Project Management Professional (PMP)® - 35 Contact Hours

Ishikawa, Juran, Pareto and Deming. Know these names? You may not be familiar with them, but these individuals are among the pioneers of practices that lead to the principles and processes of modern day project management.

In this lecture you will learn about the history behind project management and the world renowned standards for process in quality.

• The Fishbone Diagram
• The Pereto Principle
• The Juran Trilogy

To the fact that the overall complexity of a project has increased and the time in which the project is expected to be completed as decreased, Project Life Cycles have been implemented to assist the organization involved in a project, as well as provide a framework for the project.

This lecture will discuss The Project Life Cycle and Project Phases.

• Life Cycle Phases
• Project Process Groups
• Critical Path Methodology(CPM)
• Work Breakdown Structure

In the workplace there are two major topics that are named regularly. One being Product and the other being Project.

In this lecture you will look at the similarities of these two terms.

• Product Life Cycle
• Product Phases
• Project Life Cycle
• Project Phases

When initiating a project, phases within the project is a key point and can contribute to the projects success.

This lecture discusses the characteristics of phases within a project and defines what each phase means in relation to a project.

• Deliverables
• Project Constraints
• Approved Changes
• Phased Activities

While it's true that most organizations have projects, and projects are managed using project management processes, some may be confused when it comes to the difference between project management and the project life cycle.

This lecture will discuss the difference between these two topics and how they assist in the development and advance of a project.

• Methodologies
• Waterfall
• Agile

Process groups support life cycle activities and categorize processes within knowledge areas that drive project work from the initial phase. This lecture discusses the ins and outs of each of the Five Process Groups.

• The Initiating Process Group
• The Planning Process Group
• The Execution Process Group
• The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
• The Close Project Group

Founded in 1969 by a group of working project managers, The Project Management Institute has developed into a not-for-profit professional organization. To-date, P-M-I has certified over 650,000 members of their organization in various fields attributed to the practice of project management.

This lecture will discuss the involvement of the Project Management Institute in developing Project Management.

• Facts about the Project Management Institute
• Goals of the Project Management Institute
• PMI Certification

Based on the premise that project management practices and activities are delivering a significant impact on the sustainability and profitability of products produced by projects, the PMBOK Guide is offered to provide appropriate levels of knowledge, processes, skills, tools and techniques that contribute to a project's success and promote good standards and practices.

This lecture will discuss what is inside the PMBOK Guide.

• The PMBOK Guide

Knowledge areas are intentionally grouped processes that have common characteristics, this provides for aligning skill sets, or knowledge, that facilitates project activities through the process groups and project life cycles.

This lecture will discuss each of the Ten Knowledge Areas and the role they play within project management.

• The Knowledge Areas
• Project Time Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Risk Management

The Pyramids of Egypt, The Taj Mahal, products of the Industrial Revolution, the Panama Canal, landing a man on the moon are all examples of projects over time, the products of which exemplify mankind's ability to conceptualize, plan, develop and deliver. If you think about it, project management is, and has been, the catalyst that enabled delivery of some of the most magnificent structures and accomplishments the world has ever seen.

This lecture will discuss the background of projects.

• Historical Background
• Course Overview

This lecture covers what will be gained from completing this section.

• Course Objectives
• Upon Completion

How would you define a project? Does your definition include a series of unique activities? Does it detail a common deliverable or purpose? How about specifications: time, budget, requirements?

This lecture formally defines the meaning of a project and gives several examples of what a project looks like in the real world.

• Define a Project
• Examples
• Projects
• Misconceptions

Project based activities can take place in all shapes and sizes that are dependent upon the organization and the objective of the project's product.

This lecture will discuss examples of several different types of projects and what go into them.

• Classifications
• Level
• Time
• Budget

While it may seem contradictory, there are similarities or characteristics that projects in general maintain.

This lecture includes the characteristics of a project and what each characteristic means.

• Project Characteristics

The challenges associated with managing projects can, at times, be daunting but the rewards of completing a major project can make it all seem worthwhile.

