Will you use Project Management for your next training program?

     Over the semester of eight weeks, I shared with you the program management process through my postings.  I detailed information about program management in instructional design based on the framework and standards of the Project Management Institute and the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide best practices. During this time I also managed a project of my own utilizing this framework.     

      My training program is designed to improve assessment for a peripheral intravenous insertion and venipuncture course.  To view my finished work click here: Final Project.

 

     As you can see I followed the project management framework.  I initiated my project by composing a project charter and identifying key stakeholders.  In the planning phase, I developed a project management plan, defined the scope and created the work breakdown structure of tasks to be met. Activities were defined and

sequenced.  Budgets were established.  Resources were planned.  Quality planning and risk analysis were identified to meet project expectations with little interruption.  The project was executed, monitored and controlled to verify that the scope was met, the schedule was on time, and the costs were under control. 

     At the end of the project, deliverables were presented, procurement was closed, the stakeholders were released from any further obligations and expectations were met.  

 

     I found the process to be well organized providing direction that saved time and money. Executing the elements of the framework allowed me to identify all the aspects of the project, monitor and control the processes and maintain a schedule for completion effectively.  Through my experience did you discover the benefit of using project management in instructional design?  Was it clear that following this framework made the process of managing a design project easy? 

I hope so, because it did.   

          

Will you use project management for your next training program?   

  

 

Change and Quality Management

Change management meets project objectives.  As the project develops, uncertainties arise that can effect project quality. Change management is the vehicle by which changes are addressed or proposed, implemented and tracked. Having a method by which

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events can be addressed so that changes can be made to help minimize impact on the project quality is critical. Change management maintains the quality of the project by keeping it on time, within scope and within budget (Change management driving, n.d.). 




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Quality Management ensures the finished project meets its objectives; that costs are controlled, and all risks are reduced.  It is this process of overseeing all the activities and tasks of the project that guarantees the deliverables meet performance targets with minimized waste of materials, time, and cost (Quality management building, n.d.). Plan to develop the project. Do communicate the plan. Check to monitor the progress. Act to evaluate and report the results. Then do it all again!

Personal Reflection: 

Over the eight weeks of developing this blog, I have addressed the important aspects of project management.  I began with an introduction about project management and how it applies to instructional design, in particular the ADDIE model as an organizational framework managing costs, time and resources.  I highlighted the importance of task sequencing and analysis to assure projects meet their goals within budget and are delivered on time.  Next, described the importance of effective communication as a way to keep relevant parties informed and clear about the state of the project.  Finally, completed this blog with a comment about the important relationship between change management and quality management and how together they ensure that the finished project meets project specifications and expectations. 

For my practice I found this information about project management invaluable.  I have had the opportunity to reflect on my projects to see how project management could help me better present information, track activities, report status, communicate and engage stakeholders.   It has been overwhelming at the level of detail that is required to do a project well; but once done the benefit of managing and monitoring the status is made easy.

Next week I will upload onto this blog a project I have developed over the semester.  Click on the page, PROJECT PLAN ~ Better Assessment of IV and PIV Training to see an application of the project management in instructional design.  

Cox, D. (2009). Project management skills for instructional designers. (1st ed.). Bloomington, IN: iUniverse

Change management driving successful change. In (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/change-management.html

Quality management building quality from the start. In (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/quality-management.html

 

 
 
 

Effective Communication

Say what you mean and mean what you say....

Effective communication is the dissemination of significant information through oral and written means (Cox, 2009).  Instructional project designers use effective communication to build an understanding of a project (Bourne, 2011) and reduce negative influences.  Information must be succinct and clear to eliminate misrepresentations about the project.  Communication barriers such as perception, beliefs, attitudes, values and noise can lead to message breakdowns (Cox, 2009).  Information that is selective or subjective can lead to misconceptions by the stakeholders.  Stakeholders themselves can misinterpret information because of their own perceptions. Lack of communication is equally detrimental to a project plan. 

For a project to be successful, effective communication needs to be informative, instructional and persuasive.  To achieve this, the message goals, objectives, scope, costs, timelines, expectations, roles and responsibilities need to be addressed and targeted to the responsible stakeholder.  To clarify roles and responsibilities, project tasks are clearly assigned, given a due date, and given a level of expectation. Typical communication methods include presentations, emails, newsletters, phone calls, and websites.   

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Click on the picture to learn effective applications of emails, phone calls, instant messaging and meetings in project management. Use emails for concise messages and the phone for complex or emotional issues. Instant messaging is best used for brief exchanges. Hold face-to-face meetings to cut down on sporadic, daily communications between team members. 

Personal Reflection:

Over the past week I have thought about communication and how I use it to express myself with my family, friends, and students. Often I tell someone who isn’t clear with their message to say what you mean and mean what you say.  In the courses I teach I think of the syllabus as the contract between me and my students.  This form of communication states what is expected to be delivered during the course and what is expected by the students over the semester.  It is clear and concise and spells out exactly what I intend to do. It says what I mean and means what I say.  When one of my students feels unclear about the course it is easy to refer to the syllabus for clarity.  This is also true with project management. Without clear and precise communication there can be a breakdown in the progression of the project. It is important that what was intended in the message is what was interpreted. Project managers need to make sure all parties involved in a project are receiving the information they need to feel connected and informed. Information must be made available in a timely fashion especially project status, finances and time frame. It is also important to remember that communication is bidirectional. This means project managers need to address the concerns of the stakeholders. Any conflicts, barriers or negative influences can be minimized with frequent and effective communication.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourne, L. (2011, June 23). Project communication: A visual understanding. Retrieved from http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2011/06/project-communications-a-visua.html

Cox, D. (2009). Project management skills for instructional designers. (1st ed.). Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.

