PMF 111 - Introduction to Project Management and Foundational Concepts
Course Description
Projects require structure, clarity, and a systematic approach to organizing work activities and guiding decisions. You will explore the fundamental principles that shape modern project management and examine how projects are initiated, organized, and guided through their life cycles.
Through effective project management, you will be able to deliver a framework that helps teams define intent, align expectations, and deliver value predictably across diverse organizational contexts. You will work with essential project artifacts and planning techniques that help structure project objectives, clarify scope, and support early decision-making.
By building the knowledge for foundational concepts, common terminology, and standard practices, you will ensure consistent outcomes across project environments and approaches. Along with evaluating different delivery approaches, you will assess how they influence planning, coordination, and stakeholder engagement.
Additionally, you will explore how emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools, can improve communication, analysis, and the overall coordination of project activities.
Course Details
By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
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Explain the concepts of project management, the project team, and project key stakeholders.
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Describe how a principle-driven framework can lead to a successful, systematic, and value-focused project delivery.
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Differentiate between project life cycles (predictive, adaptive, hybrid) and apply the focus areas (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing) across any chosen structure.
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Investigate how to leverage commonly used tools and techniques to generate project outputs.
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Apply project management principles to guide project strategy and decision-making.
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Distinguish between project, program, portfolio, and product management and their objectives.
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Create fundamental project management documents such as a project charter, project management plan, and work breakdown structure.
Topics of Instruction
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Project artifacts, including the project charter and the project management plan
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Project focus areas: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing
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Project management inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs
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Development of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
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Agile and Hybrid concepts, values, and principles
Notes
Formerly: PMF 110 Introduction to Project Management and Process-Based Approach to Projects
I completed my Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad Regiomontana, Monterrey, Mexico in 1982; completed a MBA from St. Edward’s University in 1985 and initiated my professional career in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela as Planning and Scheduling Engineer in Project Controls organization in 1986. I had occupied positions as Project Engineer, Turnover Coordinator, Maintenance Coordinator, Site Project Control Manager, planner, scheduler leading teams for over 30+ years of combined experience, impacting the performance of organizations through expert alignment of technical – administrative resources in Project Management Team (PMT) environment, for Oil industry producers and EPC contractors. Using best practices in project management; also succeeding in cross-functional settings, matrix organizations, joint ventures; embracing challenges/changes and serving as an instrumental role in optimizing processes. After 20 years working in my native Venezuela; arrived to Fort McMurray, Canada in 2006 and continue developing my career in major projects and maintenance organizations for the last 11 years.
Justyna Abah is an accomplished Project Manager with diverse experience, ranging from NGO programs to European Union initiatives and cutting-edge AI/ML projects across Europe, West Africa, and North America. With a Master's degree in Spatial Economics and certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI ACP), Six Sigma, and Professional Scrum Master (PSM I), Justyna's expertise is well-rounded and up-to-date with the latest industry standards. Justyna brings practical insights and real-world experiences into her teachings, bridging the gap between theory and practice and equipping her students with the relevant skills and expertise needed to thrive in the dynamic world of project management.