PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project risk is based on a simple equation: Event Risk equals the Probability of an Event times the Consequences of the Event. As project managers we know this, either implicitly because we’ve studied and read about risk in projects or we know it from first-hand experience. We’ve also learned along the way that we cannot fully eliminate risk, only mitigate the risk and that there is no such thing as a risk free project or action. During this interactive online course on project risk management we will go beyond the fundamental truths of project risk and cover how decisions are made, delving into decision theory and decision making in the face of uncertainty; as well as exploring risk management through the four phases of Risk Identification, Risk Analysis, Risk Response, and Risk Mitigation and Control.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Without a full and complete schedule, the project manager will be unable to communicate the complete effort, in terms of cost and resources, necessary to deliver the project. Knowing scheduling techniques will better prepare you to make decisions about schedule development and give better direction to your project team about schedule performance. This interactive online course will teach you the importance of scheduling in contract fulfillment, as well as introductory concepts for scheduling contract provisions, the concepts of delays and claims, and methods for delay claim resolution. You will also learn about establishing a scheduling model, best practice principles, and the eight steps for developing a good schedule model.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

All strategic change in an organization, any organization, takes place through projects and programs. To ensure that the strategic change results in the desired outcomes, however, takes planning, thought, and focus. In short, to get effective strategic change you need to have an effective strategic plan. Through an effective strategic plan, you are better postured to ensure that the projects and programs that are implemented create the future envisioned for your organization, be it increased profit or manufacturing of a new product. This interactive, online course is intended to change that mindset by helping you understand that to generate the outcomes any organization intends, or desires, requires direction via an actionable strategic plan. The course is intended for any engineer, project or program manager, engineering manager or executive who wants to understand strategic planning via a simple process that will replace chance and luck with specific goals, objectives, and action initiatives.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

In today’s fast-paced, competitive, and dynamic environment, the ability for an organization or individual to successfully execute a program is severely challenged. This is because programs are complex, wrought with uncertainty, and ripe with ambiguity. Efforts to navigate the complexity of programs often result in the program manager simply expending more of their vital time to make sense of it all, but there are only so many hours in the week and regardless how many hours you invest, the program will still be complex. In this interactive online course, you’re going to be introduced to the Program Management Competency Model, which was developed to assist organizations and individuals make sense of the complexity of programs by focusing energy on the development of specific skill sets that yield the biggest return on investment. The six performance and eight personal competencies highlight areas where the development of knowledge, skills, and experience will return the greatest rewards for both organizations and individuals. The biggest reward being the capability and capacity to better execute complex programs.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Integrated Project Delivery is a construction delivery method that leverages a number of current trends to increase productivity and the speed of project delivery. This interactive online course will teach you about the importance of IPD’s foundation of relational contracts, as well as the main ingredients that include a high-level of communications and collaboration and a no-fault work environment, from project charette through building commissioning. You will also learn about the roles that lean construction processes and building information modeling play in performing, as well as recognize that IPD has many of the traits of construction delivery systems that are compatible with green building certification systems.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Successful projects are not delivered through technical expertise alone. It takes the ability to manage and lead teams and people effectively. The most successful project managers know how to build and maintain an environment in which both teams and individuals are motivated to do their best work. Founded on a wide range of research and real-life experiences, this interactive online course will help you understand how to develop and sustain effective project teams. You will learn tools, techniques, and tips you can add to your toolbox of people-management skills, enabling you to improve performance for yourself, your team, and the individuals on your project team.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

This interactive, online course covers the nine principles that master project managers, and their teams, put into practice managing projects in a dynamic environment. This environment is one experienced by most, if not all, project managers. It’s an environment that holds speed and uncertainty as two of its most relevant characteristics. Both of these characteristics can cause severe stress during project planning and execution, and can lead to project failure if the project manager doesn’t develop the skills, knowledge, and leadership ability demanded in the dynamic environment of today’s projects. Mastering these nine principles will help you develop the inward and outward orientation, the formal and informal procedures, and the high-touch and high-tech communications strategy that you will require to be an effective, master project manager on your dynamic projects.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

