Project Management Essentials
Course Specifications
Course number: 085098
Course length: 3.0 day(s)
Course Description
Course Objective: You will identify and apply generally recognized practices in project management.

Target Student: The target student for this course is any individual who may need to perform project management activities in their job role on either a formal or informal basis, or any project team members who want to enhance their knowledge of project management in order to interact more productively with a project manager and perform more effectively on a project team.

Prerequisites: Work experience with project management and knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and skills required for project management is needed. Also, basic working knowledge of office productivity tools is required. The Project Management Fundamentals course is recommended for students as a prerequisite to this course. 
Hardware Requirements
For this course, you will need one computer for each student and one for the instructor. Each computer will need the following minimum hardware configuration: 
•	PC with Intel® Pentium® II 300 MHz processor or higher
•	64 MB of RAM with 1.0 GB of free hard disk space or higher
•	CD-ROM drive
•	Mouse or other pointing device
•	1024 x 768 resolution monitor
•	Internet access 
•	Projection system to display the instructor’s computer screen
Software Requirements
Each computer requires the following software:
•	Microsoft® Office® 2003 or later
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 
•	identify the basic concepts and terminology of professional project management.
•	launch a project.
•	estimate project work.
•	create a project schedule.
•	plan project costs.
•	plan for project risks.
•	plan for project quality and compliance.
•	manage human resources for your project.
•	manage project procurements.
•	plan for change management and monitor the project scope.
•	monitor and optimize project schedule and cost.
•	monitor quality of project work and the risks involved.
•	plan communication strategies and manage stakeholder relationships.
•	perform project closure.
Course Content
Lesson 1: Getting Started with Project Management

Topic 1A: Project Management Basics 
Topic 1B: Factors Influencing a Project 
Lesson 2: Launching Projects

Topic 2A: How Organizations Choose the Right Project 
Topic 2B: Identify Project Stakeholders and Their Expectations 
Topic 2C: Identify the Project Scope 
Topic 2D: Prepare a SOW 
Topic 2E: Formally Authorize a Project 
Lesson 3: Estimating Project Work

Topic 3A: Estimate Project Effort and Resources Using Top-Down Estimation 
Topic 3B: Estimate Project Effort and Resources Using Bottom-Up Estimation 
Topic 3C: Reduce Risks in Project Estimates 
Lesson 4: Creating a Project Schedule

Topic 4A: Illustrate Project Flow 
Topic 4B: Identify Activity Resources 
Topic 4C: Schedule Project Work 
Lesson 5: Planning Project Costs

Topic 5A: Estimate Project Costs 
Topic 5B: Establish the Cost Baseline 
Topic 5C: Reconcile Funding and Costs 
Lesson 6: Planning for Risks

Topic 6A: Create a Risk Management Plan 
Topic 6B: Identify Risks and Their Causes 
Topic 6C: Analyze Risks 
Topic 6D: Develop a Risk Response Plan 
Lesson 7: Planning for Quality and Compliance

Topic 7A: Deliver the Desired Project Results 
Topic 7B: Verify Compliance Requirements 
Lesson 8: Managing Human Resources

Topic 8A: Plan Your Dream Team 
Topic 8B: Put the Team Together 
Topic 8C: Build the Team 
Topic 8D: Manage the Team 
Lesson 9: Managing Project Procurements

Topic 9A: Plan for Project Procurements 
Topic 9B: Obtain Responses from Vendors 
Topic 9C: Choose the Right Vendor 
Topic 9D: Manage Vendors and Procurements 
Lesson 10: Managing Change During Project Execution

Topic 10A: Gear Up for Project Execution 
Topic 10B: Manage Project Changes 
Topic 10C: Monitor the Project Scope 
Lesson 11: Monitoring and Controlling Project Schedule and Cost

Topic 11A: Monitor and Control the Project Schedule 
Topic 11B: Optimize the Project Schedule 
Topic 11C: Monitor and Control Project Costs 
Lesson 12: Monitoring Risk and Quality

Topic 12A: Monitor and Control Risks 
Topic 12B: Put Quality Plans into Action 
Topic 12C: Control Project Quality 
Lesson 13: Communicating and Reporting

Topic 13A: Communicate in a Project 
Topic 13B: Distribute Project Information 
Topic 13C: Manage Stakeholder Relationships and Expectations 
Topic 13D: Report on Project Performance 
Lesson 14: Closing the Project

Topic 14A: Hand Off the Project 
Topic 14B: Close Project Procurements 
Topic 14C: Wrap Up a Project 
Appendix A: Project Management Templates