Sustaining Critical Project Skills
Advanced Business Learning’s approach to high performing project and project management teams starts with client collaboration, followed by a skills assessment against stated objectives, further followed by skills development training. The final phase concludes with an internal client team of PM Assessors, skilled and qualified to maintain the highest standards of performance over the long term. 
The following information is presented as a starting point, with the intention of each step being modified and configured for and with each client organization.
Organizational assessments are a well-practiced approach for an organization to assess its relative project process capabilities and maturity. Additionally, aligning these measures with a maturity model (5-stages) enables the organization to track and monitor process capability growth.
As demonstrated throughout numerous industries, process improvements:
- ⇒ yield greater organizational capacity (ability to get more work achieved with existing resources)
- ⇒ create sustainable pace (reduced overtime required; reduced project chaos)
- ⇒ improve project requirements’ collection and management
- ⇒ increase accuracy of project estimate
- ⇒ effectively manage change
- ⇒ effectively identify and manage risks
- ⇒ improve overall project efficiency, communications and coordination
ABL’s Unique Hybrid PM Efficiency Approach
Project Capabilities Maturity
A popular implementation was developed in the late 1980’s by the DoD and Carnegie Mellon University research team for measuring software process capability and maturity. This model and successors have been implemented worldwide with measurable success.
Given widespread acceptance and usage of this model, ABL has adopted a similar approach for evaluating the Project Management process capability and maturity for our clients. ABL offers a professional Project Management process assessment program as well as a Project Management assessment training program (Sustaining Critical Project Skills – SCPS) to assist organizations in training internal Project Management Assessors.
What’s in it for you?
ABL’s Sustaining Critical Project Skills – SCPS course targets organizations who are interested in establishing, sustaining, and/or enhancing a Continuous Process Improvement initiative which requires periodic process assessments.
Internal Project Assessors Drive Continuous Improvement 
This training course focuses on developing internal Project Management Assessors capable of conducting critical internal project assessments and providing feedback findings to the organization for on-going process improvement.
If desired, the organization may utilize ABL’s professional Project Management process assessment as a means to ensure external, professional, unbiased PM process maturity feedback to unify periodic internal assessments as well.
Course Details Sustaining Critical Project Skills (SCPS) course is designed to train internal resources (i.e. Candidate Assessors) the opportunity to experience the PM assessment process in hands-on activities by participating in an actual assessment or via ABL case studies. Additionally, this course provides Candidate Assessors the means to become a Qualified Project Assessor (QPA).
Course Participants’ Roles
»» ABL Lead PM Assessor is the instructor, the mentor, the SME, and the Lead Assessor.
If the assessment uses actual organizational project data, the course attendees will include client organizational leadership and appointed Project Team Leaders (each identified and provided from the organization).
»» Candidate PM Assessors are identified and provided by the organization.
ABL recommends 6 to 12 participants for the course, combining existing Project Team Leads (3-6) and Assessor Candidates (3-6).
They participate in all classroom activities and participate in all meetings including but not limited to:
Introduction → Evaluation/Interviews → Assessment Findings Report (AFR) Presentation
The hands-on activities are facilitated by the ABL Lead PM Assessor and the candidate PM Assessors.
In the absence of actual project data for class training and assessment activities, the course will use case studies to simulate the entire assessment process.
Outcome: Participation in these sessions and expert judgment of the ABL Lead Assessor qualifies the Candidate Assessor to become a Qualified Project/Manager Assessor (QPMA).
»» Organizational leadership showing support for the program
Required during the introduction of the Assessment (Day-1) and the final day (driving the “go forward plan”) from the Assessment Findings Report (AFR)
»» Project Team Leads
Required participation throughout the individual Evaluation/Interview sessions, as assigned by the organization
COURSE SYLLABUS – Standard 5 Day COTS Program
Day-1:
Introductions and Course Overview
- Project Senior Organizational, Team Leads, Assessment candidates, and Assessor meet
- Review and confirm identified projects for evaluation
- Review and confirm team leads and associated sessions
- Explain Assessment process and tools
- Explain Assessment outcomes and recommendations
Session-1
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Project Authorization processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Project Stakeholder Identification
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Stakeholder Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Project Management Plan processes
Session-2
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Scope Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Schedule Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Cost Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Quality Management Planning processes
Session-3
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Resource Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Communications Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Risk Management Planning processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Procurement Management Planning processes
Day-2:
Session-4
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Project Knowledge Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Quality Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Resource Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Communications Management processes
Session-5
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Resource Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Procurement Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Stakeholders Management processes
Day-3:
Session-6
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Monitor/Control Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Change Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Validation Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Scope Control Management processes
Session-7
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Control Schedule Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Cost Control Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Validation Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Scope Management processes
Day-4:
Session-8
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Quality Control Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Resource Control Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Communications Monitoring Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Risk Control Management processes
Session-9
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Procurement Monitoring Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Stakeholder Control Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Stakeholder Monitoring Management processes
- Evaluate/Interview Team leads on Closing Management processes
Day-5:
Session-10:
- Review with candidate assessors how to identify, assimilate, and group findings
- Review with candidate assessors how correlate maturity levels
- Review with candidate assessors how to report findings and maturity levels
Session-11:
- Report findings to Organization Senior Management
- Identify and Plan next steps
- Close assessment
Contact ABL for more information and pricing of this Program
Tom Jenkins – 480.203.5748 or Susan Morris – 480.227.5134
email info@advancedbusinesslearning.com