Essential Techniques

Foundational Knowledge

No foundational project management or technical knowledge is required.

The Workshop

This three-day workshop presents a project management approach that incorporates models and techniques for the capture of essential and integrated project information. The workshop explores processes for project justification, quality management, risk management, development strategies, and project estimating, scheduling, tracking and reporting. Our approach provides a comprehensive methodology for Business Case development, project life-cycle planning, and project change control.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• A new PM paradigm
• Measuring project success
• The Business Case - Scope and Objectives
• Case study introduction
• Benefits: Estimating, Tracking and Realisation
• Detailed Project Planning
• Effort and duration mapping
• Estimation techniques
• Project Agreements
• Quality assurance - a project management issue
• RApid Planning techniques [RAP]
• Risk Assessment
• Project Change Control
• Project Development Strategies
• Governance
• Sponsors and Steering Committees
• Justification - the Business Case
• Project Tracking and Reporting
• Scheduling people and tasks

The Workshop

The workshop focuses on establishing the essential elements of a project business case; which elements to develop first; and how each essential element of the business case interacts to provide the total project picture of the project ready for execution. A case study is developed throughout the workshop to enable participants to gain practical experience with the tools and techniques taught.

The outcomes of this workshop for participants could include but are not limited to:

• a more effective project planning process e.g. development of a business case;
• enhanced understanding and ability for the application of project management concepts and skill sets including the tool-set provided;
• an enhanced understanding that project management is a creative problem-solving process about managing relationships and change;
• an understanding that project management is a participative and shared process; and
• a focus on the business rationale for projects rather than a technical focus e.g. Benefits Realisation.

Documentation

The documentation provided during the workshop contains notes on Thomsett project management tools and techniques for managing business projects.