The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Private and governmental organizations conduct a variety of projects every year, some with excellent results, but far too many of them do not achieve the intended results, cost more or take longer than intended, or are simply abandoned. Projects that are not well managed, and therefore go awry, are a drain on productivity and overall organizational effectiveness.

Upon successful completion of this seven hour course, students will understand beginning to intermediate project management concepts and techniques that will greatly increase your odds of successfully managing projects. The course is organized according to the five process areas of initiation, planning, execution, control, and closeout. Learn the detailed project initiation and planning steps that will set the stage for success before you begin a project. Also covered are: quality assurance to maintain high quality work products; communicating with your team and customers; staying on top of budgets, schedules, and scope issues; and related topics such as controlling and protecting your valuable electronic documents.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of thirty five (35) questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · The five phases of a project, and what happens during each phase
  · How much time should be allocated for planning and management
  · Why some projects (and some project managers) fail
  · Informed project selection
  · Fine tuning a statement of work
  · Proposal activities for the provider
  · What should be included in a project management plan
  · Creating a work breakdown structure
  · Designing and portraying realistic budgets and schedules
  · Project startup activities
  · Effective communication, meetings, and leadership
  · Controlling rate of progress, expenditures, and quality of work
  · Addressing changes of scope and contract modifications
  · Ideas for dealing with a project in trouble
  · A checklist for project closeout

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.

Please Note: Continuing Education credits for this course are awarded as PDH (Professional Development Hour Credits).