Masterclasses? Refreshers? Introductions? It depends what you're looking for and where you want to pitch them, but here are six tried-and-tested highly focused sessions that organisations can take individually or as a series, to help develop their teams' project management capabilities one topic at a time. Objectives for each individual session are set out below, as part of the session outlines. Taken together, as a series, however, these modules are an ideal opportunity to develop your team's levels of project management capability maturity, whether that's by introducing them to the basic principles, refreshing them on best practice, or giving them the opportunity to really drill down into a specific area of challenge in your particular operating environment. Session outlines 1 Stakeholder management Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand why stakeholders matter to projects Be able to identify and engage stakeholders Be able to categorise stakeholders by their significance 1 Key principles What does 'stakeholder' mean - in theory? What does this mean in practice? Why stakeholders matter Consequences of missing stakeholders The stakeholder management process:IdentifyAssessPlanEngage 2 Identifying stakeholders Rapid listing CPIG analysis PESTLE analysis Drawing on the knowledge and experience of others Other ways to identify stakeholders 3 Assessing stakeholders Which stakeholders are significant? Stakeholder radar Power-interest maps Power-attitude maps 4 Planning The adoption curve Dealing with obstacles Who should engage which stakeholder? How should the project's organisation be structured? How will communication happen? 5 Engaging Seven principles of stakeholder engagement 2 Requirements and prioritisation Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand how clarity of requirements contributes to project success Use different techniques for prioritising requirements Agree requirements with stakeholders Manage changes to requirements 1 Understanding and managing stakeholder needs and expectations What are 'requirements'? What is 'requirements management'? Sources of requirements - and the role of stakeholders Are stakeholders sufficiently expert to specify their needs? Do they understand the detail of what they want, or do they need help to tease that out? What do stakeholders want to achieve? Working within constraints Prioritising requirements - three techniques 2 MoSCoW prioritisation 'Must have', should have', 'could have, 'won't have this time' When to use MoSCoW 3 The Kano Model Customer satisfaction - 'attractive' and 'must-be' qualities When to use Kano 4 Value-based prioritisation Understanding risk v value Using risk v value to prioritise features and schedules 5 Agreeing requirements Perfect v 'good enough' Establishing acceptance criteria Requirements traceability Agreeing project scope 6 Changing requirements Why requirements change Why change control matters Impact on projects A formal change control process Paying for change - managing change for different types of project 3 Estimating Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand the different purposes estimates satisfy Be able to use different estimating techniques Understand how to achieve different levels of accuracy 1 Key principles What's an estimate? Informed guesswork What needs to be estimated? Costs, resources, effort, duration Tolerances Precision v accuracy 2 Estimating through the lifecycle Start Plan Do 3 Early estimates Comparative ('analogous') estimating Parametric estimating Using multiple estimating techniques 4 Bottom-up estimating Bottom-up ('analytical') estimating Pros Cons 5 Three-point estimating Three-point ('PERT': Programme Evaluation and Review Technique) estimating Uncertainty and the range of estimates Calculating a weighted average Three-point with bottom-up 4 Scheduling Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand how to create a viable schedule Be able to use different forms of schedule Understand the concept of the critical path 1 Key principles The planning horizon Rolling wave planning Release planning 2 Viable scheduling Creating a viable schedule Define the scope Sequence the work Identify the risks and build in mitigations Identify the resources Estimate the effort and durations Check resource availability Refine until a workable schedule is produced 3 Critical path analysis The critical path Network diagrams Sequence logic Practical application:Network diagram with estimated durationsThe 'forward pass'The 'backward pass'Calculating total floatIdentifying the critical pathCalculating free float Gantt charts 5 Risk and issue management Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand the difference between risks and issues Be able to identify and assess risks Understand ways of mitigating risks Manage issues 1 Key principles Understanding risk Threats and opportunities The risk management processPreparation - proactive risk managementThe process - identify, assess, plan, implementStakeholder communication Roles and responsibilities Risk management strategy The risk register Risk appetite 2 Risk identification Brainstorming Interviews Assumption analysis Checklists 3 Risk assessment and prioritisation Probability, impact and proximity Triggers Qualitative risk assessment Qualitative impact assessment Qualitative probability assessment Probability / impact grid Bubble charts Risk tolerance 4 Planning countermeasures To mitigate or not to mitigate? Categories of risk response Avoid and exploit Reduce and enhance Transfer Share Accept Contingency Secondary risks 5 Issue management What is an issue? Tolerances Issues and tolerances The PRINCE2 view of issues Ownership of issues An issue management process Issue register 6 Budgeting and cost control Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand what to include in a budget - and why Choose - and use - the appropriate estimating technique Align the budget with the schedule Understand how to monitor spend and control costs Trouble-shoot effectively to get projects back within budget Session format Flexible. The session can be tailored to the participants' average level of project management maturity - a 60-minute session (delivered virtually) is an effective introduction. A 90-minute session allows for more in-depth treatment. A half-day session (face-to-face or virtual) gives time for a more challenging workshop, particularly to discuss specific cost control issues with any of the participants' current projects. 1 Where is the money coming from? Can we pay from revenue? Do we need to borrow? How long will the project take to pay back? The lifecycle of the budget Through-life costs Stakeholder involvement 2 Estimating costs Reminder: the relationship between estimates Reminder: possible estimating techniques What do we need to estimate?PeopleEquipmentMaterialsFacilities and operating costsWork package estimateEstimated project costs Estimating agile projects 3 Aligning budget and schedule Scheduling and financial periods Spreading the budget 4 Reserves and agreeing the budget Contingency reserve Management reserve Agreeing the budget 5 Cost control Planned spend over time Actual spend over time Work completed over time Evaluating different scenarios: delivery v spend 6 Trouble-shooting Why are we where we are? What has caused the project to spend at the rate it is? Why is it delivering at the rate it is? What are the root causes? What can we do about it?
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The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the key principles and techniques for leading and managing project work. It will focus on the core principles and generic methods of project management, showing how these can be applied to typical projects. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques Define the role of, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader Illustrate the use of project skills through examples and case studies Identify ways to improve project management, both individually and corporately DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Key concepts and requirements for success Projects and project management Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles The challenges of project management; the role of the project manager Project exerciseA team exercise to demonstrate the challenges of project management 3 Defining project objectives and scope Identifying the stakeholders; key roles and responsibilities Getting organised; managing the definition process Working with the 'customer' to define the project scope 4 Project case study: part 1 Defining the project objectives: syndicate teams define the objectives and scope for a typical project 5 Project planning The nature of planning; recognising planning assumptions Planning the plan; the importance of team involvement Developing the work breakdown structure Estimating task resources, timescales and costs Developing the project schedule Analysing the plan and identifying the critical path 6 Project case study: part 2 Creating the project plan Syndicate teams begin development of their project plans (for completion after session 7) Team presentations and group discussion (after session 7) DAY TWO 7 Managing project risks Understanding and defining project risks Classifying risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy Identifying, evaluating and managing project risks Agreeing ownership of project risks; the risk register Integrating planning and risk management 8 Project control Pro-active and re-active control; striking the right balance Pre-requisites for effective, pro-active project control Avoiding unnecessary 'scope creep' and controlling change Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems Monitoring project performance: 'S' curves, slip charts, earned value Getting good data and assessing project status Defining the roles and responsibilities for control Setting up a routine process for keeping up to date Managing and controlling multiple projects 9 Project case study: part 3 Controlling the project Teams control their project as new developments take place 10 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion
In some organisations appraisals are seen as an annual chore that has to be undertaken and neither the manager nor the staff gain any real benefit from it. This half day course is designed to help managers appraise their staff effectively so that both parties develop more insight, motivation and a better understanding of each other. It will help participants work with their staff to create work plans that are effective and realistic. This course can be run as a one-off session or as part of a series of sessions on staff management.