This lecture will discuss the responsibilities of a project manager and what each responsibility entails.

• Overall Responsibilities
• Planning
• Skill Development

Throughout the duration of a project a project manager must be able to aspire to certain competencies in order to assist the project, it is crucial to the development of the project and the ability to help it run smoothly.

This lecture will discuss the three competencies a manager must have.

Topics Covered Include:

• Managing the Project
• Managing the Client
• Managing the Project Team

Within a project there is a structure. Project Management activities within organizations typically follow this structured hierarchy that permits projects to be grouped in a way that supports the mission of the organization and its strategic direction.

This lecture will discuss the structure of a project and the stages within that structure.

• Top-Down Hierarchy
• Project Inventory Details
• Level
• The PPM Group Team

PPM activities help structure project work and provide for a top-down direction in regard to aligning resources so that all planned projects can be successful.

This lecture will discuss the use of PPM in a multiple project setting and demonstrates how PPM can assist a project to run similar to a well oiled machine.

• Comparing Project and Program Management
• Program Manager Responsibilities
• Additional Roles and Responsibilities

This lecture covers the key topics to review and take away from the first portion of this section. Upon completion the student will be prepared to take the Chapter 1 & 2 Quiz.

In regard to project activities, stakeholders are individuals, groups or entities within an organization, or outside an organization, that have a vested interest in the activities and outcomes of a project.

This lecture will discuss the role a stakeholder may or may not play in the development of a project as well as some of the influences they have.

Topics Covered Include:

• Types of Stakeholders
• Corporate Culture
• Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder management is an important component of project management that is often overlooked or under managed. A times this may cause an organization to get caught in a rut and force them to reevaluate.

This lecture will discuss what may happen if an organization does not manage their stakeholders correctly, and how it may affect the overall outcome of the project.

• Organizational Stakeholder
• Examples
• Hygiene vs. Motivators

An organization's culture, style, structure and program management office can and do influence project activities.

This lecture will discuss the types of organizational structures that can influence a project.

• Organizational Influence
• Organizational Cultures
• Organisational Structures

An organization's culture has a lot to say about the manner in which projects are developed and executed. The way an organization is run leads to certain attributes in the project they carry out and the products they produce.

This lecture will discuss the attributes that can be found in organizations.

• Organizational Attributes
• Examples

This lecture summarizes everything that has been covered throughout the duration of this section.

This lecture takes you through some of the key points covered, and review items. After this section is complete the student can take the Final Exam: Managing Projects Within Organizations.

In order for a project to be managed successfully, the project manager and team must adhere to processes that will drive the project through its life cycle in a way that will meet specifications and the expectations of the project's sponsor.

This lecture discusses some examples of projects in the past that have lead the way for better understanding the process groups as well as the background of project management process groups.

• Key Elements
• Project Management Institute

This lecture covers what will be gained from completing this section.

Topics covered include:

• Course Objectives
• Upon Completion

As organizations conduct their day-to-day business, they generate information and documents as part of daily activities. Progress reports, project artifacts, financial reports, transactions of any type, and templates used while performing business activities, are all examples of organizational process assets.

This lecture will discuss the project management process its assets and how they will assist the progression of a project.

• Project Management Processes
• Organizational Process Assets
• Organizational Asset Libraries
• Enterprise Environmental Factors
• Organizational Structure

Within project management, processes fall into one of two major categories: project and product. Project management processes drive work by categorizing efforts into knowledge areas. The processes within these knowledge areas encompass the tools and techniques used in project management. Project Management Process Groups provide for organizing the processes within the knowledge areas so that the required process aligns to specific project activities.

This lecture will discuss the process categories within project management.

Topics Covered Include:

• Project Management Processes
• Five Process Groups
• Comparisons

Initiating processes drive the preliminary interactions of a project and typically begin to drop off as the project moves toward planning processes. As initiating processes complete, planning processes ramp up and involve interactions with the executing and monitoring and controlling process groups as deliverables are being developed. Executing processes are within the next process group, and executing processes occur throughout the project life cycle.

