Below follows a short description of the training program. Most of the topics below are followed by workshops focusing on different tools and questions important for the participants and their work as project leaders.

One idea behind this course is to let each participant work with a small project during the program. From day 1 till day 3, they will break down this project from the state of an idea, to a clear and well defined project plan. The last day are they expected to present the outcome from their work. This will be done as if it was a presentation for a steering group.

This training is IPMA-registered

The training laps theoretical overviews and practical exercises - both individual and group - who are reported and discussed. While personal development as a project manager will be developed during the training.

Audience

The training is intended for those who have passed a basic project management training and want to further develop your skills in the field.

Prerequisites

Basic project management training.

Schedule day one

What is a project? The most common reasons why projects fail.

• There are some different descriptions of what a project really is – we will look at some of them and then clarify the one that will be used in this program.
• During the last 10 years focus has been directed on how to increase the efficiency in project. Due to that we know also today what the “weakest areas” are in organizations trying to improve their project culture. Those areas will be presented here together with their implications.

Project Models, their purposes and a short explanation of a General Project Model.

• During this session we will go through some common definitions from the “Project World”, such as, toll-gate, milestone, Checkpoint, the character of a steering meeting, the purpose of a reference team etc. All of this will be put in its context in order to clarify the idea behind the concept “Project”.

Group Dynamics – F.I.R.O

• This session will focus upon group dynamics in order to furnish the participants with insights in what efficient project groups look like. We will go through the FIRO theory according to Will Schultz.

1. Project planning – analysis, solution and deliverables

• This session is the first one of a couple different planning steps in this program. Each planning step focuses on some important tools, necessary to use in order to break down a vague idea to a clear project plan.

Schedule day two

Repetition and a short reflection

• We start the day with a short repetition of the content from yesterday meanwhile the participants have possibilities to reflect upon different issues connected to the topic.

2. Project planning – Business targets and project targets

• The participants continue with the planning they started yesterday. In this session they are focusing on the targets for their projects, and how to make them specific, measureable and timed.

3. Project planning – PBS and WBS

• In this session we will focus on the topic “deliverables” and the participants will then break down their deliverables in Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Team roles and how To work in team 

• In order to contribute effectively in a team one needs to know about team roles and how they interact. This session will present the team roles according to Belbin.

4. Project planning – resources and estimations

• A short session focusing upon resources, project organization and also showing a tool that improves the estimations done in project planning

5. Project planning – Gantt chart and pert diagram

• The participants are now ready to put together all their planning into a time- and activity plan (Gantt-chart). In this session they will be presented the Gantt-chart as well as the PERT-diagram.

Schedule day three

Repetition and a short reflection

• We start the day with a short repetition of the content from yesterday meanwhile the participants have possibilities to reflect upon different issues connected to the topic.

6. Project planning – risk analysis

• One should never start a project without having done a risk analysis on the project plan. In this session we will present a powerful way of making risk analysis in projects. The participants will also make a risk analysis of their own projects meanwhile they prepare their presentation for the steering group meeting (which will be done after lunch).

Change handling and communication plan

• This session will focus upon how to handle changes in project and what a communication plan looks like.

Presentation on a steering group meeting

• On this final session the participants are going to present their projects for the other colleagues, who should be regarded as a teering team. Each presentation will be followed by a short discussion about what was good and what can be improved.