COURSE 4600 | 3-day SESSION
The Program Management Certification Prep Course

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Course Outline

I. Strategic Planning and Program Management
This module provides an overview of PMI®'s Program Management Standard, and a comparison of the best practices in several industries. You will discuss the questions that must be answered for every program. Who are the Stakeholders? How should programs be selected? organized? How are benefits measured?

A. Program Management and Portfolio Management
B. Identifying Program Risks
C. Organizational Structuring of Programs
D. Decision tables and Decision Trees
E. Program Governance and Stakeholder Management
F. Managing Program Benefits
G. Managing Program Stakeholders

II. Program Governance
This module clarifies program governance throughout the life of the program, and launches the class case study as the vessel for learning throughout the workshop. The program management life cycle phases provide the structure and responsibilities for program oversight that includes managing the Program Manager.

A. Phase One Pre-Program Set-up
B. Phase Two Program Set-up
C. Phase Three Establish Program Management and Technical Infrastructure
D. Phase Four Deliver the Benefits
E. Phase Five Close the Program
F. The interfaces and relationships between and among program, portfolio and project management.

Team Practice Session
You will work with your team to document program governance, list and describe stakeholders in the case project, and create an program accountability matrix.

III. Defining the Program
This module helps program managers to work with top management and others in clarifying the needs of the program and verifying its feasibility for organizational funding. It answers the following questions among others: Is this program aligned with the organization's strategic plan, and prioritized among other programs? Is there a marketplace for this product?

A. Establish program feasibility through cost/benefit analysis
B. Analyze and Assess stakeholder needs against submitted proposals
C. Build a coalition of organizational partnerships and support for a program
D. Present a pre-program assessment to organizational governance to obtain approval

Team Practice Session
You will work with your team to identify Program Assumptions and Constraints and develop the business case for the case study.

IV. Initiating the Program
This module introduces the Program Management Process groups: Initiate Program, Authorize Projects, and Initiate Team. A program is officially born when the Program Charter and Preliminary Scope Statement are approved.

A. Align programs and their milestones with the expectations of sponsors and other stakeholders.
B. Build an accountability matrix for differentiating between the program and project resources.
C. Use best practices and company standards to improve efficiency and consistency among projects.
D. Control program performance by managing stakeholder expectations and requirements.
E. Familiarize the organization with your program by leading a program kick-off meeting.
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Team Practice Session
During this exercise, participants will create the Benefit Realization Plan for the case study.

V. Planning Process Group-Part I
This module provides skill practice in integrating constituent project plans into a complete Program Plan through collaboration among Corporate, Program, and Project levels. The program plan will need details from the component projects in order to plan the various interfaces, and to ensure sufficient resources.

A. Determine Program Management Plan Components
B. Conduct Interface Planning
C. Transition Planning
D. Resource Planning
E. Scope Definition
F. Create Program WBS

Team Practice Session
During this exercise, participants will plan interfaces, resources, and the transition.

VI. Planning Process Group-Part II
This module emphasizes the cost, schedule and risks for the program. Communication between and among all program levels, as well as program contracting for integrated purchasing and contracting are discussed and practiced.

A. Develop the program Schedule
B. Estimate the program cost and budget
C. Plan to ensure Quality results
D. Plan and coordinate Program Communications
E. Conduct Risk Management Planning and Analysis
F. Plan Program Purchases and Acquisitions
G. Plan Program Contracting

Team Practice Session
Teams will Program Communications planning and a Program Risk Management Plan.

VII. Executing Process Group
In this module, you will learn the responsibilities of program managers during the execution phase. The execution phase normally consumes the majority of program cost. Once all approvals have been obtained, the first projects begin the execution phase.

A. Direct and Manage Project Execution
B. Acquire Program Team
C. Information Distribution
D. Use Stage Gates to examine progress
E. Develop the Program Team
F. Perform Quality Assurance
G. Request Seller Responses
H. Select Sellers

Team Practice Session
During this exercise, your team will take part in a team development activity.


VIII. Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
This module will provide an array of manual and automated techniques for monitoring and controlling programs. Some of the techniques involve a simple roll-up of project data, while other techniques address program-level data needs. Is the program achieving the benefits described in the Benefit Realization Plan?

A. Integrated Change Control
B. Resource Control
C. Monitor and Control Project Work
D. Issue Management and Control
E. Scope, Schedule, and Cost Control
F. Perform Quality Control
G. Communications Control
H. Performance Reporting
I. Risk Monitoring and Control
J. Program Contract Administration

Team Practice Session
Teams will address the management of changes in constituent projects and their impact on the program.

IX. Closing Down the Program
In this module, the closing of the program under different scenarios is described. What should you do when it is apparent that a competitor has introduced a new product and yours is still a year from first customer ship? When should a program be downsized?

A. Execute the transition plan
B. Facilitate the stakeholder post-review meeting, present the program performance report, obtain feedback, and capture lessons learned.
C. Support future program and organizational improvement by reporting lessons learned using appropriate methodologies.
D. Use Contract Closure to finalize agreements
E. Close program Components
F. Close Program

Team Practice Session
Your team will create a Transition Plan, and compare actual program results with the Initial Benefits Realization Plan.

X. Certification Exam Simulation
This workshop will not be the last development step for any current or future program manager. It is expected that those who sit for the Program Management Certification Exam will use these course materials, the textbook, the Program Management Standard and other appropriate documentation, such as the completed exercises from this workshop.

To assist you in preparing for an exam, this simulated exam with its multiple choice questions will help you attain a testing mindset that will improve your skill at taking the Program Management Certification Exam.