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TheCourse Syllabus |
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TheCourse, when conducted in a classroom, is 56 hours long, presented in 16 3½-hour segments. Each segment begins with a presentation and discussion, and concludes with a series of questions designed to reinforce the material covered earlier. It is conducted in 8 7-hour daytime classes or 16 evening classes. TheCourse online is also registered with PMI as a 56-hour course, though the actual time will vary among students. Scroll down to see the schedule details, and browse our student addendum for additional content.
Each classroom student receives a 6-month license to TheCourse online for making up missed classes and for review. Classroom and online students receive a license to TheTest, which is downloaded for simulation of the PMI examination and study.
The emphasis of TheCourse is teaching the core competencies of Project Management as defined by PMI and set forth in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). TheCourse is packed with explanations, examples and references to provide insight into tangential topics, e.g., 6-sigma. We don't leave our students wondering about Value Engineering or Critical Chain Scheduling - topics referenced by PMBOK but scarcely mentioned in courses whose sole objective is to cram students for the exam.
One of the common PMBOK 'Tools and Techniques' is Project Management Software. To assure that the student appreciates the significance of this tool, TheCourse includes numerous illustrations of how functions are performed using Microsoft Project. The purpose is to lend visibility and perspective to preparation of project plans and schedules, resource leveling, earned value and other areas where the two subjects overlap.
This schedule is designed for both day and evening classes. The course consists of 16 segments. Each full day covers two segments, and each evening session covers one segment. Evening and online students, please ignore the day designations.
Day 1, Segment 1. The Background of Project Management (Includes PMBOK® Guide Chapter 1 & 2)
1.1
Introductions, Course materials, Housekeeping & Homework
1.2
Definition, Examples and Characteristics of Projects
1.3
About Project Management Institute & Other PM Organizations
1.4
Projects and Emerging Industries
1.5
The Project Environment
1.6
The Project Management Office
1.7
Project & Product Life Cycles
1.8
Stakeholders
1.9
Organizational Structures & Influences
Day 1, Segment 2. The Gospel According to PMBOK® Guide (Includes PMBOK® Guide Chapter 3)
2.1
PMBOK® Guide Organization
2.1.1
Knowledge Areas, Processes & Process Groups
2.2
The Production and Flow of Initiation and Planning Documents
2.3
Scope, Schedule & Cost Control Processes
2.4
Quality Processes
2.5
Risk Monitoring & Control
2.6
Project Execution & Change Control
2.7
Course Guide
Day 2, Segment 3. Project Launch
3.1
Develop Project Charter (PMBOK® Guide 4.1)
3.1.1
The Project Proposal
3.1.2
Enterprise Environmental Factors & Organizational Process Assets
3.1.3
Mathematical models; Constrained Optimization
3.1.4
Economic Evaluation
3.1.4.1
Payback Period; Life-Cycle Costing; Net Present Value; IRR; Depreciation; Weighted Scoring Models
3.1.5
The Project Charter
3.2
Develop Preliminary Scope Statement (PMBOK® Guide 4.2)
3.2.1
Scope Statement Contents
Day 2, Segment 4. Scope Planning & Definition
4.1
Develop Project Management Plan (PMBOK® Guide 4.3)
4.2
Scope Planning Process (PMBOK® Guide 5.1)
4.2.1
Change Management Plan
4.3
Scope Definition Process (PMBOK® Guide 5.2)
4.3.1
Product Analysis: Product Breakdown; Systems Analysis; Systems Engineering; Value Engineering; Value Analysis; Functional Analysis
4.3.2
Lateral Thinking; Brainstorming
4.3.3
Stakeholder Analysis
4.3.4
Scope Statement
4.4
Create WBS Process (PMBOK® Guide 5.3)
4.4.1
Work Breakdown Structure & Work Packages
4.4.2
Scope Baseline
Day 3, Segment 5. Procurement & Activity Planning
5.1
Plan Purchases & Acquisitions (PMBOK® Guide 12.1)
5.1.1
Make or Buy Analysis
5.1.2
Contract Options & Incentive Fees
5.1.3
Procurement Management Plan & Statements of Work
5.2
Schedule Management Plan
5.3
Activity Definition Process (PMBOK® Guide 6.1)
5.3.1
Activity Attributes
5.4
Activity Sequencing (PMBOK® Guide 6.2)
5.4.1
Dependencies; Precedence & Arrow Diagramming Methods
5.4.2
Leads & Lags
5.5
Activity Resource Estimating (PMBOK® Guide 6.3)
5.5.1
Resource Requirements
Day 3, Segment 6. Estimating & Scheduling
