• Cancellation Policy

Seminar Description

Project design is very broad in scope and includes everything that must be determined before a project can proceed. That is, what is the purpose of the project? What is the expected outcome? What is the outcome's anticipated impact? What relations and commitment are required? Who will fund the project? Who will do the project? Who will prepare the technical design, ordering of materials, budgeting, managing, etc?

The actual process can be categorized into 4 phases:

• Setting the project goal: an outcome that has an impact and the purpose;
• Framing the relations: stakeholder reach and commitment;
• Detailing the design: project concept details;
• Specifying the resources;

This course is an introductory workshop that provides participants with key concepts and methods to identify and assess strategic opportunities, and begin designing projects that deliver valuable outcomes to improve social, economic and/or ecological conditions. Participants improve their ability to sell their services domestically, and set the stage to expand into international work, with strong project design skills in addition to their project implementation skills.

This course is an interactive workshop involving the actual use of one's own creativity, envisioning techniques, concern analysis, problem solving, questioning, creative inquiry, transformation methods, decision making, a specification for project design and story telling.

Emphasis will be given to the practical application of project design concepts and methods to identify and define a project that will have an impact - along with a general understanding of creativity, characteristics of good to great, human development, where project design fits into the project cycle, the distinction between project design and project management, project design tools, the value proposition, how a project is isolated and identified, concern analysis, problem definition and statement, questioning that translates the problem into a need for inquiry, making meaning through creative inquiry, and translating that meaning into a story and ‘elevator' speech.

Participants will experience their individual creativity and natural ability to make meaning, work in teams, create and explain a story about an object of value, imagine and explain their value proposition, specify a project from a case study and a project from their own real life ideas and concerns, and present their project story.

The workshop purpose is to strengthen participants' awareness of the concepts and methods that they can apply right away that will enable them to design projects that have an impact - and experience what they value.

Workshop objectives are to provide an opportunity to develop an appreciation of creativity in science and technology-based industries; complement participant know-how and experience with enhanced creative concepts and methods; expand project literacy in project design, impact management and creativity awareness; provide a forum for relationship building, information sharing and the exchange among participants of expertise, experience and ideas; and to improve participant abilities, which they can sell locally and internationally.

The instructional approach is learner-centered whereby the learners are active participants, responsible for their own learning within the context of learning designs that are provided. The course facilitates a common understanding of project design and the language of projects and development. An important feature of the course is that each participant learns by actually doing a preliminary design of her or his own project idea.

Intended Audience

The course is positioned at an introductory level to enhance the knowledge of project managers, developers, business managers, fundraisers, financiers, educators and students. Participants will have some frame of reference related to projects and development, through previous education and/or experience.

The course will benefit those from a range of disciplines, sectors, industries, and size of organization:

• those already operating as project managers, seeking to improve and augment their knowledge and skills in this area, and operate at a more strategic level;
• those from other disciplines who want to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully work in a project environment.

Instructor

Lea Johnson P.Eng., MBA – Johnson Management Inc.

Lea Johnson P.Eng., MBA is a ‘Development Practitioner' with more than fifteen years of experience in engineering projects and an additional twenty years of project experience in technology transfer, training and education. He is currently undertaking a graduate program in Development Studies through the University of London at the London School of Economics. He uses results and value management to design, organize, manage, evaluate, and monitor local and international projects with experience Africa, Asia, Canada, Central and South America, Middle East, the Ukraine and Russia.

For 20 years he taught in Simon Fraser University's Continuing Studies where he conducted a team building retreat on the introduction to results management, value management, project design, and a problem solving team approach workshop on business case development. He taught a development studies course at SFU and the University of the Fraser Valley. He served as a member of the Advisory Committee for the development of the School of Engineering Science at SFU.

Lea is particularly enthusiastic about continuing his work developing methods that will improve individual capacities and lead to sustainable development. Clients include investment banks, NGOs, educational institutions, governments and technical companies.

Cancellation Policy

Registered attendees unable to attend the event may designate a substitute, provided APEGBC receives written notification at least one business day prior to the event. Registration information for the substitute attendee should accompany the notice. If notice of cancellation of registration is received:

•  5 business days or more prior to the event, a refund will be processed
•  Less than 5 business days prior to the event, no refunds apply

Substitute registrants are permitted up to the day of the seminar and member/non-member fees will be applied. The organizers reserve the right to cancel the event if less than the minimum required participants have registered. Liability limited to registration fee.

APEGBC is an AIBC/CES registered provider offering an AIBC-Accredited activity for 14 Core Learning Units.

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