Basic Project Management Course

Lesson 1 • Project Management Frameworks

Compares predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches at a conceptual level. Enables informed framework selection in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • The Project Manager's Role

Examines the competencies, mindset, and daily activities of an effective project manager. Sets personal development expectations for the entire course.

Lesson 3 • Key Roles and Stakeholders

Identifies the project manager, sponsor, team, and stakeholders and their responsibilities. Clarifies accountability structures essential for later planning topics.

Lesson 4 • The Project Lifecycle Overview

Introduces the five standard phases: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing. Provides the structural map used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Identifying Constraints and Assumptions

Distinguishes constraints from assumptions and documents both formally. Reduces planning errors caused by unexamined beliefs or fixed boundaries.

Lesson 2 • Defining Project Objectives

Applies SMART criteria to translate vague goals into measurable objectives. Clear objectives prevent scope creep and guide planning decisions.

Lesson 3 • Stakeholder Identification

Uses structured techniques to find all parties affected by or influencing the project. A complete stakeholder list is prerequisite to engagement planning.

Lesson 4 • Identifying the Business Need

Connects organizational strategy to project selection by analyzing problems, opportunities, and benefits. Grounds initiation in measurable business value.

Lesson 1 • Writing the Scope Statement

Translates requirements into a formal description of deliverables, boundaries, and exclusions. A clear scope statement is the reference for all change decisions.

Lesson 2 • Building the Work Breakdown Structure

Decomposes deliverables into manageable work packages using a hierarchical WBS. The WBS becomes the foundation for schedule, cost, and resource planning.

Lesson 3 • Scope Baseline and Control

Establishes the approved scope baseline and explains how to manage change requests. Prevents unauthorized scope additions that inflate cost and schedule.

Lesson 1 • Schedule Compression Techniques

Applies crashing and fast-tracking to shorten the schedule when deadlines are at risk. Students evaluate trade-offs between time, cost, and quality.

Lesson 2 • Creating the Gantt Chart

Translates the network diagram into a bar chart schedule for communication and tracking. Gantt charts are the primary schedule artifact used with stakeholders.

Lesson 3 • Developing the Network Diagram

Constructs a precedence diagram to visualize activity flow and dependencies. The network diagram is the input for critical path calculation.

Lesson 4 • Estimating Activity Durations

Applies analogous, parametric, and three-point estimation techniques to assign realistic durations. Accurate estimates reduce schedule risk and padding.

Lesson 1 • Contingency and Management Reserves

Distinguishes known-unknown contingency from unknown-unknown management reserves. Proper reserve planning protects the budget without inflating estimates.

Lesson 2 • Resource Planning and Costing

Identifies required resources, assigns them to activities, and calculates resource costs. Resource costing feeds directly into the project budget.

Lesson 3 • Cost Estimation Fundamentals

Introduces direct, indirect, and sunk costs and explains estimation accuracy ranges. Accurate cost framing prevents budget surprises during execution.

Lesson 1 • Risk Identification Techniques

Uses brainstorming, checklists, and assumption analysis to surface threats and opportunities. Comprehensive identification is the prerequisite for all other risk processes.

Lesson 2 • Risk Response Planning

Selects avoid, transfer, mitigate, or accept strategies for threats and exploit or enhance for opportunities. Response plans are integrated into the project schedule and budget.

Lesson 3 • Quantitative Risk Analysis Basics

Introduces expected monetary value and sensitivity analysis for high-priority risks. Quantitative data supports budget reserve decisions and schedule buffers.

Lesson 4 • Risk Monitoring and Control

Establishes triggers, reviews, and escalation paths to track risks throughout execution. Ongoing monitoring ensures responses remain effective as conditions change.

Lesson 1 • Stakeholder Engagement During Execution

Maintains stakeholder support through regular communication and expectation management. Active engagement reduces late-stage scope changes and approval delays.

Lesson 2 • Quality Assurance in Execution

Applies quality audits and process checklists to confirm work meets defined standards. Proactive quality assurance is less costly than defect correction after delivery.

Lesson 3 • Conflict Resolution Methods

Identifies common conflict sources and applies collaborative resolution techniques. Unresolved conflict degrades team performance and threatens schedule adherence.

Lesson 4 • Directing Project Work

Translates the project plan into daily work assignments and tracks deliverable completion. Effective direction keeps the team aligned with scope, schedule, and quality targets.

Lesson 1 • Lessons Learned and Knowledge Transfer

Captures successes, failures, and recommendations in a structured lessons-learned document. Knowledge transfer improves future project performance across the organization.

Lesson 2 • Integrated Change Control

Manages all change requests through a formal review and approval process. Controlled change prevents unplanned scope, cost, and schedule impacts.

Lesson 3 • Project Closure Process

Executes formal closure activities including final deliverable acceptance and contract closeout. Proper closure prevents lingering obligations and frees resources for new work.

Lesson 4 • Performance Reporting

Produces status reports, dashboards, and forecasts tailored to different audiences. Timely reporting enables informed decisions by sponsors and stakeholders.