Content

Session 1

Module 1 – Stakeholder Management

Learning outcomes:

• Understand why Stakeholders matter to projects
• Be able to identify and engage Stakeholders
• Be able to categorise Stakeholders by their significance

Content:

• Definition of stakeholder
• Why stakeholders matter and the consequences of missing them
• A stakeholder engagement process
• Stakeholder Identification: three techniques
• Prioritisation: three stakeholder mapping techniques
• Dealing with obstacles
• Who should engage which stakeholders
• Project organisation structure
• Communications planning
• Seven principles of stakeholder engagement
• Working with stakeholders and partners

Exercise:

• Stakeholder mapping

Module 2 – Delivering with Partners

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how to delegate to partners
• Understand the fundamentals of managing suppliers
• Understand the principles of conflict management

Content:

• Tips for good/poor requirements definition
• Defining deliverables
• Acceptance criteria (what do good/bad look like)
• Agreeing a plan/budget with the partner
• Tracking performance
• Approach to conflict management

Exercise:

• Good or Poor requirements

Module 3 – Scope and Change Control

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the damage that scope creep can cause
• Understand the need to define project scope
• Be able to manage change requests

Content:

• Agreeing scope to get everyone on the same page
• The effect of uncontrolled change
• Controlled change

Exercise:

• In or out of scope

Session 2

Module 4 – Risk and Issue Management

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the difference between risks and issues
• Be able to assess which risks require mitigation
• Understand when and how to escalate

Content:

• A risk management process
• Threats and opportunities
• Roles and responsibilities
• The risk register
• Identifying risks: four techniques
• Assessing risk significance
• Planning mitigation
• How are issues different from risks
• Using tolerance to manage performance
• An issue management process
• The importance of the issue register

Exercise:

• When to escalate

Module 5 – Planning

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how to create a viable project plan
• Be able to use different forms of schedule
• Understand the concept of the critical path

Content:

• The planning horizon
• Seven steps to creating a viable schedule
• Identifying the critical path

Exercise:

• Sequencing a pre-defined scope

Module 6 – Success and benefits

Learning outcomes:

• Be able to define success for a project
• Be able to track and forecast a project’s out-turn
• Understand how to ensure stakeholders are kept informed

Content:

• Outputs, outcomes, and benefits
• Success criteria, success factors and KPIs
• Defining and measuring across the lifecycle
• Tracking progress towards success
• Using KPIs to forecast success
• Keeping stakeholders informed of progress and forecast outcomes

Exercise:

Act on forecast

Session 3

Module 7 – Budgeting and cost control

Learning outcomes:

• Understand what to include in a budget
• Be able to calculate contingencies needed
• Understand how to monitor spend

Content:

• Sources of funding
• Budget lifecycle
• Through life costs
• The involvement of stakeholders
• Estimating costs
• Aligning budget and schedule
• Contingencies
• Tracking spend over time
• Taking corrective action

Exercise:

• Calculate contingency reserve based on-pre-identified risks

Module 8 – Programme Management

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the difference between projects and programmes
• Understand the role of a programme manager
• Understand the focus on outcomes and benefits

Content:

• Definition of Programme
• The focus of a Programme Manager and how this is different from a Project Manager
• Taking on both Programme and Project Management roles (balancing time demands)
• Defining programme success
• Programme dependency maps
• Integrated programme communications

Exercise:

• Project vs Programme

Module 9 – Governance

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the principles of governance
• Be able to ensure appropriate governance is in place
• Understand the governance requirements of different funders

Content:

• What is governance
• Structures, roles, authority and accountability
• Review and decision points
• Assurance
• Appropriate governance
• Internal project vs externally funded projects

Exercise:

• Project categorisation

Post implementation review