Massive open online course (MOOC) Undertaken

On

Foundations of Project Management,

Project Initiation: Starting a new project
Project Planning: Putting it all together
Under
Google Project Management Professional Certificate

Authorised by

Google

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the

Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance and International
Business) Of

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

By

Rishikesh Dhir
Reg. No. 1923649

Under the guidance of

Prof. Senthilmurugan P.

School of Business and Management

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)
BENGALURU
2022

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 Contents

Preliminary pages:

- Title page

- Certificate (Course)

- Certificate (HOD)

- Certificate (Guide)

- Declaration

- Acknowledgement

- Contents

- List of tables/charts

1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the course

1.2 Objectives of the course

2. Learning outcome of the course

3. Weekly Report

3.1 Week: 01

3.2 Week: 02

3.3 Week: 03

3.4 Week: 04

3.5 Week: 05

3.6 Week: 06

4. Interaction with Faculty Guide

5. Conclusion

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 CERTIFICATE (Course Completion Certificate)

COURSE – 1

Foundations of Project Management

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COURSE – 2

PROJECT INITIATION : STARTING A NEW PROJECT

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COURSE – 3

PROJECT PLANNING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Rishikesh Dhir, Reg. No. 1923649 is a bonafide student of Bachelor of
Business Administration (Finance and International Business) of CHRIST ( Deemed to be
University ), Bengaluru and he has prepared and submitted the Internship report on the Massive
open online course (MOOC) titled “Foundations of Project Management” , “Project Initiation:
Starting a new project” , “Project Planning: Putting it all together” authorized by Google, under
the Google Project Management Professional Certificate program in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance and
International Business) of CHRIST ( Deemed to be University ), Bengaluru, for the academic
year 2021-2022.

Place: Bengaluru Dr. Joby Thomas

Date: 11/06/2021 Head of the Department

School of Business and Management
Christ (Deemed to be University)
Bannerghatta Road, Hulimavu
Bengaluru -76

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Internship report, Massive open online course(MOOC) titled
“Foundations of Project Management” , “Project Initiation: Starting a new project” , “Project
Planning: Putting it all together” authorized by Google, under the Google Project
Management Professional Certificate program submitted to CHRIST( Deemed to be
University ), in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance and International Business) is a record of
original study undertaken by Rishikesh Dhir,, during the period 2021 – 2022 in the School
of Business Studies and Management at CHRIST (Deemed to be University ), Bengaluru,
under my supervision and guidance. The Internship report has not formed the basis for the
award of any Degree/ Diploma/ Associate ship/ Fellowship or other similar title of
recognition to any candidate of any University.

Date: 11/06/2021

Prof. Senthilmurugan.P
Assistant Professor
School of Business and Management
BGR Campus

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 DECLARATION

I, Rishikesh Dhir,, hereby declare that the project report, Massive open online course
(MOOC) titled “Foundations of Project Management” , “Project Initiation: Starting a new
project” , “Project Planning: Putting it all together” authorized by Google, under the Google
Project Management Professional Certificate program submitted to CHRIST ( Deemed to be
University ), in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor
of Business Administration (Finance and International Business) is a record of original and
independent study undertaken by me during 2021–2022 under the supervision and guidance
of Prof. Senthilmurugan P., School of Business Studies and Management and it has not
formed the basis for the award of any Degree/ Diploma/ Associate ship/ Fellowship or other
similar title of recognition to any candidate of any University.

Date: 11/06/2021 Rishikesh Dhir

Reg No 1923649

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The course on “Foundations of Project Management” , “Project Initiation: Starting a

new project” , “Project Planning: Putting it all together” authorized by Google have
been finished with the help of many people, so hereby I would like to extend my
sincere thanks to ones who with their help made me complete this course and grow
my skills.

MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a source of learning in the times of this
pandemic. With due respect to the evaluation based on internship for 1.5 to 2
months which was not possible in every state of the country in the given period. I
would like to thank the Head Of the department Dr. Joby Thomas for providing me
with an opportunity to learn and brush my knowledge with the MOOC.

I would further thank the guidance provided by Dr.Shikha Bhagat ma’am in every
aspect that was needed from selecting the course to all the verification and
replies to the problems that were addressed to her.

I am grateful to all the course instructors at Google for being so efficient in the
classes and delivering it so effectively and to Coursera for providing us an
opportunity to learn online. I express my sincere thanks to the CHRIST (Deemed to
be University) in providing me with basic skills so that the learning from the course
would be swift.

Finally, I would like to thank all my friends and family for their support and
guidance at every stage of my new learning.

Thank you all for encouragement, support and warm cooperation.

Rishikesh Dhir

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 1.

INTRODUCTION

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1.1. INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSES

COURSE 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Foundations of Project Management are a four-week online course authorized by Google

under its Google Project Management Professional Certificate and offered through Coursera.
This course is the first course in a series of six to equip learners with the skills they need to
apply to introductory-level roles in project management. Project managers play a key role in
leading, planning and implementing critical projects to help their organizations succeed. In
this course, foundational project management terminology is discovered and a deeper
understanding of the role and responsibilities of a project manager is gained. Furthermore, the
kinds of jobs one might pursue after completing this program is also discussed.
The syllabus is divided across four weeks. Each week deals with different concepts. These
modules are-

1. EMBARKING ON A CAREER IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT – This module

talks about how the program is structured, what project management is and what a project
manager does, how to apply your skills from previous work experience to project
management roles, what types of project management roles you could pursue after
completing this certificate, and how to search for those positions.
2. BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGER– Talks about how project
managers add value to organizations and to their teams, what the role and responsibilities of a
project manager entail, and what core skills a project manager needs to be successful.
3. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT LIFE CYCLE AND METHODOLOGIES–
Talks about the phases of the project life cycle, what tasks they involve, and why it is
important to complete them and about the different project management methodologies and
approaches and which is most effective for a given project.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE– Talks about common
organizational structures and how they impact project management, how organizational
culture impacts project management, and how a project manager contributes to the change
management process.

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COURSE 2 – PROJECT INITIATION: STARTING A NEW PROJECT

Project Initiation is a four-week online course and the second course in a series of six. This
course shows how to set a project up for success in the first phase of the project life cycle: the
project initiation phase. In exploring the key components of this phase, one learns how to define
and manage project goals, deliverables, scope, and success criteria. One discovers how to use
tools and templates like stakeholder analysis grids and project charters to help set project
expectations and communicate roles and responsibilities. Current Google project managers
continue to instruct provide with hands-on approaches for accomplishing these tasks while
showing the best project management tools and resources for the job at hand.

The course is planned systematically for four weeks duration. The following modules are

1. The first week covers the fundamentals of project initiation – how the program is
structured, the importance of project initiation phase and its key components and to
estimate a project’s benefits and costs.
2. The second week focused on defining project goals, scope and success criteria- to
formulate SMART goals, determine in-scope and out-of-scope tasks and setting
proper metrics to measuring success of the project
3. The third week teaches us how to work effectively with stakeholders – to determine
roles and responsibilities, complete a stakeholder analysis, use RACI charts to define
and communicate project roles and responsibilities.

4. The fourth and the final week discusses about utilising resources and tools for project
success- Project documentation and its importance, developing project charter and to
evaluate the right project management tools to meet project needs.

The course contains a combination of video lectures and reading materials to give clear
understanding of the topics to the students.

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COURSE 3 – PROJECT PLANNING : PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Project Planning is a five-week online course and is the second stage of the project life cycle. It is
the third course in a series of six. In this course, we explore how to map out a project in the
second phase of the project life cycle: the project planning phase. We learnt to examine the key
components of a project plan, how to make accurate time estimates, and how to set milestones.
Next, we learnt how to build and manage a budget and how the procurement processes work.
Then, we discovered tools that can help us identify and manage different types of risk and how to
use a risk management plan to communicate and resolve risks. Finally, we learnt how to draft and
manage a communication plan and how to organize project documentation.

