Project Management - Auditing Problem Projects

Stuart Gardner
Instructor:
Stuart Gardner
Duration:
60 Minutes
Product Id:
500172
Access:
6 months

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Price Details
$149 Recorded
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Overview:

Every project undertaken is not a guaranteed success; there are many things that can and do go wrong. Overly optimistic budgets or underfunded projects can result in shortcuts or unrealistic pressures on those working on the project. Staff or resources lacking the skills to work on the project see the assignment as a fast track to promotion and may not be willing to admit they can not handle the project, projects escalated to be done quickly may result in shoddy workmanship, resources pulling on time constraints can stretch employees to thin, opposition may even exist that is looking to have the project fail - yes sabotage is more common than many will admit to.

Project Management is an essential skill and discipline. The absence of effective project management can cripple new initiatives and adversely effect the bottom line of the organization. Without adequate scrutiny Project Manager's can easily present an over optimistic view of progress. Third party vendors can exploit weak management. Executives and even employees can sabotage unpopular imitative. There many even be unhappy outsiders: advocacy groups, unions, etc. that try to sabotage the project. Project managers working on projects that are falling behind often under report issues in the hope that they can play catch up later on. This is easy to do especially with complex projects. They can easily take advantage of executives with busy schedules and give them a quick overview where everything is going fine on the project. In reality the project is falling apart. The application of a sound project management methodology can help mitigate risk. However, if the methodology is misapplied, issues can be aggravated.

Additionally choosing the wrong methodology for the project can be just as dangerous. Clear communication as to project goals and constraint is imperative for a successful outcome and satisfied stakeholders. Realistic expectations must be set. The key being realistic. Over aggressive projects with limited constraints usually lead to unhappy results. A poorly defined project can be a failure before it even begins.

Why should you Attend: Projects are central to the success of organizations. From meeting new regulations, developing new products, entering new markets, downsizing, implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning system are all projects. Any one of these can bring significant benefits: the downside is they may bring an organization to it's knees if they fail.

Auditors need to know what makes a project a success and understand the project management process. Equally, an awareness of common pitfalls is essential to spot problem projects. Spotting issues at an early stage is critical to ensure project success and avoid costly failure. Audit must be able to identify root causes of issues and make positive recommendations to help mitigate risks. Also, audit can help to ensure management and key stakeholders are aware of issues and can take decisions based on accurate information.

Areas Covered in the Session:

  • Criteria for a successful project
  • Project lifecycle
  • Managing external resources
  • Project Management: methodologies
  • Project management performance measures
  • Scheduling "tricks"
  • Reporting
  • Project sabotage

Who Will Benefit:
  • Project managers
  • Audit directors, managers and staff
  • Risk managers


Speaker Profile
Stuart Gardner CPFA, CISSP, CISA, CCA has more than 20 years of audit and corporate experience in a variety of sectors and industries, including government, publishing, and financial services. His experience combines audit of numerous largescale construction projects, internal controls and audit reviews, information security, relocation planning, and project risk management.

He was director of risk assessment for the McGraw-Hill companies. Gardner is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant (UK government and healthcare), Certified Construction Auditor, Certified Information Systems Auditor, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Swansea.


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