Ec-council | Learning

Introduction to Project Management

The first chapter will cover the fundamentals of project management. It deals in depth with the basics of project management and the life cycle of project management, which those who discover project management need to know, as well as the terms and definitions commonly used in organizations.

This chapter teaches how to choose the project management methodology best suited to your project and whether it will have a traditional predictive approach or an adaptive approach. You will also be introduced to the concept of digital transformation that disrupts businesses and changes our lives.

Scope of the project and technological integration

After the introduction to project management, in this chapter we will present the processes of change of scope as well as the predictive approach and how it differs from the adaptive approach. In the second chapter, we will address the real challenges that project leaders face in managing the scope, including the most widely recognized best practices and project management tools that can be applied to a wide variety of disciplines and industries.

In the practical section, we provide step-by-step guidance on how to use the web application scope management tool and map it to the scope management processes we have learned.

Project planning and time management

This chapter covers the fundamental processes of the project planning phase, as we will address the real challenges faced by the project leader in managing the project's time. The third chapter will help you maximize the benefits of current digital technologies on project planning management and learn how to integrate these technologies into your project management processes to ensure that your project status is accurate, predictable and cost-effective.

In the practical section, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to use the web application schedule management tool and map it to the planning management processes we have learned.

Project Cost and Budget Management

The objective of the current chapter is to provide meaningful information for project cost and budget estimates. Cost management generally refers to the overall planning, allocation and cost management process of a project. Activities such as cost reporting, allocation techniques and the estimation process need to be understood and examined in order to have a strong approach to a challenge. Therefore, this chapter helps to develop a common understanding of risks across several business areas and units in order to learn how to manage risks more effectively.

Project procurement and vendor management

This chapter is designed to provide project leaders with an overview of best practices in project procurement and vendor management techniques to successfully manage a multi-supplier environment throughout the project life cycle. Chapter 5 will ensure that you understand the importance of procurement planning; it will illustrate the process of identification, selection and negotiation with potential suppliers; and provide advice and tools to manage outsourcing decisions in a multi-supplier environment.

Project controls and quality assurance

This chapter covers the fundamental processes for project controls and quality assurance throughout the project life cycle. In this module, we will see the difference between quality processes in predictive and adaptive approaches. This chapter also introduces software tools that are widely used in large organizations to help digitize their project management processes.

In the practical section, we will discuss the features of the "Jira" software that could help us control the quality of the project.

Managing project opportunities and risks

After gaining a clear understanding of quality assurance, this chapter ensures that you understand the importance of risk management within an organisation and illustrates the process of identifying, analysing and responding to risk factors throughout the life of a project. This chapter also provides advice and tools to manage and mitigate all types of project risks.

Project governance and team management

Project governance seems to be an elusive concept, which is still complicated by the fact that there is no generally accepted definition for "project governance". Therefore, this means that individuals must develop their own understanding of what project governance means or try to find implicit meaning in the context in which the term is used. Thus, in the absence of an explicit or agreed definition, each person must refer to the term "project governance". To reduce this ambiguity, this chapter will explore organizational governance concepts and project governance from a project perspective. This chapter will provide tools that the reader can use to understand the essence of implementing a new system or improving an existing system of project governance.

Project visualization, analysis and reporting

Designing and relying on data visualizations is a skill, and graphics are gradually becoming a new type of literacy. You do not need to become a graphic designer to create excellent data visualizations, but you need to know some principles to communicate effectively through these visualizations. Through this chapter, we will highlight project visualization techniques and see how to use the SDLC methodology structure for the Solutions Development Centre (SDC).

Project Stakeholder Engagement and Expectations Management

In this module, you will have an overview of the existing features in the collaborative software tools to help an organization scan its project management processes, as well as their functioning and associated potential problems. In the practical section, we will explore some Mavenlink SaaS features related to stakeholder management.