Training Course on ICT Tools for Modern Project and Programme Management

About the Course

Modern project management make use of information and communication technology. A Gantt chart, Logic Network, PERT chart, Product Breakdown Structure and Work Breakdown Structure are standard tools used in project planning. These tools are incorporated in various project management software such as Microsoft Project. This course equips the participant with the ICT skills (using Microsoft Project) to ensure their projects are completed on time and on budget and according to expectations. The participant will gain a strong working knowledge of project management and be able to immediately use that knowledge to effectively manage projects.

Target Participants

This course is aimed at qualitative researchers who want to “technologize” their approach in qualitative data management and analysis.

What you will learn

By the end of the course the learner should be able to:

• Gain skills, confidence and knowledge required to manage projects using Microsoft Project
• Design and plan projects using Microsoft Project
• Gain knowledge of industry-standard best practices to apply during the process of managing a project
• Get the required confidence and knowledge to plan budgets and allocate resources to the project, thus preventing under or over-allocation of any kind
• Gain adequate foresight and preparedness to anticipate probable risks and make provisions to prevent these from occurring or minimize their impact when they occur during the course of the project
• Prepare schedules, anticipating delays/disturbances due to risks
• Document all critical aspects of a project and maintain effective communication between all stakeholders
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously

Course duration

5 days

Course Outline

Critical Project Management Functions

• Project planning
• Project tracking (completion, time and cost)
• Scheduling and time management
• Resource allocation
• Budgeting
• Communication and collaboration
• Documentation
• Risk management

Benefits of Project Management Software

• Collaboration on projects
• Internal and external communication
• Budget management
• Monitoring
• Document sharing
• Optimised decision making
• Enhanced customer satisfaction

Overview of Microsoft Project

• History
• Versions
• Difference from other software

Functions of Microsoft Project

• Develop plans
• Assign resources to tasks
• Track progress
• Manage budgets
• Analyse workload

Important Microsoft Project Features

• Planning and scheduling
• Project timeline view
• Collaboration
• Reporting
• Project portfolio management
• Resource management
• Multiple projects
• Different views
• Change management

Advantages of Microsoft Project

• Flexible and powerful
• Integration with other Microsoft tools
• Great for collaboration

Disadvantages of Microsoft Project

• Advanced features requiring training
• Powerful insights but unintuitive
• Basic reporting

Pre-requisite Skills for Using Microsoft Project

• Gantt charts
• Network diagrams
• Resourcing dashboards
• Cost management
• Critical path analysis
• Variance analysis
• Tracking and monitoring