The course is planned systematically for five weeks duration.

1. The first week covers the structure of the course, the benefits of planning and key
components of the planning phase, the difference between tasks and milestones, and
how to set milestones.
2. The second week focused on building a project plan – the necessity and the
components of a project plan, how to create accurate time estimates and why they are
important, and which tools and best practices to use to build a project plan.
3. The third week talks about managing budgeting and procurement - how the budgeting
process works, and how to manage a project budget. We explored how the
procurement process works, what documentation is necessary, and how to obtain
support and avoid ethical conflicts during the process.

4. The fourth week talked about risk management – the meaning and its role in
preventing project failure, what tools can help identify and manage risks, how to
identify different types of risks and measure their impact on a project, and how to use
a risk management plan to communicate and resolve risks.

5. The fifth and the final week talked about Organising communication and
documentation - the elements of a simple communication plan and how to draft and
manage one, why documentation helps create project team visibility and
accountability, how to organize documents in one central place, and how to prepare
for a job search by documenting experience and highlighting transferable skills.

The course contains a combination of video lectures and reading materials to give clear
understanding of the topics to the students.
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1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

COURSE 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The objectives of this course are as follows-

 Describe project management skills, roles, and responsibilities across a variety of

industries

 Explain the project management life cycle and compare different program management
methodologies

 Define organizational structure and organizational culture and explain how it impacts
project management.

COURSE 2 – PROJECT INITIATION : STARTING A NEW PROJECT

The objectives of this course are as follows-

 To understand the significance of the initiation phase of the project life cycle.

 To understand the key components of project charters and develop a project charter for
project initiation.

 To complete a stakeholder analysis and utilize RACI charts to define and communicate
project team member responsibilities.

 To Evaluate various project management tools to meet project needs.

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COURSE 3 – PROJECT PLANNING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

The objectives of this course are as follows-

 Describe the components of the project planning phase and their significance.

 Identify tools and best practices to build a project plan and risk management plan.

 Describe how to estimate, track, and maintain a budget.

 Draft a communication plan and explain how to manage it.

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 2.

LEARNING
OUTCOMES OF
THE COURSES

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COURSE 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The course is structured to provide proper understanding of the concepts and to achieve the
objectives stated. The learning outcomes for me after taking this course are-

 Successfully able to define project management and describe what constitutes a project.
 I could explore project management roles and responsibilities across a variety of
industries.
 I am able to explain the core skills that help a project manager be successful.
 I can describe the life cycle of a project and explain the significance of each phase.
 I can compare different program management methodologies and approaches and
determine which is most effective for a given project.
 I can define organizational structure and culture and explain how it impacts project
management.
 I can define change management and describe the role of the project manager in the
process.

This course has taught me that project management is mostly about being organised and
responsible for everything that a project manager does. It provides a very good introduction to
project management and its scope in terms of career. Now I have the basic understanding on the
functions of a project manager and the project life cycle in general. I also learnt about various
project management methodologies such as waterfall, agile, Lean and six sigma. There are many
examples given on relevant topics which has helped me to understand the concepts easily and the
quizzes after every module helped to evaluate my understandings. Overall, this course gave me
great insight about the project management, which would serve as a base towards further
learning.

COURSE 2 – PROJECT INITIATION : STARTING A NEW PROJECT

The learning outcomes of the course are listed below:

 Understood the significance of the project initiation phase of the project life cycle.
 Able to describe the key components of the project initiation phase.
 Can determine a project’s benefits and costs.

