SkillSoft

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including core knowledge and concepts fundamental to the field of human resources. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating human resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are involved in various aspects of the organization and need to have a range of core skills and knowledge. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examination with regard to human resources fundamentals. In this course, you’ll learn about such things as qualitative and quantitative abilities; budgeting and accounting skills; contract and project management; human relations and human resource technology. All the topics in this course are based on the core knowledge required by HR professionals included in the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM.Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including strategic management. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating HR professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As an HR professional, you are involved in developing the business strategy to achieve organizational goals. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations with regard to strategic management. In this course, you’ll learn about such things as dealing with change, corporate governance, and the strategic planning process. All the topics in this course are based on the Strategic Management functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, the information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including those affecting employee rights, such as equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action (AA). The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professional’s competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are fair and equitable, and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. In the area of EEO, you will learn about the chief forms of employment discrimination, the impact of certain important discrimination cases on employment law, and the primary methods of complying with EEO laws and regulations. The course will also help you understand AA plans, that is, which companies must implement formal AA plans, what AA plans consist of, and how AA compliance audits are conducted. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations, HRCI/PHR (Professional in Human Resources certification), cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including legislation affecting employee and consumer rights, and matters of workforce management. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are fair and equitable, and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of federal anti-discrimination legislation and workforce management. In this course, you’ll learn about legislation that is specific to employee rights, privacy, and consumer protection. In addition, you’ll learn about effective methods for creating sound job descriptions and job specifications. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations, HRCI/PHR (Professional in Human Resources certification), cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including the recruitment and selection of new employees. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are involved in the process of attracting and interviewing qualified job candidates for your organization. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations with regard to employee recruitment and selection. In this course, you’ll learn about such things as recruitment sources and employer branding, and screening tests and interviews. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: Human Resource (HR) professionals today have to deal with particularly sensitive subjects regarding employment. This course examines employment offers for prospective candidates, contract creation, and record-keeping requirements. In addition, the complex issues of organizational exit--including downsizing, severance, and termination--are explored.The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues. As a human resource professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices with regard to employment offers, contracts, and exits are fair and equitable, and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. This course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in this area. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including the theories and applications of employee training and training program development. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s workforce possesses the skills, knowledge and abilities to meet the current and future needs of the company. This course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of employee training and development. In the area of employee training, you will learn methods for effectively training adult learners and techniques for aligning all training programs with your company’s strategic goals. This course will also help you understand the necessary steps for developing effective employee development programs. All the topics in this course are based on the HR Development functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including human resources development and performance management. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employees have maximized their potential for growth and development. This course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of human resources development and performance management. In the area of human resource development, you will learn effective methods for both leadership development and organizational development. This course will also help you understand techniques for developing effective performance appraisals and career growth programs for your company’s employees. All the topics in this course are based on the Human Resource Development functional area required by HR professionals included in the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including the theories and applications associated with effective compensation. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s workforce possesses the skills, knowledge and abilities to meet the current and future needs of the company. This course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the area of employee compensation. You will learn methods for effective total compensation.This course will also help you understand the necessary steps for aligning existing compensation methods to a total compensation arrangement. All the topics in this course are based on the Compensation and Benefits functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including the work rules and practices that apply to employee benefit programs. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s practices comply with any legislation governing employee benefits and that the benefit programs are competitive enough to attract and retain employees. These are some of the topics you will need to understand to prepare for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Professional in Human Resources certification examination (HRCI/PHR). This course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of benefits compensation. In the area of benefit regulations, this course will help you understand the federal legislation that mandates multiple employee benefits. You will also learn methods for designing voluntary benefits plans for the particular needs of your company’s employees. All the topics in this course are based on the Benefits and Compensation functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including those affecting employee and labor relations. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. The Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification shows that the holder has demonstrated mastery of the HR body of knowledge.As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employee relations are positive and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of employee relations, employee and individual rights and relations, and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints. In the area of employment rights, you will learn about employee rights legislation, employer and labor regulations, and the process for filing EEO complaints. This course will also help you understand methods for creating positive employee relations and techniques for assessing and analyzing employee relations. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). This course addresses the Employee and Labor Relations functional area.Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including issues related to the prevention of discrimination and harassment. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are fair and equitable, and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the area of sexual harassment. In this course, you’ll learn about the many aspects of sexual harassment, the key types of sexual harassment claims, the recent legal history of sexual harassment, and important elements of an effective sexual harassment prevention program. All the topics in this course are based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including those affecting employee and labor relations. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professional’s competencies. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are in line with work rules of non-union environments and that employee issues are resolved in a legally defensible manner. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of work regulations and employee issue resolution. In the areas of work regulations, you will learn about policies, procedures, and work rules, along with employee handbook regulations and workplace behavior issues. This course will also help you understand Alternative Dispute Resolution, and how to deal with workplace behavior issues. All the topics in this course are based on the Employee and Labor Relations functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certifications, including PHR (Professional in Human Resources), cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including those affecting employee and labor relations. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are in line with work rules of union environments, and that union-employer issues are resolved in a legally defensible manner. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of work regulations and employee issue resolution. This course will also help you understand union organization, grievance processes, dispute resolution, and arbitration. In the areas of work regulations, you will learn about collective bargaining, contract negotiations, good faith bargaining, and strikes and boycotts. The content in this course is based on the Employee and Labor Relations functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations, HRCI/PHR (Professional in Human Resources certification), cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including legislation affecting employee safety and health. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating Human Resource professionals’ competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company meets particular standards and requirements for safety and health, most notably those established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations with regard to OSHA and the OSH Act. In this course, you’ll learn about such things as OSHA’s purpose, coverage, standards, and inspection authority, as well as the Drug-Free Workplace Act and the Mine Safety and Health Act. All the topics in this course are based on the Occupational Health, Safety and Security functional areas of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM.Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: The Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) certification examinations cover a broad range of workforce planning and employment issues, including issues in risk assessment and prevention. The HRCI certification examinations are widely recognized as the industry standard for evaluating human resource professional’s competencies. HRCI is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and provides testing and certification services. As a human resources professional, you are responsible for helping to ensure that your company’s employment practices are fair and equitable, and that they comply with required regulations and recommended policies and practices. Toward that end, this course will help you prepare for the HRCI certification examinations in the areas of risk assessment and prevention. You will learn about the health, safety and security risks in the workplace, injury and illness prevention and compensation programs, and safety training programs. The course will also help you understand business continuity planning and workplace privacy and investigation. All the topics in this course are based on the Risk Management functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by SHRM.Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: Managing change effectively within HR involves aligning the organization’s people and processes with an ever-changing environment. HR professionals need to be able to anticipate, plan, and carry out change, using the tools at hand. Strategic management occurs as the result of a planning process that reviews internal and external factors affecting the ability of an organization to successfully achieve its goals. This course describes how to guide and lead the change process, how HR can impact regulations and legislations, and the role of HR in risk management and building strategic partnerships. This course prepares HR professionals and management who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination. The content in this course is based on the Strategic Management functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: As HR moves into the twenty-first century, its role is becoming key in developing organizational strategy. As a result, it is crucial for HR professionals to have a working knowledge of other functional areas of the business, so that they can provide the operational and administrative support necessary to attract and retain qualified employees. This course explains how to strategically diagnose the organization and how to plan in HR. It describes how to measure and evaluate HR’s contributions to organizational effectiveness. This course prepares HR professionals and management who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination.

