Course Description

Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB)

 

Audience

This course is designed for NASA's technical workforce, including systems engineers and project personnel who seek to develop the competencies required to succeed as a leader of a project team, functional team, or small project.

 

Goal

This 4.5-day course is an intensive experience aimed at building capabilities needed to achieve project team objectives and to synthesize the project management practices learned through previous practice and study. This laboratory provides a unique opportunity to identify, understand, and practice effective leadership behaviors in a project team setting.

 

Learning Methods

The Project Leadership Lab is a highly interactive experiential program design. Developed from more than thirty years of applied research and continuous user input and innovation, the program is anchored by a complex computer simulation exploring a project launch—employing multiple decision-tree scenarios that activate dynamic variations and realistic outcomes. As part of a small team, participants are responsible for implementing a computer-simulated project. Participant teams collectively confront and resolve an array of problems associated with tasks, vendors, consultants, time, quality, customer interactions, and staff with varying personalities, skills and experience.

 

"I gained insight into the nuances and intricacies of managing the people side of a project while maintaining focus on cost/schedule, and the importance of taking time to listen to people and match skills appropriately."

Specific Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Lead in ambiguous, complex environments.
• Develop adaptive leadership skills: recognizing when to focus on technical versus adaptive problems.
• Create defensible, flexible plans.
• Employ effective leadership techniques and improve interpersonal effectiveness.
• Manage risks.
• Identify complex project trade-off decisions.
• Lead and improve project team performance.

Competencies and Technical Areas Addressed

• Budget and Full Cost Management
• Contract Management
• Cost Estimating
• Leadership
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Project Control
• Project Planning
• Project Proposal
• Requirements Development
• Risk Management
• Systems Engineering
• Team Dynamics and Management

Notes

• The American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended that 3 transferable graduate-level credits be awarded for the successful completion of this course.
• This course is registered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) for 31 Professional Development Units (PDUs). PMI Course ID: PMLAB19