Summary and Evaluation

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Course Summary

You should be really proud. You've completed 6 major project management topics covering all aspects of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing a project. That's FAR more than most people will ever learn, and sets you up for success in every project you tackle in the future!

We want to thank you for taking this course. If you apply the concepts you learned in these 6 lessons, the grass should be greener both at work and at home when it comes to getting organized and getting jobs done.

PLEASE NOTE: It's important to us that you fill out our course evaluation form below. Keep in mind, any updates we make to this course will be yours, free, in the future. Give us your candid feedback (it's anonymous) and we just may add some things you are looking for that aren't in there now!

Thanks again, and stay in touch! Sincerely,

Mike Mehlberg mike@moderndavinci.net

Mike Mehlberg
mike@moderndavinci.net

Seth Sinclair seth@moderndavinci.net

Seth Sinclair
seth@moderndavinci.net

Course Evaluation

Please fill out as honestly and completely as you can. This evaluation will be anonymously emailed to us to make the course better in the future. 

Once you submit, we'll redirect you to the Project Management Toolkit so you can download the blank templates and use them with your own projects!

Course Content
Content was well organized
Material was presented clearly
Stated objectives were met
Course was of reasonable length
Course contributed to my knowledge and skills
Instructors
Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of topic
Presented material clearly
Materials
Materials were useful to me
Contained practical and easy to follow format
Will be useful as reference tools
Overall
I would recommend this course to others
Miscellaneous
Would you like us to contact you about your feedback?

Lesson 6 | Project Closing

Welcome to Lesson 6, Project Closing

Almost done!

One of the biggest things project managers skip is the Project Closing phase. This is important, especially if you ever hope to run a successful project again. 

In this phase, you learn how to retrospectively look at lessons learned, and also standardize project management processes in your organization (saving valuable time down the road). Here are the detailed topics we cover in this lesson:

  1. Closing Phase Objectives
  2. Lessons Learned
  3. Project Management Standardization
  4. Lesson 6 Quiz on Key Concepts

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to complete the course, see where to go from here, and submit an evaluation!

Lesson 6 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving to the summary and evaluation to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

Close Project activities include? *
Lessons learned should be captured during? *

Resources

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Project Closing Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Lesson 5 | Project Monitoring and Control

Welcome to Lesson 5, Project Monitoring and Control

At this point in the course, you are more than halfway done! Congrats on making it this far. Now let's cover one of my favorite parts of project management, monitoring and control. 

Once the project is underway and execution has begun, we need to keep track of the schedule, risks, quality, and costs. Perhaps most importantly, we need to prevent scope creep which is the unnecessary addition of new requirements (one of the biggest killers of projects). 

Here's what we'll cover in this lesson to learn how to do that:

  1. Monitoring and Controlling Phase Objectives
  2. Quality Control
  3. Scope Verification and Control
  4. Schedule Control
  5. Cost Control
  6. Lesson 5 Quiz on Key Concepts
  7. Activity 3 - Managing Scope

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to move on and begin Lesson 6 - Project Closing.

Lesson 5 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving onto lesson 6 to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

The goal of monitoring is to identify __________ the project plan and take corrective or preventative action as needed. *
__________ control is the process of monitoring specific project results to ensure they comply with quality standards. *
__________ control is the process of effectively managing changes and integrating them appropriately across the entire project. *
The Project Manager should __________ changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget. *
Deliverables must be formally accepted by __________ before they are considered complete. *
What three values does earned value analysis integrate to accurately assess the project? *

Lesson 5 | Activity

In this scope management activity, you are the manager of a project focused on building a new website for your organization.  Your team is currently in the development phase and is about 75% done building the site.  While the project is currently on budget and on schedule, you have burned up most of your contingency and know that the team has very little margin of error getting to the finish line.  Read through the following scenarios and plan a strategy for responding to and managing the requested changes.

