MCPM Program

Module 1

• Program Foundation
• Overview of the knowledge areas of project management as defined by the Project Management Institute® and others
• Introduction to the project simulation to be used throughout the program
• Meeting Management
• Team Dynamics and Leadership

The first day of the program serves many purposes. It sets the foundation for all other modules to follow – presenting the audience with a map of where we are headed. We review the knowledge areas of project management as defined by the project management institute and connect these parts to the program as a whole.

It provides a forum for students to meet each other for the first time and to start to form some of the relationships that will be so important throughout the program. The simulation project that we run throughout the program is introduced and we begin the process of working through the details of this project.

Team participation and leadership are vital aspects of all projects and for this reason we also spend time on opening day discussing the intricacies and team leadership.

Students finish the day with a full understanding of where we are headed for the next 18 days, what is expected of them, how it will all fit together and how important team leadership is.

Module 2

The lack of effective communications management is continuously cited as one of the top 3, if not the first, reason for project failure.  Project Managers and team members often overlook this critical element in an effort to bring the project in ‘on time and on budget’.  All team members need to understand their own communication style and how that style can help or damage the flow of information in a project environment.  Team dynamics; stakeholder confidence and cooperation; requirements gathering and scope definition are just a few of the areas that require good communication skills.  While often viewed as secondary skills, they are critical to your success and will impact the bottom line..

This module covers:

• Communication styles; characteristics, challenges; tips on identifying and communicating with other styles.
• Common communication filters in a project environment.
• The challenge of generational diversity in effective communications.
• How organizational change requires specific communication management and how to do it.
• How to Develop a HR Plan; Acquire, Develop and Manage the Project Team.
• How to Identify Stakeholders; Plan Communications; Distribute Information; Manage Stakeholder expectations and Report Performance.
• The criticality of effective status reporting and how to do it.

Module 3

This course is intended to help participants improve their approach to planning, organizing, managing and controlling projects by teaching them a practical method that can be used successfully in small to large-scale projects in a wide variety of sectors.

The course teaches a proven project planning and control methodology including key tools such as the project charter, work breakdown structure and critical path method. Along with presentations delivered by a veteran project manager, each module is complemented by team case study exercises. Nearly half of the course is devoted to workshops designed to illustrate the practical aspects of this method.

• Understand the five steps to effective project management
• Learn how to use simple project communication and analysis tools
• Improve in performance via planning and tracking techniques
• Increase client and stakeholder satisfaction and achieve more effective management of resources

Module 4

Recognizing quality as a process, rather than an output is a key theme. The three aspects of project quality management are introduced with the appropriate methods of application. It starts with understanding the customer's requirements.   The elements of planning are explored, to ensure that standards are set for all elements of the project, in both management and the product or service to be delivered. A number of tools for monitoring, assessing, and evaluating, how the processes perform, are covered in some depth. The focus of the seminar is practical rather than descriptive. You will gain a working knowledge of a range of tools and techniques to be able to apply them to your own project situation. Key insights are:

• Inspection adds no value; it just prevents the customer getting poor value.
• Why most project problems are the process, not the product
• The incredible payback from investing in up-front quality
• Applying a rigorous approach to problem analysis to avoid rework costs
• The competitive advantage of continuous process improvement

Module 5

The Contracting and Procurement course combines the PMI framework with real life examples on how to manage your procurement and contract processes.  You will go through the step by step process from Bid Creation to Contract Closure using exercises and practical experience.  Along the way you will become familiar with the bid creation and management process, including maximizing your ability to get quality bid responses from suppliers and how to ensure that the right bid is selected.  You will go through the contract negotiation process and come away with the essentials you will need to be confident in any contract negotiation. You will also learn the key steps to integrate the procurement process within your projects. Our goal is to provide you with practical tools and templates that can be utilized after the course has been completed.

What you will learn:

• Procurement and contracting fundamentals
• How to manage the competitive bidding process
• Contract negotiation principles and tips
• How to manage a contract from negotiation through to closure
• How to deal with contracts that remain after the project is closed

Module 6

The purpose of project cost management is the completion of the project within budget constraints. While cost of resources is the main focus, a broader, life-cycle costing view is examined. Care should also be given to the manner in which different stakeholders measure project costs.

This workshop details a four-step process for managing costs:

• Resource Planning
• Cost Estimating
• Cost Budgeting
• Cost Control

Participants learn practical techniques for each of these steps.  Throughout the course the role of the Project Manager in the cost management process is examined. Participants will work with different projects to apply tools and techniques for gathering and communicating information specific to each step.

Participants will learn:

• Financial terminology, cost management and accounting definitions
• General accounting concepts such as Future and Present Value, Depreciation and financial statements
• A process for identifying appropriate resources requirements and estimating the associated costs
• How contingency fits into cost management
• To prepare a project budget
• Cost control techniques (Earned Value Analysis)
• Templates to assist in communications

Module 7

Every project is by definition uncertain. Projects happen in the future, involve internal and external stakeholders and require control over uncontrollable circumstances. Risk management helps to reduce the panic by establishing an approach to minimizing the probability and/or impact of uncertain events.  Building risk management into projects helps to give the stakeholders confidence that the project will succeed. This session will identify a structured approach to thinking about risk and establishing a concrete plan of action to aid your project decision makers in the hard choices around what should be done in advance to attempt to minimize risk vs what should be and acceptable level of risk.

This workshop details a  five-step process for managing risk:

• Risk Planning
• Risk Identification
• Risk Analysis (Quantitative and Qualitative)
• Risk Response
• Risk Control

Participants will learn:

• Categories of risk to aid in risk identification
• Tools and techniques for analyzing risk including Decision tree analysis and Monte Carlo Simulation
• Common approaches to risk mitigation
• How to deal with contingency in a project including calculation of contingency reserves and identifying suitable contingency actions.
• Templates to assist in documentation of all processes including a risk register and a sample risk management plan.

Module 8

The “Filling in the Gaps Session” offers the student the opportunity to explore the following

• The Project Context
  • An enhanced view of the context and influences under which a project must be managed
• Project Integration Management
  • A 360 degree look at all the project management knowledge domains and processes, and how they come together
• Project Human Resource Management
  • A new module to the MCPM program, which analyses the importance of managing human resources in a project environment
• Professional Responsibilities
  • Enhanced discussion of the roles and responsibilities of a professional project manager
• Clarification and Expansion of Project Management Knowledge Domains and their processes
  • The opportunity to pose any questions, to review all other project management domains already discussed and to clarify any areas of uncertainty
• Helpful Tips and Hints
  • Information on the PMP© Certification Process and helpful tips to assist in preparing for the exams (both the MCPM and the PMP®)

Module 9

• Final exam spanning all program material (marks to be handed out the same day)
• Execution and completion of the project simulation
• Certificates are awarded

Many graduates tell us that this is the best part of the whole program.  It serves to pull it all together – all of the knowledge, tools, techniques and relationships coming together to complete the program and the student’s tool kit.

The program’s final exam is completed at the start of the module: 67 multiple choice questions marked and returned to the students before the end of the day.

Students have been working on the project simulation throughout the program and now they will execute the project – a unique, exciting and very stressful experience. Just like real life.

The final hours provides the students time for a post mortem on the project and the program.  Certificates are awarded at the end of this module.