Advanced Project Management

This course builds on the basic practices of project management in a R&D environment. The focus is on advanced techniques for initiating, planning and executing larger, more complex projects.

The course includes lecture, discussions, exercises and small team interactions to reinforce and apply the ideas and techniques presented.

Key Topics:

• Develop and Cultivate a Credible Culture of Project Communication
  • Developing a communications plan
  • Managing crucial project conversations with customers, sponsor, stakeholders and team members
  • Understanding and managing expectations
• Managing a Project to the Stages and Gates Process
  • Understanding and meeting gate requirements
  • Go/No-Go at gates
  • Killing bad projects
• Scope Definition and Scope Management
  • Minimizing scope creep
  • The search for perfection versus is it good enough
  • Adapting to scope change
  • Instituting a change control process
• Schedule Planning and Schedule Management
  • Improving time estimating
  • Managing to the critical path
  • Managing multiple project interfaces
  • Root causes of delays: external suppliers and partners, technical complexity, changing requirements
• Resource Planning and Resource Management
  • Understanding resource needs
  • Planning resource acquisition
  • Managing conflicts for resources
• Financial Planning and Budget Management
  • Understanding the business, costs, and profitability
  • Financial metrics in the Stages and Gates Process
  • Calculating Net Present Value
  • Cost of the Project versus Cost of the Product, Product Cost Ceiling
• Risk Planning and Risk Management
  • Technical and commercial risks
  • Identifying and assessing project risks
  • Developing risk management plans
  • Managing project risk