PMI-SP®: professional project scheduling mastery

Module 1: establishing schedule strategy

• Establishing schedule configuration management policies and procedures: baseline control, archiving and retrieval.
• Developing the scheduling approach according to the project's unique characteristics and environmental factors.
• Defining parameters, including methodology, performance thresholds, granularity and EVM, to standardise operating procedures.
• Providing team members with information on scheduling objectives, roles and procedures.

Module 2: planning and developing the schedule

• Developing work, organisational and resource breakdown structures: WBS, OBS and RBS.
• Defining and sequencing activities and milestones, incorporating internal and external dependencies and constraints.
• Estimating activity durations using techniques such as three-point estimating and PERT.
• Identifying critical and near-critical paths using the critical path method and critical chain.
• Performing schedule risk analysis with Monte Carlo simulation and what-if scenarios.
• Establishing the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) for performance measurement.

Module 3: monitoring and controlling the schedule

• Collecting activity status and updating project progress.
• Performing schedule analyses and audits using industry standards.
• Identifying alternative execution options through scenario analysis (what-if) to optimise the schedule.
• Integrating approved risk mitigation activities through the change control process.
• Updating the schedule model and documenting baseline changes to maintain accuracy and facilitate forensic analysis.

Module 4: closing the schedule

• Obtaining final acceptance of contractual schedule components.
• Evaluating final schedule performance against the original baseline.
• Updating organisational assets by documenting lessons learned and best practices.
• Archiving schedule files, including the final model, management plan and status logs, to meet contractual requirements.

Module 5: managing stakeholder communication

• Developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships to strengthen schedule support.
• Creating and maintaining project schedule visibility for stakeholders.
• Communicating schedule status and the impact of corrective actions to management and other stakeholders.
• Communicating schedule issues that could affect project scope or adherence to the plan.

Module 6: PMI-SP exam revision

• Presentation of the PMI-SP exam format: situational, formula-based and other question types.
• Review of key points from the PMBOK® Guide, 7th edition, and performance domains.
• Exercises and mock exams with corrections and explanations of answers.
• Exam strategies: time management, question-reading techniques and stress management.