Project Management: A Practitioner’s Guide

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

Chapter 1

• Recognize the characteristics of a project.
• Cite the areas of responsibility for a project sponsor.
• Specify the factors that impact the success rate of a project.
• Specify the different ways to manage stakeholders.

Chapter 2

• Identify the reasons why feasibility studies may be needed.
• Specify the reasons for conducting a gap analysis.
• Recognize the uses to which a strategic alignment analysis can be put.

Chapter 3

• Recognize the different types of quantitative evaluations for projects.
• Identify how a discounted payback analysis can be used.
• Identify the problems with using the internal rate of return.
• Specify the different elements of a net present value analysis and their effects.

Chapter 4

• Identify the different phases of a project, noting when certain activities occur.
• Recognize the conditions under which phase overlapping occurs.
• Specify the reasons for continuing an over-budget project.

Chapter 5

• Recognize the activities in a project planning and control system.
• Identify the components of a work breakdown structure.
• Identify the formatting of a Gantt chart.
• Recognize the planning characteristics of the critical path method (CPM) as well as the program evaluation and review technique (PERT), citing the circumstances under which a negative float can occur.

Chapter 6

• Specify the different types of project constraints.
• Identify the risk involved with outsourcing project tasks.
• Recognize the circumstances under which a scope change is acceptable.
• Specify the types of enterprise-level constraints.

Chapter 7

• Recognize the membership of the change order committee.
• Specify the contents of a change request form.
• Recognize the nature of gold plating in a project.

Chapter 8

• Cite the parties involved in a project handoff.
• Identify the tasks included in a project close-out.

Chapter 9

• Specify the correct way to respond to a request for a ball park estimate.
• Recognize the method used to calculate a rough order of magnitude estimate.

Chapter 10

• Identify the types of risk involved in risk management.
• Identify the factors comprising the risk attitude of a business.
• Specify the characteristics of a high priority risk.

Chapter 11

• Recognize the different costs of quality and their characteristics.
• Cite the reasoning behind using a quality audit.

Chapter 12

• Identify the criteria used to select a supplier.
• Specify the circumstances under which a pre-bid conference is used.
• Recognize the clauses that can be included in a contract with a supplier.
• Define an employee and a contractor.
• Identify the differences between a contract and a purchase order.

Chapter 13

• Recognize ways in which to monitor and report on the progress and components of a project, and determine the labor rate variance for a project.
• Recognize the circumstances under which an escalation threshold is used.
• Cite the dimensions of earned value management.

Chapter 14

• Identify the different types of best practices related to project management.
• Describe the reasoning behind the best practices associated with project management.

Chapter 15

• Identify the structure of a project portfolio bubble.
• Specify the problems associated with only soliciting new project ideas annually.
• Recognize the advantages of chunking.
• Cite the different uses to which a project management office can be put.

Chapter 16

• Identify the characteristics of a minimum viable product.
• Specify the key success factors for an agile project development effort.
• Recognize the environment in which a task board is used.

Chapter 17

• Define the circumstances under which a company can avoid change initiatives.
• Identify the means by which one can decide upon change initiatives to implement.
• Recognize the circumstances under which a change initiative could fail.

Chapter 18

• Recognize the proper structuring for a successful project.
• Cite the issues that can cause a team to be ineffective.
• Specify the characteristics of the best team members.
• Recognize the different types of communication methods.
• Specify the characteristics of an effective project team.

Chapter 19

• Identify the different types of listening in which a person can engage.
• Recognize a method for showing that a company values the contributions of its team members.
• Recognize the circumstances under which the use of majority voting would work.
• Cite the reasons why a consensus building initiative could fail.