This lecture will discuss project management process interactions.

Topics Covered Include:

• Implications of Change
• Change
• Requirements
• Application

For the most part, project phase activities gather inputs; apply tools and techniques to them to generate outputs that become inputs for additional processes. Taking 42 processes into consideration, the activities within the processes are iterative, and as they are applied and re-applied throughout the life of the project, the rationale becomes more apparent.

This lecture will discuss how project groups interact and how it effect the advancement of a project.

• Project Phase Activities
• Change within a Project
• Process Groups
• Process Categories

This lecture covers the key topics to review and take away from the first portion of this section. Upon completion the student will be prepared to take the Chapter 1 & 2 Quiz.

Within the initiating process group, work begins and the ramp-up for project activities gets underway. Planning process group activities and Monitoring and Controlling process group activities begin at the same time. As Planning process activities begin to ramp up, Initiating process activities are winding down.

This lecture will discuss Initiating processes and how it assists the advance of a project.

• The Initiating Process
• Develop the Project Charter
• Project Manager Tools
• Organizational Process Assets

Project planning activities pick up where initiating processes begin to leave off. Remember that the processes specific to project initiation centered around two major activities: one being the Project Charter and the other being Stakeholder Alignment. Together they permit the project manager to take the reins of the project and identify all of the individuals and groups that have a vested interest in the project.

This lecture will discuss planning processes and how it assists the advance of a project.

• The Planning Process
• Planning Process Group
• Project Planning
• Communications

While, process-wise, the heavy lifting takes place within the planning process group, the rubber hits the road within the Executing process group. Like the name implies, activities commence that bring the plan to life. As compared to the 20 processes that take place within the Planning process group there are only eight processes concerned with Execution processes.

This lecture will discuss executing processes and how it will assist in the advancement of a project.

• Project Management Integration
• Communications Process
• Stakeholder Communications
• Procurement Planning

Monitoring and Controlling activities take place throughout the project to ensure that project deliverables are planned, developed and delivered to meet both specifications and expectations. The PMBOK identifies Monitoring and Controlling as the process of tracking, reviewing and regulating the project's progress to meet performance objectives defined within the project management plan.

This lecture will discuss the monitoring and controlling processes.

Topics Covered Include:

• Monitoring and Controlling Processes
• Manage Change
• Control Schedule
• Control Procurement Processes

There are two processes associated with closing out a project. The first comes from the Project Integration Management knowledge area and the second comes from the Procurement knowledge area.

This lecture will discuss closing processes and how they will assist closing any type of project.

• Review
• Termination
• Close Procurement
• Completion

This lecture summarizes everything that has been covered throughout the duration of this section.

This lecture takes you through some of the key points covered, and review items. After this section is complete the student can take the Final Exam: Project Management Process Groups.

A project consists of many different tasks and phases that must be integrated and managed to successfully complete the project. Keeping track of all activities that must be accomplished is no small undertaking! A well-planned and professionally integrated project pulls all of these activities together, enabling all participants to progress through their tasks and meet milestones.

This lecture will discuss project integration management, why a project is initiated and potential pitfalls that can derail a project at any step.

• What is a Project?
• Project Requirements
• Project Manager
• Examples

Within the Project Integration Management Knowledge Area are six processes. Each Process has an individual effect on the outcome of a project.

This lecture will discuss in depth the six Project Integration Management processes and their effect within a project.

• Develop Project Charter
• Direct and Manage Project Work
• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Close Project or Phase

A project is initiated at the request of a sponsor to resolve a problem, provide a service or meet a need. Projects often have a problem statement that helps clarify the project's need, and a project can be initiated for a variety of reasons.

This lecture will discuss the reasons, steps, activities, and tools behind project initiation.

• Project Initiation
• Important Steps
• Limited Resources
• SMART
• Examples

While there are a fair amount of tools, techniques, inputs and outputs in place to help the project manager and team develop a project management plan, there are many opportunities for failure as the plan moves through conceptualization and project integration management.

