Use the features in project to report effectively on your plans. Course overview Duration: 4 hours Our Project – Reporting course is aimed at experienced users of Project who need to create reports in their project plans. It looks at using the different types of report in Project, exporting data to other packages, building new reports and sharing reports between projects. Experience of using Project to create and resource plans is required. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Print and PDF data from your project Use timelines Setup filters and groups Import and export data Create and share dashboard reports Content Printing and reporting Setup and Printing Creating PDFs Visual reports Using the Timeline Filtering and grouping Applying filters Applying grouping Creating your own filters and groups Importing and exporting data Importing data into Project Exporting data Creating and saving data maps Dashboard reports Using dashboard reports Creating dashboard reports Adding widgets Customising data shown
Look at some of the more advanced planning features available in Project. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Our Project – Advanced Planning and Control course looks at advanced planning and resourcing techniques in Microsoft Project and how to customise your schedule to give better visibility and flexibility. The course is designed for experienced users of Project who have attended our Project Planning and Control introduction course or have equivalent knowledge. You must be confident using Project to build and resource schedules and create task dependencies. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Work with different types of task Amend resource load on a task Work with multiple resource rates Create custom tables Add custom fields Create calculated fields Add drop down lists in fields Filter and extract information Create new views Export information Content Advanced planning techniques Splitting tasks Task types Spreading work across activities Advanced resourcing techniques Resource types Assignment views Effective dates Work contours Overtime work Using multiple resource rates Creating custom tables Customising tables Adding fields Creating custom fields Adding text, number, date and time fields Using flag fields Defining pick lists Renaming custom fields Creating calculated fields Creating formulas Using graphical indicators Uploading and tracking progress Completing work Completing work per resource Updating tasks Updating the project Working with the status date Rescheduling work Viewing baseline against schedule Project overview statistics Working with filters Building standard filters Building interactive filters Task and resource filters Using highlight filters Creating custom views Creating customised views Customising text styles Using grouping techniques Exporting information Exporting to Excel
Investigate and recognise the role of project sponsor and the importance of the relationship between sponsor and project manager and how this can be improved. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This workshop is designed to investigate, understand and develop the role of the project sponsor. By taking elements of effective governance from the guidance published by the APM (Association for Project Management) and Axelos Managing Successful Programmes, an improved project sponsor capability can be developed. The workshop will also explore the importance of the relationship between sponsor and project manager and how this can be improved. Whilst predominately designed for the project sponsor role, there is provision for a discussion with project manager representatives to agree an action plan to improve the delivery of projects within an organisation. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe and commit to the role of the Project Sponsor Identify the key principles of governance that can contribute to success Describe the environment in which the projects are delivered Explain the financial and resource constraints within the project environment Define the criteria used for project selection Identify the expectations of key stakeholders and develop a clear communication plan to engage with them Identify and resolve areas of conflict Describe the relationship with the Project Manager Create an effective environment and relationship for project success Content Introduction The Project Environment The Principles of Governance The background to the training Roles The Project Sponsor The Project Manager The Project Board Sponsor responsibilities Defining Project Selection Criteria and Prioritisation Business Case and Justification Finance and Funding Resourcing the projects Stakeholder Engagement Project Governance Resolving conflict between stakeholders Benefits Realisation Capitalising the lessons learned during project reviews Delivering success The relationship with the Project Manager and team Action Plan for the future The workshop will use case studies drawn from previous client projects, both successful and less successful.
