Explain the Project+ Certification and Basic Concepts

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06Welcome.

0:07My name is Simona.

0:08That's me on the screen right here.

0:10And I'm really very pleased that you're joining me on this

0:12journey towards the CompTIA Project+ exam.

0:16As we'll see, this course aligns with the PKO-005 exam.

0:19There'll be more on that later.

0:21But I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself and give you

0:23an idea of what you can expect to learn from this skill.

0:26So here's the list of videos for this skill.

0:28And, in fact, let me turn my camera on

0:30so I can say hello to you properly.

0:32Hello.

0:33Here I am.

0:33And this is a British accent that you're hearing.

0:36And, yes, I do have English breakfast tea in my mug.

0:39But anyway, in this skill, I want to start us off by talking

0:42with you a bit more about the CompTIA Project+ Certification

0:46and how it fits in with other project management

0:48certifications and whatnot.

0:49And then I'd like to share with you some detail about the exam

0:52experience itself.

0:53Now, that might feel a bit premature

0:55given we haven't learned the content yet,

0:57but I think it's nice to know in advance

0:58what we've got to deal with.

0:59Although I should say, if you're not

1:01planning on taking the exam at all

1:03but want to learn the basics of project management,

1:05then, outside of this skill, I'm not

1:08going to be mentioning the exam in every other breath.

1:10So this course should still serve as a good general project

1:14management course rather than just exam preparation.

1:17But anyway, for the rest of this skill,

1:18I want us to clarify some basic terms to get us started.

1:22For example, what is project management?

1:24How do we define a project?

1:26And we'll talk about the different phases

1:28a project goes through in its life

1:29and how these phases compare to the process groups

1:31as defined by the Project Management Institute, the PMI.

1:35We'll talk about programs and portfolios,

1:37and we'll finish with a recap quiz.

1:39And, of course, there are many more skills

1:41which follow on from this one as we dig deeper

1:43into the wonderful world of project management.

1:45But for now, let's jump in.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06As I mentioned in the introduction,

0:09this course has been designed to align with the CompTIA Project+

0:12PKO-005 exam.

0:14And so I thought it was worth us taking

0:16a look at this certification and see

0:18how it fits in to the project management world

0:21as it were so that you can see if it's

0:22going to be a good fit for you and your career progression.

0:26And you probably already know that CompTIA

0:28provides a wide range of vendor-neutral exams.

0:32You can see the Project+ logo here lined up with some of its

0:35more famous cousins.

0:36And as you might imagine, this Project+ Certification is

0:40designed to give you something tangible to illustrate that

0:43you've got some knowledge around what's involved in managing

0:45a project.

0:46But this particular certification

0:48is very much an entry-level one.

0:50And I should probably point out that if you

0:52do have some project management experience already,

0:56then you might find some concepts possibly

0:58oversimplified to a point which might make you wince

1:02a bit if you've got some knowledge in that area.

1:04But I have to say, in my book, a simplification

1:07is exactly what we should expect for an entry-level exam.

1:11And you might also know that the CompTIA certifications

1:13are designed to be what's described as vendor-neutral.

1:16They cover a broad range of technologies

1:18from different vendors.

1:20And although project management isn't a technology,

1:22this vendor-neutral idea does still

1:25apply in that it covers a wide range of project management

1:28frameworks and methodologies.

1:30It's designed to give you a broad, foundational knowledge

1:33as you begin your project management journey.

1:36Having said that, though, lots of ideas and definitions

1:39have been borrowed from the PMI.

1:41That's the Project Management Institute.

1:44And because of that, I will be using

1:46one of the industry standard references,

1:47the PMBOK, the PMI's guide to the Project Management

1:50Body of Knowledge.

1:51That's where the PMBOK--

1:52P-M-B-O-K-- that's where the acronym comes from.

1:56And for your reference, I'm actually

1:58using the Seventh Edition.

1:59But note, I do not expect you to have this reference to hand.

2:03You don't need to read the PMBOK.

2:05It's a pretty dry read, to be honest,

2:07and contains far more detail than we need for our purposes

2:10in this course.

2:11But please rest assured that I will give you the edited

2:14highlights that we need for the Project+ Certification.

2:18And, in fact, throughout this course,

2:19when I do quote the PMBOK, I will show this illustration

2:22here of the open book so that you know where the definition

2:25or whatever has come from.

2:27So, yes, the CompTIA Project+ is an entry-level,

2:30vendor-neutral-ish certification to illustrate your knowledge

2:34of project management.

2:36But I realize you might be in two

2:38minds about the value of this certification

2:40in the first place.

2:41And indeed, people often say to me, well,

2:43isn't real world experience better than a certification?

2:47And to be honest, we could be here all day debating this.

2:50I could write you an essay to answer this question.

2:53But I think really the key points we need to consider

2:55are these.

2:57Firstly, you can study for and sit this exam

3:00without having any prior experience in project

3:04management.

3:04So it truly can be your very first step

3:07into the world of project management, which

3:09could get your foot in the door to actually getting

3:11some real world experience in the first place.

3:13And secondly, if people around you

3:16are trying to poison your mind against studying for this exam

3:19and telling you that a certification isn't

3:21as valuable as real world experience,

3:23let me tell you this.

3:26Acquiring this certification will

3:28tell your current or your future employer

3:30that you've got commitment to the field of project

3:33management, and that you've actually

3:34been able to apply yourself and knuckle down and learn

3:37the important project management concepts well enough

3:40to pass an exam.

3:41And that really is valuable.

3:44Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

3:46This certification is going to be an excellent addition

3:49to your resume, or to your CV, as I would say here in the UK.

3:53But anyway, having hopefully convinced you that a project

3:57management certification is worth studying for, you might

4:00now be asking yourself, hmm, should I choose Project+

4:04or the PMI's CAPM Certification?

4:07Where CAPM stands for Certified Associate

4:10in Project Management.

4:12And, in fact, the best answer to this question

4:14lies I think on the CompTIA website.

