Project Management explains the key principles, concepts, and terminology students need to understand and implement best practices for effective project management. This 12-module course describes the five stages of productive project management and presents specific strategies for administering and regulating project tasks, activities, and processes. Case studies and analytical problems guarantee that learners can successfully apply given instructions as they progress through the course.

Seventeen adaptive learning assignments help students overcome learning challenges, master critical skills, and demonstrate proficiency in project management. Diagnostic questions are administered through a sophisticated software application.

This learning resource contains a diagnostic pre-assessment in each module, 24 post-module assessments, optional preparation material for the Project Management Institute’s PMP® certification exam, and a comprehensive final assessment to verify student mastery and comprehension of course material.

 

Module 1: Project Management Overview

• Explain what a project is and how it can advance organizational goals
• Describe the role of the project manager in an organizational setting
• Compare predictive, iterative, and adaptive life cycles and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each
• Identify how enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets can affect project management processes
• Explain the concept of a project management office (PMO)
• Explain the relation of projects to sub-projects, programs, and portfolios
• Distinguish between functional organizations and projectized organizations and explain how the structure of the organization can affect project processes and activities
• Clarify the role of stakeholders such as the project sponsor in determining general and specific details of the project charter
• Recognize the need to engage stakeholders at all levels throughout the project life cycle
• Describe the project life cycle and its common trends and patterns
• Identify key characteristics of successful project managers
• Explain the selection and prioritization of projects
• Discuss why projects succeed and why they fail

Module 2: The Role of the Project Manager

• Discuss the selection of a project manager
• Describe the traits of a successful project manager
• Explain how a project manager recruits and selects a team
• Describe the characteristics of high-performing teams
• Discuss the importance of communication for a project manager
• Discuss the importance of negotiation for a project manager
• Outline the methods for conflict resolution employed by project managers
• Discuss how a project manager effectively manages key stakeholders
• Outline the ethical framework for project managers
• Discuss the effective resolution of ethical issues

Module 3: The Initiating Stage

• Explain what takes place in the Initiating stage
• Demonstrate how your project connects to organizational objectives
• Describe how the project charter helps frame a project
• Use a stakeholder list to identify and manage stakeholder expectations and engagement
• Explain how a milestone chart helps to keep key stakeholders aware of project progress

Module 4: The Planning Stage

• Explain what happens in the Planning stage
• Describe how Planning helps you meet project goals
• Develop a comprehensive project plan to guide project work
• Create a work breakdown structure to show the work involved in the project
• Provide accurate estimates for project work
• Create a risk register to identify, analyze, and prepare for risks
• Assign responsibility for project work to project participants
• Develop scope, cost, and budget baselines for the project
• Describe your process for managing change requests
• Explain how you will manage contracts and vendors on the project

Module 5: Project Scope and Time Management

• Design an effective scope statement to create boundaries for the project
• Explain the different methods, tools, and techniques for collecting requirements and tracking them
• Demonstrate how a project schedule network diagram is created and read
• Describe schedule network analysis and how it can help to determine the critical path for a project
• Define and explain fast tracking
• Define and explain crashing

Module 6: Project Cost, Quality, and Procurement Management

• Identify the cost baseline and performance measurement baseline and their importance in earned value management
• Use estimating techniques to forecast the cost requirements of a project
• Explain how the project management team should balance the costs and effort associated with quality with its short-term and long-term benefits
• Distinguish between quality assurance and quality control
• Define procurement within the context of a project
• Compare contract types and discuss techniques for effective procurement management

Module 7: The Executing Stage

• Explain what takes place in the Executing stage
• Demonstrate how to effectively communicate project information to relevant stakeholders
• Evaluate whether your team is working well together and learning new individual and team skills
• Properly distribute information to your team and stakeholders
• Describe why you should keep a project journal

Module 8: Project Human Resources, Communications, and Stakeholder Management

• Recognize and manage for constraints and limited availability of human and physical resources
• Describe how project leaders can assess and develop their teams and individual workers
• Describe how project leaders can provide their team with necessary resources for project completion
• Employ interpersonal and management skills to address and manage conflicts among stakeholders
• Create stakeholder management strategies to maximize positive stakeholder impacts and minimize negative stakeholder impacts
• Describe the importance of effective communication in the context of project management

Module 9: The Monitoring and Controlling Stage

• Describe the need for project control and monitoring
• Compare project progress to plans and manage work that deviates from project baselines
• Discuss the quality control techniques that can be used to monitor project quality
• Complete a project review report
• Address change as it occurs
• Use appropriate tools and techniques to keep the project on track

Module 10: Project Risk Management

• Describe the techniques involved in risk identification and analysis
• Describe how to make project decisions when outcomes are complex and are affected by uncertainty
• Explain how risk analysis and risk response planning contribute to project success
• Explain how the continued use of a risk register helps monitor and control project risk
• Explain how risk events can be prioritized to ensure effective risk management strategies are completed
• Employ the various management responses to positive and negative risk

Module 11: The Closing Stage

• Recognize what takes place in the Closing stage
• Explain why Closing your project is necessary
• Describe what project elements need to be closed
• Be able to complete closeout tasks

Module 12: Alternative Approaches to Project Management

• Explain the basics of Agile project management
• Compare and contrast Agile and Waterfall project management
• Discuss the criticisms of Agile
• Explain the growing significance of sustainable project management
• Discuss the impact of Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement practices on project management