Essential Project Management Tools


Overview/Description
Target Audience
Expected Duration
Lesson Objectives
Course Number


Overview/Description
Any project can easily be broken into two distinct parts: planning and doing. The common denominator that marks most successful projects is that a vast majority of the time and effort of the project team is spent on planning. This may seem to defy common sense at first, but experienced project managers know that the planning phase is most critical in bringing projects to a successful conclusion. The discipline of Project Management has developed and evolved many tools over the years to help you get the most out of your planning. These tools are standard throughout all industries and they cut across many disciplines, including financial analysis, budgeting, production and team-building. In this course you will learn to get behind the complex fronts that face many of these tools, such as the Work Breakdown Structure, the Critical Path Method, and the Task Analysis Sheet and put them to work for you.

Target Audience
Anyone who works on a project team, including managers, supervisors, project managers, and team leaders.

Expected Duration (hours)
2.5

Lesson Objectives

Level Two Terminology

  • match the definitions with correct project management terms.
  • recognise the meaning of the terms "tasks" and "subtasks" as they pertain to project management.
  • recognise the meaning and usage of the terms "relationship" and "dependencies" as they apply to project management.
  • recognise the meaning of the terms "slack time" and "milestones" as they apply to project management.

    • The Work Breakdown Structure

  • construct a valid Work Breakdown Structure using the information provided.
  • recognise the uses of brainstorming, including how to run a brainstorming session that works.
  • recognise the key steps to creating an outline version of the WBS.
  • recognise how to create a flexible WBS.
  • identify the tasks in order to build a preliminary Network Chart.

    • The Task Analysis Sheet

  • construct a task analysis sheet using the information that is provided.
  • recognise the uses and benefits of the Task Analysis Sheet.
  • use the weighted average technique to calculate time estimates for the project.

    • The Critical Path Method

  • calculate the critical path through a series of tasks in a network chart.
  • expand the Network Chart based on the information provided.
  • calculate the Critical Path through a project pathway.
  • recognise and apply advanced relationship notation to the Critical Path.
  • calculate Must Start/Must Finish Dates for project tasks.

    • Course Number:
    PROJ8102