During prior analysis and design phases you worked closely with project stakeholders to gather requirements for the site. You created detailed screenshots of all main site pages along with technical specifications and received formal verification from the project sponsor before transitioning into the development phase. An executive within the organization unexpectedly approaches you with some suggestions about the site’s appearance. After recently looking at several similar sites, he decides he would like to see a “fancier” design, including adding a flash introduction and interactive controls on the site home page. This particular executive is very opinionated and vocal and has already started to sell the idea around to others in the organization.
Your team has been executing various IT projects within the organization for a long time and has established an excellent relationship and reputation with stakeholders. During the design phase you gathered their feedback mostly through informal meetings and conversations. Without any notice, the Project Sponsor leaves for another job and is replaced by a new person that was not previously involved in the project. The new Sponsor immediately requests a full project briefing and design review. During the review the new Sponsor generates a long list of change requests, some of which are minor but others that could require your team to re-build several modules in the site resulting in delays and cost increases.
A teammate approaches you in a panic. A recently passed regulatory change now requires all newly deployed government sites to include specific design elements and content that you have not accounted for. Even worse, the regulation also requires you to submit new pages for third-party review and approval before you can deploy them.

Resources

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Project Monitoring and Control Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Lesson 4 | Executing

Welcome to Lesson 4, Executing

Woohoo, we have a plan! Now let's execute.

But wait, we can't just start taking on tasks willy nilly. We have to develop our project team, and manage the execution. 

Here are the topics we'll cover in detail:

  1. Executing Phase Objectives
  2. Managing Execution
  3. Developing the Project Team
  4. Lesson 4 Quiz on Key Concepts

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to move on and begin Lesson 5 - Project Monitoring and Control.

Lesson 4 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving onto lesson 5 to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

In most projects, the majority of the budget is spent during the __________ phase? *
How does the Project Manager and Team take timely corrective action? *
What skills should a Project Manager be able to apply to their job? *
What is one method for creating a high performing team? *
What are the outputs of the Project Execution Phase? *

Resources

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Executing Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Lesson 3 | Project Planning

Welcome to Lesson 3, Project Planning

So, you've initiated your project with a Project Charter, defined your stakeholders, and defined a preliminary scope... now what?

It's time to plan.

This is the longest lesson in the course, but incredibly important. In it, we cover: 

  1. Planning Phase Objectives
  2. The Planning Process
  3. Defining Scope  
    1. Scope Management Planning  
    2. Gathering Requirements
    3. Work Breakdown Structure
  4. The Project Schedule  
    1. Activity Definition
    2. Duration Estimation
    3. Activity Sequencing
    4. Resource Estimating o Cost Estimating  
  5. Risk Management  
    1. Risk Identification
    2. Risk Analysis
    3. Risk Response Planning
  6. Human Resources Planning  
  7. Quality Planning
  8. Communications Planning
  9. Project Procurement Management
  10. The Project Management Plan
  11. Lesson 3 Quiz on Key Concepts 

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to move on and begin Lesson 4 - Project Executing.

Lesson 3 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving onto lesson 4 to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

Scope is also known as... *
Why is defining scope important? *
In Project Management, quality is defined as delivering ______? *
What activity is performed during Project Planning to determine the information needs of stakeholders? *
What is included in a Project Management Plan? *

Lesson 3 | Activity

This is a 2-part activity aimed at connecting the lessons learned here with an actual project you are working on now. 

Part 1

Download the Risk List template (in the resources section below) from the Project Management Toolkit. Take a moment, using the guidance from Lesson 3, to fill out at least 3 risks to your project. These risks could be real or perceived, now or in the future. 

  1. Make sure you add as much detail as you can in the description.
  2. Choose the type of risk (positive or negative influence on your project).
  3. Choose what area of your project will be affected by this risk (is this a project management problem, a technical problem, an external problem?).
  4. Enter an estimated probability that this risk will actually happen.
  5. Enter the impact that this risk would have on your project if it occured. 
  6. Choose a response strategy... how you are going to deal with this risk if it happens. Will you avoid it, transfer it somewhere else, mitigate it, or just accept it and move on?
  7. Enter a detailed description of how you will respond to the risk should it occur. 

Part 2

Download the Communications Plan template (in the resources section below) from the Project Management Toolkit. Take a moment, using the guidance from Lesson 3, to fill out at least 3 stakeholders and a plan for communicating with them throughout this project. 

