OPERATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT (USING MS PROJECT)

Transcription

1 OPERATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT (USING MS PROJECT) 3 DAY COURSE

2 INTRODUCTION The principles of project management are generic and therefore can be applied to all projects regardless of business sector. Many organisations are now utilising these project management principles, along with project management software to standardise and improve their approach to managing activities and business change. OBJECTIVES The aim of this course is to provide participants with an easy to understand pragmatic approach to project management and the use of current software scheduling tools. This course focuses largely on how the hard skills of project management can be used alongside to support the use of software scheduling and is intended to provide participants with the knowledge and practical skills to structure a non complex project. Upon completion of the module it is expected that participants will : Understand definitions used within the project environment. Define measurable project success criteria Identify what is in scope (and what isn t) Structure an appropriate project schedule using MS Project Feel confident using established project management tools and techniques Monitor and control a project using MS Project WHO THIS COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR: Newly appointed project managers Current project managers Project leaders and senior team members Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 1 of 7

3 COURSE CONTENT OVERVIEW AND TIMETABLE Day 1 Time 09:00-09:30 Course introductions Topic 09:30-10:30 Fundamentals of project management 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:45 Project Conception 11:45-12:45 Project Conception (creation of the Business Case) 12:45-13:30 Lunch 13:30-14:15 Project Definition 14:15-15:00 The Project Management Plan 15:00-15:15 Break 15:30-16:45 Breakdown Structures 16:45-17:00 Review and close Day 2 Time 09:00-09:30 Review of Day 1 Topic 09:30-10:30 Overview of MS Project 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:45 Transferring the WBS to MS Project 11:45-12:45 Managing resources 12:45-13:30 Lunch 13:30-14:30 Resourcing with MS Project 14:30-15:00 Estimating 15:00-15:15 Break 15:30-16:45 Adding task durations to MS Project 16:45-17:00 Review and close Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 2 of 7

4 Day 3 Time Topic 09:00-09:30 Review of Day 2 09:30-10:30 Planning tools and techniques 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:30 Applying logic to MS Project 11:30-12:45 Risk Management 12:45-13:30 Lunch 13:30-14:30 Change Control and Configuration Management 14:30-15:00 Monitoring, controlling & reporting 15:00-15:15 Break 15:30-16:00 Monitoring progress using MS Project 16:00-16:45 Project Handover and Closure 16:45-17:00 Review and close DAY 1 IN DETAIL 1. COURSE INTRODUCTION An introduction to the course including: Objectives and timetable Introduction of the participants and facilitator Administrative arrangements. 2. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT This session provides participants with the essentials required to develop a better understanding of project management. This session enables all participants to have a level of understanding in areas such as: Project lifecycle Project Management roles and responsibilities Programme and Portfolio Management Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 3 of 7

5 3. PROJECT CONCEPTION Before were can start planning the project it is important that the project is based on a sound decision. This session looks at how projects begin life, what questions need to be answered and who is to be involved. Areas covered are: Business cases Aligning organisational goals to project objectives Identifying the key project stakeholders 4. PROJECT DEFINITION This session covers defining what will be achieved on a successful project. Clarity of definition is crucial in order to implement a comprehensive plan. Participants are taken through the essential elements of a project definition. Among the topics discussed are: Project strategy High level project scoping (in & out of scope) 5. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN This session looks at the starting point of the project life cycle. Participants are provided with a template for planning and are required to produce the project Terms of Reference and define the project scope. 6. BREAKDOWN STRUCTURES This session covers the use of one of the cornerstone planning tools to help in the development of a successful plan. Participants are taught how to derive a realistic tasklist, which will help identify potential risks and make the estimating process easier. After this session participants will be able to breakdown a project into more manageable pieces and from a number of different perspectives. Amongst the topics covered are: Work breakdown Organisation breakdown Product breakdown Cost breakdown Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 4 of 7

6 DAY 2 IN DETAIL 7. OVERVIEW OF MS PROJECT This session provides the participants with an overview of the functionality that the software can provide and sets the scene for the next session; setting the default information and preparing to enter task information. 8. TRANSFERING THE WBS TO MS PROJECT This session provides the participants with some hands on practice in starting to work on their schedules by creating a list of tasks in the software as previously defined. 9. MANAGING RESOURCES This session looks at the use of Responsibility Matrices within a project environment in order to: Assign responsibility for work Get buy in and commitment at an early stage Keep a high level view of work undertaken by multiple resources 10. RESOURCING WITH MS PROJECT This session enables the participants to create a resource pool, which can be assigned to the work scheduled. 11. ESTIMATING Good, reliable estimating is not easy and there is no single guaranteed way of getting it right. However, there are specific techniques available that enable the consistent production of reliable estimates. Topics covered include: Parametric estimates Analogous estimates Three point estimates 12. ADDING TASK DURATIONS TO MS PROJECT This session enables the participants to input their task estimates either by single or three point estimates. Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 5 of 7

7 DAY 3 IN DETAIL 13. PLANNING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES Building on the previous sessions participants now use the information generated during the creation of the WBS & estimating to produce the project schedule. After this session participants will be able to construct a practical and effective schedule enabling a positive start on the project. Amongst the topics covered are: Networks & Gantt Charts Critical Path Analysis Resource Histograms and resource smoothing Milestones and deliverables. 14. APPLYING LOGIC TO MS PROJECT This session enables the participants to create a constrained network, view the critical path in the software and level the project to resolve any resource issues. 15. RISK MANAGEMENT This session introduces a simple, yet powerful technique that can be used to identify risks. These risks can then be managed out, by planning preventative actions instead of firefighting, to help ensure project success. Risks, which cannot be eliminated, can have contingency plans formulated to make sure that if they do occur they will have little impact. Topics covered include: Risk register Identifying and prioritising risks Risk mitigation 16. CHANGE CONTROL AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT This session takes a high level approach to change control & configuration management. It focuses on the need to have a robust change control process which allows changes to be made in a controlled many and are suitably documented. 17. MONITORING, CONTROLLING & REPORTING Close monitoring is essential to ensure that projects come to a successful completion. This session looks at monitoring, reporting progress and re-planning. Topics include: Progress Meetings Progress Reporting Scope change; managing changing goal posts Quality control. Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 6 of 7

8 18. MONITORING PROGRESS USING MS PROJECT This final software session provides the participants with the opportunity to baseline their projects, update the schedule with progress made, review standard MS Project reports and discover how their schedules change as time passes and progress is recorded. 19. PROJECT HANDOVER AND CLOSURE Project completion needs to be as carefully planned as the rest of the project to avoid conflict and confusion in the business. This is also the time to learn the lessons from the project so that they can be incorporated and used to improve future project work. This session includes: Handover preparation Completion checklists Post project implementation review process Project closure 20. REVIEW AND CLOSE The participants will review the three days and decide what action they need to take to implement their learning back at work. Participants will be encouraged to set a number of smart objectives, estimate resource / time / effort required and create their own development project plan. Operational Project Management (MSP) V1.0 7 of 7