Curriculum
- 60 Sections
- 204 Lessons
- Lifetime
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- Start Here!You are on your way to earning your Deeply Practical Project Manager certification!2
- Overview: ContentsThe contents of the Overview section.1
- Overview: The PM FrameworkThe difference between a project and process, what is a program, the five stages of the project management framework, and the main project players.4
- Overview: Strategic PlanThe all important link from the project Objective to the organization’s Strategic Plan.1
- Overview: The Triple ConstraintThe “triple constraint”, the most important concept in project management, the three messages of the triple constraint, and the centrality of this triangular steering wheel in everything the project manager does.1
- Overview: Keys To SuccessThe three most important drivers of project success.2
- Overview: The Project ManagerThe critically important role, main requirements, and essential skills of the Project Manager, and the importance of their leadership of the team and project.9
- Overview: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts in project management that every Project Manager needs to know.1
- Initiation: ContentsThe contents of the Initiation chapter.1
- Initiation: IntroductionThe purpose of the Initiation stage, and the role of the Project Manager in Initiation2
- Initiation: The Sponsor & CustomerThe attributes, role, and importance of the project Sponsor and Customer.1
- Initiation: StakeholdersWho the stakeholders are, their role in the project, and the three most important elements of stakeholder analysis.3
- Initiation: The First Level ScopeThe importance of the project objective, how to baseline it, the assumptions and constraints, and the initiation stage conceptual solution.5
- Initiation: The Business CaseThe importance of the Initiation business case, the three most common methods of calculating the business case, the expected accuracy, with some business case examples.4
- Initiation: The Project Manager & MandateThe importance of including identification of the project manager, their mandate, and their budget, schedule, accountability, and authority in the project charter.1
- Initiation: The Project CharterThe purpose and typical contents of the Project Charter.2
- Initiation: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts of the project Initiation stage.1
- Planning: ContentsThe contents of the Planning chapter.1
- Planning: IntroductionThe purpose of project planning, including a one page flowchart of the entire planning process, and the critical importance of the core project team to planning.4
- Planning: RequirementsThe attributes, purpose, and importance of project requirements to definition of the project scope.10
- 20.1From Objective To Requirements
- 20.2Requirements – A Long-Time Challenge
- 20.3Example – Health System
- 20.4Importance Of Requirements
- 20.5Gathering Requirements
- 20.6Requirements Attributes
- 20.7Requirements Key Points
- 20.8Requirements Document & Approval
- 20.9Example – Buying Chairs
- 20.10Exercise – Baseline Your Project Requirements
- Planning: SolutionThe need for a planning level solution definition and the level of detail required to proceed with project planning.2
- Planning: DeliverablesHow the work breakdown structure (WBS) of deliverables defines the full scope of a project, how useful it is, how to develop it, when to break it down, and how to use software to create it.12
- 22.1The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- 22.2Examples – Aircraft, Shed, Supper, Standards, Process
- 22.3WBS Process
- 22.4WBS Key Points
- 22.5WBS Methods
- 22.6When To Break Down Deliverables Further
- 22.7Relationship Of WBS & Requirements
- 22.8The WBS Dictionary
- 22.9Deliverables → Work Packages → Activities
- 22.10WBS Drawing Tools
- 22.11Why Not Use The Gantt Tool For The WBS?
- 22.12Exercise – Baseline Your WBS
- Planning: LogicWhy the project precedence diagram is the most important project planning tool, enabling you to create an accurate plan, communicate it, and manage the project later.8
- 23.1The Precedence Diagram
- 23.2Kinds Of Links, And Leads And Lags
- 23.3Examples – Generic, Shed, Supper, Standards, Process
- 23.4Precedence Diagram Process
- 23.5Precedence Diagram Patterns
- 23.6Precedence Diagram Drawing Tools
- 23.7Why Not Use The Gantt Tool For The Precedence Diagram?