The principles of effective time management are applicable to all aspects of life. When successfully applied in a sales environment they can lead to improved performance, higher sales and increased customer satisfaction. All salespeople would benefit from learning the tools and techniques to introduce impactful time management to their working lives. We have developed this programme to be practical, fun and interactive. Participants will better understand how to increase the amount of time spent on high-value sales activities, be able to improve their self-motivation and ability to get more done, and be better able to plan, delegate and speed up routine tasks. This course will help participants: Learn key principles of managing sales priorities, meeting targets and getting 'everything' done! Learn proven techniques for structuring your day, week and normal routine Develop effective sales time management at the office and on the road Learn a seven-step process for setting goals and objectives in your work and personal life Understand how to make time for sales prospecting, designated call days Understand practical ways to improve your time management 1 Key principles of sales time management Course objectives and review of time log Essential principles of sales time management How do you use your time now? Reviewing your working day (from pre-course survey) Beliefs and feelings about time 2 Managing sales priorities and planning systems Managing priorities and planning systems Use organised persistence to plan your sales activity Planning your territory and prospecting activity How to use priority ratings not urgency to react to tasks 3 Dealing with distractions and communication skills Know your time 'bandits' and creating more positive habits to overcome them Making time by saying 'no' assertively and managing expectations Assertiveness techniques for handling colleagues and clients Making meetings worthwhile - preparation and planning 4 Sales goal setting and action planning Set clear, concise, and motivating sales goals and action plans How to set and use goal setting as way of managing your time and increasing results The principles of linking SMART objectives to action plans and daily activities 5 Creating results focus - every day, week, and month Batch sales tasks together, starting with emails Planning your day and week and protecting sales 'prime' time Apply the 80/20 to your sales contacts, clients, and prospects 6 Overcoming procrastination and structuring your day Understanding procrastination, what it is and how to recognise it in yourself and others How to stop procrastinating and start making progressing Build a power prospecting hour into every day Smart stuff to make more sales time: five automated tools Live the $64,000 dollar question
Apache training course description A hands on training course covering installation, configuration and management of the Apache web server. What will you learn Install Apache. Configure Apache. Manage Apache. Build static and dynamic web sites with Apache. Secure Apache. Apache training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff working with Apache. Prerequisites: TCP/IP foundation for engineers. UNIX fundamentals Duration 3 days Apache training course contents Installing Apache What is Apache? Apache versions, history, downloading Apache, source distribution, compilation, binary distribution, installation, platform considerations. Hands on Downloading and installing Apache. Controlling the Apache server Running Apache, automatic Apache start, starting, stopping, restarting Apache. Checking Apache status. Hands on Server control. Configuration Serving webpages, setting the document root, applying configuration changes, Configuration files, httpd.conf, syntax, directives, modules, utilities, turning features on/off. Hands on basic Apache configuration. More configuration MIME, URL mapping, content negotiation, indexing, performance tuning. Logging log file content, configuration, log file locations, error logging, browser errors, error page configuration, forbidden index pages. Hands on Log files. Security File permissions, .htaccess, protecting files with passwords, password files, authentication, restricting access by IP address. Secure HTTP HTTPS, installing mod_ssl, certificates, configuring mod_ssl, http and https coexistence Virtual hosts Multiple sites on one server, separate configuration files, IP based, name based, port based, virtual host names, enabling, defining, configuring, aliases, testing, https virtual hosts. Hands on Virtual hosts. Dynamic sites Dynamic sites, CGI, PHP, PERL, CGI programs, example CGI scripts, Apache and CGI, CGI parameters, CGI issues, PHP, mod_php, Perl and Apache, mod_perl, installing mod_perl. Hands on CGI, PHP and Perl with Apache. Modules What are modules, standard modules, loading modules, mod_speling, mod_rewrite, other special purpose modules, URL rewriting, redirection, URL transformation, browser dependent pages. Hands on Working with modules.
