PROJECT MANAGEMENT 101 by Zavanak
“What do I really need to know about project management?” What’s in here!
Welcome to Project management 101 by Zavanak. This is your free introductory course in project management. The set of videos (with accompanying slide decks) gives a comprehensive overview of the main aspects of modern project management.
There are lots of real examples like Sydney Opera House, the Boeing 777 airliner and the GM Hummer H2 SUV to illustrate the principles.
The emphasis is on breadth, rather than depth. A brief introduction here to a subject like planning might encourage you to search out more detailed material. In addition, you can learn a bit about several topics that do not feature much in many project management courses, such as ethics in projects, sustainability and handling a project crisis.
You will certainly learn enough about classic project management techniques like discounted cashflow and earned value to put them to use.
Beyond that you will also find lots more stories about real projects here at Project management – Zavanak.
Why should I know about project management?
Project management is a subject just about everyone should know something about. That is because so much work today involves projects. Change is going on constantly, and projects are the best way to adapt to that change and even take advantage of it.
No matter what kind of work you do, at some point it is almost certain that you will find yourself in a project (if you haven’t already). You could be part of the team, managing it, overseeing it, or even being the customer for it. Clearly, project management is for practically everyone.
What is in this Project Management 101 by Zavanak course?
This Project Management 101 by Zavanak course focuses on what you really need to know about project management. So many projects go wrong because they don’t get the basics right – even enormous ones. This course will teach you the fundamentals. How to select the right project. How to plan a project. How to choose a project manager. How to be a project manager. How to pick a great project team. How to manage project risks. And much more.
It also considers fundamental aspects that most project courses don’t consider in any depth. How to make a project sustainable. How to behave ethically in a project. Why are contracts so important in projects? And much more again.
There is a particular focus on the people side of projects. Remember, projects are essentially about people, so there is plenty about the roles of the project manager and project sponsor, fostering and motivating the project team. And really understanding who the stakeholders are and how to deal with them effectively.
How can I use what’s here?
What you learn here can be easily put into practice. The explanations are very clear and there are lots of tools and templates you can employ.
Hopefully, using this material will enable you to avoid lots of common mistakes project teams make. And if you do get into trouble, there is plenty of advice on how to get out of it!
How should I go through Project Management 101 by Zavanak?
The course covers 23 topics in all. Each topic is made up of a number of segments discussed in short programmes – 94 in total, including an introduction.
Beneath each programme there is a link to the corresponding slide deck which you can download.
Of course, there is a comprehensive contents and index to help you navigate to a topic that especially interests you,
Do I have to do the entire Project Management 101 by Zavanak course?
You can start at topic 1 and work all the way through to topic 23 if you want to. Alternatively, you can also dip in and out to learn about particular things.
How you use this course is up to you. It could be a useful complement to another course you are following. By explaining something in a different way, it may help you understand an aspect of projects you have been struggling with. Or it might be that you are curious to know something about a subject you keep hearing about in the news.
So “What do I really need to know about project management?” might mean all of what’s here. On the other hand, it could mean one small topic you have encountered and don’t understand.
Find lots of useful stuff across this site
There is lots of useful stuff about project management across the Zavanak site. The Project management library contains stories about different aspects of projects. It also contains a number of project case studies, as well as tips on how to use discounted cashflow.
Design matters has articles on the human story of the Sydney Opera House. and ‘form follows function’. Both are relevant to defining project requirements. Transport topics covers a number of road and rail projects. And there are one or two project stories hidden in Travellers’ tales.
Get in touch
I shall be delighted to hear from you if you have any queries or comments arising from these programmes. Where relevant, please quote the programme number and the slide that you are referring to. Use the Contact form on the home page of this site.
The video programmes
Acknowledgements
This course represents the accumulation of my knowledge and a tiny bit of wisdom from fifty years in and around projects. Along the way I have learned much from work colleagues, academics and other skilled practitioners, to whom I owe a great debt. That said, what is here represents my perspective on a complex and fast-changing subject. It may not be shared by everyone!
I should also note the software used to create the material. Good old PowerPoint was used to build the slides, insert my talking head and record the voice tracks. A bit of editing on each one was done in Vegas Movie Studio 16. Each video was compressed using NCH Prime Video File Converter. The videos are stored on Vimeo and called up from the Zavanak.com site, created and managed by Blue Cow Digital.
Photographs
The photographs (and graphics) throughout the programmes are intended to reinforce the ideas in the respective slides. They remind us that projects occur in all different kinds of activity. Most of them were taken by me and are unacknowledged. Others have been selected from internet sources, on the understanding that this is a non-commercial site. Particular appreciation is owed to Pexels.com, which has been the source for many of the photographs of people. If you see a photograph or graphic that you think is inappropriately used for any reason, let me know. It will be removed, and the respective video(s) re-edited.