This is a course that will allow participants to understand real-life project scenarios and apply hands on practices. In this course, you will learn and practice the critical tools and techniques that have been proven necessary for project success (why wait to encounter these scenarios during the project, when you can solve these situations during this course?) Many Project Managers face challenges during the lifecycle of a project that this course will simulate and solve. You will return to work with the knowledge and tools you need to get your projects started right and completed successfully.

This course will feature:

• Engage in practical workshops & exercises designed to simulate real-life project experiences.
• Understand why organizations should use project management principles.
• Identify what is required to start-up projects, the practices & processes needed.
• Understand how to build project management competency in the current business environment & to be able to translate this to successful project delivery.
• Practice the principles of project management & understand the challenges of managing large projects in competitive environments.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand how businesses leverage success by using project management techniques
• Define & understand what it takes to be able to deliver projects on time & to customer satisfaction
• Understand the goal of project management and how it can be used to start-up projects successfully
• Practice how to become a better project leader and communicator in all project situations
• Describe and implement the practice of project management principles to deliver success

This course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Project Managers or a Project Team Member who needs to learn the project management process from starting a project, through running a project, to closing down and delivering successful results.
• Project practitioners with responsibility for delivering parts or components of projects

This course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This course is designed with workshop and practical exercises centered on a project case study. Participants will be asked to undertake the exercises as the driver for all course learning. Students will complete several elements of breakout work through assigned roles in a team environment. Several work products will be created including a Project Business Case, a Scope Definition, WBS, Risk Registers, Schedule and Project Reports. There will be open discussion and real world examples with the emphasis on learning by doing.

Day One

The Principles of Project Management

• How can project management benefit an organization
• What traits do the best Project Managers have and how to develop these

Breakout Exercise 1: Understand the Best Type of Project Manager for your Business

• Understand Project Management Process and Structure
• Develop a Project Roadmap to be used in Starting a Project

Breakout Exercise 2: Develop a Project Roadmap for the Project Case-Study

• Understanding the three principles of projects - structure, tools & techniques and soft-skills
• Focus on how organisations can be more successful with project management

Breakout Exercise 3: Getting Support for the Project

Day Two

Starting a Project

• How to develop a good Project Business Case using ROI, Risk and Deliverables
• Developing and Prioritizing Project Requirements

Breakout Exercise 4: Develop a Project Business Case

• Understanding when to begin the project planning process?
• Defining the 10 critical elements of a good project management plan?
• Develop a good project scope that can define project success
• Identify and matching Organisational and Project Success

Breakout Exercise 5: Develop a Project Scope that can show Project & Organisation Success

Game 1: Identifying the top 10 items that organizations need when starting a project

Day Three

Developing a Realistic Project Plan

• Understanding the 11 elements that make a good schedule -  what are they and how to manage them
• Understanding the common pitfalls to avoid when making a project schedule

Breakout Exercise 6: Develop a schedule for the project

• How to identify and manage risk in any projects
• Understanding the financial implications of risk and how this can affect the business case
• Understand the major sources of risk and issues and how these can be managed

Breakout Exercise 7: Present the risk and understand financial implications

• Understand how to develop the project financial budget

Breakout Exercise 8: How are you going to manage the plan?

Game 2: Get your team working on a plan - how to do it!

Day Four

Communicating and Managing Stakeholder Relationships

• Be able to manage relationships and to communicate success
• Understand what leadership skills a project manager needs to manage the relationships

Breakout Exercise 9: Understand how to manage the relationship

• Develop the principles of communication within and outside your organisation
• Understand how that a project manager can make sure every meeting is needed

Game 3: Practice the meeting

• Actions, Issues and Change - How to report on them
• Breakout Exercise 10: Compile the Actions, Issues and Change
• How to know when you stakeholders are being managed properly

Day Five

Delivering Success

• Understand the right way to complete a project
• Identify the best method of transitioning projects outside of the organisation
• Understand how can to turn a complicated project into a major successes for your organisation
• Is the Business Case still good - How to know the ROI, NPV, IRR is achieved?

Breakout Exercise 11: Was the ROI Achieved?

• How to help Organisational Learning with Project Management

Breakout Exercise 12: Complete the Lessons Learnt

• How to know when your project is successfully started and finished