4:17And so if you take yourself to comptia.org and then

4:20in Certifications find Project+, there we are,

4:23and then scroll down to, yes, this bit here.

4:28So you can see the Project+ Certification in the first

4:31column is positioned as an entry-level certification

4:34for smaller projects, whereas the CAPM is a bit more

4:38involved, getting us more towards an intermediate level

4:41with a specific focus on the PMI methodology in particular,

4:45which is going to stand you in good stead if you need

4:48to manage larger projects.

4:49And then as you can see here in the third column,

4:52if you need a focus on PRINCE2--

4:54and we will touch on this framework in the next skill--

4:56then you would work towards an exam specific to that.

4:59But anyway, my point is if you already

5:01know that you do need the detail of the PMI methodology,

5:05then I think you could jump straight to the CAPM.

5:08And, in fact, here at CBT Nuggets,

5:10I do have other training available,

5:12which studies the PMI methodology according

5:14to the PMBOK, which aligns with the CAPM exam.

5:17And note that because the CompTIA Project+ does,

5:21as I mentioned, borrow a fair bit from the PMBOK,

5:24then there is a bit of overlap between my training for these

5:27two certifications.

5:29So I don't necessarily think you need to do both courses.

5:32Either pick the course which belongs to the certification

5:35that you want to pursue, or if you just want the more

5:37introductory level 1, then stick with this CompTIA Project+

5:41course.

5:42And at the time that I'm creating this content,

5:45the latest version of the Project+ exam is hot off

5:48the presses.

5:49It was launched in November 2022, the 005 version,

5:53and we're not going to expect it to get replaced for another

5:56three years or so.

5:57But even when it does, keep the certification on your resume.

6:01It doesn't expire.

6:02It's just that they'll update the content

6:04to reflect current best practices

6:06and relevant modern-day scenarios.

6:08But in answer to my own question about what's changed in this

6:10particular iteration of the exam, the 005,

6:13it's a bit more aimed at the IT pro.

6:16And so to that end, there's a whole new domain

6:20on the basics of IT and governance to help you,

6:23not only with some IT concepts that

6:24are common to many IT projects, but also security and privacy

6:28and compliance around data and whatnot.

6:30So that's the biggest change for this release of the exam.

6:33And I should mention here that this is a screen snip

6:36that you're looking at here of part of the exam objectives,

6:38just to show you that extra domain.

6:40And you can download your own copy of this from the CompTIA

6:43website.

6:44So therefore, given what we've talked about over the last

6:47couple of slides, clearly, this course is going to be

6:49absolutely the right choice for you if you are planning

6:52on taking the CompTIA Project+ exam.

6:55That's kind of obvious.

6:56But even if you're not planning on sitting

6:58the actual exam itself, I mean, maybe you're an IT pro

7:02and you find yourself managing small IT projects

7:04alongside your regular duties, then,

7:06yes, I do think that this course will be a good fit for you.

7:10And who knows?

7:10By the time you get to the end, you

7:12might end up choosing to give the exam

7:14a go because it would be a nice thing to add to your resume.

7:16But also, even if you have no real aspirations

7:19to actually be a project manager but you

7:22do work on projects as a team member,

7:25and you want to be able to contribute better

7:27in project update meetings, then this course

7:29will give you the foundation that you

7:31need to be able to kind of talk the talk,

7:33as it were, with regards to schedules

7:35and budgets and resources and scope and all of that kind

7:37of stuff.

7:38So, obviously, I've structured this course,

7:40so it does cover everything listed in the exam objectives.

7:44In fact, let me turn on my camera for a second

7:46so I can wave around my printout of the CompTIA objectives.

7:49Hello.

7:50Here I am.

7:50But the thing is the order of the topics

7:53on this printout doesn't really make

7:55the best order for a logical progression of topics.

7:57So please rest assured, if you are using this document

8:00as part of your exam preparation,

8:02I promise, I've done my very best

8:04to cover every bullet point but not

8:06necessarily in the same order as this document.

8:09Next up, I'd like to share with you my actual experience

8:12of taking the exam itself.

8:14But for now, I hope this has been informative for you,

8:16and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06I suppose I should begin by saying

0:08that if you have no intention of taking the exam, then,

0:11for sure, you can skip this video.

0:13Or you may prefer to revisit it at the end of this training

0:16course when you're ready to take the exam.

0:18But I do find that most people who are starting their exam

0:21preparation journey like to get an idea of what

0:23the exam entails right at the beginning of that journey,

0:26hence why this video is in this introductory skill.

0:30And so in terms of the exam structure itself,

0:32it's what I tend to refer to as a closed-book exam.

0:35And by that, I mean you can not take any reference material

0:39into the exam with you, and so you are relying entirely

0:42on what is inside your head.

0:43And note that you can take this exam

0:45either in person at a testing center or online at home

0:49or at your place of work.

0:50And in both cases, checks will be

0:53made that you're not trying to cheat-- you know, that you're

0:55not wearing earbuds or that you haven't got notes

0:58in your pocket or whatever else they deem

1:00might be an indication that you're cheating.

1:02So the exam itself is 90 minutes long.

1:04But your overall appointment for the whole exam will be longer.

1:08But in terms of the length of time,

1:09you've got to answer the questions, and it's 90 minutes.

1:12And you will see a countdown showing you

1:14how much time you've got left and how many questions you've

1:16yet to answer.

1:18And there will be a maximum of 90 questions,

1:21and the vast majority of those will be multiple choice.

1:25And because they are mostly multiple choice,

1:27that means you must guess if you don't know an answer.

1:31You do not lose marks if you mark a question incorrectly.

1:35And get into the habit of guessing intelligently.

1:37For example, disregard any obviously wrong answers first,

1:41and therefore you're only guessing between the more

1:43likely answers.

1:44Now, as I said, the vast majority of the questions

1:47are multiple choice, and the majority of those,

1:49you'll only need to choose one answer.

