N617 Fundamentals of Project Management

Topics Covered

• Introduction and Definitions
• Project Manager Behaviors
• Budgeting and the Staged Gate Process
• Project Authorization and Scope of Work
• Engineering Control
• Procurement
• Request for Proposals and the Bidding Process
• Construction Management
• Contract Administration and Earned Value Analysis
• Commissioning Procedures
• Training
• Commissioning and Startup
• Completion

Day One

1. Introduction
• The difference between a project manager and a project engineer / project leader
• The duties of a project engineer /project leader
• The relationship between scope/schedule/budget/resources and how it relates to all project activities
2. Project Life Cycle
• Describe the Project Life Cycle and how it relates to project definition and control
• Describe the six (6) feasibility's and feasibility study
• Identify the key elements of working in a group and group dynamics
3. Budgets
• Understand the 3 budgets typical to business
• Explain resource (money) allocation and its’ importance to the project
• Define Rate of Return and what it means to a project
• Use an Estimate Matrix to determine deliverables
• Develop their project risk issues
4. Work Breakdown Structure 
5. Project Authorization Documentation & Scope Issues
• Describe the components of the generic project authorization documentation
• Explain the importance of a baseline scope and how it relates to cost control
• Use a checklist to develop a more complete project scope
• Describe Management of Change
• Explain the need for approval limits
• Define and use the back charge documentation
• Use for the Pareto Rule for defining cost control problems
6. Stakeholders & Risk Analysis
• Identify potentially relevant stakeholders and risk issues
• Evaluate relevant stakeholders and risk issues in terms of dependency, risk, and control
• Determine which stakeholders and risk issues need special attention from management
• Proactively manage key stakeholders and risk issues (or their effects on the project), by trying to decrease the project’s dependency on them

Day Two

1. Estimating
• Be able to recognize project hidden contracts
• Be able to define the different methods of estimating
• Learn how to control currency fluctuations in their projects
• Know the questions to ask to determine if the estimate is viable
• Define the different terms for items that make up contractors rates
2. Engineering Issues, Project Cost Control, Managing Changes, Reporting
• Identify at least three common problems that project managers face with reporting systems
• Distinguish between reporting, monitoring, and evaluation
• Explain the contents of a cost report
• Describe managing change control for changes in scope and changes in design
3. Procurement
• Define procurement terms
• Describe the role of the project manager in the procurement process
• List at least 2 common procurement mistakes
• Characterize the differences in procurement methods recommended for procuring
• Works
•  Services
• Goods
4.  Types of Contracts
• Understand the different types of contracts they need to handle
• Develop criteria to be used to determine when to use a contract and when to use a purchase order
• Be able to define the different types of contracts typically used and know what their pros and cons are
5. Bidding Procedures, Bid Evaluation, (Works, Goods, Consultants)
• Describe the difference between a Request For Quotation (RFQ) and a Request For Proposal (RFP)
• Explain why bids are required
• List the contents of a bid document
• Develop and use a Plant Conditions and Standard Component List
• Develop and use a Vendor Document Requirements
• Explain the importance of the Vendor Information Requirements document
• Describe the bid evaluation process and characterize the major activities and issues
• Describe the problems that arise from deficiencies in bids and challenges to selection and how these problems may be addressed
6. Purchase Orders & Contracts
• Describe the purpose of the pre-award meeting
• Lead a pre-award meeting to get the required results
• Write a purchase order that meets the needs of the team and other associated personnel
• Revise the purchase order so the total cost is always known
7. Construction Management
• Define Construction Management
• Understand the role of and the importance of the construction manager to the project
• Describe the construction managers tasks
• Define the duties if a general or prime contractor as it relates to site safety
• Define due diligence and how it applies to their projects
• Understand the construction managers role in contract signing
• Carry out the construction managers duties

Day Three

1. Woody’s Case Study (a project that has every project management error you can think of)
• Working in groups, participantss are to answer project management questions relating to the various problems talked about in the case study. The objective is to analyze a project that has gone terribly wrong and to learn from the mistakes of others.
2. Tender Documents
• Develop a tender document using the correct wording and information
• Understand all aspects of a tender document
• Avoid common mistakes when preparing and interpreting the tender document
• Understand the components of the tender document and why they are important to project
3.  Contract Administration, Managing Contracts
• Define contract administration
• Describe the duties if a contract administrator
• Understand the difference between and when to use a field work order, change order, and back charge
• Relate the field work orders and change orders to the overall project scope, schedule, budget, resources, relationship
• Direct construction inspection
• Lead construction meetings with the suggested agenda
• Know what should go into a daily diary
• Handle project correspondence to their best advantage
• Develop and complete a deficiency or punch list
• Manage equipment checkout using the checklists provided
4. Earned Value Analysis
• Identify the key elements of a project that must be controlled.
• Interpret information that results from an earned value analysis
• Describe why it is important to implement scope control for a project
5. Commissioning, Training, Start-up, Completion
• Develop a commissioning procedure to get the project from construction, to start-up, to operations
• Set the project up into systems to enable start-up
• Define and understand the difference between commissioning and start-up
• Develop a turnover sequence chart so the project team understands exactly what makes up the different phases of construction, commissioning, and start-up
• Determine what information is required in their turnover packages
• Develop a commissioning and start-up organization chart
• Understand the different training methods, sessions, trainers and problems associated with each
• Develop a letter of expectations for their trainers
• Define the two points that constitute project completion
• Follow the proper steps required to complete their contracts