Master Classes in Project Management

• Alexander Pavlov’s Master Class «Project management in a company»
  
  
  The master class delivered by PM Expert’s Managing Partner and Curator of Training Practice Alexander Pavlov is based on the agenda of the course entitled “Company Project Management Based on ANSI PMI PMBOK® 4th Edition (2008),” which describes major project management concepts and processes in a systemic manner. Along with theoretical material, which covers the contents and structure of project management processes, process groups, knowledge areas, and general methodology, the master class contains a large number of practical examples based on the trainer’s experience in managing actual projects. As a result of completing practical assignments the participants will acquire the skills of building the scope statement, work breakdown structure, project schedule, as well as carrying out project cost analysis, identifying and managing risks, managing project communications, etc.
  
  
• Alexander Pavlov’s Master Class «Practical Techniques for Effective Project Risk, Change, and Team Management»
  
  
  The master class delivered by PM Expert’s Managing Partner and Curator of Training Practice Alexander Pavlov covers various aspects of developing three key competencies of a project manager – project risk, change, and team management – based on the provisions of PMI PMBOK® 4th Edition (2008). The said competencies prove most valuable fr om a practical point of view and their high level allows implementing projects more effectively. The course material is aimed at developing specific practical skills and is presented fr om a project manager’s position, the work of all the project team members being described as well. The topic of team management is revealed through a prism of a project manager’s leadership, which is especially useful for people in leadership positions.

Essentials of Project Management

• “Company Project Management Based on PMI PMBOK® 4th Edition (2008). Basic Course”
  
  
  The course, which is delivered either in a daytime or evening training format (also see the basic distance learning course) is based on the world leading project management standard PMI PMBOK® 4th Edition (2008). The course is recommended both for beginners and experienced specialists involved in an organization’s project activities. Having completed the training you will obtain an integral systemic understanding of the processes underlying project activities and familiarize with the fundamental project management terminology and the principles of preparing project documents. The training reviews the composition and structure of processes, process groups, knowledge areas, and general project management methodology. The training contains a case study simulating an actual project, which allows developing the skills to apply PMI PMBOK® in practice and mastering the knowledge obtained during the course.
  
  
• Combined Course “Company Project Management Based on ANSI PMI PMBOK® 4th Edition (2008), Basic Course & Business Simulation “The Challenge of Egypt””
  
  The program of the combined course allows obtaining an integral systemic understanding of the processes underlying project activities and familiarize with the fundamental project management terminology and the principles of preparing project documents. In order to master the theory the participants of the course take part in a business simulation on the last day of the course, which allows practicing all the major provisions of PMI PMBOK® and recommendations received during the first days. The business simulation displays all the major project roles so that the participants can see and understand these roles’ functions. A well-conceived course structure makes it useful for a broad audience: top and mid-level managers, specialists involved in projects (including those involved on a part-time basis), and, of course, project managers.
• ”Project Management Based on ICB IPMA and NRC SOVNET”
  
  This three-days training opens a line of project management courses based on the standards that are different from ANSI PMI PMBOK ® GUIDE (2008) but fairly widespread in the world. One of these standards is the ICB IPMA standard and its national version «National requirements for project management specialists’ competence - NRC" of Russian Project Management Association SOVNET.

Expert’s tools

• “MindManager in project management”
  
  
  The course «MindManager in project management» consecutively describes steps for development, analysis and use of mind maps for personal, operational and project activities. The course trains the skill of mind mapping, either manually or using software products from MindJet MindManager family. During the course students will develop their own mind maps, master their potential and field of application, and also learn to use them in their project activities.
  
  
  
• “MS Project Professional 2010 and MS Project Server 2010 effective usage. Basic Course”
  
  
  The course is designed to provide attendees with basic skills of working in MS Project Professional 2010 and MS Project Server 2010 and is the first step for further training on these programs.
  
  
  
• “Analysis of the project, creation and setting accounts in Microsoft Project 2010”
  
  
  The course examines the problems of project data analysis using sorting, filters and groupings. Detailed attention is paid to custom fields’ design, which helps to extend information system capabilities, to take into account the specifics of the industry and of the particular tasks. Special attention is paid to formulas and graphical indicators, as these issues are not widely covered in the literature.
  