1:51But there will also be a case study type

1:54of thing, which CompTIA refers to as

1:56performance-based questions.

1:58So there's a bit of blurbage to read

2:00about some scenario or other and then

2:02a couple of different parts to answer where you might have

2:04to drag and drop to put processes

2:06in the right order or something or choose which project

2:09documents need updating.

2:10But as I said, the bulk of your time

2:12will be spent answering multiple choice questions.

2:15You can mark a question for review to come back to later.

2:18But I would be a bit wary of this

2:20because you've got to be careful that you don't end up

2:22marking everything for review because that means

2:24you'll essentially be taking the whole exam twice,

2:27if you see what I mean.

2:28So I tend to try and be quite selective,

2:30and I usually end up with, I don't know, no more than 15

2:33or so to review at the end.

2:35The pass mark is 710, so that's the number to look out for.

2:39And you will see your result after you finish.

2:41But rather agonizingly, they make you take an online survey,

2:45presumably while the computer chews on your results

2:48for a minute or two.

2:48But when you finish the survey, you

2:50will see your score and whether it's a pass or fail.

2:53And then afterwards, you can log in to CompTIA

2:56and see the general areas in which you got questions

2:58wrong, as per the domains in those exam objectives.

3:01So I seem to remember waving at you

3:03at the end of the last video.

3:04And if I just show you what that looks like,

3:06if you log in to CompTIA and take yourself

3:09to the Manage Exams area, now be aware that websites do change.

3:13So it might not look exactly like this.

3:14You might need to click around.

3:16But you want to get to My Exams because that's

3:19where you can see what exams you've got scheduled,

3:21and also you can view your exam history and see score reports

3:25and whatnot.

3:25So if I just click Score Reports just here,

3:28that means that I can say, yes, that I've

3:30taken this particular exam and I passed it.

3:32And then, obviously, I would click this View button here

3:34to see my score report itself, which

3:36is where I will see the exam objectives that I didn't learn

3:38properly, meaning I got questions wrong in those areas.

3:41When it comes to preparing for the exam,

3:43then do look at the exam objectives.

3:45It will certainly give you a feel of what

3:47you're supposed to know.

3:48And be aware that there are some things which you are just going

3:51to have to learn off by heart--

3:53definitions and whatnot.

3:54For example, the difference between

3:56smoke testing and regression testing.

3:58Of course, I'm going to be taking you through all of that

4:00as we progress through this course,

4:02but my point is there is some stuff you're just

4:05going to have to learn.

4:06Now, if you are an experienced exam taker,

4:08then just do what you normally do to learn stuff.

4:11You will already know what approach works for you.

4:14But if it's been a while since you last took an exam

4:16and you're feeling a bit daunted at the thought of how you're

4:18going to revise, then I suggest you create some flashcards

4:21for yourself.

4:22And before you ask, if I've got a set that I could share

4:24with you, could I just say that the actual creation

4:27of the flashcards is a great revision exercise in itself?

4:31And so I urge you to create your own.

4:33And there are free apps that you can use.

4:35If you like the idea of an electronic approach,

4:37for example, in the past, I have used Quizlet on my iPad.

4:41But do you know what?

4:42If in doubt, just use bits of paper.

4:44This revision activity is a relatively short-term effort,

4:48so don't waste time choosing just the right app

4:51or dithering about what size index

4:52cards to order from Amazon.

4:54I mean, if I just get rid of these scribbled annotations

4:57and turn on my camera, look, you can see my set of flashcards

5:00just here.

5:01I've torn up bits of paper from this notepad,

5:04so there's nothing fancy about it.

5:05And for example, the very first one on my list

5:07is fast tracking.

5:09So when I'm using my flashcards, I'd look at that,

5:11and I think to myself, can I define what fast tracking is?

5:14And then, obviously, I turn it over to see the answer.

5:16And then you might think that I just put that

5:18at the back of the pile of cards and carry

5:20on the next flashcard, but we can be smarter than that.

5:23Because if I think to myself, ah, no, fast tracking,

5:25I know that now.

5:26I don't need to be tested on that again in this session.

5:29I can actually put it to one side

5:30and take it out of the pack.

5:32Or if I look at it and think, oh, I

5:34want to be tested on that again sooner rather than later,

5:36then I put it back in the middle of my stack of flashcards

5:39so that I see it sooner than I would do

5:41if I put it right to the back.

5:43But anyway, I took this exam and passed it this morning.

5:46And, of course, I'm not allowed to share with you the details

5:48of specific questions.

5:49But let me share with you my general impression of the exam.

5:53Firstly, although this is an entry level exam--

5:57for example, I didn't have to perform any calculations

6:00or anything-- you do still need to know your stuff.

6:04You are not going to be able to just wing

6:05it using common sense.

6:07I can tell you that right now.

6:08I didn't particularly feel that it was trying to catch me out.

6:12But, yes, there were a couple of odd questions that did

6:15seem a little bit odd to me even now.

6:17And I'm not really sure what the right answer should have been,

6:20but, hey, that's life.

6:21A pass is a pass.

6:22But anyway, in the next video, let's

6:24crack on and start the material to prepare you for this exam.

6:27I hope this has been informative for you,

6:29and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06If you're new to project management,

0:08then you might be wondering, well,

0:10what is project management?

0:12How do we define it?

0:13Or maybe you're just thinking, er,

0:15isn't project management simply the act of managing a project?

0:18And, yes, I suppose it is.

0:20But before we get into a definition,

0:22I think really we need to backpedal a little bit

0:24and understand what we mean by a project.

0:27So I borrowed a definition from the PMBOK--

0:30that's the guide from the Project Management Institute.

0:33And what it says is this: a project

0:36is a temporary endeavor undertaken

0:38to create a unique product, service, or result.

0:41And it goes on to say that the temporary nature of projects

0:44indicates a beginning and an end to the project work,

0:47and that projects can stand alone or be

0:49part of a program or portfolio.