Understand the needs and benefits arising from a structured project risk management approach, the process and supporting methods for identifying analysing and responding to risks. Course overview Duration: 2 day (13 hours) Our Project Risk Management course addresses risk management throughout the project lifecycle. This course is designed for project staff, including project leaders, sponsors, project team members, support staff and functional staff involved in project activity. The workshop is especially suited to teams working on bids, feasibility and project start up. The workshop covers the need and benefits arising from a structured project risk management approach, the process and supporting methods for identifying analysing and responding to risks, human behavioural factors affecting risk management performance, and organisational interfaces and governance requirements. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe success factors and benefits arising from effective risk management Explain human behaviour factors affecting risk management Establish the project context and conduct an initial risk assessment Define an appropriate strategy and produce a risk management plan Define risk identification strategies and apply appropriate identification methods Identify and record important risk information including ownership Establish risk probability and impact levels; produce probability impact charts and severity time charts Establish exposure levels and contingency requirements Explain the principles of quantitative analysis Define and evaluate response options Implement effective risk management process control Content Principles of risk management Terminology Purpose Success factors Benefits and overall process Human factors that impact on risk management Initiate Analyse and determine context factors relevant to risk management Develop a robust risk management strategy for the life of the project How to conduct an initial risk assessment and define an outline strategy Identification Development of a risk identification strategy Appropriate methods and their strengths and weaknesse Determine an appropriate strategy and identify risks in a given case study Animating text Slide titles Bullet points Applying animation to Slide Master Assessment Methods commonly used for assessing and prioritising risks Evaluating exposure and contingency requirement Demonstration of quantitative methods and exercises to assess risks and contingency levels Planning and implementing responses Appropriate methods for responding to risks Defining implementation and control plans Assigning ownership Defining appropriate plans Conducting net benefits analysis and examining effectiveness Manage process Organisational interfaces and specific requirements to ensure appropriate controls Improvements and compliance with governance requirements
Develop your Project Management skills and fully understand the entire project lifecycle and key activities that need to be done to deliver a successful project outcome. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) The ability to run a successful project professionally is a valuable transferrable life skill that can enhance your career and opportunities in any industry. Our Principles of Project Management course takes a pragmatic approach to managing a project successfully. It looks at the entire project lifecycle and key activities that must be done to give a successful project outcome. This course is suitable for anyone who is involved in or about to run a project – either as a full-time project leader/manager or as a part of their role. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Identify 10 key principles for managing a project successfully Apply a common sense project lifecycle to a project regardless of its size or magnitude Develop robust project documentation throughout the lifecycle whilst keeping the documents to a minimum Identify the expectations of key stakeholders and develop a clear communication plan to engage with them Apply a range of planning and scheduling techniques to help manage the project timeline Produce realistic estimates to help monitor and control the project costs Manage key risks and issues associated throughout the project lifecycle Manage changes through a robust change control process Manage the Project team through the use of clearly defined Work Packages Identify and manage key areas of conflict throughout the lifecycle Content Introduction Key characteristics of projects v Business as Usual Definition of Programmes and Portfolios Project Lifecycles – A structured approach using phases Reasons why projects fail 10 principles of successful project management The Concept (Feasibility) Phase Analysing the project context / environment Stakeholder needs and requirements Content of a Business Case Differences between Benefits, Success Criteria, Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) Purpose of the Project Brief The Definition (Planning) Phase Defining the Scope of a project Assigning Project roles and responsibilities Product Breakdown structures and Work Breakdown Structures Approaches to estimating Detailed planning using Gantt charts Critical path analysis Using project management software – an overview Constructing a realistic project budgets Resource allocation and optimisation Producing a Communication Plan The Implementing (Execution) Phase Delegating using a Work Package Project tracking and reporting Managing contractors Controlling changes to the project Risk and Issues management Managing conflict between stakeholders The Handover / Closure Phase Measuring project success Capturing Lessons Post project review and evaluation Benefits Realisation Transferring the deliverable into Business as Usual
