PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Online Training Catalog

Vector Solutions is pleased to offer more than 50 titles aimed at helping public entities develop project managers who are equipped to achieve organizational goals.

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ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Advanced Project Management: Advanced Project Risk 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)

Advanced Project Management: Advanced Project Scheduling

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)

Advanced Project Management: Converting Strategy Into Action

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)

Advanced Project Management: Executing Complex Programs

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)

Advanced Project Management: Integrated Project Delivery

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)

Advanced Project Management: Managing Project Teams

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)

Advanced Project Management: Project Management in a Dynamic Environment

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)

Advanced Project Management: Project Performance Management

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)

Advanced Project Management: Sustainability in Project Management

Confirming that sustainability concepts are designed into a project from the beginning ensures that project sponsors and owners receive the maximum value, either through reduced project costs or through reduced life cycle costs. This interactive online course will teach you the principles of sustainability and how you can use this basic knowledge to increase the value in the projects you manage. You will also learn about the effects of climate change on projects and how to properly address the risks that arise from climate change. Additionally you will learn how sustainability can be integrated into traditional project management by addressing each of PMI’s five project management process groups and eleven knowledge areas.

Course Duration: 2 Hour(s)

Advanced Project Management: The Power of Project Leadership

This course should look at project management and leadership, then go into the fundamental leadership mistakes made by project managers and how to remedy them. Throughout, actionable tips and recommendations should be provided to enhance the user’s skill set in project leadership. The course is geared for active project practitioners with experience in managing projects and mid- to senior-level managers. The course will provide information that can be applied to current projects, allowing for introspection. New project managers, or those aspiring to lead projects, however can benefit from the course by learning about the skill set required by effective project leaders.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Advanced Project Management: Understanding the Project, Program, and Portfolio Architecture

Project and construction managers are at the leading edge of delivering benefits to an organization. But how does one’s efforts fit in the bigger picture? And why do you even need to know the bigger picture? This interactive, online course will define project, program and portfolio management, as well as explore the key differences and interactions. This course will also introduce you to the concept of benefits realization management and how the project, program, and portfolio hierarchy can be used to bring strategy to life and ensure more successful projects. This course will help professionals both new to, and experienced in, project management. Whether you’re new to project management, or have been practicing it for some time, understanding the hierarchy of project, program and portfolio management will help you take your skills to the next level.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)


AGILE

Project Management - Agile 01: Series Overview

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)

Project Management - Agile 02: Traditional vs. Agile Project Management

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)

Project Management - Agile 03: Manifesto Principles 1 - 6

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)

Project Management - Agile 04: Manifesto Principles 7- 12

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)

Project Management - Agile 05: Scrum and XP Methods

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)

Project Management - Agile 06: Other Agile Methods

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)

Project Management - Agile 07: Value Driven Development

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)

Project Management - Agile 08: Prioritization and Risk Management

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)

Project Management - Agile 09: Planning Agile Projects

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)

Project Management - Agile 10: Estimation

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)

Project Management - Agile 11: Managing Projects

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)

Project Management - Agile 12: Adaptive Planning and Design

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)

Project Management - Agile 13: Soft Skills and Leadership

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)

Project Management - Agile 14: Team Formation and Boosting Team Performance

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 Management - Agile 15: Stakeholder Engagement

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)

Project Management - Agile 16: Communication in Projects

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 - Agile 17: Problem Detection, Metrics, and Resolution

There are always going to be problems in agile projects. Some will be major and some will be incredibly minor. Being able to detect, forecast, and address the problems — especially any small problems before they become big — is key to successful agile project management and practice. In this course, we concentrate on the needs and methods around the detection of problems, errors, issues, and other things deemed outside our acceptable realm of control. We also examine a few of the common tools, measurements, techniques, and other diagnostics that support the team’s efforts to detect and resolve problems within the project.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project Management - Agile 18: Quality and Earned Value Management

Agile project quality is a discipline that is built in and incorporated in all that is done — from considering, to planning, to executing, to testing, to delivering, and every minute in between. Quality is a mindset and a practice throughout the agile project lifecycle. In this course, we concentrate on agile project quality and the role it plays in the gains or value. As we talk about the standards and the expected levels of quality of the products, we discuss the skills needed to measure quality.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project Management - Agile 19: Continual Improvement