0:52But for this video, let's just focus on these first two

0:54sentences here, and we will come back to the rest

0:57later on in this skill.

0:59So, yes, a project is temporary.

1:01But sometimes people push back on this and say,

1:04but I've been working on the same project for five years.

1:07But don't mistake the word "temporary"

1:10for meaning "short term."

1:12It's got nothing to do with duration.

1:14It's about the fact that the project doesn't last forever

1:17but, more specifically, that it has

1:19a defined beginning and end.

1:21And normally, in an ideal world, the end of the project

1:24is reached when the objectives of the project

1:26have been achieved.

1:27Yay!

1:27But there could be other less positive factors which

1:30determine the end of the project,

1:31such as running out of money or resources,

1:34or maybe it turns out that the project's objectives aren't

1:36going to be able to be met, or that the outcome of the project

1:39is no longer needed, for example.

1:42Now, the project itself might be described as temporary,

1:45but the outcome of the project should create

1:48something of lasting value.

1:50And in particular, we describe it

1:51as creating a unique product, service, or result.

1:56So projects create unique results.

1:58And even if you've built 10 office blocks in the last 10

2:01years, which were broadly the same,

2:03each one of those office blocks is

2:05going to be unique because they're on different plots,

2:07for a start, and there'll be other differences too,

2:10such as the weather and the people involved

2:12and other things about the environment

2:14and probably the specification and whatnot too.

2:16So this uniqueness and the temporary nature of a project

2:20helps us to distinguish projects from what we

2:23describe as ongoing operations.

2:26So the construction of that office block was the project.

2:29That was a unique and temporary endeavor.

2:31But at the end of the project, we

2:33will transfer that deliverable-- so the finished building--

2:36to operations.

2:38So there's going to be building maintenance

2:39that needs to be done, but that's ongoing maintenance.

2:43And it's not constrained by time,

2:45and so therefore it's considered to be

2:47part of the day-to-day operations, which

2:49are going to continue potentially indefinitely.

2:51So even though, depending on the scenario,

2:54you might have team members working on both projects

2:57and what we describe as day-to-day operations,

3:00in the project management world, we

3:02should think of these as two distinct separate things.

3:05And it may or may not be obvious but a project should absolutely

3:08have a particular reason or purpose for existing

3:11in the first place.

3:12And that's usually I think going to be to create

3:14some sort of business value.

3:16And by that, we mean a quantifiable benefit,

3:19and this could be tangible or intangible.

3:22And I think the most obvious tangible benefit

3:24is going to be money.

3:25But it could be market share, for example, or, of course,

3:28the actual goods you've created, like the office building.

3:30But there might be intangible benefits

3:33too, such as reputation or brand recognition

3:36and things like that.

3:37So, yes, I think the most obvious purpose of a project

3:40is to create business value.

3:42But I suppose, more generally, we

3:43could simply say that the project

3:45drives some kind of change.

3:47The project is moving us from our current state

3:50to a future one.

3:51When we successfully complete the project,

3:53we've arrived at that desirable future state

3:56that we were hoping for.

3:57And, yes, as I said, that change is normally

4:00either directly or indirectly going

4:02to be in the form of creating some kind of business value.

4:05So having got a definition of what a project is--

4:08you can see all of those characteristics listed here--

4:10I think now we're in a better position

4:12to define what project management is.

4:14And again, let's borrow the definition

4:17that the PMI gives us in the PMBOK.

4:19You can see it here.

4:20Project management is the application

4:22of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques

4:25to project activities to meet the project requirements.

4:29So, basically, if you practice project management,

4:32you're trying to achieve the project objectives whilst

4:35balancing scope and schedule and costs and risk

4:38and quality and resources.

4:39That's where all of the skills and tools and techniques

4:42come in.

4:42And we will talk more about this balancing act

4:45as we progress through the other skills which

4:47follow on from this one.

4:49So when project management is done well,

4:51we can enjoy a whole host of benefits-- the main one being,

4:54of course, that we're more likely to get

4:56a successful outcome and actually achieve what

4:58the project is set out to do.

5:00It also means we're more likely to have completed the project

5:03on time and within budget.

5:04And throughout the project, we're

5:06better able to give accurate status updates

5:08to the people who need to know and would have been better

5:11prepared to resolve issues and respond to risks and whatnot.

5:14But with poorly managed projects,

5:16or situations where we don't have any project

5:18management at all, there are lots of negative possibilities.

5:21We might miss deadlines.

5:23We might go over-budget or end up

5:25with low quality output which needs rework.

5:28We might find our reputation is damaged,

5:30and we've got dissatisfied stakeholders.

5:33And ultimately, it's likely that the project won't

5:35have a successful outcome.

5:37Now, I am aware that in this video,

5:40I've been throwing around quite a lot of project management-y

5:43terms, such as "scope" and "stakeholders" and "quality"

5:46and "risk" and "constraints" and whatnot,

5:48but I don't want you to worry about the detail of that right

5:51now.

5:52Let these terms wash over you as you immerse yourself

5:55into this new wonderful world of project management,

5:58and you can rest assured that we will cover these terms

6:02in detail as we progress.

6:05Let me leave you with those two definitions from the PMBOK,

6:07for your reference.

6:08And so for now, I hope this has been informative for you,

6:12and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06Our goal for this video is to understand what we mean

0:09by project lifecycle phases.

0:12And I should mention here that we'll

0:14be seeing how CompTIA in particular

0:16describe these phases because don't forget,

0:18for this exam, we're looking generally

0:20at project management, touching on different frameworks

0:23as we go.

0:24So CompTIA has created a simplified general concept

0:28of project lifecycle phases.

0:30But anyway, you will remember from our last video

0:32that the PMBOK describes a project as a temporary endeavor

0:35blah, blah, with a beginning and an end.

0:39So yeah, it's born, if you like, at the beginning,

0:41and then it dies at the end when it finishes.