This lecture will discuss the challenges that a project manager could potentially face in the duration of a project and ways that they can be avoided or handled.

• Planning Challenges
• Work Impacts
• Project's Budget
• Communication Planning

The Project Management Institute defines Develop Project Charter as "the process of developing a document that formally authorizes a project or a phase in documenting initial requirements that satisfy the stakeholder's needs and expectations."

This lecture will discuss the meaning of developing a project charter and how it will assist within a project.

• Develop Project Charter
• Project Charter
• Stakeholder
• Examples

The inputs for development of the project charter include the statement of work, business case, contracts, enterprise environmental factors and organizational assets.

This lecture will discuss the different types of project charter development inputs and how they impact a project.

• Project Charter Inputs
• Contracts
• Organizational Assets

For all project management processes, you will notice a consistent workflow that contributes to the iterative nature of the project management process. Process inputs are applied to tools and techniques that generate outputs.

This lecture will discuss the tools used to create output from an input and how they affect the process of a project.

• Process Inputs
• Tools

The project charter is the output of the Develop Project Charter process. The project charter is intended to be a high-level document that expresses the business need for the project from the perspective of the sponsor.

This lecture will discuss the outputs of a project charter and what it adds to the progress and development of a project.

• Project Charter
• Intro
• Main Body
• Risks

The Develop Project Management Plan process is one of the most time-consuming processes of the planning phase. The project management plan provides detail to the objectives noted within the project charter. Think of the project management plan as the “master plan” of the project.

This lecture will discuss the steps taken to create a Project Management Plan and how they assist the development of a project.

• Project Management Plan

The inputs for the Develop Project Management Plan process are the project charter, outputs from the project planning process, contracts, enterprise environmental factors and organizational assets.

This lecture will discuss in depth the inputs that will assist in creating the Project Management Plan and how they assist the development of a project.

• Inputs
• Project Management Plan Process
• Enterprise Environmental Factors
• Organizational Assets

When a project begins, the scope is broad and typically not very well defined. Imagine a funnel with a broadly based set of details at the start of the project. As the project moves forward and activities go into the funnel, greater focus on task activities and requirements permits the final scope to be realized. Project Management Plan Development Tools are what are used to enable better focus.

This lecture will discuss the two tools used to transform inputs into useful outputs to develop the project management plan.

• Tools
• Project Scope
• Progressive Elaboration

This lecture will discuss the outputs that are achieved from the Project Management Development Inputs and how they assist the development of a project.

• Project Management Plan

This lecture will discuss the meaning of a Project Management Baseline and its place within a project.

• Baseline
• Summary
• Acknowledgements

Direct and Manage Project Work is where project management activities hit the height of the project curve, and deliverables are in the process of being developed.

This lecture will discuss the responsibility of the project manager to make sure all activities in the project are running smoothly and as needed.

• Direct and Manage Project Work
• Manage Change
• Closing a Project
• Examples

The project management plan is one input to the Direct and Manage Project Work process. This plan, along with all subsidiary plans, is used as a point of reference for project execution.

This lecture will discuss a few types of inputs and their impact on the progression of a project.

• Data Flow Diagram
• Project Management Plan
• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Direct and Manage Project Work
• Organization Process

In order to create a plan of action for a project there must be tools to assist in converting inputs to outputs.

This lecture will discuss the tools used to transform inputs into useful outputs to assist the progression of a project.

• Expert Judgement
• Applications
• Punch List
• Earned Value
• Examples

Deliverables, work performance data, change requests, project management plan updates and project document updates are all outputs that are the product of expert judgment and project management applications applied to project execution inputs.

This lecture will discuss the uses of the outputs gained from using correct tools and inputs and how they are used in the progression of a project.

• Project Execution
• Project Data
• Project Risk Results
• Project Work Outputs

Monitoring and controlling project work is the process of analyzing project metrics, tracking project activities and communicating status reports to stakeholders.

This lecture will discuss what the meaning of monitoring and controlling is and how it can assist a project to run smoothly and avoid issues before they arise.

