Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project (Coursera)

Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project Course Overview

Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project is the second course in the Google Project Management Certificate program. This course will show you how to set a project up for success in the first phase of the project life cycle: the project initiation phase. In exploring the key components of this phase, you’ll learn how to define and manage project goals, deliverables, scope, and success criteria.

You’ll discover how to use tools and templates like stakeholder analysis grids and project charters to help you set project expectations and communicate roles and responsibilities. Current Google project managers will continue to instruct and provide hands-on approaches for accomplishing these tasks while showing you the best project management tools and resources for the job.

Learners who complete this program should be equipped to apply for introductory-level jobs as project managers. No previous experience is necessary.

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

• Understand the significance of the project initiation phase of the project life cycle.
• Describe the key components of the project initiation phase.
• Determine a project’s benefits and costs.
• Define and create measurable project goals and deliverables.
• Define project scope and differentiate among tasks that are in-scope and out-of-scope.
• Understand how to manage scope creep to avoid impacting project goals.
• Define and measure a project’s success criteria.
• Complete a stakeholder analysis and explain its significance.
• Utilize RACI charts to define and communicate project team member responsibilities.
• Understand the key components of project charters and develop a project charter for project initiation.
• Evaluate various project management tools to meet project needs.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the significance of the initiation phase of the project life cycle.
• Understand the key components of project charters and develop a project charter for project initiation.
• Complete a stakeholder analysis and utilize RACI charts to define and communicate project team member responsibilities.
• Evaluate various project management tools to meet project needs.

Course Syllabus

WEEK 1: Fundamentals of project initiation

You will learn how the program is structured, understand the significance of a project’s initiation phase and describe its key components, and understand how to determine a project’s benefits and costs.

WEEK 2: Defining project goals, scope, and success criteria

You will learn how to define and create measurable project goals and deliverables; how to define project scope, differentiate among tasks that are in-scope and out-of-scope, and avoid scope creep; and how to define and measure a project’s success criteria.

WEEK 3: Working effectively with stakeholders

You will learn how to define project roles and responsibilities, complete a stakeholder analysis, and utilize RACI charts to define and communicate project team member responsibilities.

WEEK 4: Utilizing resources and tools for project success

You will learn the typical resources needed to manage a project, recognize the importance of clear and consistent project documentation, understand the key components of project proposals and charters and develop a project charter, and evaluate various project management tools to meet project needs.