Overview

As project management becomes a dominant approach employed in managing business and government enterprises, we find that organizations typically handle a number of projects at any given time. This presents them with challenges they do not face when managing only one project. With multiple projects, for example, the scheduling, budgeting, and resource needs of different projects must be balanced. High priority projects may siphon resources from other projects.

This course examines what it takes to manage multiple projects. It focuses on two broad approaches: managing project portfolios and managing major programs. When covering portfolio management topics, it looks at the risk and business implications of different portfolio scenarios, shows how to take strategic factors into account when building portfolios (employing gap analysis), and demonstrates how resources can be allocated across projects using basic tools, such as resource histograms and resource Gantt charts. When covering program management, it focuses on how to coordinate the budget, schedule and resource efforts of different projects in order to produce a major deliverable on time, within budget, and according to specifications.

Objectives

To provide students with skills to manage project portfolios and programs. Skills include: developing balanced project portfolios; managing portfolios resources, schedules and budgets; determining portfolio risk; selecting projects to include in portfolios; understanding the key elements of program management; coordinating project efforts to achieve program goals; building project and program offices.

PMBOK PROCESSES

• Initiating processes
• Planning processes
• Monitoring and control processes

PMBOK Knowledge Areas

• Project Scope Management
• Project Integration Management

Instruction

• Course modules containing cutting-edge knowledge developed by renowned experts in project management
• Course supplemental reading: Managing Multiple Projects, by Michael Tobis and Irene Tobis
• "Think and Review" section that helps you review key points of the modules
• Answers to the "Think and Review" section
• A final exam which contains multiple choice and true/false questions
• Certificate of Completion, which makes students eligible for 30 PDU credits (given upon exam completion).

What You Will Learn

• How to differentiate the management requirements of project portfolios vs. major programs
• How to create a balanced project portfolio that reflects the strategic goals of the organization
• How to manage human and material resources across projects
• How to plan and integrate project budgets, schedules and resource requirements for the interrelated projects that comprise a major program
• How to gear project support offices to help manage multiple projects

Take a Course

This course costs $990. You can begin the course today, with no application necessary. There are four easy ways to sign up:

• Secure Online Payment (VISA, Master & American Express)
• Registration Form [Word]. Mail the form with your check to: UMT, 1901 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22209-1609.
• Fax the form to us at (703) 516-0985.
• Register by phone at (703) 516-0035.

Once the payment has cleared, you will be issued an ID name and a Password that will allow you to access the full course.

To access the course, log into the UMT online coursesite with your USER ID and PASSWORD at: coursesite.umtweb.edu.