Modules & Learning Objectives

Module 1: Problem Solving & Decision Making

  • Identify tools and approaches for creative problem solving and decision making.
  • Discuss how to use decision making techniques in current challenges through classroom exercises.
  • Develop basic negotiation skills for problem solving and issue resolution.

Module 2: Communications

  • Identify how each personality trait leads to effective leadership in problem solving, communications and teamwork.
  • Describe the correlation between communication skills, personal leadership strategies and high performing teams.
  • Illustrate techniques for effective oral and written communications.
  • Distinguish between listening and hearing.
  • Identify strategies to conduct effective meetings.

Module 3: Project Planning

  • Identify the importance of pre-planning and its correlation with a company's bottom line.
  • Outline the pre-planning process.
  • Discuss pre-planning and planning tools.
  • Demonstrate team building techniques within the pre-planning process.

Module 4: Safety Management

  • Describe the project manager’s role in regards to safety management.
  • Identify how safety affects a jobsite, both positively and negatively.
  • Discuss best practices in managing safety on a construction project.
  • Discuss the direct and indirect costs related to injury and claims management.
  • Identify best practices for navigating an OSHA inspection.
  • Establish a positive safety culture on your projects. 

Module 5: Subcontractor & Vendor Management

  • Discuss information required to evaluate and select subcontractor and vendor services and material and equipment purchases.
  • Demonstrate how to prepare documents for the purchase of the services mentioned above.
  • Describe how these documents aid in maintaining a project within budget, on schedule and with reduced claim potential.
  • Identify effective techniques for dealing with new subcontractors vs. experienced subcontractors.

Module 6: Cost Control

  • Identify the project manager's role in cost control.
  • Discuss the importance of tracking job costs.
  • Examine sample report forms used throughout the project in order to demonstrate the need for meaningful cost budgets.
  • Illustrate cost analysis through the use of examples.
  • Explain how good cost control practices and forecast probable final project cost.

Module 7: Project Recordkeeping

  • Examine the various types of project records that must be generated, tracked and stored to increase project efficiency and prevent legal issues.
  • Analyze the project manager's role in ensuring that project records are being properly maintained to avoid future conflicts and support claims.
  • Discuss capabilities of various software packages to assist with the recordkeeping process.

Module 8: Construction Productivity

  • Identify reasons for low job site productivity.
  • Discuss the impact of low job site productivity on the project contractor, craftsperson, project owner and designer.
  • Identify practices to ensure each worker is part of the overall project team.
  • Analyze models to measure, predict and improve job site productivity.
  • Identify environmental factors that impact productivity.
  • Describe how to apply short interval schedules and job schedules to increase field productivity.
  • Develop a work plan to increase field productivity.

Module 9: Time Management

  • Develop an understanding of how to manage time effectively.
  • Demonstrate how personal behavior affects time management.
  • Examine time management techniques that can be used on the job.

Module 10: Claims Management

  • Illustrate techniques for completing projects with a minimum amount of disputes using effective document control.
  • Examine specifications and contract language.
  • Identify a process for managing change orders.
  • Describe the difference between arbitration, mediation, litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Module 11: Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling

  • Identify ways to plan and schedule work more efficiently using Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling.
  • Analyze modern scheduling techniques including the CPM schedule, bar charts, computer printouts and plots.
  • Identify how to use the CPM schedule as a tool for avoiding or documenting future claims.
  • Discuss the importance of regular updates to the CPM schedule.

Module 12: Legal Issues & Contract Clauses

  • Discuss the significant legal implications project managers face.
  • Identify actions, or lack thereof, that can have far-reaching legal consequences for the project manager, their company and many others.
  • Identify specific areas where caution is necessary in order to avoid legal problems.

Module 13: Innovation

  • Discover the latest trends in Building Information Modeling (BIM).
  • Discuss benefits of Lean Construction.
  • Explain the origins of Lean Construction.