- 23.8Exercise – Baseline Your Precedence Diagram
- Planning: EstimatingWhy activity breakdown creates a more accurate estimate, how to make a deliverable activity breakdown, the PERT, 3-point, and Delphi estimating methods, and how to handle estimating error.10
- 24.1Exercise – The Power Of Estimation
- 24.2Estimating Methods
- 24.3The Statistical Power Of Multiple Estimates
- 24.4Activity Breakdown
- 24.5Factoring For Productivity & Availability
- 24.6An Estimating Spreadsheet
- 24.7PERT & Straight 3-Point Techniques
- 24.8The Delphi Technique
- 24.9Handling Estimating Error
- 24.10Exercise – Estimate Your Project
- Planning: ScheduleThe benefits of the Gantt chart, how to include work packages and activities, the importance of the schedule critical path, how the critical path is calculated, and how to define project milestones.11
- 25.1The Gantt Chart
- 25.2Example – Gantt Chart
- 25.3The Critical Path
- 25.4Critical Path Process
- 25.5Example – Critical Path Process
- 25.6Example – Forward Pass
- 25.7Example – Backward Pass
- 25.8Example – Critical Path With Float
- 25.9Exercise – Baselining Your Schedule
- 25.10The Schedule Milestones
- 25.11Exercise – Setting Your Milestones
- Planning: ResourcesWhat are resource allocation charts, the two options for resource levelling, and the most important elements of resource planning.3
- Planning: CostHow to estimate cost from the deliverable activity breakdowns, how to define cost accounts, and how to document the project cumulative cost curve.5
- Planning: ProcurementHow to decide whether to build or buy, the different kinds of procurement documents, the different contract types, and how to select the winning contractor.5
- Planning: RiskThe definition of project risks, the six steps of the formal risk management process, how to baseline your risk register, how to allocate the risk budget, and planning of opportunity risks.15
- 29.1Risk Management
- 29.2Risk Planning
- 29.3Risk Identification
- 29.4Standard Risk Statement Form
- 29.5Risk Qualification
- 29.6Risk Quantification
- 29.7Response Planning
- 29.8Other Risk Elements
- 29.9The Risk Register
- 29.10Critical Chain Management
- 29.11Risk Buffer Allocation
- 29.12The Risk Reserve & Management Reserve
- 29.13Opportunity Risks
- 29.14Opportunity Planning
- 29.15Exercise – Baseline Your Risk Budget
- Planning: CommunicationsThe key elements of a communication plan, and what to document for each communication.2
- Planning: The Project PlanThe purpose of a project management plan and its typical contents, and how to review and update the project plan at the end of the planning process.3
- Planning: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts of the project Planning stage.1
- Execution: ContentsThe contents of the Execution chapter.1
- Execution: IntroductionThe purpose of the project execution stage and the project manager's role.1
- Execution: The Project TeamHow to build the best project team, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of functional, projectized, and matrix organizations, the importance of delegation, the importance of team motivation, and dealing with team conflict.11
- 35.1Building The Project Team
- 35.2Project Team Key Points
- 35.3Functional Organizations
- 35.4Projectized Organizations
- 35.5Matrix Organizations
- 35.6Management Of Matrix Organizations
- 35.7Matrix Personnel Allocation
- 35.8Delegation
- 35.9Team Motivation
- 35.10Managing People Conflict
- 35.11Exercise – Gather The Project Team
- Execution: CommunicationsThe advantages and disadvantages of different modes of communications.1
- Execution: First StepsThe importance of starting execution with kick-off meetings, and the value of an execution stage project requirements review (PRR).3
- Execution: Design & BuildThe importance of iteratively preparing multiple designs before building any of the project outputs, with user reviews to ensure the project result does what the customer needs.2
- Execution: Problem IdentificationHow the Ishikawa or fishbone diagram helps investigate behind symptoms to find the fixable root causes of problems.1
- Execution: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts of the project Execution stage.1
- Monitoring & Control: ContentsThe contents of the Monitoring & Control chapter.1
- Monitoring & Control: IntroductionThe purpose of monitoring and control, and the importance of managing stakeholder expectations.2
- Monitoring & Control: The Weekly HeartbeatThe importance of the weekly project status meeting, the attendees and process, how to conduct it, and the value of keeping it to one hour.2
- Monitoring & Control: Managing ScopeHow to avoid scope creep and manage scope change, prepare an impact analysis, make a recommendation, and obtain approval.5
- Monitoring & Control: Managing TimeHow to status the project schedule, read a Gantt schedule progress status update, manage the drivers of the critical path, and use crashing and fast-tracking to compress schedule.3
- Monitoring & Control: Managing CostHow to status the project cost and manage it by managing its key drivers, with an example of a monthly cost report.2
- Monitoring & Control: Managing RiskHow to status and manage the risks, update the risk register and reporting, and protect the risk budget when you are under too much pressure to reduce it.1
- Monitoring & Control: Earned Value Management (EVM)Understand Earned Value Management (EVM), how to use EVM for statusing your project and projecting the final budget and schedule performance, and the benefits to the project manager and stakeholders.6
- Monitoring & Control: Managing QualityThe key principles of quality as defined by W. Edwards Deming, the preeminent importance of the project being “fit for purpose”, and the process and benefits of peer reviews and user reviews.4
- Monitoring & Control: Problem ResolutionThe most common project problem solution options, and the essentials of persuasion.2
- Monitoring & Control: The Monthly HeartbeatHow to hold the monthly project progress status review, capture the status in a one page report, and most constructively communicate with management to obtain assistance when required.4
- Monitoring & Control: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts of the project Monitoring & Control stage.1
- Closing: ContentsThe contents of the Closing chapter.1
- Closing: IntroductionThe purpose of closing and the role of the project manager in making sure closing is successful.1
- Closing: ProcurementHow to most effectively close procurements as you proceed through the project, and conduct three party verification to minimize scope acceptance issues.1
- Closing: AcceptanceThe importance of change management, the essentials of scope verification, the benefit of scenario based verification, practical delivery criteria, and how to transition to a support team.7
- Closing: Lessons LearnedThe importance of lessons learned for continuous learning and organizational improvement, and how to collect and store them for the widest distribution to the rest of the organization.1
- Closing: Team ClosureThe best way to handle team transition and help your team members as the project ends, and the essentials of holding a project celebration.3
- Closing: The Final ReportThe purpose and typical contents of a project final report, how to review it, and how to disposition any recommendations and actions.2
- Closing: Chapter SummaryThe most important concepts of the project Closing stage.1