No agile project is perfect. No person on an agile team is perfect. There is always room for improvement and growth. This course is about the constant striving for improvement. In this course, we explore the various methods and concepts surrounding the need and ability to continually improve an agile project, ourselves, our teams, our culture, our organization, our agile project management, and other areas, whether directly or indirectly.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project Management - Agile 20: PMI Code of Conduct

The discipline of agile project management does not have a particular governing body, standardization, or a certain entity that is the gold standard for certification in this field. The Project Management Institute has made tremendous inroads in adding some formality in this regard by collecting the best practices, concepts, approaches, and terms. This final course in the Agile series discusses the PMI Code of Conduct, which is essentially a list of values that should be found within any project.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project Management - Agile 21: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam Prep

The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® is an internationally recognized and esteemed certification focused on the emerging approach of agile methods to project management. If you are going to seek out your PMI-ACP® certification, you need a good grasp of what you are getting yourself into. This course is set up to give you the lay of the test and to reduce the possibility of any surprises along your way. It gives an overview of what you need to know, what the exam will be like, how to prepare, and what you must do after the exam to keep your PMI-ACP® certification active and in good standing.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

Project Management - Agile 22: Test Me - PMI Agile Certified Practitioner Exam (PMI-ACP)®

Test your proficiency and comprehension of the content of the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® exam with this Test Me course. You’ll demonstrate your proficiency in the principles, concepts, and tools used in completing the PMI-ACP® Certification. Test Me provides you with a collection of questions based on the instructions that you have received throughout the Agile series. This gives you the opportunity to prove your comprehension and understanding of the various concepts that you have seen throughout this series, as well as the chance to test your knowledge on the various concepts of Agile.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)


FROM AEC PROJECT MANAGER TO PRINCIPAL

From AEC Project Manager to Principal 1: Foundations of Management

The evolution to senior management requires both a broad range of skills, including marketing, financial management and leadership, and great expertise within each area. The leader who has excelled while dealing directly with projects and design issues must now learn to deal indirectly with people issues and leadership challenges. This course series developed by PSMJ Resources, Inc. and offered through RedVector.com in its entirety, tutors the newly minted executive in every aspect of these new skills, including strategy, team development, financial management, and more. This 1-hour interactive online course is the first chapter of the ‘From Project Manager to Principal’ course series, and explores the tools each business person needs to develop into a successful manager. Concepts such as transitioning from project developer to a management position, behavior changes, self evaluation and leadership qualities are discussed. You must have Flash Player Version 7 or higher to view some parts of this course. We also recommend you view this course in Internet Explorer.

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

From AEC Project Manager to Principal 2: Marketing Your Services

The evolution to senior management requires both a broad range of skills, including marketing, financial management and leadership, as well as great expertise within each area. The leader who has excelled while dealing with projects and design issues must now learn to deal with people issues and leadership challenges. This course series developed by PSMJ Resources, Inc. and offered through RedVector.com in its entirety, tutors the newly minted executive in every aspect of these new skills, including strategy, team development, financial management, and more. This 1-hour interactive online course is the second chapter of the ‘From Project Manager to Principal’ course series. The focus of this course is the importance of marketing to project management and the overall success of your business. The material presented will help you better understand the project manager’s role in creating winning proposals and successfully marketing your services. You must have Flash Player Version 7 or higher to view some parts of this course. We also recommend you view this course in Internet Explorer.

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

From AEC Project Manager to Principal 3: Negotiation Outcomes & Strategies

The evolution to senior management requires both a broad range of skills, including marketing, financial management and leadership, as well as great expertise within each area. The leader who has excelled while dealing with projects and design issues must now learn to deal with people issues and leadership challenges. This course series developed by PSMJ Resources, Inc. and offered through RedVector.com in its entirety, tutors the newly minted executive in every aspect of these new skills, including strategy, team development, financial management, and more. This 1-hour interactive online course is the third chapter of the ‘From Project Manager to Principal’ course series. This course explores the ‘art’ of negotiation between a firm and a client and the vital role that project managers play in the discussion process. Key concepts such as negotiation strategies, scope, and compromise are presented to help you better understand how to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with your clients. You must have Flash Player Version 7 or higher to view some parts of this course. We also recommend you view this course in Internet Explorer.

