| Course Name | Content |
| 120VC Project Lifecycle Overview | Purpose, project management deliverables, and activities in each project phase
Daily, weekly, and monthly project management activities and their purpose |
| Communication Protocols & Paradigms | The first rule of project management communication
Communicating solutions, not obstacles
Managing by the rules, not the exception
Managing expectations effectively
How to present status
Overcoming obstacles through education
No copying without prior notice
Using distribution lists effectively
Communicating with executives: Scheduled or Defined communications, FYIs, and Escalations
Communicating with the project team and using the “5 by 5 in 24”
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| Managing Meetings | Scheduled and impromptu meetings
Preparing effective agendas
Effective scheduling
Conducting meetings and capturing meeting discussions
Gathering agreements, issues, and task assignments that emerge in meetings and disseminating them in minutes
Transferring issues and task assignments to the Task Log
The "Single Meeting Approach"
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| Managing Unplanned Work & Issues | Understanding unplanned work and issues
Using the 120VC Task Log tool to effectively manage unplanned work and issues
Entering, reviewing, and updating tasks and issues
Determining an issue’s Critical Path Impact (CPI) Date and priority
Assessing task and issue health
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| Using the 120VC Key Deliverable Status Tool | Purpose and value of the 120VC KDS tool
Importance of proper WBS structure and adherence to effective KDS maintenance
Completing Day One activities
Establishing the KDS for Planning and Kick-off
Using the KDS to manage customers, communicate, and report on status during Planning
Using the KDS as the Work Plan during Planning
Making the health of tasks and key deliverables objective, meaningful, and productive
Establishing the KDS for Manage/Control and Closure
Using the KDS to secure Work Plan approval
Using the KDS as the project baseline and executive status reporting tool |
| Managing the Project Budget - Part 1 | Setting up the project QuickBooks and Budget Reports files
Using QuickBooks to track, forecast, and report on project expenditures, invoices, and payments
Using the 120VC Baseline Budget Report to track, forecast, and report on project expenditures relative to budget
Using the 120VC Labor Tracking Report to track, forecast, and report on project labor expenditures |
| Managing the Project Budget - Part 2 | Weekly evaluation of the project budget and management of budgetary risks
Preparing Weekly Budget Reports
Performing monthly budget housekeeping
Establishing and managing the project's Baseline Budget |
| Assessing & Communicating Status, Health, & Priorities | Weekly communication of project status and health to executive stakeholders
Weekly communication of current work priorities and health to project participants
Updating and reconciling the Work Plan with the KDS and identifying current and next period work
Reporting on project issues, planned work, and unplanned work
Determining a project’s planned completion percentage
Determining project health
Summarizing project status
Closing completed tasks on the Task Log
Updating health and completion status on the KDS
Publishing the Weekly Status Report
Interim status reporting
Importance and use of Daily Status Reports |
| Defining the Project | Importance of the Charter as the foundation for the development of the other planning phase deliverables (Work Plan, Roles Matrix, and Communication Plan)
Achieving consensus among the Project Owner(s) and executive stakeholders on the project goal, objectives, scope, and stakeholders
Interviewing stakeholders and likely contributors to gather project requirements
Defining an effective project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in the Charter
Correlation between the objectives and scope items in the Charter and the tracks and key deliverables in the Work Plan and its importance
Articulating the project goal, objectives, and benefits
Detailing project scope, addressing assumptions, listing constraints,and identifying risks and mitigation measures
Preparing the draft Work Plan
Obtaining approvals and acceptances
Maintaining the Charter throughout the Project |
| Planning the Project | Planning the project based on the project requirements established in the Charter
Gathering the project details required to translate the project as defined in the Charter into an actionable plan in the Work Plan, Roles Matrix, and Communication Plan
Using 120VCs Work Plan rules and 3 steps to develop a high quality, manageable, and justifiable Work Plan
Importance of the Project Manager’s conceptual understanding of all project tasks and their interrelationships to the development of a meaningful Work Plan and the management of the project
Using the Roles Matrix to identify the roles, responsibilities, and skill sets needed and to assign planned work and obtain commitments
Using the Communication Plan to define and explain the communication types that will be used
Obtaining approvals and acceptances and kicking off project work
Maintaining and using the Work Plan, Roles Matrix, and Communication Plan from Kick-off through Closure
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| Determining & Managing Project Risk | Determining what qualifies as a project risk
Determining an issue’s Critical Path Impact (CPI) Date and when it becomes a risk
Purpose and value of the Risk Assessment timetable
Notifying the Account Manager, Auditor, and Project Owner(s)
Determining risk mitigation options, constraints, and assumptions
Preparing the 120VC Risk Assessment
Obtaining approval and direction from the Project Owner(s)
Planning and managing the risk per Project Owner direction
Managing the project team through the determined course of action |
| Managing Project Changes | Using the 120VC Project Change Request (PCR) to obtain approval and acceptance of changes to a project
Purpose and value of the PCR timetable
Planning the implementation of a change
Assessing the impact to the project’s scope, schedule, and cost
Preparing the PCR
Preparing the Change Work Plan, Change Baseline Budget, and Change KDS
Obtaining approvals and conducting the Change Review Meeting
Rebaselining the project schedule and budget
Managing the project based on the PCR and change documents
Establishing Roles Matrix and Communication Plan Addenda |
| Closing the Project | Importance of formally closing a project and the steps required to do so
Preparing the Closure Document
Determining disposition of outstanding tasks or additional steps with the Project Owner(s)
Preparing the Final Budget Report
Preparing the Final Status Report
Conducting the Turnover meeting
Finalizing, distributing, and archiving project documentation |