Project Management, Applied Learning Program

This document outlines the SUKAD Applied Learning Program-Essentials (ALP-E ). 
This program is a unique learning program that SUKAD have developed to help professionals in clients’ organization learning project management, effectively, and build their project management competence. We designed this program for professionals who will lead or manage business projects  or participate on projects’ teams. At the end of this program, the participants will be able to manage small to medium projects that require a few resources and may last for weeks or months. The program will also benefit those delegates who will work on large and complex projects. However, for those candidates who will manage large and complex projects, we propose the advanced programs, such as ALP-1. ALP-1 is also based on the CAMMP™ Model, but it is 21 days. 

Why Applied Learning?

Project management is an applied domain and the best way to learn it is on the job by applying the concepts. Secondly, project management must be performed in teams, and not by an individual or an incongruous group of individuals.
Numerous researches by top professional organizations and SUKAD research and observations in the region, suggest that classroom training, especially of a generic nature, is not enough. Even when the training leads to certifications from global project management associations, the desired learning outcomes have not been achieved. Some reasons for this may be:
1.    Most training programs depend on lectures and injecting knowledge. That knowledge is maintained until the exam, but quickly forgotten after, if not practiced on the job. Again, this is true even with generic certifications like the PMP (Project Management Professional) and PRINCE2. Unless those professionals who achieved these certifications are empowered to develop, or update, or enhance the Organizational Project Management system, then the return on investment from these training programs is reduced to a minimal.

2.    Most training, and in particular certification preparation (with the exception of the newly established PRINCE2 Professional), focuses on individual knowledge as the main requirement to pass the exam. 

3.    Generic training often neglects the real life workplace dynamics in organizations, and often the techniques learned in class, even when participants buy into them, are quickly discarded by the work environment as wasteful and unnecessary.
At SUKAD we believe that learning has occurred when behavior has changed for the benefit of both the organization and the individual.
This means that the emphasis must be on creating shared workplace knowledge, leading to the formation of a collective mental model in a given environment. Such a model may include an organization specific OPM system, but also the tacit knowledge of which techniques should be selected and which team members are best suited to a particular project.

For project management, the ideal learning environment is to blend and integrates:

• classroom lectures, with 
• practice through individual and group exercises on real or realistic project, in the classroom, and 
• if the program supplements the classroom work with on-the-job practice on a REAL project, working with a project sponsor, and a mentor/coach if available. 

In organizations where there is an established project management department or office, an internal mentor or coach would be helpful. However, if such mentors are not available, or the organization does not have a PM Department or PMO, then SUKAD Principal Consultant can fill that role. In either case, a sponsor, or project owner is necessary, and a real project would be preferred.

In other words, if organizations want the prevailing culture to change, high level support is necessary to facilitate such change, and real life scenarios are needed to ensure relevance of the learning.

Section 2: The Program
Structure of the Program:  The way the program works is per the following five-stage model:
1.    Pre-Workshops

• Sponsor (project owner) and Manager (of program candidate) to identify a real project from the organization. We prefer to have a new project, one that has not started yet. The project should be appropriate in size and complexity to fit the program objectives.
• Sponsor/Manager to identify individuals that the organization wants them to learn project management and can work on that project for the duration of the program and possibly beyond.
• Ideally, the team should be three to six professionals.
• There could be more than one team, each working on a different project, or the teams can compete on the same project. Competition could give them an incentive if there is a reward for the best team.

2.    First Cycle

• The learning program will start with 1-day workshop. In this workshop, the consultant will introduce the team members to key concepts, via a 1-day classroom training.
• It will be ideal if the sponsors attend the opening session – the first hour. 
• Team members can start to apply the concepts in the classroom but only to determine any gaps in understanding the concepts.
• Next, the team members will go back to work and start to practice what they learned in class and implement it on their real project. During this period, SUKAD Consultant can mentor, coach, support via online mechanisms (emails, Skype, WhatsApp).
• These team members might have to utilize other resources in the organization who are not part of the learning program.