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

From AEC Project Manager to Principal 4 & 5: Manpower & Quality

The evolution to senior management requires both a broad range of skills, including marketing, financial management and leadership, as well as great expertise within each area. The leader who has excelled while dealing with projects and design issues must now learn to deal with people issues and leadership challenges. This course series developed by PSMJ Resources, Inc. and offered through RedVector.com in its entirety, tutors the newly minted executive in every aspect of these new skills, including strategy, team development, financial management, and more. This 1-hour interactive online course covers the fourth and fifth chapters of the ‘ From Project Manager to Principal ‘ course series, and it begins with a look at creating your work force. Important strategies for hiring, interviewing and managing your employees are presented. The course concludes by discussing the importance of quality management and outlines how to create an effective quality control program. You must have Flash Player Version 7 or higher to view some parts of this course. We also recommend you view this course in Internet Explorer. (1.00 hour)

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

From AEC Project Manager to Principal 6: Financial Management

The evolution to senior management requires both a broad range of skills, including marketing, financial management and leadership, as well as great expertise within each area. The leader who has excelled while dealing with projects and design issues must now learn to deal with people issues and leadership challenges. This course series developed by PSMJ Resources, Inc. and offered through RedVector.com in its entirety, tutors the newly minted executive in every aspect of these new skills, including strategy, team development, financial management, and more. This 1-hour interactive online course is the sixth and final chapter of the ‘From Project Manager to Principal’ course series This course looks at the financial responsibilities of the project manager. Topics such as choosing the appropriate accounting method and improving cash flow are presented. The course also includes an in depth look at over 100 ways to cut overhead costs. You must have Flash Player Version 7 or higher to view some parts of this course. We also recommend you view this course in Internet Explorer.

Is this course approved for my state/license?

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)


TRADITIONAL

Keys to On-Time, On-Budget Results

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)

Project Management 01: Project Management Overview

In LearnSmart’s Project Management Overview Video Training, you’ll learn about such noteworthy individuals as Kaoru Ishikawa, William Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran and Vilifredo Pareto — pioneers of practices that led to the principles and processes of modern-day project management. The course details how time, manufacturing, world events and education helped shape today’s processes of project management. Further, you will see how the practice of project management contributes to the development of products, goods and services.

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)

Project Management 02: Managing Projects within Organizations

In LearnSmart’s Managing Projects within Organizations Video Training, you’ll see how the concepts of project management have been applied throughout history — from the building of the pyramids of Egypt and the moon landing to the smaller-scale projects handled by businesses every day. This course will help students develop skills and understand fundamental concepts that will enable them to deliver projects with greater levels of proficiency and optimization.

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)

Project Management 03: Process Groups

Project management has helped deliver some of mankind’s biggest achievements. And while project management permits effective delivery of products and services, there are plenty of examples where projects have missed their mark and delivered less than stellar results. The reason for this is process. For a project to be managed successfully, the project manager and team must adhere to processes that will drive the project through its life cycle in a way that will meet specifications and the expectations of the project’s sponsor. In LearnSmart’s Project Management Process Groups video training, you will see that, while project processes provide the manner in which a project can produce a successful project, there are other key elements: knowledge, experience, expertise, and ability to lead a team – all of which the project manager must be able to deliver in conjunction with project processes.

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)

Project Management 04: Execution, Monitoring and Controlling

In LearnSmart’s Execution, Monitoring and Controlling course, students will learn about two significant processes that are part of the Project Management Institute’s, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide): The Direct and Manage Project Execution and the Monitor and Control Project work processes. Activities related to these processes represent the bulk of a project manager’s duties during a project. At the conclusion of this course, you’ll more fully understand the intricacies of leading a project team through project activity execution, monitoring and control.

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)

Project Management 05: Project Change Control and Closure

Project managers and project team members develop subject matter expertise as a result of project development. This expertise, in turn, helps to drive necessary changes in project activities. One activity a seasoned project manager always plans for is change. In LearnSmart’s Project Change Control and Closure course, you’ll learn how to manage changes to project through a formal change control process. You’ll also pick up guidance on properly closing a project or a phase of a project. The course incorporates the procedures and processes of the Project Management Institute’s: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide), specifically the Perform Integrated Change Control and the Close Project or Phase processes.