Overview: In order to remain competitive in the business world, organizations must ensure that they employ the right people in the right numbers at the right time. Workforce planning and employment involves the processes of planning, developing, implementing, administering, and ongoing evaluation of recruiting and hiring to ensure that the workforce will meet the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. This course prepares learners interested in the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification. The content in this course is based on the Workforce Planning and Employment functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: In order to excel in business, organizations must translate their vision into the necessary level of competencies needed to achieve goals. This course examines how human resource development (HRD) aligns the skills, knowledge, and abilities of staff to future organization and individual needs. In addition, the course looks at how an understanding of adult learning and organizational development can assist in staff development. Finally, the course covers some organizational development initiatives that are now seen as an integral part of HRD. This course prepares HR professionals and management who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination. The content in this course is based on the Strategic Management functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: One of the largest expenditures for organizations is often employee salaries and benefits. Developing an integrated compensation and benefits program that aligns with strategic goals is essential for HR today. This course examines how compensation and benefits programs are changing. The course looks at how the total rewards system is becoming more popular and assesses how organizations need to revisit their compensation and benefits program to better fit their strategic goals and objectives. All the topics in this course are based on the Total Rewards functional area of the HR Body of Knowledge recommended by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This course prepares HR professionals and managers who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Overview: HR professionals develop organizational strategies to secure and develop a company’s successful and profitable operations. The employee plays a central role in such operations. As such it has become essential for HR professionals to constantly be on the lookout for strategies that allow them to develop a good working relationship between the employee and employer. This course covers strategies that actively improve and maintain good relationships, such as employee involvement strategies and strategies that foster positive employee relations. It also covers those strategies that resolve conflict in an amicable manner, such as formal complaint resolutions. This course prepares HR professionals and managers who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination.