6.1
Activity Duration Estimating (PMBOK® Guide 6.4)
6.2
Schedule Development (PMBOK® Guide 6.5)
6.2.1
Critical Path Method
6.2.2
Duration Compression
6.2.3
Resource Leveling
6.2.4
Critical Chain Scheduling
6.2.5
Project & Resource Calendars
6.3
The Cost Management Plan
6.4
Cost Estimating Process (PMBOK® Guide 7.1)
6.4.1
Resource Rates
Day 4, Segment 7. Budgeting, Quality & Risk Planning
7.1
Cost Budgeting (PMBOK® Guide 7.2)
7.1.1
Cost Baseline & Cash Flow
7.1.2
The Performance Measurement Baseline (Budget)
7.2
Quality Planning (PMBOK® Guide 8.1)
7.2.1
Quality Gurus
7.2.2
Six Sigma & Other Quality Movements
7.2.3
Cost of Quality
7.2.4
Quality Management Plan & Quality Improvement
7.3
Risk Management Planning (PMBOK® Guide 11.1)
7.3.1
Risk Management Plan
7.3.2
Risk Categories
7.3.3
Risk Breakdown Structure
Day 4, Segment 8. Risk Analysis & Response
8.1
Risk Identification (PMBOK® Guide 11.2)
8.1.1
Brainstorming; Delphi Technique; SWOT Analysis
8.1.2
Diagramming Techniques
8.2
Qualitative Risk Analysis (PMBOK® Guide 11.3)
8.2.1
Risk Event Impact & Probability, Scoring
8.2.2
Prioritization of Risks
8.3
Quantitative Risk Analysis (PMBOK® Guide 11.4)
8.3.1
Decision Trees & Expected Monetary Value
8.3.2
Path Convergence
8.3.3
Triangular & Beta Distributions
8.3.4
Simulation
8.4
Risk Response Planning (PMBOK® Guide 11.5)
8.4.1
Avoidance, Transference, Mitigation & Acceptance of Risks
8.4.2
Positive Risk Responses
8.4.3
Risk Response Plan, Risk Register & Risk Database
Day 5, Segment 9. Wrapping up the Plan
9.1
Human Resources Planning (PMBOK® Guide 9.1)
9.1.1
Project Interfaces
9.1.2
RAM Charts, Organization Chart & Staffing Management Plan
9.2
Acquire Project Team (PMBOK® Guide 9.2)
9.2.1
Resource Pools & Virtual Teams
9.3
Communications Planning (PMBOK® Guide 10.1)
9.3.1
Sender-Receiver Models
9.3.2
Barriers to Communication
9.3.3
Information & Stakeholder Analysis
9.3.4
The Communications Management Plan
9.4
Maintenance Transactions
Day 5, Segment 10. Watching the Front Lines
10.1
Develop Project Team (PMBOK® Guide 9.3)
10.1.1
Organizational vs. Project Roles
10.1.2
Training Proposals
10.1.3
Motivational Theories
10.1.4
Leadership
10.2
Manage Project Team (PMBOK® Guide 9.4)
10.2.1
Power
10.2.2
Conflict
10.2.3
Constructive & Destructive Behavior
10.3
Direct & Manage Execution (PMBOK® Guide 4.4)
10.3.1
Project Management Methodology
10.3.2
Work Performance Information
Day 6, Segment 11. Watching the Baselines
11.1
Scope Control (PMBOK® Guide 5.5)
11.2
Schedule Control (PMBOK® Guide 6.6)
11.2.1
Variance Analysis & Additional Planning
11.2.2
Schedule Revisions & Rebaselining
11.3
Cost Control (PMBOK® Guide 7.3)
11.3.1
Cash Flow & Funding
11.3.2
Earned Value Analysis
11.3.3
Completion Forecasting & To-Complete Performance Index
11.3.4
Variance Analysis & Additional Planning
Day 6, Segment 12. Watching the Flanks
12.1
Risk Monitoring (PMBOK® Guide 11.6)
12.1.1
Workaround Plans & Corrective Action
12.1.2
Risk Audits & Reviews
12.2
Quality Assurance (PMBOK® Guide 8.2)
12.2.1
Quality Audits
12.3
Quality Control (PMBOK® Guide 8.3)
12.3.1
Quality & Statistics
12.3.2
Quality Tools
12.3.3
Process Adjustments
Day 7, Segment 13. Stakeholders & Reporting
13.1
Monitor Project Work (PMBOK® Guide 4.5)
13.2
Information Distribution (PMBOK® Guide 10.2)
13.3
Performance Reporting (PMBOK® Guide 10.3)
13.4
Manage Stakeholders (PMBOK® Guide 10.4)
13.5
Applying for and Taking the PMP® Examination
Day 7, Segment 14. Acceptance & Closure
14.1
Scope Verification (PMBOK® Guide 5.4)
14.2
Integrated Change Control (PMBOK® Guide 4.6)
14.2.1
Maintenance Transactions
14.2.2
Change Control Process
14.2.3
Configuration Management
14.3
Close Project (PMBOK® Guide 4.4)
14.3.1
Administrative & Contract Closure Procedures
14.3.2
Archives & Lessons Learned
14.4
Introduction to Contract Law and the UCC
Day 8, Segment 15. Procurement
15.1
Plan Contracting (PMBOK® Guide 12.2)
15.1.1
Procurement Documents & Evaluation Criteria
15.2
Request Seller Responses (PMBOK® Guide 12.3)
15.2.1
Bidders Conferences
15.2.2
Proposals
15.3
Select Sellers (PMBOK® Guide 12.4)
15.3.1
Screening
15.3.2
Weighting System
15.3.3
Contract Negotiation
15.4
Contract Administration (PMBOK® Guide 12.5)
15.4.1
Contract Change Control
15.5
Contract Closure (PMBOK® Guide 12.6)
15.5.1
Procurement Audit
15.5.2
Formal Acceptance & Closure
Day 8, Segment 16. Professional & Social Responsibility
16.1
PMI® Member Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
16.2
PMP® Code of Professional Conduct