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)

Project Management 06: Initiation Basics, Developing a Project Charter and Plan

A project consists of many different tasks and phases that must be integrated and managed to successfully complete the project. Keeping track of all activities that must be accomplished is no small undertaking; a well-planned and professionally integrated project pulls these activities together, enabling all participants to progress through their tasks and meet milestones. In LearnSmart’s Initiation Basics, Developing a Project Charter and Project Management Plan, you’ll learn about project integration management, why a project is initiated and potential pitfalls that can derail a project at any step. You’ll also learn the purpose of a project charter and how to create one for your project. Plus, you’ll learn how to develop a project management plan.

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)

Project Management 07: Collecting Requirements and Defining Scope

One of the more important tasks that a project manager performs during the management of a project is identifying the project’s requirements. Determining what is required of a project is necessary to identify work that has to be performed, and to establish metrics that are used to evaluate whether the work is acceptable and successful. In LearnSmart’s Collecting Requirements and Defining Scope course, you’ll learn why it’s critical for project managers to properly and completely identify the requirements for a project as soon as possible. You’ll also learn how project managers identify a project’s requirements, including processes dictated by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®.

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)

Project Management 08: Monitor and Control Project Scope

A critical factor in the success of a project is the project manager’s ability to monitor and control the scope of the project. During the implementation of processes within the Planning Process Group, a great amount of effort and planning goes into the collection of project requirements, the creation of a work breakdown structure, and the definition of the project’s scope. LearnSmart’s Monitor and Control Project Scope will teach you about the important principles and best practices employed by project managers to safeguard the scope of their projects. In addition, you’ll learn about the Project Management Institute’s (PMI)® Verify Scope and Control Scope processes, and how these processes are related to the Project Scope Management Knowledge Area.

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)

Project Management 09: Defining and Sequencing Project Activities

Time management is a knowledge area that takes into the consideration project constraints that pertain to time. It incorporates all the processes that are required to ensure the effective and timely completion of projects. The processes that make up project time management occur at least once within every project, in one or more of the project phases. These processes also overlap and interact with processes from the other knowledge areas to help develop and deliver components of a project. The concept of time management permits the project manager and team to develop a schedule by which project activities will be managed. Depending upon the size, scale, and scope of a project, scheduling may be an activity that could take one resource less than a day to complete or, for more complex projects, may require scheduling software to ensure that activities and resources are synchronized throughout the life cycle of the project.

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)

Project Management 10: Developing and Controlling the Project Schedule

Developing the schedule of a project is the product of analyzing activities like sequence, duration, resource requirements, and project constraints. Scheduling tools typically assimilate data in regard to the analysis provided to promote a project schedule. Activities such as plan start and completion dates, milestones and dependencies are among the outputs provided by scheduling tools. The project schedule can then become the project’s baseline for tracking purposes. In LearnSmart’s Developing and Controlling the Project Schedule course, you will learn how iterative revisions and maintenance of the schedule are tasks that the project manager must adhere to for the life of the project.

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)

Project Management 11: Estimating Activity Resources and Durations

One of the more compelling issues that a project manager needs to deal with is a constant reminder to do more with less. Over time, the luxury of having resources in place without conflicts due to other project activities diminishes substantially. The project manager will need to engage sponsors and stakeholders to ensure the appropriate level and types of resources required to get the job done are available when needed. In this course, you will see how the project manager and team use the Estimate Activity Resources process to help determine resource requirements – in the form of cost or time.

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)

Project Management 12: Controlling Costs

Cost management is one of the most integral components of the project management process. LearnSmart’s Controlling Costs course shows how the project manager assumes full responsibility for cost oversight and delivery of the project within budgetary constraints. Financial tools and analysis enable the project manager to oversee activities and the cost associated with delivering the project’s product. Control Costs is the process of monitoring your project status to ensure that your budget is up to date that the project’s value is being delivered to meet expectations.

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)

Project Management 13: Estimating & Budgeting Project Costs

Project Cost Management is perhaps the most comprehensive knowledge area regarding determining the scope of a project, how it will be funded, and the steps that will be taken to ensure that funds appropriated for the project are managed and used correctly. Essential to every good plan are the thoughts and processes that will enable the plan to proceed. Cost management drives project deliverables in line with project constraints. For example, if project costs are limited, a project manager may have to scale back on subject matter experts. If the cost of quality is higher than expected, the project manager needs to realign project deliverables to ensure the level of quality delivers against requirements. This course provides an in-depth of the processes associated with cost management.

