Introduction to the World of Project Management
- Introduction to project management: goals, challenges, and the development of the profession.
- Advanced and diverse approaches to project management – Agile / Predictive / Hybrid.
- Introduction to the PMBOK® Guide – The Project Management Body of Knowledge.
- Overview of the 12 Principles and 8 Performance Domains in Project Management.
- Overview of the 10 knowledge areas and 5 process groups.
- What makes a successful project manager in the high-tech industry today?
- The Project life cycle.
Project initiation
- Project initiation phase overview.
- Identification, analysis, and management of stakeholders – techniques and practical tools
AI in Project Management
- Background – AI definition and how is the use of AI manifested in project management?
- Strengths and limitations.
- Effective prompting and practical usage tips.
- Review of recommended AI tools to maximize value and effectiveness.
- Using AI according to the project stages (general capabilities review as an introduction to the rest of the course).
- Basic AI practice.
Scope Management
- Importance of well-defined project scope in a dynamic, change-driven environment.
- Requirements gathering, analysis and designing.
- Creating WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and Backlogs for various project types.
- AI applications for scope definition.
Time Management
- Basic and advanced concepts for creating work plans.
- Critical Path Method (CPM) – building and analyzing the project schedule.
- Resource and buffer management.
- Key principles of high-quality scheduling.
- Manage work plans in Agile environments.
- Using Smartsheet for traditional (Waterfall) project planning.
- Using AI for work plan creation.
Advanced Project Management Approaches (Agile & Hybrid)
- Agile in high-tech environments.
- Values and principles.
- Leading Agile methods – Scrum, Kanban, and more.
- Agile planning, execution, and monitoring.
- Introduction to Jira – Agile/Hybrid development project management and backlog tracking tool.
- Overview of Trello / Monday.com as simpler Agile tools (compared to Jira).
Risk and Opportunity Management
- Planning the risk and opportunity management process.
- Risk and opportunity identification.
- Qualitative and quantitative risk and opportunity assessments.
- Risk management tools (risk table, heat map).
- Developing risk and opportunity responses.
- Monitoring and controlling risks and opportunities.
- Using AI for effective risk and opportunity management.
Communication Management
- Communication methods and channels within project teams.
- Creating a project communication plan.
- Practical tips for effective project communication.
- Leading communication and collaboration tools – Confluence and Slack.
Project Budget Management
- Project and product budget life cycles.
- Fixed/variable, direct/indirect costs.
- Creating a project budget plan.
- Controlling project costs (actual vs. plan).
- Using AI for project budget management.
Resource Management
- Creating a project resource management plan.
- Conflict management techniques.
- Defining roles and responsibilities (R&R), using the RACI model.
- Using Smartsheet / Jira to manage resources.
Interpersonal Communication Skills
- Building trust among team members and project stakeholders.
- Team alignment, engagement, and empowerment.
- Developing partnerships and actively managing collaboration barriers and facilitators.
- Strategies and tactics for interpersonal communication.
- Dealing with conflicting interests and conflict situations in the project.
- Tools for effective discussions.
- Effective conflicts management.
Quality Management
- Product and process quality.
- Global methodologies for quality management (e.g. ISO standards, Zero Defects, Six Sigma, TQM, Lean).
- Quality tools (e.g., Fishbone Diagram, Pareto Chart, etc.).
- The cost of poor quality in projects.
Monitoring and Control During Project Execution
- Change management process.
- Setting and tracking ongoing project goals.
- Additional Monitor & Control phase related activities.
- Using Trello and Monday.com for task management and Kanban boards.
- Familiarization with Google Looker Studio / Power BI for dashboard and report creation.
- Monitoring and control using AI tools.
Power Skills
In addition to technical expertise, project managers must also have ‘Power Skills’ and these will be taught in the course, such as:
- Mental flexibility and Creative Problem Solving
- Interpersonal communication and storytelling
- Working in a multicultural environment
- Conflict management and leadership in a changing environment.
- Flexibility and adaptation to changing situations.
- Personal time management and workload management.
- Creating an impressive resume and preparing for career interviews.
The course includes a final project and a final exam.