  
  
• “Resource Planning and Control (money, people, materials) in Microsoft Project 2010”
  
  
  The course is designed to expand resource planning and tracking knowledge, obtained at a basic PM Expert course “Fundamentals of Using Microsoft Project”. The training deals with the issues of workforce, material resources and costs planning, describes dependencies between tasks’ types and resource leveling options, takes up conflicts between tasks calendar and resources. Attention is also paid to setup procedure of automatic resource leveling and resource substitution procedure. Also the course covers specific features related to working with local and corporate resource pools, tracking project progress on labor costs, materials volume and financial costs, using of earned value indicators to assess the status of the project.
  
  
  
• “Corporate work in Microsoft Project 2010”
  
  
  The course is designed to provide attendees with basic skills of co-working in MS Project Professional 2010 and MS Project Server 2010.
  
  
  
• “Fundamentals of Using Microsoft Project 2007”
  
  
  During the course, sequential steps are discussed for developing a project schedule and controlling the project implementation using Microsoft Project 2007– the scheduling and project management system. The schedule development and control stages are described with references to the relevant project management processes as defined in PMI PMBOK®. During the course, the participants develop a project schedule for case studies on their own and go through planning, controlling, and closing stages as they manage projects in Microsoft Project 2007. Having completed the course, the participants will be able to develop and trace schedules for relatively simple projects, prepare and approve progress reports using Project Web Access as well as review and analyze the data for the drafted projects.
  
  
  
• “Scheduling in Microsoft Project 2007”
  
  
  The course is designed to master and expand the knowledge in scheduling, which is necessary for project managers and heads of business units and departments who work in MS Project either at a local or corporate level. Scheduling allows answering the most common questions that arise with regard to separate projects and portfolios: When will the project finish? When is the project to be launched in order to meet the deadlines? How will external constraints affect the project schedule? Which tasks can be delayed without damaging the project schedule? Scheduling skills are also important for planning material and labor resources and funding.
  
  
  
• “Resource and Financial Planning in Microsoft Project 2007”
  
  
  The course is designed to master and expand the knowledge in resource and financial planning. During the training the participants acquire practical skills to deal with various types of tasks, resources in terms of costs, conflicting task and resource schedules, and reports. Attention is also paid to specific features related to working with local and corporate resource pools as well as to setting up the resource leveling procedure. Practical examples are used to disclose the system’s capabilities to trace labor costs, financial costs, and materials. Having completed the course the participants will be able to schedule labor and material resources, perform financial planning, analyze and overcome resource overloads, use resource pools, and trace the execution of resource and financial plans.
  
  
  
• “Microsoft Project’s Analytical Capabilities”
  
  
  The course focuses on analytical capabilities built into Microsoft Project 2007 and Microsoft Project Server, which allow extracting answers to the arising issues fr om project data, customizing the system to the company’s specific features, and expanding the logics of the system’s operation. During the training, the participants acquire practical skills to work with the tools that are essential for the analysis: user fields, filters, and groupings. Much attention is paid to building user formulas and graphic indicators. These tools are necessary to optimize managing projects that involve a large number of tasks. The material described in the course allows customizing the project management environment to the specific features of the company’s operations and building elements in Microsoft Project 2007 that work with new logics. The course is necessary for project and portfolio managers, project administrators and managers who will work within a program at a local or corporate level, as well as administrators (IT specialists) who will service the software product.
  
  
  

Key Project Management Competencies

• Workshop “Tools and methods in project management”
  
  
  The workshop consists of six modules, in each of which a separate tool (method) of project management is considered and worked through for one academic hour. In each module, practical guidance on the tool (method) usage takes 15 minutes and 30 minutes are given for practical testing. Also the course provides a brief overview of the basics of project management. It is not necessary to have knowledge of a particular PM standard or methodology for successful mastering the course materials, only practical experience in project management and understanding of general pm concepts are required.
  
  
• “Practical Methods for Effective Risk Management in Projects and Programs”
  
  
  The course, which is delivered either in a daytime or evening format, is designed to develop managers’ and specialists’ competencies in risk management, risk analysis, and risk response planning. The course helps to get better knowledge of risk management solutions based on project and program management standards developed by Project Management Institute (PMI®) and learn to put them into practice. The training will result in your acquiring practical skills to identify project risks and knowledge of risk analysis tools and techniques as well as approaches to building a risk log and developing risk response plans. The course provides detailed discussion of techniques to organize risk monitoring and control. The training contains sample solutions, specific recommendations, and a significant number of practical assignments and exercises.
  
