Fundamentals of Project Management Course – Quick

Reference Guide
Chapter Topics Covered Focus Areas
Chapter 1 : Project Management  Definitions – Project, Project Life Cycle,
Introduction Overview Three dimensions of project
management,
 Project Triple Constraints
 Attributes of a good project
manager/skills
 Dualities Project Managers face
 Reasons why projects are stretched /
fail (Standish survey)
PMI Framework  5 PM Process Groups and 9 Knowledge
Areas
Chapter 2: Project Selection and  Criteria for Project Selection
Project Initiation Initiation  Compare Functional, Projectized and
and Stakeholder matrix Project Organization and PM’s
Management availability and authority in those
structures
 Project Charter and Preliminary Scope
Statement
 Tool - Flexibility Matrix
 Project Kick off Meeting
Project Stakeholder  Stakeholder identification / Register
Management  Stakeholder Analysis Grid
 Managing Stakeholder Expectations
Chapter 3 Why Planning is  Why Planning is Important
Project Planning important? Elements  Core and Facilitating Planning Processes
of Planning  Elements of a Project Management Plan
Chapter 3: Scope management  Types of Scope –Project, Product,
Project Scope Definition Geographical, Organizational, etc.
Planning & WBS Tools and techniques  Tools – Scope IS vs IS Not analysis
 Template - Scope Management Plan
 Understanding Requirements, Its types
and techniques used to gather
requirements
WBS – Work  WBS Types, Levels and Elements of WBS
Breakdown Structure Guidelines for project decomposition
Assumptions and  Difference between the two and why
Constraints defining them are important for
projects
Chapter Topics Covered Focus Areas
 Project Acceptance Criteria
Chapter 3: Time Management Steps to developing a project schedule in
Schedule / Time processes detail
Planning  Activity sequencing
 Activity resource estimation
 Activity duration estimation
 Schedule development
 Schedule control
Task Dependency Mandatory, Discretionary and External
types and Constraints  FS, FF, SS and SF dependencies
Types of Task Constraints – ASAP, ALAP,
etc.
Network diagram  Arrow and Precedence diagram
 Calculating Lead and Lag times
 Critical Path Method
 PERT and CPM
Schedule  Effort vs Duration difference
Development  Project estimation, Duration estimation
and Resource estimation, Milestones
and Baselines and factors for
underestimation
Schedule Tuning /  Optimization Tools - Fast Tracking and
Optimization Crashing , Changing Scope and
Approach (innovation) and understand
pros and cons of schedule tuning
Resource  Labor and Non Labor resources
Management  Resource availability and skills planning
 Tools – Staff Management Plan,
Resource Smoothing & Resource
Leveling and difference between the
two
Chapter 3: Cost Management  Types - ROM, Budgetary and Definitive
Project Cost Processes estimates
Planning  Cost Estimation, Project Budgeting –
Allocating costs to various project tasks
over time
Chapter 3: Project Risk  Risk identification,
Risk Planning Management Process  Risk Analysis,
 Response planning
o Avoidance, Mitigation,
Contingency and Transference –
Chapter Topics Covered Focus Areas
For Negative risks
o Exploit, Enhance and Share – For
Positive risks
 Risk monitoring and control
Chapter 3: Procurements  identifying potential sources for
Procurement Planning purchase / vendors
Planning o RFP Vs RFQ Vs RFI and difference
between them
o Requesting seller responses
o Evaluating Proposal and
Selecting a Partner/Supplier
 Tools – Weighted Vendor Scoring /
Ranking sheet
Contract  Contract Types – Firm Fixed price, Time
Management and Material and Cost plus models;
 Understand key difference between
above contract types
Chapter 3: People Resource  People Resource Planning, Staff
Resource Planning Acquisition, Team Development and
Planning Managing Teams
Tools  Project organizational charts,
 Staffing management plan (Resource
histograms),
 Responsibility Assignment matrix (RACI
Chart)
Chapter 3: Communication  Communication planning
Communication Planning and  Information distribution
Planning management  Importance of face to face
communication
 Understanding personal preferences
 Communication or working with global
virtual teams
Chapter 4: Project Team  Project Team Development and
Project Execution Development and Management models
Management  Leadership styles
Change Management  Decision Making Styles –
Status Reporting and Consultative, Directive and
Project Control participative and knowing when to
Reviews use each of them
Issue and Action  Working with team members
Items (Evaders, Aggressors, Thinkers and
Idealist)
Chapter Topics Covered Focus Areas
 Performance Reporting – Weekly Status
Report and Project Control /
Management Reviews
 Issue and Action Item Log
 Project Change Management - Seven
steps to managing changes to the
project; Change control board
Chapter 5: Project Tracking and  Collecting Tracking Data
Project Control  Analyze Project Progress / Performance
Monitoring and  Using Earned Value Measurement
Control technique to control the project
performance
 Analyzing and Solving EVM problems as
part of a project case
Chapter 6: Project Closure  Project closure activities
Closing the processes  Tools – Project Post Mortem report,
Project Project Archives