  1. Enter the type of communication you will enter into with each stakeholder. Consider what you will be communicating to them, what they are expecting to hear or read, and why the communication is important.  
  2. List the audience or stakeholder for which this communication is designed.
  3. Enter the frequency of communication. Hourly, daily, weekly, other?
  4. Enter the channel of communication you will enter into with each stakeholder. Consider their needs. Is email the best way? Or perhaps a phone call, a meeting, or using some other type of technology.
  5. Enter a responsible person. Just one. Who will be responsible for communicating with this stakeholder?
  6. Enter the key messages this communication will contain. 

That's it! Keep these two documents handy (and updated) throughout your project. They will be extremely valuable to reducing project problems from unforseen risks and improper or poor communication between you and the project stakeholders.

Resources

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Project Planning Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Risk List Template

Lesson 3 | Activity

Download >>
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Communications Plan Template

Lesson 3 | Activity

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Lesson 2 | Project Initiation

Welcome to Lesson 2, Project Initiation

With the basics out of the way, we can now move on to the beginnings of a project, or Project Initiation. 

Some would say this is the most important part of a project as it defines how you will get started before you build a plan for project success. 

Going through the initiation phase will prevent unnecessary changes to the plan down the road. Once you cover these concepts, you'll be better off than more than 93% of people who feel unproductive at work (yes, that's a real statistic) because their projects aren't well defined. 

  1. Initiating Phase Objectives
  2. The Project Charter
  3. Project Stakeholders
  4. Preliminary Scope Definition
  5. Lesson 2 Quiz on Key Concepts  
  6. Activity 2 - Charter Review 

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to move on and begin Lesson 3 - Project Planning.

Lesson 2 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving onto lesson 3 to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

Projects should be aligned with organizational strategy and strategic objectives. *
What is the high level document that communicates business need, preliminary project characteristics, authorizes the project, and identifies the project manager? *
When is influence in a project at its greatest? *
Why is stakeholder analysis important? *

Lesson 2 | Activity

In this activity, we are going to look at a sample project charter created by company XYZ. 

The project team was in charge of a 5k fundraiser in the Washington DC metro area to raise money for XYZ foundation. They did their best to create a working project charter, but unfortunately it has many flaws. 

First, download the flawed Project Charter and review it in detail. Look for some things that may be missing or wrong and make a note of it. 

Once done, download the correct Project Charter and note the differences side-by-side. 

This activity will help you think actively about creating a project charter that works, and not a useless one that will cause problems down the road. 

How did you do? 

Resources

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Project Initiation Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Lesson 1 | Project Management Basics

Welcome to Lesson 1, Project Management Basics

In this lesson, we're going to start from the top. It may not seem important, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to properly define a project (hint, it's not just a group of tasks). 

In addition to some basic definitions, we're going to cover:

  1. What is a Project?
  2. What is Project Management?
  3. Project Management Constraints
  4. The Project Management Institute
  5. The Project Management Institute Body of Knowledge Guide
  6. Project Management Processes and Process Groups
  7. Project Management Knowledge Areas
  8. Project Lifecycles
  9. The Project Manager
  10. Lesson 1 Quiz on Key Concepts  
  11. Activity 1 - Project Experiences   

When you've finished this lesson, click the button below to move on and begin Lesson 2 - Project Initiation.

Lesson 1 | Key Concepts Quiz

Take this quiz before moving onto lesson 2 to ensure you've learned the concepts. Answers will be shown immediately after filling out and submitting this form.

What is a key feature that defines a project? *
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project ________. *
The level of project management applies should be... *
What are the phases of a project otherwise known as? *
Who is responsible for accomplishing project objectives?

Lesson 1 | Activity

Instructions
In this activity, we want you to reflect on your past project experiences. They can be good or bad, and they can come from any project you've done either at work or at home. Write your answers in the text boxes below.
Discuss both positive and negative experiences working on project teams. Common positive experiences: 1. Successful delivery leading to job satisfaction 2. Seeing project results be used 3. Good relationships with team members
Point out some common things that might go wrong on a project such as: 1. Dissatisfied customers 2. Over budget 3. Late delivery 4. Unhappy project team

Resources

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Project Management Basics Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Introduction

Welcome to the Project Mastery Course!