Overview: Risk management, the safeguarding of the health, safety, and security of employees, is essential for business success and of particular concern to HR professionals. This course explains how to apply common occupational health, safety, and security guidelines and programs. It also outlines how security risk analysis can be used to avoid future emergencies. This course prepares HR professionals and management who are preparing for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification examination.

Overview: Every project is different. Some are small and straight forward. Others are large and complex. Most are somewhere in the middle. Even though every project is unique, they all have certain attributes in common. Every project has a similar life cycle, starting with an idea, progressing through development, and culminating in the delivery of a finished product or service. A product has a life cycle of its own which is tied into yet distinct from the life cycle of the project. All projects have similar overall phases, such as the start up phase, the planning and design phase, the production phase, and the closing phase. That is all straightforward, but how do a project’s phases relate to the stages of its life cycle? Do the natural phases of a project affect the way it is managed? And what types of project management processes should be applied to the specific phases? These are all fundamental questions project managers ask.

Overview: Collaboration, coordination, and consolidation are terms to describe integration. Project Integration Management is the knowledge area that coordinates with various process groups to ensure that each project is managed in a unified and consolidated way. The intention is to have processes interact smoothly. In this course, learners will be given an overview of the Project Integration Management knowledge area. They’ll be introduced to best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Specifically, learners will be introduced to Project Integration Management and its processes, the project charter, including the statement of work and business case. They’ll also be introduced to the project management plan. This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK certification exam.

Overview: Most projects experience problems and unforeseen events that pose a threat to successful completion. Thankfully there are many proven project management processes designed to direct, monitor, and control project work. For example, project baselines for schedule, cost, scope, and quality give the project manager firm foundation by which to monitor project work and upon which to base decisions. When problems arise, strategies for managing changes help get the project back in line. This course will equip project managers with skills to manage change in an integrated fashion so that, for example, changes to scope are reflected appropriately in the quality, schedule, and cost baselines. The Project Integration Management knowledge area includes six processes, ranging from the creation of the project charter at the beginning of a project through to the close of a project or phase. This course covers the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs of the third and fourth processes: Direct and Manage Project Execution and Monitor and Control Project Work. Through interactive learning strategies and realistic scenarios, the learner explores these concepts and gains a better understanding of the project integrative processes in action.

Overview: Change is inevitable. Environmental, technological, legislative, and economical changes can have an immeasurable impact on individuals and organizations. In addition to these changes, a project environment could see change requests for additional features and functions from stakeholders. As a project manager, having the ability to monitor and control the changes will mitigate project risk by considering time, cost, scope, and product quality. Controlling change will also effectively assist in closing projects or phases by ensuring approved changes are implemented and signed off by stakeholders. As a result, project managers must hold multiple perspectives and simultaneously consider the many facets of their projects. This course will equip project managers with the tools and techniques to manage project change in an integrated fashion and to close out phases and projects so that all aspects are brought to a controlled close.

Overview: Good scope management focuses on making sure that the scope is clearly communicated and well defined and that the project is carefully managed to limit unnecessary changes. Project scope management is concerned with ensuring that projects include and account for all the work needed to ensure the successful completion of a project. Successful project managers use project scope management throughout the project life cycle to identify and control all aspects involved in a project. This course will highlight the importance of project scope management to project performance. Through interactive learning strategies and realistic scenarios, the learner will explore these concepts and gain a better understanding of the inputs to, the tools and techniques for, and the outputs of the Project Scope Management processes. This course covers all the activities related to planning scope management and developing a project scope statement. Specifically, learners will be introduced to the first two processes in the Project Scope Management knowledge area Collect Requirements and Define Scope. Learners will be introduced to best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) - Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK Guide certification exam.

Overview: Successful projects can only happen with the implementation of planning techniques that define project objectives in sufficient detail. Projects can quickly get out of control if the appropriate actions aren’t taken initially. A project’s work breakdown structure (WBS) provides the foundation for defining work as it relates to the project objectives and establishes the structure for managing the work to completion. This course will highlight the importance of the WBS and how it relates to the overall success of a project. Through interactive learning strategies and real-life scenarios, the learner will explore these concepts and gain a better understanding of the project management processes related to creating and verifying a work breakdown structure. This course will cover the project inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs of the Create Work Breakdown Structure process, the third process in the Project Scope Management knowledge area.

Overview: A project manager’s key responsibility is to ensure that the project is carried out in a controlled manner, according to plan. However, a project can quickly spin out of control if changes to the product’s scope are not detected and managed properly. Two processes in particular enable a project manager to do just that: they are the Verify Scope and Control Scope processes. They belong to the Project Scope Management knowledge area and play a key role by helping to monitor and control the boundaries of the project throughout the project life cycle. This course will cover the project inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs of the scope management processes that deal with verifying scope and controlling changes to a project’s scope baseline. Through interactive learning strategies and realistic scenarios, the learner will explore these concepts and gain a better understanding of the monitoring and controlling processes of the scope management knowledge area.