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)

Project Management 14: Project Quality Planning

Project Quality Management is about the managing of quality for the project. This knowledge area incorporates many of the best practices and approaches of the larger quality management discipline; but only to the extent to which it supports the project. Project Managers are responsible for quality in terms of their project. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide); is a guide to apply quality management best practices to the needs and expectations of your project. LearnSmart’s Project Quality Planning course teaches you to learn and apply this knowledge, so you can keep it in the framework of a project and its management. All the approaches, best practices, tools and techniques, and processes revolve around meeting the quality needs of the project.

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)

Project Management 15: Quality Assurance and Cost Control

A good project manager should apply processes, best practices, and tools to ensure that all aspects of development incorporate quality standards as a project’s product is being produced. The project manager should always look to the past to garner lessons learned and apply that knowledge so as not to repeat history where negative impacts were sustained. LearnSmart’s Quality Assurance and Cost Control training shows how the Project Quality knowledge area promotes those processes, tools and techniques that assist the project team in planning, delivering and controlling the right levels of quality throughout all project development processes.

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)

Project Management 16: Managing Projects for Human Resources

The strength of a project is based on the resources acquired. The Planning Process Group allows project managers to determine resource requirements for each activity within the project and ensuring that the delivery of raw materials along with the people to develop those raw materials is sequenced according to project schedule timelines. These activities fall into the first two processes in the Human Resource Management Knowledge Area: Develop the Project Team and Manage the Project Team. LearnSmart’s Managing Projects for Human Resources covers the processes, inputs, and tools and techniques involved with developing and managing the project team. Furthermore, this course will teach the principles and best practices used by project managers to establish a solid team capable of producing project deliverables on time and within budget.

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)

Project Management 17: Planning Projects for Human Resources

As a project manager, you will take on a variety of activities that will ensure the successful completion of the project. Among the most important activities that you will undertake is the management of resources that you will need to accomplish the tasks within the project plan. Typically resources come in two forms: raw materials that are developed into components of a project and human resources that will perform the development work upon the raw materials. LearnSmart’s Planning Project Human Resources course will take you through the processes that pertain to the Project Human Resource Management knowledge area – the processes of identifying and detailing roles and responsibilities, skills and relationships within a project.

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)

Project Management 18: Processes for Managing Project Communications

Project communications encompasses a variety of deliverables such as project updates, project dashboards, performance metrics, status reports, schedule updates and details pertaining to the project budget or any of its constraints. Additionally, updates are made to the project management plan where details pertinent to stakeholder management, communications management and project baseline activities can be found. Through LearnSmart’s Processes for Managing Project Communications course, you will gain insight relevant to communication methods, information management systems and performance reporting activities that will be used as either tools or techniques while managing communications. You will also learn about the outputs, or products of the manage communications process which are essentially project communications. Upon completion of this course, you will have a working knowledge of the inputs to manage communications, those being the communications management plan, work performance reports, enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets.

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)

Project Management 19: Stakeholders and the Communication Management Plan

One of the most important skills a project manager needs to acquire and hone is the skill of being an effective communicator. Through experience and time on the job, a project manager will acquire a substantial degree of expertise and capabilities. Those skills will contribute to marketable competencies that prospective clients will require and are willing to pay a premium for. LearnSmart’s Stakeholders and the Communication Management Plan course shows how effective communications works as an enabler, permitting a project manager to clearly articulate assumptions, objectives, goals and requirements; all of which are rudimentary components or deliverables of projects. Effective communications also contribute to efficiencies in project delivery and, while used often by the project manager, should be practiced by all project stakeholders and project team participants. A failure to communicate within a project can bring about risks and impact the overall integrity of the project manager and the project team. To be effective, the project manager needs to manage communications processes that will support project deliverables while syndicating project activities in the correct manner to all project participants.

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)

Project Management 20: Identifying Project Risks

In LearnSmart’s Identifying Project Risks course, you will learn about the Identify Risk process as outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide). The Cost Management Plan will be used to identify risk in regard to the cost constraints, or budget, of a project. The Schedule Management Plan will be used to identify risks associated with project development, especially predecessors and successors, and how risk can impact their ability to meet a project’s critical path. The Quality Management Plan will be used to help determine the risks associated with integrating quality within work packages, or at the activity level. The Human Resource Plan helps detail risks associated with resource availability and their aptitude regarding project deliverables. This helps ensure that the project manager has the right people at the right time to develop project deliverables. Additional inputs are all reviewed and taken into consideration to help drive and determine potential risk within a project. Upon completion of this course, you will know the required details and understand the skills required to identify project risk, and will have gained experience in detailing project plans, understanding assumptions, be able to revert to prior project artifacts for historical reference, and understand the need for organization within a project and the requirement for keeping accurate records and project artifacts.

