centers are eligible for a 10% discount, capped at $250. Please provide a copy of your UMBC student ID or an unofficial transcript or the name of the UMBC Training Centers course you have completed. Online courses are excluded from this offer.
What is the cancellation and refund policy?
Student will receive a refund of paid registration fees only if UMBC Training Centers receives a notice of cancellation at least 10 business days prior to the class start date for classes or the exam date for exams.