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Project
Management Certificate
Presented by G. Kent Nelson, Jeffrey Dean and Lawrence Peters
Winter Program Starts January 12th 2010
> Funding Approval
> Courses and Descriptions
> Project Management Q&A
> About the Instructors
This course covers all aspects of project management from Business Case Development to Project Post Partem/Lessons Learned. Its content is updated each time it is presented to reflect the latest information on how to best achieve results in managing projects, reduce costs and ensure that the project team is performing at its highest level. To some extent, this continual updating reflects the fact that there is no common agreement in industry or academia as to just what project management is. Each student’s learning experience is enhanced through “hands on” conceptualization and implementation of an actual project of their choosing. At 40 hours, the certificate program exceeds the minimum number of hours of formal training (35) required by PMI as part of the qualification to take the PMP examination.
The nine workshops,
taken sequentially, cover the skills you need to successfully lead
projects. They provide a comprehensive examination
of project management processing, integrating technical tools with
leadership and effective communication skills. Option A includes all nine workshops. Cost for Option
A is $1720.
Those
interested in learning how to utilize MS-Project may take Option
B. Option B includes three workshops that focus on MS-Project: Introduction
to Project Management Using Microsoft Project, Managing Projects
and Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Project Applications and Case
Studies. Cost for Option B is $740.
Option C are for those who are interested in taking the program but do not need the Mircosoft Project software workshops. The cost for this is $1180.
Option D is Project Management Overview as a stand-alone class for $280.
Required Equipment: Students must provide a flash drive (memory stick) for use in the computer lab.
Recommended Text:
Title: Getting Results From Software Development Teams
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Publication Date: May 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7356-2346-5
List Price: $39.99
FUNDING APPROVAL
The following agencies approve this program for funding. If you would like more information about how to obtain funding through one of the following agencies please click the logos below.
Note! This book is NOT available in the bookstore. It may be found online at Amazon.com or other online retailers.
There
are nine workshops in this series:
• Project
Management Overview
• Project Planning
• Effective Managerial Communication
• Introduction to Project Management Using Microsoft Project
• Cost and Scheduling Fundamentals
• Managing Projects with Microsoft Project
• Problem
Solving
• Microsoft Project Applications and Case Studies
• Series Review & Presentation Capstone
Project
Management Overview
Projects—and
a generalized dread of them—have been around since ancient
times. Noah built the ark, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa,
Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine—and even if schedules
and budgets were overrun, the projects were successful. Why then
are project management skills critical today? The answer is simple.
The audience has changed and the stakes are high. Currently, projects
of all sizes and types are the way that organizations accomplish
their work. Today, project management is a necessary skill rather
than a career choice. We will learn to detect potential pitfalls
early and we’ll investigate the project-management mindset.
We’ll take a look at the project manager’s role, help
you take your first steps, stave off potential excuses and reduce
(perhaps eliminate) false expectations.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Project Planning
We’ll teach you to begin with a Statement of Work, clarify where your project starts—and where it ends. Learn to detail your approach to the work on the project, and identify exactly what you are trying to achieve. A key part of planning is defining boundaries. Identify limitations, determine needs and cope with unknowns. From there we’ll move to thinking in detail and generating a hierarchy. Learn to create and display your work and to use templates. Analyze schedule possibilities, develop your project’s schedule and estimate activity duration.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Introduction to Project Management Using Microsoft® Project
Introduces the basic functions available in Microsoft Project and demonstrates their use through examples and exercises. Topics include the introduction and refinement of the work breakdown structure (WBS), task assignments, personnel descriptions and basic costing. The basics of reporting are included.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter - (Class meets week 5. See date below.)
Effective Managerial Communications
Few skills are as important to business and career success as the ability to communicate effectively. Offers managers a broad-based course in managerial communication designed to help them develop more effective communication skills by understanding the elements of strategic communication and by practicing different aspects of communication that are important for managers in organizations. Two key objectives of this course are: (1) to provide managers with a strong understanding of the fundamental elements, dynamics and types of managerial communication particularly as they apply to project management; and (2) to help managers improve communication skills related to project management.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter - (Class meets week 4. See date below.)
Cost
and Scheduling Fundamentals
Learn
to estimate resource requirements —who you need, how much
and when. Review budgeting and cost control. You’ll learn
to describe people’s skills and knowledge as you estimate
the needs and juggle multiple commitments. We’ll discuss the
network model and scheduling tools such as bar charts, precedence
and arrow networks. You’ll learn to derive expected cost profiles;
resource breakdown structure; schedules; PERT/CPM network diagrams;
and cost variances (accumulation, timeline, earned value). As a
result of this you will discover the different types of project
costs and learn to develop your project budget.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Managing Projects with Microsoft® Project
Prerequisite: Introduction to Project Management Using Microsoft Project or instructor permission
Builds upon the introductory seminar. Explores the use of Microsoft Project throughout the product development and maintenance life cycles with an emphasis on ongoing monitoring of project status and how to detect and address problems using this software. More advanced features of the Project software product discussed include load balancing, cash flow monitoring and other reporting features.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Problem Solving
Focuses on minimizing and eliminating breakdowns with internal and external customers. We will anticipate the most common mistakes and talk about how to avoid them. Examine the most current strategies on conflict management, negotiations and resolution. Talk about difficult people and how to manage them in a project situation. Explore decision-making processes that relate specifically to project management. Finally, we will investigate several time management techniques you will find helpful.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Microsoft® Project Applications and Case Studies
Prerequisite: Managing Projects with Microsoft Project or instructor permission
Builds upon what was learned in the first two courses. The use of the full complement of Microsoft Project's features is demonstrated via several examples based upon real projects. Each example is representative of a particular class of project (e.g. construction, software development). The use of more advanced automated monitoring and reporting features such as Earned Value Management will be demonstrated.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Series Review and Term Project Presentations
Required: In order to receive the Project Management certificate,
you are required to attend and participate in this final session
Provides a brief review of the principles presented in the previous nine weeks of study and their application to the practice of project management. As a key element of the program, the projects developed by individual teams will be presented by each team, and critiqued by the other teams based on the principles and their application as discussed throughout the program.
