Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-project-management

Introduction

### Course Review: Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management on Coursera In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to manage projects efficiently is a vital skill that can significantly impact both personal and professional success. Whether you’re a seasoned professional seeking to enhance your project management skills or a newcomer aiming to understand the basics, the “Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management” course on Coursera is an excellent choice. #### Overview of the Course Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management introduces learners to the essential principles that govern successful project management. The course covers foundational concepts crucial for anyone involved in projects, be it in corporate environments, startups, or even personal undertakings. It provides a structured approach that encompasses project definition, planning, execution, and evaluation. #### Course Syllabus Breakdown The course is divided into four comprehensive weeks, each focusing on key aspects of project management: **Week 1: Welcome to the World of Projects** The journey begins with understanding what constitutes a project and the critical elements that differentiate projects from day-to-day tasks. This week emphasizes stakeholder analysis using the power/interest grid and delves into common pitfalls that lead to project failures. By the end of the week, you will grasp how to assess a project’s success and understand its lifecycle stages. **Week 2: The Ins & Outs of Project Planning** Planning is the heartbeat of project management, and this week dives into the intricacies of crafting a detailed project plan. Here, you will explore scoping and task sequencing, learn how to determine project duration, and discover the significance of the critical path. All these tools and methodologies are crucial for ensuring that your project stays on track and aligns with its objectives. **Week 3: It’s a Risky World & Then the Unexpected Happened** Understanding risks is paramount in the world of project management, and this week is dedicated to assessing and managing those risks. You will be introduced to risk identification, assessment, and prioritization methods. Additionally, you will learn how to prepare for uncertainties within project schedules and budgets, empowering you to navigate complex projects with confidence. **Week 4: Ready, Set, Go: Project Execution** In the final week, the focus shifts to the all-important execution phase. You will learn about monitoring project progress through the earned value approach and explore various execution methodologies, such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban. This week consolidates your learning, guiding you through the transition from meticulous planning to actionable project execution. #### Why Take This Course? 1. **Comprehensive Curriculum**: The syllabus covers all essential aspects of project management, ensuring a well-rounded understanding. 2. **Practical Tools and Techniques**: The course doesn't just provide theoretical knowledge; it equips you with practical tools that you can apply in real-life projects. 3. **Flexible Learning**: Offered on Coursera, the course allows you to learn at your own pace, making it easier to balance with your other commitments. 4. **Expert Instructors**: The course is designed and delivered by experienced trainers who bring a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to the classroom. 5. **Career Advancement**: Mastering project management can open up new career pathways, increase your marketability, and enhance your effectiveness in any role. #### Conclusion and Recommendation The “Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management” course on Coursera is not just an introductory course; it's a gateway to understanding the crucial dynamics of managing projects successfully. With its structured approach, practical insights, and focus on real-world application, I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to gain or improve their project management skills. Whether you aim to boost your career or improve your personal project management, this course provides the foundational knowledge to help you achieve your goals. Enroll today and take the first step towards becoming a competent project manager!

Syllabus

Welcome to the World of Projects

Welcome to the course -- we're excited you're here! In our first week, we'll gain an understanding of what a project is, what it isn't, and why that matters. We'll consider how projects are defined and a project’s three objectives. We'll look at a model for examining a project’s organization and its stakeholders, and then analyze those stakeholders using a power/interest grid. We'll look at the main reasons why many projects fail and then learn how to measure success. Finally, we'll review the key stages in the project life cycle and highlight the important features of each stage.

During our second week, we'll start digging into the details, focusing on how to develop a project plan. We'll understand why we plan and what a plan should or should not include. We'll discuss the process of scoping out a project and see tools that can help us identify what should be included in our project. We'll learn about sequencing project tasks and the nature of the dependencies among project activates. We'll learn how to determine a project’s duration and critical path, how it is determined, and why it is useful. We'll see how we should schedule a project and, finally, we’ll review how you can make changes to a plan to support your overall project objectives.

In our third week, we'll consider the risk and uncertainties projects face. We'll understand what is risky about projects. We'll identify and assess project risks and prioritize these risks in order to focus our attention on those most impactful to the project. We’ll consider schedule risks in detail and ask, "What is the likelihood of finishing on time? What are the drivers that may cause delays in my project?" We'll see how a project budget can be set to include a contingency. Finally, we'll consider situations with a high degree of ambiguity and identify methods than can useful in these situations.

In our final week, we'll move from plan to action and consider the execution phase of a project. We'll learn about the earned value approach for monitoring and controlling progress. We'll consider the individuals who are executing the project and how their habits impact project progress. We'll discuss some alternative methods for project execution such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban. Finally, we'll review and summarize the course, and our journey from project definition through execution and completion.