In addition, price is also an important factor from most clients’ perspective. Of these organisations shown in the above table, All these competitors have toll-free telephone numbers and comprehensive websites. Compared to these providers, SkillPower’s strength lies in its ability to customise project training rather than strictly adhere to a proprietary methodology. In practice, no or very few organisations use proprietary methodologies straight “out of the box”, but rather tools and techniques are taken from different methodologies to suit the current project and the organisation’s work methods. Furthermore, PMBOK and PRINCE2 are both user-hostile and best used for large projects. Thus, for the majority of local projects, PRINCE2 and PMBOK are overkills. They are time-consuming, unwieldy, costly, overly bureaucratic, generate too much useless paperwork, and despite their owners’ claims, these process-heavy monoliths defy scaling.
Customer Needs Analysis. Some relevant points about the needs and wants of SkillPower’s actual and potential customers as revealed by pre-course questionnaires (Appendix Two) are these:
• Course Content. Participants’ expectations about course content typically include a wish to be familiarised with and practised in project management skills such as preparation of project business cases, charters, plans and reports, and also the development of various tools and techniques including those for stakeholder communication, work breakdown
The study of Project Management typically consists of learning the tasks and challenges fundamental to managing complex projects across multiple functions. This includes objective setting and project design; managing without influence to gain the support of stakeholders and access to resources not directly under their management control; planning, scheduling, budgeting and monitoring; and risk assessment and management.
The 2004 American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Competency Model describes "what it takes for an individual to be successful in the training and development field," (p. 38). The model is designed in pyramid format with Successful Execution at the top. Successful Execution depends on the "roles that training and development professionals can take," (p. 38). Four such roles are depicted: that of Learning Strategist, Business Partner, Project Manager, and Professional Specialist. Learning specialists analyze the needs of the organization and its comprehensive business strategies, and determine what types of learning strategies, tools, and techniques should be applied. The Business Partner "uses business and industry knowledge to create training that improves performance," (p. 38). The Project Manager takes care of planning and coordination; and the Professional Specialist designs the solutions. Collectively, there may be many different roles within this rubric.
A projects success and project managements success must be differentiated, as a project managements success can be measured by performance against quality, time and cost however a projects success can be measured by the overall projects objectives (Cooke-Davies 2002). The key criteria of a project discussed above is what the project management team and organisation together have set for the projects objective, which are the desired outcomes of the project from various aspects and stakeholders of an organisation. The following can be a standard for an organisation to follow to lessen the chance of project failure. Management must be engaged in the project and ready to support the needs of the project as top management have the resources, authority and power for implementation and as such can contribute and improve the project along the way. The project has clearly defined goals and directions with detailed specifications of the implementation process, client consultation with back and forth communication during the entire process and finally how the project is executed. Stakeholders also should agree upon success criteria of a project to ensure each stakeholders needs are met (Davis. K 2013).
A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide 5th edition).Newtown Square, Pa.: Project Management Institute, Inc., (2013)
Section four with course outline presented in a table by weeks is easy for students to follow. Each week is introduced with the main topic and readings. However, it may be better if the course outline incorporates the due dates for assignments and group project milestones. Because this course combines in-class activities and service learning, the workload of students is intensive. It may be easier for students to keep on track with different deadlines.
‘Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements’ (Project Management Institute, 2009, p12). Once a project has been approved a project manager is assigned to the project, and ‘is expected to integrate all aspects of the project, ensure that the proper knowledge and resources are available when they are needed, and ensure that the results are produced in a timely, cost-effective manner’ (Meredith and Mantel, 2010, p5). In order to allow this to happen there are several key aspects of a project which need to be carefully thought out and controlled.
2. Project assessment 2 – requiring you to prepare for a presentation, action plan and budget
Project communication plan defines the generation and distribution of a project documents among project stakeholders throughout the project (Clements, 2009). Project communication plan will allow stakeholders to have a medium of sharing information efficiently among the project team. It’s very important to share information for the successful completion of a project. As the Project Manager I will make use of the communication plan tool to provide directions to stakeholders, highlights
When developing a project, you work in phases. Phase 1 is to identify what your students are interested in, what they already know about this
The resources required too implement the proposed courses and the manner in which the courses can be evaluated for success or failure.
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Upper Darby, PA: Project Management Institute, 1996. Print.
‘A project is a connected sequence of activities involving a range of resources, designed to achieve a particular outcome and frequently used as an instrument of change. It takes place within a defined period of time and is the responsibility of a single individual or agency’ (CMI p17)
▸ ▸ List several tasks and outputs of project execution Discuss what is involved in directing and managing project execution as part of project integration management, including the importance of producing promised deliverables, implementing solutions to problems, evaluating work performance information, and requesting changes to a project Explain the importance of recommending corrective actions and updating project-related information as part of quality assurance
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to conform to customer demands.
Project management is a series of steps taken in sequence to manage a project through all phases from conception to completion. The steps are documented in a strategic plan. The plan is used to ensure that all parties are working towards a common goal. Project management requires applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to specific activities in accordance with established standards and guidelines. There are five basic functions of project management: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Basic activities of project management include: identifying project requirements to define the outcomes; addressing various needs, concerns and expectations of others; setting up, maintaining and carrying out communications; managing others; creating project deliverables; and balancing competing project constraints.