    

Task Analysis and Sequencing

In project management, task analysis is the identification of the processes needed to support the training program (Cox, 2009).   Task sequencing is the organization of the tasks to enhance comprehension and retention (Cox, 2009).  The task analysis is organized by a hierarchical framework beginning with the primary level of what the learner needs to be able to do or know.  Each primary level can be broken down into more detail including main and supporting tasks to accomplish the primary objective (Haughey, n.d.).   Tasks can be physical, intellectual, or cognitive to deepen the understanding of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the training (Cox, 2009).  Typically the task sequencing is ranked by importance based on the time spent, difficulty, and significance.   

Project management like Instructional Systems Design is a framework of tasks to be accomplished. It is the planning, organization, and supervision of the project of instructional design.  It is not the development of the content.   The process of Project Mangement is to oversee the scope, costs, and time to produce a quality product by managing resources and keeping within budget. 

This youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwdlqf-YS2o is part of a series of webcasts about sequencing learning experiences. It introduces and explains why it is important to sequence instruction; what is sequenced learning; and how to a create sequenced instructional material that best meets the needs of the learner. 

This second video in the series, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWrAluSVZb4 goes on to describe stratgies to produce sequenced learning. It begins with the assumption that learning is hierarchical.  That means that the learner must have prior knowledge to build upon to learn the new content. The project manager must identify what baseline of knowledge the learner must have and sequence tasks based on this information to meet the objectives of the new instruction. 

The final video in the trilogy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35_lPjHpK8o offers another strategy to produce sequenced learning.  Procedural analysis is different from hierarchical strategy in that it recommends to sequence the learning in the order in which the task will be used.  The video has a great example that explains well the concept.  
 

Personal reflection:

From the lessons this week it becomes more apparent the importance of project management in producing instructional design that meets the scope of the stakeholders, on time and within budget.  After initiating the project a needs analysis is done to determine whether training is the solution and whether it will deliver the desired results (Cekada, 2011). Concluding that training is needed, a task analysis with task sequencing identifies the objectives to be met and measured. Systematically each task is broken down to a level of detail necessary to improve comprehension and retention.  This organization and leadership guides the process to produce the instructional design.     

Cekada, T. L. (2011, December). Need training? conducting an effective needs assessment. Professional safety, 56(12), 28-34. 

Cox, D. (2009). Project management skills for
    instructional designers. (1st ed.).
    Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.

Haughey, D. (n.d.). An introduction to
    project management. Retrieved from
   http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-to-project-management.html

 

Developing Project Management Skills

Welcome to my blog about Project Management for Instructional Designers!

Over the course of the next eight weeks, I will be developing a four part series based on the framework and standards of the Project Management Institute and the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide as it applies to the ADDIE model of instructional systems design (Cox, 2009). 

The ADDIE model is an instructional system design that guides the creator through the five elements of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation to create a learning program (Hodell, 2011).  Project Management is the leadership needed in the planning, organization and supervision of a project.  Combining the ADDIE model with the methodology of project management, instructional learning programs are developed within the constraints of scope, cost and time that meet the customer quality requirements (Haughey, n.d.). 

The process begins with analysis.  Analysis is used to determine the gap between what you want and what you have (Cox, 2009).  It includes gathering data about the testing population, current deficiencies, availability of resources, budgets, timeframe and assesses whether it is adequate for the project. 

Projects are temporary endeavors that address a specific need. They analyze a current situation and design, develop, and deliver as a solution or improvement. Within the process, goals, objectives, and critical success factors are detailed as well as the development of content, the confirmation of resources, the time constraints, and the determination of costs.  With a definite beginning and end, they are a bundled solution whose ongoing instruction solves a problem or makes improvements (Cox, 2009).   
 

Click here to view a You Tube video about Project Management.   It is hosted by Rita Mulcahy, an expert in advanced project management.  Her recommendation is to begin the process by asking all participants to define the project.  It is important that everyone knows what the final outcome is. 

Personal Reflection:

This is an amazing concept.  Taking the benefits of project management and applying those to instructional systems design.  I always thought of project management as an advanced concept only used in the fortune five hundred companies.  The benefits of providing a roadmap from inception to completion gives structure and organization for how the project gets from start to finish. Most importantly, it helps meet the goals and objects by outlining what needs to be done, how it will get done, what it will cost, who will do it, what resources are needed, and when it will be done.  These are very simple questions but missing anyone of the key steps can lead to an overrun of costs and time while not meeting the scope of the project.   All of which decrease satisfaction of the stakeholders.  As this blog continues to develop, information regarding how this can be achieved with project management will be given.  Concepts include:

1. Project management plan

2. Project development and implementation

3. Executing, monitoring, and controlling the quality of the project

4. Evaluating and closing a project

Cox, D. (2009). Project management skills for instructional designers. (1st ed.). Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.

Haughey, D. (n.d.). An introduction to project management. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-to-project-management.htm

Hodell, C. (2011). Isd from the ground up. (3rd ed.). Chelsea, MI: Sheridan Books, Inc