  
• “Project Schedule and Budget: Effective Planning, Management, and Control”
  
  
  The course is based on the provisions of PMI PMBOK® and allows familiarizing with the principles of project time and budget management, learning to prepare the necessary documents (reports, estimates, schedules, etc.), and mastering the modern approaches to assessing activity durations and costs. The knowledge received during the course will allow you to improve project management performance by using the skills of preparing a project schedule, defining and allocating the budget in accordance with the project schedule, and by applying the tools and techniques for controlling and synchronizing the project schedule and budget. The course contains sample solutions, specific recommendations, and a significant number of practical assignments and exercises.
  
  
• “Project HR and Communications Management”
  
  
  The course is designed to develop project manager’s competencies in managing the team and interacting with project stakeholders. Recommendations offered by PMI PMBOK® are supplemented during the course presentation by numerous methodologies that are used successfully on various projects. During the training you will be able to practice the skills of building effective project communications, familiarize with tools and techniques to formalize interactions, document communications and responsibilities in the project, and acquire the skills of building, motivating, and developing a project team.
  
• • Combined Course “Practical Methods for Effective Risk Management in Projects and Programs & Business Simulation “Ultimate Route.”
  
  
  The theoretical part of the course is based on PMI project and program management standards in the field of risk management. The practical part of the training’s first two days provides examples of solutions, specific recommendations and a significant number of cases and exercises. During the third training’s day the participants take part in a business simulation and manage a road construction project which allows mastering their risk management skills.
  

Managing Industry-specific and Specialized Projects

• “Managing an Organizational Change Project”
  
  
  The course is designed for top and mid-level managers and project managers that carry out organizational changes. During the course you will be able to acquire the skills of defining the boundaries, scope, and participants of organizational changes and learn the tactics and stages for implementing them as well as approaches to overcome resistance to change. The course contains a case study designed to acquire and develop the skills of using the tools and techniques for selecting the optimum way of change implementation and increasing transparency and controllability of organizational changes by means of using project techniques.
• “Recovering Troubled Projects” (in partnership with PM College, USA)
  
  
  The course is developed by PM College, which is PM Solutions’ training branch and a major provider of programs for training and developing project management professionals that are designed for corporate universities, colleges, and open trainings all over the world. The course is intended for experienced project managers. Having completed the course you will acquire the skills of analyzing the current state of a troubled project and devising a plan to recover it as well as learn to identify the areas within the project that require changes and familiarize with the techniques to stabilize the project’s current state. The course contains a large number of practical assignments to be fulfilled within teams and a case study that is weaved throughout the whole course and is designed to develop practical skills of managing troubled projects.
  
  
• “Managing Integration Projects” (in partnership with PM College, USA)
  
  
  The course is developed by PM College, which is PM Solutions’ training branch and a major provider of programs for training and developing project management professionals that are designed for corporate universities, colleges, and open trainings all over the world. The course is intended both for beginners and experienced project managers involved in information system integration projects. Having completed this course you will be able to identify specific details and threats related to stakeholders and project dependencies, familiarize with major quality control and assurance techniques with regard to project deliverables, and obtain the skills of effective integration project management. In fulfilling practical assignments you will get an opportunity to practice in applying the suggested techniques and approaches during the discussion of examples from actual projects.


• “Identifying and Managing IT Requirements” (in partnership with PM College, USA)
  
  
  The course is developed by PM College, which is PM Solutions’ training branch and a major provider of programs for training and developing project management professionals that are designed for corporate universities, colleges, and open trainings all over the world. The course is intended both for beginners and experienced project managers as well as project team members involved in IT projects. During the course you will be able to acquire the skills of identifying requirements to the end product with account taken of business requirements and stakeholders’ expectations, managing configuration and changes to project requirements, and planning the tests as well as practice these skills in a case study. During the training you will also familiarize with the tools, techniques, and approaches to be used for identifying, analyzing, formalizing, prioritizing, and grouping (within a specification document) project requirements.
• “Scrum methodology in project management” (in partnership with Scrumtrack)
  
  
  The training is designed for organizations that are actively developing their own software systems independently or with subcontractors. The program of the course includes not only theoretical material, but also offers multiple discussions and simulation games to illustrate the basic principles and practices of agile development. Participants will get skills of long-term planning and iteration planning, backlog creation and management, daily Scrum, demos and retrospectives performing, and also will get answers to their questions.
• “Construction project management”
  
  
  The course program is based on a systematic description of project management basic concepts and processes which are defined in PMI PMBOK ® 4th Edition (2008) standard and also takes into account its addition for Construction projects - «Construction Extension to the PMBOK ® Guide Third Edition». The training reviews the composition and structure of processes, process groups, knowledge areas, and general construction project management methodology. The course helps students get a complete picture and systematize diverse tasks of construction projects. Along with theoretical material, the training contains a large number of practical cases aimed at applying standard’s recommendations by the audience and mastering the knowledge obtained during the course. Practical exercises are combined into one business case developed in accordance with actual construction projects’ implementation. This course contains the documents’ templates, examples and recommendations for filling them out. Also the course includes examples of construction practices and analyzes the typical errors in construction projects execution.

