PMF-PM: Project Management Fundamentals for Project Managers

This Project Management course is designed for participants without any structured project management experience, who wish to acquire knowledge and skills in “real world” project management good practices. The course content also provides a sound foundation for those aspiring to obtain professional project management credentials in the future, after they have gained sufficient project management experience.

The course provides a working understanding and awareness of a structured approach to the discipline of project management, including concepts, principles and best practices. This awareness is acquired through the context of an actual organizational project environment, a simulation project (case study), and includes the elements of roles and responsibilities, processes and documents. Participants are shown how these elements work in tandem to support project management and ultimately, the organization, to increase effectiveness and business value.

This program will be conducted with interactive lectures, PowerPoint presentation, discussions and hands-on labs. This course can be conducted as instructor-led (ILT) or virtual instructor-led training (VILT).

At the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the discipline of Project Management and how it differs from Operational Management.
• Be aware of how organizational issues and structures affect project management, and how to work within the organizational context.
• Have a sound understanding of internationally-accepted and structured project management processes and good practices.
• Be knowledgeable about the interaction between people (stakeholders), processes and project management systems in achieving project and business goals.
• Have an overview of managing stakeholder relationships and communications.
• Recognize project management principles, concepts and best practices and how they are applied in real life.

Participants will gain a substantial understanding of the discipline of project management and the best practices through using the appropriate project management processes. They will be better equipped to manage projects and stakeholder expectations in the organization thus increasing effectiveness and value to the organization and its business vision.

Module 1 : Introduction to Project Management

• Welcome, Course Overview and Objectives
• Understanding Organizational project environment and identifying constraints.
• The business goals of projects and how they support organizational strategies. How projects are supported by stakeholder expertise, organizational functions and project management systems.

Module 2 : Setting Up a Project

• Initiating the Project Charter, Identifying Stakeholders and performing a Stakeholder Analysis
• The different aspects (business, legal, structural, process, systems, roles) of initiating and setting up a project in the organization.
• Gathering and analyzing requirements from the various stakeholders.

Module 3 : Planning the Project

• Planning processes (Knowledge Areas) according to the PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition, including the creation of a :
  • SOW Document
  • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Network Diagram and Gantt Chart
  • Critical Path Method
  • Risk Management Analysis and Action Planning
  • Stakeholder Management and Engagement Plan Development
• The roles, responsibilities and decision points during the planning stage.
• Project planning documentation.

Module 4 : Project Execution, Monitoring and Control

• Implementing the Project Management Plan and the distinction between the “Planned World” and the “Real World”.
• Uncertainty in projects and the value of sound Risk Management during Execution.
• Change Control and Management. Issuing, analyzing and tracking Change Requests.
• Monitoring the execution and identifying deviations from the Project Plan in a timely manner to enable effective and early action to be taken.
• The importance of timely and accurate project reporting.

Module 5 : Project Conclusion and Review of the Project Life Cycle

• The difference between project conclusion (closing) and project termination.
• The importance of the handover process and why it needs to be planned early.
• Tying up the loose ends: Archiving of documents, closing of contracts, demobilization of the project team.
• Lessons learned from the project.
• Final review of the course.