DCI-Iraq Comprehensive Training Program
Course Descriptions
curriculum of each session may vary slightly with individual instructors. 1. PMP Certification Preparation
Target audience: Our expert training for PMP certification is fully aligned with the Project Management Institute (PMI)®‘s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) to will prepare you to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam. It is ideal for any management professional who wishes to achieve career advancement through certification with this international institution. The course combines formal classroom review of material by a PMP, test simulations, and direct coaching in taking the examination, along with tips for success. Upon completion, trainees will be awarded PMI Professional Development Units (PDUs) and be prepared for the PMP certification examination: DCI will assist trainees with the certification process through PMI’s regional office.
Note: The course will provide participants with a copy of the PMBOK® guide. Objectives:
At the end of this course, trainees will:
● understand the fundamentals of project management, including the broad range of project management terms, conditions and business situations presented on the exam.
● be fully prepared for taking – and passing – the PMP® Exam, with assistance from DCI in exam registration
● build a plan for ensuring success on the exam (trainees students should anticipate an additional 50-100 hours of study after the training course to pass the assessment) ● Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the PMBOK® 4th edition.
● Complete hands-on pseudo-exam samples ● Obtain the 35 Contact Hours required by PMI
● Monitor and control project schedules, costs, quality, staffing, communications, risks and contracts
● Plan, initiate, implement and close a project on time and on budget
Course outline:
Section-I: The PM Framework (7H)
- Concepts, context and environment
- PM process groups, definitions and interactions.
Section-III: The PM Knowledge Areas (21H)
Section-X: Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, Extra information, Exam process
(2.5H)
Day I
Chapter 1: Project Management Framework and Context (Examination and Qualifications Overview)
● Project management framework and context
● Social, economic, environmental, and cultural influences ● Key general management skills
● Communicating ● Power and influence ● Leadership
● Motivation theories
● Negotiating, change management, and problem solving ● Project management context portfolios, programs, projects Day II
Chapter 2: Project Life Cycle and Organization ● The project life cycle
● The importance of stakeholders
● Organizational systems and influences ● Probability and statistics
Chapter 3: Project management standards
● Project management processes, process groups, and interactions ● Processes, inputs, outputs
● Mapping the 5 process groups and the 9 knowledge areas
Chapter 4: Project integration management: the high-level process flow ● Initiate the project
● Develop the project management plan ● Direct and manage project execution
Day III
Chapter 5: Project scope management
● Scope Planning, Definition, and the WBS ● Controlling and Verifying Scope
Chapter 6: Project time management
● Activity definition, estimation, sequencing, and schedule development ● Schedule control
Chapter 7: Project cost management ● Cost estimating and budgeting ● Cost control
Chapter 8: Project quality management ● Quality planning
● Quality assurance ● Quality control Day IV
Chapter 9: Project human resources management ● HR planning
● Acquire and develop project team ● Manage project team
Chapter 10: Project communications management ● Communications planning
● Information distribution ● Performance reporting ● Stakeholder management Chapter 11: Project risk management
● Risk management planning and identification ● Qualitative and quantitative analysis
● Risk monitoring and control Day V
Chapter 12: Project procurement management ● Planning purchases and acquisitions ● Preparing for bidding
● Requesting seller responses and selecting the winning bid ● Administering contract
● Closing contracts
Professional Responsibility and Ethics Preparing for the Exam
● Logistics
● Test-taking hints
● Strategy for preparation up to testing day ● Practice exam
2. Project Feasibility Study
Target Audience: A feasibility study is the process of evaluating the viability and financial sustainability of a business or project idea. It is used to: identify logistical and other impediments to success, and their solutions; develop marketing strategies donors or backers that the project is worth their investment; and build a solid foundation for business or project planning. The course is ideal for government employees, department heads, operations and planning specialists and anyone involved in planning projects and business ventures.
