Project Management Essentials for Environmental Professionals (Part 2)

Certificate Inforamtion: If you are interested in receiving a certificate, you must complete the 3rd section of the survey which is labeled “Certificate.” Please make sure you complete all the questions in that section. We encourage but do not require you to complete the other two sections for a certificate.

Course Description:

This course is designed to help environmental professionals better serve their organizations and advance their careers through the development and improvement of project management skills. The workshop addresses the five processes and nine knowledge areas covered in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide. It is designed for environmental service professionals and includes examples drawn from air quality, water quality, solid and hazardous waste, and environmental assessment project experience.

Learning objectives:

Part 1-1: The Framework of Modern Project Management. Distinguish between projects and operations. List five processes included in project management discipline. List nine knowledge areas included in project management discipline. Distinguish between project sponsors, stakeholders, managers, and clients.

Part 1-2: Getting it Right: Project Scoping and Planning. Review elements involved in project initiation and planning. Define the elements of a project charter. Define a work breakdown structure. Identify tools used for project scheduling. Review tools to support cost estimating and risk analysis.

Part 1-3: It’s about the Money: Project Finances. Identify the three elements of a project budget. Review tips for how to manage cash flow.

Part 2-1: It’s about Quality, Too: Project Quality Management. Understand the relationship between quality management and the project life cycle. Define quality management. Identify 5 tools that support project quality management.

Part 2-2: Keeping the Team Informed: Project Communications. Examine simple tools for improving project-related communications. Why project instructions and progress reports are important. How to lead an effective meeting and how to get the most from participating.

Part 2-3: Driving Continual Improvement: Project Closing. Review six steps to effective project closing. Learn the purpose of these steps.

Class length:

2 webinars, 1.5 and 2 hours long

Who should attend:

This course is designed to provide an overview of project management terms and concepts. It is appropriate for those without detailed training in project management tools and techniques who are interested in ways to improve their effectiveness as project managers.

About the instructor:

David Elam founded Summa Consultants, Inc. in 1999 after nearly 20 years in the technical consulting business. As a consulting scientist, David helps science and engineering firms build successful enterprises through the practical application of project and quality management systems. His experience includes project execution, project management, business development, quality systems design and implementation, mergers and acquisitions, training, and consulting firm management. Before starting Summa, David was employed as a Vice President, Project Director, and Practice Leader for an Engineering News-Record (ENR) 25 Environmental Consulting and Engineering Firm.

David is a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), a Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), a Qualified Source Testing Observer (QSTO I-IV), and member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA), the Carolina Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA), the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Source Evaluation Society (SES). He holds an MS degree in Chemistry and a BS degree in Microbiology.

Since 2007, David has authored PM File, a bimonthly column in EM Magazine. PM File focuses on the project management challenges facing the environmental, health, and safety profession. Copies of recent articles may be viewed at http://www.summaconsultants.com/publications/.

David can be contacted at:

Summa Consultants, Inc.
100 Deerfield Trail
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
P: 919.967.0500
F: 888.498.5842
E: delam@summaconsultants.com