• Monitor and Control Project Work
• Monitoring the Project
• Monitoring and Controlling the Activities

The inputs of Monitor and Control Project Work permit the project manager and team to provide oversight as project activities progress. Monitor and Control Project Work can and does overlap the Direct and Manage Project Work process, meaning that the inputs in their turn overlap as well.

This lecture will discuss just what those inputs are and how they are important to the Monitor and Control Project Work Process as well as the progression of a project.

• Inputs
• Performance Information
• Enterprise Environmental Factors
• Affected Process Assets

Expert judgment is used along with monitoring and controlling tools, forecasts and reporting to help provide oversight and transparency in delivering project objectives.

This lecture will discuss the tools used in Monitor and Control Project Work to turn inputs into useful outputs and how these outputs are used to assist the progression of a project.

• Project Work Tools

Monitor and Control Project Work rely on project execution outputs to establish the details for analysis. Monitoring deliverable activity can help the project management team ensure activities that deliver work packages meet expectations.

This lecture will discuss the outputs that may come from the inputs as well as show how they assist the progression of the project.

• Change Request
• Work Process
• Control
• Level of Detail

Integrating changes for project-related activities is usually managed by a group of subject matter experts and operations managers. This group is known as a change control board.

This lecture will discuss the reasons for changes in projects and the processes for implementing change.

• Change Control Board
• Change Control Process
• Change Management Activities
• Control Change

Within Project Management there are support functions, these functions are typically divided between technical support and administrative support.

This lecture will discuss in depth about the two support functions and what activities are associated with each one.

• Support Functions
• Key Concepts
• Tools
• Responsibilities

Two components that a project manager needs to keep an eye on are corrective and preventive actions. Enterprise environmental factors often impact or influence integrated change control activities.

This lectures will discuss the possible outcomes of implementing change within a project and how they can affect the progression of a project.

• Outcomes
• Examples

The project management plan is one of the primary inputs to the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

This lecture will discuss the different types of inputs within the Perform Integrated Change Control Process and how they may correlate to inputs and outputs of other Processes.

• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Work Performance Reports
• Organizational Process Assets
• Examples

All of the inputs for the Perform Integrated Change Control are aligned to Perform Integrated Change Control tools that develop outputs.

This lecture will discuss the tools used to transform inputs into useful outputs as well as how they assist the progression of a project.

• Expert Judgement
• Change Control Board

If a change request has been identified as feasible and within the scope of the project, the change request is scheduled for implementation during a defined implementation window.

This lecture will discuss the different outputs gained from inputs of the Perform Integrated Change Control Process.

• Change Request
• Outputs

When closing a project or phase, the project manager formally reviews all prior information from previous phases to ensure completion and to verify that project requirements have been achieved.

This lecture will discuss the necessity of closing a project or phase with precision and finality.

• Closing a Project
• Administrative Closure
• Nearing the Finish Line
• Project Manager's Role
• Trusted Advisor

The most common inputs to the Close Project or Phase Process are the project management plan, accepted deliverables and organizational process assets.

This lecture will discuss the different types of inputs used to close a phase of a project, or a project itself.

• Inputs
• Project Manager's Role
• Project's Deliverables
• Historical Information

As a project drives to closure, the project manager must oversee many activities, to order to see to the completion of a project or phase in order to assist it to run smoothly and effectively.

This lecture will discuss the different activities that go along with the closure of a project or phase.

• Activities
• Implementation
• Final Report
• Lessons Learned

Expert judgment and progressive elaboration are the two key tools that a project manager and team will use across most knowledge areas and processes.

This lecture will discuss the tools used to turn inputs into productive outputs in the closure of a phase or project.

• Tools
• Successful Project Manager
• Expert Judgement
• Examples

The iterative process of applying tools and techniques to process inputs again generates outputs, only this time the outputs pertain to the final product of the project.

This lecture will discuss the application of the outputs gained from the inputs and tools and how they assist in the closure of a phase or a project.

