Project Management Fundamentals, Core Processes, & Terminology

Course Description

Project Management Fundamentals overviews the basics of project management. It provides the theory and core methodology needed to manage projects or participate on project teams.

This course does not make use of any project management software application, instead it focuses on the conceptual underpinnings students must know in order to use any project management software application effectively. Students enrolling in this course should be planning to lead a project (primary audience) or serve on a project team (secondary audience).

Students will also learn how to use project management techniques to plan, organize, control, document, and close out their projects successfully and with minimum risk. For those students wishing to become certified in project management, The Training Institute of Washington, DC also offers a five-day course titled Project Management: Professional Certification.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Discuss the phases of the project management life cycle and a project manager’s role in each phase.
• List and discuss basic project success criteria and common reasons for project failure.
• Discuss techniques for setting up a strong project team.
• List and discuss elements of a risk management plan.
• Discuss techniques for planning and sequencing project activities, including the work breakdown structure and the network logic diagram.
• Identify the critical path for completing a project on schedule.
• List and discuss the cost elements that should be included in a project budget.
• Discuss techniques for controlling for deviation from budgets and schedules.
• Discuss key elements of project management communications and reporting tools.
• Discuss key activities of project close-out.

Course Content

Lesson 1: Project Management Vocabulary

Lesson 2: PMI and the PMBOK

Lesson 3: The Five Process Groups

Lesson 4: Decomposing the Process Groups

Lesson 5: Examining the Initiating Process Group

Lesson 6: Examining the Planning Process Group

Lesson 7: Examining the Executing Process Group

Lesson 8: Examining the Controlling Process Group

Lesson 9: Examining the Closing Process Group

Lesson 10: Initiating a Project Plan

Lesson 11: Defining Project Scope

Lesson 12: Quantifying Time and Cost

Lesson 13: Risk Management and Schedule Planning

Lesson 14: Budget Development

Lesson 15: Why Projects Succeed and Fail