# Project Management Level II: Execution, Controlling, & Closing Canonical URL: ## Overview In this Intermediate/Advanced Project Management course, students delve deeper into project management concepts include task analysis, critical path method, planning, project timelines, and ongoing monitoring. Students will review the five phases of project management, examining the complexities of each stage. Students learn the required skills for executing, controlling, and closing projects, with emphasis placed on budgeting and managing risk. This course is designed to be an engaging, interactive workshop where participation is encouraged throughout. Students will receive a workbook that contains both practical knowledge along with a large variety of exercises to be completed during class. By the end of this course, students will understand how to actively manage projects while they are being executed. Students may take this course as a stand-alone course, or in conjunction with Project Management: Initiation and Planning to be exposed to the complete project management experience. A discount is available for those who enroll in the 2-day [Project Management Bootcamp](/courses/project-management-bootcamp). ### Course Overview Students begin by taking a closer look at the project team. How can a top team be assembled? How can talent best be developed? What characteristics must be looked for? These questions and many others are explored through small group brainstorming and facilitated discussion. Next, the course takes a slightly more quantitative turn, as students transition into the Execution phase of Project Management. In this phase, students will be presented with brief project case studies and will be guided through the process of determining actual costs and the value of work performed through basic calculations and drawing graphs. This will culminate in the analysis of cost performance and estimation of costs at completion. Troubleshooting resources are then discussed, as students encounter mock situations where project resources are either overallocated or limited in quantities. Students will construct the appropriate tables and charts to visually solve these issues. Risk Management is mapped into four categories: identification, assessment, planning, and monitoring. Students will work in teams to examine a sample project and evaluate the potential risk in that project. What meetings should be held? Which reports should be created and who should receive them? What plans need to be drawn up? Students will practice creating efficient project meeting agendas, summarizing progress in the appropriate reports, and creating a plan for optimal communication. Finally, the Closing phase will describe what should be done at the conclusion of the project. Such topics as collecting final payments, recognizing team members, and archiving project details will be covered, with students creating a sample post-project evaluation. This one-day workshop concludes with a brief overview of Project Management software/apps, Project Management associations, and Project Management certifications. ### This Class is For Students That: - Understand the five phases of a project - Know how to create a project proposal and business case - Desire a more in-depth study of project management - Need strategies and tools to work better with a project team ## What you'll learn - Learn to assemble a team and kick off the project - Manage and estimate costs for the project - Maximize your resources - Identify project risks and plan - Learn how to identify project milestones and resources - Utilize Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to prioritize tasks - Manage challenges, changes, and uncertainty ## Prerequisites Knowledge/skills equivalent to our [Project Management Level I](/courses/intro-project-management-courses) course is required. ## Curriculum ### The Project Team #### Team Development - Assembling a Team - Project Kickoff Meeting - Characteristics of Effective Teams - Barriers to Teams #### Stages of Team Development - Stage 1: Forming - Stage 2: Storming - Stage 3: Norming - Stage 4: Performing ### Budgets & Costs #### Types of Costs - Resource cost rates - Reserve analysis - Contingency budget - Cost of quality #### Determining Activity Costs - Estimate Activity Costs #### Determining Project Budget - Calculations - Total Budgeted Cost (TBC) - Time-Phased Budget - Cumulative Budgeted Cost (CBC) ### The Execution Phase #### Determining Actual Costs - Determine Actual Cost - Compare Actual Cost to Budgeted Cost - Actual Accumulated Cost by Period - Cumulative Budgeted & Actual Cost Curve #### Determining the Value of Work Performed - Determine Value of Work Performed - Earned Value (EV) - Cumulative Earned Value #### Cost Performance & Project Status - Analyze Cost Performance - Measure Project Status #### Cost Analysis - Analyze Cost Performance - Cost Performance Index (CPI) - Cost Variance (CV) - Estimating the Cost at Completion - Forecasted Cost at Completion (FCAC) #### Controlling Costs & Corrective Action - Cost Control Steps - When to Take Corrective Action ### Limited Resources: Leveling & Smoothing #### Resource Leveling #### Resource Limited Scheduling ### Risk Management #### Risks & Issues - Identify Risks - Risk Assessment - Probability & Impact Matrix - Risk Appetite #### Common Types of Risks - External Risks - Single Point of Failure #### Risk Mitigation - Common Ways of Dealing With Risk ### Project Communication #### Meetings - Project Kickoff Meeting - Different Types of Meetings #### Reports - Different Types of Reports #### Plans - Project Plans - Document Control Plan - Project Communication Plan ### The Closing Phase #### Final Payments #### Staff Recognition & Evaluation #### Post Project Evaluation #### Lessons Learned #### Archive Project Documents #### Customer Feedback #### Early Project Termination ### Agile Project Management #### Overview of Agile #### The Agile Manifesto #### Agile vs. Waterfall ### Agile Frameworks #### Scrum - Scrum Concepts - Scrum Roles - Why is Scrum So Popular? - When Scrum Works Best #### Kanban - Kanban boards - Work-in-Process (WIP) Limit #### Extreme Programming (XP) - Extreme Programming (XP) Activities - Designing - Coding - Testing - Listening ## Schedule - Jul 13, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Aug 21, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Sep 24, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Oct 29, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Dec 4, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC ## Pricing **Tuition:** $325