To control a project and keep it on budget and schedule, you need to have a quantified sense of where the project is. How is it doing? Is it on time? Is it on budget? Are the deliverable’s being delivered? Are the end users satisfied? To achieve this level of project performance assessment requires a deeper understanding of metrics and measures. During this interactive online course, you will go deeper than the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Book of Knowledge(r) takes individuals in Earned Value Management. This course will also expand your understanding of metrics and Key Performance Indicators, which are essential tools and techniques project managers must develop to effectively conduct project performance measurement on today’s complex projects.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

What comes to your mind when you think Agile? You’re probably thinking about the ability to move quickly and easily, and you would be right. Now apply that definition in the context of project management. An Agile project manager is someone who can move quickly, adapt to change, and make smart adjustments on the fly. This course’s primary purpose is to increase your knowledge of the principles and processes involved in the Agile method of project management as organized and suggested by the Project Management Institute. We will spend a lot of time discussing what you need to know and the knowledge required — or at least expected to be known — by most agile practitioners. The courses in this series are loosely based on the domains of: Agile principles and mindset, Value driven delivery, Stakeholder engagement, Boosting team performance practices, Adaptive planning, Problem detection and resolution, Continuous improvement. Upon completion of this series you will be well versed in the methodologies and principles of Agile project management and effectively prepared to sit for the PMI-ACP exam from PMI.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The idea of performing project management work in an agile way did not magically appear in the last couple of years. But, what is an agile project management? This course examines what it is and the difference between agile and traditional project management.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Since the Agile Manifesto serves as the guiding principle of the entire agile project management collective, it also holds a prominent part in the Project Management Institute-Agile Certified Practitioner exam. In this course, we will explore the first six principles of the manifesto in depth.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

At the root of the modern structure of agile project management is the Agile Manifesto, and it should be used as a guide to the philosophy of the agile project management approach. This course focuses on the last six agile principles as well as the Declaration of Interdependence.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

This course is about the agile methods and frameworks of Scrum and Extreme Programming. These are, arguably, the two most well known of the agile project management methodologies. In this course, we cover the basics, principles, and practices of both methods.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

In this course, we explore some of the lesser known agile project management approaches beyond the popular ones of scrum and extreme programming. Their lack in popularity right now does not mean they will always be lesser known. They may become the “go to” approach in the future if certain industries or subsets of the agile community adopt them more fully and evangelize their exalts.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

To select the best project to work on, you must assess what is to be gained from its efforts and at what costs. Benefits are best placed in the perspective of the customer or business value. This course covers value-driven development. In this, we discuss how to determine the amount of time and effort to spend on a project. It also discusses how to determine when to expend time and resources on any one or more features, functions, procedures, parts, and/or elements of that project over others. This course makes clear what the value is and how utilizing agile project management approaches can deliver to that value.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Agile projects are selected based on certain aspects and considerations. Prioritization and planning is where most of the effort and time is spent in agile project management. This course delves deeper into prioritization and risk management in agile project management. We expand on the prioritization of the features and functions of our selected projects, building out our product’s vision and business case for development, and laying the foundation for our product’s plan of fulfillment. Also, greater detail and care is spent on the tools, techniques, and other concepts surrounding the planning at all the various levels of an agile project.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Planning in agile projects differs from waterfall projects or other more traditional projects in the aspect of adapting to the needs and expectations of the stakeholders and the product development in a flexible manner. This encourages changes and course corrections as often as necessary, and makes planning essential to a project’s success. This course examines how to best plan an agile project, the differences between the various levels of project planning, and useful tools to aid in the planning.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Estimating the work, effort, and time activities will take during a project is a very challenging exercise. However, it’s also a very important and crucial piece to any project management. How estimation works in agile projects is slightly different than in traditional projects or daily operations. The circumstances and variables are more varied in agile projects than in traditional project needs. This course aims to explore those differences, the strategies at play in agile estimation, and the various tools and techniques any agile practitioner — whether that be an agile project manager, agile coach, ScrumMaster, or agile development team member — should be aware of.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