Developing Project Management in the Company

• “Project management based on P2M standard”
  
  
  The course is based on «A Guidebook for Project and Program Management for Enterprise Innovation» (P2M) Standard developed by the Project Management Association of Japan (PMAJ). This methodology focuses not only on the product, but on organization’s improvement as a result of project’s implementation. P2M describes how to combine existing projects and programs with company’s business strategy and how to use the project implementation experience to develop and promote the company’s strategic goals.
  
  
• “Corporate Project Management System: Designing, Building, and Developing”
  
  
  The course is designed for companies’ executives, Project Management Office directors, and Project Management Office staff. Having completed the course you will obtain an integral understanding of the major components of a Corporate Project Management System (CPMS), their contents and role in improving the company’s project management effectiveness, as well as the major stages of organizing a CPMS implementation project, their specific features, interactions, and deliverables. There is a case study, which is weaved throughout the whole course and is designed to familiarize with the tools and techniques for building CPMS key components.
  
  
• “Project Management Office: Evolution Stages and Key Functions”
  
  
  The course is especially needed by companies’ executives, Project Management Office directors, and Project Management Office staff. During the course you will receive knowledge about the tools and techniques to build a Project Management Office and integrate it into the company’s existing structure, learn about the approaches and practical tools to develop the Project Management Office and improve its performance, and be able to consider and analyze – together with the trainer – sample ready-to-use solutions for the Project Management Office’s effective functioning.
  
  
• “Project Portfolio Management”
  
  
  The course is intended for top and mid-level managers, experienced project managers, and Project Management Office directors and staff. The course is based on The Standard for Portfolio Management 2nd Edition (2008) developed by PMI®. During the course you will familiarize with the principles and approaches to manage project portfolios, portfolio management processes and knowledge areas, as well as opportunities to use the techniques described in the standard in the organization’s practice. In a large role-play case study – Business Simulation “Arctic Option” – you will be able to link the theoretical material covered in the course to your practical activities.


• “Project Program Management”
  
  
  The course is intended for top and mid-level managers and experienced project managers. The course program is based on The Standard for Program Management 2nd Edition (2008) developed by PMI®. Having completed the course you will acquire the skills of determining program phases and managing benefits and stakeholders, familiarize with high-level management and its specific features, and learn to prioritize projects and build the program architecture. When working with case studies that are based on actual programs you will learn about the specific features related to project program management and master the knowledge and skills received during the training.


• “Ultimate Project Management Office” (in partnership with PM College, USA)
  
  
  The course is developed by PM College, which is PM Solutions’ training branch and a major provider of programs for training and developing project management professionals that are designed for corporate universities, colleges, and open trainings all over the world. The course is designed for companies’ executives and Project Management Office directors and staff. Having completed the course you will be able to use the skills (practiced in a case study) of aligning project objectives with the company’s overall strategy within the Project Management Office’s activities and managing project resources in a centralized manner at the Project Management Office level and learn the principles for prioritizing projects in the organization. The course contains a case study designed to familiarize with practical techniques and templates for the effective functioning of a Strategic Project Management Office.

Project Management Business Simulations

• “Cayenne – Securing Project Success”
  
  
  The project management business simulation allows mastering practical decision-making skills in various problematic situations that occur in most of the projects. The simulation is based on an IT project that was completed but failed to deliver the desired results. The participants of the simulation are provided with an opportunity to change the course of the project, i.e. go back to the beginning and try to make it a success through taking correct decisions. The purpose of the simulation is to implement the project on time and within budget with the maximum business value, i.e. with high level of satisfaction of the three key project stakeholders: the steering committee, project team, and end users.
  
  
  
• “The Challenge of Egypt.” Mastering Project Management Skills
  
  The simulation is based on a project for the construction of one of the largest pyramids in Egypt – the Pyramid of Cheops – which is implemented by a team of 9 to 12 people. During the simulation, the team operates in a typical project environment wh ere each of the participants is assigned with a project role that determines the player’s actions throughout the construction of the pyramid. In the course of the simulation, the team establishes project management processes, defines tasks, and creates all the conditions required for accomplishing the project’s objectives in a most effective way. As the project goes on, various difficult project situations arise in the simulation that need to be resolved and help mastering the project management theory.
  
