PMAdvocate.com

Back from Red: Recovering Failing Projects (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

Presented By: Todd C. Williams, PMP, President eCameron, Inc.

Cost: $29.99

Back from Red describes the key elements in recovering Red Projects. The recovery process focuses on the human factors for project failure. In other words, the work one must do in dealing with the Red Project, the dynamics of the team, stakeholders, and executives. Management style and technique are very important in the recovery, therefore multiple tips will be provided on being a leader. It also discusses the role of technology and the methodology in the failure. There are numerous case studies drawn from a variety of projects to reinforce the concepts presented.

Starting a Direct-Sales (Home-Based) Business (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs).

Presented By: Jeannette L. Maddox, President JLM Training

Cost: $29.99

In this self-paced, online course you will be introduced to direct-sales, home-based business evaluation, development, marketing and sales tools and techniques. You will receive twelve (12) templates as well as instruction to assist you in these processes, as well as information on the basic requirements necessary for all new direct-sales, home-based business owners.

For those of you with an entrepreneurial spirit or a desire for additional income we present the widely received:

Starting a New Business: United States (4 hours/4 PDUs/.4 CEUs)

Presented By: Jeannette L. Maddox, President JLM Training

Cost: $99.99

In this self-paced online course you will be introduced to federal, state, and city requirements for starting and operating a new business in the United States. You will receive twelve (12) templates that will assist you in the process of selecting, developing, marketing, selling and ongoing operation of your business.

Experience the convenient, efficient and affordable option to traditional courses. Savvy-U offers PMI and NMA accredited, self-paced, e-learning to today’s busy professionals!

Convenient – Take these courses online, anytime and anywhere from any computer with internet access. Leave at any time and come back in and complete the training right where you left off.

Efficient – Feels like one-on-one instruction with about 10x the content of your traditional class and all courses (with the exception of Overview of Project Management) come with easily utilized; customizable templates.

Affordable – At 29.99 per credit; these self-paced, e-learning courses are about ½ the cost of your traditional training courses.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Overview of Project Management (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU);
• Essentials of Project Management (4 hours/4 PDUs/.4 CEUs);
• Principles of Project Management (8 hours/8 PDUs/.8 CEUs);
• Project Integration Management (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs);
• Project Scope Management (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs);
• Project Time Management (2 hours/2 PDUs/.2 CEUs);
• Project Cost Management (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU);
• Project Quality Management  (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU);
• Project Human Resource Management (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU);
• Project Communications Management (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs);
• Project Risk Management (1 hour/1 PDU/.1 CEU);
• Project Procurement Management (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs).

AVAILABLE SOON ON SAVVY-U!!! BACK FROM RED: RECOVERING FAILING PROJECTS

BUSINESS

• Starting a New Business: United States (4 hours/4 PDUs/.4 CEUs); and
• Starting a Direct-Sales (Home-Based) Business (1.5 hours/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs).

TRAINING RECOGNITION AND CREDITS

• Project Management Institute (PMI) Professional Development Units (PDUs); and
• National Management Association (NMA) Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) Compliant e-Learning is a specification of the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, SCORM defines communications between client side content and a Learning Management System (LMS).

MCM Project Management, a PMI Global Registered Education Provider (#: 1809) provides a full suite of convenient, efficient, affordable and PMBOK® Guide – 4th Edition compliant project management self-paced, e-learning courses through certified continuing education portal Savvy-U.com.

Principles of Project Management     $99.99

(4 Hrs/4 PDUs/.4 CEUs)

This self-paced, e-learning course is designed for both the novice and experienced individual, with participants being introduced to PMI-based standards, tools and techniques as they are interactively guided through the project management life cycle. Participants will examine all forty-two (42) processes (22 in depth) and you will receive fourteen (14) templates that will allow them to efficiently and effectively manage and deliver projects of all sizes within scope, on time and within budget.