Objectives:
● Define feasibility studies and evaluate markets. ● Understand and estimate profitability
● Conduct marketing studies ● Conduct Technical studies
● Conduct financial studies and profit analysis for upcoming
● Use the Computer Model for Feasibility Analysis and Reporting (COMFAR) feasibility study software developed by the UNIDO
Course outline:
1. Rules and regulations.
2. Areas feasibility studies cover
3. Difference between pre-feasibility and detailed studies 4. Market studies: An introduction
5. Studying the potential market and the potential demand 6. Potential demand indicators
7. Estimation of the demand gap
8. Estimation of the implicit demand gap 9. Other indicators of potential market 10.Projection of market demand
11.Estimations of demand 12.Technical/engineering study 13.Assessing the natural environment 14.Selecting technical know-how
15.Project flow charts and process mapping 16.Final output specifications
17.Costing: material and manpower 18.Project life cycle/scheduling
19.Financial feasibility
20.Investment profitability analysis
21.Use of COMFAR III feasibility study software developed by UNIDO
Duration: 12 days
3. Introduction to ISO 9001:2008 implementation
Target Audience: This course is ideal for professionals with responsibility for
implementing quality management systems in their entities or aiming to understand concepts and learn the vocabulary of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The course also helps managers and decision makers to assess their company’s or entity’s readiness for ISO 9000 certification by an accredited body.
Objectives:
● Learn how to develop quality system standards ● Understand the ISO 9000 structure and accreditation ● Study all areas of ISO 9001:2008
● Understand the importance of ISO documentation
● Gain an overview of our assessment and certification procedures ● Advance your continuous professional development.
Course outline:
1. Review of the ISO 9001:2008 standard and its applications
2. Discuss strategies for registration and how to establish a project plan for implementation
3. An introduction to the process approach recommended by ISO 9001:2008 4. Quality assurance and international standards
5. Analysis of quality system documentation 6. Types and aims of assessments
7. Planning and preparation techniques
8. Performing an internal audit: an introduction 9. Classification/reporting of findings
ISO 9001:2008 Internal Audit Training
Target audience: This class provides maximum practical experience through case
studies and active discussions in addition to more formal lecturing in order to qualify trainees to conduct audits to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The course is ideal for internal auditors, quality assurance professionals and ISO project team members who need to apply the ISO 9001:2008 standard in actual internal audits. All those who pass the final examination will be provided a certificate.
Objectives:
● Gain a complete understanding of the ISO 9001:2008 standard and requirements for internal audit
● Apply the standard properly in actual internal audit situations
● Design an internal audit interview based on the requirements of the standard ● Plan and conduct effective internal audits.
● Manage the audit process, including meetings, auditors, reporting and interpreting findings
Course outline:
Unit I: Introduction
● Terminology and definitions
● Background, history and rationale for quality assurance ● Intro to ISO standards
● Analysis of the contents of ISO 9001:2008 ● Case study 1 and discussion
Unit II: ISO requirements ● Quality system requirements ● Analyzing audit findings
● RABQSA and other registration systems ● Auditor qualifications
● Roles and responsibilities of auditors Unit III: Preparing for an effective audit ● Creation of effective audit checklists ● Auditing tips for the internal auditor ● Compiling audit findings
Unit IV: Implementation and documentation ● Planning and conducting effective audits ● Basic interviewing and reporting skills ● Applicability to the unique context ● Case study 3 and discussion
Unit V: Reporting and facilitating corrective action ● Communication skills for an internal auditor ● Creating an audit report
● Preparation and presentation at a closing meeting ● Corrective actions
● Case study 4 and discussion
5. ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
Target audience: Whether you wish to become professional auditors, members of audit teams or simply to understand how this standard is applied in their projects, this comprehensive course conforms to the standards of the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA). This program provides a solid foundation in the ISO standard as well as hands-on, practical experience and dynamic audit approaches by internationally experienced audit professionals. If trainees pass the final examination and wish to become a Certified Lead Auditor, DCI can assist with registration through IRCA.
Note: IRCA recommends trainees in this course have a basic understanding of the content,
application and implementation of the current ISO 9000 standards.