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 Can define and create measurable project goals and deliverables.
 Can define project scope and differentiate among tasks that are in-scope and out-of-scope.
 Understood how to manage scope creep to avoid impacting project goals.
 Can define and measure a project’s success criteria.
 Can perform a stakeholder analysis and explain its significance.
 Can utilize RACI charts to define and communicate project team member responsibilities.
 Understood the key components of project charters and develop a project charter for project
initiation.
 Can evaluate various project management tools to meet project needs.

Taking this course has helped me realize how important it is for a project to be successfully
initiated. Without a solid foundation, a project will fail. I learnt about scope creep and how
several factors may affect a project’s scope after the project begins. I learnt about Power grid
and RACI charts which helps to prioritise several stakeholders for the work being done and
define roles and responsibilities of each team or individuals to ensure work gets done
efficiently. Finally I understood how important it is for a project to be documented every step
of the way and how different type of tools such as Scheduling and management softwares,
productivity tools and collaboration tools help everyone to track what needs to be done and
what is already done.

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COURSE 3 – PROJECT PLANNING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

The learning outcomes of this course are listed below :

 Able to describe the components of the project planning phase and their significance.
 Can explain why milestones are important and how to set them.
 Can make accurate time estimates and describe techniques for acquiring them from team
members.
 Successfully identify tools and best practices to build a project plan and risk management
plan.
 Can describe how to estimate, track, and maintain a budget.
 Can explain the procurement process and identify key procurement documentation.
 Can draft a communication plan and explain how to manage it.
 Can explain why milestones are important and how to set them.
 Can explain why a project plan is necessary and what components it contains.
 Can make accurate time estimates and describe techniques for acquiring them from team
members.

This course helped me understand how planning stage is the heart of the project. Without a
good plan, any project will devastatingly fail. Planning phase mostly include three things to
be done – Scheduling, Budgeting and risk management. I learnt about Kick-off meetings, the
first meeting to ground everyone in a shared vision and about setting milestones. I leant about
various techniques of scheduling like WBS , Critical path and using Gantt Charts to create a
project schedule. I learnt about budgeting and procurement. Risk management was one of the
crucial things that I learnt. A fishbone diagram or Cause and Effect Diagram helps in
planning of risks. So, to sum up I learnt key components of planning phase, Proper planning
to ensure completion of milestones and tasks, Creating and managing a project plan and
utilising time estimation methods to finish up.

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 3.

WEEKLY
REPORTS

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 3.1. WEEK: 01

DATE - 09/05/21 - 15/05/21

COURSE NAME- FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

DAY-1 (09/05/21)
The first day started with an introduction video mainly focusing on the program and the course
overview. I understood the basics of project management- the tasks that a project manager does
and the kind of transferrable skills that a project manager has.

DAY-2 (10/05/21)
On the second day, I learned about the different careers in project management. The modules
taught me how to find a perfect role in a company suitable for myself and the kind of
buzzwords I should include in my resume.

DAY-3 (11/05/21)
I successfully completed weekly challenge 1. Then, I learnt and explored how a project
manager adds value to the organisation by his high organising skills. This further narrowed
down to the kind of job roles a project manager seeks in different industries.

DAY-4 (12/05/21)
The next topic emphasised on the core skills of a project manager- Decision making,
Communication and escalation, flexibility and strong organisational skills.

DAY-5 (13/05/21)
On this day, I learnt about the myths about project managers. It is believed that project
managers need to be an expert in the field and have a lot of technical knowledge about the
project but it’s absolutely false. Project managers hire the experts and help put all the pieces
of the project together. Project managers don’t need to be experts in every field.   

DAY-6 (14/05/21)
Then I moved to the topic leadership and team dynamics and how these are the essential
skills a project manager must possess in order to ensure the smooth functioning of his team.
Possessing strong interpersonal skills is a huge part of a good leadership and conducting
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oneself in such a manner that the team envies your commitment and appreciates your
leadership is essential for any team to stay in track.

DAY-7 (15/05/21)
At the end of the week, I learnt about project managers mastering the art of influence without
authority. It was amusing to learn how a project manager should get all the work done
without being too pushy and authoritative. Later, I finished the weekly challenge 2.

3.2. WEEK: 02

DATE – 16/05/21 - 22/05/21

COURSE NAME- FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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DAY-1 (16/05/21)
The second week started with the understanding of the project life cycle. I learnt about the
various methodologies – Waterfall, Agile and Lean six sigma. I learnt that each methodology
has its own set of rules, processes and values and there is no right or wrong methodology that
a project manager can undertake. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

DAY-2 (17/05/21)
On the second day of the week, I learned about the different phases of the project life cycle.
The main phases of a project are :
a. Initiation – Phase where project goals are defined, resources are determined, project is
seeked for approval.
b. Planning- This phase consists of creating a budget, setting a schedule, establishing the
team, determining roles and responsibilities for people and planning for risks.
c. Execution – This phase is all about managing the progress, communication and making
adjustments in budget and plans if required.
d. Closing – Ensuring all tasks have been completed, confirming acceptance of the project,
retrospection, communicating final results to the stakeholders and formally moving on
after celebrating.

DAY-3 (18/05/21)
On this day, I learnt about how to distinguish tasks and put them under their respective
phases. For example – Preparing a budget – this is in the planning phase. I completed this
module with a practice quiz.

DAY-4 (19/05/21)
I understood about different project management methodologies and was able to distinguish
and compare all of them. In-depth learnt about what waterfall , agile and lean six sigma is and
how each one is significant if the project needs to achieve certain goals. Project managers
use:
a. Lean – waste reduction
b. Agile – quality maximization (as done in sprints)
c. Six-sigma – Data driven

d. Waterfall – Large projects where strict phases are to be followed. Is not flexible in nature.
DAY-5 (20/05/21)

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I learnt about organisational structure and culture and how it impacts a project.An
organisational structure can serve as a map to help us determine where one fits in, and how to
communicate with people in the organisation. There are mainly two types of classic and
matrix structures. In classic structures, a typical top down hierarchy exists whereas in a
matrix structure although you will have people who you have to account to but there will still
be people from the adjacent departments who expect to hear updates on your work’s
progress.

DAY-6 (21/05/21)
I learned through a case study that understanding the company culture is really essential for a
project manager as it directly relates to a project’s success. Here, the communication aspect is
mostly highlighted.

DAY-7 (22/05/21)
At the end of the week, I learnt about change management, the final module of the course.
Change management is the process of delivering your completed project and getting other

people in the organization to adopt it . I finished the course as I completed the weekly
challenge 4.
3.3. WEEK: 03

DATE – 20/05/21 - 26/05/21

COURSE NAME- PROJECT INITIATION: STARTING A NEW PROJECT

DAY-1 (20/05/21)
I was introduced to the course, its overview and the topics that were going to be covered. I
learned about the importance of project initiation. A well-planned initiation results in a strong
foundation for any project, and sets it up for success. A project manager must identify the
project goals, resources, and other details based on initial discussions with the project 
Stakeholders.

DAY-2 (21/05/21)

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On the second day of the week, I learnt about defining project goals, scope and success
criteria. A hypothetical case study was put forward which was going to be used to refer
throughout the course. I was asked to picture myself as the project manager at Office Green, a
commercial landscaping company that specializes in plant decor for offices and other
businesses. The Director of Product at Office Green had an idea for a new service called
Plant Pals to offer high-volume customers small, low-maintenance plants, like little cacti
and leafy ferns, for their desks. As the project manager, I was tasked with managing the roll
out of this new service. So this was a reference situation which were to be referred.

DAY-3 (22/05/21)
I learnt about how to identify project goals. Goals are important because they give you 
a roadmap to your destination. Without a clear goal in mind, how can one know where to go
or how to get there? Now, one of the biggest differences between what makes a good goal
and a not-so-good goal is how well it is defined. So for that purpose it is important to set
SMART goals.

DAY-4 (23/05/21)
I understood about project scope. Scope includes the boundary of the project. Scope helps ensure
that the project is clearly defined and mapped out. A clearly defined scope describes all the
details of a project and regulates what can be added or removed as it progresses. Then, I
learnt about scope creeps. Scope creeps are changes, growth and other uncontrollable factors
that can affect a project’s scope after it begins.

DAY-5 (24/05/21)

Then, I learnt what’s In-scope and Out-of-Scope. In-scope is everything that is within the
boundaries of a project whereas out-of-scope is the opposite. To adjust the scope or make
alterations to it, a project manager uses the Triple Constraint Model (3 Significant
restrictions) – Scope, Time & Cost. A change in one of the factor changes the dynamics of
the other two factors.
.

DAY-6 (25/05/21)
I learnt the best practices of scope management. They are as follows :

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a. Defining the project’s requirements
b. Setting a clear project schedule
c. Determining what is out-of-scope
d. Provide alternatives
e. Setting up a change control process
f. Learning to say No
g. Collecting costs for out-of-scope work

DAY-7 (26/05/21)
At the end of the week, I learnt about Launching and Landing and how to measure the
success of the project. Success criteria tell whether the project was successful or not. Several
standards are present such as Product quality and customer satisfaction. OKRs (Objectives
and Key results) combine a goal and a metric to determine a measurable outcome. Setting
OKRs is a technique that can help project teams define, communicate, and measure shared
success criteria.

3.4. WEEK: 04

DATE – 27/05/21 - 2/06/21

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COURSE NAME- PROJECT INITIATION: STARTING A NEW PROJECT

DAY-1 (27/05/21)
In the fourth week, I learnt about exploring project team roles and responsibilities. It is
important to keep stakeholders’ in line with the project. Stakeholders are people concerned
with the project’s success. I learnt about building blocks to create a dream team – team size,
skills , availability and motivation.

DAY-2 (28/05/21)
I learnt how to conduct stakeholders’ analysis. There are two types of stakeholders- primary
and secondary. To conduct a stakeholder analysis , there are three steps involved. Making a
list of all stakeholders, determining the level of interest and influence for each stakeholder,
and assessing their ability to participate and find ways to involve them. To determine the
interest of the stakeholder in the project , a power grid is used.

DAY-3 (29/05/21)
Now, to help to determine roles and responsibilities for individuals to ensure work gets done
efficiently a RACI Chart is prepared. Determining who Responsible is, Accountable,
Consulted and Informed on your projects allows you to keep control of the stakeholders roles
on your project. Using a RACI chart to determine responsibility for tasks can help mitigate
single points of failure (known as creating silos, where the knowledge and responsibility for a
task falls on one person) and allow you, as the project manager, to delegate tasks and avoid
burnout. Maintaining workload balance is a critical part of project management. It is easy to
fall into the pattern of relying on your top performers to keep the project moving forward.

DAY-4 (30/05/21)
I learnt about utilizing the right tools and resources for project’s success. Understanding your
resource needs is crucial to achieving your goals. Project resources usually include budget,
people, and materials. Figuring out resources early on also helps you avoid accidentally
understaffing your project, which can seriously slow down team progress and eat away at the
overall timeline.

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DAY-5 (31/05/21)

On this day, I learnt about the power of documentation. There are basically two types of
documentation that is done i.e. Project Charter and project proposal. Project charter contains
the following –

 Introduction/Project summary

 goals/objectives 

 business case/benefits and costs

 project team

 scope

 success criteria

 major requirements or key deliverables

 budget

 schedule/timeline or milestones

 constraints and assumptions

 risks

 OKRs

 approvals

DAY-6 (1/06/21)
I learnt about several tools that help to effectively communicate and track progress. Project
management tools help to:
a. Track task deliverables
b. Provide visibility to others
c. Manage a budget
d. Create helpful diagrams
e. Manage contracts and licenses
f. Examples are Jira, Gsuite, Asana, Smartsheets

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DAY-7 (2/06/21)
At the end of the week, I learnt about the final steps of the initiation phase: identifying
resources, creating documentation, and selecting tools. You learned about the resources that
project managers rely on to achieve the goals of a project, from budgets to people to the
materials needed to complete a deliverable. Finally, I completed the weekly challenge 4 quiz
and earned a certificate.

3.5. WEEK: 05

DATE – 3/06/21 - 03/06/21

COURSE NAME- PROJECT PLANNING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

DAY-1 (3/06/21)
Project planning is the 2nd phase in the project life cycle. A brief overview was given about
the project planning, its importance and its components. Learnt about project kickoff
meetings.

DAY-2 (4/06/21)
I learnt about tasks and milestones and the importance of setting them. Setting milestones
gives you a clear understanding of the amount of work your project will require. The act of
setting milestones forces you to break your project down into more manageable chunks.

DAY-3 (5/06/21)
I learnt about steps to create milestones. The first step to setting a milestone is to evaluate a
project as a whole. It helps to refer back to your project charter to remind yourself of the
project goal. Then, make a list of what your team needs to do to achieve that goal. The big
items that indicate progress are your milestones. Now, for the purpose a WBS is created.
Work breakdown structure (WBS), is a tool that sorts the milestones and tasks of a project in
a hierarchy, in the order they need to be completed. This is a helpful tool because it helps
break down the sometimes intimidating challenges of a project into more manageable chunks.

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DAY-4 (6/06/21)
I learnt about Project plans. Now, project plan is the main item that a project manager constructs.
It comprises of project schedule, Scope and Goals, WBS, Budget and Management plans. I also
learnt about project buffers – extra time added to the end of the project to account for delays.

DAY-5 (7/06/21)
I learnt about planning fallacy which is a theory that describes our tendency to underestimate
the amount of time it will take to complete a task as well as the costs and risks associated
with the task due to optimism bias. I also learnt about critical path, how to create them and
how to find the earliest start dates.

DAY-6 (08/06/21)
I learnt about GANTT charts which are used to make and track schedules and Kanban boards
to manage tasks and workflows.

DAY-7 (09/06/21)
At the end of the week, I just started learning about Budgeting. Project Budget is the
estimated monetary resources needed to achieve a project’s goals and objectives.

3.6. WEEK: 06

DATE – 10/06/21 - 17/06/21

COURSE NAME- PROJECT PLANNING : PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

DAY-1 (10/06/21)

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Previously, had just touched upon project budgeting and its basic meaning. Then I learnt
about the best practices to undergo project budgeting. They are :
a. Referencing historical data
b. Utilizing team members, mentors or managers
c. Time-phasing the budget
d. Checking and double checking

DAY-2 (11/06/21)
Then, I learnt about how to create a budget and did a peer-graded assignment for the same.
Later, I learnt about the basics of procurement process. Vendor management covers the
activities included in researching and sourcing vendors. Instead of materials, vendor
management is often a matter of sourcing for a specific service or talent and then managing
that relationship. Sourcing talent includes researching and obtaining estimated costs
from different partner companies.

DAY-3 (12/06/21)
I learnt about common procurement documentation that are NDA (non-disclosure agreement) ,
RFP (Request for Proposal ) and Statement of Work (SoW). Then did a practice activity on how
to make a Statement of Work.

DAY-4 (13/06/21)
Then I learned about risk management. A risk is a potential event that can impact negatively on a
project. Issue is a known or a real problem. That’s the difference between them. Risk
management is the process of identifying and evaluating potential risks and issues that could
impact a project. Phases of risk management are – identifying, analysing , evaluating, treating and
finally monitoring and controlling.

DAY-5 (14/06/21)
I created a risk mitigation plan and also learnt that communicating risks to the stakeholders
early is the wisest thing a project manager can do. Then, I finished the weekly challenge and
scored 100% marks in that.

DAY-6 (15/06/21)

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I learnt about communication and why it is so critical. Without effective communication, the
project is at risk of missing important opportunities or even failing altogether . I also learnt to
develop a communication plan.

DAY-7 (16/06/21)

I learnt about the value of documentation. Having plans in one place makes communication
quicker, easier, and more streamlined because everyone knows where to find any information
they need. Just as important is making sure your files are stored with clear labels.
Documentation makes it easier for everyone to search for crucial information at one place.
I finally completed the weekly challenge to achieve the course certificate.

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 4.

INTERACTION
WITH THE
FACULTY GUIDE

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INTERACTION WITH THE FACULTY GUIDE

The faculty guide assigned to me was Prof. Senthilmurugan P. Sir was always approachable
and provided all the assistance and guidance required to fulfil the MOOC requirements. Right
from choosing the course as per the guidelines to the completion of this report, sir has always
helped and solved all the queries and confusions we had. He provided specific instructions in
regards to the courses to be chosen, submission of weekly reports and details for the final
report.

We were required to mail the weekly reports every Sunday and sir provided the feedback for
the same every week. Interactions with the guide took place on the mail as well as in the
Whatsapp group which was created specifically for this purpose and consisted all the students
who were under the guidance of sir. This ensured that we had a quick way to communicate
and have our doubts cleared. There was timely communication about all the deadlines which
helped us to complete our work on time and make submissions.

There was constant supervision on our faculty’s part to identify if we were making any
mistakes and if there was any necessity of taking any rectification measures. He was a source
of constant support and made sure that we complete the courses effectively and efficiently.

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 5.
CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION
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‘Foundations of Project Management’, ‘Project Initiation : Starting a Successful project’ and
‘ Project Planning: Putting it all together’, these curses helped me gain knowledge about
project management and enhanced my existing skills on decision making, organising and
management. The courses which I undertook enhanced my project management skills and
knowledge. They were insightful and informative.

Overall these MOOC courses gave me an opportunity to explore multiple options and types
of options available on the online platforms. These are effective tools to impart knowledge
and skills to everyone. The benefit of mastering at our very own pace within the consolation
of our houses became truly unique and helped me gain an know-how on some interesting and
significant fields. This is the era of online learning and MOOC courses in a way made us all
familiar with the process of it. I learned about various different aspects of the field of finance
and I am sure that this would help me in my future endeavours. These programs should be
fostered and promoted where everybody can know, build and strengthen their skills and
abilities so that they can achieve their goals.

6. REFERENCES
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1. Coursera. (n.d.). Retrieved from Foundations of Project Management : Foundations of
Project Management - Google - Course Info | Coursera
2. Coursera. (n.d.). Retrieved from Project Initiation: Project Initiation: Starting a
Successful Project - Google - Course Info | Coursera
3. Coursera. (n.d.). Retrieved from Project Planning : Project Planning: Putting It
All Together - Google - Course Info | Coursera

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 7.
ANNEXURES

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COURSE 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
WEEK – 1 QUIZ

WEEK – 2 QUIZ

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WEEK – 3 QUIZ

WEEK – 4 QUIZ

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COURSE ACCOMPLISHMENT WINDOW

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COURSE 2 – PROJECT INITIATION : STARTING A NEW PROJECT

WEEK – 1 QUIZ

WEEK – 2 QUIZ

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WEEK – 3 QUIZ

WEEK – 4 QUIZ

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COURSE ACCOMPLISHMENT WINDOW

COURSE 3– PROJECT PLANNING : PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

WEEK – 1 QUIZ

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WEEK -2 QUIZ

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WEEK-3 QUIZ

WEEK 4 –QUIZ

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WEEK 5- QUIZ

COURSE ACCOMPLISHMENT WINDOW

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