Technical Project Management

In just 3 days, you'll understand the unique challenges of managing IT and technical projects and discover how applying project management methodology can give you a step-by-step approach to tackling your toughest challenges. You'll discuss the value of planning, scheduling and how to manage scope. Use tools and techniques to establish a sound estimating process. Find out how to keep projects on track and evaluate project performance. And participate in communications exercises to help successfully lead project teams.

Who Should Attend

R&D professionals, IT, analysts, developers, engineers, scientists, plant managers and anyone else who administers IT and technical projects.

How will you Benefit

• Apply WBS and network development
• Identify potential problems and solve them using troubleshooting techniques
• Track projects more effectively
• Create status reports that show top management where budgeting, scheduling and manpower trends are headed
• Cope with tight IT and technical project schedules

What Will Be Covered

Overview of Essential Project Management Tools

• Project management framework and terminology—process groups and the Nine Knowledge Areas of the PMBOK  
• Life cycles in a technical environment

Essentials for Leading Project Teams

• Leading in an IT or technical environment

Project Planning: Beginning with Scope Management

• Using the SMART model when writing objectives
• Creating the detailed scope statement

Defining Project Activities

• Creating a customized WBS
• IT and technical project WBS examples

Developing a Dynamic Project Schedule

• Types of network diagrams
• Overview of critical path methodology

Establishing a sound estimating process

• Five considerations when making estimates
• Consideration of risks when estimating—three-point estimates

Components of Project Planning

• The planning process group
• Project performance baselines

Technical Project Planning Methodologies

• Identify different approaches to planning IT and technical projects: rolling wave planning…stage gate process…critical chain project management
• Common construction project life cycle
• Common pharmaceutical project life cycle

Monitoring and Controlling Projects

• Status reports… project baselines…identifying variances

Project Closure

• Administrative closure vs. contractual closure