Objectives:
In this interactive learning environment, trainee professionals will:
● understand the purpose of a quality management system and the principles of quality management
● explain the ISO 9001 standard, its terminology and its relationship to other standards ● understand the role of audits and auditors in promoting business improvement ● describe the difference between auditable standards and guidance documents
● understand the role of an auditor in planning, conducting, reporting and following up on quality management system audits in accordance with ISO 9001 standard
● plan, conduct, report and follow up an audit in accordance with ISO 9001
Course outline:
Unit I
● Course introduction: Quality management basics ● Overview of quality audits and auditing
● The audit cycle
● Differences between first-, second- and third-party audits ● Fundamentals of ISO standards, including ISO 9001
● Definitions and terminology
● Benefits of implementing a quality management system ● Preparing for an audit
● Understanding ISO 9001:2008 audit requirements ● Preparation for live audit exercise
Unit II
• The audit plan
• Process-based auditing • The audit checklist • The opening meeting
• Conducting the audit: Key process and tips for expert auditors ● Interviewing and information gathering
● Reflection on lessons learned and preparation for live audit Unit III
• Reporting and grading findings ● The audit report
● The closing meeting
● Corrective action follow-up and surveillance audits
● International Registration Scheme for Certificated Auditors ● Ethics: the IRCA Code of Conduct
Unit IV
● Live audit exercise: a real-life practical session in which trainees conduct a quality system management system to ISO 9001:2008 standards
Unit V
• Review of live audit: Deedback is given on the trainees’ performance by trainer • Course review, summary and discussion of lessons learned and challenges • Final examination
6. Human Resources Management (HRM)
Course overview: The basic goal for Human Resources Management (HRM) is to help an organization to attract and retain quality employees in order to develop and manage an efficient workforce. In order to achieve this goal, managers need to understand their role in the process and how they can influence the human resources activities under their control.
Unlike private organizations, public institutions do not have the same ‘profit’ driven attitude to focus their actions. This is both an advantage and disadvantage for the public manager. It is easy to see how a poor-quality workforce affects the company’s bottom-line, but how does an ineffective workforce affect government institutions? It may not always be as easy as counting the percentage of market share lost to the competition, but how efficient a public institution serves the people is an indicator of how effective that organization is in supporting its ‘customers’.
Target audience: The focus for this course is to train mid-level managers and
supervisors to implement basic human resources activities in order to accomplish their duties and responsibilities. This course will introduce basic HRM concepts and provide practical solutions for the public manager. In this training course, the emphasis is placed on the building a foundation for future HRM activity within public ministries. Two basic human resources activities that important to all ministries are: (i) writing competency-based job descriptions and (ii) educating supervisors and managers on the use of performance appraisals.
Course Description: This course is designed to provide front-line supervisors and junior and mid-level human resources managers with basic human resources skills in order to manage their workforce more effectively. This training course is focused on implementing key human resources tasks required to build the foundation for ministries to transition from the personnel administration concept to the modern human resources management departments per the new Civil Service Reform Law. This training course will focus on two key activities that the ministries must understake: writing job descriptions and instituting performance evaluations.
Course outline:
● Pre-Test: This pre-test will measure the participants’ knowledge about basic human resources activities. This information will be used as part of a ‘level 2’ learning evaluation (using the Kirkpatrick 4-levels model for training evaluation) for future
course improvements.
● Introduction to the Human Resources Competency Course ● Primary functions of human resources
● Workforce planning
● Practical exercise: Write a job description ● Recruiting and retention
● Practical exercise: role play – Conduct a job interview ● Quiz
● Basic entitlements and obligations ● Performance management
● Write 3 performance appraisals ● Employee discipline
● Training and development ● Write an action plan ● Post-test
● Student evaluations
7. Leadership, Decision-Making and Communications Goals and Objectives
This course will provide participants with an opportunity to:
1. Acquire and improve strategic leadership, decision making and communications knowledge and skills
2. Learn how to use these capabilities to bring about organizational change and to gain the support and understanding of managers, supervisors and employees within the organization
3. Inform, persuade and influence key stakeholders elsewhere in government as well as citizens who receive the services your organization provides.
At the end of this training course, you will be able to: 1. Define and use strategic leadership capabilities 2. Define and use decision making tools
3. Define and use strategic communications tools
4. Conduct self-assessments and develop a plan to improve strategic leadership, decision making and communications in their organizations
5. Assess your individual leadership style and its impact on accomplishing strategic goals and objectives
6. Evaluate the quality of strategic leadership, decision-making and communications, and suggest needed changes for more effective outcomes.