  
• "RIGHT CHOICE". Mastering key skills for complex high-tech projects management”
  
  The training is carried out in a way of the business simulation which is based on the real project of plant for black oil production modernization by means of vis-breaking method at a large oil refining factory. The simulation has combined the elements of competent administrative decisions making in the real project and the general principles of effective management, thus having made the game interesting and useful for a wide range of the projects managers, who wish to improve their management skills. The participants settle complicated management situations, move ahead to game result through building a clear picture from separate mosaic figures. This is a competitive game and it can be used not only to define the team–winner, but also to check up and estimate participants’ administrative competencies in the projects management field.
  
  
• “Off to the Moon!” Project Manager’s Personal Effectiveness Techniques
  
  This training, which is carried out in a business simulation format, is aimed at developing personal effectiveness skills needed in project work. The training simulates various situations characteristic of a real-life project wh ere it is not only the group as a whole but also each specific participant that can perform with maximum effectiveness. In the training project, same as in real life, each of the specialists pursues different goals and objectives and it is only possible to implement the project successfully if the “agreement” is reached. How to reach the “agreement,” how to define project stakeholders’ goals and objectives, and how to find a compromise and implement the project – the specialists will be able to get answers to all these questions during the training. The game situation in the training is based on real-life events – the Soviet Union’s project for launching the first piloted spacecraft to the Moon.
  
  
  
• “Ultimate Route.” Effective Risk and Change Management
  
  The business simulation represents a project to build a road between two cities. In the course of the project the participants learn to identify, prioritize, and plan strategies for various project risks, as well as respond to various unforeseen circumstances that arise throughout the project. The training envisages broad opportunities for risk response and teamwork, wh ereas all the possible event scenarios are based on project management best practices and the provisions of PMI PMBOK®. During the simulation the participants get to understand the importance of proactive actions in risk management and the impact of changes upon the project risks and master practical skills of managing risks based on various strategies. The training is intended for project managers and project team members.
  
  
• “Portfolio Power. Maximizing Benefits from Project Portfolio Management”
  
  The business simulation is carried out in a corporate format and is primarily addressed to portfolio managers, Project Management Office staff, business development managers, employees reviewing the initiatives at a pre-project stage, and project (investment) committee members. The participants of the business simulation will be able to acquire practical skills based on the world’s best experience in portfolio management, including strategic management, day-to-day decision-making, and building interactions with various stakeholders. Other questions that are discussed during the simulation are prioritizing projects within a portfolio, assessing Project Management Office’s performance, and using portfolios to accomplish the company’s strategic objectives and maximize business value.

Preparation for Certification

• “Preparing for Taking PMP® Exam”
  
  
  The training is aimed at preparing the participants to sit for the PMI® exam and become PMP® (Project Management Professional), which requires good knowledge of ANSI PMI PMBOK® GUIDE 2008. The course is based on ANSI PMI PMBOK® Guide 4th Edition (2008) and practical experience gained by PM Expert’s specialists when taking the exam. During the course, you will familiarize with the contents of the exam, the types of questions, and the procedures for taking it as well as get the structured and updated knowledge in project management as it applies to the PMP® exam. What makes the course special is an opportunity offered upon its completion to try acting in an actual exam environment, i.e. answer 200 questions within 4 hours using the PMP® exam computer simulator.



• “Preparing for Taking PMP® Exam (Based on Edward J. Fern’s Materials)”
  
  
  The course allows preparing for taking an exam to obtain an international Project Management Professional (PMP®) degree and it is based on licensed materials developed by Time-to-Profit Inc., the US leader in project management consulting. The materials are authored by Edward J. Fern, MS, PMP®. The course is based on the structure of PMI PMBOK® Guide 4th Edition (2008). The sessions devoted to theory cover knowledge areas and management processes that are defined in the standard as well as specific questions that can be encountered at the exam. Special attention is paid to the English vocabulary used at the exam and the methodology for taking the exam. During the master class, the participants are offered tests that cover the material studied (up to 20 questions from the PMP® exam in each of the 9 knowledge areas of PMBOK® Guide and additional sections) and that are discussed later on.

Sergey Titov,
Corporate accounts manager
+7 (495) 981-5705 ext. 113, S.Titov@pmexpert.ru