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)

Project Management 21: Performing Risk Analysis

All projects experience some degree of risk throughout the project life cycle. Risk can be negative, in the form of a threat to a project; or positive, in the form of an opportunity. Perform Risk Analysis is the process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by combining and assessing the probability and impact of risk’s occurrence. While risk exists within every project, the degree of risk based upon probability and impact is what helps determine the type of corrective or preventive action that the project team will perform. Within this course, you will review process inputs, tools, techniques and outputs attributed to the Perform Risk Analysis process.

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)

Project Management 22: Risk Management Planning

Through LearnSmart’s Risk Management Planning course, you will gain a working knowledge of the Project Risk Management knowledge area and the six processes that are aligned within the Project Planning and Project Monitoring and Control process groups. You will learn to develop a Risk Management Plan that will be used throughout the course of the project to provide guidance and direction to the project management team and detail processes and planned activities that are expected to be applied throughout the project. Plus, you will learn to assimilate risk processes to project life cycle work and determine the tools and techniques required to quantify risk as it relates to activities that are developed within a project.

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)

Project Management 23: Risk Response, Monitor and Control

Upon completion of LearnSmart’s Risk Response, Monitor and Control course, you will have gained an appreciation of the intricacies involved with planning appropriate risk response activities along with monitoring and controlling project risk. Planning risk response is the process of developing options that either reduce threats or promote opportunities. By quantifying and analyzing risks at the activity level, the project team has the ability to prioritize risks and optimize plan of action so that resource and budget constraints are taken into consideration. This helps maintain equilibrium within the project and helps deliver its products on time and within budget. This process occurs after quantitative risk analysis activities are complete when each risk response is based upon a thorough understanding of how it will address an impact the risk. Risk response activities also identify accountable individuals and groups responsible for the agreed-upon mitigation and ownership of any potential issue should one arise.

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)

Project Management 24: Managing Procurement During Your Project

LearnSmart’s Managing Procurement During Your Project course serves as a fundamental introduction to project procurements processing. It covers the process inputs relevant to managing procurements, conducting procurements, controlling procurement activities and closing procurement work within a project. It also covers techniques for selecting sellers that will participate in project activities. It shows how a project manager can develop a pool of prospective sellers and illustrate activities based upon procurement scenarios. The course covers such procurement tools and techniques as: bitter conferences, proposal evaluations, independent estimates, advertising and negotiation. The course also covers details pertaining to procurement documentation and artifacts such as contracts between buyers and sellers that will be used to acquire both resources and raw materials to develop components of a project. Equally important to the contractual agreement and type of agreement that a project team would enter, is the administration of the contract once the agreement has been reviewed, finalized and approved. At the end of this course, the student will have a comprehensive foundation in managing procurement activities that pertain to project management – the process inputs, tools and techniques and process outputs that comprise the Conduct Procurements process.

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)

Project Management 25: Planning Procurement for Your Project

As a project manager, your role will be to facilitate, or you might even say orchestrate, all activities that pertain to developing the product of a project. In doing so, you’ll be gathering information, communicating with stakeholders and developing plans that the project team will use throughout the project lifecycle. Part of those plans and directions pertain to the purchase of goods and services needed within the project. This is the Project Procurement Management knowledge area. Within this course, you will learn the definition of procurement and the value of procurement processes to project activities. You will also cover procurement contracts to understand the different types of contracts that exist; why there are different types of contracts, and who benefits by the stipulations inherent to a specific type of contract. Upon completion of this course, the student will be well-versed in the definition of procurement as it pertains to project management along with the plan procurement management processes identified within the Project Procurement Management knowledge area.

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)

Project Management 26: Stakeholder Identification and Planning

Though projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result, the undertaking of a project affects many things. The results of the project are to make a change; that’s the objective of the project. Many people, groups, and entities hold some sort of stake in that change. Those that hold stake in a project and the project’s outcome are deemed “Project Stakeholders” and must be managed within the project management of a project. As a result, there is a knowledge area within project management dedicated to stakeholder management. Two of the processes contained within this knowledge area are Identify Stakeholders and Plan Stakeholder Management. Learn the key tools, techniques, and inputs included in these processes to successfully manage a project’s stakeholders.

