Project Management for Power Generation Professionals

January 20-21, 2021

AGENDA

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 – Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Login and Welcome  

9:00 am – 4:30 pm :: Course Timing

12:30 – 1:15 pm :: Lunch Break

Introduction to PM  

• Project management vs. program management—what is the difference?
• What are the initial obstacles faced in managing projects?
• Characteristics of projects
• Why do projects fail?
• Unique situations in the power generation industry: Corporate planning vs. plant execution
• Five process groups, ten knowledge areas, and the project lifecycle
• Project influences
• Case study
• Tabletop discussion

Scope and Initiation  

• The mission statement and SMART objectives
• Case study: Changing project requirements
• Determining project requirements and scope
• Defining scope with the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)
• Critical success factors, assumptions, and constraints
• Team exercise: Determine project stakeholders, requirements, and building a WBS

Project Schedule 

• Activity definition, sequencing, and task durations
• Schedule definitions
• Building a simple project network
• Finding the project’s critical path
• Using the PERT method to estimate task duration
• Team exercise: Using the WBS to build a network, determine critical path, and find float time

Thursday, January 21, 2021 : Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Login and Welcome  

9:00 am – 4:30 pm :: Course Timing

12:30 – 1:15 pm :: Lunch Break

Project Costs 

• Using the WBS to develop a cost estimate
• Capital expense vs. operating expense
• Use of proformas, overheads, and direct costs
• Types of estimating for budget development
• Disaster recovery, controlling scope, sunk costs, and contingency costs
• How do we prevent scope growth?
• Tabletop discussion: Budget development and control, impact on utility rates

Managing Project Risks  

• What is a project risk?
• Components of risk: Probability, impact, and expected monetary value
• Case study: A project fraught with risks
• How to perform a risk review
• Incorporating risk contingencies into the project budget
• Developing risk mitigation strategies
• Team exercise: Perform a risk review on your team project

Project Communications 

• Corporate organizational structures and why communications are critical
• Identifying stakeholders and forging relationships
• Tabletop discussion: What makes a team successful?
• Types of conflict and conflict resolution strategies
• Barriers to communication
• Useful communication tools
• Stakeholder management
• Team exercise: Develop a stakeholder ID Chart

Project Quality  

• Definition of quality
• QA vs. QC
• Quality planning tools
• Group exercise: Develop a process flow chart
• Quality management and quality of the final deliverable
• Quality discussion questions

Closing the Project 

• How do we know when we are finished?
• Types of project closure
• Key issues during the closing phase
• Project closing process
• Project evaluation, lessons learned, and final report

INSTRUCTOR

David Tennant, Windward Consulting Group LLC

David Tennant has successfully directed over $3.5 Billion in projects, programs, and resources. With degrees in engineering and business (MBA), he has a unique perspective on projects in the utility industry having spent over 30 years in this sector. His experience includes engineering, operations, marketing, board leadership, consulting, training, and numerous executive roles.

Mr. Tennant has had projects worldwide and published over 35 articles on technical and managerial topics. His utility expertise includes IOUs, EMCs, and municipal governments including nuclear, fossil, biomass, and alternative energy power generation. He is a registered professional engineer and certified project manager (PMP).

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.