A good agile project manager should be knowledgeable about the various tools and techniques of the agile project management trade. They should also be versatile enough to know when to apply the documented tools and techniques in their literal or highly structured manners and when to bend or accommodate them to the requests of the agile team. This course is aimed for those who may be taking on the role of agile project manager, agile coach, agile practitioner, agile mentor, or ScrumMaster. We discuss the basics of each type of agile manager, their similarities and differences, how to use the tools and techniques available, and what role agile management has in an agile project.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

This course focuses on the process of managing potential threats and other forms of risks throughout the agile project’s lifecycle. We cover how to test and validate to gather information to improve and adapt the processes of agile project management. We continue talking about the power of adaptive planning in agile projects and discuss how to optimize value delivery by selecting and tailoring the team’s processes based on experiences and project feedback.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

An agile project manager ensures the project and its components can run. He or she ensures that everything that is needed is taken care of and puts the agile project management framework and processes in place. In essence, a project manager leads by example. In this course, we explore how a good agile project manager utilizes soft skills and leadership in order to inspire team members, keep the lines of communication open, and deliver an excellent product.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

There is a lot to learn and be aware of when working with agile project teams. Agile project team formation and empowerment requires setting up self-organizing and self-empowered groups of skilled and supported individuals. This course focuses on how teams are most effectively formed, how they are supported, and how those teams can more effectively work together and be continuously successful.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project stakeholders are all those affected by the project, not just those who fund the project or those we are building the project for. The product owner is a stakeholder, but he or she is not the one using the product. A bigger set of stakeholders are the end users. Even beyond that, there are many other project stakeholders. This course covers who the stakeholders are, how to consider their needs as the project progresses, and several tools and techniques that help in incorporating the stakeholder’s needs and wants.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

There are many challenges and potential pitfalls of communication throughout the duration of a project. Communication is critical to any team activity, and agile project management is a team activity. The success and failure of an agile project can certainly rest on the proper or improper use of communication. This course covers the many aspects of communication in an agile project. The general goals of this course are being aware of the various modes of communication, the importance of communication in an agile project, and how to best apply the appropriate tools and techniques surrounding communication to best support your project.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project management goes back to the beginning of time. The Panama Canal, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids, Roman buildings, roads and aqueducts, and ship building are a few examples. There were no computers or modern communication devices available for the early project managers and project teams. They worked by trial and error. No one person can claim to have invented project management. It is a well-known fact that formal education does not prepare us for the challenges of managing projects. However, more and more firms are assigning professionals with little or no project management experience to this position. This 4-hour interactive online course covers the tools and techniques required to successfully manage a project, as well as manage people. It also serves as a reference tool you can use as a building block for continued education. The seven chapters that make up the course will give you an overview of the basic skills needed to manage a project successfully from start to finish.

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

So you are a little confused about Contact Hour vs. Professional Development Unit (PDU). Perhaps you’re not sure how to use Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI)®’s Continuing Certification Requirements CCR system. If you fit this description than this is the course for you. This course will help you gain an understanding of difference between a Contact Hour and a Professional Development Units. It will also walk you step-by-step through the process of claiming PDUs and certification renewal. LearnSmart is a PMI® Registered Education Provider and has over 100 PDU activities registered with PMI®. This course will help you learn how to claim these PDU and Contact Hours once you’ve completed the training.

Materials in this class are based on the text, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide).

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Test your knowledge and skills through this Test Me: Project Management Professional (PMP)®. Prove to yourself, and others, that you are ready for Project Management Institute’s (PMI)® PMP® certification exam. You’ll demonstrate your proficiency in the principles, techniques, and tools needed to be a successful lead on a project. The instruction period is over; this Test Me provides you with a collection of questions based on the exam domains contained in testing for the actual certification exam. Wrap up your exam preparation with this Test Me that pulls questions from our Project Management training series.