Database fundamentals training course description This three-day training course helps you prepare for Microsoft Technology Associate Exam 98-364, and build an understanding of these topics: Core Database Concepts, Creating Database Objects, Manipulating Data, Data Storage, and Administering a Database. What will you learn Describe core database concepts. Create database objects. Manipulate data. Describe data storage. Administer a database. Create a relational database consisting of 3 related tables. Database fundamentals training course details Who will benefit: Those working with databases. Prerequisites: None. Duration 3 days Database fundamentals training course contents Understanding core database concepts Flat-type databases, hierarchical databases, relational databases, database fundamentals, relational database concepts, using the SQL Server Management Studio Interface. Data Manipulation Language (DML), Data Definition Language (DDL), using DDL statements. Creating database objects Defining data types, using built-in data types, using exact numeric data types, using approximate numeric data types. Creating and using tables. Creating views. Creating stored procedures, SQL injections. Manipulating data Using Queries to select data, combining conditions, using the BETWEEN clause, using the NOT clause, using the UNION clause, using the EXCEPT and INTERSECT clauses, using the JOIN clause. Using Queries to insert data, Inserting data. Updating data and databases, Using the UPDATE statement. Deleting data, Using the DELETE statement, truncating a table with TRUNCATE TABLE, deleting a table with DROP TABLE, using referential integrity. Understanding data storage Normalising a database, normalization, first normal form, second normal form, third normal form, fourth normal form, fifth normal form. Primary, foreign and composite keys, clustered and non-clustered indexes, creating a non-clustered table. Administering a Database Securing Databases, server-level security, database-level security, Windows security, SQL authentication, database server roles, granting access to a database, fixed database roles, object permissions, managing roles, ownership chains, reviewing a sample security model. Backing up and restoring databases, recovery models, backup devices.
Total H.248 training course description A course focusing purely on the H.248 protocol. Anyone working through the ITU standards documents can testify to the need of a training course to explain how H.248 really works. This course already assumes knowledge of other VoIP protocols and starts by positioning H.248 in relation to the other protocols. The course then looks at H.248 architectures and concepts before analysing H.248 messages and call flows. What will you learn Describe what H.248 is Recognise where H.248 fits in relation to other VoIP protocols. Explain how H.248 works. Analyse H.248 packets Total H.248 training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff working with H.248 Prerequisites: Voice Over IP. Duration 2 days Total H.248 training course contents What is H.248? Review of VoIP protocols: RTP, RTCP, SIP, SDP, H.323. The PSTN and SS7. Where H.248 fits into the picture. H.248 history. MGCP. The IETF. Megaco. ITU standards. H.248v1, v2, v3. H.248 architectures Media Gateways, Media Gateway Controllers, Gateway Control functions, Signalling Gateways. Reference architectures: IMS/TISPAN: IBCF, IWF, I-BGF, SPDF. MSF: S-SBG-NC, D-SBG-NC. GSMA: IPX Proxy. Softswitches. H.248 concepts The connection model, terminations, streams, contexts. Termination properties: descriptors, context properties. Events, signals, packages. H.248 messages Protocol stack, UDP, TCP. Message structure. Transactions, actions, commands. Requests, replies, acknowledgements. Sample message flows. Binary encoding, ASN syntax, Text encoding. H.248 commands Termination manipulation: Add, Subtract, Move, Modify. Event reporting: Notify. Management: AuditCapability, AuditValue, ServiceChange. H.248 Descriptors What are descriptors? Relationship with messages and commands. Basic descriptors, Descriptors composed of other descriptors. The 19 descriptors. Defaults. H.248 Transactions Groups of commands, transaction Ids, relationship with actions and commands. Requests and replies. H.248 wrap up What is a package? Basic packages. H.248 security. H.248 - SIP interoperation. H.248 interoperation with other protocols.