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)

Project Management 27: Project Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

Focus on the processes Manage Stakeholder Engagement and Control Stakeholder Engagement. You will find discussions on the purpose of those processes, their inputs, outputs, tools and techniques. You will sort through how to maintain the most effectual engagement of the needs and expectations of stakeholders, manage times when needs and expectations are not being met, and handle change or requesting changes when improvements or adjustments are recommended. Whoever the stakeholders are in your project, they must be managed and managed properly. Upon course completion, you will know what project stakeholder management is, how to manage stakeholder engagement, and control engagement throughout a project’s lifecycle.

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)

Project Management 28: PMI® Certification Requirements

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)

Project Management 29: Test Me - Project Management Professional (PMP)®

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)

Project Management 30: Project Management Professional (PMP)® 2016 Exam Updates

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)


ULTIMATE PROJECT MANAGER

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 01: Today’s Project Manager

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 02: Marketing And Proposals

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 03: The Contract Agreement

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 Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 04: The Project Management Plan

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 05: The Project Schedule

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 06: The Project Budget

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 Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 07: Leading The Project Team

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 08: Managing Client Relationships

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 09: Developing Effective Communications

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 10: The Project Startup

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 11: Managing Your Time

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 12: Managing Project Studies And Reports

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 13: Managing Design And Construction Phases

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 14: Managing Project Quality

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 Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 15: Managing Project Risks

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 16: Project Financial Management

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)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 17: Project Management And Design Technology

Technology can be the project manager’s best friend. In this course we will review some basic concepts of technology systems with extra emphasis on Building Information Modeling (BIM). You’ll get instruction in selecting and testing software and using templates and standard forms. We’ll examine the latest communications tools and the use of project websites. You’ll also receive encouragement in backing up data and creating archives. We’ll also touch on making sales presentations using your computer as well as training the design staff in computer technology.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 18: Monitoring And Controlling The Project

The control of the project team and the project are the main responsibilities of a project manager. Because so much of the project accountability is in the hands of the project manager, it is essential that these professionals have the required skills to ensure each project is completed successfully. The purpose of this eighteenth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series is to provide detailed project management duties and responsibilities, including monitoring the progress of the project, tracking and analyzing schedules and budgets, and anticipating problems so they can be avoided.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 19: Project Closeout

Closing out a project can be as difficult, if not more so, than starting a new project. Just like a project which must be carefully and thoroughly planned out, so must the project closeout. The purpose of this course is to guide youryou through the processes and all considerations that should be accomplished in athat should be considered during project closeout. You will learn: The importance of having a plan for wrapping up a project The different types of analyses and closeouts that need to be completed How to acquire and preserve a knowledge management program And How to converse with project stakeholders involved in the project closeout.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 20: Alternative Project Delivery Methods

Design-bid-build may still be the dominant method of project delivery in the AEC industry, but its popularity is in decline. Change is taking place in the AEC industry as alternative project delivery methods become a more popular choice, and project managers need to adapt to the changing marketplace. In the twentieth course of this series, we will take a look at the changes and discuss the advantages and risks involved in the selection of alternative project delivery methods.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 21: A/E Project Management Benchmark Data

As a project manager, you will want to keep up with the constantly changing industry practices and compensation. In this course we will give you the results of surveys so that you will know what’s happening in the industry and how your firm compares to your competition. You’ll get project manager staffing levels, net revenues per project manager ratio, and direct labor hours per project manager ratio. We’ll cover senior project manager and junior project manager compensation. You’ll also get project manager time charges, design firm billing rates, contract forms and terms, design fees as a percentage of construction costs, direct project expense, and a section on electronic data processing.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)

The Ultimate Project Manager, Series Summary: The Short and Sweet Version

The accomplished PM is responsible for leading, staffing, and managing all aspects of the project. This includes the work of the entire project team and the work performed by all administrative, engineering, and construction disciplines even if the PM isn’t specifically trained in the technical aspects of the other disciplines. It also includes the extremely important aspects of client relations. It is the project manager who is charged with the responsibility to deliver the service to the client. In this course we will touch upon the different phases leading to the foundation of the project and project features the project manager must control for in order to see the project come to a successful close.

Course Duration: 1 Hour(s)