Introduction to Project Management

Overview

This foundational course provides the essential principles and practices of project management. Learn the project life cycle, key terminology, and core skills needed to initiate, plan, and execute projects successfully, on time and within budget.

Target Audience

Aspiring project managers, team members, students, and professionals in any industry who want to understand the discipline of project management.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Define project management and articulate its value and key concepts.
• Identify and describe the phases of a standard project life cycle.
• Understand the core responsibilities and skills of a project manager.
• Utilize basic project management tools for planning and tracking.
• Develop a simple project plan, schedule, and budget.
• Identify basic project risks and understand mitigation strategies.

Outline

Module 1: Definition and Importance of Project Management

• What is a Project?: Distinguishing projects from ongoing operations.
• What is Project Management?: Defining the discipline and its key objectives (scope, time, cost, quality).
• The Value of PM: Understanding how effective PM delivers benefits and reduces risks for organizations.

Module 2: Project Life Cycle and Key Phases

• The Project Life Cycle: Overview of the typical phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing.
• Initiation Phase: Defining the project goal, scope, and stakeholders. The project charter.
• Closing Phase: Handing over the final deliverable, releasing resources, and conducting lessons learned.

Module 3: Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager

• The PM’s Key Duties: Leading the team, managing communication, mitigating risks, managing the triple constraint (scope, time, cost).
• Essential Skills: Communication, leadership, negotiation, problem-solving, and stakeholder management.
• Authority vs. Responsibility: Understanding the challenge of leading projects without direct authority over team members.

Module 4: Basic Project Management Tools and Techniques

• Visual Tools: Introduction to Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars for tracking progress.
• Communication Tools: The RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for defining roles.
• Documentation: Overview of key documents like the project charter, scope statement, and status reports.

Module 5: Introduction to Project Planning and Scheduling

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Decomposing project deliverables into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Sequencing and Dependencies: Determining the order of tasks and which tasks depend on others.
• Estimating Duration: Techniques for estimating how long tasks will take.

Module 6: Overview of Budgeting and Resource Allocation

• Cost Estimating: Top-down vs. bottom-up estimating techniques.
• Creating a Baseline Budget: Aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities to establish a total budget.
• Resource Allocation: Identifying what people, equipment, and materials are needed and when.

Module 7: Introduction to Risk Management

• Identifying Risks: Brainstorming techniques to find potential threats and opportunities.
• Risk Analysis: Assessing the probability and impact of risks (Qualitative Analysis).

Risk Response Planning: Basic strategies for dealing with risks: Avoid, Mitigate, Transfer, Accept.