Overview: Properly defining and sequencing project activities allow a project manager to answer two basic scheduling questions What activities are required to develop the end product? And how should the activities be sequenced for optimal results? The first step in developing a reliable project schedule is identifying project activities and their interrelationships. This course covers defining and sequencing project activities in the project management discipline, and introduces best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition, published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Specifically, learners will be provided with an overview of the Project Time Management knowledge area and the interrelation with the process groups. The course also explores project activities and activity attributes, and the method of developing network diagrams, including dependency determination and applying leads and lags.

Overview: Resources, such as people, materials, equipment, facilities, money, or a combination of any of these, are fundamental in executing a project, and are required throughout the entire project lifecycle. Determining resource requirements is critical to successful project time management. The ability to estimate the duration of each project activity is equally essential. It is not enough to know what needs to be done and what resources are required. A project manager must know how much time it will take to complete each activity.

Overview: The project schedule is critical to project management. It determines the planned start and finish dates for project activities and milestones. It also confirms which activities are dependent on others, therefore enabling the project manager to prioritize the order in which activities are completed. Developing the project schedule is an ongoing process throughout the project lifecycle, as there are many factors that can either accelerate or delay deliverables in a project. It is essential in successful project management to be able to quickly identify possible impacts, evaluate the effect on all project activities, and adjust the project activities as required to minimize risk.

Overview: Accurately forecasting the cost of future projects is vital to the success of projects and the survival of any business. Project managers must have the ability to not only identify what work is required at the onset of a project, but precisely forecast how much that work is going to cost to meet the project goal.

Overview: Establishing the budget for a project is a vital process in project management, yet it means nothing if the budget is not adhered to. Controlling project cost is critical to meeting a project’s budget targets, and monitoring cost performance can mean the difference between the success and failure of a project.

Overview: Project managers need to build quality into their projects at the very beginning, during the planning stage. Quality managers have to ensure that quality requirements are met. The Project Quality Management knowledge area takes these facts into consideration. It not only includes processes for assuring and controlling quality, but it also includes a process for ensuring that quality is considered from the very beginning of a project’s lifecycle. In this course, learners will be given an overview of the project quality management knowledge area. They’ll be introduced to best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Specifically, learners will be introduced to the three processes in the quality management knowledge area and how they fit into the project process groups. This course also covers, in detail, the quality planning process. This process will help project managers identify the relevant quality standards for a project and then determine how to satisfy those needs. This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK Guide certification exam.

Overview: There is no question that project quality is essential in ensuring project success; a quality management plan identifies quality requirements and provides all project stakeholders with documented guidelines for delivering a quality product or service. But the question is how do you ensure that the quality management plan will work? How do you know that those guidelines will, if followed, result in a successful project? The quality management plan must be audited and measured consistently and efficiently to ensure that it is both adequate and adhered to. In this course, learners will be given an overview of the quality assurance and quality control processes within the project quality management knowledge area. They’ll be introduced to best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Specifically, learners will be introduced to the tools and techniques used in quality assurance, such as quality audits and performing a process analysis. They’ll also learn quality control tools, such as cause and effect diagrams, statistical sampling, and inspection. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK certification exam and provide a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations.

Overview: When project managers set their sights on delivering creative project solutions on time and within budget, they must select and manage a team of experienced and competent professionals who can meet the challenge. This requires that project managers understand the Project Human Resource Management processes of planning, selecting, developing, and managing a project team. While selecting the right team to do the work is critical to project success, it doesn’t stop there. Good project managers know how to create the right type of atmosphere for their projects, keep their team members motivated throughout the project, and manage issues and changes that could possibly derail a project team.

Overview: Henry Ford once said that coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Mr. Ford knew the importance of teamwork. Ask anyone who has worked in a project environment, and they will tell you that team dynamics can make or break a project. A positive, constructive atmosphere can keep team members motivated and productive, while a negative atmosphere can have the opposite effect. Developing effective project teams is one of the primary responsibilities of a project manager. Once the team is working effectively and the project is underway, it is time for the project manager to proactively manage the project team in order to address and resolve personnel issues that could adversely affect the project. This course covers the Develop Project Team and Manage Project Team processes, the third and fourth processes within the Project Human Resources Management knowledge area. Learners will be introduced to best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Techniques for developing project teams, such as training, team-building activities, and recognition and rewards will be discussed. Learners will also be introduced to strategies for enhancing project performance and conflict management techniques.

