The Project Management Academy Blog
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Government | PMP Certification | blog
The skills of a Project Management Professional® (PMP) apply across industries and companies. However, there are specific project processes, terminology, and certifications for federal government due to the layers of regulations and legislation shaping the work. Project Managers seeking to transfer into government work will benefit from learning about federal government project management training and project management for government.
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PMP Exam Prep | Project Management
A picture is worth a thousand words. The flowchart, a project management tool, exemplifies that saying with the power to quickly convey complex information using a diagram. A flowchart can not only convey interconnecting steps but be used in monitoring progress and periodic status reporting. When preparing for the Project Management Professional® (PMP) exam, project managers should know the Seven Management and Planning Tools, including the flowchart, by definition and application within the context of project work.
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PMP Exam Prep | Project Management
Project teams need to actively identify a problem and understand the root cause of the problem if they are to solve it. In the Project Management Professional ® (PMP) certification exam, the “cause and effect” diagram is a tool used to better understand the root of a problem.
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PMP Exam Prep | Project Management
To understand the impact of a scatter diagram, it is important to know the correlation between the data sets has the most meaning. Also, knowing how the data correlates aids with determining the type of scatter diagram. When preparing for the PMP exam, project managers should know the three categories of scatter diagrams based on correlation:
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PMP Exam Prep | Project Management
A matrix diagram for the Project Management Professional® (PMP) holder is one of the Seven Quality Tools used for data collection and analysis. It is the arrangement of data in the matrix diagram that reveals “the strength of relationships between factors, causes, and objectives.” It is also an important concept that could be asked about on the PMP exam. Knowledge of the matrix diagram for the PMP exam encompasses (1) knowing how to use it on the job as a project manager and (2) understanding its value as a quality tool for the exam.
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PMP Certification | Project Management
Project Management Professional® (PMP) holders know it is a data-driven world. They also know data thrown at them for a project, or the data collected during a project is not always immediately clear nor easy to connect to project work. Using tools like an affinity diagram, can not only solve an immediate data problem but can also build teams through the collaborative process to create it.
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PMP Certification | PMP Exam Prep
Ever use that old saying, “a lot is at stake” when speaking to the impact an event can have on others? Stake refers to something to gain or lose; a stake in a new business means you want it to be profitable. A stake in a game can be a bet on the final score. Within any project, there are Stakeholders; entities to which there is an impact depending on the outcome of the project. Whether you are a practicing Project Manager seeking to enhance your understanding of this important tool or a newer Project Manager prepping for your Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification exam, knowing who is a stakeholder and documenting key information in a register will benefit your work. Let’s dive in and see how to create a Stakeholder Register and explore it’s value.
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PMP Certification | PMP Exam Prep | Quality
Project Managers know how clients will react when presented with large amounts of data in the form of a spreadsheets with hundreds (better yet, thousands!) of rows of numbers with no context or clear meaning; it will not be a reaction of gratitude. On the other hand, if that same large dataset is presented using data visualization and a quality tool, like a histogram, then the client will be able to see the connection to the project decision needed. Histograms are a statistical tool included in the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exam as they are used by project managers to plan and manage quality.
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Experiments are not just for scientists; they are in fact a tool project managers and engineers have used for years to better understand and refine processes. In the context of project management, an experiment is not in a secret lab with bubbling liquid in beakers; instead, the testing is done in a controlled manufacturing setting. In project management, the quality planning tool of setting up tests for a process is known as “Design of Experiments.”
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Professional Development | Project Management
As you look at your recipe and then at your motley collection of ingredients, you realize you are missing many required ingredients. No butter, but would the olive oil work instead? If ketchup is needed, and you have tomato sauce and vinegar, could you create the needed ingredient? How fast could an online delivery service come and is it worth the added cost? Perhaps you ignore it all and just order a pizza delivery. Or you give up and munch on a stale cracker until you have exactly the ingredients as listed. How would you deal with this situation? The ability to pivot effectively to evolving situations is one of today’s most sought after skill sets: adaptability.
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