FER Focus: Project Selection (Module 1)

FOCUS ON... 10, 11 AND 15 DECEMBER 2020 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE HEALTH CRISIS)

MASTERING THE PRELIMINARY PROJECT PHASE TO OPTIMISE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

interview by

Lauren Hostettler

How can managers avoid the waste of resources resulting from projects that fail to deliver the expected results on time and within budget? Since these account for more than 80% of projects on average, the issue is significant. Especially in lean times, as is currently the case. The three-day course “Mastering the preliminary project phase to reduce resource waste” will present the antidote to this poison. An interview with Raphaël H. Cohen, Academic Co-Director of the DAS in Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Geneva, who has already delivered this training under another title: “How to turn down a project from your boss without losing your job”. He explains the purpose of this course and who it is aimed at.

What are the objectives of this new course?

The main objective of this course is to calibrate projects more accurately from the outset. It shows how to estimate resources more effectively in terms of time, money, but also skills. This upstream analysis also makes it possible to verify the feasibility and relevance of projects. It therefore leads to more rigorous project selection.

Moreover, when a project goes badly, it can damage the project manager’s reputation, even when they are not to blame. To avoid this, it is in their interest to calibrate it properly beforehand. In particular, this course teaches how to lead the sponsor to give up constructively on a project that is likely to result in a waste of resources.

How can resource waste be defined?

When we speak of waste of resources, we mean human and financial resources, as well as time. Nearly 88% of business projects cost more and take longer than expected, or fail to achieve their intended result. A project that takes more time slows down other worthwhile projects. This is known as the pollution effect.

Anticipating and reducing this waste is a central issue for managers. Today, companies are faced with changes that entail strategic choices. It is therefore necessary to know how to make the best possible decision. This applies to all types of projects and companies of every size. It should be noted that innovative projects are the most complicated, because they still contain many unknowns.

What form does this course take?

The course runs over three days. The first two are devoted to the tools that participants will then have to apply to projects. The final day will provide an opportunity to discuss and exchange views on the implementation carried out in the meantime. To encourage learning through interaction and discussion, the course is highly interactive.

It includes numerous videos that help participants retain the concepts; there are no academic case studies, but rather examples of real projects. The theoretical framework will include a toolbox and a checklist of questions to review before launching new projects.

Humour is ever-present throughout the course. This helps prevent boredom and makes the lessons easier to remember!

The course is planned in hybrid mode, combining in-person attendance with videoconferencing for those who prefer, or need, to follow it remotely.

Who is it aimed at?

The target audience for this course is varied. First, everyone who manages projects: preliminary project analysis is a skill that is not sufficiently covered in traditional project management training. Managers who are responsible for deciding whether or not to allocate resources to projects make up the second audience.

Thirdly, there are innovators who want to learn how to convince decision-makers or investors: by understanding the evaluation criteria used by decision-makers, they can prepare accordingly. We also welcome anyone with a desire to innovate or become an entrepreneur: this course will give them the tools to identify, analyse, sell and exploit opportunities. These skills provide the agility required to get through crises and bounce back in the face of adversity.

- Dates: Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Tuesday 15 December 2020 - Times: From 8.30 am to 12 noon and from 1.30 pm to 5 pm - Venue: FER Geneva Training Centre, 12 Quai du Seujet, Geneva - Price: 1,500 francs for FER Geneva members (1,800 francs for non-members)

This course is equivalent to the first module of the CAS in Entrepreneurial Management. Participants who meet the admission criteria can make use of this equivalence to continue their studies at UNIGE (CAS Entrepreneurial Management, DAS Entrepreneurial Leadership and EMBA programmes).