Ron Rosenhead, Chief Executive of Project Agency, explained, "One of the most common project management problems is that the project's stakeholders are - and remain - uncommitted to its success. Our research shows that by identifying and managing stakeholders, projects stand a better chance of being delivered successfully. Forget stakeholders, and they could have an adverse impact on your project."

The Stakeholder and Risk Management module covers

• defining stakeholder management and assessing its importance to project success
• how to operate a successful stakeholder-management process and continue this throughout the of the project
• how to identify and manage project risks on a regular basis.

Project Planning includes a practical, simple-to-use system for planning projects, shows how to break a project into its component parts, and stresses the importance of predecessor relationships.

It introduces a five-stage project planning process, demonstrates the importance of work and product-breakdown structures, and shows how to prepare such a structure. The work also explains the benefits of having realistic cost and time estimates - and outlines how to produce them.

Rosenhead commented, "You need to ensure your project plan is credible by identifying all the activities you need to carry out and putting cost and time estimates against them. Show the order in which the tasks will be done and produce a Gantt chart or milestone chart."

"Research shows we suffer from optimistic planning bias", he said. "In other words, we think we can deliver an activity in a project in less time than it will actually take. This module shows you how to overcome optimism."

All of Project Agency's eLearning materials are designed to encourage and reinforce learning. They also introduce learners to a project-management approach used throughout the UK and Europe.