Fusion laboratories receive F4E training on project management software

At a training session in F4E Headquarters in Barcelona, European Fusion Laboratories (EFLs) working under F4E Diagnostic Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs) were given the opportunity to further develop their skills in the Primavera project management tool used by F4E and ITER IO. This software is used by F4E to manage its schedule activities, budget and work programme. “EFLs working with F4E need to be able to communicate effectively the progress being made”, says Miguel Costa, F4E Planning Officer in charge of the training. “It is vital that the planning is done in an optimal way, as the planning of the EFLs obviously influences the planning of F4E and the ITER Project as a whole. If they have good schedules, then we all win”, he adds.

The training lasted two days and covered subjects such as how to create a schedule and how to monitor the progress of the project as well as Earned Value Management (EVM), available as a specific feature within Primavera relating resource planning to schedule progress – in short, all the areas needed to develop and use a Primavera schedule within a Diagnostics FPA.

“It’s the first time this type of training has been held. The organisation was very much a team effort within the F4E team”, concludes Miguel Costa. Feedback from the 11 EFL representatives coming from Denmark, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Spain and Portugal was overwhelming positive.

“The F4E Primavera training managed to cover all relevant important areas and transmit knowledge for different background levels. I definitely recommend other F4E EFL partners to undergo this training”, says Tamás Ilkei, Project Leader for the ITER and Fusion Diagnostic Development Research Group, WIGNER (Hungary). “Primavera is the main planning tool we use at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ) where we are building the CXRS diagnostic device for ITER”, says Katarzyna Rasinska, FZJ Quality Manager (Germany). “F4E’s Primavera training incorporated clear examples and useful practical exercises in order to facilitate learning. I look forward to more of this type of training in the future”, she enthuses.