A comprehensive project plan and a precise schedule are necessary components of a project. Course topics include using planning and scheduling techniques that will establish the timeline of a project and facilitate moving the project forward; building an accurate, resource-driven project schedule; and creating a realistic budget. In addition, students will prepare project planning documents and create processes for risk management, change management and quality control. 

• Principles of Project Management or equivalent experience 

Objective 1: Create a work breakdown structure (WBS) 

• Identify tasks needed to reach project completion 
• Identify the major work elements for a project 
• Assign project tasks to each work element 
• Identify resources necessary to complete each task 
• Compare project scope to the WBS to assure tasks are focused and complete 

Objective 1 Assignments 

• Review Case Study  
• Create WBS 
• Create a team WBS 
• Refer to PMBOK pages 118-122. 

Objective 2: Create a network diagram 

• Assign durations to each task in the WBS 
• Identify task dependencies 
• Order tasks appropriately 
• Calculate the critical path 

Objective 2 Assignments 

• Team Case Activity: 
• Create a Network Diagram 
• Calculate Critical Path 
• Refer to PMBOK pages 193, 194, and 201 – 211 and Verzuh 198 – 206. 

Objective 3: Build a schedule 

• Enter scheduled tasks 
• Remove non-working dates from the schedule 
• Allocate available resources to each task 
• Calculate the date the project will complete 
• Create the schedule baseline 

Objective 3 Assignments 

• Team Case Activity – Use the Activity List to: 
• Calculate an Actual Schedule 

Objective 4: Create a risk management plan 

• Identify potential project risks 
• Rank risks on a risk matrix 
• Determine strategies to prepare for risk 
• Create a risk register 

Objective 4 Assignments 

• Team Activity 
• Evaluate and Rank Risks 
• Utilize a Risk Register 

Objective 5 Create a project budget 

• Identify the costs of all project tasks 
• Tie costs back to the WBS unique identifier 
• Calculate the management reserve 
• Produce the budget baseline 

Objective 5 Assignments 

• Team Activity 
• Complete Budget Exercise 

Objective 6 Project the project baseline 

• Review individual baselines: schedule, scope and cost 
• Combine individual baselines to create the project baseline 
• Estimate future project performance 

Objective 6 Assignments 

• Team Activity 
• Review project scope, budget, and schedule baselines 
• Make changes to the outputs 
• Combine all three outputs to the project baseline 

Objective 7 Create a Change Management (CM) process 

• Describe the purpose of a chance management process 
• Determine who should approve or reject changes 
• Create a change management log to capture all change requests 
• Determine how to communicate changes to the customer and project team 

Objective 7 Assignments 

• Individual Student Activity 
• Review and complete CM Process 

Objective 8 Create a quality control process 

• Determine what quality is within a project 
• Identify a successful project outcome 
• Create a quality assurance process 

Objective 8 Assignments 

• Quiz on quality definitions 

Objective 9 Create a communication plan 

• Determine stakeholders 
• Choose types of reporting methods 
• Schedule frequency of communication 

Objective 9 Assignments 

• Individual Student Activity 
• Develop, review, and select a communication plan