Project Planning and Execution

The course is suitable for persons involved in projects as Members of Project Steering Committees, Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Project Team Members and Project Experts.

After the course the participant will understand the basic principles/concepts of project work and related terminology (ex. life-cycle, phases, milestones, objectives, results).

Project management skills have become one of the key knowledge areas within successful organisations. Competetive advantages are achieved by people who can manage issues and lead people in a rapidly and constantly changing environment.

Achieving set objectives and obtaining foreseen results requires capacities in balancing project scope, project resources and time resources. All of this is done through efficient and simple project planning and execution tools, within streamlined and well defined organisation-specific project management principles and methods.

This course provides people involved in project work with the necessary understanding and practical tools for successfully planning and executing projects.

The course provides a balance between necessary project management theory and experience-based best practices. Trainer approaches project work from a project life-cycle perspective. Project initiation, planning, execution and closing is treated from both an issue management and people leadership perspective.

This training course develops capacities in planning and monitoring tasks related to project scope, time, budget, cost & risk as well as change management.

Emphasis is given on the importance of communication planning within the project. As a result of the course participants will be able to carry out a stake-holder analysis and prepare a communication plan.

Participants will understand their own role and tasks within a project as well as receive hints for hiqh-quality project leadership and team-work.

Introduction to the project management framework

• terms and concepts in project management
• the project lifecycle, phases, models and challenges

Initiating Projects

• how projects are born - or should be 
• project objectives
• project results
• group work: defining project objectives and result

The organisation of projects

• roles and responsibilities of the different entities involved
• the project steering committee, the project manager and the project team
• organisation and knowledge requirements
• group work: the Project organisation - knowledge needs vs. roles/tasks

Project Stakeholders

• the project environment and stakeholders
• group work: stakeholder analysis of the case projects

Project planning

• the importance of project planning
• preparation of a project plan

Methods for building a project plan

• the project breakdown structure (PBS)
• the work breakdown structure (WBS)
• group work: WBS planning for case projects

Project time planning

• milestone planning
• clarifying dependencies and preparing time schedules
• group work: preparing a time plan for the project

Estimating work loads and responsibilities in projects

• an evaluation method and planning processes

Project risk management

• identification, estimating, planning and monitoring risks
• group work: risk planning of case projects

Commitment to change

• how to manage resistance and motivate stakeholders

Project execution

• starting a project
• effective meetings and reporting
• project communication
• control change
• group work: preparation of communication plans for the case-projects

Leading people in projects

• leading different teams and persons
• motivating the project group
• giving and receiving feed-back

Time management in projects

• best practices for time management

Closing projects

• the final report and closing session
• learning from project experiences

Course begins at 9.00 and ends at 16.-16.30. Breakfast is served from 8.15 onwards.