0:44So there's a lifecycle there from birth

0:46through living to death.

0:47That's the temporary nature of the project

0:50that we already talked about.

0:51So the project lifecycle, which is our topic for this video,

0:55is described by the PMBOK as the series of phases

0:59that a project goes through from its start

1:01through to its finish.

1:03And this is going to give us a very basic framework

1:06for managing the project.

1:07It's kind of going to give us a top-level roadmap

1:09to follow for when we might perform our different project

1:12management activities.

1:13I mean, we're not going to be creating a project

1:15schedule before we've even put together the business

1:17case for the project, and we can't

1:19document lessons learned until after we've at least done

1:22some project work.

1:23You get the idea.

1:25And so, at the simplest, most generic level,

1:27we first would have, for example,

1:29the idea for the project.

1:30And then we can plan it.

1:31Then we can actually do the work,

1:33and that's going to be the biggest phase.

1:34And then, finally, we finish it.

1:36The project has to die at the end,

1:37remember, because it's only a temporary endeavor.

1:40And so CompTIA has decided that the phases of the project

1:43lifecycle can be described as follows.

1:45First, we have our discovery and concept preparation phase.

1:49Then we initiate the project to get it started.

1:52Then we do loads of planning, and then

1:53in the execution phase, we manage

1:55the actual work being done.

1:57And then we'll have a closing phase to finish up the project.

2:00And the idea is that all of the various project management

2:03activities that we are going to be learning

2:05about at some length throughout the rest of this course--

2:07but all of those activities get slotted into these phases

2:10in order to give us a framework to guide us with the project

2:13management itself.

2:14For example, we're going to be developing our project

2:16schedule in the planning phase.

2:18But the names of these phases are fairly arbitrary.

2:21We could have just as easily have

2:23decided to call these phases idea,

2:25plan, do, finish, like I scribbled up here.

2:28It's just that CompTIA has decided

2:30on these five phases with these particular names here.

2:33I mean, your organization might call them different things,

2:36or you might see these first two phases combined into one.

2:40And specific frameworks will organize this differently too.

2:43But from a nice, general foundational level,

2:46which is where the Project+ exam positions itself,

2:48these phases will serve us just fine.

2:50And indeed, we're going to be using them

2:52as the structure for this course.

2:54And so for the rest of this video,

2:56I want to start to give you an idea of what

2:58these different phases mean, but I do not yet

3:01want you to worry about the detail.

3:02We are in overview mode here, and so my main goal

3:05of this video is to make sure that you

3:07are introduced to the names and the order of these five phases

3:11here.

3:11And we'll talk a little bit about what's

3:12involved because sometimes people

3:14do get distracted by what does initiation actually mean.

3:17So we'll touch on some general bits and pieces,

3:20just to warm you up as to what's involved in each phase.

3:22And you know that we'll be revisiting

3:24all of these project lifecycle phases

3:26and the activities we perform within them as we progress

3:29through this course.

3:31So we saw that the very first phase, according to CompTIA

3:33is called discovery and concept preparation.

3:36And this is where we'll be asking ourselves, hmm, is

3:39this project even worth doing?

3:41Given the time and money it's going

3:43to require to actually go ahead and do this project,

3:45is the end result going to give us a good reward?

3:48Are we going to get a good return on our investment?

3:52And so in this phase, we will be analyzing

3:54what our return on investment might be.

3:56We'll be putting together a business case.

3:58And don't forget, there's more detail

4:00to come later on in this course.

4:01We're just in overview mode, remember.

4:03And we need this business case in order

4:05to illustrate, for example, to senior management what business

4:08need we think we're fulfilling with this project

4:10so that they can see it's going to be worth

4:12the money it's going to cost.

4:13And also in this phase, we'll be looking at what we've already

4:16got with regards to existing vendors

4:18that we already work with, any existing contracts already

4:21in place.

4:21Identifying these things early on

4:23might help us to see how ready we are to undertake

4:26this project work right now.

4:28And we'll also be looking at some very high-level budgets,

4:31including whether we're talking about capital

4:33expenses or operational expenses--

4:35all the stuff that senior management are going

4:38to need to know before we get the nod to go ahead

4:40with the project.

4:41So this phase is all about discovering the top-level stuff

4:44to see if this project is a good fit for us as an organization

4:48right now.

4:49In the next phase, the initiation phase, well,

4:53having decided that, yes, this project is something

4:56we should undertake, initiation is the formal authorization

5:00for the project to begin.

5:02We're firing that starting gun.

5:04It's all systems go from this.

5:06And so some of the project management activities

5:09which fall into this phase, which

5:10is going to lead us up to the actual initiation itself,

5:13are things like identifying who might be affected by

5:16or who could affect the project.

5:18These are our stakeholders.

5:20We'll be looking at any existing templates or documents.

5:23These are examples of artifacts.

5:24My goodness, we've got an awful lot of project management terms

5:27creeping in here, haven't we?

5:28And there are more project management activities

5:31we could list here.

5:32These are just some examples.

5:33But this leads us up to developing the project charter

5:37which, once signed off, is the document that

5:40formally authorizes the existence of the project.

5:43And you know, don't you, that we're

5:44going to be addressing more detail on all of this later.

5:47We are just in overview mode, remember.

5:50But anyway, now that our project has begun,

5:52we can crack on with the planning, at last.

5:55So we know from the last two phases

5:58what we're trying to achieve overall with this project.

6:00But now we need to break that down

6:02into detailed units of work, which, in turn, means

6:06we can start to determine the budget for our project,

6:08and we can start assigning work to resources

6:11and build out a project schedule,

6:13determine the order in which the project work needs to be done.

6:16But, again, there's an awful lot more

6:18that we could put on this list.

6:20These are just some obvious examples.

6:22But as you can imagine, the project manager

6:24is rolling up his or her sleeves right now

6:27and producing the project management plan.

6:30And then, having got our plan in place,

6:32the actual work of the project is

6:34going to be performed in the execution phase here.

