Learn With Valency

Education

Learn with Valency, at your own pace. Whether you are learning on an individual basis or as part of a team, whether you are familiar with or new to CII best practices, we have options tailored to meet your specific learning needs. Integrating industry-proven tools and methodologies into your organization:

  • Saves time and money, bringing certainty to resource deployment
  • Translates into added value for your organization, enhancing long-term return on your capital investment
  • Improves team coordination, among both cross-functional and siloed teams
  • Enhances overall organizational efficiency for future capital projects readiness

As a Registered Provider with the Construction Industry Institute (CII) and a Recertification Points Provider with the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), we offer accredited educational courses specific to the needs of capital projects organizations.

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Popular Courses

Front End Planning Principles & Practices (VAL-101)
As a project leader you know first hand the importance of proper scope definition. Industry research shows that projects with intensive front end planning and well-defined scope perform markedly better in terms of cost, schedule, change orders and delivery against operational business objectives.

This course offers participants the opportunity to learn how to apply the principles of front end planning using the Construction Industry Institute’s front end planning phase-gate process. Each phase in the front end planning process is explained along with the key objectives, inputs, specific tasks, and deliverables.

Built around an interactive case study, this course offers participants a practical opportunity to apply the principles of front end planning. Participants will work collaboratively in small groups to conduct analysis at each phase of front end planning for the project. The course concludes with each group presenting their recommendation (and rationale) on whether the project should be authorized to proceed to detailed design.

Course Outline

Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) Principles & Practices (VAL-102)
This course offers participants the opportunity to learn best practices in facilitation and using the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) from the Construction Industry Institute (CII).  The PDRI methodology is used in front end planning to dramatically improve scope definition and achieve substantially improved project cost and schedule performance.  An interactive case study is used to provide participants with first-hand experience in how an effective PDRI session is conducted.

The course provides lessons learned on how to achieve increased team alignment, identify gaps and risks, and objectively measure progress in scope definition.  Each of the PDRI templates (industrial, infrastructure and buildings) is introduced, along with guidelines on how to select the best template for each project.  Recommended facilitation techniques are explained, as well as roles, responsibilities and logistics of conducting a PDRI session. This course satisfies the educational requirement for Valency’s Certified PDRI Facilitator Program.

Course Outline

Scope Control & Change Management in Capital Projects (VAL-104)
Planning, designing and executing a capital project is a complex undertaking. Change is inevitable throughout the process, but must be controlled to ensure the project parameters (cost, schedule, quality and safety) remain in control. Changes have many impacts, including interrupting the sequence of planned work, rework, delays, schedule slippage and cost escalation. Any of these impacts have the potential to generate claims and result in litigation.

Managing change is essential for a successful project outcome. This course introduces the Construction Industry Institute’s (CII) best practice for managing project change.

Course Outline

Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) for Small Industrial Projects (VAL-105)
This one-day course addresses the scope definition needs of project leaders responsible for small, plant-based projects (less than US$10 million) that account for more than 70% of completed projects. Participants will learn how to effectively use CII’s newest Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) for Small Industrial Projects (2015) and dramatically improve project scope definition.

Course Outline

Project Risk Management Principles & Practices (VAL-107)
This course offers participants the opportunity to learn how to effectively implement best practices in project risk management from the Construction Industry Institute (CII). Using an interactive case study, participants will see first hand how to apply practical and easy-to-use strategies for risk identification, qualitative risk assessment, developing risk responses, and monitoring risk throughout the project lifecycle.

Course Outline

Developing & Managing a Partnering Relationship (VAL-110)
Partnering provides companies with opportunities to greatly increase project performance and payback. However, the partnering process must be properly planned and managed to achieve the desired results.

This course is designed for those focused on using partnering as a viable strategy for managing engineering and construction projects. The focus is on how to apply the Construction Industry Institute’s Partnering Model to specific project opportunities. The course introduces a proven model for evaluating partnering, preparing for partnering, selecting a partner, implementing, and maintaining a partnering relationship.

  • Conducting needs analysis and building your business case for PDRI
  • Preparing for change and recognizing common organizational impacts
  • Initiating a successful limited-use pilot of PDRI
  • Planning for growth of your PDRI implementation, including
    • Process integration with stage gate, cost, schedule and risk practices
    • Developing your education plan
    • Maintaining consistency in PDRI practices during the growth step
    • Defining key metrics to measure performance impact of PDRI by portfolio/group/division
    • Identifying fit-for-purpose changes to PDRI elements with the rollout to new groups or divisions
    • Incorporating PDRI into your lessons learned program

Course Outline

Construction Readiness Principles and Practices (VAL-115)
This course introduces the principles of construction readiness and how to use CII’s Construction Readiness Assessment (CRA) to monitor project health and prevent premature construction starts.   Construction-ready projects outperform projects that are not ready, with up to 20% better cost performance and 21.5% better schedule performance.

