Project Management for ABSOLUTE Beginners

Define the project manager and explain what a project is, building the absolute basics; explore the project manager's role and outline the typical project phases.

Discover the role of a project manager, from planning and organizing resources to leading teams, managing risk, and closing projects within constraints.

Define a project and map its lifecycle through initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Learn why a structured lifecycle boosts predictability, efficiency, quality, stakeholder satisfaction, and risk management.

Explore project goals and objectives, define scope, deliverables, and constraints, and identify stakeholders and roles to build a comprehensive foundation in project management.

Learn how to define and translate project goals into smart, measurable objectives, align with strategy, and communicate them to stakeholders using real road project and contractor examples.

Identify and engage project stakeholders early, map their power and interest, and manage internal and external roles to align interests and boost project success.

Prepare and map the full planning process for a project by creating a project plan, allocating resources, building a project schedule, and budgeting.

Define the project scope and objectives, then create a plan with deliverables, schedule, budget, and resources. Use iterative risk, quality, and communications planning, illustrated by the Greenway road case study.

Master scheduling as a science that plans, sequences, and visualizes project tasks using work breakdown structures, dependencies, Gantt charts, critical path method, and PERT.

Strategically allocate human, materials, financial, and technological resources to meet project objectives with a three-step process: identify and estimate, assign and schedule, monitor and control, guided by work breakdown structure.

After planning, implement the project and monitor progress to compare the plan with actual results and manage risks from uncertain events.

Learn to move from planning to action by directing project work, monitoring progress, updating schedules and budgets, managing change, and keeping stakeholders informed to deliver on time within budget.

Track progress to gain lead indicators, identify deviations early, and use KPIs with earned value management to assess scope, schedule, and budget.

Learn how risk management addresses project uncertainty by identifying, analyzing, planning responses, and monitoring risks and opportunities. See how archaeology findings and weather risks illustrate proactive planning and contingency budgeting.

Master essential project management communication skills to plan, execute, monitor, and control work, using clear scheduling with Gantt charts and strategies to handle conflict for positive outcomes.

Explore how effective communication drives project success by coordinating teams, sharing plans, and receiving updates. Apply tools, mediums, and best practices to plan, tailor, and document stakeholder and team communications.

Turn conflict into project value by distinguishing constructive from destructive conflict and applying open communication, active listening, and mediation to improve decisions.

Conclude your project by finishing tasks, handing it over to the client, and dotting all i's and crossing all t's to complete the project.

Close a project by fully completing scope, securing stakeholder acceptance, and handing over deliverables, then capture lessons learned to improve future projects and release resources.

Learn how to define a project, plan scope, budget, and schedule, allocate resources, and execute, monitor, and close with stakeholder communication for successful, unique outcomes.