This project management session provided an overview of core concepts and began a practical case study focused on project planning and scheduling. The key points covered include:

• Recap of Previous Modules: The session reviewed foundational project management concepts, specifically risk management and issue management. Risk management involves identifying and mitigating future potential events with negative or positive impacts, whereas issue management focuses on resolving problems that are already occurring.
• Module 9 Introduction (Project Planning & Scheduling): The session transitioned to Module 9, focusing on project planning and scheduling.
  • Project Planning: Defined as the high-level process of setting the roadmap before a project begins by defining the “what,” “how,” “who,” and “when”.
  • Project Scheduling: Described as the process of turning that roadmap into a time-based calendar to determine when tasks will be completed and in what order.
  • Project Constraints: The “Project Management Triangle” highlights the constant need for a project manager to balance time, cost, and scope, with quality remaining a constant, non-negotiable factor.
• Practical Case Study: The speaker introduced a case study involving “PM Ascend,” a training company developing a new website.
  • Planning Process: The project manager demonstrated how to define the “what” by identifying project objectives (public website, student portal, administrative portal, and marketing features).
  • Scope Definition: The team established boundaries by listing in-scope activities (website development, integrations, content, testing, training) and out-of-scope items (mobile app development, AI chatbots, learning management system, etc.).
  • Success Criteria: The team defined how to measure success, including metrics such as increased student engagement, higher student success stories, and improved user experience.

The session concluded by highlighting that the next step is to define the “who” (resource management), focusing on roles, budgets, and time allocation.