Course Outline

PDRI MATRS Principles & Practices (VAL-116)
This is a one-day course that offers participants the opportunity to learn how to facilitate project assessments using CII’s PDRI MATRS (Maturity and Accuracy Total Rating System).  PDRI MATRS is a tool used in front end planning to achieve substantially improved performance in capital project cost, schedule and delivery against operational asset business objectives. The course provides lessons learned on how to achieve increased team alignment, identify gaps and risks, and objectively measure the maturity and accuracy of FEED deliverables.  Recommended facilitation techniques are explained, as well as roles, responsibilities and logistics of conducting a PDRI MATRS session.

Course Outline

Lessons Learned Best Practices (VAL-120)

Participants will learn what a Lessons Learned program is and the process that is followed. CII’s Lessons Learned best practices to facilitate the continuous improvement of processes and procedures are introduced, along with CII resources to support the implementation of a Lessons Learned Program.

Delivery: Virtual, On-Demand | Duration: 1 hour | Credits: 1

Course Outline

Front End Planning Best Practices (VAL-121)
The focus of this course is on front-end planning best practices that can help you improve capital project performance. This course will introduce you to the relationship between front end planning and capital project performance, in which critical success factors in conducting effective front-end planning are shared.

Delivery: Virtual, On-Demand | Duration: 1.5 hours | Credits: 1.5

Course Outline

Introduction to the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) (VAL-122)

Learn how PDRI is helping organizations improve scope definition in small, large and mega projects.
Find out how your project teams can easily assess their progress on scope development, and work collaboratively to identify gaps and risks early in front end planning – before detailed design and construction begins!

You will learn:

  • Introduction to the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) methodology
  • Benefits of PDRI
  • Responsibilities by project role
  • What you need to know as a participant in a PDRI session

Delivery: Virtual, On-Demand | Duration: 1.5 hours | Credits: 1.5

Course outline

Facilitation Skills for Project Leaders (VAL-123)

This course introduces core facilitation skills to help project leaders facilitate critical meetings and workshops throughout the project lifecycle. Foundational facilitation practices are introduced that will help project leaders learning to facilitate sessions such as the PDRI, Construction Readiness, Risk Management, Lessons Learned and Partnering.

Delivery: Virtual, On-Demand | Duration: 1 hour | Credits: 1

Course outline

Introduction to Construction Readiness (VAL-124)

This course is an overview of the Construction Readiness methodology which helps project teams achieve a productive start to construction. This course introduces the principles of construction readiness and how to use CII’s Construction Readiness Assessment (CRA).

Delivery: Virtual, On-Demand | Duration: 0.5 hour | Credits: 0.5

Course outline

Best practices in implementing the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) using Carve (VAL-201)
This one-day course provides participants with a roadmap for implementation of PDRI in their project organization. A case study format is used to introduce PDRI implementation planning considerations.  Topics covered include:

  • Conducting needs analysis and building your business case for PDRI
  • Preparing for change and recognizing common organizational impacts
  • Initiating a successful limited-use pilot of PDRI
  • Planning for growth of your PDRI implementation, including
    • Process integration with stage gate, cost, schedule and risk practices
    • Developing your education plan
    • Maintaining consistency in PDRI practices during the growth step
    • Defining key metrics to measure performance impact of PDRI by portfolio/group/division
    • Identifying fit-for-purpose changes to PDRI elements with the rollout to new groups or divisions
    • Incorporating PDRI into your lessons learned program

Course Outline

Facilitation Skills & Techniques for Capital Project Workshops (VAL-223)

The role of a facilitator is critical to helping capital project teams achieve success in today’s complex project delivery environment. When effectively conducted, facilitated meetings and workshops generate buy-in, increase team alignment and empower project team members.

This course introduces core facilitation skills and proven facilitation techniques applied in today’s virtual environment that will help project leaders facilitate critical meetings and workshops throughout the capital project lifecycle including:

  • Advanced Work Packaging (AWP)
  • Brainstorming Sessions
  • Class of Facility Quality
  • Construction Readiness
  • Design Review
  • Lessons Learned
  • Project Gate Review
  • Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI)
  • Risk Management
  • Value Engineering

Course Outline

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