Return to Mars consists of 14 modules (called episodes) with each episode comprised of access quizzes, exercises based around a business case study, job aids and tools, lessons learned movies from the simulated team, and problem-solving scenarios and activities. There is a final test for PDU credits. Seat time for each episode is approximately 45 minutes.
Return to Mars: Leading a Complex Project
Episode 1: Understanding the Project
Identify and define the stages of a project
Understand the role your subsystem plays in meeting mission objectives, by familiarizing yourself with the project context
Identify and describe the start-up/planning stage
Set the stage for effective, collaborative teamwork
Episode 2: Managing Communications
Lay the groundwork for quality communication between team members and stakeholders so that risks, problems, and needs can be identified, addressed and resolved before they get unwieldy
Establish communication standards and formats
Develop a detailed Communication Plan
Episode 3: Working with Stakeholders
Determine the needs and expectations of all of your project stakeholders so that you can build a productive working relationship and meet their criteria for success
Gain the customer's commitment to the project's success
Episode 4: Building the Team
Know the principles and criteria of teamwork so that you can assemble a skilled, committed, and dynamic team
Use appropriate and comprehensive criteria in selecting team members
Prepare a Start-Up Meeting
Identify Barriers to Teamwork
Episode 5: Defining the Project
Create a document that defines the project/task so that your team will understand work scope and purpose, become willing to take responsibility for achieving objectives and remain committed to mission success
Episode 6: Scheduling
Produce a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and a preliminary schedule indicating the time frame in which the tasks from the WBS will be performed
Sequence tasks for scheduling
Estimate Resource Effort
Estimate Task Duration
Episode 7: Resources
Understand how resources will be used and what will be needed to meet your project's schedule, cost and quality objectives
Develop a Resource Management Plan
Develop a Procurement Plan
Develop a Staffing Plan
Create a Team Member Development Plan
Episode 8: Budget
Develop accurate estimates and effective controls for costs so that you can create a sound and reasonable project budget
Determine an approach to managing project costs, developing a preliminary budget, and integrating budget and schedule requirements. Variables such as design changes, testing, refinements, and technical resources (mass and power, for example) must be watched closely to ensure success later
Episode 9: Risk
Develop risk management skills so that you can identify, analyze, and control risk factors throughout the life-cycle of your project
Identify internal and external risks
Quantify risks
Develop a risk response plan
Episode 10: Quality
Know how to use formal and informal monitoring methods in order to ensure that your project is meeting quality objectives in its product, production, and management processes
Define Quality Objectives
Develop Quality Strategies
Develop Quality Standards and Procedures
Episode 11: Monitoring Project Progress
Determine the impact of change activity
Analyze and manage changes
Monitor the project schedule
Monitor resources
Monitor project costs
Perform a staff level and work effort analysis
Episode 12: Monitoring Customer and Team
Know how to use formal and informal monitoring methods to ensure that your project is meeting quality objectives in its product, production, quality and management processes
Manage Customer Expectations
Maintain Team Focus and Commitment
Maintain a Positive Working Climate
Develop a Team Improvement Plan
Episode 13: Project Control
Learn how to work with the customer to maintain a successful and productive partnership as the project develops
Learn how to focus, work with and assess your team's progress and performance so that commitments are met and overall project success is assured
Manage trade-offs
Identify the sources of baseline changes
Implement baseline revisions
Communicate project progress
Conduct project status reviews
Episode 14: Project Close-out
Know all of the procedures involved in formally closing out your project so that you can bring the project to completion in a way that is meaningful, instructive and beneficial to you, your team members, and your customer
Close project-related contracts
Discontinue project-related financial procedures
Monitor resources
Conduct a post-project review, emphasizing "lessons learned"