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are extensively utilised to define the scope of work and key responsibilities between a customer and a service provider. It is fundamental that all relevant personnel are familiar with the defining characteristics of SLAs and how the design and implementation of these contracts can impact operational efficiency and brand reputation. PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO: Understand why SLAs are so important for good business management Apply a process to develop effective SLAs that define service level expectations and drive desired behaviours Identify methods by which the SLA can be measured and performance monitored Have an understanding of KPI’s and the relevance of critical success factors COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE: Procurement cycle, process structure and tendering Best practice contract management and the 3 C’s Supplier performance measurement and KPIs SLA use, benefits and application The SLA development process The monitoring and control of SLAs
Discover the powerful schedule and cost risk analysis features of PRA. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) Our Primavera Risk Analysis course gives a detailed introduction to the schedule and risk analysis features of Primavera Risk Analysis. It shows the powerful features of the tool and give hands on practice throughout the course to ensure you can confidentially put your new skills into practice back in the workplace. This course is designed for new users of Primavera Risk Analysis, and no previous experience is required. You should however be familiar with risk management processes and terminology. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Import schedules into PRA Add three point estimates onto plans Perform schedule and cost analysis Use templated quick risk Run risk analysis Interpret results from the Risk Histogram and Tornado graph Add task percentiles to a Gantt chart Set up a risk register Add qualitative and quantitative risks Link risk to activities in the plan Create reports Use the Distribution Analyser Content Importing schedules Importing MSP and Primavera Schedules Running import checks Checking schedule integrity Schedule risk analysis 3 point estimating Entering uncertainly Different distributions Using quick risk Updating plan Importing plans with 3 point estimates Cost/Resource uncertainty Resource loadings Creating 3 point cost estimates Resource distributions and escalations Simple cost estimates Templated quick risk Setting up and applying templated quick risk Assessing risk at WBS level Running risk analysis Running risk analysis Interpreting results on the Risk Histogram Setting analysis options Task percentiles Setting task percentile options Including task percentiles on the Gantt chart Tornado graph Creating a Tornado graph Viewing sensitivity Analysing sensitivity against activities Setting up the risk register Setting Schema levels Defining criteria and tolerances Setting up a Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) Working with manageability and proximity Saving scoring matrices Adding custom fields Exporting data Exporting to Excel, Word and PowerPoint Qualitive risks Setting risk IDs Adding risk cause, description and effect Setting up risk details Entering mitigation actions Quantitative risks Linking risks to activities Adding schedule and cost impacts Defining how multiple risks impact Correlation Migrating your plan Adding mitigation actions to your plan as tasks Linking tasks to mitigation actions Actioning your risk register Progressing risks Importing progressed plans Linking register to progressed plans Risk history The Waterfall chart Saving and reporting Exporting the risk register Running reports Creating new reports Building and comparing risk plans Using the distribution analyser Comparing dates and cost
Learn how to use this innovative tool to analyse and validate your schedule, to add and model uncertainty and risk and to work with updated plans to compare project progress. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This course looks at the powerful features of Nodes and Links. It looks at analysing and validating your schedule, adding uncertainty and risk and working with updated plans to compare project progress. Hands on practice will be gained throughout the course to ensure you can confidentially put your new skills into practice back in the workplace. This course is designed for new users of Nodes and links, no previous experience is required. You should however be familiar with risk management processes and terminology. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Import and validate plans Analyse and review plans Add and model uncertainty Add and model risk Load updated schedules Re run analysis on updated schedules Content Validating your plan Importing a baseline plan Running a health check Analysing the results Reviewing the plan Analysing critical paths Reviewing activities Reviewing resources Adding Uncertainty Setting uncertainty templates Distributions Adding uncertainty Using Inherit Using AI Reviewing activity distributions Modelling Uncertainty Running the Analysis Reviewing the results Reviewing activity results Risk Drivers Filtering for activities Setting up the Risk Register Setting Risk Templates Adding Risks to the Risk Register Independent vs Dependant Events Setting Probability and Impact Modelling Uncertainty and Risk Mapping risks to activities Running the Analysis Reviewing the results Updated Plans Importing a new plan version Comparing plans Tracking progress Trend analysis Analysing Updated Plans Using updated plans Synchronising uncertainly and risk Rerunning analysis