Course outline:
Day 1: The theory of strategic leadership, decision making and communications
Module 1—Strategic leadership Module 2 – Strategic decision making Module 3—Strategic communications
Day 2: The Practice of strategic leadership and decision making
Module 4—decision making strategy – a step-by-step process Module 5—Decision making tools
Day 3: The practice of strategic leadership and communications
Module 6— Communications strategy and plan Module 7— Communications tools
Day 4: Strategic leadership, decision making and communications – External stakeholders
Module 8—The critical role of external stakeholders
Module 9—Key skills and organizational capacities for dealing with external stakeholders
Day 5: Strategic leadership, decision making and communications: A case study
Module 10— Develop and present solutions to the assigned case study Module 11—Closing session
8. Procurement Course Goals
The overarching goals of this course are to:
1. Review the “Instructions for Government Contracts’ Execution” 2. Enhance participants skills’ in procurement implementation
3. Introduce participants to the new standard bidding documents issued by the GOI
Course outline: Day 1: Introduction
Module 1: Principles of procurement
Day 2:
Module 2: Procurement policies and group activity
Day 3:
Module 3: Project Cycle & Procurement Process and Group Activity
Day 4:
Module 4: Procurement terminology Module 5: Roles and responsibilities
Module 6: Procurement methods and group activity
Day 5:
Module 7: Procurement planning and group activity
Day 6:
Module 8: Prequalification and group activity
Day 7:
Module 9: Incoterms, letters of credit currency issues and group activity Module 10: Bidding documents
Day 8:
Module 10: Bidding documents and group activity
Module 11: Bid evaluations and group activity
Day 10:
Module 12: Contract implementation and group activity
9. Budgeting and Financial Management
Course Overview: This course is designed to instill modern budgeting and financial management (an introduction to budgeting and fiscal policies). This five-day course with approximately four hours of instruction per day consists of a combination of lectures, discussion groups, exercises, case studies and instructional modules. It also takes into account the Iraqi Government budgeting practices. The life-cycle matrix of the Iraqi Government processes for budgeting is provided as a handout. This course also highlights the information and references needed for understanding the relationship among the various Iraqi Government ministries, organizations and offices engaged in the budget preparation process. The course is designed for mid-level finance and administrative departmental employees, program managers, and civil servants responsible for budget execution.
Course objectives: Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Learn key definitions and concepts related to budget planning and management 2. Comprehend different types of budgeting
3. Familiarize and apply the laws, regulations and procedures governing the budgeting process in Iraq
4. Gain a better idea of the problems associated with budgeting 5. Be better equipped to address problems with budgeting
6. Understand the standard and transparent procedures for budgeting
7. Better understand the relationship between planning, management and budgeting
10.Change Management
Course overview: This workshop will address challenges faced by directorates in
integrating change-management processes into the directorate’s overall services. The five-day course, with approximately four hours of instruction per day, covers the following:
● What is change management? ● Foundation building
● Change management as a process by which results can be achieved through organizational enhancement and functional integration
● System restructuring and re-organization: Causes, effects and solutions ● Why companies re-organize every 5 to 6 years, some even more rapidly ● How the cycles of change for international businesses and governments is
constant.
● The movement within the change-management framework towards more integration
● Accomplishments and achievements of change management.
Course Descriptopn Section 1
What is change management?
Section 2
Change management as a process by which results can be achieved through organizational enhancement and functional integration
Section 3
System Restructuring: Re- organization- causes, effects and solutions
Section 4
Section 5
From Total Quality Management/Total Quality Controls to change management and business process redesign YOUR Business function
Section 6
Break-out Session: Define the roles and parameters of your group or function. We will also address the “mission” and “vision” statements.
