Project Portfolio Management: Successfully Managing Multiple Projects

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This course is about improving the effectiveness of project managers who are, or will be, managing multiple projects or multiple project managers. This improvement is driven by several underlying concepts made real during the three day course through hands-on activities and discussion. These concepts include viewing projects as elements of a portfolio driven by the organizational mission, selecting the appropriate project methodology for each project within the portfolio, defining controls and metrics which maximize the potential of the portfolio to deliver on its commitments, allocating human resources to projects through a cooperative rather than competitive mind set, and developing the leadership skills necessary in a multiple project environment. How is this course structured? This course is structured around a challenging case study in which you are immersed in the role of a manager responsible for multiple projects in a realistic company setting. All class discussion topics are amplified by team activities relating to the case study. These activities utilize practical techniques and associated templates to better manage multiple projects. You are challenged to relate these techniques to the projects for which you are responsible. How will this course help me successfully manage the multiple projects that I am responsible for? The project workplace is both complex and dynamic, with constantly changing business needs impacting the project manager. This course will give you the skills and processes to prioritize, resource, monitor, and if necessary correct a project portfolio to maximize the business benefit. Who will benefit from this course? Anyone who is responsible for, or has an interest in, the successful completion of multiple projects competing for a limited set of financial and human resources. What background do I need? You should have experience in the elements of basic project management and an awareness of corporate organizational and financial strategies. Do I need to be an expert in math? No, basic math to the level of normal business use is sufficient. How does this course differ from Course 287, Strategic Project Management: Achieving Organizational Goals? Course 287 concentrates on the management of complex projects while this course concentrates on the management of multiple projects spanning all levels of complexity. How does this course differ from Course 249, Hands-On Microsoft® Project: Managing Multiple and Complex Projects? Course 249 concentrates on the mastery of a very practical tool suite. This course concentrates on the essential underlying management principles applicable to a multi-project environment. Are standard tools, such as Microsoft Project, going to be covered in the course? The concepts behind the application of such tools will be discussed but hands-on use of MS Project or other commercial tools will not be covered. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Introduction to the multiple project environment 2.0 Anchoring project goals to the organizational mission 3.5 Measuring project portfolio progress 3.5 Optimizing limited resources across multiple projects 3.5 Maximizing project portfolio success 3.0 Creating a personal action plan 1.5 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. What kinds of activities are in this course? This course is based on extensive practical exercises which demonstrate the benefit of embracing the underlying principles presented in the course. Specifically, you build comprehensive project goal statements aligned with organizational goals, compare projects through basic financial techniques, select appropriate project methodologies, define portfolio metric dashboards, participate in manpower planning meetings, apply leadership skills and compete in an enlightening game which demonstrates the benefit of a project portfolio mindset. Will this course help prepare me for PMI's Program Management Professional (PMP) exam? Yes. This course is aimed at improving your effectiveness in the workplace to manage a portfolio of projects that support a common set of organizational objectives. This portfolio is synonymous with the term "program" used in PMI's Program Management Professional Certification. Each of the chapters in this course corresponds with one or more Performance Domains of Program Management addressed in the PMI exam. Understanding the concepts presented in Course 914 thus helps you appreciate and gain expertise in PMP exam topics. However, solely taking Course 914 alone-with no other test preparation-is not considered sufficient for the PMP exam. If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam. In Course 276, you learn essential PMBOK® Guide terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course. If you are currently PMP certified, completion of Course 919 counts as 17 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? This course is an excellent follow-on course to Course 296, Project Management: Skills for Success, or Course 340, Project Management for Software Development. Taking this course expands your appreciation of the organizational business drivers underlying project management. Other courses of interest are: 249, Hands-On Microsoft® Project: Managing Multiple and Complex Projects  346, Project Leadership: Building High-Performance Teams  341, Negotiation Skills: Achieving Successful Outcomes  276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam  344, Effective Time Management  286, Project Risk Management  349, Project Quality Management  252, Strategic Planning for Organizational Success

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