• Project's Product
• Closure Documentation
• Lessons Learned Errors
• Examples

This lecture will discuss the overall topics of this section and how they pertain to Project Management.

• Overview

According to the Project Management Institute, a project's scope is “the work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.”

This lecture will discuss the importance of scope when associated with a project, as well as some of the aspects included within scope.

• Project Scope
• 2 Scope Types
• Product Scope

A project manager uses knowledge of a project's requirements and scope at different times throughout the life of a project. During each stage of a project has different ways of identifying scope and they can be categorized into three types of identification.

This lecture will discuss the three different ways scope is used and implemented in a project.

• Scope Creep
• 3 Scope Concerns
• Processes
• Creating a WBS

One of the greatest, and often forgotten, indicators of project success is whether or not the requirements and expectations of project stakeholders are met.

This lecture will discuss the best way to collect requirement and meet expectations of stakeholders while carrying out a project.

• Failure Leads
• Requirement Collections
• Project Charter High Level
• Decompose

According to the Project Management Institute, collecting requirements means defining and managing customer expectations. Cost, schedule, and quality planning are all important requirements that will be expressed by stakeholders.

This lecture will discuss the inputs used to achieve certain goals that are necessary for the advancement of a project.

• Inputs
• Project Charter

Using the inputs of the Project Charter, scope and requirements management plan, and the Stakeholder Register and stakeholder management plan, the project team can employ a variety of tools and techniques to collect requirements from stakeholders.

This lecture will discuss the different tools and techniques used to gain valuable requirements from stakeholders and begin to implement them into a project.

• Applying Inputs
• Delphi Techniques
• Mind Mapping
• Examples

As with any process, the outputs of Collect Requirements contribute These outputs serve as stepping stones, allowing the project manager to come closer and closer to the project's deliverables to the project's end result.

This lecture will discuss the use of collect requirements outputs in the development of a project.

• Collect Requirement Outputs
• Requirements Documentations
• Examples

“What do you need?” When a manager asks that question, especially when that manager is someone who is following through on requests from his or her employees, it can provide an enormous boost; but only if you know what you need. Otherwise, that managerial query becomes a missed opportunity.

This lecture will discuss the steps to planning requirement management, as well as how it will assist the progression of a project.

• Requirements Management Plan Document
• Requirements Management Plan Details
• Developing Techniques

Consideration must be given to the process of collecting a project's requirements is the concept of traceability and tools used to facilitate traceability. The requirements traceability matrix is the tool that provides a link between business and project objectives.

This lecture will discuss the need for traceability in a project so that everything can be traced and monitored.

• Traceability
• Traceability Matrix
• Examples

The Define Scope process takes a one-brick-at-a-time approach to helping a project manager build the foundation of a project, making sure that the project team has the details just right. The big ideas were tackled during project charter development. But only when all the little details are in place can a project manager be sure that the project is headed in the right direction.

This lecture will discuss the necessity of scope in all aspects of a project and what it does for the duration of the project.

• Building Foundations
• Progressive Elaboration
• Processes
• Examples

No matter how many processes and documents you have in place, when projects move forward, they are propelled by ingenuity – by sound judgment, past experience, expertise and creativity. These are the tools and techniques that keep a project humming, moving it along from one phase to the next.

This lecture will discuss the need for a Project Scope Statement and what the statement does in moving a project forward successfully.

• Tools and Techniques
• Product Analysis Techniques
• Project Scope Statement Constraints
• Examples

The project scope statement reinforces the detail of the project requirement and level of work necessary to create those deliverables. It also helps determine those activities deemed to be out of scope and not a part of the project. And it delivers consensus that the project team and all stakeholders will rely upon as work progresses.

This lecture will discuss why a Scope Statement is needed throughout a project's duration, and specifies what is in a Scope Statement.

• Scope Impacts
• Project Scope Statement Includes
• Primary Output
• Direct Correlation

Within the Project Scope Management knowledge area, is established the need to gather requirements, and reviewed the inputs, tools, and outputs that will become components of the project plan. From there, press forward to defining the scope of a project.

