Fast Forward MBA in Project Management

PREFACE

Project Management: A Platform for Innovation

• INTRODUCTION
• A TIMELESS LEADERSHIP TOOLSET
• END POINT

Project Leadership: People Before Process

• INTRODUCTION
• PROJECT LEADERS NEED POLITICAL SAVVY
• END POINT

Foundation Principles of Project Management

• INTRODUCTION
• HOW A PROJECT IS DEFINED
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
• PROJECT LIFE CYCLE
• ORGANIZING FOR PROJECTS
• END POINT

Agile and Waterfall: Choose a Development Process

• INTRODUCTION
• COMMON AGILE PRACTICES
• COMMON AGILE BENEFITS
• INNOVATION PROJECTS EXPERIMENT TO DISCOVER DESIRABILITY AND VIABILITY
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT METHODS INFLUENCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• END POINT

Project Initiation: Turn a Problem or Opportunity into a Business Case

• INTRODUCTION
• A MINI‐ANALYSIS PHASE OR A COMPLETE PROJECT
• THE ROLE OF A PROJECT MANAGER IN PROJECT INITIATION
• BUSINESS RISK AND PROJECT RISK
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Engage Your Stakeholders and Win Their Cooperation

• INTRODUCTION
• STAKEHOLDER FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Write the Rules: Manage Expectations and Define Success

• INTRODUCTION
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Risk Management: Minimize the Threats to Your Project

• INTRODUCTION
• STEP ONE: IDENTIFY THE RISKS
• STEP TWO: ANALYZE AND PRIORITIZE THE RISKS
• STEP THREE: DEVELOP RESPONSE PLANS
• STEP FOUR: ESTABLISH CONTINGENCY AND RESERVE
• STEP FIVE: CONTINUOUS RISK MANAGEMENT
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A Work Breakdown Structure Makes a Project Manageable

• INTRODUCTION
• WHEN VERY SMALL TASKS MAKE SENSE
• END POINT

Realistic Scheduling

• INTRODUCTION
• PLANNING OVERVIEW
• PLANNING STEP FOUR: CALCULATE AN INITIAL SCHEDULE
• PLANNING STEP FIVE: ASSIGN AND LEVEL RESOURCES
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Manage Agile Development with Scrum

• INTRODUCTION
• SCRUM AT A GLANCE
• MANAGING THE PRODUCT BACKLOG
• KEY FACTORS FOR SCRUM TO BE EFFECTIVE
• SCRUM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• END POINT

The Art and Science of Accurate Estimating

• INTRODUCTION
• ESTIMATING FUNDAMENTALS
• ESTIMATING TECHNIQUES
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Balance the Trade‐Off Among Cost, Schedule, and Scope

• INTRODUCTION
• THREE LEVELS OF BALANCING A PROJECT
• BALANCING AT THE PROJECT LEVEL
• BALANCING AT THE BUSINESS CASE LEVEL
• BALANCING AT THE ENTERPRISE LEVEL
• END POINT

Managing Creative Projects: Insights from Media and Entertainment

• INTRODUCTION
• LESSONS FROM FILM, TELEVISION, AND VIDEO PRODUCTION
• LESSONS FROM CREATING VIDEO GAMES
• LESSONS FROM MUSIC PRODUCTION
• LEARNING TO MANAGE MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT, TECHNOLOGY, AND ART (M.E.T.A.) PROJECTS
• END POINT

Build a High‐Performance Project Team

• INTRODUCTION
• A FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING HIGH‐PERFORMANCE TEAMS
• TEAM IDENTITY
• TEAM LISTENING SKILLS
• MEETING MANAGEMENT
• PROBLEM ANALYSIS
• CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
• CONTINUOUS LEARNING
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Communicate with Project Stakeholders

• INTRODUCTION
• EMBRACE YOUR ROLE AS A LEADER
• CREATING A COMMUNICATION PLAN
• COMMUNICATING WITHIN THE PROJECT TEAM
• VIRTUAL TEAMS BENEFIT FROM FORMAL COMMUNICATION
• CLOSEOUT REPORTING
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Change Management: Engage Your Stakeholders to Maximize Value

• INTRODUCTION
• ACTIONS REQUIRED: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT
• END POINT

Control Scope to Deliver Value

• INTRODUCTION
• END POINT
• FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Measure Progress

• INTRODUCTION
• END POINT

Solve Common Project Problems

• INTRODUCTION
• RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND YOUR AUTHORITY
• DISASTER RECOVERY
• WHEN THE CUSTOMER DELAYS THE PROJECT
• THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
• FIGHTING FIRES
• MANAGING VOLUNTEERS
• END POINT

Enterprise Project Management: Align Projects with Strategy

• INTRODUCTION
• THREE TIERS OF MANAGEMENT WITHIN EPM: PORTFOLIO, PROGRAM, PROJECT
• THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF EPM: PROCESS, PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, PMO
• ESTABLISH CONSISTENT EPM PROCESSES
• TECHNOLOGY ENABLES EPM PROCESSES
• SUPPORT PROJECT MANAGEMENT: THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
• END POINT

Requirements: Describe the Solution Target

• INTRODUCTION
• REQUIREMENTS SCOPE AND PROCESSES
• REQUIREMENTS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
• THE AUDIENCE FOR REQUIREMENTS
• END POINT

Use the Quality Discipline to Hit the Target

• INTRODUCTION
• BUILD THE QUALITY DISCIPLINE INTO A PROJECT
• QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL
• THE QUALITY DISCIPLINE IMPROVES PROCESSES
• QUALITY IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
• END POINT

Pass the PMP Exam

• INTRODUCTION
• REQUIREMENTS TO EARN THE PMP
• END POINT

APPENDIX A: The Detailed Planning Model