Effective Training Associates

Project Management

From project management essentials to problem solving and decision making, our project management courses build strong management teams to drive company growth.

Explore Our Project Management Courses

Advanced Project Management

PREREQUISITES:
Participants must be actively involved in project management and have managed one or more projects. A basic understanding of initiating, planning, executing, closing, and managing projects is required. Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of the Stages and Gates Process.

OVERVIEW:
This course builds on the basic practices of project management in a R&D environment. The focus is on advanced techniques for initiating, planning and executing larger, more complex projects. The course includes lecture, discussions, exercises and small team interactions to reinforce and apply the ideas and techniques presented.
 
KEY TOPICS:
Develop and Cultivate a Credible Culture of Project Communication
  • Developing a communications plan
  • Managing crucial project conversations with customers, sponsor, stakeholders and team members
  • Understanding and managing expectations
Managing a Project to the Stages and Gate Process
  • Understanding and meeting gate requirements
  • Go/No-Go at gates
  • Killing bad projects
Scope Definition and Scope Management
  • Minimizing scope creep
  • The search for perfection versus is it good enough
  • Adapting to scope change
  • Instituting a change control process
Schedule Planning and Schedule Management
  • Improving time estimating
  • Managing to the critical path
  • Managing multiple project interfaces
  • Root causes of delays: external suppliers and partners, technical complexity, changing requirements
Resource Planning and Resource Management
  • Understanding resource needs
  • Planning resource acquisition
  • Managing conflicts for resources
Financial Planning and Budget Management
  • Understanding the business, costs, and profitability
  • Financial metrics in the Stages and Gates Process
  • Calculating Net Present Value
  • Cost of the Project versus Cost of the Product, Product Cost Ceiling
Risk Planning and Risk Management
  • Technical and commercial risks
  • Identifying and assessing project risks
  • Developing risk management plans
  • Managing project risk

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Problem Solving and Decision Making

OVERVIEW:
Problem Solving and Decision Making discusses the process and challenges technical professionals and managers face in making timely decisions. It is a one-day workshop providing participants with tools and tactics for working with real world problems in a professional environment. This class is a catalyst for better idea generation and provides analytical tools for problem definition, solution evaluation and selection.

The workshop is highly interactive, combining demonstrations and brief discussions of key learning points with individual and group “hands-on” problem-solving exercises to reinforce learning and build confidence. The day is designed to help participants solve problems and make decisions to bring better value to their organizations and customers. Participants apply the processes and tools presented by working on real world and case study problems throughout day.

KEY TOPICS:
Introduction:
What is a “problem” and what does it mean to “solve” one? – Participants will see new perspectives on problem identification and solutions.
Verification: Tools and tactics for problem definition – Whether defining a “problem” or an “opportunity”, problem solvers must understand fundamental parameters and assumptions about the situation.  This section explores methods to quickly gather and organize relevant information about a problem.
Identification: Heuristics for alternative solution generation – Introduces participants to techniques for generating a wider range of solutions.  These tools improve both the quality and quantity of alternatives available to the problem solver.

Selection: Evaluating alternatives – The intersection between problem solving and evidence based decision-making is the analysis of different options.  Several approaches will explore, including advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls.
Execution: Implementation considerations – How to implement decisions for maximum effectiveness and organizational learning.

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Project Management Essentials

OVERVIEW:

Project Management Essentials course provides individuals with the skills and techniques needed to effectively participate in the definition, planning, and management of projects.  The course combines lecture, discussion, demonstrations and hands-on exercises to communicate and reinforce key concepts while providing basic tools and models that can be immediately applied in a professional setting.

PMP CERTFICATION – This course will qualify for 8 hours of instruction towards the PMP Certification for Project Management.

KEY TOPICS:
Introduction & Preliminary Project Definition
  • There will be an introductory exercise to demonstrate some common project management challenges and ground rules. The balance of the first section will focus on questions to ask to establish project goals.
Formalizing A Project Definition
  • Takes case study project information and presents a way for project managers to capture that in a brief written definition document called a “Charter.”
Introduction to Planning & Defining Tasks
  • Introduces the planning section then describes task identification and capture. Participants will practice identifying tasks for a case study activity.
Building a Preliminary Schedule & Estimating
  • Tasks from the prior module are sequenced and the mechanics of developing a preliminary schedule are reviewed. This module also introduces a practical process for estimation. Participants will engage in estimating exercises that show how estimates can be improved.
Optimization
  • Complete the planning segment by demonstrating basic optimization techniques.
Risk Management & Reviewing Plans with the Sponsor
  • Concepts of risk management.
Managing Project
  • Demonstrate how status information is used to track progress against the plan by looking for variances from expectations. Then discuss how the approach to the project might be modified to achieve objectives and when to recommend that project objectives be changed to better align with the unfolding reality of project progress.
Reporting Status & Project Closure
  • Guidelines for status reporting, including risk and issue management, then project closure.

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Project Management: Executive Overview

OVERVIEW:
Have you received results from your project teams and been disappointed in what they did? You thought you had clearly communicated your expectations, yet the team did not provide what you expected. How can you get the most from your project teams? Using a mix of presentation, group interaction and exercises, this powerful course gives you the methodology and language to generate the accountability and results you know are possible. It includes highlights from “Project Management Essentials” that will help you understand what your project teams are learning and how you can use it, as a project sponsor, to set expectations for achievable results.

KEY TOPICS:
  • Introduction – Project Team Simulation Exercise
  • Portfolio Management, Project Selection, Assigning Projects Based on Business Imperatives
  • The Project Management Model
  • Roles of the Sponsor, Project Manager and Project Team
  • Project Team Planning Meeting
  • Project Reporting, Change Management, Project Reviews

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