Content
The Project Management Concepts course is designed to embed the core vocabulary of a number of different Project Management standards and methodologies, and the principles and concepts embodied in them. Daily tests help you develop the habit of daily Project Management thinking, preparing you for contextual study thereafter.
Foundation Tasks
The Foundation Tasks are designed to run over two weeks. During this time, you’ll focus on getting ready to study online.
You will learn what it takes to achieve mastery, and you will start building your study habit. The topics of knowledge and competence are covered in the light of the Project Manager Competency Development Framework (PMCDF). You will explore the theoretical basis of question-centred and concept-based learning, and will translate the latter into practice as you create Version 1 of your List of Terms. You’ll learn the fundamental principles of risk management in projects by exploring the implications of the Rule for Risk. You will also exercise the Rule in your communication with us. Gradually, you will learn what it means to not only master the building of personal habits, but also to build on this foundation in leading a Project Management team.
Test Series
The Foundation Tasks are followed by six Test Series. Each Test Series is designed to be completed within a week.
Although the entire course could be completed within ten weeks, most participants do the course over a longer period.
Throughout the Test Series, you’ll touch on the ideas of prominent thinkers who have contributed both directly and indirectly to the development of the discipline of Project Management—people like Peter Senge, Eliyahu Goldratt and Dave Snowden.
TEST SERIES 1 deals with the context of projects and Project Management. Here we mainly look at Project Management as an organisational discipline.
TEST SERIES 2 continues from there, by focusing on Project Management authority structures. Contrasting generic PMBOK® Guide roles with the authority structure provided in PRINCE2®, you begin to see how the roles may differ depending on which standard or methodology is employed by an organisation.
From here onwards, you start deepening your critical thinking by means of discussion in the Study Group Forum.
TEST SERIES 3 introduces the basic concepts involved in project planning. You will start identifying key elements in breakdown structures, network diagrams and related tools.
TEST SERIES 4 continues with the theme of planning, and also introduces the management of risk.
TEST SERIES 5 zooms in on stakeholders, including those beyond those in the authority structure of the project discussed in Test Series 2. The management of project scope is also explored in this Test Series.
TEST SERIES 6 discusses of models, frameworks, standards and methodologies, and exposes you to a few of their key components. Terms such as waterfall, agile, iterative, GAPPS, PMBOK® Guide and PRINCE2® come up frequently in this Test Series.
This is followed by a few days of Exam Preparation, and then the Exam.
