XCPD-480 Project Management Fundamentals

Project management has become recognized as the primary approach taken by most organizations to deal with growing complexity caused by increasingly competitive markets, continuing financial pressures to improve performance, and globalization. Project management provides a structure for dealing with the "faster, better, cheaper" pressures that most organizations are facing.

This comprehensive course provides participants with an overview of the essential elements of project management and the project management life cycle - from project selection to planning to managing and controlling. Participants gain an understanding of frameworks, practices, and techniques for project management and gain practical experience with approaches to achieving successful project performance.

In addition to practices and processes, the course also focuses on the people skills needed to lead and contribute to projects. Participants gain insight into team dynamics as well as principles of team development and leadership.

Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, a successful student will be able to:

• Understand the core principles (e.g. triple constraint, etc.) of project management
• Acquire the shared vocabulary and terminology of the project management profession
• Explain the project selection process and how multiple projects fit into an organization’s programs and strategic direction
• Describe the organizational and behavioral aspects of project management
• Apply the nine recognized project management areas of competency to projects of varying size and complexity
• Develop an integrated project plan to include project goals and objectives (project charter), statement of work, work breakdown structure, project activity network diagram (critical path), project schedule and milestones, project budget, and cost-time performance tracking measures
• Effectively lead, communicate, and resolve conflicts while managing projects of varying size and complexity.