Contents -- About This Course -- How to Take This Course -- Pre-Test -- 1 Understanding Project Management -- What Is Project Management? -- The History of Project Management -- Project Management Today -- Functional Work vs. Project Work -- Functional Work -- Project Work -- Why Project Management Is Necessary in Today's World -- Today's Business Trends -- A Proactive Management Style -- Organizing for Project Management Efficiency -- Adopting a Project Management Philosophy -- Organizational Structures -- Functional Organization -- Project Organization -- Matrix Organizations -- Functioning Effectively -- Project Life Cycle -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 2 Defining the Roles of the Project Manager and the Team -- The Role of the Project Manager -- Project Management Skills -- Project Management Skills -- Teamwork -- Integration Skills -- Technical Skills -- Knowledge of the Organization -- The Makeup of a Project Manager -- Project Manager Relationships and Tools -- Responsibility, Accountability, and Authority -- Responsibility -- Accountability -- Authority -- Maintaining the Balance -- Roles of Team Members -- Defining the Roles of Project Sponsors, Customers, and Other Stakeholders -- Project Sponsor(s) -- Customers -- Other Stakeholders -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 3 Defining the Project -- Project Planning -- Defining the Problem or Opportunity -- Collect Project Requirements -- Types of Projects -- Establishing Project Objectives -- Keeping the Objectives in Balance -- Cost Considerations -- Time Considerations -- Scope Considerations -- Final Statement of Project Objectives -- Performing Project Reviews -- Conceptual Review -- Feasibility Study -- Benefit-Cost Analysis -- Profitability Measures -- Alternative Course of Action Review -- Opportunity Cost Review -- Preliminary Risk Assessment -- Possible Review Outcomes.

Creating a Work Breakdown Structure -- Job Aid: Work Breakdown Structure Checklist -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 4 Estimating the Activities -- The Importance of Estimating -- Steps in Estimating Activities -- Estimating Methods -- Expert Judgment -- Analogous Estimating -- Parametric Modeling -- Bottom-Up Estimating -- Simulation Modeling -- Precision of Estimates -- Underestimating Activities -- Inflating Estimates -- Estimating Familiar Work vs. New Work -- Weighted Estimating Formula -- Range Estimates -- Rolling Wave Estimates -- Work Environment and Skill Level -- Type of Contract -- Fixed-Price Contract -- Unit-Price Contract -- Cost-Plus Contract -- Incentives -- Using Project Management Software -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 5 Planning the Activities -- Sequencing Activities -- Schedule Network Diagrams -- Creating a Network Diagram -- Understanding a Network Diagram -- Calculating the Critical Path -- Using the Critical Path Method (CPM) -- Critical Path Calculations -- Critical Chain Method -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 6 Preparing a Project Plan -- Preparing Schedules -- Milestones -- Gantt Charts -- Crashing the Schedule -- Preparing Resource Plans -- Identifying the Required Skills -- Recruiting Personnel -- Assigning People to Activities -- Leveling the Resources -- Adjusting the Project Schedule -- Preparing Budget Plans -- Managing Risk -- Identifying Risk -- Assessing Risk -- Responding to Risk -- Getting Approvals and Compiling a Formal Project Plan -- Reconciling the Project Objectives -- Getting Approvals and Commitments -- Creating a Project Plan -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 7 Managing Time, Cost, and Scope -- Initiating the Project -- Kickoff Meeting -- Communicating Project Plans -- Setting up a Monitoring and Management Process -- Principles of Monitoring and Management.

Establishing a Plan to Monitor and Manage the Project -- Status Information -- Variances -- Reports -- Course of Action -- Managing Project Objectives -- Time Management -- Cost Management -- Scope and Quality Management -- Resource Management -- Control Thresholds -- Tools for Managing Project Objectives -- Managing Changes in the Project -- Actions -- Change Request and Approval Form -- Change Control Log -- Recap -- Review Questions -- 8 Evaluating and Reporting on Project Performance -- Conducting Project Evaluations -- When to Perform Project Evaluations -- Considerations in Project Evaluations -- Reporting on Project Objectives -- Reporting Considerations -- Graphical Reports -- Reporting Percent Complete -- Sample Reports -- Closing the Project -- Lessons Learned Documentation -- Recap -- Review Questions -- Post-Test -- Appendix A: Answers to Exercises and Case Studies -- Appendix B: Glossary -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- I -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- W -- Appendix C: Organizations and Websites -- Appendix D: Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.