Details

Category: Core Skills

Published: Tuesday, 11 August 2020 12:33

Written by: Matt Pye - HWD

Overview

This workshop uses delegates' own projects and experience to introduce methods for managing analytical projects from end-to-end, using relevant tools along the way.  It also emphasises the people management aspects required to ensure stakeholders support and engage with analysts.  

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the key concepts and context of analytical projects, including their role in addressing problems, implementing change, and fostering innovation.

2. Differentiate between different types of analytical projects and assess the implications associated with each type.

3. Learn project terminology, definitions, and the analytical project lifecycle stages, while recognising that projects may not always follow a linear path.

4. Identify the roles and skills required for effective leadership and teamwork in analytical projects, including the role of project boards for governance.

5. Develop a project definition that encompasses the needs and expectations of stakeholders, ensuring their support and engagement throughout the project.

6. Gain proficiency in time and activity planning, including an overview of planning levels and tools, such as understanding activities, milestones, dependencies, and building a Bar/Gantt Chart.

7. Enhance communication and influencing skills as an analyst, particularly in the context of stakeholder management and the stakeholder communication cycle.

8. Learn effective techniques for day-to-day project management, including monitoring progress, identifying and handling issues, managing changes through change control, and obtaining sign-offs.

9. Develop strategies for communicating with stakeholders and reporting project progress, utilising formal reporting and update reporting frameworks such as the ABCD framework.

10. Acquire knowledge on reviewing and closing projects, including handing over deliverables to end-users, confirming benefits realisation, conducting project reviews, sharing learning points, and preparing close-out reports.

Topics include:

• Analytical & Research Projects

• Why A&R projects are “different”
• Recognising what type of project you have

• Programmes vs. projects

• Project initiation
  • Setting up a project for success (objectives, scope)
  • Roles and responsibilities (Sponsor/PM etc.)
  • High-level planning - milestones and risks
• Stakeholder management
  • Identifying and recognising different types of stakeholder
  • Engagement and relationship management strategies
  • Communications planning
• Planning principles and tools
  • How to develop plans
  • Planning tools for Waterfall and Agile projects
• Managing risks and issues
  • Identifying and assessing risks
  • Problem definition and approach to deal with issues
• Making progress and keeping control
  • Project team meetings 
  • Monitoring and reporting progress
  • Dealing with changes
• Identifying and managing benefits
  • Benefits mapping
  • Measurement and performance indicators
• Lessons learnt
  • Why projects succeed or fail
  • Avoiding the pitfalls

How our virtual classrooms work

Our Virtual Classroom courses allows you to attend our classroom training without leaving your home or office. We use the ‘Microsoft Teams’ meeting software. Before you attend, please check that you meet the system requirements. If it doesn’t work, try adjusting your settings or contact your IT department to ask about permitting the website.

You are also welcome to use your personal laptop, tablet or even your smart phone. Please just forward our course invite to your personal email, or just copy and paste the link into your browser.

If you encounter any problems, please feel free to get in touch. We can set up a test meeting before the course.