Best Practices in Project Management

This course presents the following topics:

Introduction and Tutorial Begin with the End in Mind Visualize the Goal Acceptance Constraints Scope Statement Understand Your Stakeholders Why is it Important? Who are the Project Stakeholders? Rank Interest and Influence How does the PM Understand Stakeholders? How to Filter the Wants from the Needs What is the Ultimate Goal? Understand Your Product Breaking Things Down Understanding WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) Different Approaches to the WBS Keys to Good WBS Creation Issue and Change Management What is an Issue? Logging and Tracking Issues Importance of Closing Issues When Issues Become Change Requests The Solution a Change Control System The Right Way to Initiate Change Investigate the Impacts of Change Who Makes the Decision? Organizing the Project Why Organize? Is it Worth the Effort? Organize Using the Work Breakdown Structure Organize Using the Responsibility Assignment Matrix Steps: Gathering and Organizing the Project Plan Piecing Together the Project Plan Tracking, Communicating, and Reporting Set Communication Expectations What to Track and Report

(cont. on next page)

Give Them What They Want How to Report for Team How to Report for Customer and Management Earned Value Analysis an Example Earned Value Analysis the Big Picture How Often to Communicate Results

Course Summary