Project Management: A Practical Approach

Project Management: A Practical Approach

November 10-11, 2020 | Online ::

This is an Online Course. In light of recent developments with COVID-19, for the health and safety of our speakers and attendees, we have decided to move many of our events to Online Courses.

“Very professional and well-organized delivery during a difficult time. Definitely felt as a part of a group even though we were unable to participate in person.” – Manager, Knoxville Utilities Board

Whether you are a project manager by title or you were just given the responsibility of managing a project from beginning to end, this course will provide the knowledge and skills to help you be successful in that role. The course will cover a typical project management lifecycle from initiation to planning, to execution and control, and closing. It provides a general understanding of key processes in each of these stages as they may be utilized in managing projects in any industry, while offering examples that demonstrate their application in managing projects in the energy/utility space.

This course will enable you to achieve consistent success in your projects by covering both the art and science of project management. There will be a discussion of tools and techniques but also how to make sure you understand what success looks like in your stakeholder’s eyes and how to lead the team to turn that vision into reality.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe what a project is and how it is different than operational work
  • Review the triple constraints
  • Develop a project charter
  • Organize project work using work break-down structures
  • Create a project schedule
  • Identify and manage critical paths
  • Discuss the pitfalls of not having the right level of rigor or proper scheduling tools
  • Address top down vs. bottom-up planning approaches
  • Create a project cost estimate and define proper levels of cost breakdown and tracking
  • Review components of a communication plan, how to formulate key messages, how to choose appropriate communication methods and how to ensure proper execution of your plan
  • Identify key stakeholders and their interest in the project
  • Utilize stakeholder analysis to manage expectations, resolve conflicts and gain stakeholder support for success of your project
  • Identify, analyze and manage project risks
  • Describe different types of risk response and when to use each
  • Review the monitoring and control processes
  • Establish proper tracking and status reporting
  • Discuss the close out process and activities that take place in that phase

Credits

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EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.4 CEUs for this event.

 

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

You must be logged in for the entire presentation and send in the evaluation after the online course is completed.

Instructional Methods

Case Studies and Powerpoints will be used for all learning outcomes

Agenda

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Login

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. :: Course Timing

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. :: Lunch Break

What is a Project and Why Should You Care?

  • What is a project and what is not
  • Typical project lifecycle
  • Who is who and what are their responsibilities

Defining and Initiating a Project

  • Defining objectives
  • Identifying triple constraints
  • Chartering and initiating

Group Activity (formulating objectives, defining success)

Planning the Triple Constraints (Time, Cost, Scope)

  • Scope definition, development of the work break-down structure
  • Schedule development, identification of the critical path
  • Cost estimation

Group Activity (Defining scope and building a WBS)

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Login

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. :: Course Timing

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. :: Lunch Break

Managing Stakeholders and Communications

  • Identifying and analyzing stakeholders
  • Developing a stakeholder management and communication plan

Group Activity (Identifying stakeholders and developing strategies to manage them)

Managing Risks

  • Identifying and analyzing risks
  • Developing a risk management plan

Group Activity (Building a Risk Management Plan)

Executing the Plans and Staying On Track

  • On-going monitoring and control
  • Tracking and status reporting
  • Change management

Group Activity (Taking corrective action)

Closing a Project

  • Releasing resources
  • Closing financials
  • Getting final sign-offs
  • Capturing lessons learned

Course Concludes

Instructor

Hengameh Pourfakhr, MBA, PgMP, Program Manager, Southern Company

Hengameh Pourfakhr has over 20 years of project and program management experience in the Energy Utility industry, specializing in large, complex, high profile projects and programs. She is currently a program manager at Southern Company, the second largest gas and electric utility company in the U.S., working on divestiture of an operating company affiliate and several generating plants. Her list of past projects includes a multimillion dollar undertaking to upgrade telecom and networking infrastructure at transmission substations across the Southern Company’s territory and a multi-year program to implement Cisco- based VOIP technology at over 600 locations, including power plants, local offices, and operating headquarters across 5 states. She has also led cyber security, insider threat, and information protection programs. Most recently, she managed a project to launch an energy innovation center to bring innovative products and services to customers and led a crowd source ideation project to improve employee safety. She also has experience in start-up of a project office and has a wealth of knowledge in best practices for establishing a project management center of excellence. Hengameh holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from State University of New York at Stony Brook and an MBA from Georgia State University. She is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and has earned her Program Management Certification from PMI.

Online Delivery

Our courses are designed to be the best possible use of your valuable time – get the information you need to improve your position in the market in an interactive, dynamic format.

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

  • You will receive a meeting invitation will include a link to join the meeting.
  • Separate meeting invitations will be sent for the morning and afternoon sessions of the course.
    • You will need to join the appropriate meeting at the appropriate time. 
  • If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
  • The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Register

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Project Management: A Practical Approach

November 10-11, 2020 | Online
Individual attendee(s) - $ 1295.00 each

Buy 4 in-person seats and only pay for 3! For this event every fourth in-person attendee is free!

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before October 09, 2020 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800