6:37And again, we're performing all kinds of project management

6:39activities, such as tracking and reporting on project work

6:43and conducting update meetings and whatnot.

6:45We'll also be managing changes.

6:47Maybe stakeholders want to add a new feature to the product

6:50we're building or something.

6:51Well, that's a change that needs to be

6:53managed following a proper change management procedure.

6:57And, therefore, if we decide to go ahead with the change,

6:59the plan is going to need to be updated accordingly.

7:02And throughout all of the phases,

7:04but especially, I think, during execution

7:06the project manager will be exercising

7:08his or her soft skills--

7:09communicating, negotiating, and managing conflict, for example.

7:14And again, there's loads more that we could add to this list,

7:17but these are some examples to give you an idea.

7:20But something I think I should mention here

7:22is that even though this arrangement of the 5 phases

7:25is sequential, it doesn't mean that we don't revisit

7:28activities which we might categorize

7:30as being in the planning phase when we're actually

7:32executing the project work.

7:34I mean, we'll be tracking and managing changes and whatnot

7:36and will therefore be needing to rebudget, reschedule,

7:39and replan, which are all activities we might describe

7:42as falling into the planning phase.

7:44But we're doing them during what we're describing

7:46as the execution phase.

7:47So I tend to think of these two phases

7:49in particular as more of a cycle rather

7:52than separate, discrete parts.

7:54And then, of course, our final phase is when the project ends,

7:57the closing phase.

7:58This is when the project work is formally accepted and signed

8:02off and it's handed over to whoever's

8:04going to be in charge of the ongoing operations,

8:06and you might think that's all we have to do,

8:09but there's more.

8:10We need to close contracts and release resources

8:13for work on other projects.

8:14We'll need to document the lessons learned

8:16from this project--

8:17you know, what went well and what didn't, what

8:19can we learn for next time?

8:20And how about some kind of end of project party as well?

8:23You get the idea.

8:25But again, don't get too hung up on the apparently strictly

8:28sequential nature of these lifecycle phases.

8:31As another example, there's no reason

8:33why we can't be writing down lessons

8:35learned while the project work is being executed.

8:38In fact, it's much better to be noting these things while they

8:40are fresh rather than relying on remembering them

8:43when the project has been finished

8:44over however many weeks or months or years later.

8:46But we'll certainly collate them and archive them

8:49during this closing phase.

8:51So those are our five project lifecycle phases

8:54according to CompTIA.

8:55It may be different in your organization, remember.

8:58But there is one final concept that I

9:00would like us to tackle in this video,

9:02and that's the idea of the product lifecycle--

9:06not the project lifecycle we've just

9:08been talking about but the product life cycle.

9:12This is the life of the whole thing, the product that we

9:15have created in the project.

9:17So let's say we're a hardware manufacturer,

9:19and we've designed and produced a rather fabulous new printer.

9:23Well, we would have had a project lifecycle

9:26that we already talked about with the various phases

9:28to get it from the concept stage right through

9:31to release into market.

9:32So the project has ended at that point,

9:34having gone through those lifecycle phases

9:37that we talked about.

9:38But the product, the printer, the product itself lives on.

9:41We carry on manufacturing it and supporting it and updating

9:45drivers for it or whatever and making

9:47parts for it-- that's the operational stuff-- until we

9:50retire the product.

9:52So that product lifecycle encompasses

9:55the entire evolution of the product from concept right

9:58through to retirement, whereas the project lifecycle

10:01is that temporary endeavor just here.

10:04Whoops, I didn't mean to cross that out.

10:06I was trying to highlight it.

10:07There we go.

10:08Here's your summary, for your reference.

10:10This is what I would like you to remember from this video--

10:13those two definitions just here along with those five project

10:18lifecycle phases according to CompTIA.

10:21And so, for now, I hope this has been informative for you,

10:24and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06A question that I sometimes get asked,

0:08after having talked about those project lifecycle phases,

0:11is are those phases basically the same

0:14as what the Project Management Institute calls process groups?

0:18Now if you truly are brand new to the world of project

0:21management, which, given that this is an entry level

0:23certification, is quite possibly the case, then, of course,

0:26I do not expect you to have heard of this idea of process

0:30groups from the PMI.

0:32But it can be a source of confusion, as we'll see.

0:35So anyway, we already know from the last video

0:38that the project lifecycle is defined

0:40as that series of phases that a project goes through

0:43from its start through to its finish.

0:45And CompTIA has decided that there

0:46are five project lifecycle phases with these names,

0:49as we've already seen.

0:51But as you increase your knowledge of project

0:52management, you will stumble, I'm sure,

0:55on other material from the PMI, and so you

0:57might wonder if these lifecycle phases that we've talked about

1:01are the same as the PMI's process groups

1:03from the PMBOK guide, which are shown down here

1:06at the bottom of the screen in green.

1:07And you'll look at them and you'll

1:09think, well, the words are a bit different

1:11but it kind of looks similar.

1:14Well, the thing is, at the time of recording this video,

1:17the current edition of the PMBOK guide is the seventh edition,

1:20but the sixth edition was very heavily focused

1:24around what they call process groups, where a process

1:26group is described as basically a logical grouping

1:30of related project management processes or activities.

1:33So in the planning process group,

1:36for example, we're going to be having processes or activities

1:38such as determine budget and develop schedule and perform

1:42risk analysis.

1:43These are all different project management activities

1:45or processes which the PMI has put into the planning process

1:50group-- kind of makes sense.

1:51And the sixth edition of the PMBOK guide

1:53goes through all of these processes in more detail

1:56than you could ever possibly imagine.

1:58And so this really does look like a variation of our project

2:01lifecycle phases, doesn't it?

2:03But that PMBOK guide does go to great lengths

2:06to stress that no, they are not phases.

2:09Instead, they should be thought of as groups

2:11of interconnected processes that occur repeatedly

2:14through the project lifecycle.

