During the week 21-25 November I presented a Project Management Masterclass for five top Bangladeshie students: A B M Majibur Rahman, Gazi Mohammad Nazmul Hossain, Minhaj Uddin Ahammad, Abu Sayed Mojumder, and M Rizwanul Haque.

The excellent training venue was provided by the very able and obliging Sapphire Consultants, Petone. Each student was provided with a comprehensive workbook and hard copies of PowerPoint slides. Here are some random photos taken during the programme.

“Space Survival” – a very challenging project risk management exercise that the team completed with great accuracy to readily meet a tough deadline.

The Lego Sky Tower ice-breaker challenge that requires each team to design and construct a model tower given material and labour costs, quality/specification requirements, and an ability for the deliverable to withstand a 14 degrees tilt in all directions in recognition of quake hazards. This example considerably exceeded the average profit margin.

Converting a Network Diagram to a Henry Gantt chart – (God Alone kNows The Truth) !

Developing a project budget and applying the PERT weighted average formula and learning about beta frequency distributons, probabilities and standard deviations.

Preparing a simple Network Diagram.

Mapping a process for Russian Roulette. The pistol needs to a a revolver for best effect.

Network Diagram with Critical Path highlighted in red.

Contingency Calculations, which in this instance identify the required project duration to be assured of a 60% likelihood of on-time completion, where the contingency added to the critical path is 3.25 days, depending of course on the accuracy of the estimates for Optimistic, Most Likely and Pessistic completion times.

Professor Sayed (team leader) explaining the use of a project risk management matrix to prioritise risks in terms of their likelihood (probability) and impact (consequence) as a prelude to identifying appropriate risk response measures.

A very “handy” delegation model.

Earned Value Analysis – a useful tool for monitoring project progress and estimating likely finish dates and final cost, which in this example shows a project that is both behind schedule and over spent, with a control chart underneath on the same scale that confirms this disaster.

Using a Decision Matrix with weighted attributes to determine the most suitable project option.

Jim and his appropriately proud graduates from the left – Majibur, Nazmul, Minhaj, Sayed and Rizwan. The team now enjoy a weekend break and then depart for more academic tuition at Massey University, Palmerston North, before returning to Wellington for project site visits.