This is a short (but important) introduction to the course. In it, we'll review:

  1. The Course Objectives
  2. A Full Course Outline
  3. How to Get In Touch

Take a few minutes to go through this, then help us get to know you by filling out the form below. 

Once you're done, click the button below to begin lesson 1. Don't forget, at the bottom of every lesson page will be additional resources (like slides or worksheets) you can download and go through at your leisure. 

Getting to Know You

Before getting started, would you please take a moment to tell us a bit about yourself and where you are in your Project Management journey?

What is your single biggest challenge when it comes to managing projects?
What is the number one reason you enrolled in Project Management Fundamentals? What are you most excited to learn?
Have you even bought other online training courses in project management? Books? Coaching? If so, please tell us what you got out of it and what was missing.
How Can We Reach You?
Name *
Name
Phone (Optional)
Phone (Optional)
http://

Resources

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Introduction Slides

Project Management Fundamentals Course

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Project Mastery Course

Welcome

Welcome to the Project Mastery Course! You made the right decision joining.

We're excited for you to get started. So let's jump right in.

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Course Overview

Below is a synopsis of the course, and the course objectives. You should read through these and keep them in mind while going through the lessons. 

This course has an introduction, 5 lessons, and a summary and evaluation. Each lesson has a video, downloads, and a quiz to ensure you are learning and understanding the concepts. Go back and review each video and resource at your leisure, as many times as you want until you are comfortable with the material. 

Scroll down to see them all below and click the links to get started.

Resources and Downloads

At the bottom of each lesson (and this page), we usually have a Resources section containing all the downloads. This will include slides, worksheets, etc. 

Getting in Touch

If you ever need to reach us, email members@moderndavinci.net.

Course Synopsis

Projects are temporary ventures aimed at producing a unique product, service, or process. In many cases, this uniqueness means there aren't any clear blueprints or steps in place to achieve the end goal. Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to reduce project ambiguity and risk while increasing the chance of successfully achieving project objectives. It provides a framework through which managers and team members can balance the constraints of scope, time, cost, and quality without sacrificing project requirements.  

In this course you will learn leading approaches to Project Management as defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). PMBOK is a globally recognized standard for project management. It provides guidelines for managing individual projects and for understanding project life cycles.

The course will lead you through a progression of Project Management concepts and techniques in alignment with the PMBOK’s five major Project Management Process Groups:

  1. Initiation
  2. Planning
  3. Executing
  4. Monitoring and Controlling
  5. Closing

Within each area, the course will incorporate and address other key project management success factors such as leadership, team building, stakeholder engagement, and communication. The course will also address other leading project management approaches such as Agile and SCRUM to discuss how they complement and enhance the PMBOK approach.

Course Objectives

  1. Gain an understanding of the project management principles, concepts, tools, and techniques applied across successful organizations and the global standards from which they are derived.
  2. Empower you with the vocabulary and knowledge needed to function at a high level in project leadership and supporting roles.
  3. Apply concepts learned in in the session to your personal or professional projects.
  4. Discuss how to best adopt and standardize Project Management processes and tools.

Course Outline

Complete Each Lesson In Order

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Introduction

Introduction to the Course

Start >>
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Lesson 1

 

Project Management Fundamentals

Start >>
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Lesson 2

Project Initiation

Start >>
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Lesson 3

Project Planning

Start >>
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Lesson 4

Project Execution

Start >>
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Lesson 5

Project Monitoring and Control

Start >>
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Lesson 6

Project Closing

Start >>
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Summary and Evaluation

Finish Up Here and See What's Next

Start >>

Additional Downloads

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Project Management Toolkit

Download the Project Management Toolkit with a quick reference guide and 7 templates you can use to kick off, manage, and close out successful projects.

Check It Out >>

Course Outline

Download the full course outline with synopsis, objectives, and detailed breakdown of all lessons.

Download >>

Project Management Toolkit

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Project Management Toolkit

Contains the Quick Reference Guide, and all Templates

Download >>

The Toolkit Contains:

Click any of the images below to download the individual guide or template.