3.    The Other Cycles

• The team will meet again with the consultant via another 1-day classroom session to:
  • Finalize the deliverables from the previous workshop and on the job period,
  • Start to learn new concepts, and 
  • Practice in class to identify gaps and clarify understanding.
• Another work period to continue the work and practice what have been learned.
• The cycles will repeat until the last workshop. Refer to Program Outline below.

4.    Final Session

• The last day in the program will be for all teams to present their work in front of their managers, sponsors, and other representatives from the organization.
• If the organization’s management decide to have a competition, then a judging panel will be required to award first, second, and third place, if there are three teams.
• It would be highly motivational if the organization agrees to a graduation ceremony, even a basic one will be of value.

5.    Post ALP-E

• All graduates will have access to SUKAD Online Portal and Blog Site.
• All graduates can also contact our Principal Consultant on as needed basis – online.

Course Outline:

Day 1

1.    Program Introduction and Rules
2.    Introduction to Project Management
3.    Overview of a Project Management Method (CAMMP™)
4.    Discover Phase: Concept Stage and Feasibility Stage
5.    Deliverables : Project Brief, Project Feasibility Study, and Project Authorization Document

Day 2
1.    Review and finalize deliverables from the previous workshop
2.    Development Phase: Requirements Stage
3.    Deliverables: Project Requirements Document

Day 3
1.    Review and finalize deliverables from the last workshop
2.    Development Phase: Strategy Stage
3.    Deliverables: Project Strategies (Procurement, Sustainability, Delivery) and the Project Management and Control Plan.

Day 4
1.    Review and finalize deliverables from the previous workshop
2.    Development Phase: Definition Stage
3.    Deliverables: Project Scope of Work and Project Detailed Plan

Day 5 
1.    Review and complete deliverables from the last workshop
2.    Delivery Phase: Implementation Stage
3.    Stage Focus: There are no pre-defined deliverables in this stage since it is doing the project work. The various deliverables will be defined in the previous workshop, with the Project Detailed Plan. Consequently, this workshop will focus on implementing the work, control, and change management.

Day 6 
1.    Review and finalize deliverables from the previous workshop
2.    Delivery Phase: Operational Readiness Stage & Close Stage
3.    Deliverables: Operational Readiness Deliverables (a function of the project), Handover, Final Acceptance, and Close Out Report.

Day 7
1.    All teams to present their work to their managers, sponsors, and other management and organizational representatives as necessary.
2.    Graduation.

Between Workshops and Critical Success Factors

a.    It would be preferred to have three to six weeks gaps between workshops. SUKAD and the project owners will have to decide on the duration of this period since it is a function of the projects and organizational interest.
b.    The teams must work in close cooperation with their sponsors and mentor/coach and take the learning seriously; these are real projects.
c.    The final presentations are important to encourage the team members to do the best they can do. A competition and reward system will help.

Mounir is an executive, entrepreneur, author, global speaker, social activist, and project management thought leader with close to 30 years of professional experience in project management, especially working on capital investment projects.

Mounir professional experience is global and earned in the United States, United Kingdom, South East Asia and West Asia. He has been involved with projects worth billions of dollars while working with global leaders such as Exxon, Shell, BASF, Total, and Saudi Aramco. His past roles included estimating, planning, control and services management, project manager, and executive management.

Mounir is an active volunteer leaders and he has held numerous global roles, as a volunteer. These include: PMI® Congress Project Action Team, PMI® Advisory Group for Registered Education Provider program, judging panel on PMI® providers and educational awards. However, Mounir does not volunteer anymore for PMI and he prefers to volunteer his time on other valuable causes.

Mounir was also a co-founder of the Global Project and Process Management Association (GPPMA) and served as Board of Director Chairperson for 3 years.

Mounir has a Master Degree in Engineering & Construction Management from the top ranked University of California Berkeley in 1990. He is a graduate of PMI Leadership Institute Master Class. He earned his Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification in 1998 (but did not renew it) and he is also a Risk Management Professional.

For more information about Mounir please visit his personal website and Career Timeline.