2-Day Workshops

Essential Skills of Project Management

Analytical Skills for Project Management

Group Facilitation and Problem-Solving Skills for Project Management

Leadership, Influence and Team-Building Skills for Project Management

Execution, Integration and Closing Skills for Project Management

The AIM Workshop:
Anticipate, Innovate, Motivate

PMP® Exam Preparation Workshop

Execution, Control and Closing Skills for Project Management

SUMMARY

Would you rather be part of a project that has a flawless plan but mediocre execution, or a project that has a mediocre plan but vigorous execution? Of course we want the best of both, but the question points out the importance of execution. While there are fewer templates and guidelines to help project managers improve in the area of execution, a firm grounding in principles along with the immediate feedback of practice accelerates a project manager's ability to be successful in this area.

On day two of the workshop, The Balancing Game forces you to juggle scope, cost, schedule and quality concerns as you face a continuous barrage of problems and opportunities. The Balancing Game does for project managers what flight simulators do for pilots. Practice your prioritization and tactical decisions in situations that accelerate your learning curve.

OBJECTIVES

• Identify checklists of issues to manage during the execution of a project
• Calculate and interpret earned value as a way of tracking project progress
• Apply control functions in a variety of project scenarios
• Practice project close-out methods, including an effective framework for lessons learned
• Engage in timed simulation activities that challenge and grow your execution abilities

COURSE OUTLINE: 2-DAY WORKSHOP

I. Execution
   A. Work authorization system - the key components
   B. Resolving issues
   C. Documenting and communicating changes
   D. Working with outside vendors
   E. Managing organizational change created by projects

II. Special Situations
   A. Changing project managers in mid-stream
   B. Project recovery -- the first steps
   C. Pulling the plug -- when, why, how

III. Performance Reporting Methods and Structures
   A. Status reporting
   B. Variance analysis
   C. Earned value

IV. The Control Functions
   A. Schedule and cost control
   B. Risk monitoring and control
   C. Scope verification and quality control
   D. Change control

V. Project Close-Out
   A. Acceptance and sign-offs
   B. Transitional responsibilities
   C. Lessons learned
          1. Dear successor
          2. Templates and checklists
          3. Establishing and enhancing a parametric model
          4. New major principles
   D. Celebration

VI. The Balancing Game: A Simulation of Project Execution
 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Project managers, project team members, function managers who interact with organizational projects, upper level managers, people wanting Professional Development Units (PDUs). This workshop is particularly good for people who will have to make decisions during the course of a project. Decision-makers include project managers, core team members who comprise a core or executive team, project sponsors.

Execution, Control and Closing Skills for Project Management is an excellent workshop for core team members and outside vendors to complete together at the beginning of a project. It provides a foundation, methods and communication channels for dialogue that will be required during the hectic execution of a project. The joint experience, especially The Balancing Game, can also pinpoint potential problems with enough lead time to prevent them in the first place.

PMLEADER
A Division of Innovators International, Inc.
9700 Valdez Drive
Des Moines, IA 50322-1325

Phone: 515-276-5914 or 800-829-5550
Fax: 515-334-0914
Email: lee@pmleader.com

© 2003 Innovators International, Inc.