A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or
more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two
months apart.
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons
are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have
to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until
the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each
lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such,
we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final
exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work,
including the final exam.
Week One
Wednesday - Lesson 01
What’s the big hurry? Don’t be kept in the dark about why you’re required to manage your project at such a fast pace. In this lesson, you’ll learn the reasons. Then you’ll be in the driver’s seat and ready to focus on running a successful project.
Friday - Lesson 02
Three factors are always critical to the success of any project. In this lesson, we'll take a close look at each factor. You’ll also learn what speed indicators are and how to use them to stay on top of a fast-moving project.
Week Two
Wednesday - Lesson 03
In this lesson, we'll look at Factor 1: The team. The project team members are the keys to your success. You’ll learn techniques to motivate and keep a team focused while working at high speed.
Friday - Lesson 04
This lesson is all about Factor 2: Time vs. Money. We’ll look at actual case studies to illustrate new ways of adjusting project speed and increasing overall productivity.
Week Three
Wednesday - Lesson 05
This lesson addresses Factor 3: Risk. Managing risk at the speed of light is not for the fainthearted, but it can work to the advantage of the well-prepared manager. In this lesson, we'll explore the risks that are most prevalent and learn how to plan for them when and if they occur.
Friday - Lesson 06
In this lesson, you’ll learn the first five steps of fast-track planning. Quickly creating a comprehensive project plan is crucial to staying on target. We'll look at ways to abbreviate the process from developing a scope statement to finalizing the project team.
Week Four
Wednesday - Lesson 07
Today’s lesson continues the planning process by addressing when and if you should use network diagrams and critical path analysis. You'll learn how to estimate time and costs that are in sync with an e-speed project. And we'll review the pros and cons of the critical chain management theory.
Friday - Lesson 08
We'll continue the planning process in this lesson. Here, you'll look at templates and real-world examples that will demonstrate how to speed up the development of plans for project procurement, quality management, and risk management.
Week Five
Wednesday - Lesson 09
Today, we'll take a look at the final steps in the planning process. You’ll examine templates and real-life examples for rapid development of change control plans, communication and management plans, and the final project plan. You'll also learn the importance of obtaining plan approval sign-off and when and why to use a kickoff meeting.
Friday - Lesson 10
In this lesson, you’ll see that the project plan is finalized and primed to provide a roadmap and navigational aides for the e-speed project. You'll learn how to allocate time and effort to achieve the greatest advantages for the project. We'll pay special attention to applying the best practices for managing tasks, quality assurance, team development and verification, and progress meetings.
Week Six
Wednesday - Lesson 11
Projects developed at e-speed require strict processes for managing changes in performance, scope, quality, risk, schedule and cost. In this lesson, we’ll take a close look at the value of management toolkits that are simplified and easy to use.
Friday - Lesson 12
The project is not over until you cross the finish line and throw all the shutdown switches. This lesson is designed to walk you through the final seven steps to end the project on a positive and professional note.