Meetings are a traditional and essential component of local government. For both elected members and officers, meetings serve as a forum for discussion and agreement, planning and monitoring, communication and leadership, and decision-making. Used appropriately, meetings can challenge, inspire, illuminate and inform. And while they are not the only meetings that elected members will be asked to attend, committee meetings, in particular, are a mainstay of the political management process. Effective chairing is important because it can provide clear leadership and direction, ensure that debates are focused and balanced, enable decisions to be reached and ensure that resources are used to best effect. This two-hour 'masterclass'-style workshop will help elected members to understand their role, offer some approaches and ideas that will help to tackle typical challenges, and help to generally improve their effectiveness as a chair. To understand the skills and qualities of a good chair To learn ideas and approaches for chairing a successful meeting that is on time and achieves its outcomes To understand the protocols and boundaries for appropriate meeting etiquette and the chair's role in managing this effectively To appreciate how to manage yourself and others appropriately To take away personal actions to apply to your role 1 Welcome and introductions Objectives What's the challenge for you? 2 We can't go on meeting like this Common meeting challenges for chairs and why they succeed or fail Consequences and impact for the Council What's the context? 3 Roles and responsibilities of an effective chair Activities and input that explore the role, skills and qualities needed Role of the chair: what is it and how to do it well 4 Chairing for success - ideas and approaches to meet the challenges Managing time and boundaries Preparation and planning Creating the right environment Self-management Challenging personalities and good meeting behaviour 5 Final plenary session What's your plan? Take away actions
This very practical two-day workshop analyses the content and implications of key MoD terms and conditions of contract. The programme explains the principles and terminology of the contractual aspects of defence procurement as well as considering a number of relevant policies and initiatives. The course covers key components, constructs and methodologies associated with any commercial venture entered into with the UK MoD. Starting at the MoD organisational level the workshop sets the scene by looking at the acquisition process and organisation, detailing the various roles and responsibilities of MoD personnel. The workshop provides an in-depth examination of MoD DEFCONs and many narrative terms, setting them in the context of the organisation and its structures. The workshop helps participants to gain an understanding of the content and purpose of the range of MoD DEFCONs and narrative conditions commonly used throughout the acquisition lifecycle. It includes a review of Part 2 of the Defence Reform Act 2014 regarding Single Source Pricing, which comes into effect in 2015 and is already starting to be applied to significant contracts. On completion of this programme the participants will understand the terminology associated with the MoD terms and conditions of contract and will have an accurate view of their relevance, usage and their legal basis and how they can affect contractual and commercial decision-making. They will have gained an insight into defence acquisition contracting and they will be more commercially aware. DAY ONE 1 The commercial environment Key roles and responsibilities of the MoD organisations at the heart of the acquisition process 2 Tendering to MoD An appraisal of some of the obligations placed upon contractors when they are submitting a proposal to the MoD pre-contract 3 Standardised contracting MoD have introduced non-negotiable standardised contracts for certain levels of procurement. This section considers their use and relevance to defence contracting 4 Pricing, profit, post-costing and payment The parameters specific to a costing structure and the differences between competitive and non-competitive bidding The role of the QMAC, the profit formula, the requirements for equality of information and post-costing Different types of pricing and issues surrounding payment 5 Defence Reform Act - Single Source Pricing Single Source Pricing under Part 2 of the new Defence Reform Act Changes from the existing position, how contractors are affected and the compliance regime that accompanies the new requirements 6 Delivery and acceptance Specific requirements and the significance and impact of failing to meet them Acceptance plans Non-performance and the remedies that may be applied by the Customer - breach of contract, liquidated damages and force majeure DAY TWO 7 Protection of information and IPR Contractor's and MoD's rights to own and use information How to identify background and foreground intellectual property Technical information and copyright in documentation and software How to protect IPR at the various stages of the bidding and contracting process 8 Defence Transformation and Defence Commercial Directorate Widening and increasing roles and functions of the Defence Commercial Directorate Background to the Defence Reform Act 2014 9 Legal requirements Terms used in MoD contracts to reflect basic legal requirements Records and materials required for MOD contracts and therefore the obligations, responsibilities and liabilities that a company undertakes when it accepts these conditions Overseas activities 10 Subcontracting and flowdown Understanding the constructs required by the MoD for subcontracting Which terms must be flowed down to the subcontractor and which are discretionary 11 Termination Termination of a contract for default Termination for convenience How to optimise the company's position on termination 12 Warranties and liabilities Obligations and liabilities a company might incur and how they might be mitigated MoD policy on indemnities and limits of liability 13 Electronic contracting environment Electronic forms of contracting Progress toward a fully electronic contracting environment