UP! My Projects!

Project Management Series

Do you have several people in your organization that need to learn / improve project management skills? I can help. Contact below to discuss pricing and options.

Title: Start Right!

Duration: 6 hours

Objective: This workshop aims to provide participants with a fundamental understanding of project management concepts, terminology, roles, and the key stages of project initiation. Participants will gain practical knowledge to help them initiate and plan projects effectively.

Topics:

Session 1: Project Management Overview

• Introduction to Project Management

• Importance of Project Management

• Key Project Management Concepts

• Benefits and Challenges of Effective Project Management

Session 2: Project Management Terminology

• Defining Project Management Terminology

• Commonly Used Project Management Terms and Phrases

• How Terminology Facilitates Communication and Understanding

• Practical Examples

Session 3: Project Management Roles

• Identifying Key Project Management Roles

• Responsibilities of Project Managers, Stakeholders, and Team Members

• Collaborative Roles in Successful Project Execution

• Role Play and Scenario Discussion

Session 4: Vision and Objectives

• Understanding the Project Vision

• Setting Clear Project Objectives

• SMART Criteria for Objectives

• Aligning Objectives with Stakeholder Expectations

Session 5: Project Initiation & Phases

• The Importance of Project Initiation

• Steps in the Project Initiation Phase

• Project Charter and Its Contents

• Identifying and Managing Stakeholders

Session 6: Deliverables

• What Are Project Deliverables?

• Distinguishing Between Deliverables and Milestones

• Creating a Deliverables List

• Linking Deliverables to Project Objectives

Session 8: Q&A and Recap

• Open Floor for Participant Questions

• Recap of Key Workshop Takeaways

• Providing Additional Resources for Further Learning

Session 9: Conclusion and Action Planning

• Summarizing the Workshop

• Encouraging Participants to Apply What They've Learned

• Setting Personal Action Plans for Project Management Improvement

Session 10: Evaluation and Feedback (15 minutes)

• Collecting Participant Feedback

• Assessing the Workshop's Effectiveness

• Discussing Future Learning Opportunities

Title: Run Right!

Duration: 6 hours

Objective: This workshop is designed to equip participants with essential project management skills and tools to successfully plan and execute projects. Participants will gain insights into scope determination, risk assessment, documentation, team selection, and project monitoring and control.

Topics:

Session 1: Determining Scope

• Defining Project Scope

• Importance of Scope Definition

• Scope Creep and Its Impact

• Tools and Techniques for Scope Determination

Session 2: Assessing Risk

• Understanding Project Risk

• Risk Identification, Analysis, and Mitigation

• Developing a Risk Management Plan

• Real-world Examples of Risk Management

Session 3: Essential PM Documents

• Key Project Management Documents

• Project Charter, Project Plan, and Statement of Work (SOW)

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Documenting Project Assumptions and Constraints

Session 4: Requirements Gathering

• Importance of Requirements

• Stakeholder Identification and Analysis

• Gathering and Documenting Requirements

• Validating and Managing Requirements Changes

Session 5: Communication Plan

• Developing a Project Communication Plan

• Stakeholder Communication Needs

• Effective Communication Channels

• Case Studies on Successful Project Communication

Session 6: Project Methodology

• Understanding Project Methodologies

• Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid Approaches

• Selecting the Right Methodology for Your Project

• Tailoring Methodologies to Fit Project Needs

Session 7: Selecting a Team

• Building a Project Team

• Team Member Selection Criteria

• Creating Cross-functional and Diverse Teams

• Balancing Team Skills and Roles

Session 8: Assigning Roles

Defining Project Roles and Responsibilities

• RACI Matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)

• Role Clarity and Conflict Resolution

• Role Play and Scenarios

Session 9: Monitoring & Controlling

• The Importance of Monitoring and Control

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Project Tracking and Reporting

• Change Control and Issue Management

Session 10: Q&A and Recap

• Open Floor for Participant Questions

• Recap of Key Workshop Takeaways

• Providing Additional Resources for Further Learning

Session 11: Conclusion and Action Planning

• Summarizing the Workshop

• Encouraging Participants to Apply What They've Learned

• Setting Personal Action Plans for Project Management Improvement

Session 12: Evaluation and Feedback

• Collecting Participant Feedback

• Assessing the Workshop's Effectiveness

• Discussing Future Learning Opportunities

Title: End Right!

