Project Management

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavour with a defined beginning and end, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects is different from business operations, which are repetitive, permanent or semi-permanent functional activities to produce products or services. In practice, the management of these two systems is often quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and management strategies.

The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives within the constraints, such as scope, time, quality and budget. The secondary – and more ambitious – challenge is to optimise the allocation of necessary inputs and integrate them to meet the project objectives.

This course is designed to introduce students to project management, and will provide techniques and approaches that can save employers money.

This Project Management Course is for anyone involved in managing tasks and resources looking for step-by-step guide to successful project management.

People Skills:

• Recognising the key people issues and challenges associated with projects.
• Building relationships with your stakeholders – understanding and listening to them; communicating and selling the project to them.
• Understanding your own personal strengths and their impact on success.
• Enthusing project participants and maintaining their motivation.
• Team dynamics and the key factors for project team success.
• Strategies and tactics for managing conflict.
• Negotiating ‘win-win’ outcomes.
• Influencing and persuading key people on your project.

Processes, Tools and Techniques:

• Establishing a framework for the project process.
• The key steps of project definition.
• Risk analysis and management.
• Planning methodology.
• Project planning and work breakdown structures.
• Analysing networks, derivation and use of Gantt charts.
• Simple scheduling techniques for small projects.
• Projectorganisation.
• Organising for successful implementation.
• Progress reviews and reporting procedures.
• Tracking progress against the baseline plan.
• Closing and evaluating the project.
• Budgets, estimates and cost control.