Overview: Experts say that up to 90% of a project manager’s time is spent communicating, whether it’s with external stakeholders, members of the project team, suppliers, or other managers within their organizations. That speaks volumes about the important role of communication to a project. When communications break down, projects fail. When communications are good, the project is more likely to achieve its objectives. Healthy project communication means that the right people are getting the right information at the right time. They are able to make informed decisions. They understand what is going on and are able to proceed with their work. Communications management is one of the most essential functions of a project manager. Project managers must understand the critical role that stakeholders play in a project and how successful communications help promote project success. Project managers need to plan out a strategy to ensure that needed information is gathered and produced efficiently. In this course learners will learn how to identify project stakeholders, perform a stakeholder analysis, and analyze communications requirements in the development of a communications management plan.

Overview: A project manager is the communication hub through whom all project information flows, receiving and distributing dozens of messages per day. Customers, suppliers, project team members, and company executives all rely on the project manager for up-to-date information that has been processed and tailored to meet their needs. There are three critical processes that a project manager uses to meet stakeholders’ information needs and keep the project progressing well: Distribute Information, Manage Stakeholder Expectations, and Report Performance. These processes ensure all project stakeholders have the information they need at the right time and in the right format.

Overview: There are a few questions that every project manager should ask at the beginning of a project: What do we hope to gain from this project? What kinds of things could keep that from happening? How should we respond if those events occur? Every project involves some degree of risk. Identifying potential risks and having a plan for dealing with them can spell the difference between a project that reaches a successful conclusion and one that does not. In this course, learners will be introduced to the Project Risk Management knowledge area. It covers the best practices outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Specifically, learners will be introduced the first process in the Project Risk Management knowledge area: Plan Risk Management. Techniques such as creating a risk management plan and preparing documentation for the risk identification and analysis processes will be covered in detail. This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK Guide certification exam.

Overview: Risk in any project is unavoidable. It doesn’t matter how much experience a project manager has, risks will always be present. Fortunately, there are proven methods to identify and analyze potential threats so that appropriate risk responses are developed and the project’s level of exposure is controlled. Risk analysis has become an important discipline within the field of project management. It involves prioritizing risks and assessing each identified risk’s probability of occurrence and potential impact, whether positive or negative.

Overview: Life is filled with uncertainties, and these uncertainties can affect our decisions and outcomes. Whenever decisions are made without prior knowledge or experience there is always a chance of risk. When dealing with projects, it is the project manager’s job to assess and control risks, avert or minimize its adverse effects, and to capitalize on potential opportunities over the life of a project.

Overview: The success of every project relies on a thorough investigation into all potential risks that face the project throughout its life cycle since every project involves some degree of risk. The rewards of investigating potential project risks always outweigh the time investment made in doing so; therefore, no project manager should overlook this vital step. Identifying potential risks and their causes and impacts can spell the difference between a project that reaches a successful conclusion and one that does not.

Overview: Projects routinely require materials, consultants, training, products, and equipment along with many other types of goods and services. Project procurement is the process of purchasing products and services necessary to fulfill the objectives of a project. Procurements must be carefully planned and administered to ensure they do not cause a project to go over budget or fall behind schedule.

Overview: Managing the procurement process can sometimes seem like a project all in itself as it generally involves a number of detailed and time consuming steps from obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, awarding a contract, to managing the procurement relationship. This is the second course in the Project Procurement Management knowledge area and covers three process Conduct Procurements, Administer Procurements, and Close Procurements. Specifically, learners will be introduced to proposal evaluation techniques, procurement negotiations, and handling claims and disputes. The course will also cover administrative areas such as the components of a procurement documents and a contract file. Finally, tools and techniques for closing procurements will be introduced including records management and negotiated settlements.

Overview: Do the right thing but make sure you do it on time, under budget, and within scope, all the while maintaining your professional integrity in a constantly evolving global business environment. How do project managers do it, given that most ethical dilemmas are not black and white and usually require diligent deliberation? Keeping with their vision of establishing project management as a professional industry, the project management community and the Project Management Institute (PMI) have established standards of ethics to help members to navigate the sometimes murky waters of ethical issues.

Overview: As a project manager, you will inevitably be called upon to address ethical dilemmas. The type and complexity of these dilemmas can vary significantly from balancing the competing interests of stakeholders to adhering to conflicting legal, multi-cultural, and multi-national rules, regulations, and requirements. Addressing these issues is much more complex than simply deciding what is right and what is wrong. In an increasingly global network, project managers must proactively seek to understand cultural diversity, and how to work successfully with multi-national teams. Sensitivity to other groups, their social customs, and their means of doing business is key to success. Often, project managers will need to weigh all competing interests fairly and objectively in order to make the ethical decision that will have the most far-reaching benefits.