Essentials of Project Management     $199.99

(8 Hrs/8 PDUs/.8 CEUs)

This self-paced, e-learning course is designed for both the novice and experienced individual, participants are introduced to PMI based standards, tools and techniques as they are interactively guided through the project management life cycle. Participants will examine all forty-two (42) processes in depth, and you will receive twenty-eight (28) templates that will allow them to efficiently and effectively manage and deliver projects of all sizes within scope, on time and within budget.

Overview of Project Management     $29.99

(1 Hr/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

This self-paced, e-learning course is designed for both the novice and experienced individual, with participants being introduced to PMI-based framework and methodology.

Project Integration Management     $44.99

(1.5 Hrs/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all six (6) Integration Management processes in depth, and you will receive six (6) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the integration of various key planning and execution elements on your projects.

Project Scope Management     $44.99

(1.5 Hrs/1.5 PDUs/.15 CEUs)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all five (5) Scope Management processes in depth, and you will receive eight (8) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the scope of work on your projects.

Project Time Management     $57.99

(2 Hrs/2 PDUs/.2 CEUs)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all six (6) Time Management processes in depth, and you will receive five (5) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the timely completion of your project.

Project Cost Management     $29.99

(1 Hr/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all three (3) Cost Management processes in depth, and you will receive four (4) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the budget on your projects.

Project Quality Management     $29.99

(1 Hr/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all three (3) Quality Management processes in depth, and you will receive two (2) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the quality on your projects.

Project Human Resource Management     $29.99

(1 Hr/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all four (4) Human Resource Management processes in depth, and you will receive three (3) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the human resources on your projects.

Project Communications Management     $44.99

(1.5 Hrs/1.5 PDU/.15 CEUs)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all five (5) Communications Management processes in depth, and you will receive twelve (12) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the communications on your projects.

Project Risk Management     $29.99

(1 Hr/1 PDU/.1 CEU)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all six (6) Risk Management processes in depth, and you will receive five (5) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the risk on your projects.

Project Procurement Management     $44.99

(1.5 Hrs/1.5 PDU/.15 CEUs)

In this self-paced, e-learning course you will examine all four (4) Procurement Management processes in depth, and you will receive fifteen (15) templates that will allow you to efficiently and effectively manage the procurement on your projects.

 

MCM Project Management Debuts a Suite of Self-Paced, e-Learning Classes on Savvy-U.com

There is a buzz throughout the Pacific Northwest professional community. Today MCM Project Management, a longtime PMI Global Registered Education Provider (REP #: 1809) and National Management Association (NMA) recognized training partner, debuted their first two self-paced, e-learning project management courses on Savvy-U.com.

 This much awaited debut to their suite of 17 Project Management Institute (PMI) and National Management Association (NMA) credited self-paced, e-learning courses has been eagerly anticipated by the local professional development community.

“Our focus has been on taking the next step in providing our fellow professionals with a convenient, efficient and affordable alternative to costly traditional courses,” said course instructor and PMAdvocate (www.pmadvocate.com) featured writer Brian S. Maddox, PMP. “No more expensive travel, per diem, or time away from the office. We now bring the training to your fingertips, at your convenience, and at an affordable price.”

As part of MCM’s debut with Savvy-U.com, MCM will be offering a 20% course introductory discount, for the first fifty class registrants for each new class.

Based upon the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ® Guide) 4^th Edition, the suite of self-paced, e-learning courses will guide participants through PMI-based standards, tools and techniques.

The self-paced, e-learning courses debuting online today include:

• “Principles of Project Management” (4-hours/4 PDUs/.4 CEUs – pending). In this class, participants are introduced to PMI-based standards, tools and techniques as they are interactively guided through the project management life cycle. Participants will examine all forty-two (42) processes (22 in depth) and will receive fourteen (14) templates that will allow them to efficiently and effectively manage and deliver projects of all sizes within scope, on time and within budget; and
• “Essentials of Project Management” (8-hours/8 PDUs/.8 CEUs – pending). In this class, participants are introduced to PMI based standards, tools and techniques as they are interactively guided through the project management life cycle. Participants will examine all forty-two (42) processes in depth, and will receive twenty-eight (28) templates that will allow them to efficiently and effectively manage and deliver projects of all sizes within scope, on time and within budget.

