ONLINE COURSE - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - HOME STUDY
Gain X-Industry skills in Project Management
Become a Project Manager. Learn established and well trusted project management processes to ensure successful project outcomes.
Don't waste time studying theory-heavy courses; while this course covers all the theory you will need, it also requires study of real world project management examples, and teaches you to think like a Project Manager!
Developing project management skills is valuable; these skills can be applied to all industries, and in all sorts of situations.This course is just as relevant to a construction project as it is to managing a new product launch. It is best suited to someone who has some prior experience or training in management, but is also useful as an adjunct to management studies.
Learn How to Manage Projects
- Plan, Manage and (on completion) Review Projects
- Understand technical and human resources, marketing, and other aspects of a project
- Apply these skills to property development, mining, agricultural, engineering, events or other projects
- Enhance your employability across a wide range of industries
This is a compressed version of a much longer course, so it is highly informative, and great value for money. It was developed by highly qualified professionals, with years of experience in their respective fields.
Almost everything we do in society can be described as a project, from organising a party or constructing a building, to developing a new business or introducing a new social welfare project. Project management as a skill and field of study is essential for successful organisational management. As a formal management function, project management is found in government, industry, and almost all other organisations. Project Management may be called any of a number of other names such as: Program Management, Product Management, Construction Management, and so on.
Project management as a field of action can often be seen in self help schemes or outreach programs. Whatever the objectives, project management involves a number of phases and skills which are essential to a projects completion. To get a better understanding of this process, the term "project management" can be further broken into "project" and "management".
Lesson Structure
There are 9 lessons in this course:
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Introduction
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Scope and Value of Project Management
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Understanding what project management is
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The Need for Project Management
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The Project Lifecycle
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Project Identification and Initiating Process
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Project Planning
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Project Implementation,Execution and Control
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Project Completion and Evaluation
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Project Identification
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Scope and Nature
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Formulating Project Objectives
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Developing a Project Outline
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Assessing a Projects Feasibility
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Feasibility Checklist
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The Identification Test
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Three Types of Risk
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Planning Projects
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Planning Heirachy
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Planning Parameters
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Planning Quality
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Developing a Strategy Framework
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Project Breakdown Structure
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Planning Time
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The Gantt Chart
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PERT Charts
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Planning Expense
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Delegating Responsibilities
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Implementing a Project
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Introduction
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Implementation
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Controlling Process
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Applying Standards
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Events Control Chart
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Budget Control Chart
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Monitoring Performance
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Evaluating Performance
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Regulating Process
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Completion and Evaluation of a Project
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Introduction
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Why is a Closing Phase Necessary
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Declaring Iminent Completion
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Reassignment of Resources
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Considering Project Sustainability
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Project Assessment; Final Report, Performance Reviews
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Appraising the Project
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Why Projects Succeed or Fail
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Developing Technical Project Management Skills
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Preparing a Project Proposal
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Proposal Layout
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Drawing Up a Budget
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Constructing a Post Project Appraisal
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Software for Projects; How Project Management Software Works, choosing software
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What Project Management Software Cannot Do
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Understanding Leadership Skills
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Scope and Nature of Leadership
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How to Be A Project Leader
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Visibility & CommunicationsLeadership Characteristics
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Leadership Skills
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Improving Leadership Skills
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Giving Directives and Introducing Change
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Orders
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Improving Critical Personnel Skills
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Inevitability of Problems
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Common Problems
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Schedule variations
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Changing priorities
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Administration overload
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Deadline Changes
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Cash blow out
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Inappropriate skills
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Role Confusion
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Exhausted Team
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Politics
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Reduced Motivation
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Communication Breakdown
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Major Assignment
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Development of full documentation for projects.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Explain what project management is, and what its applications might be.
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Identify and define projects which need management.
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Plan a project.
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Implement a project.
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Evaluate a project following completion.
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Describe technical skills required to manage projects.
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Demonstrate project leadership skills.
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Identify and solve common project problems.
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Consolidate all of the skills and information from throughout the past 8 lessons, and manage a project effectively.
How Do You Start Planning a Project?
A project outline is simply a general guide of factors to consider once a projects objectives have been formulated. This framework guides a project manager through an initial layout or idea of the project plan, but does not involve a detailed analysis of the proposal (this detail follows in the next phase of the project cycle).
A project can be drawn up by the following five steps:
1. Define the Problem, Issue or Challenge
2. Determine a Definition
3. Get an Idea of the Projects Lifespan
4. List the Necessary and Not so Necessary Needs
5. Note Possible Alternatives
1. Define the Problem, Issue or Challenge
The first step is to clearly establish an understanding of what the project is about. Consideration can be given to reviewing past project experiences of a similar nature, and such like methods to clarify the "exact nature" of the need, challenge or opportunity for which the project is being developed (this is discussed in more detail in assessing a projects feasibility later on).
It is useful to ask things such as:
• Is the project about making a profit?
• Is the project about fulfilling a physical need?
• Is the project about a social vision?
2. Determine a Definition
The second step is to formulate a rough preliminary project definition on which future planning will be based. The definition or description of what a project is about may be refined in the next phase of the project cycle (ie. Project Planning), or simply changed as new information comes to light. However, generally speaking, this definition should be as consistent as possible throughout the project cycle once this phase is complete.
It is useful to ask things such as:
• Will the project be about a physical activity?
• Will the project be about a mental activity?
• Who will the project target?
3. Get an Idea of the Project’s Lifespan
The third step is to get a general idea of how long the project will be, or when a project can be expected to end. This is a rough estimation only and provides an idea of a possible start and end.
It is useful to ask things such as:
• Will the project be short term (less than 1 year)?
• Will the project be medium term (2 to 5 years)?
• Will the project be long term (over 5 years)?
4. List the Necessary and Not so Necessary Needs
The fourth step is to identify the potential needs, notably people, money and materials, that may be required for the project. Once more, this should only be a rough estimate to inform the project manager about the immediacy or availability of important supplies and resources.
It is useful to ask things such as:
• Who is currently available to assist in the project?
• Is there money available at this point in time?
• Are supplies or material goods available at this point in time?
5. Note Possible Alternatives
The fifth step is to list any provisional alternatives a project manager should consider during planning. Although not a vital step, highlighting other opportunities or approaches at this stage can help in drawing up a rough sketch of expectations. This step also warns a project manager about some possible risks.
It is useful to ask things such as:
• Who could I contact, if the people I thought of are unavailable?
• Where else might I obtain funding from?
• What if the project purpose is unnecessary?
How the Course has Developed over Several Decades
This 100 hour course is based on, and incorporates, the entire contents of a Diploma in Project Management, conducted by the Home Study College in South Africa. The current course is more than the original though, having been updated, upgraded and developed, by tutors of ACS, to streamline and generally improve tutor interaction.
ACS was authorised to use this material under an agreement between the two schools; beyond which the use of these course notes is restricted in accordance with international copyright laws.
The course has been developed beyond this point by a series of experienced project managers, at least once every two years. It has become an excellent and unique study program that reflects the experience of more than a dozen different project managers from three different countries.
