Instructor: Kieran Morgan
Overview: This comprehensive course equips technical writers with essential project management skills, focusing on planning, scheduling, and budgeting. Participants will engage in six interactive modules to master the complexities of project scheduling and financial planning. Each session features simulated tasks and hands-on workshops, facilitated over Zoom using a virtual whiteboard to support collaborative learning.
Instructor Bio: Kieran Morgan has over 20 years of experience in operations, program management, documentation, and publishing. He led the technical documentation team at Cochlear, producing the Nucleus 6 documentation, and has held senior roles in operations and program management for telecommunications companies and education departments. Known for his ability to plan and manage strategic programs of work, Kieran is now focused on training the next generation of technical writers and project managers.
Features:
- Duration: 6 sessions, each 1.5 hours
- Delivery Method: Online, instructor-led sessions
- Assessment: Assignments with personalized instructor feedback
- Certification: Certificate of completion with a pass mark of over 50%
Timing (Australian Eastern Standard Time – Sydney, NSW, Australia):
- Day 1: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 13 June 2024
- Day 2: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 20 June 2024
- Day 3: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 27 June 2024
- Day 4: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 4 July 2024
- Day 5: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 11 July 2024
- Day 6: 6pm-7.30pm Thurs 18 July 2024
Course Structure
Topic 1: Introduction to Project Management
- Introductions, expectations, and learning objectives
- Definition of Project Management
- Different approaches to Project Management (Waterfall, Agile, Kanban)
- Criteria for project success
Topic 2: Processes for Planning
- The technical writing process vs. the documentation development lifecycle
- Planning process for project management
Topic 3: Documentation Plans
- Using a Documentation Plan to predefine your project
- The PADRE Method: Purpose, Audience, Design, Review
- Defining purpose
- Analyzing audience
- Designing deliverables (initial Table of Contents)
- Selecting a review team
Topic 4: Estimating Scope, Time, and Cost
- Employing a visual Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to estimate scope
- Utilizing an Estimating Sheet
- Estimating complexity using t-shirt sizes
- Calculating the total effort and cost of the project
Topic 5: Scheduling
- Creating project schedules with Gantt charts
- Developing high-level timelines for an overarching project view
Topic 6: Budgeting
- Formulating a simple budget for your documentation project
- Allocating contingency funds
- Managing spending to avoid over- or under-spending