Complex Project Management Training
Course Outline
Learn Complex Project Management in this intensive real-world, three-day project scenario training course. Learn how to assess, communicate and manage complex projects. Gain a deep understanding of essential influencers of project success or failure and a tool set to address the specific issues for your complex project.
Complex Project Management Training Benefits
-
In this course, you will:
- Incorporate the science of complexity into project management strategies.
- Manage complex projects involving strategic risks.
- Apply a complexity assessment model and adaptive process.
- Minimize uncertainty by leveraging best practices from Critical Chain, Agile, and Lean approaches.
- Test your knowledge in the included end-of-course exam.
-
Prerequisites
We recommend attendees have a solid understanding of conventional project management at the level of the following courses:
- Learning Tree course 296, Introduction to Project Management Training, or
- Learning Tree course 340, Software Project Management Training
Complex Project Management Course Outline
Considering the Limits of Conventional Project Management
- Stretching the limits of conventional project management
- Rethinking the future of project management
Defining Complexity Science, Chaos Theory and Project Complexity Factors
Introducing complexity science and chaos theory
- Comparing and contrasting simple and complex systems
- Applying various complexity modeling techniques
Adopting the four-dimensional project complexity diagnostic tool
- Analyzing project boundary conditions to understand the complexity of your project
- Determining the edge of chaos
- Assessing the significance of complex project risks
- Communicating project complexity factors to others
Employing an Adaptive Project Management Process
Beginning with adaptive principles
- Building with Agile software development
- Borrowing from the combat operations loop and the scientific method
The four-step adaptive project management process
- Implementing rolling wave planning and progressive elaboration
- Managing adaptive requirements, change and quality
- Scheduling, budgeting and metrics on complex projects
Minimizing Scale on Strategic Projects
Aligning with corporate strategy and value engineering
- Executing portfolio management strategies
- Making the business case and delivering value
- Utilizing business capability and purpose alignment models
Developing small, strategic batches of work
- Applying Van Creveld's Iron Rule and Occam's Razor
- Delivering minimal marketable features
Managing Pace on Complex Projects
Maintaining control through speed and agility
- Dealing with daily disruptions
- Employing fast-tracking and crashing
- Compressing the critical path
Incorporating Critical Chain and Lean techniques
- Evaluating Critical Chain project management
- Employing the theory of constraints and five focusing steps to eliminate waste and optimize flow
Exercising Strong Leadership
Leading adaptive teams
- Developing your core competencies
- Growing your sphere of influence and managing politics
Building CRACK teams
- Facilitating emergent organization and self-management
- Agreeing on vision, goals, objectives and values
- Empowering and motivating the team
- Implementing effective feedback loops
Recognizing and Managing Risks
Identifying and managing risks with scenario modeling
- Quantifying and mitigating risk threats
- Exploiting risk opportunities for disruptive innovation
Implementing probabilistic estimating tools and techniques
- Managing precision and accuracy
- Correcting estimating bias and reducing variability
- Revisiting the cone of uncertainty and order of magnitude estimating
- Leveraging PERT, Monte Carlo and Agile techniques
Building Your Personal Action Plan
- Putting it all together
- Analyzing a real-world case study
- Assessing your own real-world projects
- Identifying specific actions you will take
- Gaining support and managing risks
- choosing a selection results in a full page refresh