Materials in this class are based on the text, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide).

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

In January of 2016, the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam changed. It is now the only version of the exam being provided to potential project management professionals. The five domains of practice — Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing — for the PMP® exam have not changed. However, there are numerous tasks within each domain that have been changed, added, or removed entirely. Additionally, there are a few new areas of focus related to evolving aspects of the project management profession. This course covers these changes in depth.

Materials in this class are based on the text, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide).

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Are you a successful project manager? Do you know the criteria to prove it? This interactive online Project Management Essentials course provides you an in-depth look at the critical skills and capabilities for Project Management success. We begin by delving into the evolution and history of modern Project Management and how the foundation was established for today’s key project elements and life cycle phases. We include the human element of Project Management and how to plan, manage, and control the project and resources to exceed customer expectations.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Project management in the design industry is changing at a furious pace. Projects are increasing in complexity, and project managers in design firms are confronting an overwhelming volume of project information. Project teams are expanding and becoming more integrated as the walls between design and construction disintegrate. New communication and technology tools are allowing project teams to become more mobile and more global. New software solutions and project delivery methods are transforming the ways that projects are managed, designed, and built. On top of it all, clients are demanding even faster timelines and stricter adherence to budgets. With design firms and project managers operating on an entirely new playing field from just a few years ago, PSMJ has revised The Ultimate Project Management course series to guide you through the A/E industry’s new project management landscape. In the first course of this series, we will take an in-depth look at what it means to be a project manager in today’s high-stress, fast paced business climate. We will examine the duties and responsibilities of a typical project manager and review the traits that make them successful. We will explore the resources and elements that should be included in a project management training program.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Project managers are also proposal managers. In this course you will learn to treat the proposal process as a project. We will cover selecting quality clients using a client pre-proposal evaluation form. You’ll get instruction in making the ‘go/no go’ decision reasons to turn down a project. We’ll show you how to manage the proposal just like a project through use of proposal manager’s checklists. You’ll learn how to prepare for the first proposal meeting, choose support staff, meet with clients during the proposal phase, and define scope of services. We’ll pull together the entire proposal and identify the difference between good and bad proposals, and how to avoid proposal pitfalls. You’ll also learn how to improve your presentations and complete a post-award analysis.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

This third course in the The Ultimate Project Management series discusses important information regarding contract agreements, and illustrates what project managers need to know to successfully negotiate contracts. We will examine contract basics, including contract sections and appropriate terms, in addition to negotiating rules and ways to manage risk. The purpose of this course is to provide project managers with a solid understanding of contract agreements and tools necessary to negotiate profitable projects.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

The purpose of this course is to provide you will the skills required to develop and administer an efficient project management plan. You will learn the major elements and concepts of a project management plan, and how to use those to effectively develop and administer a project management plan that meets your client’s needs. Above all, you will understand how effective project management planning can not only help your project succeed, but your business too.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Successful projects are achieved for a variety of reasons, but an essential component is the project schedule. The purpose of this course is to not to demonstrate the importance of project schedule, but of an effective project schedule. We’ll cover the different purposes for using a project schedule and the different techniques that can be used to build a project schedule. Throughout the course, remember that producing project schedules is not a project itself; instead they are tools to help you successfully achieve your project goals.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Price, cost, budgets, estimates, fees, revenues, etc.–there always seems to be confusion about these terms. Are they the same thing or different? If they are different, what is the difference? These are some of the questions that we will answer in this course. This course will not attempt to make the project manager into an accountant; however, a basic understanding of these terms is vital to establishing the project budget. Assuming that the PM has completed the planning and scheduling phase, it is now time to align the project budget to the tasks in the project management plan.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The project team is made up of experienced individuals who need to work together toward successful completion of a project. This course gives you, the project manager, the processes, methods, and tools to build and lead your project team. You will get instruction in: Selecting the team Ensuring maximum productivity Maintaining project records Managing design consultants Delegating to and motivating your team.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