2:16And we already had that conundrum,

2:18didn't we, when we were talking about our project lifecycle

2:20phases?

2:21Do you remember this slide here, from the last video, when

2:24we were talking about the execution phase,

2:26that there will be planning activities that get

2:29repeated as the project progresses

2:31and the project work is underway.

2:32And for sure, the bigger and the more complex

2:35the project, the more overlap and repetition

2:38there's going to be in all of these areas.

2:40But let me just pop back to that other slide--

2:42yep, there we go-- because, really, it's just semantics,

2:45I think.

2:46And I suppose the answer to my original question

2:48here in the green is yeah, they are kind of the same concept.

2:53These process groups are simply the PMI's way

2:56of organizing all of those project management activities

2:59that get performed during the different lifecycle phases

3:02that we talked about.

3:03So don't worry about it too much.

3:05Just know that, in this course, we're

3:07working with a more straightforward idea

3:09of the same kind of thing.

3:11So in summary, then, stay focused on our project

3:15lifecycle phases that we've already

3:17had a quick look at and just have in the back of your mind

3:20that as you read around the subject,

3:22as you continue your project management journey,

3:24you will almost certainly stumble across the PMI's

3:27process groups, which are pretty similar, but not

3:30quite the same.

3:31And please rest assured that you do not need to know about these

3:35process groups for the CompTIA Project+ exam,

3:38and the seventh edition of the PMBOK guide has a different

3:40focus anyway.

3:42I hope this has been informative for you,

3:44and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:06In this video, I'd like us to briefly explore

0:09the idea of projects in the context of programs

0:12and portfolios.

0:14Now you already know how to define what a project is,

0:17and indeed, here's our PMBOK definition of a project

0:19that we've already seen in this skill,

0:21and it's this last bit that we haven't yet looked at,

0:24which is going to be the focus of this video.

0:26So projects can be standalone or part of a program

0:29or a portfolio or both, actually, as we will see.

0:33But anyway, yes, a project is that temporary endeavor

0:36undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

0:39And I've represented a project here with a drawing

0:42of a piece of paper, and indeed, an organization

0:44might well have lots of projects going on at the same time.

0:48In fact, it's really quite likely.

0:49And if any of these projects are related,

0:52then that's where the idea of a program

0:54comes in, where we can define a program

0:57as related projects which are managed in a coordinated way.

1:01So you can see, we've still got those individual projects,

1:05along with their individual project managers

1:07performing the detailed project planning and whatnot.

1:09But they are part of the coordinated effort

1:11that is the program.

1:13So at the simplest level, we can say

1:15that the purpose of a program is to tie a group

1:18of related projects together.

1:20But don't be fooled into thinking of a program

1:23as just a really big project.

1:24That isn't quite right, and certainly,

1:26in the project management world, according to the PMI,

1:28the terms are certainly not interchangeable.

1:32But let's think of an example.

1:33So let's say that we make fitness equipment,

1:36and we're making a new stationary exercise

1:38bike-- a spin bike thing.

1:40So there's going to be a number of

1:41specific, well-defined efforts here

1:43that goes into creating that product.

1:46And by that, I mean separate projects

1:48that all need to happen alongside each other

1:50in order to bring that bike to market.

1:52So we might have one project for the software on the screen

1:55and another one for the hardware and another one

1:57again for the associated online experience with, I don't know,

1:59virtual cycle rides or whatever.

2:01And there might be more too.

2:03So, yes, these are all clearly defined separate projects,

2:06but as a program, they're all brought together

2:09to form a particular end result--

2:11that bike.

2:12And note that a project doesn't have to be part of a program.

2:16You might well have standalone projects that

2:18aren't related to any others.

2:20And that's just fine.

2:22So that does beg the question, well,

2:24where does a portfolio fit in?

2:25Well, if I just tuck my projects into their programs here,

2:29we can define a portfolio as those programs and projects all

2:33being coordinated such that they contribute

2:35to the organization's overall strategic objectives.

2:39Oh my goodness, it sounds quite grand, doesn't it?

2:42So we can kind of think of a portfolio as being

2:45the next level up collectively.

2:47They do meet the overall objectives

2:49for the organization, but the individual projects

2:53and programs themselves inside of that portfolio

2:55are not necessarily dependent on each other or directly related,

3:00unlike those projects within the program,

3:02which are related in some way or other within that program.

3:05Now note that our portfolio, and, indeed,

3:08our programs for that matter, may actually include work

3:11that is operational in nature.

3:13So this really is kind of the big picture

3:15view of all of the work that's being

3:17done to achieve the strategic objectives of the organization.

3:21And that standalone project that we had-- well, that may or may

3:25not be part of that portfolio.

3:28So this means, therefore, that a project can

3:30exist in distinct scenarios--

3:33so firstly, number one here, as a standalone project outside

3:37of a program or portfolio; secondly, within a program

3:42which actually itself might be inside or outside

3:45of the portfolio or, as we saw, within a portfolio.

3:50To wrap up though, I have got something else

3:52that we need to be aware of.

3:53So this course, of course, is all about project management--

3:57everything that's involved in managing the scope

3:59and the schedule and the budget and whatnot,

4:01which we're going to learn more about as we

4:03progress through this course.

4:04But note that program management and portfolio management

4:08would be different disciplines.

4:10And there is an awful lot that we could say here, but suffice

4:13it to say that program management focuses

4:16on those interdependencies between those projects

4:19in the program, while portfolio management is a much more

4:22strategic view--

4:24have we selected the right projects and the right programs

4:27that best align with the organization's objectives?

4:30I hope this has been informative for you,

4:32and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

0:00[AUDIO LOGO]

0:06Let's finish up this skill with a recap quiz

0:09to help you focus on all of the key points that we've covered.

0:12Here's our little quizmaster, ready and waiting.

0:15So I'm going to take you through a series of questions.

0:17And don't forget that you can pause me

0:19if you need more time to digest the question before I

0:22go through the answers.

