Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Online PMP Training For Aspiring And Existing Professionals

By Katrina Wheeler


Project management evolved in the years immediately following World War II to expedite the efficient completion of complex projects. This relatively new discipline is now a discrete profession within the broader field of business management. It uses dedicated techniques, methodologies and processes to complete projects within budget, schedule and specifications. Online PMP training is designed for persons wanting to formally obtain the technical knowledge needed to attain professional certification. Both degree and certificate courses are offered by a range of accredited institutions.

Certificate and degree courses are available. They will be of interest to a broad range of individuals either working on or likely to be affected by projects. For example, the courses will be of value to project stakeholders. A stakeholder is essentially any person or group that has some interest in the workings or outcome of a project. This includes project sponsor(s), individuals that are responsible for completing a project, those will gain from its successful completion, those that will lose from its completion as well as individuals or groups that may influence the success of a project.

Specific examples of project stakeholders include senior management, project managers, project team members, and the final user groups or consumers. In some cases, the wider public is also a stakeholder because of, say, the environmental, aesthetic and property value impacts of proposed projects. Internet-based education can help interested parties better navigate through the associated intricacies associated with complex projects.

A professional team of functional specialists assists the manager perform these activities. These specialists cover more conventional management areas such as raw material supply, accounting, human resources, risk assessment and control, quantitative analysis and information technology. The online programs provide instruction on these disciplines with an emphasis on their execution within a project context.

The courses cover a range of topics including work breakdown structure (WBS), comprehensive plan, business case, communications strategy, charter document, progress status report, feasibility study, scope, statement of work (SOW), risk plan, root cause analysis, human resource plan as well as the all-important matters of quality assurance and quality control. They also cover how best to accomplish post-completion tasks such as the lessons learned review and final audits.

The instruction is often structured into discrete modules. The modules cover the five standard project process groups or phases. These are the initiation, planning, execution, controlling and closing process groups. This modularization allows professionals to focus on specific project components of relevance to them.

Professional certification is now set by many organizations as a standard requirement for advancing in the industry. Dedicated individuals can complete the required study in conventional brick and mortar institutions or they can choose the convenience and flexibility of web-based instruction.

Project executives supporting the manager will find online PMP training will their functional knowledge. Alternatively, the instruction can also help their acquisition of new skills and broaden their knowledge base in preparation for new roles with greater responsibility. Individuals can complete the study flexibly in line with their own personal schedule and financial resources.




About the Author:



No comments: