Project Planning, Scheduling & Cost Estimating Skills Course

Why This Course

Strong project planning, scheduling, and cost estimating are essential for delivering projects on time, within budget, and in line with agreed objectives. When scope is unclear, schedules are unrealistic, or estimates are weak, projects can quickly face delays, cost overruns, resource conflicts, and stakeholder dissatisfaction.

This comprehensive 5-day Project Planning, Scheduling, and Cost Estimating Training program equips project managers with advanced practical skills to define project scope, build Work Breakdown Structures, develop accurate schedules, estimate costs, manage baselines, track performance, and respond to project variances. The course combines proven planning and control techniques with hands-on exercises, helping participants improve project predictability, decision-making, and delivery success.

What You’ll Learn and Practice

By joining this program, you will:

• Master project scope planning and definition techniques.
• Develop project charters, deliverables, milestones, and planning assumptions.
• Build structured Work Breakdown Structures.
• Identify resource requirements for project activities.
• Develop project schedules using network diagrams and critical path analysis.
• Apply activity sequencing and duration estimation techniques.
• Use Gantt charts for schedule development and communication.
• Apply resource allocation and leveling methods.
• Use cost estimating techniques for different project phases.
• Develop project budgets and cost baselines.
• Apply cost risk analysis and contingency planning.
• Use Earned Value Management for performance tracking and forecasting.
• Analyze schedule and cost variances.
• Develop project recovery and optimization strategies.

The Program Flow

Day 1: Project Scope Planning and Definition

• Develop project charters and clarify project objectives.
• Define project scope, boundaries, deliverables, and success criteria.
• Build Work Breakdown Structures to organize project work.
• Identify project milestones and key outputs.
• Determine resource requirements linked to project deliverables and activities.

Day 2: Project Scheduling Techniques

• Create network diagrams and define activity relationships.
• Apply critical path analysis to identify schedule drivers.
• Sequence activities and estimate durations.
• Develop schedules using Gantt charts.
• Apply resource allocation and leveling to manage capacity and conflicts.

Day 3: Cost Estimating Fundamentals

• Understand different types of cost estimates and their applications.
• Apply cost estimating techniques across project phases.
• Develop budget estimates based on scope, resources, and schedule assumptions.
• Create cost baselines for project monitoring and control.
• Apply cost risk analysis and contingency planning.

Day 4: Advanced Scheduling and Cost Control

• Apply schedule compression techniques such as crashing and fast-tracking.
• Develop cost-loaded schedules and cash flow projections.
• Understand Earned Value Management principles.
• Measure project performance using schedule and cost indicators.
• Use forecasting techniques to anticipate future project performance.

Day 5: Project Recovery and Optimization

• Analyze schedule and cost variances.
• Identify root causes of delays and budget overruns.
• Develop project recovery plans.
• Optimize project schedules and budgets.
• Apply best practices in project planning, control, and continuous improvement.

Individual Impact

• Build confidence in creating realistic project plans and schedules.
• Strengthen skills in scope definition, WBS development, and milestone planning.
• Improve cost estimating, budgeting, and contingency planning capabilities.
• Gain practical ability to apply critical path and earned value techniques.
• Develop stronger project recovery and performance control skills.

Work Impact

• Improve project delivery predictability and control.
• Reduce delays and cost overruns through better planning and monitoring.
• Strengthen resource allocation and schedule optimization.
• Improve financial visibility through cost baselines and cash flow planning.
• Support better decision-making through variance analysis and recovery planning.

Training Methodology

This program combines project planning concepts with practical application through:

• Scope planning and WBS development exercises.
• Network diagramming and critical path workshops.
• Gantt chart and schedule development activities.
• Cost estimating and budget baseline exercises.
• Earned Value Management and forecasting practice.
• Project recovery, variance analysis, and optimization case studies.

Beyond the Course

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Create accurate project schedules using critical path methods.
• Develop reliable cost estimates for different project phases.
• Build project budgets, cost baselines, and cost-loaded schedules.
• Apply Earned Value Management for project control.
• Analyze schedule and cost variances effectively.
• Design practical project recovery and optimization strategies.