Project Management Course: Master Project Initiation [5 PDU]

About Project Management Course: Master Project Initiation [5 PDU]

Project management, as with everything else, starts at the beginning. There is no better way to ensure successful project management and success as a project, manager and that is to master the art of initiating the project the right way. Would you start a 100m race facing backwards and still hold on to the idea that you stand a chance to beat your competition? Of course not! Neither will you start a vacation trip travelling east if you know your destination is west. So why does it happen so often that projects are commenced without due consideration of the intended final destination? Sure, you can

_initiate a project_

in any way you wish and realign it during planning and execution, but that goes against the grain of project management philosophy, which in essence circles around the idea of

_optimization_

of

_project effort_

.

_Initiating_

the project the

_right way_

, will not only

_simplify the project planning process_

, but it will also play a major role in early project effort efficiency and correct team orientation, which will ultimately add to the chances of

_avoiding_

any

_unnecessary_

project

_blunders_

. In this course you will learn

everything

you need to know about the project

initiating

process group. Furthermore you will also gain a working understanding of the very important work that happens before a project can be initiated.

Understanding pre-project

work makes a big difference in your ability to

start your project on the right foot.

The knowledge you will gain in this course regarding project initiation and how to ensure you

start the project the right way

will prove to be

invaluable

. The techniques thought in this course will not only help you to effectively initiate your projects, but it will also ensure that you

facilitate stakeholder alignment

before project planning even starts, giving you a great head start and ensuring that you

eliminate

or at the very least

limit

the effect of two of the largest contributors to project failure namely

lack of stakeholder engagement

and

misalignment of stakeholder expectations.

This course was designed to arm you with the essential knowledge you require to lay the foundation upon which the remainder of your project will be built. The course covers all of the essentials of

_pre-project work_

or project conception, which is the work done at a program or portfolio level that aims to ensure the

_viability_

and

_practicality_

of the project before it is even initiated. The

_stakeholder engagement techniques_

taught as part of the needs definition process will prove to be one of the most useful skills you can have as a project manager. The course then goes on to teach you what initiation is all about and how to compile a

_project_

_charter_

containing all the

_precursor_

_information_

you will need to

_effectively_

_plan_

the project later on. Particular attention is given to the compilation of the initial scope that forms part of the charter and the techniques taught here will set the pace for the rest of the project. The course also covers

_stakeholder identification_

and

_analysis_

in detail. The last topic of the course is that of the project

_kick-off meeting_

, what its purpose is and how you can use it to get project team buy in. Building a house on the wrong foundation will ultimately cause a countless problems later on and the same holds true for project management. This course will arm you with the knowledge you need to lay a strong foundation, ensuring you eliminate a lot of the problems that may have presented itself in the future had you not done so. The course design caters for those who already have the foundational knowledge of project management and are familiar with the PMI project management methodology. Beginners are however welcome to take it up as well as the course is structured to add value to

all project management professionals

. Newcomers to project management will find this knowledge very beneficial, as it will enable them to start projects the way they are supposed to be started, greatly reducing the chances of issues popping up in later project phases.