Project Management with Microsoft Project

This five day workshop combines the content of the three-day Beginner/Intermediate Project Management course with the two-day Microsoft Project course. This workshop is very effective because each exercise that would have been done on paper or flipcharts in the PM course is done in Microsoft Project. The exercises include Work Breakdown Structures, Schedules, Resource Assignment and Costing, and Risk Management.

This workshop has to be presented in a classroom with computers and Microsoft Project available.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH MICROSOFT PROJECT

Outline

PART 1 – PLANNING
Outline 0-2
References 0-4
Introduction 1
Instructor, students, schedule, logistics 1-1
PMBOK, PMP 1-2
The Project Management Institute
Project Management Body of Knowledge nine Knowledge Areas
What is a Project?
Project activities vs Operational 1-3
Learning objectives 1-4
Professional approach
Reducing stress
Avoiding Project Failure 1-5

The Project Plan 2
Project Concept 2-1
Example 2-2
What is Planning 2-4
Why Plan? 2-5
Project Charter
Project Management Plan outline 2-6
Project Proposal/Business Case 2-9

Project Scope Planning 3
The Work Breakdown Structure 3-1
Method of Breakdown 3-2
Formats 3-3
Based on Project Lifecycle 3-4
Milestones 3-4
Methods of WBS manipulation 3-6
Summary WBS 3-6
Using a filter 3-7
Why the breakdown – Milestones 3-8
Costed WBS 3-9
How far to break down 3-10
WBS rules-of-thumb 3-10
Using the WBS 3-11
Multi Project WBS 3-12
Work Package, WBS dictionary 3-13

MICROSOFT PROJECT: Create a WBS for a sample project 3-14
Notes on dialog:
Exercise 1 – Work Breakdown Structures
MODULE 1 – STARTUP
MODULE 2 – INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT PROJECT
MODULE 3 – ENTERING A PLAN

Project Time Planning 4
Estimating Methods
Professional Judgment, History 4-1
Formulas 4-2
Important items to have Standards for 4-3
Top down, Bottom up estimating 4-4
Accuracy of estimates at each stage of the plan 4-5
Indicative, Definitive estimate 4-5
Sanity Checks 4-7
Ratios 4-7
Other considerations 4-8
Estimating duration 4-8

Scheduling 4-9
Network charts 4-9
Critical path 4-9
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) 4-10
Gantt chart 4-11
Critical path, early/late dates 4-11
Gantt chart drives 4-12

MICROSOFT PROJECT: EXERCISE 2 – Schedule Your Project
MODULE 4 – Estimating, PRECEDENTS (LINKING)
Exercise 3 – Advanced Dependencies
MODULE 4 – FORMATTING
MODULE 5 – OUTLINING and PREFERENCES
Exercise 4 – Changes
MODULE 6 – CHANGING THE PLAN

Resource Assignment and Cost Planning 5-1
Assigning Resources 5-1
Gantt and resource usage 5-2
Resource Leveling 5-3
Multi project Gantt and resource usage 5-4
Cost Estimating 5–5 Software tools 5-6
Costed WBS 5-7
Cost accounts 5-9
Cost – sanity checks 5-10
Estimate error range 5-1

MICROSOFT PROJECT: Assign resources and Costs to your sample project
Exercise 5 – Resources and Remainder of Topics
MODULE 7 – ADDING RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS
Adding Costs
MODULE 8 – DETAILED TASK INFORMATION
MODULE 9 – PROJECT INFORMATION
MODULE 10 – RESOURCE DETAILS
MODULE 11 – SEARCH (FILTER) BY CRITERIA AND SORT
MODULE 12 – CALENDARS

Project Risk Management 6-1
Risk management steps 6-1
Risk Identification (Risk checklist) 6-2
Government project (Risk Taxonomy) 6-4
Making your own risk list 6-5
Risk Assessment (Quantification, evaluation) 6-6
Probability and impact levels 6-6
Risk Table 6-7
Risk Response (Strategy development) 6-8
Risk description 6-9
Risk as a monetary value 6-10
Risk plan outline 6-11
Using Risk management (When NOT to do the project) 6-12
Group exercise: determine risks for your sample project 7-1

Project Integration Planning 8-1
Integrating scope, quality, time, cost 8-1
Optimizing the plan 8-2
Additional integration activities 8-3
Integration Processes 8-3

PART 2 – EXECUTION and CONTROL
Project Scope/Time/Cost Control 9-1
Three steps of control 9-1
Monitoring: getting truthful information about project progress 9-2
Monitoring by PM and client 9-3
Monitoring by contractor PM/Team Leader 9-4
Monitoring steps 9-5
Step 1 – take a baseline 9-5
Step 2 – items to monitor 9-6
Step 3 – updating the plan 9-6
Monitoring methods: meetings 9-7
Team Status Meeting 9-7
Project manager review meeting 9-8
Project Kickoff meeting 9-9
Monitoring reports: 9-10
Reporting progress against the baseline plan 9-10
Financial Report 9-11

MICROSOFT PROJECT: Project Monitoring and Control
MODULE 13 – PROJECT TRACKING AND CONTROL
MODULE 14 – HANDLING PROBLEMS
MODULE 15 – REPORTING
MODULE 16 – CUSTOMIZED REPORTS
MODULE 17 – MULTI PROJECT ROLL-UP

Project Communications Management 10
Communication: who needs, what information, when, why 10-1
Communication technologies
Noise that interferes with communication 10-3
Reporting project status 10-4
Status Report 10-4
Status report contents 10-5
Status report example 10-6
Stakeholder analysis and satisfaction 10-8
Reporting based on deliverables 10-8
Reporting based on Milestones 10-9
Communication issues/flagging 10-10
Multi project communication 10-11
Project Library 10-12

Project Procurement Management 11
Procurement/contracting overview (steps, terminology) 11-1
Who does PPM? 11-2
Procurement planning: questions 11-3
To procure or not 11-4
Contract type and risk 11-5
WBS and schedule example of procurement 11-6
Solicitation planning 11-7
Evaluation criteria: detailed evaluation 11-7
Generic evaluation 11-8
Buyer’s considerations 11-9

Project Quality Management 12
Quality planning, assurance, control processes 12-1
Quality planning steps 12-2
ISI 9000 (and other) standards 12-3
Quality Management Plan 12-4
Quality assurance steps 12-5
Quality control steps 12-6
QC of product and process 12-7
Capability Maturity models 12-8
Software implementation
Generic project levels such as OPM3 12-9
Key Process Areas 12-10
Statistics 12-11

Project Human Resources Management 13
Processes 13-1
Team organizations 13-2
Size and structure 13-2
Functional 13-3
Matrix 13-4
Dedicated Project 13-5
Pro’ and con’s of each 13-6
Roles and responsibilities 13-7
Project Manager 13-7
Project Manager skills 13-9
Team Leader 13-10
Technical worker 13-12
Functional Manager 13-13
Management Skills 13-14
Motivation 13-14
Delegation 13-17
Other topics of interest: authority, conflict resolution 13-20
Team building 13-21
Staff selection 13-22
Handling Turnover 13-23
Signs of a solid team 13-24
Thoughts on people management 13-25

Project Risk Control 14
Risk log 14-2
Unforeseen events 14-3

Project Integration Control 15
Change management 15-1
Scope change 15-2
Cost overrun 15-3
Time overrun 15-5
Announcing slips 15-7
Change control 15-8
Integrating multiple groups 15-10
Project Close-out 15-11
Post project review meeting and report 15-12

Conclusions 16
Resources available 16-1
Final details 16-2
Project management proverbs 16-3