This lecture will discuss the steps that need to be taken to move forward in a project, while still retaining the scope of a project.

• Next Steps
• WBS Summary
• Scope Details
• Examples

This lecture will discuss the overall topics of this section and how they pertain to Project Management.

• Overview

There are six processes indicated by the Project Management Institute that are related to the Project Scope Management Knowledge Area. Two of those processes help a project manager monitor and control the scope of a project.

This lecture will discuss the importance of these two processes in accordance with a project.

Topics Covered Include:

• 5 Processes

Validation of project scope is the process whereby stakeholders formally accept the completed project scope and associated deliverables. Deliverables are reviewed to ensure that they have been completed satisfactorily, meet the project's requirements and that they are acceptable to stakeholders.

This lecture will discuss why a validation of scope is needed, and how it is incorporated into a project.

Topics Covered Include:

• Verification of Project Scope
• Scope Verification vs. Quality Control
• Inspections
• Scope Verification

The input used to validate scope is The Project Management Plan. The project management plan is used because it provides details relevant to project requirements and guidance for how the project manager and team plan to approach the development of work packages within the project.

This lecture will discuss each individual input, what they do, and their benefits throughout the duration of a project.

• Inputs
• Traceability Matrix Functions

The techniques to validate scope are in the broad classification of group decision-making techniques. These techniques encompass the many that project managers use all the time when seeking consensus and input from various stakeholders. This could be as simple as discussions in meetings to something as formal as votes.

This lecture will discuss the different types of inspection and the outputs that may occur when they are implemented.

• Primary Tool
• Project Quality Assessment
• Issue Log
• Insufficient Acceptance

One of the outputs of scope validation is the Change Request. In some instances, deliverables may not be acceptable because they don't meet all of the indicated requirements, and a change to the deliverable is required. In other instances, change may be requested because of new information or for the purpose of improving the deliverable.

This lecture will discuss the aspects of a Change Request, and describe the steps to accomplishing a change within a project.

Topics Covered Include:

• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Template Identified
• Modifying Documents

This lecture will discuss the overall topics of the first portion of the section and how they pertain to Project Management.

• Overview

The primary purpose of project scope control is to influence factors that create changes to project scope and to control the impact of those changes if and when they occur. Control of scope changes is managed through the project Integrated Change Control process. To facilitate this, a project scope Change Control System provides the procedures by which the project scope and product scope may be changed.

This lecture will discuss what Project Scope Control means and how it is integrated into a project.

• Influencing Factors
• Variance Analysis
• Variance Analysis Performance

The critical path of a project refers to a sequence of work packages and the order in which scheduled activities are executed within the project. A project's critical path is always known to be the longest path made up by work packages with the longest durations identified within the project schedule.

This lecture will discuss the need for a critical path in a project, as well as what it does to help a project run smoothly.

Topics Covered Include:

• Duration Analysis
• Forward Pass
• Backward Pass
• Event Issues
• Six Phase Project

Using the Control Scope process, a project manager can gain the proper oversight on the project to respond to both foreseen and unforeseen changes.

This lecture will discuss the different types of inputs used in Scope Control and what they each offer the project progression.

• Control Scope Process
• Control Scope Inputs

The tool employed during the Control Scope process is called Variance Analysis. In Scope Control there is a project baseline and its importance for having a start time for a deliverable or activity that can be used for productivity measurement and evaluation. By having this baseline in place, the project manager and team can perform analysis and determine whether or not a project is meeting its objective.

This lecture will discuss what Variance Analysis means and how it will benefit the progression of a project.

• Variance Analysis
• Visualizing Productivity
• Cause-and-Effect

Outputs from the Scope process help deliver metrics that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of project activities. Here, the project team can deliver information that illustrates the productivity of the project. The benefits of Control Scope outputs are insight to the project performance, updates to organizational assets and the ability to drive and manage change into and through the project.

This lecture will discuss each type of control scope outputs, and their benefits in the progression of a project.

