Course CodeBBS201Fee CodeS4Duration (approx)100 hoursQualificationTo obtain formal documentation the optional exam(s) must be completed which will incur an additional fee of £30. Alternatively, a letter of completion may be requested. Project Management Skills can give you a significant edge in Horticulture. Developing project management skill in a wide variety of situations, from development projects to garden restoration, managing and marketing events and more effective control of routing maintenance. This course is just as relevant to a construction project as it is to managing a new product launch. It is best suited to someone who has some prior experience or training in management, but is also useful as an adjunct to management studies. Project Management is an invaluable tool used in all industries, and in all sorts of situations. It is relevant to a diverse range of projects, including technical, human resources, marketing, and more. This is a compressed version of a much longer course, so it is highly informative, and great value for money. It was developed by highly qualified professionals, with years of experience in their respective fields. This course develops your ability to manage a wide variety of different types of projects, with relevance to any industry. Almost everything we do in society can be described as a project, from organising a party or constructing a building, to developing a new business or introducing a new social welfare project. Project management as a skill and field of study is essential for successful organisational management. As a formal management function, project management is found in government, industry, and almost all other organisations. Project Management may be called any of a number of other names such as: Program Management, Product Management, Construction Management, and so on. Project management as a field of action can often be seen in self help schemes or outreach programs. Whatever the objectives, project management involves a number of phases and skills which are essential to a projects completion. To get a better understanding of this process, the term "project management" can be further broken into "project" and "management". Lesson Structure There are 9 lessons in this course: Introduction Scope and Value of Project Management Understanding what project management is The Need for Project Management The Project Lifecycle Project Identification and Initiating Process Project Planning Project Implementation,Execution and Control Project Completion and Evaluation Project Identification Introduction Formulating Project Objectives Developing a Project Outline Assessing a Projects Feasibility Feasibility Checklist The Identification Test Three Types of Risk Project Planning Planning Heirachy Planning Parameters Planning Quality Developing a Strategy Framework Project Breakdown Structure Planning Time The Gantt Chart Ther PERT Chart Planning Expense Delegating Responsibilities Project Implementation Introduction Implementation Controlling Process Applying Standards Events Control Chart Budget Control Chart Monitoring Performance Evaluating Performance Regulating Process Project Completion and Evaluation Introduction Why is a Closing Phase Necessary Declaring Iminent Completion Reassignment of Resources Considering Project Sustainability Project Assessment; Final Report, Performance Reviews Appraising the Project Why Projects Succeed or Fail Technical Project Management Skills Preparing a Project Proposal Proposal Layout Drawing Up a Budget Constructing a Post Project Appraisal Software for Projects; How Project Management Software Works, choosing software What Project Management Software Cannot Do Leadership Skills Scope and Nature of Leadership How to Be A Project Leader Visibility & CommunicationsLeadership Characteristics Leadership Skills Improving Leadership Skills Giving Directives and Introducing Change Orders Improving Key Personnel Skills Inevitability of Problems Common Problems Schedule variations Changing priorities Administration overload Deadline Changes Cash blow out Inappropriate skills Role Confusion Exhausted Team Politics Reduced Motivation Communication Breakdown Major Assignment Developing full documentation for a project. Aims Explain what project management is, and what its applications might be. Identify and define projects which need management. Plan a project. Implement a project. Evaluate a project following completion. Describe technical skills required to manage projects. Demonstrate project leadership skills. Identify and solve common project problems. Consolidate all of the skills and information from throughout the past 8 lessons, and manage a project effectively. Projects Do Develop Problems .....but Systematic, Proper Management will Minimize Problems Most project managers will experience problems at some stage of the project. Some of these problems will be small and others will be more serious. The upside of problems in project management is that the more you deal with the better leader you will become. Problem solving skills are one of the key characteristics of good leaders in this field. In fact, many excellent project managers will report that this is precisely why they enjoy the role so much. As in most areas of expertise, your creative ability to solve problems gets better and better and as you move from project to project you will find that you unconsciously apply the skills you have learnt from previous work despite the varying circumstances. It is important from an attitude point of view to welcome problems as an opportunity to hone your skills and tackle them positively so that you model for your team an approach that they, too, will quickly adopt. This attitude will mean that the possibility of a negative whingeing response to problems by team members which can demoralise whole teams, will quickly be found to be unacceptable. Some Common Problems (There are more!) Schedule Not Maintained Because there is often a completion date which cannot be moved forward with many projects, one of the most common problems is maintaining the schedule according to the PERT or Gantt charts, particularly when there is a dependency in sequential tasks. The best way to deal with this is to monitor scheduling very closely and be flexible where it is possible to be flexible. Always communicate any scheduling changes immediately to all staff involved so that their availability is maintained. This is particularly the case with third party members such as outside contractors. Priorities Need to change Since unpredictable events can occur at all stages of a project, it is important to be prepared to change priorities so that the project can continue to proceed regardless. The key here is flexibility and this is an attitude which again, as leader, you will be modelling for your team. They will understand that rigid adherence to initial plans is not always appropriate for the project to proceed. Administration Overload While reports and all forms of communication both formal and informal are critical, it is important to ensure that administration overload does not occur. Reports should be succinct and short and not prevent team members or yourself as manager, from getting on with the job. At times, administration demands may mount up and in this case all team members should be able to be recruited to assist in any backlogs. The Project Manager should keep a careful eye on monitoring the balance of progress towards the outcome and maintaining important administrative functions. Keep your administrative processes simple and clear. There is no point in collecting information that is not critical to the progress and monitoring of the project. Changes in Deadlines If changes occur in schedules it is more than likely that stakeholders may want an earlier close to a project rather than a delay. If this occurs, it is important to communicate both upwards and downwards what the implications of the change may be. Often this will require more resources, which will mean additions to the budget for more staff or other resources. The next step is to ensure that all team members are made aware of the changes and are given the chance to assess what is possible given the moving time frame. Making additional time demands on team members who are already working long hours will inevitably result in the project schedule blowing out. WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS COURSE? Landscapers Landscape designers Business owners Nursery Owners Crop producers Developing project management skills is valuable; these skills can be applied to all industries, and in all sorts of situations.