Section 7
Within the FRAMEWORK of “Change Management”: Experience in the movement towards integration
Section 8
Restructuring and goal setting on a “team basis”
Section 9
What can we accomplish? What we can realistically achieve today, as a part of change management? An interactive format
Section 10
Putting forward an example of implementing change management as a collective group objective. An Interactive format
11.Microsoft Project for Software Development
Course description: The purpose of this course is to enable computer programmers and project managers to use Microsoft Project to manage their work on developing software applications. Participants learn and apply standard project-management practices such as task scheduling, resource allocation and cost estimation. They also learn how to track the status of scheduled tasks. This course will enable computer programmers to be more efficient in their work by managing the entire life-cycle process of systems development.
Course objectives: At the end of the course, computer programmers and project
managers will be able to: 1. Use a Gantt chart
2. Schedule tasks and resources
3. Organize all tasks into a coherent project
4. View the status of tasks and the progress in achieving milestones 5. Measure the cost of scheduled tasks
6. Manage the full life-cycle process of systems development
12.Six Sigma: An overview
Target audience: This course is ideal for engineers and project managers who need to understand current best practices for achieving excellence in manufacturing and services. In addition to evaluating critical processes, this course highlights the benefits of consistent and predictable service/product delivery, a customer-centric approach and avoiding unnecessary defects.
Objectives:
● Introduction to the fundamental concepts of Six Sigma
● Understanding the major process steps of implementing Six Sigma ● Adapting Six Sigma to organization’s needs and priorities
● Applying Six Sigma to improve the organization’s performance
● Using best-practice approaches to overcome obstacles and challenges
Course outline:
1. The Six Sigma philosophy 2. Basic concepts of Six Sigma 3. Statistical tools
4. Problem solving (discipline method, cause & effect diagrams, brainstorming, PERT charts, Gantt charts)
5. Root cause analysis
6. Lean thinking (workflow analysis, one-piece flow, set-up reduction) 7. Process improvement
8. Data analysis and display 9. Decision making tools
10.Process mapping (flowcharting, workflow analysis, brown paper flows) 11.Product process interaction
12.Designing the organization (leadership team, mentors & coaches, black belts, teams & projects, roll-out)
13.Establishing the support system
14.Project management process (project identification, project selection, project reviews, project solutions)
16.Setting metrics (baseline & trends, balanced scorecard, benchmarks)
17.Providing training (basic, intermediate, & advanced tools, training methods, training plan, facilitation, resources)
13.Total Quality Management (TQM): An Overview
Target audience: Total Quality Management (TQM) is an internationally
recognized management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. This course is designed for directors looking to implement a customer-satisfaction approach to quality in their organizations with the ongoing participation of all staff. In addition, the course provides managers with techniques for managing, controlling, and improving quality along with the information and skills needed to implement total quality practices.
Objectives:
● The course will prepare managers to:
● Determine the impact of quality on an organization’s success ● Adopt TQM as a fundamental business strategy
● Communicate the importance of a customer-focused management strategy ● Utilize the Seven Quality Tools (7QC)
● Implement a business strategy driven by TQM
● Accomplish the cultural transformation necessary to successfully implement total quality practices
● Achieve world-class service and organizational efficiency through TQM
Course outline:
1. What is Quality: concepts, definitions and benefits 2. Quality standards
3. The Quality Management System: Key components and approaches 4. History of Quality Management
● Discussion: Contributions of different systems 5. Approaches to quality: TQM, ISO9000 and others
● Discussion: Comparison of quality approaches 6. Process Management
7. The Cost of Quality (COQ)
8. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) 9. The Seven Quality Tools (7QC)
● Group exercise: When and how to use 7QC 10. Statistical Process Control (SPC)
● Discussion: When and how to use SPC
14.Measuring Process and Organizational Performance
Target audience: This course is ideal for project managers or staff with
supervisory experience, especially those involved in performance management or improvement within an organization or business. The course focuses on defining the most appropriate metrics for measuring performance of processes. In addition, the course helps managers to sharpen their skills in employing metrics within an organization to ensure future success.