• Scope Process Outputs
• Control Scope Outputs

This lecture will discuss the overall topics of this section and how they pertain to Project Management.

• Overview

This lecture takes you through some of the key points covered, and review items. After this section is complete the student can take the Final Exam: Monitoring and Controlling Project Scope.

“Time is money.” This phrase is particularly true with projects as time is considered to be a constraint that projects are measured by. The word “constraint” is one that is often used by project managers to emphasize and manage limitations within a project.

This lecture will discuss the need for well planned out time management, and the repercussions of poorly managed time within a project.

• Manage Time Constraints
• Iron Triangle
• Six Processes

Activities are components of a work packages to be managed via Project Time Management processes. Work packages can contain one or many activities that are similar in nature and deliver a specific and tangible result. Defining activities is an important process because the information is used to determine the appropriate activities relevant to the work package.

This lecture will discuss the importance of defining an activity and how they are carried out within a project.

• Work Package

Define Activities pertains to all the necessary actions to be performed to generate work package deliverables. Work packages are to be decomposed into activities. Activities can deliver a baseline that the project manager can use for estimating, providing schedules, executing project deliverables, and monitoring project work.

This lecture will discuss the different ways to form activities and the reasons behind dividing up activities within a project.

Topics Covered Include:

• Define Activities
• Environmental Factors
• Organizational Assets

Using the scope baseline, the project team applies activity tools to ensure that the in-scope requirements are defined at an activity level. By drilling down to individual activities, project constraints can be determined.

This lecture will discuss the way that activities are divided into bundles with activity defining tools.

• Define Activities Tools
• Rolling Wave Planning
• Project Templates
• Expert Judgement

The outputs of defining activities will serve as inputs to sequencing and estimating processes.

This lecture will discuss the outputs within define activities and how they are used within a project.

• Activity List
• Activity Attributes
• Project Milestone Listings
• Examples

As the project team reflects on the project Work Breakdown Structure to determine activities from work packages, it is important to realize that development and delivery of those activities can require a certain sequence of events. In most cases, the sequences are logical.

This lecture will discuss the process of development and the procedure for delivery, as well as how they assist the progression of a project.

• Sequencing Activity Benefit
• Examples

Sequence Activities identifies and documents the relationship between work packages. All activities have connections to either predecessors or successors, with the exception of the first and last milestones. Typical activity sequences are performed systemically within the project management information system.

This lecture will discuss the different activities used in sequencing and their partnership with a project.

• Sequence Activity Relationships
• Sequence Activity Inputs
• Examples

This lecture will discuss the tools used to sequence activities within a project.

• Precedence Diagram
• Four Dependencies

All projects contain activities that have dependencies. In some instances, work cannot start until previous activities are completed. It is essential for the project manager and team to identify the flow of activities and ensure that dependencies are fully vetted along with time constraints that may apply.

This lecture will discuss the different dependencies within an activity, and how they affect the progression of a project.

Topics Covered Include:

• Dependency Examples

In some instances, the project team may require lead or lag time in support of a dependency relationship. Lead time and lag time equate to work packages where activities may be able to finish prior to the time-bound constraints allocated to the work package.

This lecture will discuss the leads and lags within a project and how they affect the progression of a project.

• Requirements
• Lead Time
• Lag Time
• Considerations

Standardized network diagram templates may be used for consistency of approach and the process of preparing project activities. Templates can be holistic or divided into a sub-network or fragment network. Sub-networks are very useful for managing deliverables that are similar in nature.

This lecture will discuss the different types of scheduling network templates and how they are used to assist the progression of a project.

• Network Design Templates
• Examples

Network diagrams and updated project documents are the standard outputs of the Sequence Activities process. These updates provide visualization of project activities in support of the project's critical path.

This lecture will discuss the outputs of sequencing activities and their importance to a project.

• Sequence Activities Processes

This lecture will ask sample questions.

This lecture takes you through some of the key points covered, and review items. After this section is complete the student can take the Final Exam: Defining and Controlling Project Scope.