Providing Administrative Support for Projects

Overview

Course duration: 2 days.

This two-day course has been designed to provide a clear understanding of what constitutes a project, the project process and project administration (including Project Office), to enableyou to provide more effective support to ongoing and new projects.

If you are involved in ongoing and new projects, you will find this course invaluable in helping you deal with the tools, communication skills and assertiveness that you need to support the project manager.

Is it right for me?

For those who need a clear understanding of project planning, processes, documentation and controls to provide effective administrative support for projects.

What will I learn?

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Clearly define what constitutes a project and the key stages of the project process.
• Recognise the role of the project manager and identify how you can maximise the administrative support you provide.
• Recognise the role and benefits of the Project Support Office
• Introduce systems and documentation to manage and record key project information and monitor project performance.
• Interpret project management tools such as Gantt charts and work breakdown structures.
• Set agendas for project meetings and produce accurate minutes.
• Keep the project manager and project participants effectively briefed on project deadlines, performance and progress.

What will it cover?

Understanding Project Management

• What is a project?
• The project manager - role and responsibilities
• Understanding the objectives and scope of a project
• Roles and responsibilities of team members
• Providing administrative support to projects - the essential skills and qualities required
• How the Project Support Office has evolved.
• The role of the Project Support Office
• Building a positive working relationship with the project manager

Project Management Tools

• How to interpret project plans and documentation - what information do you need?
• Identifying the key deadlines, resource requirements and quality issues
• Setting up processes for managing and monitoring project progress
• Resource and task scheduling
• Helping to monitor project costs and performance against the plans
• Key documentation to help keep projects on track and team members informed

Coordinating Meetings, Agendas and Minutes

• Preparing effectively for meetings - working with the chairperson and setting the agenda
• Your role and responsibilities in the meeting
• Knowing what information to record - asking for clarification

Information Technology in Projects

• How IT can provide assistance in the administration of projects
• Visual and graphic information

Communicating Effectively in a Project Environment

• The barriers to effective communication in projects
• Your central communication role as the project administrator - keeping everybody informed
• Listening and questioning techniques

Assertive, Confident and Persuasive Communication

• Having the right to disagree - developing your assertiveness skills
• Dealing with difficult people
• Making and dealing with difficult requests
• Developing a persuasive communication style
• Gaining support and commitment from others

Personal Development

• Formulating a personal action plan

Trainer Profile

George Baxter

There is clearly a growing need for administrative support for projects. I will help simplify the terminology and support delegates in how to take their skills back into their workplace with greater confidence.

We will step through the stages of a project and discuss the various roles and documentation associated with projects to gain a better understanding of what we need to do to assist and support project managers in delivering successful projects.

Using a range of practical exercises, delegates will learn in a fun environment, developing their own action plans to take back into the workplace.

The Faculty

Along with Teresa Benzinski and Frances Scott, George Baxter is part of the dedicated faculty team who will deliver this course. The initials next to each date below indicate which trainer is scheduled to deliver which event.