In the design industry, business is built around good service…and good service depends on good relationships. This eighth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series discusses the importance of establishing and maintaining good client relationships. Keys to a successful client relationship will be discussed, in addition to ways to create a positive impression and provide a great client experience.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Effective communication goes a long way in building rapport with your co-workers and clients and informing all project stakeholders involved of a project’s direction and progress. The purpose of this course is to teach you about the various communication methods that can be used in your work place. In this course you will learn about the three most common types of communication (i.e., verbal, written, and body language) and how to use communication to send messages, conduct meetings, and monitor a project’s progress.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

A successful project is the result of many factors, but a well-organized project manager is one of them. The purpose of this course is to teach you the project management skills that are essential to starting a project off on a positive note. In this course you will learn how to start project meetings with your co-workers and the client and how to record and manage documents and files for others to use in your project manager’s notebook.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Your time is your most valuable personal asset. It’s one of the few things that can’t be purchased. By definition there is also a limited amount–no matter who you are, there are only 24 hours in a day. Therefore, how you allocate this limited personal resource will determine your success in both your personal and professional life. In this course, we will take a look at some of the ways that you can better manage your time by examining effective ways to handle meetings, interruptions, and your own schedule.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Because many design firms are consulting with clients using studies and reports, rather than designing; you, as a project manager, may find yourself managing project studies and reports. In this course you will get guidance in comparing design and study projects. We’ll give you specialized instruction in planning and managing the study project as well as focused direction in the report preparation process. We’ll also cover engineering calculations, technical or peer reviews, and final activities including oral presentations.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Typically, design projects are divided into three phases: preliminary design, production design and bidding, and construction. Each phase requires project planning to maintain control and ensure the project is completed on time and on budget. The purpose of this thirteenth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series is to provide a practical guideline for each phase of production. Design development and required documentation is covered, in addition to the production design process and the project construction phase.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Have you produced projects that did not meet you or your client’s expectations, despite having a skilled team and rigid project management plan? This could have been because quality was not accounted for early on in the project. The purpose of this course is to show you methods and tools you can use to implement and improve the quality of your projects. You will learn: How to build quality into your project How to estimate the annual costs of a substandard project to determine the how much you should spend on meeting quality expectations How to work within quality assurance programs and manage the quality control process How to review the quality of your project, allowing you to improve the quality of your project And How to prepare for design changes that can unexpectedly show up.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The process of identifying and managing the various types of project risks has become especially important in today’s business environment, where all parties jump to legal action as the first step in resolving any dispute. Unfortunately, the design firm, your organization, is in the center of almost every dispute. The purpose of this course is to provide you with the methods and tools you will need to identify, manage, and mitigate risks in your projects. In this course you will learn about three fundamental elements that limit a firm’s liability for project risks: Identifying all potential types of risk that could impact the project Assigning the management of each type of risk to the party who is best suited to manage/control the risk Implementing a risk management plan to manage and/or mitigate the risk elements of each risk assigned to the design firm.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Every design firm is in the business of providing professional consulting services to its clients. To be successful and remain in this business, however, its projects must be profitable (i.e., the revenue must exceed all costs including overhead and profit expectations). In addition, clients must receive invoices in a timely manner, and your firm must receive payment for the completed work within the time specified in the contract. A PM is assigned to each project, not only to manage the project team and to ensure that the project budget is met, but also to ensure: The client receives invoices for the scope of services Payments are received from the client within the contract payment period The project achieves its ‘as-sold’ financial results with no write-offs In a nutshell, the PM is responsible for the project’s financial management in two primary areas: cash flow and profitability. This means the PM must be familiar with the monthly financial reporting cycles and have the ability to plan, track, and evaluate the fiscal performance of a project. He or she must understand how the project’s total gross revenue relates to the project direct labor and project expenses, including consultants. Plus, the PM must also understand how the planned and actual project performance contributes to the overall profitability of the firm. In this course we will look at all these responsibilities and concepts in detail.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)