Overview: Often, and usually with the best intentions, organizations hastily overhaul processes or implement new systems in an effort to quickly fix or address a problem, only to discover that it wasn’t the right solution after all the time and money wasted, and the problem continues. Business analysis aims to not only properly diagnose an issue, but determine the best solution to fix it permanently. Business analysts, who undertake this work, require a unique combination of skills and knowledge to be successful in this function.

Overview: In business analysis, there is no prescribed route to take. Each project, task, or process initiative is different, and every environment you work in is different. Therefore, it’s essential you map out your business analysis approach based on the elements concerning your particular project, environment, and organization. It’s equally important to clearly determine who your stakeholders are, who is responsible for what, and how much effort will be required for project deliverables.

Overview: Most business analyst professionals recognize the importance of identifying and performing business analysis activities in order to successfully deliver requirements and meet project goals. But what about planning and managing how these business analysis activities are actually performed? A proposed structure and schedule for communications, a requirements management plan, and a clear plan to ensure business analysis activities are executed as efficiently as possible are all key elements of successful business analysis.

Overview: The first step in creating any solution is to review stakeholder needs and analyze what tools are available to address those needs. Without understanding stakeholder requirements, you may find a solution to the wrong problem. And without understanding the tools and technologies involved, you may aim for impossible goals. It’s equally important to ensure you document and confirm requirements so you have a solid plan to address stakeholder needs.

Overview: Projects rarely go according to plan, and any deviations need to be strictly controlled. Requirements management does this through vigilant tracking techniques, and through consistent and planned communications with stakeholders.

Overview: Solutions to business problems are implemented every day, in every size and type of company and industry. But way before solutions are implemented, a business need must be identified, a plausible solution must be defined, and the investment required for the solution must be justifiable before implementing it.

Overview: When you have a set of dependent tasks to complete, it’s not feasible to just randomly pick and choose which tasks to perform and in which order. The same is true for requirements in business analysis. Requirements must be analyzed appropriately to ensure they are prioritized and organized in the most appropriate way to ensure the success of a project or initiative. And mapping out what a process or system will look like with requirements in place provides a detailed view for the team to work towards.

Overview: If you want to build a boat, you need to know what is required. You need to check and make sure you have what you require in order to do the job properly. Instructions on how to build an airplane won’t help you build your boat, but knowing that you need a welding torch will. When working on any project, you also need as much information as possible about anything that may influence it. This might include how much money you have to work with, how long before the project needs to be completed, and who can work on the project.

Overview: A business analyst doesn’t just come up with a viable solution to address a business need. A business analyst is also responsible for studying the viability of the proposed solution within the organization, identifying what is required within the organization to make the solution work, and validating and evaluating the solution performance.

Overview: How many times have you and your team decided on new plans to make day-to-day processes more efficient, only to watch months slip by with those plans unexecuted? Why don’t certain tasks get executed? Why do things stay the same, even when the change is critical to your team?

Overview: Creativity and innovation are critical components of just about every organization. But innovation doesn’t pertain only to new inventions, products, or reworked designs. It also involves incremental improvements to the way things are done. Knowing how to build and support an innovative culture is an important skill for any leader to master. The impetus for innovation can come from the top of the organization, and it can come from the people engaged in day-to-day production. Building an innovative culture is a responsibility for leaders and employees across organizational hierarchies.

Overview: Change is not an event; it is a process. Change can happen quickly and, in some situations, can be urgent! However, it can take time for individuals to make the transition from one way of working to another. The change process isn’t simply about introducing new systems it’s about leading people from an old way of working to a new way of working, and it’s vital that you lead the change through to completion! It’s important to recognize that your role is to support individuals through the transition and remove obstacles that can hinder a smooth transition from one process to another.

Overview: Creating your own leadership development plan is a significant part of any successful and valuable leadership-development strategy. Leadership development plans help to ensure that you remain focused on what is required to continually grow and develop as a leader. This includes assessing your own style, values, and requirements, as well as identifying development goals, objectives, and actions.

Overview: Financial management is a key tool in controlling and directing the resources of any business organization. Managers--not only financial professionals but also managers whose responsibilities are largely non-financial--can use this tool to generate and analyze the financial information that is essential to decision making in business. Understanding the principles of financial management helps all managers, from line supervisors to senior executives, to use this tool more effectively to support the organization’s goals.

Overview: Running a department without understanding the budget process is like driving a car without knowing how to steer. Every manager needs a basic understanding of how to plan, use, and monitor adherence to a budget. Addressing the needs of your own budget process will help you support the financial processes and goals of your organization as a whole.

Overview: Can a profitable company with a positive net worth run short of cash? Without sound cash management, it certainly can. Every organization, large and small, must manage the generation and expenditure of cash to ensure that bills can be paid on time.

