Project Management-Fundamentals of Predictive and Adaptive Methods, Student Edition

Project Management: Fundamentals of Predictive and Adaptive Methods

Course Specifications

Course Number: ELK95–032_rev1.0

Course Length: 2 days

Course Description

Successfully managing a project requires effective planning and adherence to the industry's best practices in every step of the process. By mastering the fundamentals of project management, you will be better prepared to initiate a project in your organization and position it for success. In this course, you will identify effective project management practices and their related processes.

At this point in your professional development, you are ready to take on the responsibility for managing projects. You can manage a project by developing a solid understanding of the fundamentals of project management and its underlying structure and elements, including project phases, project life cycles, stakeholders, and areas of expertise. These, coupled with the ability to identify the project management processes that are recognized industry wide as good practice, will help you to apply effective project management techniques to improve the efficiency of your projects and ensure their success.

Course Objective: In this course, you will identify the elements of sound project management and apply the generally recognized project management practices to successfully manage or participate in projects.

You will:

  • Identify the key processes and requirements of project management.
  • Initiate a project.
  • Use a Predictive approach to plan for time and cost.
  • Use an Adaptive approach to plan a project.
  • Plan for project risks, communication, and change control.
  • Manage the execution of a project.
  • Close a project.

Target Student: This course is designed for individuals in a variety of job roles whose primary responsibility is not project management, but who manage projects on an informal basis; who contribute as members of a project team; or who wish to incorporate project management practices into their personal work. It is also beneficial for anyone who is considering a career path in project management and desiring a complete overview of the field and its generally accepted practices.

This course is designed to cover various project management approaches and is not intended to focus on a single methodology or framework.

Prerequisites: To ensure your success in this course, you should have some basic computing skills. Some experience using Microsoft Office is desirable but not required.

Having some on-the-job experience with project management—either as a team member or project leader—is helpful but not required.

Hardware Requirements

For this course, you will need one computer for each student and one for the instructor. Each computer will need the following minimum hardware configurations:

  • Sufficient processor speed, RAM, and storage space for good system performance when running Microsoft Office apps.
  • Mouse, keyboard, microphone, and monitor.
  • High-speed, stable Internet connection.
  • For the instructor's computer, a method to project and/or share the screen as needed for local and remote class participants.

Software Requirements

  • Microsoft® Windows® 10.
  • Microsoft® 365 Office apps (Word and Excel) for accessing student data files.
  • If necessary, software for viewing the course slides. (Instructor machine only.)

Course Content

Lesson 1: Getting Started with Project Management

Topic A: Identify the Characteristics of a Project
Topic B: Identify the Project Approach
Topic C: Identify the Leadership Roles in a Project

Lesson 2: Initiating a Project

Topic A: Create a Project Scope/Vision Statement
Topic B: Identify the Essential Skills for a Project Team
Topic C: Identify the Risks to a Project

Lesson 3: Planning for Time and Cost in Predictive Projects

Topic A: Create a WBS
Topic B: Create a Project Schedule
Topic C: Determine Project Costs

Lesson 4: Planning for Adaptive Projects

Topic A: Create Epics and User Stories
Topic B: Build a Product Backlog
Topic C: Create an Initial Release Plan
Topic D: Conduct a Sprint Planning Meeting
Topic E: Replan the Project

Lesson 5: Planning for Project Risks, Communication, and Change Control

Topic A: Analyze the Risks to a Project
Topic B: Create a Communication Plan
Topic C: Develop a Change Control Plan

Lesson 6: Managing a Project

Topic A: Begin Project Work
Topic B: Execute the Project Plan
Topic C: Track the Progress of an Adaptive Project
Topic D: Report Project Performance
Topic E: Implement Change Control

Lesson 7: Closing a Project

Topic A: Close a Sprint, a Release, or an Adaptive Project
Topic B: Close a Predictive Project
Topic C: Create a Final Report

Appendix A: Using Earned Value Analysis

 

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