Project Management

Recovering and Managing Troubled Projects

• Traditional Classroom: 2-day
• Virtual Instructor-led: Four 3-hour sessions

This comprehensive workshop has been designed for experienced program managers, group leaders, project managers, coordinators, or staff managers (managers of project managers) responsible for the timely delivery of solutions and/or services. You will learn how to make informed and quantifiable risk management based decisions about the actual rather than perceived status of the project. This course uses a structured, multipoint, risk-balanced approach based on objective assessment of issues and opportunities to make hard decisions as to proceed, redirect, or instead cancel the project. The workshop is focused around situations and exercises that will simulate a troubled program management environment. This workshop follows the principles and techniques outlined in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI^®) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^®).

Target Audience

Individuals who will benefit from this course include managers who are directing project managers and resources across multiple projects.

Prerequisites

Attendees should have completed formal project management training and have reasonable background/experience in project and program management.

Learning Objectives

• Utilize scoring model for prioritizing projects within the portfolio.
• Develop categories for an assessment methodology for distressed projects to define the symptoms and why and how projects get into trouble.
• Use multipoint checklists to evaluate a thorough project plan and execution readiness.
• Perform root cause analysis of gaps, issues, and bottlenecks.
• Employ project process mapping methodology to conduct "what-if" scenarios to evaluate options.
• Integrate go/kill-point decision making to objective project phase gate reviews.
• Develop a team approach to proceeding with the selected recovery plan.
• Conduct an effective program management phase review through establishing thresholds for performance reviews and variance reporting.
• Incorporate lessons learned to prevent future projects from falling into trouble.

Course Outline

Module 1: Why Do Projects Fail?

• Technical Solution Assessment
• Program Management Assessment and Root Cause Analysis
  • Customer
  • Requirements
  • Work Process
  • Human Resources
  • Timelines
  • Budget and Value
  • Performance
  • Risk and Opportunity
  • Communication
  • Contracts/Vendors

Module 2: Recommendations

• Critical Success Factors
• Checklists for Recommendations
• Best Practice Implementation
• Monitor, Review, and Adjustments
• Project Closure and Lessons Learned

Module 3: Assets Retirement

• Technical Innovation
• Process Innovation
• Management Innovation
• Staff Retention and Integration into the Portfolio
• Sponsor Management

MDP195 Course Code