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Participants who complete the entire series of Project Management workshops are eligible to earn a Certificate of Completion and continuing education units (CEUs). Participants who attend individual workshops may receive CEUs which will be recorded at the KeyBank Professional Development Center.
Project Management Q&A
Who should take this course?
Anyone who is responsible for the planning, scheduling, controlling, staffing and motivating a team of people who are engaged in accomplishing a set of predefined goals (e.g. build a home, write a software program, start a business) would benefit from this course. The reason is that it incorporates the necessary planning methods, the basics of accounting and the means by which progress can be measured. Recovery schemes for projects that are behind schedule, over budget or undergoing other jeopardizing factors are also provided to ensure success.
What benefits will participants get from this course?
Upon successful completion of this program, each student will be able to plan, schedule, and control a project including the acquisition of staff and their motivation. The skills acquired are not restricted to just the project management role but in other aspects of professional and personal life. These skills include creating and maintaining a budget, recognizing and mitigating risk, monitoring and assessing progress in achieving a goal, developing and communicating a strategy and making professional, public presentations.
Will this class prepare me to take the PMP test?
Yes; the content and every topic covered in this program are in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The PMBOK houses the content from which the Project Management Institute (PMI) draws the questions for the test.
How does the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) relate to the PMP test?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) draws the questions from the PMBOK. Basically, if it is in the PMBOK, you can expect to be tested on it; if it is NOT in the PMBOK, it will NOT be on the PMP test.
Is this course current with the PMBOK?
Actually, as the PMBOK is only updated roughly every two to four years, some of what is covered in the class supersedes PMBOK content.
Are there other ways to prepare for the PMP test?
Yes; several other options including books, CD’s, online classes, and test prep workshops varying in cost from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Why should I take this class instead of one of the others?
Programs specific to test preparation will teach you the material specific to the test, however, they may not teach you the benefits of engaging in certain management practices described in the PMBOK. This class addresses what to do, why and when you should do it, and what the pros/cons, risks/benefits of using a particular method are. You will have access to the tools that help you become an effective Project Manager. Multiple methods are discussed, as well as how and when to select the appropriate ones.
What else do I need to know about this class?
During this class, you will learn criteria on when to use what and, in the handout notes, reference material on details as well as citations to books and papers that detail the methods even further. You will work with a team to develop a project using the project management skills you are learning. Then your team will present your project at the last session.
Is a book required for this course?
No, a book is not required. However, the recommended text ‘Getting Results from Software Development Teams’ is authored by the lead instructor, Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Peters.
Dr. Peters wrote the text (Getting Results from Software Development Teams) because to date, all software project management books jump into the technical details of software engineering woefully ignoring what project management is about (it is strategic, implementation is tactical) leaving the project manager without a clue as to what they are supposed to do. The book incorporates the latest materials on the subject citing references as diverse as the Harvard Management Review and psychology texts. What the author wanted to accomplish was to provide software project managers – any project managers – with what they needed to be successful, by first focusing on just what project management is and is not. Then, within that context, proceeding from project inception to completion describing the activity as well as the tools needed to accomplish it.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Lawrence Peters, Ph.D.
(Lead Instructor) Software Project Management Consultant, Software Consultants International Ltd.
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Peters has worked in industry for 40 years. He began as a physicist then went into engineering receiving his MS in Engineering in 1969. Over time, he worked as a programmer and quickly went into project management. Along the way Peters found time to get more than 50 papers and four textbooks published in the areas of software engineering and in project management. His interest in software engineering lead him to create and assist in implementing the first graduate program in the world leading to an M.S. in Software Engineering (at Seattle University). Peters has taught as an Adjunct at Seattle University, St. Martin’s College, University of Washington, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and as a guest lecturer at California State University at Sacramento, and St. Louis University, Madrid, Spain. He has worked in the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, banking, insurance industries as well as with various governmental agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
Peters has worked as a project management consultant or project manager for Boeing, Siemens, ATI Technologies, Aerojet Electrosystems, Bell Canada, Fujitsu Management Consulting and with his own company, consulted at IBM, Xerox, Aetna, State of Washington, Alberta Government Telephone, British Columbia Insurance Corporation, and others. He has taught professional development style (2 day) classes on advanced topics in software engineering and project management in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, the United States, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
After the technology industry’s implosion in 2001, he was laid off and decided to complete a PhD in an off site program through California Coast University, receiving his PhD in Engineering Management. He expanded his dissertation into the recently released text and is working on another, more advanced one. In addition, Peters sat for and passed the Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) examination from the IEEE.
Peters has taught as the lead instructor for the Project Management certificate program at the University of Washington Tacoma for four years.
Jeffrey Dean, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Finance, Milgard School of Business, University of Washington Tacoma
Dean has an MBA in finance and his Juris Doctorate. He teaches finance courses at UW Tacoma. Outside of the university, Dean runs a flourishing law practice.
G. Kent Nelson, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Management and Communication, Milgard School of Business, University of Washington Tacoma
Nelson specializes in communication and management at UW Tacoma. He also teaches in the Leadership Certificate series for the Center. Nelson has a broad and varied background as a management and communication consultant to several prominent service organizations in the South Sound, as well as several companies in the private sector.
Instructors and courses are subject to change.
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