Non-Engineering Project Management

DAY 1: Introduction to Project Management

1. Understanding what constitutes a project.
2. Key characteristics that define a project.
3. The significance of project management in meeting organisational objectives.
4. Overview of essential terms such as scope, deliverables, stakeholders, and project lifecycle.
5. Discussion of project constraints, including time, cost, and quality.

DAY 2: Project Initiation

1. Techniques for effectively defining project objectives, goals, and criteria for success.
2. Identifying project limitations and assumptions.
3. Approaches for recognizing internal and external stakeholders.
4. Analysing the interests and expectations of stakeholders.
5. Creating a communication plan for stakeholders.

DAY 3: Project Planning

1. Developing a comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to decompose project tasks into manageable segments.
2. Structuring work packages and subtasks.
3. Introduction to Gantt charts and critical path analysis.
4. Setting project milestones and understanding dependencies.
5. Assigning resources, managing conflicts, and optimizing resource utilization.

DAY 4: Risk Management

1. Methods for identifying potential risks and opportunities.
2. Qualitative approaches to risk assessment.
3. Quantitative techniques for evaluating risks.
4. Formulating a risk response strategy for identified risks.
5. Monitoring and managing risks throughout the project lifecycle.

DAY 5: Communication and Collaboration

1. Techniques for effective and clear communication within project teams.
2. Tackling communication obstacles.
3. Recognising cultural differences.
4. Introduction to collaboration tools and software for remote teams.
5. Conducting productive meetings and discussions.

DAY 6: Project Monitoring and Control

1. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics for the project.
2. Tracking project progress through consistent status updates.
3. Identifying discrepancies from the initial project plan.
4. Implementing corrective measures.
5. Managing change processes.

DAY 7: Adapting Methodologies

1. Utilising Agile principles in non-technical projects.
2. Applying Scrum techniques, including sprints, retrospectives, and managing the product backlog.
3. Understanding the traditional Waterfall approach to project management.
4. Investigating hybrid project management strategies.
5. Merging elements of Waterfall and Agile methodologies.

DAY 8: Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

1. Approaches for recognising, categorising, and addressing project challenges.
2. Conducting root cause analysis and utilising problem-solving frameworks.
3. Leveraging data and KPIs to guide project decisions.
4. Making informed decisions based on quantitative analysis.
5. Making informed decisions based on qualitative analysis.

DAY 9: Stakeholder Engagement

1. Mapping stakeholder influence and interest using a stakeholder matrix.
2. Strategies for aligning stakeholder expectations.
3. Tactics for resolving stakeholder conflicts.
4. Techniques for effective communication and engagement with stakeholders.
5. Cultivating trust and rapport with essential project stakeholders.

DAY 10: Project Execution and Closure

1. Overseeing project teams and resources during the execution phase.
2. Tracking progress against the project timeline and objectives.
3. Conducting closure activities, including documenting lessons learned.
4. Delivering final outputs to stakeholders.
5. Ensuring acceptance of the project deliverables.