0:23But are you ready?

0:24Here's question number 1.

0:26Which of the following best describes the target audience

0:30for the CompTIA Project Plus exam?

0:32So is it A, marketing or admin people

0:34who need to learn the basics of project management.

0:36Well, I have to say, that would be fine.

0:38I'd be happy enough for them to study and take the exam.

0:40That might be the right answer, but we're looking

0:42for the best description.

0:44B, anyone who needs to understand the PMI

0:46concepts in detail.

0:48Well, no.

0:49That is definitely not the case.

0:50They should be going for the CAPM or even the PMP exam.

0:53What about C?

0:54IT pros who need to manage small projects.

0:57Well, that's sounding really quite promising.

0:59I like that.

1:00And what about D?

1:00Project Managers who want to avoid reading the PMBOK.

1:03Well, no.

1:04If you're already a project manager

1:05and you know about the PMBOK, then I

1:07don't think that the CompTIA Project

1:09Plus is going to be for you.

1:10So yes, let's go with C, IT pros who need

1:13to manage a small projects.

1:15Question number 2.

1:17How many questions Does the CompTIA Project Plus exam have?

1:21Well, it's a whole raft of multiple choice questions.

1:24I don't remember saying anything about case studies.

1:26It's not going to be those two.

1:28The correct answer is this.

1:30It's a maximum of 90 questions.

1:33How about the next one in our recap quiz.

1:36Which of the following are characteristics of a project?

1:39So you may have noticed that I've got the reference

1:42video just mentioned down here.

1:44So when we were talking about what

1:45is project management, what is a project,

1:47we were talking about characteristics of a project.

1:49So let's try and find the three correct answers from this list.

1:53A, can follow either predictive or agile methodologies.

1:56Well, in theory I suppose that is true,

1:58but we haven't yet talked about predictive and agile and ERD.

2:01So no, it's not going to be that.

2:03Has a start and finish.

2:05So, yes, we learned that projects

2:07are a temporary endeavor.

2:09So I'm liking that one as one of our three.

2:11But no, don't be tempted to think

2:13of projects as being short-term just

2:16because they are temporary.

2:17So no, that is not a right answer.

2:19But yes, they are unique.

2:21Yes, I have a reason or purpose.

2:23So that's already hour three.

2:24So hopefully, this is nonsense.

2:25Yes, uses Kanban boards.

2:27We're going to be talking more about different methodologies

2:29and whatnot in the next skill so.

2:30But this particular question, B, D, and E

2:33are the correct three options for this question.

2:36How about our next quiz question?

2:39What do we mean when we say that a project is

2:41distinct from operations?

2:43And we're looking for two answers here.

2:46So answer A, project is the term used in traditional frameworks,

2:49whereas modern alternatives will--

2:51no, that sounds like absolute nonsense,

2:53so it's not going to be that one.

2:55B, operations could continue indefinitely

2:58and are therefore not constrained by time.

3:00Now, I do quite like that one because we're

3:02talking about a project being temporary.

3:03It's got to start and a finish, whereas operations carry on.

3:07So I'm hoping that's going to be one of our two.

3:09What about C?

3:10When a project is successfully completed,

3:12it'll be handed over to operations.

3:14Now, that does sound quite good.

3:16So therefore, I'm hoping that D is going

3:17to be a bit of a red herring.

3:19So unlike a project, operations will never be unique nor well.

3:22I'm hoping that operations will still have a defined purpose.

3:24So no, that sounds like nonsense.

3:27So the correct answers for this question are B and C.

3:31Let's move on.

3:32Which of the following are the CompTIA Project Lifecycle

3:36phases.

3:36And you might remember we're looking

3:38for five parts of the project lifecycle here.

3:41So project kickoff.

3:43Well, that does sound like something

3:44we might do as part of the lifecycle,

3:46but that's not the name of the phase.

3:47So no, that's not right.

3:49Discovery, concept preparation.

3:51So yes, that was one of the phases

3:53as was initiation, as was planning,

3:55well, we're doing well.

3:56Here, that's three of the five.

3:58Define a budget.

3:59No that's not going to be one of the lifecycle phases.

4:02That's actually a process and activity

4:04that we would perform in the planning phase.

4:07Execution.

4:08Yes, that's when the work actually happens.

4:10Monitoring and controlling.

4:12A bit of a red herring there.

4:13That's actually one of the PMI process groups.

4:16So that's not one of our lifecycle phases.

4:18And then yes, closing at the end of the lifecycle.

4:21So hopefully, that's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

4:23Good.

4:23Those are our five project lifecycle phases.

4:26Onto our next question then.

4:28In which phase has the project formally

4:30been authorized to start?

4:32Well, it's certainly not going to be any of these.

4:35That's all of your pre-start stuff.

4:37So it's actually initiation.

4:38That's the phase where the project is formally

4:41authorized to start.

4:43And then finally, our last question.

4:46Which of the following is true regarding projects, programs,

4:49and portfolios?

4:51So how about A?

4:52Projects will only be part of a portfolio

4:54if the organization has a project management office.

4:57Well, that sounds a bit odd.

4:58I really don't think that's going to be the right answer.

5:01Projects can stand alone or be part

5:03of a program or a portfolio.

5:06Well, I'm thinking that probably is

5:07going to be our right answer.

5:08We had something like that, didn't we,

5:10in our definition of a project.

5:11But let's just disregard the others

5:13before we settle on answer B.

5:15C, projects are always part of either a program

5:18or a portfolio.

5:19No, that's definitely not right.

5:21What about D?

5:22Small projects will be part of a program,

5:24while larger, more complex projects

5:25will be part of a portfolio.

5:27No.

5:28That's obviously a red herring there.

5:30That's nonsense.

5:31So yes, answer B is our best answer there.

5:35Well done.

5:35That was the last question in this recap quiz,

5:38and you've now completed the final video in this skill.

5:42I hope this has been informative for you,

5:43and I'd like to thank you for viewing.