Overview: Organizations use financial statements to report their performance and their financial condition to investors and lenders. Managers--including non-financial managers--can use these statements to understand how the organization is doing: Are any changes needed? Can the organization improve? How quickly is the organization growing in comparison with its competitors? Are there any financial danger signs? This course provides a foundation for reading the three key financial statements prepared by most corporations--the balance sheet (or statement of financial condition), the income statement (or earnings statement, or profit and loss statement), and the statement of cash flows. The course also explores how to use basic ratios to analyze these financial statements.

Overview: ’The problem,’ says author and psychiatrist Theodore Rubin, ’is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.’ A problem is a question or situation that presents doubt, perplexity, or difficulty. It’s an issue that needs to be corrected or overcome in order to achieve a desired state. Problem solving involves goal-oriented thinking and action in situations for which no ready-made solutions exist.

Overview: Achieving your problem-solving goals typically involves applying problem-solving skills and tools through various steps in an established problem-solving process. Whatever you think of your current problem-solving skills, it is always possible to improve upon them, and even to develop new skills. To improve, you first need to assess your existing problem-solving style, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and develop an ongoing strategy for sharpening and building your skills. You also need to recognize the key barriers that lie in the way of effective problem solving your biases and develop techniques for reducing their impact on your ability to solve problems.

Overview: Norman Vincent Peale, who stressed the need for analyzing a problem at a granular level, once said, ‘When a problem comes along, study it until you are completely knowledgeable. Then find that weak spot, break the problem apart, and the rest will be easy.’ A fact-based, honest analysis happens at two key steps in the problem-solving process: first when you analyze problems to identify the root causes, and then, when you evaluate and analyze potential solutions to determine the one that has the maximum chance of success. Several tools are used for analysis and evaluation at each of these steps. Examples of tools that help find the root causes of the problem are the cause-and-effect diagram and five-why analysis. Cost-benefit and force-field analysis help in choosing the best solution.

Overview: To emphasize the need of a formal decision-making process, C. Wright Mills, an American sociologist and author, once said, ’Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them and then the opportunity to choose.’ It’s been estimated that most human beings make thousands of decisions in the course of an average day, many of which are unconscious decisions. It is important for your personal and professional success that you become an effective decision maker. This involves following an established decision-making process and adapting your decision-making style to suit different situations.

Overview: This course introduces you to the fundamentals of decision making and illustrates techniques to help you become an effective decision maker. The course first walks you through the steps of a widely accepted decision-making process. Then it leads to a description of the factors influencing your decision-making style and shows how to adapt that style to suit a given situation. So you‘ll have everything you need to start on the road to becoming an effective decision maker.

Overview: Making decisions in your personal and professional life is not always easy, especially when you‘re dealing with an uncertain or unknown future. And there are many situations that can make decision making particularly challenging, such as when you have to weigh very similar or very disparate alternatives then make compromises and trade-offs between them. Another situation is when you have to determine whether to trust logic, intuition, or some combination of the two.

Overview: Good decision making lies at the heart of success. This impact explores a strategy for ensuring that business decisions are sound.

Overview: This Business Impact explores the technique of reverse brainstorming - a process that helps teams to think obliquely and explore problems in an unconventional manner.

Overview: This Challenge exercise focuses on an individual’s ability to assess facts and work through the first step in problem solving and decision making: defining the problem.

Overview: In the organizational arena, applied critical thinking skills provide an essential foundation for all effective planning, problem-solving, and decision-making activities. Employees who can analyze and reason consistently and proficiently furnish a cost-efficient resource that results in a distinctive competitive advantage. Workers who are skeptical of quick fixes and operational dogma pay attention and generate productive ideas. They are intellectually competent to chart new directions. This course introduces the basic concepts, features, and skills associated with critical thinking and explains the roles and propagation of critical thinking in the workplace.

Overview: You may not need an MBA to succeed in the corporate arena, but regardless of position or industry, you do need to be able to analyze, reason, and communicate effectively. These and other critical thinking skills are increasingly consequential as organizational planning and decision making become more distributed and reliant on written and verbal communication factors. Developing Fundamental Critical Thinking Skills coaches you through the acquisition of an array of critical skills that can help you improve your information processing and delivery agility. You also will learn how to maximize your inferential and evaluative competence to achieve better planning and decision-making efficiencies. Improving your critical thinking skills will increase your performance value to any organization.