“I’ve taken many other self-paced, e-learning courses throughout my professional career and the quality and value of these courses supersedes any classes that I have taken in the past,” said course co-developer and trainingadvocate.com featured writer Nick Maddox, PMP. “We took a concentrated effort to separate this course from anything else that is out there by providing the attendee with practical, easily understood instructions and tools that can be immediately applied to their projects.”

Over the course of the next several weeks, MCM will debut additional self-paced, e-learning courses on initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing projects, as well as additional courses that cover each of the nine PMI recognized knowledge areas; integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement.

“MCM takes pride in the ability of listening to the needs of our constituency and turning those findings into benefits for that constituency. When MCM was conducting traditional classroom style courses, we utilized course survey feedback to develop new and intriguing courses. The same thing holds true for our suite of self-paced, e-learning courses. MCM listened to the needs of our constituency and heard that they were looking for training that was more convenient, efficient and affordable then the options that they were currently being presented. MCM listened, and as a result, MCM has developed a suite of courses that they will range in length from about one hour to about four hours and will target specific project management areas. This allows that professional that is looking for just one or two more credits, in order to either qualify for the PMP exam or to maintain their PMP credential, the opportunity to take exactly the class they need, for the exact number of credits they need, at a price that is affordable, and a location that is convenient. You can’t get anymore convenient then bringing it to their fingertips,” said course instructor Brian Maddox, PMP.

Slowly you shake the cobwebs from your head and start to think about your day. Who do you need to see? Who do you need to call? What is it that you want to accomplish that day and by when? What is it going to cost you? How long will it take to complete and how many people will need to work in synch in order accomplish your tasks?

The PMBOK© 4^th Edition identifies these planning processes:

4.2 – Develop Project Management Plan;
5.1 – Collect Requirements;
5.2 – Define Scope;
5.3 – Create Work Breakdown Structure.

Your family’s day may include getting the kids up and off to school; getting ready for and driving to work; stopping by the bank and hitting the ATM to withdraw a little money; picking up and delivering the kids to the proper after-school function at the proper time; stopping by the grocery store; cooking dinner and feeding the family; and getting the kids cleaned up and put to bed. Like a jig saw puzzle the once fuzzy day comes into picture; how long each activity will take, the order in which they take place, the cost of each activity, and who will be responsible for each.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

The PMBOK© 4^th Edition identifies these planning processes:

6.1 – Define Activities;
6.2 – Sequence Activities;
6.3 – Estimate Activity Resources;
6.4 – Estimate Activity Durations;
6.5 – Develop Schedule;
7.1 – Estimate Costs;
7.2 – Determine Budget.

Tune in again for Part IV: Time to Go, where I compare how, at the very lowest level, our days can be divided up into a series of activities and how the performance of those activities compare to PMI’s execution processes.

Welcome to PMAdvocate.com!

PMAdvocate.com is dedicated to the betterment of project managers, their programs, projects and profession through the collaboration and sharing of relevant project management knowledge and information.

To that end, let me start off this inaugural blog by first stating some facts, and then, posing a thought provoking question for careful analysis. The Center for Business Practices conducted a study that found that through the implementation of project management tools and techniques, project performance in the following areas could be improved by the following percent:

- Schedule Estimating – 38.6%;
- Customer Satisfaction – 37.6%;
- Strategic Business Alignment – 37%;
- Cost/Hour Estimating – 32.8%;
- Time/Budget – 32.5%;
- Schedule Performance – 32.1%;
- Quality Improvement – 31.9%;
- Labor Hours Performance – 25.6%;
- Cost Performance – 23.8%;
- Response Time – 23%;
- Staff Productivity – 22.8%;
- Time to Market – 21.7%.

Based upon the following survey, shouldn’t project managers be the first employees hired, and the last employees fired, at any company or agency? Additionally, and even in this time of economic turmoil and plunging corporate and government budgets, aren’t companies and agencies obligated to take advantage of the substantial return on investment that could be realized by providing their employees with the appropriate level of project management training?