Course Details

Objective

By end of course participants will be able to understand

• Understand the Project Lifecycle: Grasp the phases of a project from initiation through planning, including the importance of assessing, selecting, and defining projects.
• Assess Project Feasibility: Learn how to assess the feasibility of projects through financial analysis, risk assessment, and resource evaluation.
• Select the Right Projects: Understand the criteria and tools used for selecting projects that align with organizational strategy, goals, and available resources.
• Define Project Scope and Objectives: Learn how to define clear, measurable project goals and establish project scope to guide project execution.
• Identify Risks and Opportunities: Recognize key risks during the assessment phase and learn techniques for risk mitigation.
• Establish Project Success Criteria: Understand how to set realistic success criteria and benchmarks for project outcomes.

Content

Day 1: Introduction to Project Management and the Early Stages

• Overview of the Project Management Lifecycle
  • Phases of a project: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, and Closure
  • The importance of the assessment, selection, and definition stages
• Roles and Responsibilities in Project Assessment and Selection
  • Key stakeholders involved in project initiation
  • The role of project managers, business analysts, and executives in these early phases
• Understanding Organizational Strategy and Alignment
  • Ensuring projects align with the organization's strategic goals
  • Project portfolio management and prioritization of projects

Day 2: Project Assessment Techniques

• Assessing Project Viability
  • Feasibility studies: financial, technical, operational, and legal assessments
  • Market and stakeholder analysis to determine project feasibility
  • Cost-benefit analysis and ROI calculations
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation
  • Identifying and assessing potential project risks
  • Tools for assessing risks: risk matrices, SWOT analysis, and PESTLE analysis
  • Developing mitigation strategies and contingency plans
• Tools for Project Assessment
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics for project assessment
  • Decision-making tools: scoring models, decision trees, and sensitivity analysis

Day 3: Project Selection Criteria and Techniques

• Criteria for Selecting Projects
  • Defining selection criteria based on strategic fit, resource availability, and market needs
  • Financial analysis methods: Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback Period
• Project Portfolio Management
  • Prioritizing projects within a portfolio: balancing risk, reward, and alignment with organizational goals
  • Tools for portfolio management: portfolio scoring models, bubble charts, and prioritization matrices
• Stakeholder Involvement in Project Selection
  • Engaging key stakeholders during the project selection process
  • Managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives

Day 4: Defining the Project Scope, Objectives, and Deliverables

• Defining Project Scope
  • How to clearly define the scope of the project to avoid scope creep
  • Tools for defining scope: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), scope statements, and project charters
• Setting Clear Project Objectives
  • How to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives for projects
  • Linking objectives to overall business goals and success criteria
• Establishing Project Deliverables and Milestones
  • Defining tangible and intangible deliverables
  • Establishing timelines, milestones, and dependencies to ensure project clarity
  • Setting up project schedules and timelines (Gantt charts, PERT charts)

Day 5: Finalizing the Project Definition and Preparing for Execution

• Building a Project Business Case
  • Creating a compelling business case for the selected project, justifying the investment
  • Presenting the business case to stakeholders and decision-makers
• Setting Up the Project Team and Resources
  • Identifying key roles and responsibilities within the project team
  • Resource planning: human resources, technology, and materials
  • Estimating project costs and preparing the project budget
• Preparing for Project Execution
  • Transitioning from the definition phase to the execution phase
  • Reviewing risk management plans and stakeholder engagement strategies
• Review and Closing Q&A
  • Final recap of key concepts learned during the course
  • Open Q&A session and discussion of challenges in assessing, selecting, and defining projects
  • Final assessment of knowledge gained

NOTE:

Pre-& Post Tests will be conducted.

Case Studies, Group Exercises, Group Discussions, Last Day reviews, and assessments will be carried out.

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Methodology

A highly interactive combination of lectures and discussion sessions will be managed to maximize the amount and quality of information and knowledge transfer. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions and motivating everybody to find the right answers. You will also be encouraged to raise your questions and to share in the development of the right answers using your analysis and experiences.  Tests of the multiple-choice type will be made available daily to examine the effectiveness of delivering the course.

Very useful Course Materials will be given.

• 30% Lectures
• 30% Workshops and work presentation
• 20% Group Work& Practical Exercises
• 20% Videos& General Discussions