Project Management Fundamentals (Preparation for the Certificate IV in Project Management Assessment)

Industry research shows that a third of all projects are delivered late. To add to this, even more come in over budget or run past the original deadline, and 28% fail altogether.  How you lead a project or perform in a project team can dictate the success or failure of each initiative or project that you are involved in, regardless of its size or complexity.

Our interactive workshop provides you with proven techniques, tools and processes to deliver projects within specification, on time and on budget.

The workshop is aligned with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), current research and best practice industry standards, as well as drawing upon the extensive experience of PM-Partners group’s extensive and continuing involvement in assisting organisations to achieve rapid results in project delivery capability. The content and principles addressed within this workshop are also aligned with the National Competency Framework Standards for Certificate IV in Project Management (BSB 41507), allowing assessment at this level for participants who wish to further formalise their skills and knowledge. See Assessment Options and Eligibility Criteria overleaf.

As its name implies, this workshop will provide participants with the essential knowledge and skills to both manage a project end-to-end, and / or be an effective and valuable member of the project team.  It covers the fundamental steps in every project’s life cycle and uses a real life case study approach in order to follow a project from conception through to completion and final review. The focus is on immediate and direct knowledge transfer to the workplace.

This workshop is designed for:

• Project Managers wishing to formalise their skills and / or to revisit fundamental principles.
• Members of Project Teams who wish to broaden their understanding of the Project Management Framework and its essential disciplines.
• Technical specialists/engineers moving into a project management/team leadership role, or working for a project manager.
• Individuals wishing to progress to assessment against the National Competency Standards for Certificate IV in Project Management (optional).  See Assessment Options and Eligibility Criteria overleaf.

In order to derive the greatest benefit from participation in this workshop, participants should be working in a project environment or planning to do so in the near future.

Endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management. PM-Partners group are registered AIPM Assessors and recognised as a Project Managed Organisation by the Australian Institute of Project Management.

This workshop is endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM). Participants holding any of the Project Management accreditations (CPPP / CPPM / CPPD) are eligible to earn 8 points (CPDs) for each day’s participation in this workshop.

PM-Partners group is a Global PMI (Project Management Institute) Registered Education Provider. Participants who have been awarded the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP®) by the Project Management Institute are eligible to earn 14 PDUs for their participation in this workshop.

CERTIFICATE IV IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
(BSB 41507)

In order to be awarded either the Certificate IV in Project Management, or the Diploma of Project Management as described above, candidates must demonstrate competence at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level IV (for Certificate IV in Project Management) and / or Level V (for Diploma of Project Management) respectively in the nationally endorsed project management competency standards. Each competency standard is made up of Elements, broken down into individual Performance Criteria.

Demonstration of these competency standards must be in the form of documentary evidence, and every Performance Criterion must be successfully demonstrated.

Typical examples of evidence include (but are not restricted to):

• Project plans
• Reports
• Reviews
• Meeting minutes
• Emails
• References or testimonials, as supporting evidence

An assessment kit is available upon request, which provides candidates with guidance and assistance. The kit has been designed to make the process easy to understand and implement, and includes answers to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ and a ‘Typical Evidence’ guide.

Key differences between Certificate IV and Diploma of Project Management level of assessment as per below:

Certificate IV in Project Management

The Certificate IV candidate must be able to prove (by means of a project related documentary portfolio of evidence, and an interview to substantiate it) that they have contributed to the creation, maintenance and actioning of project documentation in the required competency areas.         

Diploma of Project Management

The Diploma candidate must be able to prove (by means of a project related documentary portfolio of evidence, and an interview to substantiate it) that they have managed and controlled the creation, maintenance and actioning of project documentation in the required competency areas.

Important note about assessments:

PM-Partners group sets no time limit between attendance at a workshop and the date on which you take up your assessment, so if you are unsure about your level of eligibility, you may like to book your assessment at the time of workshop registration and use the workshop (your facilitator can provide you with guidance during your participation), and / or the time spent on projects after the workshop, to prepare yourself and ensure that you’re positioning yourself at the correct level.

Successful completion of this workshop will enable participants to:

• Assimilate essential tools and disciplines for planning and controlling projects effectively.
• Scope a project effectively.
• Create a Work Breakdown Structure and translate this into a reliable schedule for effective baselining, tracking and control.
• Estimate with a greater degree of accuracy and manage the typical pitfalls.
• Make successful cost/schedule/scope trade-offs.
• Avoid ‘scope-creep’ by identifying, managing and controlling change throughout a project.
• Deliver project outputs to appropriate quality standards.
• Contribute to the selection, engagement and management of third parties.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and communication.

Facilitators of this workshop will use a case study delivery approach to provide participants with a ‘hands-on’, multi-faceted and challenging learning experience. Participants will be actively engaged in progressing the project from conception to closure, and in building necessary documentation and communications tools in order to do so.

All workshops are able to be customised to suit your requirements, using a project scenario from your workplace as a case study.

A comprehensive participant handbook is provided, which includes a set of completed sample project management documents. Our participants are also entitled to complementary telephone consultation/advice within 60 days of workshop completion. All workshops may be conducted onsite or at our premises, with experienced facilitators providing group and/or individual instruction. 

Project Management Fundamentals is available as a stand-alone workshop, but also forms the foundation (Module 1) for the ‘Project Management Professionals Program’. Project Management in Practice (Module 2) is a three day workshop which provides a deeper exploration into the disciplines and daily challenges faced by the Project Manager.

Please see TC1178 – Project Management in Practice for a detailed outline of this workshop or contact us on 1300 701 314.

What Makes Projects Succeed?

• Reviewing project successes and their inherent characteristics.
• Understanding the factors that contribute to project failure and how project management disciplines and processes target these areas to ensure repeatable delivery success.

The Essential Project Management Philosophy

• Defining a project and project management
• Exploring project management parameters – ‘Principle of Triple Constraint’ and trade-offs
• Critical skills for successful project management

The Project Life Cycle

• Examining life cycles and their significance within a project environment
• Examining phase activities, milestones and gates
• Identifying phase deliverables and their importance for ultimate project success

Project Planning

• Scoping the project – understanding and defining the scope, and obtaining key stakeholder signoff
• Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and scheduling
• Understanding the Critical Path and how a Project Manager utilises it for greater project control
• Applying estimating techniques for a more realistic and balanced estimate
• Introducing procurement planning and vendor selection
• Conducting/contributing to quality planning
• Establishing a project baseline, against which to track progress

Project Implementation and Control

• Tracking and controlling the project
• Applying a disciplined change control management method
• Managing third parties
• Managing project quality and understanding its role within continuous organisational improvement
• Reporting and communication

Closing the Project

• Conducting formal  project closure
• Post implementation reviewing – gathering, documenting and assimilating lessons learnt