Objectives:
After taking this course, trainees will be able to:
● Select metrics for measurement based on your organizational strategy and needs ● Define the detailed components related to each metric
● Assess the various metrics for gaps, conflict, and alignment ● Define the best methods for displaying metrics
● Use these metrics to define the most appropriate actions for the organization
Course outline:
1. Process management as the basis of organizational management 2. Strategic, operational, and individual views of process management 3. How metrics support and drive process management
4. Measuring the right things – activities that add to an organization’s productivity 5. Types of metrics and their impact on organizational focus and timing
6. How to select and align metrics
7. Metrics data collection, analysis, reporting and use 8. The psychological impact of metrics
9. The metrics life cycle 10.Acting on the metrics
15.Strategic Planning
Target audience: This course is ideal for managers and supervisors who want to polish their strategic planning skills and expand their management perspective, and anyone who needs to communicate in order to create and implement strategies in their projects. Trainees will gain and understanding of what strategy and strategic planning mean to an organization, and learn key concepts employed by those involved in strategic planning.
Objectives:
● Understand what strategy and strategic planning mean to an organization ● Learn key concepts and the language used by in strategic planning
● Demonstrate major approaches companies use to develop strategies ● Understand how strategy moves from concept through implementation to
realization
● Recognize techniques companies use to assess their current and future environments
● Identify ways you can contribute to your organization’s strategic success
Course outline:
1. Strategic planning: Principles 2. Strategic planning: Processes
3. Mission: Defining a mission statement; examining entities’ cores values; developing a mission statement
4. External assessment, Part 1—Macro environment 5. External assessment, Part 2—Market environment 6. Internal assessment
7. Strategic issues and decisions in competitive situations 8. Strategic issues and decisions—formulating a strategy 9. Strategy implementation
10. The strategic planning process revisited
16.Communication Skills for Business
Target Audience: This course is targeted at professionals with a supervisory or leadership role as well as those preparing to take on these responsibilities in the near future. This training course is also a must for seasoned supervisors/team leaders who have extensive on-the-job experience, but little formal management education or training.
Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be able to: • Demonstrate the use of open and closed questions • Identify your behavioral style and its unique challenges • Describe a model of feedback, communication, and listening • Set SMART goals
• Learn tactics for dealing with difficult people
• Organize information in a clear and concise manner • Create an attention-grabbing introduction
• Implement techniques for varying your vocal tones and body language
• Develop strategies for handling hecklers, bullies, and other challenging participants
Course outline:
1. Introduction: Comparing different communication styles
2. Building credibility: Understanding different communication styles 3. Goal setting for peak performance
4. Performance feedback: A continuous process 5. Developing a listening style
6. Difficult personalities and situations: Dealing with challenges 7. Rephrasing for better relationships with staff
8. Running effective meetings: On time and on topic 9. Overcoming fear of speaking in public
10. Managing talkers, bullies and hecklers
11. Using visual aids with finesse: Flipcharts, PowerPoint, and slides
17.Time Management
Target Audience: It is more important than ever to develop highly effective time
management skills to minimize stress and increase productivity. This course is ideal for anyone required to work against tight deadlines or a limited time frame. The course is a must for professionals in the public and private sector whose outputs are measured according to a project-management plan, or whose time is challenged by multiple or competing tasks. The course focuses on 1) increasing productivity; 2) decreasing job-related stress; 3) building solid organizational skills; and 4) enhancing motivation.
Objectives
Participants who complete this course will be able to: ● Identify barriers to successful time management
● Understand and demonstrate the use of to-do lists and prioritization techniques ● Judge the benefits and drawbacks of various calendar systems
● Manage voicemail to reduce time spent checking messages ● Develop SMART goals and explain their benefit
● Demonstrate how to say ‘no’ to unreasonable demands on time ● Delegate tasks and assignments
● Develop an action plan for better use of time
● Work towards a concrete set of goals during a set time period
Course Outline:
Unit I: Prioritizing time • The 80/20 rule
• Urgent tasks versus important ones • Assertiveness
Unit II: Goal setting • Setting SMART Goals • Prioritizing goals • Visualization Unit III: Good planning
• Using a productivity journal • Using calendars
Unit IV: Organizing the work space • Minimizing clutter
• Managing workflow • Handling e-mail efficiently Unit V: Delegating
• When to delegate
• To whom should you delegate • How should you delegate