Duration: 6 hours

Objective: This workshop aims to provide participants with practical knowledge and tools to effectively manage projects. Participants will learn about project management software, time and budget estimation, work breakdown structure, team meetings, scope management, change control, quality assurance, project closing, and useful project management checklists.

Topics:

Session 1: Introduction to Project Management Software

• Overview of Project Management Software

• Benefits and Features

• Popular PM Software Tools

• Choosing the Right Software for Your Project

Session 2: Estimating Time & Budgets

• Importance of Accurate Time and Budget Estimations

• Techniques for Estimating Time and Costs

• Creating a Project Budget

• Managing Cost Overruns

Session 3: Work Breakdown Structure

• Understanding the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Developing a WBS

• Benefits of a Well-Structured WBS

• Practical WBS Exercise

Session 4: Running Effective Project Team Meetings

• The Role of Meetings in Project Management

• Planning and Conducting Productive Team Meetings

• Managing Virtual Team Meetings

• Team Meeting Best Practices

Session 5: Dealing with Scope Creep

• Identifying Scope Creep

• Preventing Scope Creep

• Managing Changes and Scope Expansion

• Real-life Scope Creep Scenarios

Session 6: Adjusting to Changes

• Change Management in Projects

• Change Control Process

• Evaluating Change Requests

• Impact Analysis and Decision-Making

Session 7: Ensuring Deliverables Meet Requirements

• Quality Assurance in Project Management

• Defining and Measuring Quality

• Quality Assurance Best Practices

• Deliverable Inspection and Validation

Session 8: Project Closing

• The Closing Phase in Project Management

• Project Closure Activities

• Conducting a Lessons Learned Session

• Formalizing Project Closure

Session 9: Project Management Checklist

• Developing a Comprehensive PM Checklist

• Key Items to Include in a PM Checklist

• How a PM Checklist Streamlines Project Execution

• Creating Your Custom PM Checklist

Session 10: Q&A and Recap

• Open Floor for Participant Questions

• Recap of Key Workshop Takeaways

• Providing Additional Resources for Further Learning

Session 11: Conclusion and Action Planning

• Summarizing the Workshop

• Encouraging Participants to Apply What They've Learned

• Setting Personal Action Plans for Project Management Improvement

Session 12: Evaluation and Feedback

• Collecting Participant Feedback

• Assessing the Workshop's Effectiveness

• Discussing Future Learning Opportunities

Contact for Group Pricing

Your Instructor

James Jeffley has over 30 years of successful project management experience in retail, technology, entertainment, and education spaces, and has taught project management classes to leaders at organizations such as SONY, Robert Half, VA Medical Center, Monster, Inc., Gap Inc., Hewlett Packard, BART, San Mateo County and others.

He makes learning fun, includes real-world examples, answers questions, and meets students where they are.

James Jeffley

Project Management Instructor

"Instructor was really knowledgeable in the material and conveyed it in his curriculum. Class was fun and loved how he included everyone in the conversations. There was never a silent moment in the class. LOVED IT! - Tina, AC Transit

Testimonials

"James was great! Never a dull moment. - Raghul, Salesforce

"Thank you! This course was incredibly useful and engaging. I really appreciated this course content and James teaching style. I learned the steps needed to execute a successful project, how to use the project management triangle, and how to be a project manager for stakeholders based on whether they are drivers/analyticals/amiables/expressives." - Kate, Mills College

"Thank you for a very valuable and engaging training! 1. Instructor used participants' real examples to illustrate points so I could better understand real world examples of project management principles. 2. Templates very helpful. 3. Self-assessment of PM skills was also helpful." - Joyce, City/County SF.

"The facilitators style was welcoming and effective. I learned how to create an effective communication style like saying "no," risk assessing and creating a timeline." - Hernan, SF Public Library

"James is a great instructor, enthusiastic and engaging. This course provided a great starting point for me (my goal is to strengthen my project management skills as an informal PM on my team). - Nancy, Exelixis