Basic Project Management: Planning & Control Techniques

Ref	PM 541
Dates	23 - 27 October 2010
Venue	Oman
Fees	US$ 3850
CPE Credits	30

EuroMaTech has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI)   

INTRODUCTION

The late delivery of projects has become the scourge of project managers worldwide. Countless numbers of projects undertaken by organizations in the private and public sectors significantly overrun the project schedule and budget, and as a consequence fail to achieve the organization’s financial and strategic objectives, often with sizable increases in costs and with substantial financial losses to the organization.

This is due mainly to the inability of many project managers to successfully apply the tools and techniques of modern project management and control to their projects, as well as manage and motivate the human resources assigned to the project.

In addition to the financial losses suffered by the organization, many such projects also fail to deliver the required quality of outcomes intended for the project as a direct consequence of inadequate planning and control.

This brand new programme will significantly enhance the skills and knowledge of delegates and improve their ability to plan, manage, and control projects.  The material has been designed to enable delegates to apply all of the material with immediate effect at the office.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This programme is designed for project managers, project planning engineers and managers, and senior project control and business services professionals who have the responsibility for planning and controlling project schedules and costs in client and contracting companies.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

• Gain knowledge of techniques used in project planning and control
• Understand the time-cost trade-offs
• Learn how to administer project documentation and reporting
• Develop effective performance monitoring and control systems

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

Delegates will develop fundamental project management performance and control skills and knowledge through formal and interactive learning methods. The programme includes team projects, applicable case studies, group discussion and critical analysis of video material based on actual large construction projects.

Additionally, the programme does not assume prior knowledge of the topics covered in the programme. New concepts and tools are introduced gradually to enable delegates to progress from the fundamental to the more advanced concepts of project management

PROGRAMME SUMMARY

This 5-day programme will provide you with a proven set of critical methods, processes, tools and techniques for the development a systematic and dynamic Project Plan and Schedule that will enable the team to:

• Integrate scope, time, resources and cost management into a dynamic, manageable plan
• Develop project network diagrams for CPM and PERT calculations to identify schedule and cost risks
• Maintain continuous project performance and delivery control
• Measure, forecast and control project performance by employing earned value techniques
• Produce clear and concise project progress reports

Core Competencies

• Ability to deliver projects on time and within budget
• Proactive identification of what a project really requires
• Understanding of what it takes to be a successful project manager
• Skill and confidence to plan and control projects successfully and ability to sidestep the most common project management pitfalls and problems
• Understanding and practicing effective project management techniques in successfully completing and handing over projects

Benefits to be Gained from Attending this Programme

• This fundamental programme takes the practice of project planning, scheduling and control to a new level to ensure maximum results
• The most recent developments in the field are included to provide fresh inputs to your project management efforts
• The programme takes a practical rather than a theoretical approach so that new skills can be applied with immediate effect
• High quality videos of substantial projects of different kinds are screened and discussed during the programme
• Group activities and exercises will ensure mastery of the practical application of new skills learned
• Related project management fields such as risk are continuously incorporated to provide an integrated view of the total project management process
• Delegates will have excellent opportunities for interaction and discussion of best practices at their respective organizations
• This programme will equip delegates with the skills and knowledge to significantly improve all levels of project control in the organization
• The programme will be an important stepping stone in terms of personal career development in that it prepares delegates for the internationally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP) exam

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

DAY 1

Project Management Frameworks (Processes and Life Cycle)

• Knowledge Areas & Project Process Flow
• The Triple Constraint
• Project Management Definitions
• Project Classifications
• Types of Projects
• Characteristics of a Project
• Project scope statement
• The Project Life-Cycle
• Project Initiation
• Project  Planning
• Project Definition
• Project Development
•  Project Execution

Project Scope Management (Defining the Project)

• Initiation
• Project Selection Process
• Selection Criteria
• Project Evaluation and Prioritization
• Project Selection Techniques
• Scope Statement
• Project objectives
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Identify Resource Responsibilities
• Scope Definition
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Scope Change Control

DAY 2 - Project Time Management (CPM & Networking Techniques)

• The Network Diagram
• Features of the Network Diagram
• Early & Late Start & Finish
• Late start - late finish
• Logic Relationship Chart
• Precedence Relationships
• Dependencies & Constraints
• Lag and Lead Times
• The Critical Path
• Float/Slack
• Total Float and Free Float
• Activity Duration Estimating
• Duration Estimation Issues
• Gantt Chart Construction
• Gantt Task Dependencies
• Project Overview
• Milestone Chart 
• Schedule Control
• Tracking Progress

DAY 3 - Project Schedule Contingency Planning

• Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
• Path Convergence Analysis
• Solving the Path Convergence Problem
• Network Risk Profile Types
• Normal Distribution
• PERT, Probability and Standard Deviation Formulae
• Calculating the Standard Deviation
• Standard Deviation for Critical Path
• Z-Values: The Probability of Project Completion at a Required Date
• True Critical Path
• Network Activity Risk Profiles
• Application: Estimating Project Duration

DAY 4

Accelerating the Project Schedule

• Circumstances Requiring Project Acceleration
• Time-Cost-Scope Trade-off
• Project Time Reduction
• Direct Project Costs
• Indirect Project Costs
• Options for Accelerating the Schedule
• Crashing the Schedule - How?
• Pre-Accelerated Schedule
• Developing a Crash Cost Table
• Acceleration in Practice
• The Optimal Acceleration Point
• Gantt Chart for Accelerated Schedule
• Network Activity Risk Profiles
• Additional Considerations
• Multiple Critical Paths
• Project Cost Reduction

Line of Balance Scheduling - The Planning of Recurring Activities

• Preparing a Line of Balance Schedule
• Velocity Diagrams and Linear Scheduling
• Velocity Diagram Production Rate Calculations
• Linear Sequence of Activities as a Series of Velocity Diagrams
• Balancing the Schedule
• Calculations for a Line of Balance Schedule
• Line of Balance Formulae
• Target Units per Week
• Determining Crew Size
• Actual Rate of Output
• Time to Complete One Activity
• Elapsed Time for Recurring Activity
• Slope of Line from Activity Start to Activity Finish
• Balanced Project Schedule without Buffers (Finish-Start)
• Inserting Buffers
• Comparison of Unbalanced with Balanced Schedules
• Measuring Planned Progress on Schedule
• Velocity Diagram Reflecting Expected Conditions
• Actual Progress and Work Conditions
• Variable Conditions
• Estimated Cost at Completion
• Estimated Duration at Completion

DAY 5

Project Progress Management (Earned Value Management)

• Bid Documents Development
• Project Management Reporting
• Earned Value (EV)
• Key Earned Value Terminology
• Combining Schedule and Costs
• Project Status Report
• Schedule Variance (SV)
• Cost Variance (CV)
• Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
• SPI Run Chart
• Cost Performance Index (CPI)
• CPI Run Chart
• Estimated Cost at Completion
• Estimated Duration at Completion

Recovery Plan Development

• Project Variance Analysis and Quantification
• Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
• Cost Performance Index (CPI)
• Setting Schedule and Cost Control Limits
• Project Recovery Data Assessment
• Schedule and Cost Recovery Analysis
• Schedule and Cost Recovery Plan
• Project Recovery Baselines and Controls

 

 

 

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