H.323 training course description A hands on course covering IP telephony with H.323. The course starts with a brief review of knowledge students should already possess including RTP and RTCP. The main focus is on H.323 protocols though, progressing from what H.323 is through signalling, call processing and architectures, moving onto more advanced issues including security, multimedia, conferencing, and interoperability. Hands on practicals follow each major theory session. What will you learn Explain how H.323 works. Analyse H.323 packets. Deploy H.323 IP telephony solutions. Integrate H.323 with other telephony solutions. H.323 training course details Who will benefit: Technical staff working with H.323 Prerequisites: Voice Over IP Duration 2 days H.323 training course contents VoIP review Brief review of VoIP, IP, telephones and voice. RTP, RTCP, mixers and translators. What is H.323? The framework, Why H.323, history, H.323 standards and the ITU, H.323 versions 1,2,3,4, and 5, Annexes and Appendices, capabilities, services, How H.323 works, a basic call. H.323 protocol stack The overall framework, Audio codecs (H.7xx), Video codecs (H.26x), T.120 data conferencing. H.323 Architecture Endpoints: Terminals, MCUs, gateways. Gatekeepers, border and peer elements, design issues, signalling with and without gatekeepers. H.225 Packet format, ASN.1, Information elements, Call setup, Call control. Gatekeepers Gatekeeper features, admissions, address translation, bandwidth management, call routing, zones, administrative domains, gatekeeper discovery, call establishment, fast connect. RAS packet formats, RAS signalling. Alternate gatekeepers. H.245 Purpose, call control channel, relationship with H.225, message format, tunnelling. H.323 Supplementary services Conferencing: point to point, multipoint, hybrid, broadcast, H.332. H.450.x. Call transfer, diversion, hold and waiting. Remote device control (H.282, H.283). Capability exchange, Video. Security H.235. Authentication, privacy, transport layer level security. Interoperability Gateways, Inter working with PSTN, SIP and H323. H.246. Annexes and Appendices An overview.
Concise Cisco routers course description A fast paced practical hands on introduction to Cisco routers concentrating on basic product knowledge needed for the real world. Starts with the basics of routing through configuring static routes, RIP, OSPF, and EIGRP ending with access lists. Hands on sessions follow all the major chapters with a major practical at the end to reinforce all that was learnt in the course. What will you learn Use the Cisco setup script. Use the Cisco command line. Perform basic troubleshooting. Configure - Interfaces - RIP, IGRP - OSPF, EIGRP Concise Cisco routers course details Who will benefit: Anyone who will be working with Cisco routers. In particular: Network Administrators, Field engineers, Network support personnel Prerequisites: None, although a knowledge of the TCP/IP protocols would be advantageous. Duration 3 days Concise Cisco routers course content Basics of routing What are routers? Network protocols, Routing protocols. The Cisco routers Router models, The IOS, DRAM, SRAM, NVRAM, Flash, ROM and boot flash. Getting started Accessing the router, installing a Cisco, using the setup script. The command line interface User and privilege modes, online help show, debug, basic troubleshooting Configuring Ciscos The configuration editor, Global, major and sub commands, enable, secret and other passwords, telnet. Miscellaneous exercises Buffered logging, web access, CDP⦠Subnetting IP addressing rules. The need for subnetting, subnet masks, Calculating network numbers. Configuring Interfaces Basics, Ethernet, Serial lines, PPP, DCE, loopback interfaces. Static routes Why use static routes? Configuring static routes, default routes. Configuring RIP and IGRP How they work, configuration, troubleshooting. OSPF Configuration and troubleshooting. EIGRP Configuration and troubleshooting. Housekeeping Configuration management, offline editing and TFTP usage. Cisco boot sequence, IOS upgrades. Bypassing Cisco passwords. Access lists What are access lists? General rules, basic and extended IP access lists. Putting it all together A series of exercises based around, installs, adds, moves, changes, upgrades and troubleshootin