Overview: “Workplaces are not typically associated with reflection or critical self-reflection, ideas that are often considered ‘soft’ to the bottom-line, results-oriented world of business.... Yet, paradoxically, reflection is becoming more part of the lifeblood of organizations in today‘s economic environment.” Victoria Marsick‘s words illustrate why businesses can no longer thrive on the unexamined repetition of established formulas. Today, people at all levels of the organization are asked to think in new ways about themselves, their work, and their organizations. In this course, managers can learn a variety of strategies to encourage the development of critical thinking skills within their organizations, for both individuals and teams, and to ensure that critical thinking is deployed effectively.

Overview: “In any complex environment systems are necessary, but they must serve an organization rather than become its masters.” This is how Ralph S. Larsen, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, describes both the need for systems and their inherent risk. Organizational systems, with complex and intricately interrelated components, demand the application of critical thinking to avoid this risk and to use the systems most effectively. In this course, learners will understand the role that critical thinking can play across an organization.

Overview: ”In any complex environment systems are necessary, but they must serve an organization rather than become its masters.” This is how Ralph S. Larsen, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, describes both the need for systems and their inherent risk. Organizational systems, with complex and intricately interrelated components, demand the application of critical thinking to avoid this risk and to use the systems most effectively. In this course, learners will understand the role that critic

Overview: Do you have too much time on your hands? With all of the pressures of modern life, so few people today do. In order to preserve your time, you have to know how to manage it. And the first step in learning how to manage time well is to understand how you make use of it now. This will help you determine where can you be more efficient.

Overview: Managing time effectively entails analyzing your goals, breaking those goals into tasks, and then prioritizing those tasks. This isn’t always easy or clear cut, given the number of tasks you may need to complete. But if you set clear and measurable goals and then develop an effective to-do list, you’ll find prioritizing your many tasks is easier. And, in the end, you’ll manage your time better.

Overview: Time is a precious, non-renewable resource how effectively you use it will determine success in both your career and personal life. The greatest squanders of this valuable commodity are time stealers that multitude of annoyances, trivial tasks, and administrative duties that can easily consume your days. Moreover, you may find that some of your own behaviors affect how well you manage time. For example, you may be a procrastinator, or you may find it difficult to say no to requests to take on more work. Such behaviors can reduce your efficiency, as well as create unnecessary stress for you.

Overview: Prioritizing is an essential skill for any manager. This challenge considers methods for selecting and setting goals.

Overview: In today’s business world, employees face significant performance pressures. This Business Impact focuses on the challenges business professionals face when balancing the demands of home and office in today’s global economy.

Overview: Wasting time at work is a common problem. This Business Impact examines strategies employees can use to minimize their procrastination.

Overview: A truly effective team is equal to more than the sum of its parts. And it takes the dedication of every member of the team. Effective team members go beyond themselves and their personal desires and goals. If you want to be an effective team member, your challenge is to put the team first, which means maximizing your contributions to help the team accomplish its purpose.

Overview: All individuals have strengths that allow them to achieve goals consistently and successfully. In a team setting, those individual strengths can combine to lead the whole team to success, or they can create conflict and tension. To harness individual strengths and personalities, you need solid ground rules for the team. You also need to allocate roles and responsibilities for maximum efficiency.

Overview: The way in which a team is built is an important factor in determining team success. Leading a team quickly and smoothly into high performance mode requires the groundwork of setting team goals, identifying project tasks and assigning the right people to them, and defining the standards of team behavior to ensure team members work together so that team objectives are met.

Overview: “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem.” That assertion from Eldridge Cleaver is a perspective that you must impart to each and every employee you supervise. There are many effective ways to get them to see this valuable viewpoint. And that‘s what you‘ll learn in this course. As a manager you are on the line when things go wrong. This course is designed to enhance your ability to communicate a philosophy of continuous improvement, what you expect of your staff, and what they must expect of themselves. This is a primer on multiple approaches to performance appraisal. It‘s much easier to hold people accountable for their work if they know exactly what‘s expected, and more importantly, why it‘s expected. Acting on the lessons in this course will pay off in increased employee commitment, not to mention increased profitability. The other major payoff here is the opportunity to do some soul searching. How accountable are you? You‘ll have the chance to consider your own performance as a manager and practice your own strategic approach for ensuring accountability.

Overview: Most achievements, great or small, begin with an important first step: setting a goal. A clearly defined, attainable goal embodies a vision of what is possible. It’s a guide star for those who navigate a course through obstacles to a desired accomplishment. However, the process of setting appropriate goals is often oversimplified or overlooked entirely. A well-constructed goal is challenging, yet achievable. It takes into account the abilities and resources available and requires the goal seeker to make the best use of both. In this course, you’ll examine the types of goals you can use to advance your career and personal life, learn to construct goals that are both challenging and achievable, discover how to embed the seeds of success within your goals, and explore ways to align your goals with your own priorities and the priorities of others who influence the way you use your time.